> Cozy Chronicles
>  by 5u0myn0n4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the majestic Canterlot garden, Princess Twilight Sparkle was ready to teach her student, Luster Dawn, about different sides of a story. And today in particular, Twilight was prepared to enlist Luster with her toughest challenge yet. But in the end, it wouldn't be Luster who would learn a valuable lesson. Instead, there was someone else who needed to learn a far more important lesson, she just hadn't realized it yet.





"How do you like Canterlot gardens, Luster Dawn?" Twilight asked.
"It's beautiful, princess." Luster replied.

"This garden is home to many species of plants. Some, more understood than others, but analogies aside, Luster, you've been so great as my student. What I have next for you isn't going to be easy, but I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe you could do it."
"Gosh, princess. The anticipation is killing me! What is it?!"

"Well, first, let me introduce you to some old... adversaries of mine..." Twilight used her magic to move aside some vines and brush, revealing one mean looking statue.
Luster's jaw dropped in terror.

"Luster Dawn, I'd like you to meet Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow." the princess introduced.
"You mean, THE Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy Glow?!" her student exclaimed.
"Yes. These three were my final opponents before I was officially coordinated and made ruler of Equestria." she said.

"Wow. The last of the original love hungry changelings. The evil centaur himself. And... Cozy Glow. Stuck together in one place." she admired.
"Stuck together, until now that is." Twilight said.

"Wha-? Why? Is the spell going to wear off?!" Luster panicked.
"Not quite. I had something else in mind." Twilight looked at Luster closely in the eye.

"Luster, this is no small feet, but I trust you by this point. I'm enlisting you to convince these three to use their powers for good instead of evil. Princess Celestia tasked my friends and I with a similar task to reform Discord, and we did it in the end. I have no reason to believe that you can't do the same with these three."
"But uh..." Luster froze.
"Don't worry. I'll add a little extra spell so that they can't hurt you." Twilight assured.

Twilight cast some kind of spell around the statue.

"They're covered in a suspension spell to prohibit their abilities. It's up to you to activate my spell to set them free." Twilight said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to elsewhere."
"Wait, you're not going to supervise me while I talk to these really evil creatures?" Luster asked.
"Nope. Like I said, I'm busy, plus they can't hurt you. You'll be fine. I believe in you." Twilight said.

Princess Twilight Sparkle flew away.

"Well, that makes one of us who believes..." Luster said. "

Some magic aura surrounded the statues. All Luster had to do was add her own magic for it to activate. Before she did, she made sure she was ready.





"Hmm, I'm going to place you here." Luster re-positioned the statue in what she deemed a safer location.

*sigh* "Guess I'm ready as I'll ever be..." she said.

Luster used her magic, and performed the spell. The statue began to disassemble from top to bottom, unfreezing the three trapped within.

When Chrysalis unfroze, and her forward momentum continued to carry her forward.

"GAH! *bonk* Ow! My cranium!" Chrysalis hit her head on a tree.

The other two, who were more timid when they froze, looked at themselves in amazement.

"We're... we're free?" Cozy Glow couldn't believe it.
"Yes! Finally! I am free!" Tirek exclaimed.

*ahem* Luster coughed.

"What? Who's there?" Tirek asked.

"Hello, you three, my name is Luster Dawn." she introduced herself. "I'm Twilight's student. And I'm here to teach you about friendship so that hopefully you do good instead of evil." she said.

"Ha! Preposterous!" Chrysalis said.
"In your wildest dreams, filly. As if we're ever going to give in to friendship!" Tirek said.
"Twilight may have been able to manipulate Discord, but we will not give in so easily." Chrysalis added.

"That's okay. It doesn't have to happen immediately. But Twilight put a spell on you three, so Tirek can't absorb magic, Chrysalis can't transform, and Cozy can't fly." Luster explained.

"We may not have magic..." Chrysalis started.
"But I still have my hands." Tirek threatened.
"And I still have my teeth!" Chrysalis added.

The two lunged forward after Luster. She braced for impact.

"Wait!" Cozy interjected. "Is this any way to make first impressions on our savior? No it isn't. I'll go first."

"Why, Lusty, thanks for the thought unfreezing us." Cozy thanked.
"Well, it was Twilight's idea, but she wanted me to be the one who convinces you three." Luster explained.
"Interesting..." Cozy said.
"Not unlike what she did to Discord." Chrysalis added.
"And like with Discord, I hope that you three come around and see how your unique abilities can be used to better ponykind." Luster grinned.

"And we couldn't be more excited to get started." Cozy grinned.
"Really?" Luster asked.
"Why, yes of course. I'm so grateful that Twilight eventually decided to give us another chance. And believe me, we're down for anything you have in mind. Isn't that right fellas?" Cozy winked.
"Uh... yes! But of course!" Tirek said.
"Yes, we're all ears to any friendship lesson you have in mind." Chrysalis said.

"Why thank you, Twilight's going to be so proud of me." Luster Dawn said. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

"So when do we double cross her?" Tirek whispered.
"On my mark, and no sooner." Cozy replied.





The three went through a long day of tedium with Luster, but what's most important for this story's purposes, is when Luster brought Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chryslis to Canterlot library to check out books.

"Well, like Twilight tells me, there isn't anything you can't learn from a book. I'm sure you three will find some great resources here." Luster said. "Why don't each of you pick out a book, and bring it to the reading table?"
"That sounds like an excellent idea." Cozy said.
"Since there's only one exit out of here, I'll let you three go your separate ways." Luster said.

The three got up and wandered through the maze of books.

"Is there anything we should be looking for in particular?" Chrysalis asked.
"Definitely. First, Tirek, find a book on suppression spells, and Chrysalis, a book featuring Changeling and Centaur abilities would come in handy." Cozy replied.
"And then what are you going to look for?" Tirek asked.

"That's all I can think of, but if I find a book that looks useful, I'll be sure to grab it. Just stick to your missions, and do what Lusty says for now." Cozy ordered.

After several minutes, the two came to Cozy with their finds.

"How about these?" Chrysalis showed the books she and Tirek picked out.
"Perfect!" Cozy exclaimed.
"So what is the plan?" Tirek asked.
"Assuming these books have the information we need... *whisper*..." Cozy whispered her plan to the two.
"Do you think I can do it? Magic spells aren't exactly a Changeling's forte." Chrysalis said.
"The point is, it's not impossible, and that's all we go to work with." Cozy replied.





Some moments later, the three met back up with Luster Dawn at a reading table.

"So, what did you three find?" Luster asked eagerly.
"This one here is called, Why Are Changelings & Centaurs Always So Sweaty?" Chrysalis said.
"Oh... I see. You wanna connect with your species more?" she asked.
"Uh... sure. Let's go with that." the changeling queen replied.

"And Tirek, you have uh..." Luster started.
"Confinement Spells of Restraint - And How to Tear Them Down." he answered.
"Uh..." Luster wondered.
"Tirek just wants to learn about unicorn magic spells. That's all." Cozy said.
"Yes! It is a topic I have always wanted to delve deep into I admit." Tirek said.

"That's fantastic, and what have you got Cozy Glow?" Luster asked.
"Relics of Equestria Through Time. Featuring Mage Meadowbrook's eight enchanted items, additional information on Grogar's Bell, and more!"
"That's uh, fantastic Cozy." Luster said, trying to sound enthusiastic to encourage her. When really, she was nervous. And rightfully so.





The three spent the afternoon reading their respective books.

Cozy looked at Chrysalis, and she gave a firm nod. She turned her head to Tirek, and he nodded as well. Cozy gave a suspicious grin. She knew they were ready.

"Golly, these books are so insightful." Cozy said.
"I'm so happy to hear that." Luster said. "You know, I just wanted to say, I'm pleased with you three. You did great today in Ponyville, in the castle ground dusting, and here in the library. It's been a long day, but I feel like I've really gotten to know you three."
"I'm glad you really think so, Lusty." Cozy Glow said. "Which is why it'll be such a shame when this over." Cozy winked.
"I agree. But it doesn't have to end now." Luster asked.
"NO! It ends when I say it does!" Cozy exclaimed. Tirek's horns lit up. "And I say, this ends now!"

*shatter*

Tirek managed to circumvent Twilight's spell and destroy it. The magic locks that inhibited the three was gone. Cozy could fly again, Chrysalis could transform, and Tirek, well, he demonstrated his abilities right then and there.

"Oh shoot!" Luster exclaimed. Luster's heart sank in terror.

Tirek grabbed Luster, pulled her in, absorbed all her magic, and grew slightly more powerful.
"NOOOOOooo..." Luster slowly lost her energy. Tirek dropped her like a stone when he was done.

Next, Chrysalis bit Tirek to absorb some of Luster's magic and enhance her own magic capabilities.

*AAH!* Tirek grunted at the pain.
"I can feel... the magic... flowing through me!" Chrysalis said, absorbing Tirek's magic.
"That's enough! Now Chrysalis!" Cozy commanded.

Chrysalis' horn glowed, and just like that...

*poof* 

They were gone!

"Oh no no no no no no!" Luster panicked. "This is bad. Real bad! Twilight's going to kill me! If they don't kill me first!"





*poof*

Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis reappeared outside Canterlot.

"Huzzah! We escaped!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Please never say huzzah again." Cozy said.
"What's wrong with huzzah?"
"Everything."

"Quit your bickering and take a look around! The plan worked! We escaped!" Tirek beamed.
"Yeah, yeah you're right. We did it! That was amazing! Breaking Twilight's spell really was that easy!" Cozy said.
"And then how Tirek stole her magic, and then we teamed up so I could harness enough magic to teleport us away!" Chrysalis cheered.
"And it's all thanks to the stuff we learned from those old books!" Cozy said. "I even managed to snag this book while doing it."

"Where are we anyway?" Tirek asked.
"We're..." Cozy wondered.

They could still see Canterlot castle from where they were.

"Shoot! We're not actually that far away!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Give me a break! Magic's hard!" Chrysalis said.

"What now?" Tirek asked.
"Let's just make a run for it!" Cozy exclaimed.

The three started running or flying away.

"We'll never get anywhere on foot!" Tirek said.
"Can't you transform into something to get us out of here quicker Chryssie?" Cozy asked.
"I suppose I can." she replied.

Chrysalis transformed into a roc. She used her talons to grab Tirek and Cozy Glow, and carry them through the air.

"Where are we going?" Tirek asked.
"That's a good question. Where to?" Chrysalis asked.
"As far away from Canterlot as possible!" Cozy Glow commanded.





The three villains flew far far away from Canterlot. They didn't look back, only forward, as they begun their long journey into nowhere in particular, other than far away from Twilight Sparkle.
> Chapter 1: A New Rule
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

First main chapter. Second overall.





It was a cloudy and murky day. The forest area  harbored life of all kinds. But today, passing through, were three unwelcome guests. Freshly escaped from their rocky prison, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow fled as far away from Equestria as they could.





*phew* "I can't believe we escaped that stone prison!" Chrysalis said.
"It's all thanks to the ignorance of Twilight thinking her protege could reform us, like how Fluttershy reformed Discord." Cozy Glow said.
"It's not going to be so easy to endocrine us!" Tirek said.

"My legs and wings are still stiff, I don't think I can go forward another inch!" Cozy Glow collapsed into the soil.
"Tirek, carry me." she said.
"In your dreams, squirt." Tirek replied.
"We're all carrying our own weight. If you can't do it, then maybe you're best off rotting in the dirt." Chrysalis.
"Eh, it was worth a shot." Cozy stood up and continued walking.

The three continued walking through what seemed like nowhere.

"Where are we going anyway?" Cozy asked.
"As far away from Twilight Sparkle as possible." Tirek replied.
"This is a very half-baked plan." Chrysalis said.
"We need to rebuild!" Cozy said. "They may have Grogar's bell, but there has to be some other magical artifacts we can find to regain our powers?"
"However we do it, we'll be back." Tirek said.
"And Twilight won't know what hit her this time!" Cozy said.
"For reals though. We won't be contained!" Chrysalis said.
*grrr* Cozy's stomach growled. "But first, how about some refreshments?"





The three found themselves in the woods, far from any development. After a day's journey, the sun was getting low, and it was time for our villains to take a break and settle down. Using what they learned from past experiences, they set up a base camp.

"We've been camping before. This will be a cinch." Cozy said.
"Ah... It's a good thing that Twilight is a moron." Chrysalis said. "She probably doesn't even notice we're gone, let alone she'll never find us all the way here."
"Then that means we're safe for now. But what is our next plan?" Tirek asked.
"It's not enough to set up a temporary camp, we need a substantial base of operations." Cozy suggested.
"Why do we have to keep listening to your commands?" Tirek asked.
"Do you want to set up somewhere else then!?" Cozy snarled back.
"Fine, we'll set up camp (only because I'm tired of walking...)" Tirek mumbled.





Cozy set up a campfire, Tirek made a hammock, and Chrysalis made a tent out of wood and slime.

"Not too shabby a campsite if I do say so myself." Cozy Glow said.
"The camp is temporary. We can't go back to Equestria, yet. And we need to develop that long term survival plan." Chrysalis said.
"It's important that we not only survive, but thrive." Cozy Glow said.
"Yes! Not only thrive, but conquer!" Tirek exclaimed.
"I don't see any one else contesting for this land." Chrysalis said.
"Finders keepers. This place is our property." Cozy Glow said.
"Let's see, if we want to establish our own land, what can we learn from how Equestria was built?" Tirek wondered.
"Not much. The story of how Equestria was founded is the cheesiest story. The Earth Unicorn Pegasi were isolated tribes, but became friends blah blah blah!" Cozy mocked.
"Our story will be a lot more interesting." Tirek said.
"Their so called bond was easier to break than a twig." Chrysalis said.
"Us on the other hand, will form a stronger bond. Not with friendship or junk, but with an iron grip." Tirek stated.
"The kingdom of TCGC will be all ours. We start our own kingdom, one that embraces freedom, rather than oppression of friendship." Cozy Glow proposed.
"I'm sorry, TC what what?" Chrysalis asked.
"That's our names put together. Tirek, Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, TCGC." Cozy explained.
"That's more like an acronym than a real name." Tirek complained.
"Look, if you have a better idea for a name, I'm all ears." Cozy conjectured.
"Hmm..." the other two thought.
"Fine, your name will suit." Chrysalis admitted.
"Then TCGC it is!" Cozy grinned. "Our kingdom will be free of the friendship curse. We'll create order, and build up power!"

Though they lacked any formal documentation proving so, their land was theirs.

"It's one thing to claim ownership and name it. We really gotta make this place our own!" Cozy Glow said.
"A kingdom needs a mighty castle!" Tirek said.
"Its citizens are going to need something to feast on." Chrysalis suggested.
"And a country is going to need a flag." Cozy added.

Tirek and Chrysalis stare at Cozy in confusion.

"What? Graphic design is my passion." she replied with a grin.

"Regardless, I like your suggestions. Tirek, I task you with building us a mighty fortress. More, Castle of the Two Sisters than Canterlot preferably." Cozy ordered.
"It'll be a castle fit for three mighty rulers." Tirek said.
"Chrysalis, I love how you conquered that creature during our first camping trip. I want you to do that ten fold! And then share with us your energy!" she added.
"Normally I keep the love to myself, but I suppose there is a way for me to make the love energy... palatable for consumption by others. I think. I've never tried it with non-Changelings..."
"Sounds good. We each have a plan, so let's put our kingdom on the map!

The three each prepared for the declaration of their independent kingdom. Tirek built more a robust shelter on top of a hill. A stone structure that would house and protect them. Chrysalis went on the hunt. She used her shape shifting powers to trick, and capture many great creatures for consumption. Cozy worked out the logistics, and started designing a flag.





After a long day's worth of work, Cozy's flag was complete, and she presented the final design to her cohorts.

"I made this flag. It will be the official flag of TCGC." Cozy Glow said.

The flag depicted Cozy's cutie mark, Tirek's horns, and Chrysalis' horn as symbols, arranged in an inverted triangle. The background was maroon, with the constellation, Pegasus in the background. Cozy had already constructed a metal flagpole to hold the flag. It had a sharp point at the base to plant into the ground.

"Artsy, yet understated." Chrysalis said.
"Now this is a flag I would salute to." Tirek said.
"Then it's official. Once we plant this flag, the land of TCGC shall become ours. Now, everyone grab hold, this is our kingdom, we're doing this together." Cozy said.

Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy all held the flagpole.

"Before we make this official, I wanted to um..." Cozy started. "Just like we used to do, before we plant the flag, I want each of us to say something nice to each other."
"I thought the entire point of this was to be free from friendship." Chrysalis said.
"Well, this isn't to embrace friendship or anything. Just as a way of confirming that we're a team, and that we're each contributing to this project." Cozy said.
"Fair enough..." she replied
"I'll go first." Tirek volunteered.
"If ever there was a flag that captured our image, it's this one right here. Nice work."
Cozy smiled at the surprisingly nice compliment.
"And Chrysalis, you alone contain quite a lot of magic. Just sucking up your magic was enough to break the barrier guarding Grogar's bell."
"Thanks, I guess." Chrysalis said.

"And Chrysalis, how about you?" Cozy lead into Chrysalis.
"You know, you're surprisingly cunning despite your exterior appearance. No one expected an evil mastermind underneath an unsuspecting filly." Chrysalis said.
Cozy's grin grew wider at Chrysalis' comment.
"And you Tirek. The castle looks okay I guess."
Tirek was half thankful for the compliment.

"And what about you, Cozy Glow?" Chrysalis asked.
"Are you capable of saying anything nice? Are you just a sarcastic lying jerk?" Tirek asked.
"What?" she was half dazed thinking about their compliments. "Well, Golly, um. This is something I've been wanting to say for a while now..." Cozy started.

"Go on..." Tirek said.
"I hope neither of you take this the wrong way or anything but, I really like being with you guys... " Cozy admitted. "And um, even though, we're not friends of course, because friendship is dumb. But um... regardless of what we are, I've enjoyed our time together." Cozy smiled.

"Wow, um, thanks." Chrysalis said.
"Uh, alright then." Tirek said.

*ahem* Cozy cleared her thought. "Anyway, with that out of the way, let's do this."

They all got into position, ready to plant the flag. Cozy lead them.

"On the count of three. One..."
"Two..."
"Three!" they all said simultaneously.

*ka clank*
The metal pole collided with bedrock. The surprised and stopped them all.

"Maybe we should plant this thing soft soil, instead of the rocky surface." Cozy suggested.
"Agreed." the two nodded.

The three moved to another location to try again.

"Take two. One..."
"Two..."
"Three!" they all said simultaneously.

*ker plunk*

"I now declare this land property of Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Empress Cozy Glow!" Cozy exclaimed.

And with that, their flag was planted, and the Kingdom of TCGC was officially established. A land dictated by Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis.

There was just one thing missing.

"So once we hunker down, we still need a plan for retaliation.
"Why the rush, Tirek?" Cozy asked. "Why not enjoy our time alone with our own rule?"
"If we're not plotting our revenge, then this is all for not."

"Hmm. I still have that book from the library from when we trick 'ol Lusty." Cozy said.
"Perhaps if we chuck the book at her face fast enough, it'll crack her skull and break her spirit." Chrysalis suggested.
"You're thinking too basic, Chrysalis." Tirek said.

Cozy pulled out the book, and read through it to see if there were any other magic artifacts that could assist their revenge operation.
"There was one thing that caught my eye earlier. Which page was it...  AH HA! I know just what we're going to do to get back at Twilight!"
"What is it?" they asked.
"Last time, we used Grogar's bell, which only held a finite amount of magic. But this book outlines something far more powerful. We're going to find the Rainbow of Darkness!" Cozy explained. "Dun, dun, dun!"
"The Rainbow of Darkness? I haven't heard that name in years. I once wielded the object's mighty dark powers. I almost used it to conquer Equestria." Tirek said.
"Well, where do you think the Rainbow of Darkness is now?" Cozy asked.
"I don't know. After they defeated me, they hid it somewhere super secret." he replied.
"Last time we had the benefit of Discord telling us where Grogar's bell was, but this time, we're going to have to figure this out ourselves." Cozy said.

"Then how in Equestria are we going to find it if it's so hidden?" Chrysalis asked.
"I have no idea, but just imagine how powerful we'll be when we eventually do find it." Cozy said.
"We'll have a dark army by our side to stomp all over them." Tirek said.
"Twilight Sparkle won't know what hit her." Chrysalis added.
"She hasn't seen the last of us. We'll make sure our reunion with Twilight is a date to die for." Cozy grinned.
"A real shot in the dark." Tirek said.
"Yeah. Ha ha. We'll shoot her with dark all right!" Chrysalis laughed.

*simultaneous evil laughter*





To be continued in Chapter 2...
> Chapter 2: Some Time Alone
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our trio continued work on establishing the land around them into their own kingdom. It was time Winter, so nights were particularly cold, but that didn't halt their progress. After a long day, their hard work was paying off. Tirek had already half erected a stone fortress for our trio to hideaway in, and Chrysalis had enough captive wildlife to last for months.





"Excellent work you two." Cozy said. "The place is really coming together."
"This castle I've built is the finest example of centaurian architecture!" Tirek boasted.

Cozy did a quick fly around to check out the castle.

"The new castle impressive, but it lacks a roof!" Chrysalis said. "Where are we supposed to sleep?!"
"Fear not, I anticipated the slow construction of the castle (no offense), so I prepared a temporary shelter!" Cozy said.

It was an igloo, with two entrances on either end. Strange indeed.

"An igloo? Seriously?" Chrysalis said.
"These warm half domes kept ponies warm for generations, and it'll do the same for us." Cozy said.

Tirek stuck his head inside.

"I barely fit in this thing!" he said.
"Material was at a premium." Cozy said.
"Well, a shelter is better than no shelter." Chrysalis said.





With dwindling options, and the cold sneaking in, the villains ultimately decided that the tiny igloo was their best option. Cozy was snuggled up in her winter outfit, and wrapped in her yellow blanket from the finale. It was very warm inside, and also cramped. Immediately to each of her sides, were Tirek and Chrysalis sticking their heads into the igloo.

"I take back what I said earlier." Chrysalis said.
"This is completely undignified." Tirek said.
"You two wanna sleep outside in the cold?" Cozy asked.
"Not really..." Tirek mumbled.
"For what it's worth, at least it's warm in here!" Cozy said.
"I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing yet." Chrysalis said. "The idea of having each of your body heats warming me up is... eeugh..."
"Well hey, we're fugitives on the run, so we have to make compromises early on." Cozy explained.
"Hmph." they grunted.

"Hey! The sooner y'all fall asleep, the sooner this dreadful night will be over." Cozy said.
"How can I sleep with a centaur's horn in my neck!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"If either you so much as snore just a little bit." Tirek started.
"Don't get me started! If I hear one mention of Gram-Gram, or of Chrysalis' many sisters..." Cozy said.

The three exchanged arguments at each other, until they heard a loud noise outside.

*thud*

"What was that?" Cozy asked.
"Sounded like a tree falling." Tirek suggested.
"And since we're here, we heard it, and it made a noise." Chrysalis said.
"You know trees make noise regardless, right?." Tirek irked. 
"But how did it fall?" Cozy asked.
"Trees die, just like anything. Now be quiet and go to sleep." Chrysalis demanded.





The three sat grumpy, and struggling to sleep.

"I've been trying to sleep, and I just can't." Tirek complained.
"This difficulty of this task is exceeding." Chrysalis argued.
"Why don't we tell each other stories?" Cozy suggested.
"You mean confess our life stories and bore each other to sleep." Tirek said.
"Whatever it takes." Cozy affirmed.

"I'll get mine out of the way. My brother Scorpan and I came to Equestria with the intent of complete takeover. But my brother betrayed me when ponies showed him friendship. Later, I almost had Equestria myself, until Twilight and her friends defeated me and put me back in Tartarus." Tirek explained.

"Us Changelings have been on this planet generations before the very first horse. We were here first. But when ponies came to power and our territories collided, war broke out. When I attempted to conquer Equestria by sneaking in as the bride of Shining Armor, that should have been game set and match." Chrysalis explained. "But the love I tried to steal was used against us, and they sent us flying miles away. My second attempt was thwarted by Starlight Glimmer, and the double crossing of my precious Thorax. That's when I lost my hive. My entire hive, my children, turned against me, for some purple Twilight imitator..."

"That story is so sad, I'm already falling asleep it's so boring." Tirek said.
"It's not enough, I'm yawning, but I need just a little bit more." Cozy said.





"Well, what about you Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"You seemed to pop out of nowhere, and became a huge villain overnight." Tirek asked.
"Golly, thank you for asking." Cozy said. "The thing about me is that, I uh... don't have a family..."
"Oh, your entire family disowned you?" Chrysalis asked.
"No, I mean I literally don't have a family." Cozy replied. "I close my eyes, and try to think, but I can see any parents."

"That's impossible." Tirek said.
"All living creatures must be the result of the mating of two creatures." Chrysalis said.
"I uh, don't want to talk about it..." Cozy said. "In fact, I don't really remember. I haven't thought about my life pre-Twilight's school in a long time."
"Well, what do you remember? What did you do before you infiltrated that school?" Tirek asked.

"I think there was someone... I think I did have a caretaker, but I don't remember their name." Cozy said. "My life's been very lonely. I've mostly just been fending for myself. We're all created for a purpose, and well, I forget what my assigned purpose was. Hiding out at Twilight's school was a way to find salvation, to run away from my previous life, and to secretly find away to rule the world. I came so close twice but, it didn't exactly pan out. First an eternity in Tartarus, then an eternity in stone. I don't know which is worse. But by some stroke of luck, here we are. We're free now... free together..."

"Zzz..." both Chrysalis and Tirek were sound asleep.

"Hmph. When we had Grogar's bell, and we became super powerful, it felt like, like I found a part of me that was missing. Ever since we started working together, I feel like, I... you two are like..."

"ZZZ..." their snoring grew louder.

"Ugh. Thanks for listening..." Cozy said sarcastically.

She closed her eyes and also fell asleep.

...





The next morning.

Cozy was the first awake. She found herself pressed against Tirek's chest. This surprised her. She could have sworn she fell asleep separated from either Tirek or Chrysalis. The other two were still asleep. She nudged herself free, exited the igloo, and took a walk outside. It was still early in the morning, the sun had not yet risen, and he sky was just beginning to illuminate.

Cozy found herself by the shore of a lake. She plopped down and sat right at the edge of where the waves came in. She sat in pure silence. Wearing her winter outfit, and wrapped in her yellow blanket, she just sat in place, and thought about stuff. She looked into the lake and stared at her own reflection. It gave off the same grumpy look she did.

"What are you doing? You're wasting your time just sitting there!"
"We're just finding out footing that's all. Once we settle down, we'll get back on track, and come up with a plan." Cozy replied.
"I thought you wanted revenge. Why are you wasting time with compliments and team work?"
"Well I do revenge but, cooperation is important too. We never would have had Grogar's bell if we didn't work together." Cozy said. "I need them as allies, but... not as friends right?"
"The moment you start to think of them as friends, is the moment they find out you're weak. And the moment they start to think of you as a friend, is the moment all your plans crumble, and you'll never get ultimate power. And Pappy wouldn't like that would he?"
"No, I don't think..." Cozy replied.
"Exactly! Now, either find the Rainbow of Darkness, or something else. Whatever it takes to become the ultimate life form, like you were meant to be!"

There was a ripple in the lake, and her reflection ceased talking to her.





"Hmph..." she grunted. "Hmm?"

Cozy heard Tirek's footsteps behind her. She kept quiet however, wondering what he would do if anything. The footsteps stopped for a moment, and then resumed. Presumably Tirek noticed her, but didn't approach.
"Hmph. Guess we're not that close after all. The kind of close where we walk up and ask each other about feelings." Cozy said to herself.

A light glared in Cozy's eyes. It came from over the horizon and reflected off the lake.

"What are you looking at!?" Cozy snarled at the sun. "This view sucks now." she turned around 180 degrees, and saw the full moon setting behind her.
"Oh come on!" she exclaimed and leaned back.

*splash*

Cozy fell back, and landed in the shallow part of the lake.

"Great, now my stuff's all wet..." she moaned. She sat on her back in the shallow water. Wet, and frustrated.

"What's got you in a bind?" Tirek asked.
Chrysalis appeared. "Yes, explain your tantrum."
"Every where I look, I'm reminded of those dumb princesses. The sun, the moon, they can be seen everywhere on this planet." Cozy said.
"Now that Twilight is in control, she's in charge of raising both the sun in moon. All of the land is influenced by her." she added.
"You still buy into their lies?" Tirek said.
"What do you mean?" Cozy asked.
"Doesn't the moon weight several billion pounds? No unicorn magic can actually move it." Chrysalis said. "Besides, the sun doesn't rotate around the planet. We're a heliocentric system. The sun is the center, the world revolves around the sun, while the moon revolves around this planet. All due not to unicorn magic, but a force called... I forget. But the point is, everything they've taught about astronomy is wrong. At least, so I've heard."
"You shouldn't believe every conspiracy theory you hear, Chryssie." Cozy Glow said.
"Now get up. It's a new day, and let's get back to work." Tirek said.
"Indeed. Right after I dry my stuff and wash up." Cozy said.
"I suppose I could use a little TLC myself..." Chrysalis said.





Cozy striped and removed her winter outfit. She left it and her blanket out to dry. She then decided to take a little dip in the lake. By dip, I mean Cozy ran up, flew into the air, and dived into the lake with a moderately sized splash. She breached her head about the water, and spit out excess water she had swallowed.

"Come on in, the water's great!" Cozy called to her villainous allies.
"I would say no, but my exoskeleton is rather dry. Fine." Chrysalis gave in.
"That's a hard pass from me." Tirek declined.
"Eh, three's a crowd anyway." Cozy said.

Chrysalis joined Cozy in the water, while Tirek sat on the land.

"This is a waste. Think of all the things we could be doing. I could be building my castle, or searching for the Rainbow of Darkness." Tirek said.
"If the Rainbow of Darkness is so well hidden, then what's the first step of finding it?" Cozy asked.
"Its location could be written somewhere in that Canterlot library." Tirek thought out loud.
"We're not going there again, not even in disguise. It's too risky." Chrysalis said.
"So we don't know where it is, but what if there was a way to... detect it." Cozy thought.
"The Rainbow of Darkness is a powerful thing. It pulsates dark energy from its epicenter." Tirek said.
"Hmm, what if there was so way we could listen close, and detect the Rainbow of Darkness, and have its signature lead us to its location."
"A very puzzling challenge to be sure..." Chrysalis pondered.

*SPLASH* Cozy splashed Chrysalis.

"Oh you little brat!" she snapped.
"Then come get some revenge." Cozy said with a smirk.

*hee hee* Cozy giggled.

The two splashed each other in the water.





"Chryssie, teach me to swim in deeper water please." Cozy requested.
"You never learned?" Chrysalis asked.
"Nope. I had a misguided fillyhood. Didn't you listen last night?" Cozy replied.
"Well, us Changelings never think much of water. Our relatively low mass to large volume ratio means we float like leaves. Not to mention, our wings don't work when wet."
"Fine, I'll just use what Head Mare Twilight taught us in school about buoyancy to figure it out myself. And you better catch me if I start to drown." Cozy said.
"I can only guarantee your safety in event of a disaster within a 20% margin."
"Eh, works for me." Cozy said.

Cozy had a rough idea on how to swim. She paddled out to deeper water.

She took a deep breath, and went underneath.

"So uh, do we save her if she drowns or..." Chrysalis said.
"I mean, she is a valuable asset." Tirek said.
"Well, more than that. It's almost like she..."

*SPLOOSH* Cozy breached out of the water.

"Wow! Who would have thought pegasus wings would be so helpful in the water?" Cozy said.
"Must be nice having wings made from feathers rather than a membrane cuticle." Chrysalis said.

"Come on Tire, jump in!" Cozy said.
"You'll probably start a tsunami!" Chrysalis added.
"While I may be able to cause a great wave, I am not going to entertain your speculation." Tirek said.
"Well fine then. In fact, as much fun as this is, we best ought'a get back to work." Cozy said.
"Agreed. There are many ramifications to be made before this place is truly a home." Chrysalis said.

*crash* "gosh darn it" cried a distant voice.

"Did you hear that?" Cozy asked.
"It sounds like we're not alone." Chrysalis hissed.
"It may seem like we have our first intruders." Tirek clenched his fist.





To be continued...
> Chapter 3: New Recruits
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the hill was a plume of smoke. Cozy and Chrysalis exited the warmth of the lake to see what was up. They dried off, and went over to investigate. The three peaked over the hill, and noticed two ponies with a broken down machine.

"Golly, whatever could be going on." Cozy wondered.
"We're about to find out. Now quiet, they're speaking." Chrysalis said.

They were two almost identical looking unicorns. They both had faint yellow coats of fur, and red hair. But one had a mustache, and the other did not. They both wore straw hats. By the description, it should be obvious by now. The two were arguing with each other.

"Oh dear brother, our automated vehicle has broken down!" said the first pony.
"Yes dear brother, it appears we are stranded." the second pony added.
"Can this possible get any worse?" one of them whined.

"That's your cue!" Cozy said.
"What are you talking about?" Tirek asked.
"Whenever any pony says 'can this possibly get any worse', it's the perfect time to give them a scare." she explained.
"That's just ridiculous." he said.
"Just scare them already you two!" Cozy demanded. "This is our land, and they're trespassing!"
"Fine!" they said simultaneously.

*stomp*

Tirek and Chrysalis appeared before the two ponies.

*gulp* the two shuddered at the sight of the villains before them.

"You two made a mistake coming here." Tirek said.
"State your name a business." Chrysalis ordered.
"I'm Flim, and this is my brother Flam." he said.
"You two are trespassing on our land." Chrysalis said.
"We didn't mean it!" Flam said.
"We were just passing on by I swear!" they pleaded.
"Do you have any idea the dire state your lives are in?!" Chrysalis hissed.
"I can just take a quick sip, and drain you two of all your magic." Tirek threatened.
"Save some for me. I love to leave just a little energy before I wrap up my victims." she added.
"This is it, brother. Looks like we're goners!" Flim cried.

Tirek and Chrysalis were ready to strike, but Cozy wondered if they could be useful somehow.

"Your lives are hanging by a thin thin thread." Cozy said. "However, perhaps we'll go easy. You two may be more useful in a life of servitude rather than solitude."
"We'll do whatever you want! We promise!" Flim and Flam pleaded.
"What can you two possibly offer us?" Chrysalis asked.
"Hmm, I actually have an idea." Cozy said.

"If you two don't want us to sap your magic and stuff you into a cocoon, then surrender yourselves to a life of servitude to us" Cozy said.
"Whatever you want. It's yours. We'll do what you say." Flim pleaded.
"Now, what can we do for you?" Flam asked.
"What do you two know about development?" Cozy asked.
"Flim Flam specialize in development and technological progress." Flam said.
"We the Flim Flam Brothers are miracle workers that make all your wishes come true." Flim said.
"We're going to start our own kingdom. Independent from Twilight Sparkle, or any other kingdom." Cozy said.

"You want to build a society? We'll make this place an economic capital! We'll sell goods. We'll bring in new inhabitants to your fair land." Flim explained.
"This community will be the center of trading and the exchange of goods! The trading center capital of Equestria!" Flam added.

"I don't know about this. Wouldn't that bring a bunch of unwanted attention to our secret hiding location here?" Tirek asked.
"You want a bustling community don't you?" Flim replied.
"We just revenge on Twilight Sparkle." Chrysalis said.
"Ah, as do we queeny." Flam said.
"What better way to outdo Twilight than to build a run a superior kingdom?"
"Hmm, trade, capital. Money?" Cozy smirked, thinking of the pay load.
"T.O.! We need to talk about this." Tirek said.

The evil trio huddled in private.

"What's up big guy?" Cozy asked.
"I don't see the point in this." Tirek said. "How is any of this going to help our cause?"
"Any followers we have makes our kingdom more powerful. More ponies on our side, means less on Twilight's side." Cozy said.
"Precisely dear filly." Flim interjecting, randomly appearing in their circle. "Power in numbers.

"Let's not forget, you two are saying you can make us a lot of money?" Cozy asked.
"But of course. It's in our nature." Flam said.
"Then we want you to do exactly that. Make us lots of money, as well as establish a base of ponies under our regime." Cozy said.
"Say no more filly." Flim said.
"You are to refer to me as my queen." Cozy said.
"Yes, my queen..." Flim and Flam said simultaneously.
"We'll give you a chance to prove yourselves. I want you two to bring followers to our town." Cozy Glow said.
"Say no more. We guarantee the next pony who comes stumbles by will be a permanent resident, courtesy of us." Flam said.





The trio let Flim and Flam do their thing. Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, and Tirek watched Flim and Flam from the hilltop.


"It didn't take much to convince them did it..." Chrysalis thought out loud.
"All I had to do was to coax them into doing something they would have done anyway. Only making sure they do it for our benefit." Cozy explained.
"I still don't know about this." Tirek said.
"Why are we doing this again?" Chrysalis asked.
"Think long term. Wouldn't it be great to eventually build a civilization larger than Canterlot? We have to start somewhere." Cozy replied. "We'll have strength in followers, and money. And money will play an important role soon."
"Even so, here in the middle of nowhere, it's not likely we'll find any ponies to indoctrinate." Tirek moaned.
"Oh, here comes one now!" Cozy said.

There was an earth pony passing through the area with a large caravan. Flim and Flam noticed the wandering pony, and approached them. The pony had a light pale orchid coat, and grayish violet hair.

"You there Ms., what brings you to these parts?" Flim asked.
"Not much. I've left Manehattan and been traversing the land in search of inspiration, but this mundane land doesn't have much to offer." she said.
"Well, perhaps this land may be of use after all, Ms..." Flim said.
"Polomare. Suri Polomare." she answered.
"Ms. Polomare, judging from the caravan, you have a lot of stuff you're just dying to unpack." Flam said.
"You need a new base of operation, and we're here to supply you with just that." Flim said.
"You know what, I could also use some extra land to grow more cotton." said Suri Polomare.
"Yes, yes! The land is yours! To grow and sell as much cotton as you want! No regulation from us!" Flim said.
"Hmm, I don't know though. Farming isn't really my thing anymore..." she thought.
"Think big Suri! Not only will you have near limitless cotton at your disposal for your fashion line!" Flam said. "You could be the leading exporter of cotton! You'll be rich!"
"A free plot of land. Acres of cotton..." Suri Polomare thought about the offer.
"So, do we have a deal?" Flim asked.
"Okay sure, we have a deal." Suri agreed to the deal.

Suri shook hooves with Flim and Flam.

Cozy, Tirek, and Chrysalis continued to watch from the hill.

"They shaking hooves!" Chrysalis said.
"Is that a good thing?" Tirek asked.
"It means they've reached an agreement." Cozy replied. "Which means we we've just gained another follower."

"Let's go greet our latest citizen!" Cozy said.
"Must we? Can't we control and manipulate her will from afar?" Chrysalis asked.
"Eh, I'm someone who likes to go hands on." she replied.





Suri was unpacking her caravan, when she was approached by the trio of villains.

"Ah! Ms. Polomare, welcome to the kingdom of TCGC." Cozy greeted.
"Heh. Spectacular. You have a name for this place and everything." Suri said. "Although, not a lot of real infrastructure for a developed nation."
"This is only the beginning. I hear you're interested in growing cotton, and we want in." Cozy Glow said.
"It's true. Selling cotton could be a great way to earn some money to support my fashion line." Suri said.
"Well, you got acres of dirt practically staring right at you. It's practically asking you to get started." Cozy said.

"So, whom do I owe my loyalty?" Suri asked.
"This is Tirek, evil centaur of Tartarus! And this is Chrysalis, former leader of the Changeling empire! And then there's little old me. I may not look like much, but I single handedly almost conquered Equestria with nothing but my smarts!" Cozy said.
"Cozy!" Tirek and Chrysalis exclaimed.
"What?" Cozy asked.
"We don't know if she's one our side yet." Tirek said.
"She could rat us out to Twilight Sparkle." Chrysalis said.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of having anything to do with that scummy princess. And to be honest, I'm impressed with your resumé." Suri smirked. "Besides, you three look fun, so I'm on board with whatever."

She walked into her caravan for a few supplies.

"What are you thinking spilling our life stories to this stranger? She still could be an agent of Twilight." Chrysalis scolded.
"What? I thought I'd be transparent with our citizens. Besides, if she betrays us, we can always just cocoon her (should it come to that)." Cozy said.

Suri walked out wearing a pair of overalls, some boots, and was holding two shovels, and two hoes.
"She doesn't look like a double agent to me." Cozy whispered.
"How are you going to wield all four of those tools at once?" Chrysalis asked.
"I'm not." Suri replied.

*clang*

Suri threw the tools in front of our trio.

"Let's get to work!" Suri said.
"I'm sorry. Let's?" Cozy asked.
"I could do it on my own, but it would go faster if I had some big strong arms to help." Suri said.
"...Why are you looking at me?" Tirek asked.
"Some big strong red arms." Suri winked.
"You heard the mare Tirek." Cozy said.
"What? No way! No how!" Tirek said.
"Yes way, and yes how! Now sip up some magic from Chrysalis' captured creatures for strength, and get to work!" Cozy demanded.
"Alright, I'll do it. But only if you all also pull your own weight." Tirek said.
"Deal." Cozy agreed.
"You three are going to make excellent farm workers of mine." Suri said.
"Can I cocoon her now?" Chrysalis asked.





Cut to the four tilling the soil and planting cotton seeds. Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Suri Polomare all worked her clearing out a field and tilling soil for their cotton production. (Yeah, really. This story takes weird turns).

"If Rarity can make the overalls style work, I can make them work ten fold. Besides, I have a real side passion for farm work. Rarity is a poser who pretends just so other ponies will like her." Suri said.
"Yes, but does that logic have to extend to us? I feel weird in these..." Chrysalis said, also wearing a pair of overalls. In fact, they were all wearing overalls.
"I don't know about you, I feel rather cultured." Cozy said optimistically.
"I just feel like a joke." Tirek said, mildly irritated.

Our villains were helping Suri till the soil, and move dirt and place seeds on this particularly sunny day. They were all very hard at work, and each worked up quite a sweat.

"Phew, I'm getting so sweaty, I may just need a second bath today." Cozy said.
"We're sidetracking too far. How exactly is this a good use of our time?" Tirek asked.
"Believe it or not, I have a real plan to find the Rainbow of Darkness, but it requires money. Cotton is as good as gold. Stick with me, this is all according to plan." Cozy said.
"It's not just the end pay out, it's also about the fun we had along the way." Suri said.
"How long until we see the pay off for all this!?" Tirek asked.
"Cotton takes months to grow, my horned labourer ." Suri replied.
"Months!?" he snapped.
"Calm down Tirek!" Cozy urged. "Revenge is a dish best served once it's baked for a proper amount of time."
"Relax, even without the immediate yield, I have enough supplies to start business deals." Suri said.
"And sell to who? We're in the middle of nowhere." Chrysalis said.
"Well, you three look like you're in need of new threads." Suri said.
"Are you gonna sew us some lame dresses?" Chrysalis asked.
"Far from it. I, Suri Polomare strive to please the customer. Unlike Rarity and her one size fits most abominations, my outfits are tailor made to fit stylistically to the client."
"You three are pretty threatening as is, but I think I know how to really sell the look." Suri said.





Cut to inside a tent that Suri Polomare had set up as a temporary base of operations. She took a measuring tape and measured Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis from top to bottom.

"This is making me rather uncomfortable." Tirek said.
"Heh heh, that tickles." Cozy said.
"Watch it ma'am!" Chrysalis said, irritated.

Though the session seemed to go on forever, it ended rather abruptly.

"Alright, that should do it. You three can go now." Suri said.
"So wait, when are we getting the dresses?" Cozy asked.
"Can't put an ETA on perfection." she replied.
"Pah, more waiting. That's just great." Tirek said.





The three villains walked out of Suri's tent, mostly confused. They reflected on the day they spent with her.

"I like her. She's like an evil version of Rarity. She could be useful." Cozy said.
"I never want to plant another cotton seed for as long as I live." Chrysalis moaned.
"I have no clue how farming is far more exhausting than constructing a castle. But somehow it is." Tirek complained.
"That's just one side of her personality. What about her most import part attribute? The dresses?" Cozy asked.
"I could care less for fashion." Chrysalis said.
"Are you sure?" Cozy smirked.
"Well, okay. I do like a pretty looking dress as much as the next creature." Chrysalis admitted.

"All of this is for naught!" Tirek said.
"All of this isn't for naught!" she replied. "For once in your life, try to see more than a few steps ahead."
"If we're going to get rich quick, we'll need something more spectacular than cotton to win over the masses." Chrysalis said.

*KA BOOM*

"How about that?" Cozy pointed up at the source of the sound.





Overhead, were three pegasi ponies flying at great speeds.

"It' the Wonderbolts! They've found us!" Chrysalis cried.
"Hang on, no it's not. Wonderbolts wear blue outfits. That's not Wonderbolt attire." Cozy observed.
"It could be a disguise." Tirek suggested.
"Whoever they are, why don't we bring them down." Cozy said with an evil grin.
"With pleasure." Chrysalis said.

She transformed into a roc, and flew up to catch up with the flying invaders.

*caw*

She winged them and sliced through the air to disturb the wind, in an effort to bring them down. The three lost control of flight, and came flying down.

*plop*

The three pegasi wiped out and hit clumsily onto the ground below, though it wasn't too severe. Chrysalis landed in front of the three grounded pegasi. She turned back to normal, and besides her stood Cozy and Tirek.

The three took a stance and asserted the pegasi.

"You three are in trouble flying in restricted air space!" Chrysalis exclaimed..
"Are you serious, you can't restrict the air!" said the middle pegasus.
"Remove your headgear and say that to my face!" Chrysalis snarled.

The pegasus removed her helmet, revealing her face.

"Name's Lightning Dust." she said. "And this is my crew, Short Fuse, and Rolling Thunder."
"We're the Washouts, speeding through." Rolling Thunder said.
"That was until you interrupted us you big ol bug!" Short Fuse said.
"I'll devour you!" Chrysalis snapped.
"Chrysalis, wait!" Cozy stopped her. "Devouring guests is no way to welcome them."
"Oooh, a little sensitive are we?" Lightning teased.

"You look a lot like that Rainbow Dash character." Tirek said.
"Don't ever compare me Rainbow Dash!" Lightning snapped. "I'm much faster, and a better flyer than Dash will ever be!"
"Hah, you have a trigger point too!" Chrysalis teased.
"You would be too if you cross paths with her. She got me kicked out of the Wonderbolts reserve, and totally crashed my show!" Lightning said.

"You don't like Rainbow Dash. We don't like Rainbow Dash. Golly, we have so much in common." Cozy said.
"What are you getting at, squirt?" Lightning asked.
"You're a ragtag team of talented flyers without a place to call home." Cozy said. "I suggest you work for us. In exchange, we'll provide the infrastructure you need for your shows."
"The Washouts don't serve any one. Not even lords of evil." Lightning Dust said.
"But Lightning, this could be our big break." Short Fuse said.
"Think about it. We could use the opportunity for our come back." Rolling Thunder said.
"Hmm. Alright. We'll consider your proposition. We were pretty tired anyway, so we'll take a pit stop in this area for a little while. So if you need us, we'll be around." Lightning Dust said.

The Washouts flew towards a clearing in the distance.





"I don't like that pegasus." Chrysalis said.
"You don't have to like her for us to get some use out of them." Cozy Glow said "Think about it, our own team of expert pegasus flyers. They could be useful."

"I still see this entire venture as a waste of time. This hardly how I imagined our grand revenge." Tirek said.
"Don't think of our citizens as friends, think of them as your servants, who will do what you tell them to do." Cozy explained.
"I'd much rather torture them, steal their magic, and call it a day." Tirek said.
"Well, if you do that, then we won't get very much use out of them now would we? You may not see what our minions can do for us, but I do. And I'm going to prove you wrong!" Cozy said in Tirek's face.
"For your sake, you better. Now if you'll need me, I'll be finishing up the castle." Tirek said, before he walked away from the scene.
"I don't care what he thinks now. I know my plan's going to work. I'm going to have the most powerful kingdom in Equestria, and have the most powerful dark artifact at my hooves. He's an impatient jerk, but he's going to be thanking me when my plans all work." Cozy said sternly.
"If you insist, but right now, you do have a lot of promises to uphold right now." Chrysalis said, right before she flew away.

Cozy stood in place, concealing her sadness. She looked at the flag she'd made representing the three. At this moment though, it seemed they weren't so unified.

"Hmph. You want want a plan Tirek? I'll give you a plan." Cozy said.





That evening, Cozy Glow sat under the moonlight, reading the book she'd stolen from Canterlot library. It was a book of lost and powerful artifacts. The one that caught the villain's eye the most was the Rainbow of Darkness. If what the book said was to be believed, its energy was so powerful, that even while dormant, a single pulse could circle the world. 

"It's so powerful, it emits power that can be detected from anywhere in Equestria." Cozy thought out loud. "Now if only we had the equipment to sniff it out. Money can buy just about anything these days. But even still, what good would that do exactly?"
Cozy did some more critical thinking.
"But of course, its power would diminish the farther away you are from it." Cozy said. "Which means... AH HA! That's how we're going to find it." she said.
Cozy closed the book.
"And now that I have a group of ponies willing to help, it's time to put this plan into motion." Cozy grinned.

To be continued in Chapter 4...
> Chapter 4: The Gathering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks had passed, and the town of TCGC had expanded. Tirek finally got around to putting a roof over the castle, and there were several in-progress houses for the residents of the town live in.

Today however, there was important business that needed to be discussed. Inside Tirek's castle )which was unofficially dubbed as Midnight Castle) Cozy organized a meeting with the ponies she'd recently met. At a big table sat herself, Flim, Flam, Suri, Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, and even Svengallop.





"Thank you all for your attendance. I hereby call the first TCGC formal meeting into effect." Cozy Glow said. "Now, some of you may have had brief introductions to each other already, but allow me to reintroduce everyone anyway."

"We have the moral ambiguous brothers, Flim & Flam."
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Flim said.
"Next, the best trio of flyers in Equestria, the Washouts! Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, and Rolling Thunder."
The three sat at the table, acting too cool to reply.
"The best fashion designer in Equestria, Suri Polomare."
"You're too kind." she said.
"And lastly, we have Svengallop. A pony whom we met in between chapters at some point..." Cozy's voice trailed off.
"Pleased to be here." Svengallop said.





Chrysalis came into the room with a cart full of food to serve the guests. She lifted plates of food served the ponies.

"Dinner, is served. Help yourselves." Chrysalis served everpony a plate of some weird glowing mushy stuff.
"Mmm, wonderful." Rolling Thunder said.
"But what exactly is this?" Suri asked.
"It's not meat, but it contains energy derived from creatures anyway." Chrysalis backed away slowly into the shadowy entryway, until she had left the room.
"Ooookay..." Lightning said.
"Mmm. Whatever it is, it tastes delicious!" Short Fuse said, as he gorged it down.
"Eh. Bottoms up." Svengallop said, as he took his first bite.
"I'm gonna pass for now..." Flim said, pushing away the plate.
"I second that brother." Flam added.

"Now that your appetites are satisfied (or ruined), let's get this meeting under way." Cozy said. "You all have been brought together by unlikely circumstances, but we all share similar ambitions."

"Suri Polomare, you hate Rarity. She ruined your reputation, and stole your win at the Manehatten fashion show. Lightning Dust, you hate Rainbow Dash. She got you kicked out of the Wonderbolts reserve, and crashed your guy's Washouts show. Flim and Flam hate Applejack and the Apple family. They've ruined your business propositions on multiple occasions. And Svengalop you... um. What's your thing again?"
"I don't like that Applejack either. She's the one who convinced Countess Coloratura to fire me as her manager. Hmph. And after all I did for her." Svengallop said. "I found her when she was nothing! And I turned her into a star! And I-"
"Okay okay, we don't need your entire life history." Cozy interrupted.

"My point is-" Cozy was interrupted by some loud chewing. "Everyone put your food away! No chewing when I'm talking!" she exclaimed at everypony.

"Don't look at me. My plate's clean." Short Fuse said.

"Then who is that?" Cozy asked.

Everypony turned their heads to the corner, and there was an extra guest.

In the corner of the room, was a pudgy green dragon, munching away on some of the mushy food. Cozy approached the stranger dragon.

"Excuse me, Mr. dragon." Cozy said.
"Yeah." he said.
"What are you doing here?! How did you get in here?" Cozy asked.
"I don't know. I saw this well crafted castle, and thought I'd check it out. Now I'm just eating whatever you guys don't want." he said.
"Okay, but why are you here?" she asked.
"I'm a dragon who likes castle architecture. And when I spotted this place, I had to check it out."
"Did anyone invite you? Did anyone here invite this dragon?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Nope." Flim said.
"Not me." Suri said.
"No sirree." Lightning. said.

"Who are you? Who sent you here? Were you sent by Twilight Sparkle?" Cozy asked.
"Name's Sludge. And uh, this Twilight Sparkle... haven't heard that name in years" Sludge said.
"Twilight Sparkle. Purple pony. She has a dragon named Spike." Cozy added.
"Spike! I remember now." Sludge remembered. "I tricked her little dragon Spike into thinking I was his dad so I could stay in the princess' castle." Sludge said.
"Spike, huh? That little orphan dragon? You lied that you were his dad just so you could live in Twilight's castle?" Cozy asked.
"When you put it that way, it sounds pretty bad, but basically, yeah that's what I did." Sludge admitted.

The sound of displeased chatter encompassed the room.

"That's pretty low man." Suri said.
"Orphans can be disturbed individuals. I had a little pegasus orphan under my wing. At least I think Scootaloo was an orphan..." Lightning Dust said.





"Since you're clearly worthless, I want you to either get out of here, or be quiet." Cozy said.
"You won't even know that I'm here." Sludge said.

"Anyway, back on track. You are all a group of misunderstood ponies brought together by a common point of interest." Cozy Glow said. "You all have a grudge against either Twilight, or at least one of her friends. "

"You're each very unique and talented in your own ways, and I have a feeling that there is a way for each of you to use your unique talents to benefit me." Cozy Glow said. "Building this little community is only the first phase, I have big ambitions, and you ponies are going to help me achieve those goals."

Everypony in the room started chattering, to the concern of Cozy. Finally, they disbanded. Lighting spoke first.

"Here's the thing, I don't own up to any pony. Not Dash, not the Wonderbolts, and not your little legion of doom. " she said. "You can't make me do somethin' I don't wanna."
"There doesn't have to be a conflict of interests. Perhaps there is a way you can benefit me while staying true to your skills!" Cozy said.
"Yeah, like that's gonna happen!" Short Fuse said.
"When we work together (not in a gross friendship way, more of a cohorts with benefits kind of thing), I think we'll all find ways we can improve ourselves." Cozy Glow said.
"Ha. You can't improve perfection." Lightning said.
"I mean, we're not that good at flying." said Rolling Thunder. "That's why we do extreme sports instead of coordinated flying."
"Shut up, Thunder." Lightning said.
"Well, if you're looking for improvement you can start by taking a closer look at these so called uniforms!" Suri said. "These green pajamas are hardly durable or aerodynamic! Plus, the pattern is hideous!"
"Hey! You take that back!" Lightning snarled.

Lightning and Suri got in each other's faces and started arguing.

"Now now, don't waste your anger on each other." Cozy said.

"You say my clothes suck?! Well your dresses are totally wack!" Lightning snarled.
*gasp* "I'll whack your face!" Sori exclaimed.

Though Suri claimed to be more sophisticated than Rarity, she had just as short a temper.





In the midst of the arguing, Svengallop and the Flim Flam Brothers had an awkward exchange.

"So, Applejack ran you out of business too?" Svengallop asked.
"You too?" Flam asked.
"She seems to have a habit of doing that doesn't she..." Svengallop lamented.
"The country girl despises free enterprise, and due to her connections with Princess Twilight, she always gets her way." Flim said.





Meanwhile, Sludge just couldn't stay out of trouble.

"Hey, can I have some of that leftover food of yours?" Sludge asked.
"Claws off! Get your own!" Short Fuse snapped.
"Just one bite!" Sludge said.

Sludge and Short Fuse had a fall out. They slapped and kicked each other. Rolling Thunder tried to calm them down.





Cozy watched the disaster unfold in front of her, stressed, and irritated.

"Psst. Need me to intervene?" Chrysalis asked, peeking her head into the room.
"No. I can handle this." Cozy replied confidently.

Cozy took a deep breath before speaking.

"Enough!" she exclaimed. She yelled so loud that her voice echoed around the cold interior of the stone castle.

Everypony stopped what they were doing and looked at Cozy.

"Stop this silliness right now! You're all acting like fillies!" she exclaimed.
"Well, at least we aren't one!" Lightning said.

*laughter* Laughter started up in the room.

Cozy blushed with anger, and slammed the table with her hooves.

"I'll have you know that I've spent years! in a state of suspended animation. So, if you do the math, I'm technically an adult!" Cozy exclaimed.

Everypony in the room fell silent again.

"You ponies are to do as I say! *sniff* And if you disagree, then I'll make you regret that decision!" Cozy exclaimed with a heavy heart.
"Hey, are you feeling alright?" Suri asked.
"Do I make myself clear!?" Cozy snapped.
"Yes ma'am!" they all said.
"Good! You folks are gonna wanna stay, because I am going to make it worth your while!" she winked.
"Now, does anyone have something they want to say before I move on to the plan?" Cozy asked them. "Say, an apology?"

"Um, as I was saying Lightning Dust, I'm an expert on clothing material. I could definitely make you and your team a set of outfits far more aerodynamic, while still being as cool as you desire." Suri Polomare said.
"Eh, you know what? When you put it that way, that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea." she replied. "My gang and I have been planning a comeback tour anyway."
"I'm glad you mentioned that, Lighting, because this is exactly what I have planned. We're going to host a Washouts show! Complete with all the dangerous feats you guys are known for." Cozy said.
"If you need somepony to run an event, there aren't two business ponies more qualified than us." Flim said.
"And if you're going to be expanding, you're gonna want a pony to manage the business side of things." Svengallop said.
"Suri! You fit the Washouts with brand new uniforms, and create a boatload of merchandise! Svengallop! Your job is to out the logistics! Flim and Flam! Get the word out! Really sell audiences on this performance! But more importantly, sell the merchandise! Lightning Dust! You and your crew are in charge of performing a jaw dropping performance!" Cozy instructed.
"We'll make so much money from the sponsors, and selling Washout merchandise!"
"What if your performance doesn't go so well?" Sludge interjected.
"So, here's the thing, by agreeing to have TCGC host your performance, you are sworn to servitude to me, Chrysalis, and Tirek." Cozy Glow said.
"Fine, but on one condition. If our next performance isn't the biggest showcase yet, we will rat you out and tell Twilight where you are." Lightning Dust said.
"...It's a deal." Cozy Glow said hesitantly.

Cozy and Lightning shook hooves.

"My orders are final! Do I make myself clear?!" Cozy asked.
"Yes, sir!" they all said.
"Good! You know what to do, now make me proud! Meeting adjourned!" Cozy exclaimed.

Everypony got up and exited the room.

Cozy flew after Lightning Dust. "One last thing, Lightning Dust. Meet with me in private. I have a little, um, suggestion." she said.





Even after every pony left, Sludge was still in the boardroom.

"And you Mr..." Cozy said.
"Sludge." he replied.
"Whatever. I know evil. Using magic to conquer Equestria is one thing. But lying to an orphan that you were his dad is next level sociopath stuff."
"So you're gonna banish me for being too evil? Seems pretty contradictory for you." Sludge said.
"You can stay in the village, (I can't risk you alerting Twilight) but if you become too much of a burden, we won't hesitate to punish you. I know Twilight didn't hesitate to punish me." Cozy said.
"Whatever." he said.
"Now get out of the castle! Only me and my equals are allowed here without an invitation." she said.
"But can I at least-" he started.
"I said out!" Cozy interrupted.

With her word, Sludge flew out the window and away from the castle.

Cozy watched him fly away. She didn't like him. In fact, she was considering just cocooning him in that moment.





Later that night, inside Midnight Castle.

After the meeting finished, Cozy met with Chrysalis and Tirek in the top floor of the castle.

"Well, I think that went about as well as it could have." Cozy said.
"Nice job with the fake tears swooning them over." Chrysalis said.
"The what?" Cozy asked.
"When they started arguing, you pretended to get all emotional to get them to conform." she clarified.
"Oh right, that. Yeah, those were fake tears alright." Cozy said, somewhat sarcastically.
"So, what do you think of the plan?" Cozy asked with a grin.
"A Washouts performance? Seriously?" Tirek asked.
"Indeed, aren't we losing focus on what's important?" Chrysalis asked.
"Not at all." Cozy replied. "You wanted to get rich quick. This'll be much quicker than growing cotton." Cozy said.
"Then why did we bother with the cotton in the first place?" Tirek asked.
"Cotton's our long term sustainability plan. But money earned from the Washouts performance will grant us just enough money to fund our search for the Rainbow of Darkness in the meantime." Cozy said.
"How is money going to help us find the Rainbow of Darkness?" Tirek asked. "You've yet to explain."
"Let's just say I know how to find it, but we need some... extra tools." Cozy explained.
"Using a get rich quick scheme to buy our way to power. How indirect yet clever." Chrysalis said.
"Using our combined efforts for mundane tasks seems rather unconventional." Tirek said.
"Sometimes an indirect path can still lead you to your goals." Cozy Glow said. "However, not all rewards come easy, this is going to take a lot of cooperation from all of us."
"Hmph, fine. I'll go along with your plan." Tirek agreed. "However, you're definitely trying my patience."





To be continued in Chapter 5...
> Chapter 5: A Rapid Descent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the previous chapter, Cozy and her gang of not reformed villains organized a plan to put on an extreme Washouts performance. Lightning Dust and her team would perform dangerous stunts for the sake of commercialism.





And so, work was underway on preparing TCGC's first ever Washouts performance. Would it turn out spectacular? Or would it indeed be a wash? Cozy was in charge of making sure that everpony was coordinated and did their jobs.

Suri Polomare made new durable and aerodynamic outfits for the Washouts. And she ran a clothing shop in the town of TCGC. Svengallop was the Washouts manager. Flim and Flam were in charge of construction of the bleachers for ponies to sit and spectate from.

Suri Polomare also set up her concession stand where she would sell her custom made Washouts merchandise.
"I have t-shirts, hoodies, dresses, undergarments, sportswear, the whole shabang!" she bolstered.
"Excellent work. We're bound to sell out!" Cozy said.

The Washouts themselves set up the dangerous set pieces, and practiced in the open space. Cozy checked in on them. There were rings of fire, giant mechanical jaws, fireworks, and more.

"I know you said your stunts were dangerous, but golly, it looks really dangerous." Cozy said.
"They are, that's the point. The real possibility of danger leaves the audience in suspense." Lightning explained.
"But, what if you guys actually get hurt?" Cozy asked.
"Pfft. That isn't going to happen." Lightning said.
"Except I did sprain my leg that one time." Rolling Thunder said.
"And my wing got got caught in a gear once during-" Short Fuse said.
"Okay! We get it!" Lightning snapped.
"Well, I don't wanna be a thorn in your side, so I'll let you do your thing." Cozy said.
"Thanks. And don't forget about your part." Lightning said."
"Golly, I can't stop thinking about it, I'm so excited." she said.





"Excuse me, I have some quick news. Your new uniforms are finished." Suri said. "Took every bit out of me to get it done."

Suri Polomare rolled out a rack holding four Washouts uniforms.

"Sick! These things are so rad." Lightning said.

The new uniforms retained a similar green and black color scheme, however, they were much more durable, and flexible.

"All those Wonderbolts will wish they were Washouts based on the outfits alone." Suri said.
"Well, I'm glad you two are getting along now." Cozy said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I still have much to inspect."





"How is the advertising going Flim and Flam?" she asked.
"Our flyers have been doing wonders!" Flim said.
"It looks like an entire town's worth of ponies will show up!" Flam said. "This is going to be huge!"
"Between ticket sales, and merch sales, we're going to make so much money!" Flim added.
"Perfection." Cozy grinned. "You two keep doing what you're doing."





After speaking with all the ponies on the field, Cozy checked on her two evil contemporaries in the castle.

"You two have been awful quiet about the whole thing." she said.
"I could care less for extreme sports." Tirek said.
"While I would agree, it couldn't hurt to at least... give it a chance." Chrysalis said.
"That's the spirit. In fact, you two really should check it out." Cozy said.
"Perhaps there's a way we could..." Chrysalis said.





The next morning, the show was under way. The stage was set up in the middle of the field, while stacks of bleachers surrounded the main stage. The seats were completely packed! Ponies had traveled from near and far to witness the first Washouts comeback show.

"Thank you all for coming to the first event of the Washouts Comeback Tour!" Flim narrated. "Witness daring feats, and dangerous stunts, as the Washouts perform a series of extreme stunts!"
"Today's show has been brought to you by Polomare Designs Inc. and Flim Flam Co. Don't forget to pick up your own Washout merchandise today."

Chrysalis, disguised as a pony, sat in the bleachers. She held a magic orb that allowed for Tirek to watch from the safety of the castle.

"I hate sponsors." Tirek said.
"It's how we're going to make lots of money to fund our efforts to find the Rainbow of Darkness." Chrysalis said.
"Cozy has yet to explain how money is going to help us find the RoD." Tirek said.
"Cozy Glow, would you mind explaining... Cozy Glow?" Chrysalis asked.
"She isn't here with me." Tirek replied.
"Where has she gone and run off to?" Chrysalis wondered.
"Shh!" shushed a pony next to her.
"The show's about to start." another pony said to Chrysalis.

Smoke shrouded the stage, and rock music played over the loudspeakers.

Short Fuse fired himself out of a canon, and landed on the main stage. Lightning Dust and Rolling Thunder emerged from an artificial thunder cloud. The three posed on the main stage, as thunderous applause surrounded them. Lighting Dust cocked her head, and the other two went to work. Rolling Thunder flew circles around a thunder cloud, causing it to build static electricity, until *BOOM*

"What's this? Number 2 is brewing a storm!" Flam said.

A bolt of lightning stuck and lit a fire cracker. The fuse went out, and them boom! Lightning Dust flew through the jaws of death right before they clamped shut. She flew laps around a field of active chainsaws, showing no fear.

"And number 3 goes for the dive! She zigs and zags around the jaws of death!" Flam narrated.

*cheer*

The crowd was mostly filled with unfamiliar ponies from far in wide. However, there were some familiar faces in the crowd, including a group of creatures Cozy was all too familiar with.

"I can't believe the Washouts are back." said Sandbar.
"This brings back memories. It's just like their old performances." Ocellus said.
"And now that we're older, we can leave town for faraway events on our own without nearly causing wars." Smolder said.
"I don't know about you, I'm entertained." Sandbar said.
"Yona inclined to side with Sandbar." Yona said.
"Oh my gosh! She's going in for the dive!!!" Silver Stream exclaimed.
"Please don't shout in my ears..." Ocellus said.





For the penultimate stunt, the three held hooves, and flew at breakneck speeds. They flew in and kicked open a giant party ball of confetti. *pop* It blew open and sent confetti to the audience.

*cheer* The crowd was more than pleased.

Lightning took center stage, and removed her helmet to speak to the audience.

"Thank you all for coming to our big comeback show. Now before we wrap things up, we have one final act. Please welcome our fourth member! Hit the lights!"
"A fourth member!" Silverstream jumped out of her seat. "They're not a trio anymore! Now more like a... a quadrio!"
"I don't think that's a real word, Silverfish." Smolder said.

A trail of spotlights lit up the hill nearby, and lead to the fourth member standing at the top. It was a short pegasus with a blue tail, waving at the crowd below. I think you know who it was.

"Cozy Glow!?" Tirek and Chrysalis shouted simultaneously. Indeed, on top of the large ramp, was Cozy Glow in Washouts uniform.

"For the finale, the Masked Mystery Mare will ride down the ramp in her rocket powered scooter, at record breaking speeds! She'll fly up the ramp, and fly into the sky, and shoot down in a spectacular performance." Lightning narrated.

She waved to the crowd, then got into position. She stood on the rocket scooter, ready to go down.

"Hmm. Why does this setup seem familiar?" Cozy wondered. "Oh, I remember. This is the same stunt Scootaloo said she chickened out of because it probably would have killed her."

Cozy looked down and saw how high up she was, then looked behind her to see just how unstable and badly made the rocket scooter looked.

"Hmm. Well, unlike Scoots, I can actually fly, so maybe it's not too late to head down and try to do something els- *BOOM* "AAAAHHHHH!"

The rockets ignited, and she went down the ramp at nearly a hundred miles per hour!

"Here she comes! About to perform the jump!" Lightning narrated.

"I can't look!" Ocellus covered her eyes.
"I can." Smolder said.

"She's gonna die!" Tirek exclaimed. "Do something!"
"I can't. She's going too fast! It's too dangerous to try to intervene!" Chrysalis said.

Cozy flew down the ramp, and miraculously, she made it to the bottom of the ramp without crashing. And then she made it to the jump. The scooter flew up at a 90 degree angle strait into the air. Cozy opened her eyes, and saw she wasn't dead. She was flying up into the air.

"I'm... I'm doing it." Cozy thought, amazed. "Alright, time for the grand finale."

She closed her eyes, let go of the scooter, and fell backwards. The scooter kept flying up until it exploded in the air.

*BOOM* The fireworks tied to the scooter exploded and made a spectacle.

*gasp* The audience was in shock.

"Oh no..." Chrysalis said.

"Wait, here she comes!" Flim narrated.

Cozy fell from grace.

Everpony could see her her plummeting. Cozy extended her wings, and went to work. With all her extra momentum, she laid waste to the obstacle course. She did a loop, flew circles around the jaws of death, and the flamethrowers. Finally, she came to a stop by with a hard skid onto the ground.

Fireworks shot out around her.

*CHEER*

"She did it! She totally did it!" Tirek cheered. "But she is in so much trouble!"
"That was crazy stupid, but she pulled it off, wow." Chrysalis said.

The entire audience erupted with positive energy and cheers. Everyone rushed over to Polomare's concession stand, and immediately bought up the entire stock of Washouts merchandise, leaving her with piles of bits!





Cozy was about to remove her helmet, but the students (decked out in Washouts merchandise) came up to her, so she rushed to put it back on.

"Wow, you were incredible!" Sandbar complimented.
"Easily the highlight of the show!" Smolder said.

Cozy rubbed her head to be humble. She obviously couldn't give away her identity to them.

"Masked flyer went flying down that ramp! And then swoosh went flying in the air, and then flew down and nailed the obstacle course!" Yona said.
"Will you please sign my sea shell?!" Silverstream asked.

Silverstream handed Cozy her sea shell, and a pen. Cozy Glow wrote 'Go B*ck Yourselves!' on the sea shell, and gave it back.

"Wow! So your name is 'Go B*ck Yourselves!' Thank you GBY!" Silerstream said.
"That's obviously not their name." Smolder said. "It's what's known as an anonymous pseudonym."
"But what's it supposed to mean?" Sandbar asked.
"Yona have no idea." Yona said.
"Should we be offended?" Ocellus asked.
"Nah, this anonymous pseudonym is way cooler than a normal signature anyway." Silverstream.
"We better get going, we don't want to be gone from Ponyville for too long" Sandbar said.

Cozy waved bye to them as they left. (Hopefully on their way back to Ponyville, and far away from the village). Once they were gone, she finally removed her helmet.

*phew* "I thought I was a goner!" Cozy was sweating like crazy.
"Who were they? Old enemies?" Lightning Dust asked.
"Pretty much..." Cozy said. "Although, I could have sworn there used to be six of them, but I only counted five..."
"That was an amazing show!" Suri Polomare said. "The stunts were terrific! And we completely sold out of merchandise!"
"I know, and you couldn't have done it without my leadership skills." Cozy said.
"Not to mention, you did spectacular! You stole the show." Rolling Thunder said.
"Your performance blew my mind! I thought you were a goner, but you really salvaged it." Short Fuse said.
"Gee, I'm so flattered." Cozy blushed. "No one's ever really complimented me before..."

"Cozy Glow!" exclaimed two angry baddies.
"There you two are. What did you think of my performance?" Cozy asked.
"What you did was incredibly dangerous!" Chrysalis said.
"You could have seriously hurt yourself!" Tirek scolded.
"Golly, I never knew you two were so worried about me." Cozy teased.
"It's not like that. You haven't told us how exactly you plan to find the Rainbow of Darkness." Tirek said.
"In other words, you guys need me." Cozy grinned.

"Tonight's show was a humongous success!" Flim exclaimed.
"We earned bits by the thousands!" Flam said.

Flim and Flam plopped down giant sacks of money in front of them.

Cozy Glow stared into the sack of money.

"This is just enough money to fund our efforts to find the Rainbow of Darkness!" she exclaimed.
"Yes! Finally!" Tirek grinned and put his hands together.

*ahem* "Excuse me?" Suri asked.
"What now?" Cozy asked.
"Aren't you going to pay us?" Lightning asked.
"We did break our backs to make this event happen." Suri added.
"Oh right..." Cozy said.
"You're not seriously going to listen to them are you?" Tirek asked.
"Now Tirek, to be fair, they did help out. Let's just see how much the split leaves us with. Svengallop! Fetch me my abacus!"

Svengallop appeared and brought Cozy a table, with an abacus to count up and divide the money. Cozy put on her glasses and did the counting. "16, 17, 18, which leaves..."
"How much left?" Chrysalis asked.
"Alright, here's everypony's pay." Cozy passed out stacks of bits to the ponies who helped plan today's performance.
"Now then, that leaves us with... 19, 20, 21... Eh, no matter. This is still plenty. Albeit, with some minor compromises..." Cozy said. "Svengallop, remember those parts I highlighted in the issue 14 of science weekly?"
"The laser calibration, the long range antenna, and the seismograph?" he asked.
"Those, plus more. I'm going to need lots of parts to make this whole operation work." she replied.
"As you command your greatness. I shall make an order immediately." Svegallop said, as he galloped off.


"I still don't follow." Chrysalis said.
"Oh, I should explain myself. Let's just say, I have a little science project planned. And I think you're going to be pleased with the results." Cozy said, with an evil grin.





To be continued in Chapter 6...
> Chapter 6: Opening Up (Only Slightly...)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few weeks had passed, and the town of TCGC, ruled by Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis, was shaping very nicely. Ever since the very successful Washouts performance, wealth and residency were at an all time high. Dozens of ponies called this remote community home. The place was developing well, with some more homes constructed, and Suri's cotton crops near ready for harvest.

But that isn't to discount the trio's main objective: They were on a mission to find one of the most powerful lost artifacts in Equestrian history, and use it to take down Twilight Sparkle once and for all. And today, the group became one step closer to their goal when their package had arrived.

Cozy's order had arrived (in pieces. Some assembly required). She tasked Flim and Flim with the job of putting the thing together on the castle rooftop. Tirek and Chrysalis were both there supervising the operation as well.





"Here you go, Cozy Glow. Your entire order of machine parts, exactly as you wanted." Svengallop said.
"Perfect. For an earth pony, you're surprisingly useful." Cozy said.
"What I lack in pegasus and unicorn privileges, I make up for with my superior management and entrepreneurship skills." Svengallop said.
"Whatever. Now go make sure the supply of Chrysalis' cocoons are un-tampered with." Cozy commanded.
"Whatever you wish." he said. And with that, Svengallop went off to do as she said.

"Hmm, there sure are a lot of pieces." Cozy said. "Looks like I'll need a little help with this project."





"So, you three want us to assemble this super duper... what is this machine called?" Flim asked.
"Yes, Flim and Flam. Inside these boxes, are the parts to our very important machine. I've drawn on the schematics. I need you and your mechanical expertise to put it together!" Cozy said.
"Are you so sure about this?" Flim asked.
"I've built apple squeezers, but electromagnetic whatchamacallits?" Flam expressed doubt.
"Oh please, this machine, compared to the Super Speedy Squeezy Cider 3000, it's like a baby's toy." Cozy said. "Assembling this will be easy."
"And don't you about leaving." Tirek said.
"You two have been given a task. And we're here to make sure you do as we say." Chrysalis added.
"Now, you guys have fun, I have some important business elsewhere." Cozy started to the exit.

"You're not going to supervise?" Flam asked.
"Oh I'll be back. I just uh, would like to have a word with some of the residents." Cozy said.
"Where are you going, Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"While you two have these 'servants' under control, I wanna make sure the others are also doing our bidding." Cozy said.





Cozy sat inside the Washout's newly constructed home, along with the other team members. Their talk was more down to earth than you'd expect.

"So, Cozy Glow, you've really spent the past several years encased in stone?" Lightning asked.

Cozy nodded yes.

"Was there at least a trial?" Rolling Thunder asked.
"Was there a lengthy discussion among the leaders of Equestria as to deciding your fate?" Short Fuse added.

Cozy nodded no.

"That majorly sucks." Thunder said.
"Typical. I expect no less from a friend of Rainbow Dash." Lightning Dust said.
"Twilight Sparkle is a snob who believes what she wants to believe." Short Fuse said.

"Pfft. Who needs them anyway? Even if they weren't my mortal enemies, I could hardly count on them anyway." Cozy said. "They literally walked into Tartarus, knowing they had a one way key. With such gross incompetency, they deserved to be conquered anyway."
"I think they did it because they trusted you." Thunder said. "Even though the idea of exploring Tartarus sounded dangerous dubious, they did it because they believed you."
"That was their mistake." Cozy said. "I abused their trust, and almost became supreme Empress of Friendship."
"And although my scope is smaller, I am empress of you, and you all do what I say." Cozy said.
"Yeah, we're only doing what you said because if you betrayed us, I could totally fly away at the speed of sound and be safe." Lightning said.

Cozy paused, and gave them a nasty look.

"What!? Don't listen to her! She's the I don't follow the rules type. We're cool Cozy. Really." Thunder said.
"Are you guys, afraid of me?" Cozy asked.

The Washouts paused.

"Nope! Not at all." Short Fuse said.
"I mean, do you want us to say 'yes' because you strive to control others?" Lightning asked.
"The truth is, we respect you highly, Cozy." Lightning said. "Not only did you prove yourself as a wicked flyer, but you haven't done a bad job setting up this community." Thunder said.
"Each of your answers are acceptable-ish, for now!" Cozy said. "You're all are on my good side, more so than Twilight and co ever were. But just know that it takes one misstep, and I can ruin each of your lives, one at a time."

"Quit the act!" Short Fuse said. "We know you're just acting tough to get other ponies to do your bidding, but inside, the real you is desperate."
"You three could never know the real me! I don't know the real me!" Cozy Glow exclaimed."I only followed a path of power because nopony else told me any different! And you know what, I like when other ponies bow down to me! And I won't stop until everypony in Equestria does!"
"If you're so bent on world domination, why are you crying?" Short Fuse teased.
"Knock it off already." Thunder said.

"Because..." *sniff* Cozy was actually tearing up. She cleared her throat and spoke. "Never speak of this to anypony." she said.





Cozy next paid Suri Polomare a visit in her shop. Thought Cozy opened up earlier? Well, this is one interesting interaction.

Suri Polomare ran her brush threw Cozy's mane.

"Egh. When was the last time you took the time to do your mane?" Suri asked.
"I don't know. My mane's just always like this." Cozy replied, slightly irritated.
"I like your mane style, it's rather unique. I like the swirls and curls, the only thing off is this accessory..."
"You mean my bow? What's wrong with my bow?" Cozy asked.
"It's tattered! It's worn, and nearly ripped. What has this thing been through?" Suri asked.
"You have no idea..." Cozy moaned.
"And what's this underneath your bow and in your scalp?" Suri asked.
"Please don't draw attention to my scar..." Cozy said.
"Well, it simply won't do. An ambitious filly like yourself needs some fresh accessories. Hang on just one sec." Suri went over to a drawer, and pulled out an identical looking bow, only this one was in brand new shape. She did some last minute touches to Cozy's mane.

"I like you Cozy. I've heard of your crimes, and you know what? I don't see it. You've been splendid to me and the others. I think you're sweet." Suri said.
"S... sweet?" she asked.
"Yeah. Sweet." Suri finished Cozy's mane. She tied the new bow in her mane.
"There, you look good as new, Cozy." Suri said.
"Golly, thanks Ms. Polomare." Cozy said.
"Suri will do." she said.
"By the way, Suri. I'm organizing a mandatory meeting for the whole village some time this week, but I want you sit it out." Cozy said.
"Why so?" Suri asked.
"Just take my word for it." she replied.





Later in the day, Cozy returned to the castle rooftop to check up on the progress of the machine's construction.

"What a nice day, spending quality time with-" Cozy's face dropped when she saw the progress, or lack there of. "WHAT IS GOING ON?!" she exclaimed.

To her dismay, Flim and Flam were doing a lousy job, while Tirek did little to help. Chrysalis herself wasn't even on the rooftop any more.

"We're trying our best, Ms. Glow." Flim said.
"This contraption has all but defeated us." Flam added.

"How can you two be so bad?! Huh?!" Cozy noticed their eyes were pale. They weren't using magic either. That would only mean-

"Tirek! No sucking the magic from the servants!" Cozy exclaimed.
"What? They said they were such good mechanics, that could do this without magic, so I put them to the test." he said.
"Not when my Rainbow of Darkness tracking machine is on the line! You've gone and delayed the operation you're soooo concerned about, you big lug!" Cozy snarled.
*sigh* "Fine." Tirek gave the magic back to Flim and Flam.

*whew* "Wow dear brother, I haven't felt so drained since the first time Tirek stole our magic" Flam said.
"Indeed. All those years ago when-" Flim was interrupted.
"Okay, we get it, Tirek used to be an out of control monster. But now, he's a well coordinated monster who only acts when he has an ingenious plan devised by me." Cozy said. "And since we're so behind schedule, I'm willing to chip in and help out with the building."

"I'm growing impatient." Tirek said.
"You needn't worry our centaur leader. Now that we're rejuvenated-" Flim said.
"-we'll have this machine up and running lickity-split." Flam continued. "So that you may do... what did you say this thing does?"
"I reckon we couldn't quite hear you while we were drained." Flim added.
"Uh, I'll explain later." Cozy said.

Cozy and the Flim Flam brothers spent the next few days building the machine that would enable them to somehow detect the Rainbow of Darkness. But how exactly does that work? We'll be finding out very soon.





Fast forwarding past several days of work, and the machine was finally complete. Today, Tirek and Chrysalis gathered to see the completed machine. Cozy connected the monitor to a big antenna, and wired some components to a pulse gauge. With the last touches, it was just about done. By the end of the whole operation, Cozy and the Flim Flam brothers were covered in soot.

*phew* "And that just about does it!" Cozy wiped some sweat off her forehead.
"I thought I'd never see the end of it." Flam said.
"It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, composed of metal and electrical wires." Flim moaned.

"You two did fantastic." Cozy said. "I knew unicorns were the superior species for a reason. Now, you two are in charge of making sure that every single pony in the town, except for Suri, is in the castle foyer tomorrow night." Cozy ordered.
"Rallying together a group of ponies is what we were born to do." Flim said.

Flim and Flam headed down the castle stairs to alert the rest of the village.

"And you, Tirek. I think you'll be pleased to see so many ponies gathered in one place." Cozy smirked.
"Heh heh. I think I can see where this is going." Chrysalis grinned.
"Now that's the Cozy I remember. I don't know what you have planned, but the dastardly tone in your voice leads me to believe that it's good for us." Tirek said.





To be continued in Chapter 7...
> Chapter 7: A Dark Signal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tonight, it was finally time to begin the search for the Rainbow of Darkness. Cozy Glow had organized a mandatory meeting in the castle foyer. Every pony in the village gathered round in the foyer of the castle, with the exception of Suri Polomare, who was told to stay out. Besides her, everypony was there, although no one knew exactly for what purpose.





Everypony gathered in the castle foyer.

"What do you think's going on?" Lightning asked.
"Hopefully they're planning on congratulating us on our contributions to the community." Short Fuse replied.
"Well, I haven't got a clue either. And I'm supposed to be Cozy's number 1 adviser! Now that's treachery." Svengallop said.
"Shh, here she comes." Rolling Thunder said.

Cozy appeared on the upper level of the foyer. She stepped up to a podium, and looked down at her subjects. Finally, she opened the horse's mouth and spoke.

*ahem* "Thank you every pony for coming to this mandatory castle meeting! I just want to say, that each and everyone of you have helped monumentally." she said. "I think we've really made something special here, and I couldn't have done it without any one of you. Whether you help organize stuff directly, or decided to move in, you have been part of the cause."

"Wow, that was, pretty genuine of her to say." Flam said.
"That's the nicest thing we've heard her say thus far." Flim added.

"You've all done me a huge favor, and now it's time for me to ask you all of a little favor." Cozy said. "I want everypony to close their eyes. We have a big surprise for all of you!"

Everypony started chattering instead, out of confusion.

"I said close your eyes!!" Cozy exclaimed.

Her attitude scared everypony, and they closed their eyes immediately.

Meanwhile, outside the castle, Suri Polomare was intrigued by the gathering inside, despite being told not to attend.

"Hmm, I know Cozy said she wanted me to skip tonight's gathering. But gosh, I am curious." Suri Polomare said to herself. "I'll just peep my head inside."
Suri peeked her head through the window to see exactly what was going on

"Now, with your eyes closed, I want you all to clear your minds, and don't move." Cozy said.

There was a gust of wind in the castle, blowing out the lights, and darkening the room.

"Now, this next part miiiight feel a little funny. But I want you all to hold still, it'll be over before you know it." Cozy said.

Tirek was standing behind Cozy, and he had began sapping the magic from all the ponies in the room.

*SLURP*

Cozy watched as the aura from their magics flowed into Tirek. The consumption of magic made Tirek grow in size and strength.

"Thank you all for your cooperation." Cozy grinned. The two exited the room, leaving everypony dazed.

Suri was appalled at what she had witnessed. "So she really has been using us this whole time. Hmph." she said.





The two made their way to the castle roof, where Chrysalis was waiting for them, next to the machine.

"It's about time you got here." she said. "Everything is just about ready."
"Excellent." Cozy said.

Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis were on the roof of New Midnight Castle, operating this big machine designed by Cozy Glow in order to find the Rainbow of Darkness.

"Now that I'm strong again-" Tirek started.
"We need you to wear this headgear device, sit down, and hold absolutely still." Cozy said.
"Hold still?" he asked.
"Mmm hmm. This is only a temporary thing for the experiment." Cozy explained.
"You're giving me all this magic, just for this experiment?" Tirek asked.
"We need you at maximum power for the best chances of success." Cozy explained.

Cozy hooked Tirek up to the main apparatus.

"All these machine parts you purchased with our bits, explain to me again what exactly we should expect to see." Chrysalis requested.

"Okay, let's outline the object one more time: We're on a mission to find the Rainbow of Darkness and use its power to overthrow Twilight Sparkle for good. Unlike the bewitching bell, where Discord told us where it was, we have to figure this one out ourselves. Now, according to this book I read, plus Tirek's account, the Rainbow of Darkness is so powerful, its energy pulses can circle the globe. It's constantly pulsating, but the signal is faint, so we need a bigger set of ears to listen."

"A bigger set of ears? Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Chrysalis transformed into an elephant.
"No no no. Not ears for listening to sound. Metaphorically ears to listen for dark pulses. And that's what this baby is going to do." Cozy slapped the top of the machine.
Chrysalis transformed back to normal.

"Tirek is going to sit in this seat, hooked up to the main terminal. Once he's enhanced by the special instruments, he should be able to actually listen to the RoD! Once that happens, the data will be recorded, then reviewed, and the result should give us a precise location of the Rainbow of Darkness' current location." Cozy explained.
"I understood none of what you just said..." Chrysalis said.
"This machine will help Tirek hear out the Rainbow of Darkness, and tell us where it is." Cozy said. "I just need to make a few more last minute adjustments, and then we'll be ready."
"But why must I be hooked up and used as a component?" Tirek asked.
"You said it yourself, you're the one with the strongest connection to it. We need you detect it." she replied.
"Yes, but I can't sense it from here." he said.
"Not yet you can't. But once this bad boy is turned on, you will." Cozy grinned. "Now Tirek, hold very still."
"I'm sitting as still as I can." he replied.

Cozy place a device on Tirek's head.

"Now put your left hand over this sensor, and hold this bit with your right hand." she ordered.
Tirek did as she commanded.

Cozy hovered to the terminal, where she pulled a couple of levers, and typed into the binary keyboard. (ponies type in binary don't you know)





"We're just about ready! Pull the switch Chrysalis!" Cozy ordered.

Chrysalis pulled the switch, and the machine turned on. The whole thing hummed and vibrated, and bits of electricity ran around coils and wires.

"Now, this may feel funny at first." Cozy said.
"It feels very awkward." Tirek replied, sweating.
"I want you to close your eyes, and to clear your mind."
"Mmm." Tirek tried to empty his mind.
"Perhaps a little of this will help ease the tension." Chrysalis said, while rubbing Tirek's cheeks with some green ooze.
"I dislike this intensely. However, it is oddly..." Tirek's voice trailed off.

"I think he's out cold." Cozy said. "This is perfect. We need his subconsciousness to take over."

Tirek tapped his fingers click against the reader.

Tirek started to breath heavier. "I feel... I feel it. It's calling for me." he said with his breath.
"Yes, yes excellent!" Cozy said under her breath.

*thump thump* The heart rate monitor displayed a steady reading. "I think it's working." Cozy whispered.

A blip appeared on a second monitor. It appeared that they had successfully detected their target.

"I think that's it... We've actually detected it." Cozy said, astonished.
"Uh, Cozy. Why is the machine getting so hot? And why does it say 'Warning'?" Chrysalis asked.

"Just a little more aaaaand..." Cozy watched the last bits of data being collected.

Chrysalis was nervous that the machine was going to fail at any moment. The tension in their air was tight, until ultimately, Cozy made the call.

"Alright, that'll have to do." Cozy flipped the switch to the off position. The machine turned off, and humming and heating stopped.
"That's it?" Chrysalis asked.
"What do you mean that's it?" Cozy asked.
"This thing cost us a lot of bits, and it was running for like. one minute." she replied.
"Once we compile the data, you'll see why this was worth it. Now help me unhook Tirek."

Cozy and Chrysalis unhooked Tirek from the contraption.

"You can open your eyes now, big guy." Cozy said.
*phew* "What happened?" Tirek asked.
"You may have sensed the Rainbow of Darkness' presence, and thanks to our machine, the data will tell me where it is."
"Excellent." he said.





Pages and pages of data printed out. Cozy picked up the many sheets of paper, and skimmed through them quickly.

"By gosh, I think we've done it!" she exclaimed.
"Great! Now lead the way to the Rainbow of Darkness!" Tirek said.
"It's not that simple, Tirek." Cozy said. "This is just one experiment. I first have to interpret the data and come to a conclusion, we'll know the exact distance the Rainbow of Darkness is from us!"
"How long will that take?" Tirek asked.
"Long enough that you should probably give back all that extra magic right away." Cozy said. "But here's the rub, even if the we the distance, we don't know which direction it's located."

Tirek's face dropped. 

"What?! THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF ANY OF THIS?!" he exclaimed.
"Although this test went perfect, more data points are needed to triangulate the exact position. The book tells me how strong the RoD's ambient power level is, so once I figure out the power we detected, we'll know how far away it is, just not which direc-."

"Always with the delays! I'm getting sick of this indirect nonsense!" Tirek exclaimed to Cozy's face.

Tirek turned around and started the other way.

"Hey! Where do you think're you going!?" Cozy yelled.
"I'm sick of all of this! I am leaving!" Tirek answered.

Cozy's heart shattered.

"After everything! This is your breaking point?! After everything I've done for you! " Cozy cried.
"It's becoming increasingly clear that we're on the fast track to nowhere. We'll be lucky to find the Rainbow of Darkness within the next 50 moons at this pace." Tirek said.
"Fine! Run away Tirek! You have the magic of every pony in this village anyway! In fact, help yourself to mine, and Chrysalis' magic to!"
"Wait, I didn't agree-" Chrysalis started, but Cozy talked over her.
"So if you want to march right over to Twilight Sparkle and get your ass kicked AGAIN, THEN JUST GO!" Cozy said, choking up. The base of her eyes were a watery puddle. 
"Just forget the whole operation,*hic* forget our town, *sob* forget everything we worked for together!" Cozy erupted in tears and went downstairs.

Tirek stood for a moment, before taking his next action.

"What are you looking at? I've seen this before. I won't be swayed by her manipulative crocodile tears." Tirek said.
"Let me ask you this, Tirek. Has anypony ever acted sincere to you before?" Chryaslis asked.
"Not to my knowledge." Tirek replied.
"Then I have a feeling you don't even know what real sincerity feelings looks like." Chrysalis said. "And you wouldn't know it, even if it cried its eyes out right in front of you."
"You really think I hurt her feelings for real this time? Pfft. I've said worse." Tirek said.
"It's all about context. She spent weeks building this machine for us, and basically said her efforts were stupid." Chrysalis said.
"So what? We don't do friendship. Remember?" Tirek said.
"Still, she's very upset. And it's a fact that ponies are more productive when they're happy. So go cheer her up, or consider our progress completely halted!" Chrysalis said.

Chrysalis' words made Tirek think for a moment. He didn't actually know the difference between truthful Cozy, and lying Cozy. He just assumed she was always a lying facade. The thought that he may have really hurt her feelings, actually made him think.





A few minute later.

Back in the foyer, all the magic belonging to the village ponies was given back to them by Tirek.

The lights in the room came back on, and everypony started to awake.

"Surprise!" Cozy exclaimed with a grin.
"Huh..."
"What?" the ponies inside were very confused.
"I have no idea what just happened..." Lightning Dust said.
"Did every pony enjoy their power nap?" Cozy asked.
"Is that was power nap?" Svengallop asked, tripping on his words.
"That felt really weird." Flim said.
"It was a little experiment, might do it again, might not." Cozy said. "Thus concludes tonight's meeting! Now go home and get plenty of rest every pony!"

Cozy turned her head to Tirek, who looked away from her. Afterwards, she stepped down from the podium and went to the other room, without saying another word to him.





Everpony made their way out of the castle. Suri was outside, ready to spill the truth.

"Ugh... my head feels weird man..." Lightning said, stumbling out of the castle.
"Do you have any idea what they did to you in there?" Suri asked.
"Whatever it was, heh heh, not gonna lie, it felt pretty nice." Short Fuse said, drooling.
"I say dear brother, I'm feeling extra exhausted." Flim said.
"What's say we crash for the night." Flam said, wiping his sweat away with his magic.
"They gave you back your magic? Huh..." Suri noticed. They're still just using us. But at least they were generous enough to give them their magic back?
"It's a shame you missed out Ms. Polomare. It was quite a zen like experience.

That's a good point. Why didn't Cozy want me there? Is it because earth ponies don't have very much magic? Then why invite Svengallop, and other background earth ponies? Suri wondered, trying to solve this puzzle.





Meanwhile, Cozy hid away in her room. Tirek stood outside, struggling to think of what to say to her. Tirek entered Cozy's room in the castle, where she was laying on her bed, wrapped in her yellow blanket, facing away from the entrance.

"Cozy, I... *umph* you know I wasn't going to leave you behind. I know that we're better as a team than as a single unit." Tirek said.

Cozy didn't respond.

"Look, I've been thinking, and, maybe I have been a little impatient throughout all of this." he added. "But hey, credit where credit is due. The fact you got this machine up and running, that actually can help me sense the Rainbow of Darkness, truly is a remarkable feat."

"If you're trying to rush me, then forget about it! I already know the next part of the plan, but just let me sleep. I wanna be alone..." Cozy said.

Tirek turned around and exited the room.

Cozy Glow had a lot on her mind, which made it difficult to sleep.

Is he keeping me around just because I'm the one coming up with the plans? Or... *sigh* I know you probably just see Chryssie and I as assets, but... *sigh* I wish I could tell you how I really feel...





To be continued in Chapter 8...
> Chapter 8: Embarkening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously, Cozy seemed to undergo a little bit of a breakdown when Tirek almost abandoned her. Although our villains were doubtful how honest Cozy's reaction was, she was no doubt acting strange.





The next morning, the two other villains stood in front of the door to Cozy's room, ready to make a move.

"It's a new day. Now go inside there and see how she's doing." Chrysalis demanded.
"If you're so worried about her, you do it." Tirek said.
"I'm not the big jerk who yelled in her face." Chrysalis replied.
"Eck. I hate when you're right..." Tirek said.

Tirek opened the door to pay Cozy a visit.

"Cozy? You there?" he asked.

He entered the room, and saw Cozy reading through pages of data. Scribbling stuff down in pencil, and plotting points on a map.

"Uh... morning, Cozy." Tirek greeted.
"Morning, Tirek." Cozy said, deadpan.

Tirek looked around, and tried to comprehend what she was doing. There were piles of paper and data sheets that had been printed by the machine last night. The papers littered the table, and on the floor.

"So... what exactly does all this paper have to say?" he asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Tirek." Cozy said.

"For starters, when you were hooked up the machine, and when it was running full power, you were literally connecting directly with the RoD, and it affected you about this much." Cozy explained. "For you in such a state of mind to have been sensitized like what we recorded, then that must mean it was a certain distance away. Once I finish interpreting the data, we'll know the precise distance the RoD is from this location. In other words, its radius. Now, that isn't the full story, because the radius won't tell us which way it is, however, if we perform the experiment in another location, the intensity of the RoD's energy will be different, thus plot out a different radius."
"Okay..." Tirek was trying his best to follow.
"If we have three radii, then we'll have a place on the map where all three areas intersect, then we'll know that that's where the source of the power is coming from. Then we follow the map to the Rainbow of Darkness' resting place!" Cozy concluded.
"Great! Now I get it!" Tirek exclaimed.
"Really?!" Cozy asked.
"No, not really..." he replied.
"Basically, we do this experiment two more times, in two separate locations, and then we'll know Rainbow of Darkness's exact location!" Cozy said.
"So in other words, this mad scientist project is one third of the way to be complete." Tirek said.
"I told you there was a method to my madness. I'm just a little disappointed you almost jumped ship. After all, third try's the charm, and I wanna make sure that we're more powerful than ever for our last attempt." Cozy said.
"I appreciate the thought, and I'm glad you put our villainy first." Tirek complimented.

Tirek's comment made Cozy smile.





Cozy had continued to work on the data. Chrysalis had entered as well, to see the results.

"Alright, we finally have a result!" Cozy beamed.
"Splendid!" Chrysalis said cheerfully.
"Let's hear it!" Tirek added.	
"Okay, so, the Rainbow of Darkness is precisely ## miles away from this location." Cozy said.
"However, though we know its distance, we don't know it's direction." Tirek recapped.
"Correct again, Tirek." Cozy affirmed.

Cozy pointed to a map of Equestria. Their location was marked, and around it, was a circle with a radius equal to what they detected.

"The Rainbow of Darkness could be anywhere along where this circle is drawn." she explained.
"However, we don't know where precisely, unless we perform this test again somewhere else for an extra set of data." Chrysalis said.
"Mmm hmm. That's correct." Cozy replied. "Ideally, we'd have three sets of data to triangulate it's exact location."
"So if we have to travel, then what are we waiting for? Let's gather the necessary supplies, and get a move on!" Tirek said oddly optimistically.
"Golly, with such enthusiasm in your voice, how could I not jump on that? Let's pack up the machine, and hit the road!" Cozy said.





At the base of the castle, they readied a carriage of necessary supplies. The entire village gathered round for their departure.

"How are we gonna transport all this equipment across Equestria?" Tirek asked.

"You three need a way to transport large equipment across many miles of Equestria?" Flam said.
"Say no more. This is precisely what Flim and Flam specialize in." Flim said.
"We've carted inventions far and wide throughout the land. You big ol' doohickey will travel well in one of our transportation vehicles." Flam added.
"How long until we have a vehicle up and running with all the equipment attached?" Chrysalis asked.
"With our expertise, you three will be riding in style within a few days tops." Flim said.
"Perfect, you two build the vehicle, I while the rest of us prepare for departure." Cozy said.





Cozy went through her usual routine of visiting the main village ponies. She started by visiting Suri Polomare in her shop.

"Morning, Suri." Cozy Glow greeted.
"Morning." Suri said, deadpan.

What's gotten into her? Cozy wondered.

"How's my dress coming along?" Cozy asked.
"It's coming, alright." Suri replied.
"Golly, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, Suri?" Cozy asked.
"Cut out the act, I know what you're up to, Cozy Glow." Suri said, sounding serious.
"Gee, whatever do you mean?" Cozy asked.
"Don't play nice, you're a liar and a fraud!" she exclaimed. "You're just using everypony in the village for your own selfish gain. The citizens, the money made from the Washouts performance, the eventually cotton yield. It's all for you you you. So this whole time, you were acting nice to us, when in actuality, you couldn't care less about any of us." Suri ranted.
"Sheesh, I'm almost offended to hear that you think this way." Cozy said. "In case you don't know who you're speaking to, ponies tend to do what I tell them to do."
"Ol' Rusty Bucket wouldn't take me to the top of Mt. Everhoof, because there was no incentive for him to do so. So now I've learned that it's easier to get ponies to do what you want if you incentive them first. Look around, that's exactly what I've done. Lightning Dust and the others have a place to practice and perform their shows. Svengallop and Flim Flam have a place to conduct business, and you have everything you need for dress production."
"So you've only been incentivising the villagers, not because you care about us, but so we follow you in your tiny hoofsteps." Suri said.
"Is that what you think?" Cozy asked.
"Based on your little magic harvest from last night, that's what it seems like." Suri said. "A friend wouldn't steal magic from her followers."
"If you're going to prosecute me, let's put all the facts on the table." Cozy started. "I borrowed their magic (granted, without permission), and gave it back." Cozy explained.
"You're not being transparent with your followers. You're being disrespectful, and it's sad that you don't see that." Suri said.
"Grr..." Cozy growled.
"Now tell me, why did exclude me from last night's magic harvest?" Suri asked. "So I'd have extra time to work on your dress? Well that's not what I did with the extra time in case you were wondering."

Cozy didn't reply, she was just grumpy.

"Unless there was another reason?" Suri asked.
"Hmph. You are to not speak of our conversations to anyone. Especially not Tirek or Chrysalis." Cozy said.
"You're a tough case the crack, Cozy. But I'm going to figure you out." Suri said.
"Whatever, just make sure my dress is pretty." Cozy closed the door behind her and left.





Cozy met with Svengallop to discuss how the village will be maintained while she's away.

"And that is why I want you, Svengallop, to be in charge while Tirek, Chrysalis, and I are gone." she said.
"Why Cozy, what an honor and a privilege that you think I'm the most qualified pony for the job!" he beamed with joy.
"I'm... glad you feel that way." she said reluctantly. "Now, it's important that you check up on and maintain Chrysalis' collection of cocoons. Make sure the creatures inside don't starve, but make sure they don't escape either."

Svengallop looked at the terrifying sight of Chrysalis' forest of cocoons. Each one contained who knows what inside. Svengallop tried not to quiver in fear at the sight, but he held his breath, and pretended to be a confident pony.

"I will not let you down. I will make sure that the village, and these cocoons are properly cared for." he affirmed.

Cozy hovered and patted Svengallop on the forehead.

"And lastly, this sheet contains a list of other minor tasks around the village. You got this, Sven." Cozy said.





The next day, Flim and Flam had finished the modifications to their vehicle, and loaded the Rainbow of Darkness detecting machine on board.

"We just finished construction on your brand new car!" Flim said.
"And your big 'ol machine is loaded within. This baby has so much horsepower, it can haul it, and the three of you easily." Flam said.

"Golly, how generous of you to do this for us, Flim and Flam." Cozy said.

Flim handed Cozy Glow the ignition key. 
"Just put in the key, and turn to start the car." he said.

Cozy flew to the driver's seat, and put in the key. The vehicle started up.

"Now it's important to note that you may need to refuel after a certain number of miles." Flim said.

"Yeah yeah, duly noted. Now come on you two, we've got all our stuff! ¡Vamanos!" Cozy said.

Tirek, and Chrysalis climbed aboard, and took a seat.

"Eugh. The seats could have used some extra work." Chrysalis said.
"This vehicle hardly feels stable." Tirek said.
"This baby is strong and durable enough to handle anything." Flim said.
"It has the Flim Flam certification of excellence." Flam added.
"That hardly fills me with confidence..." Chrysalis said.

Cozy was at the wheel. A crowd of ponies gathered 'round to witness the departure of their leaders.

"You're seriously hitting the road?" Lightning asked.
"Well, yeah. We have important business we need to take care of elsewhere." Cozy explained.
"Your guy's leadership skills really did build this great community. It'd be a shame for you to have to go." Rolling Thunder said.
"This is kind of a lousy goodbye..." Short Fuse said.

Cozy saw an unimpressed Suri in the crowd. She thought it best to leave on better terms, so she stopped the car, and flew out.

"Where are you going, Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.

Cozy flew over and stood on top of a big boulder, and spoke to everypony in the vicinity.

*ahem* "Thank you every pony for your cooperation here in the village. Like me, you are all here because there's no other place else in Equestria would accept you. But it is time that the three of us go on a journey, in search of the source of great power. There is no need to worry, because I believe you all have the skills to manage things while we're gone."

"You really mean that?" Short Fuse asked.
"But, I feel lost already." Rolling Thunder said.

"The truth is... *deep breath* that I'm proud of each and every one of you. This amazing community wouldn't exist if it weren't for your hard work and dedication. It means the world to me that there are still ponies willing to listen to me. Ponies who don't just wanna lock me up, but ponies who genuinely believe in me." Cozy said.

Some positive chatter went on in the crowd. Suri listened, giving a dubious, but slightly optimistic look.

"I trust you all to keep the village under control while we're gone." Cozy said with a big wide grin.

She flew back onto the driver's seat, and put in the key.

"Good luck, you three. We believe in you." Lightning said.
"I promise everything will be under control under my supervision." Svengallop said.
"We hope our vehicle is of satisfaction." Flim and Flam said simultaneously.
"Hm. Good luck, Cozy." Suri said.

Cozy and Chrysalis waved bye, while Tirek just stared.

The vehicle started, and the three drove off into the distance. Everypony of their village waved bye to them.

*VROOM*

"Good bye everypony!" Cozy exclaimed.
"We'll be back in a yet to be determined number of chapters!" Chrysalis said.

The vehicle worked! They rode off through the area to their next destination.

On board, the three had some small talk.

"Do you think they would be this supportive if we told them we were on the search for ultimate dark power?" Tirek asked.
"Eh, they'll find out sooner or later anyway." Cozy replied.





And with that, our trio of villains set out on a journey! A journey of evil, aided by science!

To be continued in Chapter 10!
> Chapter 9: Hot to the Touch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Queen Chrysalis traveled the land of Equestria riding in a powered vehicle carrying their Rainbow of Darkness detecting equipment. Where were they heading? No where in particular. What mattered most was that they got far enough away from their home base, so that they could conduct the Rainbow of Darkness experiment once more. Once they did, they would have two thirds of their map complete. One more, and they would know its exact location. The kicker with this approach of course is that they had to travel all the way to the other side of Equestria...





"I hate long road trips." Chrysalis said.
"Would you rather be catapulted 1,000 miles away by a miraculous force field of love projected out by two ponies, one of which you disguised yourself as, the other, the one you tried to steal their love, but in a cruel twist of irony that love is what catapulted you and your army blasting off again!?" Cozy asked.
"Uh, not really. Been there, done that." Chrysalis replied.
"For all we know, we may be far enough away. It's been a few days of non-stop traveling." Tirek said.
"It's hard to know our exact location." Cozy said. "We keep heading East, until night, when the stars come out, I can accurately determine our location, then we'll decide whether or not to keep going."

Tirek looked at the sun, and saw it was still high in the sky.





After a long day of traveling, the three settled down in a little camping area for the night. They were in a forest area, although the air quality was iffy. Smelling like burnt ashes. Luckily the sky was clear enough for Cozy to look at the stars above, and figure out their latitude and location in Equestria.

"So the good news, we are just about far enough way from our town of that I feel we could run the test again." Cozy said.
"Finally!" Chrysalis said.
"It's about time!" Tirek added.
"But here's the rub, whenever we do this experiment, it's essential that Tirek is powered up as much as possible. Otherwise we may not detect anything." Cozy explained. "At the village, we were fortunate enough to have a crowd of ponies hand over their magic, but on our travels, we'll have to get more creative."
"Where are we going to find a powerful source of magic in the middle of nowhere?" Chrysalis asked.
"Well, I'm speaking to one right now." Tirek said.
"Forget it! I'm not some vile of magic you can sip whenever you want!" Chrysalis snarled.
"Chrysalis' magic is a good start, but I think we'll need an extra kick beyond that." Cozy said. "Luckily for you two, I studied magic at Twilight's school, so I happen to know a powerful source of magic nearby."





The next morning, the three drove through a rocky mountainous location. It was a very bumpy ride.

"It's getting too rough for the vehicle to go much farther." Tirek said.
"We'll have to put the car somewhere safe, and continue on foot." Cozy said.

The three found an empty cave. They turned off the car, and rolled it into the cave, with all their fancy Rainbow of Darkness detecting equipment on board.

"That oughta do it for now." Chrysalis said.

The three traveled through the landscape. They saw the shadow of something flying overhead.

*gasp*

"Get down, let's hide." Cozy said.

The three hid in the cover of a pile of boulders.

"Where are we anyway?" Chrysalis asked.
"Why, this is dragon lands. A prosperous land, home to, well dragons." Cozy introduced the area.
"Are you sure this is the dragon lands? I'm seeing creatures of all sorts in these parts." Tirek said.
"Guess Twilight's really made sure to diversify every region of Equestria." Cozy said.
"What a pointless endeavour. She is disrupted the natural order."
"Never mind that." Chrysalis said. "What matters most is our objective."
"Like I said, we need a powerful source of magic for Tirek so we get the best results in our test." Cozy said.
"Dragons typically don't contain much magic at all." Tirek said.
"There's plenty of hippogriffs. They have the ability to turn into seaponies when they hit the water. There's bound to be some tasty magic in them." Chrysalis said.
"That's too obvious. I have an idea for even more powerful magic, while being more inconspicuous." Cozy said.




The three hid around some cover, but kept a look out to scope the area.

"I've read all about the Bloodstone Scepter during my time at Twilight's school, and in this book." Cozy brought along her book from Canterlot library. "It says here, that the scepter grants the user the ability to control dragons. Though, for our purposes, we just need its raw magic so Tirek can sniff the Rainbow of Darkness."
"Where are we to find such a treasure?" Tirek asked.
"The Bloodstone Scepter is wielded by the Dragon Lord. The dragon's throne is just over yonder." Cozy pointed.

From their vantage point, they saw Dragon Lord Ember, sitting on her big throne, commanding the dragons.

"Alright, now riddle me this, how do we get that scepter?" Chrysalis asked.
"We don't wanna cause a big scene here. I reckon it best we slip in the cracks." Cozy said.
"Slipping in the cracks is exactly what I do best. Heh heh heh." Chrysalis laughed.
"I don't like when she giggles like that..." Tirek said.
"Well whatever you have in mind, do it, while Tirek and I get the machine ready." Cozy said.





Ember sat still on the throne, waving to dragons, and giving orders. However, she was about to be jump scared by an unexpected guest.

"Excuse me, dragon heroine. I'm expressing great discontent with myself." said an teenage looking dragon.
"Oh, what's the matter?" Ember asked.
"I'm at that awkward age where boy dragons make me feel funny." she said.
"Yeah, growing up does really suck." Ember added.
"I was thinking I could use that Scepter to vaporize those who offend me." she said.
"Uh, I'd prefer if you didn't do that." Ember said.
"Then perhaps I could offer you... something else, in exchange for the scepter." she gave Ember the eyes...
Of course this weird dragon was Chrysalis in disguise. Did the plan work?





The plan worked perfectly. While Cozy and Tirek were getting the machine ready, Chrysalis successfully brought them the Bloodstone Scepter.

"Feast your eyes, for I present to you the dragons' most valuable treasure!" Chrysalis said, wielding the scepter.
"Perfect! And not a moment too soon." Tirek said.
"That Ember looked to be a stubborn figure. How'd you get the scepter?" Cozy asked.





Flashback to a couple minutes ago.

"No can do, this scepter is very important to me. It's what allows me to be-" Ember was interupted.
"Dragon Lord Ember!" a dragon cried.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Ember asked.
"Garble's got claws stuck under a rock!" they said.
"What?" Ember exclaimed.
"You gotta help." they said.
"Sorry, newbie. We'll have to cut this talk short. They need my help."
"Take all the time you need, lassy." Chrysalis said.

Ember flew off with the other dragons. Chrysalis couldn't help but notice she forgot something.

"Hmm. For as important as the staff is, she didn't seem to mind leaving it here alone with me..." Chrysalis thought.





"It wasn't easy I tell you. Why-" Chrysalis said.
"Okay, I didn't need your life story." Tirek said.
"Help us get everything ready. Time is of the essence." Cozy said.

The three got the machine ready. Everything was basically ready to go while being mounted to the car.

"We have to do the experiment outside for the best reception." Cozy said.
"But unfortunately, it does leave us quite visible." Chrysalis said.
"Which is why we gotta move quick." Tirek said.
"So with no further delays, we need Tirek to absorb the scepter's magic." Cozy said.

But unfortunately there would be further delays, as they were interrupted by a familiar face."





"Hey." said a familiar green dragon.
"What the?!" Tirek said.
"Sludge?!" Cozy said.
"Back off dragon! Your scepter is our's now!" Chrysalis said.
"You're the dragon from the village." Cozy said.
"Well, yeah. Why'd you guys follow me here?" Sludge asked.
"We were not following you! You followed us!" Chrysalis shouted.
"Nuh-uh! I've been here for a few days now." Sludge said. "I chalk this up to you guys missing me, that you followed me here."
"I honestly forgot about you. You kind of disappeared." Chrysalis said.
"Well, I was kind of bummed that you humiliated me in front of the other spokesponies, so I left your dumb town and came home."
"Look, all I'm saying, is that what you did to Spike was pretty messed up. Those ponies had the right to call you out." Cozy said.
"Oh, like you're some kind of saint." Sludge sassed.
"I just think that impersonating someone's parent is pretty messed up!" Cozy said. "I know that if somepony did that to me, they'd be lucky to walk again!"
"Cozy! Forget the freeloader. Let's run the experiment so we can find the RoD, become power, then destroy any and all enemies!" Chrysalis said.

However, Cozy didn't seem to listen.

"Cozy Glow?" Tirek asked.
"What are you doing?" Chrysalis asked.

Then, Cozy Glow did something unexpected. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. After she calmed down, she had a rational conversation with Sludge.

"What exactly do you want from us?" Cozy asked.
"A chance to redeem. A chance to prove I can be of use." Sludge pleaded.
"Okay, Sludge. I'll give you a chance." Cozy said. "You can help us in our object by going to Dragon Lord Ember, and making sure she's distracted so she doesn't discover us."
"Finally, an opportunity to prove myself. I won't let you down." Sludge flew away.
"Do you really want to make him an ally?" Chrysalis asked.
"No way. We're totally gonna ditch him when we're done here." Cozy said.
"Then let's conduct the experiment now! So that hopefully we can finish before he gets back." Tirek said.





"I second that. First, we need you, Tirek, to absorb the scepter's magic." Cozy said.
"With pleasure." Tirek said.

Cozy Glow held the Bloodstone Scepter up to Tirek. He opened his mouth, and started to absorb the scepter. The scepter glowed, and it's magical aura flowed into Tierk. The consumption of magic made Tirek grow in size.

"Wait!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"What now?!" Cozy and Tirek said simultaneously.
"I just remembered something. I thought you could only sap magic from living things." Chrysalis said. "But you sucked up the magic from the scepter just fine."
"Oh yeah... I did say that." Tirek said.
"Have I identified a major continuity error?" Chrysalis asked.
"I view it more as we're discovering more about Tirek's abilities." Cozy said.
"So, I couldn't absorb the shield because it was a spell with no artifact or pony source to absorb." Tirek said.
"Today we learned that we can add magical artifacts to your list of consumable magic." Cozy said.
"Whatever, let's just do this thing before it makes my head spin." Chrysalis said.

Tirek sat in the main chair. Cozy hooked up several apparatus to him. One to his head, the other to his hand. Tirek gave them a thumbs up. Cozy and Chrysalis don't have thumbs, so they just gave affirmative looks.

"Alright, no time like the present." Cozy pulled the lever, which started up the machine.

*Bzzzt*

Tirek fainted, and went subconscious. his horns glowed, as it sniffed out the Rainbow of Darkness' faint but ever real essence. It didn't take long to detect a signal. Then, an electric current flowed from Tirek's finger tips to the machine, which the machine interpreted as a reading from the Rainbow of Darkness.

The monitor lit up. It detected a faint bleep. Cozy and Chrysalis paid close attention to the readings.

"The signal's not as strong as it was back at the village." Chrysalis said, worried.
"That's fine. It just means we're farther away from it. A result is a result either way." Cozy said.

The machine heated up, and started smoking up.

"It's getting warm again, we could lose power at any moment." Chrysalis warned.
"Just a little more..." Cozy said.

The monitor bleeped and blooped, which means data was still coming in.

"The signal's weaker, it has to run for more time!" Cozy said, sweating.

*hrrgh* Tirek was getting uncomfortable.

Cozy flicked the switch to off.

"That's all she wrote for today." Cozy said, wiping her hooves clean.

Tirek opened his eyes and regained consciousness.

*phew* "Did it work?" Tirek asked.
"It did. You were still strong enough to sense the RoD, and this baby captured the data." Cozy said.
"Excellent." he replied.
*phew* "Thank the stars." Chrysalis said.
"Once we have time to print out and read today's data-" Cozy started.
"Then that will leave just one location left before we know where the Rainbow of Darkness is." Chysalis said, with an evil grin.
"And then once we have the Rainbow of Darkness." Tirek started.
"Twilight Sparkle won't know what hit her, when it hits her with the force of 100 teratons of dark energy!" Cozy beamed.





"Now that we got all the data we need, we just gotta..." Cozy trailed off.

Cozy turned around, and saw Ember and the dragons.

"Oh..."

Ember and a group of dragons stood before them. 

"Sludge! This is the opposite of what I told you to do!" Cozy scolded.
"Sorry, when Ember asked where the scepter was, it's not like I told her where it was. The truth just sort of... came out." he said.

Cozy face palmed really hard.

"So, the notorious Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis thought they could sneak onto our home turf and steal what belongs to us." Ember said.
"Now now, no need to get your dragon tail in a knot. We were going to give you back the scepter when we were done. Look, I'll prove it to you. Tirek, relinquish the magic back into the scepter." Cozy commanded.
"What? Why should I listen?" Tirek said.
"WHAT!?" Cozy exclaimed.
"I have the strength and power to take on all of these dragons. If I gave it up, they'd most likely arrest us. We are fugitives after all. I reckon I keep the magic to myself-" Tirek said.
"Gosh dang it, Tirek! Not again! Whenever you absorb too much magic, you become stupid arrogant Tirek!"
"I'm saying, I just pound the guts out of every dragon in front of me!" Tirek said.
"NO! You can have a power so much greater if you just listen to me! Now give up the magic now!" Cozy exclaimed.

All the dragons looked at her, perplexed.

"What are you all looking at?!" Cozy shouted.

*swoosh*

Tirek let go his magic and it went back into the Bloodstone Scepter. Cozy took a deep breath.

"Here's your stupid stick, dragon girl." Cozy held the scepter out.
"Uh, thanks? You know we still have arrest you." Ember said.
"Hmm, under what authority?" Cozy smirked, retracting the scepter.
"As dragon lord-" Ember started, but was interrupted.
"Dragon Lord? I don't think so." Cozy said. "The Bloodstone Scepter has a special connection to the dragon lord. But it doesn't appear like the scepter likes you very much."
"What's she talking about?" Garble asked.
"The scepter! It isn't calling to me! I thought you said you would restore its power!" Ember cried.
"I did! I haven't got any dragon scepter magic left in me." Tirek said.
"Then what's going on with the scepter?" Ember asked.
"Isn't it obvious? You're supposed to know everything about the scepter. It's a classic do over." Cozy said.
"It's power's been reset. I've been demoted from dragon lord!" Ember cried.
"Hmm, a reset scepter? Sounds to me like the gauntlet of fire." Cozy said.
"She's right!" Garble said.
"What? No! There scepter may be in gauntlet of fire mode, but there is no gauntlet! Just give me back the scepter!" Ember said.
"So... the next dragon who touches this scepter is made dragon lord eh?" Cozy said.
"Yes, now just give it please." Ember begged.

Cozy retracted the scepter, and leaned it in the direction of Sludge.

"No one take a step forward, or else Sludge becomes dragon lord!" Cozy held the scepter very close to Sludge.
"Ooh. I like this deal." Sludge said.
"No no no no no no!" the dragons said simultaneously.
"Don't! That's the worst possible thing that could happen!" Ember cried.

Cozy thought about what to do next.

"You want your little stick back? Well take it!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy flung the scepter into the crowd.

"I call dibs!"
"It's mine!"
"Stop it! Dragons don't free for all any more!" Ember cried.
"Why do you get to be dragon lord?"
"It's been a long time! I say a new gauntlet of fire is only fair!"

The dragons fought over the right to the scepter. Eventually, Crackle caught the scepter.

"Noo!" the dragons cried.

Crackle started to glow, and became all powerful.

"Now's our chance to escape!" Cozy said.

Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Chrysalis jumped into the vehicle. Luckily they never technically unloaded the machine since it's operational while loaded. So they were good to go.

"Let's hightail it outta here!" Chrysalis said.

Cozy turned the ignition key. She stomped her hoof on the gas pedal, and *woosh* they were off!





"Woowee! We did it!" Cozy exclaimed. "The data is stored safely in the machine, we totally did it."
"That was such an adrenaline rush!" Tirek said.
"Oh golly golly yes!" Cozy breathed heavily. "Onward, to collect our third data point!"
"Yes! Yes! Aw, you guys are the greatest!" said Sludge, who also happened to be on board.
"What the? You're still following us?" Tirek snarled.
"Would you get lost?!" Chrysalis sneered.
"What? I thought we were a team. The way we worked together and almost had the Bloodstone Scepter to ourselves. Shame you gave it back to them." Sludge said.
"I still don't like him." Chrysalis said.
"You may not like listening to him, but I have an idea." Cozy winked.
"Hey Sludge? What was the thing you loved most about Twilight's castle?" Cozy asked.
"Oh, where do I begin? The space. The archetexture. The collection of pointless knickknacks for me to hoard. Why, just thinking about it makes me... makes me...*ugh* Why is my head getting heavier...-" Sludge got drowsy.

Chrysalis happened to suck his love essence, which caused Sludge to faint and fall over.

"Mmm. He really liked that castle. The thought is almost sickening as the taste..." Chrysalis shivered.
"At least he's quiet now." Tirek said.
"The rest of him will make for a healthy snack for the rest of our journey." Chrysalis said.
"And no better timing, this is the penultimate push towards greatness. We're going to need all the help we need." Cozy said.





To be continued in Chapter 10!
> Chapter 10: The West in Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, and Tirek continued to drive across the hot desert parts of Equestrian landscape to their next destination. Previously, they had two thirds of their map complete. Now all that was left was to conduct their experiment in one more remote location, in order to pinpoint the exact location of the Rainbow of Darkness. They were really excited, as you can tell.





"And to think, after we perform this experiment one more time-" Cozy started.
"We'll know the precise location of the Rainbow of Darkness." Chrysalis said.
"And once we find it, and it's in our clutches-" Tirek said.
"Twilight Sparkle won't know what hit her." Cozy said.

The three laughed simultaneously. Their ride however started to slow down.

"Why is the vehicle slowing down!?" Chrysalis cried.

The car slowed, until it came to a complete stop.

Cozy turned the ignition key multiple times, but the car had had it.

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted something built by those cheapskate Flim Flam brothers." Chrysalis said.
"Well, I guess I ought to inspect the vehicle, and see what went wrong." Cozy put on a repairpony cap, and flew underneath the car.

The two waited a moment, and then Cozy came back to give her diagnosis.

"So, what's the damage?" Chrysalis asked.
"Good news, there's nothing wrong with the vehicle. But the bad news, it's out of fuel!" Cozy said.
"And in the middle of nowhere too! This is just swell!" Chrysalis ranted.
"Luckily for us, Flim and Flam documented how this vehicle works in this handy book. So if there's a solution, it's bound to be in here." Cozy looked in the instruction manual, and she made a surprising discover. "It says here, this vehicle runs on *page flip* apple cider?!"
"I have no idea how that's possible." Chrysalis said.

Tirek looked into the tank, and saw that it was indeed dripping apple cider. He did a taste test to make sure.

"Mmm. But it appears to be true." Tirek said.
"No wonder this things smells like that apple pony of Twilight..." Chrysalis said.

With the car down, the three found themselves stranded in the middle of a desert. But not the middle of nowhere thankfully.

"It's the middle of day, no stars to help us navigate." Tirek said.
"We don't need stars. Look, there's a town not to far." Cozy pointed.
"Not just any town, it's-" Chrysalis started.
"Appleloosa." the three said simultaneously.
"The town of which was the sight of the great pony and *** feud." Cozy recapped.
"The town I invaded and stole magic from." Tirek reminisced.
"This dump..." Chrysalis moaned.
"Hmm, Appleloosa. Apple cider?" Chrysalis thought.
"If Appleloosa doesn't have apple cider, then I'm a monkey's uncle." Tirek said.
"Landing ourselves here could be a blessing in disguise..." Cozy thought out loud.

Cozy Glow did some thinking.





Some time later, Cozy had a full plan.

"Here's the plan. We're going to infiltrate the town, and help ourselves to as much apple cider as possible!" Cozy said. "Now, Tirek, since it's harder for you to blend in, you'll stay here and guard the vehicle and machine."
"Hmmph. I'd much rather barge into town, take all their magic, and their cider." Tirek said.
"Breaking and terrorizing villages isn't our thing anymore." Cozy said. "Rather, Chrysalis and I are gonna slither into town, and find the biggest deposit of apple cider."
"Ooh. I get to design my own cowpony OC!" Chrysalis gleed.
"I thought you hated this sort of culture." Tirek said.
"Doesn't mean I can't be *transform* fashionable." Chrysalis transformed into a sexy cowpony girl.
"Now, we need to get you something to wear, so you're better well hidden." Chrysalis said.





Cozy and Chrysalis happened to "find" an appropriate disguise for Cozy. She wore a leather vest, with a handkerchief that matched her yellow bow's color. But instead of the bow on her head, she wore a 10 gallon hat. It was noticeably big on her, but it helped conceal her hair and face, so it worked in her favor. She wore pants to hide her cutie mark and flank.





Cozy liked the outfit. It seemed to suit her perfectly. She felt so cute, she pressed her hooves against her cheeks.

"Golly! I feel like the high horsin' kick ass cowgirl filly on this side'a Equestria!" Cozy said. "Ah reckon we're a ready to mingle with these here cowfolk!" Cozy said.

Chrysalis was disguised as a typical mare in cowpony getup.





They explored the town. It's what you'd expect from Appleloosa.

"This town is despicable." Chrysalis said. "There are horse drawn carriages drawings, drawn by horses drawing horse drawn carriages!"
"I don't know how long we've been gone, but it feels like this town has somehow regressed in progress in the mean time." Cozy said.

After some exploring they made an interesting discovery. Cozy spotted a wanted poster, depicting three familiar faces.

"Okay, you know the trope where the wanted posters are inaccurate and unflattering? Well, trope averted. These are actually very well down drawings of us." she said.
"Wow, I agree. The penmanship on these are spot on." Chrysalis admired. "They really captured my beauty and my fury."
"I'm keeping one of these..." Cozy grabbed a poster and slipped it into her vest.





"We're losing track of our mission. Where are we going to find apple cider..." Chrysalis said.

They saw a colt drinking a glass bottle of apple cider.

"Eye spy with my little eye." Cozy said.
"Excuse me, sir." Chrysalis shouted to them.

The colt ignored them.

*HISS* Chrysalis lunged and pounced on top of the colt. "Reveal to me where you procured this bottle of apple cider!" she demanded.

The colt pointed at a building, which turned out to be the local pub.

"Much obliged." Cozy said.

Chrysalis got off the colt, and slowly trotted off with Cozy. The colt ran off in fear.





Cozy and Chrysalis enter saloon.

*gasp*

There was an audible gasp. In fact, everypony in the bar looked at them, and gave scorns.

"The obviously don't know it's us, they probably just greet all new guests this way." Chrysalis whispered.
"Follow my lead." Cozy whispered.

They walked all tough like to the counter. They sat on the bar stool, and looked the bartender in the eyes. Cozy spit into the spittoon. Except due to her inexperience, she wasn't very good at spitting. Chrysalis tried spitting too, but she ended up just drooling all over herself. The bartender gave them an awkward look, but spoke anyway.

"Uh... what'll it be, fellas?" he asked.
"I'll take all the apple cider you got!" Cozy said.

*gasp* Everypony in the saloon gasped again.

"All mah cider?" he asked.
"Did mah pardner stutter?! All of it!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"See this here barrel behind me? It's all the cider I got." he said.
"We'll take the whole barrel!" Chrysalis shouted.
"Alrighty. How much bits have ya' got?" he asked.
"Uh..." they wondered.
"No money, no cider." he said.
"We may not have bits, but perhaps we could trade with you something you want." Cozy said.
"Hmm. Tell ya what. You see this here poster?" the bartender pointed to a copy of the familiar poster. "Some refer to them as the Legion of Doom. Queen Chrysalis, Lord Tirek, and Cozy Glow. These three lawbreakers are on the loose, and they have a massive bounty over their heads. You bring me all three of them, and the barrel's yours."

Cozy and Chrysalis were in a predicament. Do they turn themselves in for a barrel of cider? They needed something in order to refuel the vehicle to carry their machine across the land.

"Hold up!" Chrysalis spoke up. "Catching three notorious criminals seems like a tall order for just one large barrel of cider!"
"Yeah, I reckon' we ought'a get the key to the city for such an accomplishment!" Cozy added.
*sigh* "Fine, bring me just one of them, and the barrel's yours." he said.
"We'll be think'in about 'yer offer." Cozy said.

Chrysalis and Cozy got up and exited.





The two left town and walked back to where they left Tirek and the car.

"Hmm, what are we gonna do?" Chrysalis wondered.
"Obviously we're not going to do exactly what he says, but there has to be a way to get that barrel without stirring a ruckus." Cozy said.

"HAHAHAH!" laughed Tirek and someone unfamiliar.

"What the?" they said simultaneously.
"And so that's when I said 'You have to choose! Your friends, or yoru magic!' And Twilight Sparkle nearly wet herself in fear!" Tirek joked.
"Hahahaha!" he laughed along with an extra guest. "What kind of pony would risk their lives for Applejack? Ridiculous!" they said.
"Who's your friend, Tirek?" Cozy asked.
"This is King Longhorn, leader of the something somes." Tirek introduced.
"And what business does he have here?" Chrysalis asked.
"He happened to pass by, and it turns out, he's had a long feud with Twilight Sparkle too."
"That apple pony has foiled far too many of my plans." Longhorn said.
"You know what I've noticed? Applejack was really good at making enemies. Flim and Flam, Svengallop, and now King Longhorn." Cozy said.
"If you've been enemies with those ponies for so long, how come I've never heard of you?" Chrysalis asked.

They didn't listen however, Tirek was sitting joking with King Longhorn, while Cozy thought about their mission.

"We know where they're keeping the cider. We just need a way to get it." Cozy said. "But pony wants it in exchange for our bounty."
"Are all of us necessary for this operation?" Chrysalis asked.
"Yes! All of us are important to this mission." Tirek affirmed.
"Why play by their rules anyway? I'm a snake who tightropes over a fine line of illegal activity. But you three are super villains." Longhorn said. "You could just glare at a pony, and they'd probably explode."
"Longhorn's right. We're breaking into town and stealing it." Tirek said.
"No. I have a plan, Cozy said. "Mr. Longhorn, you got backup?"
"But of course. My rustlers and I are a force to be reckoned with." he said.
"That's perfect. I think I know a way Longhorn and his cohorts can help." Cozy said.





Some time later in town, a scene was brewing.

*oof* Cozy was knocked to the ground, and her hat fell off.

"You traitor!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Yer time is up, Cozy Glow! You ain't got nowhere left to hide!" said Chrysalis, disguised as a normal cowpony.

The local authorities had arrived on the scene.

"After all we've been through, you go ahead and do this to me!" Cozy exclaimed.
"It is clear that you were the weakest link. Officers, book 'er!" Chrysalis said.

Cozy was hoofcuffed by Star Spur and Fetter Keys.

"Gah! You haven't seen the last of me!" Cozy cried.

Cozy was carried away by the local authorities.

"Thank you ma'am for your great act of justice." Sheriff Silverstar said to the pony.
"I know them other two are still on the loose, but I don't suppose you can at least spare a portion of the bounty. Catching Cozy Glow ought'a be worth a lot of bits." Chrysalis said.
"Certainly. The reward money's yours." Sheriff Silverstar said.
"Actually, make it out to the local pub owner." Chrysalis said.
"Whatever you say, ma'am." Silverstar said.
"Wowee. Thanks, I really owe ya." the owner said.
"Yes, you do. I believe we discussed this earlier." she said.
"But of course. With such a large reward given to me, I'm set for life. The cider's all yours." the owner said.

A couple of ponies rolled in a cart carrying a big barrel of cider.

"Much obliged." Chrysalis grinned.





Cozy was carted, and locked up in the jail cell.

*sob* "I just wanted a second chance." Cozy cried.
"Well, maybe you oughta think twice before committing a great crime." the sheriff said.
"How could you do this to a filly?" Cozy asked.
"You ma'am, committed treason of the highest level!" Silverstar said. "Do you have any idea what would'a happened had you banished all the magic in Equestria?"
"I know! That's why I tried to do it!" Cozy exclaimed.
"You'll get your chance, missy." Silverstar said. "Once Princess Twilight Sparkle sees 'ya, she'll decide your next punishment And whoo-ee. If a life in stone wasn't punishment enough for ya', I can only imagine what she has cooked up for you next."

Silverstar took the key with him, and left the building.

"Heh heh." Cozy laughed. "Oh you have no idea what's next for me."

A few minutes later, Cozy stuck her head through the barred window.

*whistle* she whistled.

Someone outside tied ropes to the bars, and started to pull. It was Longhorn's cattle rustlers. They pulled on the rope until.

*bam*

They brought down the entire wall, freeing Cozy Glow. Although she still was wearing the hoofcuffs.

"Excellent work, gentlemen." Cozy grinned.

Cozy easily escaped the jail, thanks to Longhorn's rustlers.





Cozy rode on the backs of one of the cattle rustlers, to location of their vehicle.

"Howdy partner." Chrysalis said.
"That was a great act. We should take up playwriting." Cozy said.

The barrel of cider was already there.

"What'd I say? My rustlers can tear down just'a 'bout any wall these ponies build." Longhorn said.
"I know we just met, but don't get too well acquainted. We got what we came here for." Cozy said. "Now help me load the cider into the tank so we can get the heck out of here."
"Well, it was great speaking with ya, King." Tirek said.

They rolled the cart with the tank into position. They attached a pipe protruding from the vehicle into the barrel's opening. Cozy turned a valve on the vehicle, and cider started pumping in.

"I still have no idea how cider is converted into motion energy." Chrysalis said. "Have Flim and Flam solved the energy crisis by creating a renewable energy source? And if so, how has this not revolutionized Equestria?"
"Eh. It's convenient, so don't question it." Cozy said.

After a few moments, the cider stopped flowing.

"Tank's full!" Chrysalis said.
"Perfect!" Cozy said. Sh climbed into the driver's seat, and turned the key.
"It's a shame ya have to leave so soon." Longhorn said.

Cozy turned the key, however, the engine made... not good noises.

"Uh... We may not be leavin' soon after all..." Cozy said, worried.
"That sounds bad." Tirek said.
"Why not? We did everything properly." Chrysalis asked.
"Is something else broken?" Longhorn asked.
"Let's read the instructions manual." Cozy opened the car's glove box and read the manual.
"It says here, if the car's having trouble after refueling, to try turning the key while the car is rolling at a moderate speed." Cozy read.
"There are no hills to roll the car down, it's flat land for miles." Chrysalis said.
"So we're gonna have to push the car ourselves." Tirek said.

Basically, the car would only start if it was already rolling at decent speed.

"We could strap the car to the front of a moving train! I saw it in a movie once." Chrysalis said.
"I think you guys are missing the obvious solution." Cozy said, looking at Longhorn. "We need to get the car to a rolling start, and you and your rustlers are more than cut out for the job."
"Why, it would be an honor to help a fellow group of fellow anti-authority bad doers such as yourselves." Longhorn said.

Longhorn tied a rope to the vehicle, and held the other end.

Cozy, Chrysalis, and Tirek were on the vehicle.

"You're going to pull the vehicle forward. We'll give you a sign when the engine starts, that's when you detach, and we head on out." Cozy said.
"Ready?" Tirek asked.
"Freeze!" the sheriff exclaimed.
"Oh, shoot!" Longhorn said.
"It's all three of 'em!" Fetter Keys said.
"Y'all are under arrest!" Silverstar exclaimed.

"What? No!" Chrysalis transformed into a pony. "I am but a humble cowfolk!"
"It's the end of the line for y'all!" the sheriff said.
"I don't think so! Heeyah!" Cozy flicked the rope.

Longhorn and a couple of his steers started pulling the car.

"Oof! No offense, but y'all a heavy load!" he said.
"We're gonna have to lighten the load." Chrysalis said.
"Oh, fine." Tirek said.

Tirek hopped out of the car, and pushed the car from behind.

"How fast can ya run centaur boy?" Longhorn asked.
"I don't know, it's been a millennium since gym." Tirek said.

Behind them, were a cavalcade of stagecoaches. Sheriff Silverstar commanded a lead stagecoach, while his deputies rode their own stagecoaches behind him.

"Ol' Tire's pretty vulnerable outside of the vehicle." Cozy said.
"Mah boys got our backs!" Longhorn said.

King Longhorn's henchmen followed and provided backup to fight against the stagecoaches. What followed suit was a high octane chase. Silverstar and his stagecoaches chasing down a car pulled by King Longhorn, and pushed by Tirek. Chrysalis transformed to normal, and went on the offensive.

*pew* She shot magic at the carriages.

Fetter Keys swerved around and dodged the blasts. The stagecoaches were throwing rocks.

"They're pelting us with stones!" Chrysalis cried.
"Very crude, and yet, it hurts!" Cozy cried.

Cozy grabbed whatever rocks she could and tried to throw them back.

*pant* "Don't worry, my crew will provide us backup. Angus! Buff! Doc! Jersey!

Angus McSteer, Buffalo Bill, Doc Holstein, Jersey Shore. Angus went toe to toe with the horse pulling Silver Spur's chariot.

"Get outta here ya varmint!" Spur cried.

Buffalo Bill tried to take out the wheels of Fetter Keys' carriage. Doc came from behind and tried to just plain break it.

"I'mma try something risky." Silver Spur said. He passed the rope tried to the lead horse to his right hand pony. He pulled down his hat, and leaped onto Angus.

Angus stopped in the chase, and tried to buck Spur off.

"Woowee! This is like one of my rodeos!" he said.

Jersey Shore came in, but a single rock to the face took down the steer.





By this point, they were going at quite the speed. Chrysalis tried turning the keys, and finally the engine started.

"We got the engine rolling! Now we need to floor it and get out of here." she said.
"Hold up!" Sheriff Silverstar had jumped aboard, and held Cozy hostage. "You turn yourselves in, or the little one gets it!" he said.

"Don't come forward Chryssie. It's too risky!" Cozy said.
"No! I refuse to let him do this to you!" Chrysalis said.

*phew* "Why is my head getting all... heavy..." Silverstar breathed heavy.

Tirek sapped the magic from Silverstar. Chrysalis used her magic to snag Silverstar's keys. Tirek leaped up and climbed aboard.

"Do we eat the sheriff, or yeet the sheriff?" Chrysalis asked.
"We have enough hostages. Yeet." Cozy said.

Tirek grabbed Sheriff Silverstar, and threw him off the car.

"Ahh!" he cried.

*crash*

Silverstar landed against one of the carriages. It lost control, and bumped into another driven by Fetter Keys. They both crashed. And like that, all the carriages were gone.

"Good luck you three on your endeavours!" King Longhorn said, tipping his hat.
"Farewell, Longhorn." Tirek said.
"Thank you for your service!" Cozy said.

They sped away in the car and fled the scene. Chrysalis unlocked Cozy Glow from the hoofcuffs.

"Thank you, Chrysssie." Cozy hugged Chrysalis. "That was such a great team effort by us!"

Chrysalis gave Cozy an odd look.

*ahem* "I mean, thanks." she said, backing away while blushing.





And so our three villains sped off to their next location.

.

.

.





Some time later, the local authorities met in the sheriff's office with an even higher authority.

"I saw 'em, sir. All three of 'em!" Silverstar said.
"They escaped on some kind of motor powered doohickey!" Star Spur said.
"You gotta do something, captain." Fetter Keys said.

The shrouded royal guard captain.

"Mmm hmm. Which way were they heading?" squawked a raspy voice.

The mysterious guard grabbed a knife with their talons, and sliced one of the wanted posters in half.





To be continued...
> Chapter 11: Snow Glow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the last chapter, after an interesting diversion, our trio of villains were once again on track. They were steadfast on their way to what would be the last location, they needed to reach in order to achieve their goal. With two thirds of their map to the Rainbow of Darkness complete, all they had to do was run their machine one more time, and its location would be revealed to them. This time around, Tirek took the wheel of their vehicle while they drove in the middle of the night. There was no time to stop for camp. After being chased by Ember, and Sheriff Silverstar, who knows who would be on their tail now. Tirek drove, while Chrysalis navigated. Cozy Glow in the meanwhile was asleep in one of the seats.





Cozy Glow was sound asleep in the vehicle. It was cold, so she was dressed in her adorable winter outfit. She was also wrapped in her yellow blanket while she slept. Chrysalis overlooked Cozy.

"Mmm. She really is cute." Chrysalis said.
"Deceitfully so." Tirek said. "It's how she was able to manipulate so many other ponies."

Cozy was only partly asleep. She was listening to their conversation, pretended to be fully asleep.

"Have you ever wondered if Cozy is... out of place with us?" Chrysalis asked.
"How so?" Tirek replied
"Not in a bad way, it's just, we're evil creatures of unimaginable terror. We've both come close to conquering Equestria due to our great ambition and immense power. And then there's Cozy Glow. She's just a little filly, and I'll be honest, she lacks in the latter category." Chrysalis thought out loud.

Cozy wondered, is this what they really think of her? Just a filly? Not worthy of their time?

"Her ambition matches that of any great conqueror in Equestria. She nearly had her way and banished all the magic from Equestria, even tricking me by giving me the short end of the deal." Tirek said.

It was nice to hear Tirek's compliment, but it hurt hearing Chrysalis talk down about her, but then she clarified.

"It's not like that. I'm not saying she isn't any less great than us, but she's lot more... vulnerable." Chrysalis said. "Sure she was all powerful with Grogar's bell, but by herself, she could get slaughtered by anything really."

"Which is why we have to protect her. She almost got hurt during our skirmish with the dragons, or during our escape from Appleloosa." Tirek said.
"Oh, so you do care about her?" Chrysalis asked.
"Me? What about you? You brought this up!" Tirek replied.
"I don't care care about her, but... I..."

Cozy was waiting for an answer. Did Chrysalis care for Cozy, like that?

"It's just, none of this would have been possible without her." Chrysalis said.
"Yeah, having her around really changed the way we go about our plans for the better." Tirek said.
"She's precious." Chrysalis said. "Such an evil package, inside of something so adorable. An absolute miracle."

Little old me a miracle? Golly gee. Cozy thought.

"She is miraculous." Tirek said. "It's fortunate that we have her, she's made us a near unstoppable force." Tirek said.
"Almost unstoppable. Twilight did stop us." Chrysalis replied.
"But once our plan is complete, and we have the Rainbow of Darkness, we will be unstoppable for real." Tirek said. "And we'll have her to thank."

"We're soon to possess the greatest power Equestria has ever known, and it'll be thanks to her. And uh, I'm glad we have her." Chrysalis said.
"Yeah, same here. I don't regret having her with us." Tirek said.
Eh, it's a start. They'll come around soon. Cozy thought. At the very least, it sounds like they do appreciate me, which is all I wanted to hear.

Cozy smiled and fell asleep peacefully. It seemed for the time being that her villainous cohorts had the slightest hint of feelings for her. She cleared her mind and fell asleep for real.





After a few more hours of traveling, the sky started to get brighter in the East.

"The sun's coming up." Tirek said.
"No! Not yet. We still don't know where in Equestria we are!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Wake up, Cozy." Chrysalis nudged her.
"Huh?" Cozy started to slowly awaken.
"We need you to figure out our position in Equestria before the stars go away." Chrysalis said.
"Golly, say no more." Cozy rubbed her eyes.

Cozy took out her map, and looked up at the stars. It was morning, so the stars were in positions she wasn't used to. She did however see the Equestrian North Star. Upon seeing how high in the sky she was, she figured out their latitude. And no time too soon, as the sun came up and the stars went away.

"Well?" Chrysalis asked.
"Shall we continue? Or are we far enough away that we should consider running the machine again?" Tirek asked.

Cozy pinpointed their location.

"You know what? Just about." she said.
"Excellent." Tirek said.
"It's almost time. Let's consider getting ready." Chrysalis said.
"You know what, this area looks familiar." Cozy said.
"Brr... and it sure is cold here." Tirek said.
"It can't be..." Chrysalis said.

The three looked up, and got chills when they saw some familiar mountains.

"Mt. Everhoof..." they said simultaneously.

The three got cold feet. It was bittersweet seeing this place again.

"Gosh, this place sure does bring me back..." Cozy said. Cozy went through their supplies to find her winter outfit.
"Wow, Tirek. Your navigation skills are second to none, bringing us back here." Chrysalis said.
"What matters not is where we are, but where we are." Tirek said.
"Okay, sure." Chrysalis replied.

Cozy came back, wearing her familiar purple winter coat and hat.

"Last time we were here, we were on Discord's mission to find Grogar's bell. Now this time, we're on our own mission to find something even greater." Cozy said.





At the base of the mountain, the three engaged in winter-y fun goodness.

Cozy made a snowpony of Twilight, and Tirek made a snow sculpture of Discord.

"I can this one, draconequus-idiotiquus." Tirek said.
"I call this snowpony-whiny-princess who thinks it's okay to imprison a filly in stone!" Cozy said.
"I call this *ZAP* revenge!" Chrysalis destroyed the snow sculptures.
"HAHAHAHA!" they all laughed.





Cozy sat on a piece of driftwood at the top of a snowy hilltop.

"Give me a push, Chryssie." Cozy requested.

Chrysalis pushed Cozy to the ramp.

"Wee!" Cozy rode down the hill.

*pompf* Cozy crashed against a snowy hill and went inside.

*poof* she popped out of the snow.

"Woowee. What a ride." she said.





Next, they did some snowball fights. Cozy made a snowball in her hooves, and threw it at Tirek.

*splash*

*teehee* she giggled.

Tirek made a really big snowball.

"Betcha' can't make a snowball as big as... THIS!" Tirek held a giant snowball over his head with both his arms.

He chucked it at Cozy, but he underestimated his strength, and it hit Chrysalis instead.

*bam*

It buried the her in snow.

"Whoops..." Tirek said.
"Now you've done it." Cozy said.

The snow around them started to glow, and Chrysalis used her magic to send it back at Tirek.

"You came for a snowball war, and you are going to get a war!" Chrysalis said.
"Be careful who you pick a fight with." Tirek said, rolling up more snow.

The two gathered all the snow they could, and chucked it all at each other.

"My snowball army shall seize all the ponies in Equestria!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Once I absorb all the magic from the snow, I'll be the strongest in Equestria!" Tirek shouted.

Cozy laughed. Hearing the two play and get all serious about a snowball fight was amusing.

They both conjured the biggest snowballs they could, and flung them

*boom*

The snowballs exploded and enveloped them all in snow. Cozy popped out of the snow.

"Wow, you two. You'll get heated over anything." she said.

"Hm Hm Hm Hm. Ha ha ha." Chrysalis laughed.
"HAHAHAAHA! they all laughed simultaneously.





Later:

The they laid down in the snow, and just had a nice time.

"It does feel nice to unhinge." Chrysalis said.
"Not always so worried about world domination." Tirek said.
"Just kicking back, and appreciating the little things..." Cozy said.

The three sat in the snow for a while.

"...Okay, I'm done. Let's complete the map." Chrysalis said.
"Agreed." Tirek said.

The two got up.

Eh, it was fun while it lasted. Cozy thought. Cozy stood up and followed them.

"Now, where are we going to find magic out here?" Chrysalis asked.
"Hmm. There was that magic force field at the top of Mt. Everhoof." Cozy said.
"But Tirek said he couldn't absorb it." Chrysalis said.
"But Tirek absorbed the scepter no problem. So maybe there is a way he can absorb the shield." Cozy wondered.
"It's worth a shot." Tirek said.
"For old times' sake, let's climb Mt. Everhoof." Cozy said.
"Are you sure? It was pretty tricky." Chrysalis said.
"We did it once before. This time, it'll be a cake walk." Cozy said.





(On a side note, Rusty Bucket's shack was still there, however, it was now empty).

Climbing the mountain was very easy. After doing it once, now it was basically a walk in the park. They even manged to bring along with them the vehicle and all the equipment. They arrived at the top of the mountain with all their necessary equipment. Cozy looked out and took in the breathtaking view.

"Equestria's changed a lot since we've been gone. But up here, where there's no development, everything is almost exactly the same..." Cozy thought aloud.

Tirek pressed his hands against the force field, and it was still there.

"Well, the force field is still here." Tirek said.
"So they never bothered to take it down, huh." Cozy said.
"But what exactly is keeping the force field up?" Chrysalis asked.
"You said you could only absorb magic from living things, but we discovered that it extends to certain artifacts. So what if..." *BZZT* Cozy touched the shield, and it stung her.

*OW*

"Careful!" they shouted.
"I know, I know." Cozy said.

Cozy touched the shield again.

*BZZT*
*OW*

"What are you doing?" Tirek asked.
"Sometimes you gotta take one for the team." Cozy said.
"True insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result." Chrysalis commented.
"I'm not doing the exact same thing." Cozy replied.

Cozy touched the shield in a different spot. It still stung, but not as much.

"Hmm, interesting." Cozy said.
"What are you doing?" Chrysalis asked.

Cozy flew around, touching the shield, and tried to find the area where it was most intense. When she did, she found something interesting.

"So, what did you find?" Tirek asked.
"The force field is strongest right here." Cozy pointed to a spot in the shield.
"Okay, Tirek. I want you to try really hard to concentrate on this spot right here." Cozy said. "I know it doesn't look any different, but this is the epicenter from which the magic diverges."

Tirek opened his mouth, and tried to absorb the shield. The force field bulged from where Tirek was focusing, but he wasn't having much of an effect.

"It's not working..." Tirek said.
"Come on, it's having some kind of effect." Cozy said.
*egh* Tirek got too tired and stopped. "No good." he said.
*sigh* "I'm sorry. I thought there was a chance. But I guess it was worth a shot..." Cozy said.
"You know, if you need a boost, I can lend you some of my magic." Chrysalis offered.

Tirek absorbed Chrysalis' magic. She collapsed in exhaustion.

"Okay, try it now, Tirek." Cozy said.

He opened his mouth and tried to absorb the shield again. The shield bulged further out this time.

"I think I can feel something..." Tirek said.

Slowly, the magic started to flow faster into Tirek.

"It's working!" Cozy said.

Tirek broke through, and started a runaway flow of magic. Tirek had absorbed the whole force field and grown more powerful.

It worked. Tirek had absorbed all the magic, and grew to his next stage of strength.

"Yes!" Cozy cheered.

Tirek gave Chrysalis her magic back. Hover, Tirek remained pretty strong since he had the force field's magic inside of him.





"No more force field, Tirek is strong, and Chryssie is back to her normal strength." Cozy said.
"If only we'd figured this out earlier. We wouldn't have had to have risked losing you in the cave." Tirek said.
"Now we can enter the now empty cave whenever we want." Chrysalis said.
"The cave can wait! Alright! You guys ready?" Cozy asked.

Chrysalis and Tirek nodded.

The vehicle holding all the machine was with them at the top of the mountain. Cozy flicked the switch, and the machine powered up.

"Positions, everyone!" Cozy exclaimed.

Tirek sat in the seat, while Chrysalis hooked up the hand and head sensors to him. Cozy made sure all the monitors were on.

"Alright, we're about to conduct the last experiment!" Cozy said.

*boom* The machine made a pop noise, and powered down.

"That's not good..." Cozy said.
"What's going on?!" Chrysalis asked.

Cozy inspected the machine.

"Oh no no no!" she cried.
"What's wrong, Cozy?" Tirek asked.

There was smoke coming from the machine. After some troubleshooting, Cozy came to the conclusion.

"Our generator isn't supplying enough power for the machine to run!" Cozy cried. "We came all this way, we got so far, but we've hit a dead end! And it's all my fault for ordering faulty equipment!"
"Cozy Glow, calm down. We can think this through." Chrysalis said.
"No, it's over! This entire plan is done! There's no way we can fix this in the middle of nowhere." Cozy said. "I know you guys really wanted this, but I really failed you. But there will be no Rainbow of Darkness, and no revenge. I-*sniff* I-I'm sorry to disappoint you..."

Cozy cried actual tears, and flew into the cave.

"You know, I actually do feel kinda bad." Tirek admitted.
"She's putting the burden of this failure all entirely on herself." Chrysalis said. "But she really shouldn't..."

The two stood quiet, and they could hear Cozy crying inside the cave.

"We should go inside and say something." Chrysalis said.
"Say what? I don't know how to cheer up someone's mood." Tirek said.
"Well, I'm not qualified for that either." Chrysalis said. "If we can't find the words to say to her, maybe there's something we can do for her..."

Chrysalis took a look for herself at the generator. "Hmm, actions do speak louder than words." Chrysalis said.

"But, Chrysalis, she said that fixing the generator would be impossible." Tirek said.
"It's only impossible because it hasn't been done." Chrysalis said. She said the generator's broken, and supplying an insufficient amount of power."
"There must be some other way to generate electricity..." Tirek said.
"What really is electricity? And where can we get more?" she wondered.
"Lightning comes from thunder clouds." Tirek said. "There's plenty of clouds up here, but none of them stormy."
"Heh heh. Not yet anyway." Chrysalis said.





To be continued...
> Chapter 12: Night in the Cave
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously, our main villains stood at the top of Mt. Everhoof once again, this time, they were about to run their machine and detect the Rainbow of Darkness once again. Once they did, it would have completed their map, and tracked down the thing's exact location. However, it did not go to plan. They had some sort of electrical failure, and the experiment failed. Cozy Glow took it personally, and blamed it on herself. She was upset to have failed Chrysalis and Tirek, and hid away in the nearby cave. Cozy sat inside the cave where Grogar's bell used to sit. But the only thing sitting that cave now was her, and she was crying.





Cozy sat in the cave, alone. She pressed her hooves against her face, as tears poured from her face.

*sob*

After a couple moments, she wiped her tears, and cleared her throat.

*sniff* "Well, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Using another source of power and attacking Canterlot again, it sounds an awful lot like a repeat of last time. We could be walking into another trap. I know the Rainbow of Darkness is supposed to make us ultra powerful, but we could still lose. And if we do lose, Twilight's probably gonna put us back in stone, maybe for longer, maybe forever. Or worse. And while world domination sounds great, honestly, I'm sort of fine with the more... humble things that come with freedom." Cozy thought. "I don't want to lose you two again. So maybe there's still time to ditch this search, and head back to our little town, and be surrounded with the only ones who seem to care about me-"

Cozy hung her head, and let out some more tears. She looked at an icicle, and saw her reflection. Seeing herself cry, made her rethink.

"Are, you, KIDDING ME?!" she exclaimed. "You're acting very soft, and out of character. Being trapped in stone has made you soft, when it should have done the opposite! You should be more eager than ever to get your revenge! You're so close to completing the map, and you're letting one setback stop you? The old Cozy Glow wouldn't let that happen!"

"But failure is inevitable. And I don't want to fail again, and risk losing Tirek and Chrysalis for good."
"You're weak, because you want them to be your friends. The magic of friendship is a toxin. You're weakening yourself by trying to make friends with them."
"But spending time with them... feels good *sniff* I don't want to lose them again."
"No! That's the friendship speaking! If friendship takes you over, Twilight wins. And if Twilight wins, you'll be spending the rest of millennium in stone."
"I know, but what matters most? Being their friend? Or destroying Twilight Sparkle? *sniff* I don't know anymore..." Cozy bawled her eyes out, and bashed her head.
"What's happening to me?! I-I-I-I..." Cozy started to have a breakdown.

*ka-boom*

"Huh?"

Cozy heard a thunder bolt outside. She rushed outside, and was awestruck by what she saw. Chrysalis must've transformed into a pegasus, and was flying around in circles, causing a storm.

*boom*

Lightning struct the generator, and the machine powered up. Everything seemed to be functioning correctly. Cozy's face lit up with excitement.

"Well what are we waiting for? Cozy! Come operate the machine now! We're ready!" Tirek shouted.
"Yes siree!" Cozy rushed over, and pressed the necessary buttons.

Chrysalis landed, and transformed back to normal. Cozy pressed the activation key, which activated the machine. Tirek fell unconscious. His horns lit up, as his powers activated. The sensor connected to his hand recorded any electrical pulses they may have been caused by the Rainbow of Darkness' signal. The monitors confirmed that the data was being recorded.





Once again, Tirek sensed energy emitted by the Rainbow of Darkness, and the machine recorded the intensity of these readings. After a few minutes of collecting data, they had everything they needed. Cozy flicked the switch to off, and he machine powered down.

"That's it! We've collected the last set of data we need!" Cozy gleed with joy.
"About time." Tirek awoke.
"Yeah, feels good to be done operating the clunky machinery." Chrysalis said.
"I'm so happy with you two right now!" Cozy said. "You worked together to solve this problem by yourselves."
"Well, we saw how upset you were when the machine didn't work." Chrysalis said.
"And we couldn't bear to give up without trying to fix things." Tirek said.

Cozy flew forward and hugged Tirek and Chrysalis.

"I knew I could count on you two." she shed a tear.

She realized what she was doing, and blushed in embarrassment.

*ahem* "Uh, never mind that impulse. Let's calculate the data in the cave where it's less windy."





Inside the cave, they were compiling the data, and plotting it out on their map. Cozy Glow ecstatically compiled the last set of data. She had pages of data printed out. Chrysalis and Tirek were helping.

"It says here, we detected a frequency of #%^ " Chrysalis said.
"And we know the RoD's ambient power level is ****." Cozy said.

Tirek had the map. The map had two circles they'd drawn from the previous experiments.

"We're located way up here..." Cozy put a pin over the northern part of the map.
"This time, we detected a radius of XXX." Chrysalis drew a circle on the map.
"Now, by taking the radius of the Rainbow of Darkness from all three locations, where the circles intersect should reveal its location!" Cozy said.

Chrysalis handed Cozy her compass, and red marker, to draw the final part of the map. Cozy drew the final circle.

"The point where all three circles intersect is right about... *BAM* HERE!" Cozy put a pin where the circles all touched.
"Changelings and gentle-centaurs, there she is. That is where in Equestria the Rainbow of Darkness lies dormant." Cozy Glow pointed on the map.
"Soon to not be dormant that is." Tirek said.
"It's beautiful. All the fruits of our labour, paid off. It really makes me proud, that we came so far." Cozy said.
"I can't wait to see the look on Twilight's face when we use the Rainbow of Darkness and destroy everything she cares about." Tirek said.
"Just the thought makes me giddy." Cozy said.
"BWAHAHAHA-" The three shared an evil laugh.





To be cont... wait, there's more!





Their evil laugh continued.

"-hahaha...ha... heh... eh..." after enough time, they stopped laughing, and kind of stood awkwardly.
"...Now what?" Chrysalis asked.
"Let's not waste a single moment! Let us venture forth, and find it immediately!" Tirek said.
"Or not... I guess we're snowed in until it subsides." Cozy said.

They looked outside, and a storm was brewing.

*crash* *boom* *bang*

"What's that noise?" Tirek asked.
"Did we leave the car and all the equipment outside?" Cozy asked.

Tirek and Cozy both looked at Chrysalis.

"Well, no one told me to bring it inside." Chrysalis sassed.
"I mean, it's not like we needed it anymore. The map's complete, but now we gotta traverse on foot now." Cozy said.
"But are the cocoons okay? We kept them in the vehicle, but may have just lost them for good." Tirek asked.
"I left the cocoons at the base of the mountain. We didn't need the extra weight, so I only brought the machine. So Sludge is fine unfortunately." Chrysalis explained.
"Well, since we're not going anywhere any time soon, I guess all that's left to do is camp here until the storm goes away." Cozy said.





They managed to start a campfire, and huddled around it inside the cave.

"So, this is the cave where Grogar's bell was hidden." Chrysalis said.
"Yep. I didn't get to take a good look at it the first time when I rushed inside, but now that we're here, I'm noticing it's very interesting in here." Cozy said.

Tirek and Chrysalis stared at the murals on the walls.

"This is the pedestal where Grogar's bell was held." Cozy said.
"It's odd that Discord wanted us to retrieve the bell." Chrysalis said. "If he only brought us back so Twilight could have a challenge, he didn't really need it."
"I wonder if he at some point had some sort of ulterior motive..." Cozy wondered.
"The cave goes really deep." Tirek said. "Much deeper than just the entry room where the bell was."
"Gusty the Great didn't just drop the bell off here and ditch it. I wonder if she spent a good long time in this cave." Cozy said.
"Who's to say Gusty had good intentions by stealing Grogar's bell. Perhaps she wanted the magic for himself, and hid it here for safekeeping." Chrysalis speculated.
"The version I was taught could be a glorified fiction. Who knows Gusty's true intentions." Cozy said.
"History is written by the victors. In this case, those equine swines." Tirek said.
*yawn* "What time is it?" Chrysalis asked.

It was still stormy outside, though now it was getting dark, so the sun was definitely setting.

"I think it's snuggle time." Cozy smirked.





"Golly." Cozy rubbed her eyes. "Guess there isn't much more to do besides hit the hay."
"I needed my beauty rest anyway." Chrysalis said.

Tirek and Chrysalis laid on their backs in the cave. Cozy in the middle, which each of them on her side.

"Ugh. Once again, I'm having trouble sleeping." Tirek said.
"You guys wanna tell stories again?" Cozy asked.
"That reminds me, you left us on a cliffhanger, Cozy." Chrysalis said. "I'd love to hear your origin story."
"You really mean that?" Cozy asked.
"Of course." Chrysalis said.
"It's bound to be interesting to hear how a filly went from zero, to ultimate unsuspecting evil." Tirek said.
"Well, I'll be honest, I only know part of my story. There's a lot I don't remember, but here's what I do." Cozy said.

*ahem* "Alright, here you go, my backstory (or at least part of it). My earliest memory, I woke up, and there were these two ponies by my side. A mother and a daughter. They said they weren't related to me though. They said they found me unconscious, and brought me in and cared for me in a hospital. They seemed to recognize me, but I had never seen them, or anything before."
"Your life couldn't have just started there." Tirek said.
"You clearly had some experience. You knew how to speak, read, walk, etc." Chrysalis said.

"Anyway, whoever the daughter was, she gave me a backpack, and said it belonged to me. Inside were notes written by me, but I don't remember writing them. It detailed plans to enroll into Twilight Sparkle's school, with the goal of twisting the magic of friendship to my benefit. So whatever I did before, I guess evil was always on my agenda?"

"I knew it, you're a natural born enemy of friendship." Tirek said.
"Not necessarily, we don't know why you wrote those things. And how come you don't remember anything before this day?" Chrysalis asked.
"I don't know. No matter how hard I try to remember, it's just too blurry." Cozy said.
"It might have to do with this um... blemish on my head." Cozy removed her hat. "There's a reason I wear head accessories. My bow actually a bandage that covers my injury. I don't know what caused it, but I wonder if I was... hit on the head, and that somehow affected my memories. Suri gave me a new bow, but those two ponies gave me my original bow at the hospital. They tied it on me to cover the injury."

Cozy was choking up while thinking of her origins.

"The notebook said that I wanted to make somepony named Pappy proud by enrolling in Twilight's school, and dominating friendship. Proud of what though? And who is my pappy? Did he hurt me? And my life is dedicated to pleasing him?"

Cozy was tearing up, so Chrysalis tried to move on in the subject.

"So, uh. What happened next, after the hospital?" she asked.

Cozy wiped her tears. *sniff* "After a couple weeks of care, the two ponies sent me off to Twilight's school. They took me to the train station, and waved goodbye as I departed. I had no interest in making friends. The ponies on board were jerks. The griffons on the train smelled. And whoever did this to my head must've been scum of the lowest form. If Twilight could make a kingdom home to such irritating creatures, then it's a kingdom I don't want to see. Instead of conforming to this nasty world, I sought to change it in my favour! So I vowed from day one at the school, to devote my time to overthrowing Twilight, becoming the true Empress of Friendship myself. The world wasn't kind to me, so I had no plans to be kind to it. I needed an ally, an the only villain available was 'ol Tire, just sitting in Tartarus. And the rest was history. So really, my memory only begins a short while before I enrolled in Twilight's school. It's so weird, makes me feel younger."

The two villains had fallen asleep next to her.

"And um, the only place I ever found salvation, was with you two..." she said softly.

Cozy closed her eyes, and fell asleep along side them.

.

.

.





The next morning.

Cozy Glow was first to wake. She rubbed her eyes, and let out a cute little yawn. She found herself on top of Tirek, and Chrysalis's wrapped a leg around her.

"Heh. You two are the best..." she said softly.

She liked being held by them. It made her feel... special. She spent a half hour or so just in their grasp, but eventually Cozy got up. She squirmed out of Chrysalis' grip, and rolled off of Tirek. She went ahead and explored the cave on her own while the other baddies still slept. The storm had appeared to have passed, and it was light outside again. However, there was more to the cave to explore, so that's what she did.
The cave was a single tunnel with no branching paths, so it would be difficult to get lost. The deeper she went, the less developed, and more natural the cave was, seeming to imply that the cave was some kind of a work in progress that was halted. But for what purpose? Towards the back of the cave, she saw a light coming from a hole in the side. She dug with her hooves, and some loose gravel collapses, and opened an exit.

"Hmm..."

Cozy squeezed through the opening, and exited the cave. She found herself outside in the snow once again. She wasn't impressed however..

"Hmph. Just another side of the mountain." she said.

Cozy stood, cold, in the freezing snow. She took in the view from above. Though it was nice, she didn't feel like exploring the outside of the mountain.

"There's nothing over here. I better head back to..."

Cozy paused for a moment. She thought she heard something...

"Hmm?"

She took cautiously took a step back, and then another, but then-

*PEW*

"AAHH!"

*oof*

Cozy was knocked over. Her little snow hat fell off. And suddenly, Cozy was ambushed.

"No! Stop! Get off of me!" she cried.

Cozy Glow was tied up and hoofcuffed. She was suddenly surrounded by royal guards.

"Let me go this instant!" Cozy exclaimed.

The captain appeared and stood before her.

"You're not going anywhere, Cozy Glow." said Gallus, captain of the royal guard.





To be continued...
> Chapter 13: Cozy Alone / The Traitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the last chapter, Cozy Glow was sightseeing on Mt. Everhoof alone, when she was ambushed and captured by a group of royal guards, led by Gallus. They tied her up her wings, chained her legs with hoofcuffs, and stuffed her in a small prison carriage. They hoisted her down the mountain, and traveled through the landscape. Cozy sat prisoner in the carriage, but she wasn't going to take this sitting down.





"Let me out of here!" Cozy exclaimed. "If you guards are so brave, you'll come inside and face me!"

After an unclear amount of time of traveling, the carriage stopped, and the door opened. Outside stood none other than Gallus, captain of the royal guard.

"Ah, the notorious Cozy Glow. Long time no see." Gallus said. "Your days of lurking in Equestria are over."

Cozy pouted, and didn't reply to him.

"Not talking? Ran out of words? Fine. Bring her out, we've got some questions to ask her." Gallus commanded.

Two guards came in, and dragged her out against her will.

"Don't touch me! Let go!" she exclaimed.

They took her outside, and tied sat her against a chair.

"This is a little excessive!" Cozy said.
"Only the worst treatment for Equestria's worst creature." Gallus said.
"You've been doing a bad job laying low. We've received complaints from multiple sources as to your whereabouts. Tracking you down was easy." a guard said.

Another guard poked Cozy with a spear.

"Say, did Twilight Sparkle say to bring her back alive?" they asked.
"I don't believe she did." Gallus smirked.

They guard threatened her. Cozy braced for impact.

"However, we'll side on caution and keep her alive. Unless she tries me." Gallus added.

The guard put away his spear.





"What do you guys want, anyway?" Cozy asked. "Are you just gonna harass me for your sick amusement?"
"You're being interrogated. We've got some questions for you, Cozy. We're going to ask you some serious questions, and you're going to answer them." a guard said.
"Tell us, where are the others?" Gallus asked.
"I don't follow." Cozy said.
"Don't act dumb! Where are Tirek and Chrysalis!?" Gallus asked.

Cozy didn't actually know for sure. She last saw them in the cave at the top of Mt. Everhoof. However, they had almost certainly left by now. And if they did, they were likely following the map they recently completed which lead to the Rainbow of Darkness. That was too much information to give away, so Cozy refused to tell them.

"What makes you think I know?" she replied.
"Oh, just a hunch. Maybe because you teamed up with them, used the magic in Grogar's bell to attack Canterlot. Then, you three escaped together, I'd say you absolutely know where they are, now tell us!" Gallus said.
"Why? So you can imprison the only two creatures who have consistently listened to me? You're just gonna torture me either way, so forget it." Cozy said.

Cozy wondered. She knew they had a map to the Rainbow of Darkness. So they likely would head there next. But surely they wouldn't. Surely they would stay behind and look for Cozy, right?

"I don't know, I'm having second thoughts about this." a guard said.
"No! The moment you give her any sympathy, she'll stab your back." Gallus said. "No matter what, she is to be contained until we take her to higher a authority."
"What if I like, reformed now. Would you let me go?" Cozy asked.
"Stop kidding us. You're irredeemable, Cozy." Gallus said.
"Little old me, irredeemable? Have really you looked through Discord's resume? Did you ever think about the implications of Starlight altering the timeline? There could be an entire alternate universe of ponies at war in the split timeline she created. How's what I did any worse than what they did?" Cozy asked.
"You committed crimes of the highest level in Equestria. First, you nearly banished all the magic in Equestria, and then, you assaulted Canterlot with Grogar's magic bell. Twilight did give you another chance, and you fled. You'd have to do something incredible for redemption. Nopony will ever trust you again. You're best left contained where you can't harm anypony ever again!"

Cozy normally didn't mind the insults, but Gallus was so blunt, it was starting to get to her.

"Where are Tirek and Chrysalis!?" Gallus interrogated.
"I'm not telling you!" Cozy replied.
"Well if you're not going to talk, then we're not going to waste more time here." Gallus said.

Two royal guards picked up Cozy.

"Don't touch me! Let go of me!" she cried.

They loaded her into a carriage, and shut the door, and locked it with a key.

"Let us know when you're ready to talk." Gallus said.





The carriage starting moving. Cozy was left in her containment carriage alone. All she had now were her thoughts, and her emotions. And she was fuming.

She pressed her face against her hooves to muffle her screams.

"AHH! D*MN IT!" she screamed.

She leaned onto her back, and just started crying real tears.

*sniff* It's over! Tirek and Chrysalis are gone. You have no chance of ever finding any sort of power! Now Twilight Sparkle's going to put you in stone for longer! Or worse! she thought.

Cozy had a complete mental breakdown.

I failed. I screwed up so badly. I really messed up. Now I'm screwed for the rest of my life... Cozy lamented. They're going to do something awful to me for my crimes.

Was Cozy showing remorse for being bad? No, she was remorseful that she wasn't bad enough. That she ended up getting caught.

I wasn't cunning enough! Tirek was right. My plan was too slow. And now they caught up to me. she thought.

I wonder what Tirek and Chryssie are up to anyway. They're probably off to find the Rainbow of Darkness without me. They probably don't notice I'm gone. They have the completed map, they don't need me for anything any more. Why would they come save me? *sniff* If you two truly care about me, you'd come back. I sit and hope you come back. Even if you try and fail, I just want to see you guys one last time. I don't wanna lose you again...

Cozy pressed her hooves against her face to suppress the tears.

It's the story of my life. I'm all alone again. That one mare and her daughter took me in, but we split after she prepped me for Twilight's school. I was lonely at the school, I was lonely in stone, and now I'm lonely here again.

We're taking you to Twilight Sparkle. Gallus' words echoed.

*sigh* Twilight Sparkle. Haven't seen her in years. If there is ONE positive that can be said about her, whatever she did, she sure did make Spike happy...





Flashback to Cozy's time at Twilight's school.

Cozy was wandering through the halls, when she heard Twilight and Spike laughing. This peaked her curiosity, so she took a look. She peeked her head through the door and saw them.

"Heh heh heh." giggled Twilight.

Cozy Glow entered the office.

"Cozy Glow?" Twilight and Spike asked simultaneously.
"Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Cozy asked.
"Oh, Cozy Glow. Not at all." Spike said.
"We were just having a little conversation." Twilight said. "Did you need something?"
"Uh, no. I was just on my way to water the garden, when I heard you from the hall, and was wondering if you needed help." she replied.
"That's my Cozy, always looking for ways to help." Twilight said. "You know, Cozy, you remind me a lot of Spike. Spike's been my assistant for a long time. And you, you've been such an excellent assistant yourself here at the school."
"But no one else will be number 1 assistant besides me." Spike bragged.
"Spike and I are tighter than bark on a tree. I just can't imagine life without my little guy." Twilight said.
"Stop it Twilight, you're embarrassing me." Spike blushed.
"Well, I'm glad you two have each other. Now uh, I really gotta go now." Cozy said.
"Okay, we'll see you later, Cozy!" Spike said.
"Bye, Cozy!" Twilight said.

Cozy exited the office and wandered off.

Spike and Twilight. Such a wholesome pair. It would be a shame to separate them. So I'll have to make sure Spike accompanies Twilight in Tartarus then. Cozy thought.

"Such an unlikely combination. a pony and a dragon. Spike always seemed so happy in her presence. Just being together cheered them up. I always wondered what it'd be like to have someone like that myself. If I'm Spike, then who is my Twilight?" Cozy wondered.

Cozy's sadness eventually evolved into more anger.

If you're so nice, and so forgiving, Twilight, then why did you let Discord put me in stone!? Cozy fumed.
Nopony will ever forgive you, Cozy Glow. Gallus' words echoed.
If nopony will ever forgive me, then why bother trying to win over anypony? I'll show them. I'll show all of them! You haven't seen the last of me!





.

.

.





Later:

Cozy awoke from her nap. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, or where she was. She was awoken by the carriage's abrupt stop. The door opened.

The door opened and Gallus appeared.

"Alright, Cozy. You're allowed one bathroom break before we continue." he said. "Guards! Get her out of here."

Two royals guards stepped in. One a female unicorn, the other a male pegasus. They tied some restraints around Cozy, which lead to a tether which they held on to.

"These two will watch over you and contain you while we plan our next course of action." Gallus said.

The royals guards led Cozy outside.





They took her to some thick brush. They were away from the rest of the guards, it was just them three by themselves.

"...Well, whatever you gotta do. Just, do it." one of the guards said.
"Fine, just don't look." Cozy said.

Cozy stepped into a bush, while the guards held onto the tether. The two guards waited, and had some small talk.

"So, Mag, what do you make of all this?" the pegasus asked.
"Well, Stud, despite my drone like status of guard, I am a very opinionated figure." she replied.
"Yes. Go on." he said.
"It is my opinion that... that is the cutest caterpillar ever!" he said.
"Where?" he asked.

She pointed at a grounded tree log. Stud got really close and looked at the caterpillar.

"Wow, what a specimen." he said.

These guards are bigger eggheads than Twilight. Cozy thought.

"Hiya!" *SMACK*
"What the?" Cozy wondered.

The unicorn emerged and spoke.

"You're coming with me." she said to Cozy.
"What the-"

She grabbed Cozy's mouth closed, and her horn lit up.

*poof*

With a flash of magic, they were both gone.





They reappeared in some other location in the forest. Cozy was overcome with surprise and joy. She was freed.

"Oh, thank you Chrysalis! I knew you'd come back!" Cozy said.

She was overcome with emotions, and embraced the guard.

"Uh... sorry to damper your expectations, but there's no changeling or shape shifting going on here." they said.

Cozy's face dropped, and she backed away, confused.

"What the-?" Cozy asked.
"I'm not a changeling in disguise. My name's Magnolia. I'm part of the royal guard." she introduced herself.
"Wait, you're actually a traitor?" Cozy asked.
"Not exactly. Well, I guess I sort of am now..." Magnolia said.
"What exactly do you want?" Cozy asked.
"That's the thing, I'm taking you to Twilight Sparkle myself."
"WHAT?!" Cozy exclaimed. "How is this an improvement?!"
"Just listen to me." Mag said.
"...I'm listening." Cozy said.
"I just think that if you turn yourself in, give yourself up, that Twilight might go easy on you. Not dragged in by guards against your will, but you come back on your own terms. I'm giving you a chance to get on her good side. Turn yourself in, tell her you'll embrace the magic of friendship. Even if you don't mean it, just say it, and maybe she won't put in back in stone, or in Tatarus." Magnolia said.

Cozy raised her eyebrow very high.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"I uh, just thought that you deserved a better chance. You've been in stone for a long time, everyone has aged, but you haven't. I want you to be able to grow up and make back those years you lost."

Cozy stared at Magnolia. Even with the helmet on, Cozy could see there was something about her that rubbed her oddly.

"Do I know you? You seem vaguely familiar..." Cozy asked.
"I uh... I get that a lot." she replied.

Something was odd about this guard. She was definitely familiar looking, but Cozy decided to worry about that later.

"Alright, I can see your angle. Turn myself in, and continue to lie for my salvation. But what about Tirek and Chrysalis?" Cozy asked.
"What about them?" she asked.
"What are you gonna do about them?" Cozy added.
"I mean, if they're willing to change and/or lie about changing, then I don't why not." Mag replied.

Cozy Glow thought about it. The prospect of finally being able to return to Equestria in open arms was a tempting one. But there was something in the way.

"No, I can't do it. I won't go back." Cozy said.
"Why not?" Mag asked.
"Gallus told me that I was a vile, sinister, irredeemable demon, and that even if I tried to be good, nopony would accept me, and that everyone would hate me if I tried. And I believed every word that he said." Cozy said.
"Is that so?" Magnolia asked.
"I have no interest in trying to prove anything to anypony. I'd rather be encased in stone than to listen to Twilight Sparkle. But if I could have things my way, I'd like to see Tire and Chryssie again..." Cozy wept.

Magnolia stood.

*sigh* "Okay, I have a better plan." Magnolia said.
"What's that?" Cozy asked.
"We're going to fake your death." she replied.

*dun dun dun*

"Oooh. I love a good conspiracy." Cozy said. "How are you gonna pull it off?"
"I have an idea. Listen." Magnolia said.

Magnolia whispered the plan into Cozy's cute little ears.

"Are you sure about this?" Cozy asked. "Sounds risky."
"Do you want my help or not?" Magnolia replied.

Cozy was reluctant to trust the unusual guard.

"Why should I trust anyone who wears the royal armor?" Cozy asked.
"I don't know. I personally don't really trust you. I've got you in my clutches. What are you gonna do?" Magnolia replied.
"If you don't trust me, then why are you helping me?" Cozy asked.
"I have my reasons..." Magnolia replied.





To be continued...
> Chapter 14: Escaping from the Talons
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the previous chapter, an unusual guard assisted in the escape of Cozy Glow from captivity. However, this did not necessarily signify the freedom of Cozy. The guard, Magnolia, told Cozy Glow of her own plan. She proposed the idea of Cozy turning herself in to Twilight Sparkle, in the hopes that she'll go easy, but Cozy turned down the idea, so Magnolia came up with a different idea. Fake Cozy's death, so that they would stop searching for her. Cozy expressed high levels of skepticism of this idea, which is where we left off.





The royal guards were in hot pursuit of Cozy. They searched the woods for any lead on the filly convict.

"I think they went over here!" a guard said.

The guards rushed through the forest.

"Keep looking! Leave no stone un-turned!" Gallus commanded.

"HELP! HELP!" cried a pony.

The guards rushed over to the distressed one. It was Magnolia, one of their guards, and Cozy had overtaken her.

"She overcame me! Help!" Magnolia cried.
"You shut your yap, guard!" Cozy exclaimed.

"AHH!"

The guards run up and tackled Cozy.

*oof* "I could'a done without the hoofball styled tackle..." Cozy said.
"Are you okay? What'd she do to you?" Gallus asked.
"She took advantage of me! She overcame me when I let my guard down!" Magnolia said.
"You just never learn your lesson, do you?" Gallus said. "Always looking for an opportunity to cause mischief."
"You wanna teach this filly a lesson? I have an idea." Mag said.
*whisper* Magnolia whispered into Gallus' ear.
"Mmm. I like the sound of it." Gallus grinned.
"Well, Cozy Glow, before we head to Canterlot and potentially never hear a word from you again, I think you deserve a fair sendoff." Gallus said, smirking.





Later that evening:

There was an entire stage set up. Cozy was restrained in a big medieval styled restraining clutches. The entire group of royal guards watched from below in the audience.

"Okay, now this is excessive." Cozy said.

Gallus stood besides Cozy on the stage, and gave out his speech.

"I know I said we were in a rush to bring Cozy Glow to Twilight Sparkle, however, I don't see an issue with a little side event." Gallus said.

The whole world's a stage. And tonight, was everyone's chance to get back at Cozy Glow. Gallus held a big heavy paddle. The whole thing was Magnolia's idea, but how this was going to help Cozy, it wasn't very clear.

"With this paddle, each of you in the audience will get the chance to literally knock her silly." Gallus said.
"Now, who would like to step up and smack the Cozy?" he asked.

Magnolia and every guard raised their hoof high up.

"You there! Step right up!" Gallus exclaimed.

Gallus pointed to a different guard. Cozy expressed concern. However, Magnolia cocked her head and winked. False optimism? Or was this part of the plan? The guard walked up to Gallus. He handed them a giant wooden mallet. Cozy gulped. Gallus begun the next part of his speech.

"Cozy Glow can hardly considered sane by this point. She has committed treason of the highest level, and sits among some of Equestria's most dastardly villains." Gallus said.
"I consider that an accomplishment." Cozy blurted.
"With this paddle, you are going to let out all your fury, and the fury of Equestria." he said. "But not too much, save some for the rest of the guards."

The guard rolled back the paddle.

This better work, Mag. Cozy thought.

"Strike fear in her eyes." Gallus said.

The pony gazed into Cozy. Cozy braced for impact.

"Now strike the feather fiend!"

Swing and a *BAM*

The guard knocked the wind out of Gallus. The hit sent him flying to the side a good couple feet, knocking him out cold.

*gasp*

Everyone in the audience gasped.

"Uh... oops?" they said.

The pony's eyes glowed a distinct green.

"Chrysalis?" Cozy said under her breath.
"Hey, that's not a guard, it's the Changeling hag!" a guard exclaimed.
"Changeling what?! How dare you insult me!" Chrysalis snarled.

The guards pulled out their spears, and pointed at Chrysalis.

"Woah. Careful where you point those things. You can poke another hole in me." Chrysalis said.
"You took out our captain!"
"We're not going to let you get away with this!"
"If you think I can't take on a group of peons, you're gravely mistaken!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Chrysalis lit up and charged her horn.

*pew* She shot beams of magic at the guards to fend them off.

The guards held their spears steadfast. Chrysalis flapped her itty bitty wings and flew over. She transformed into a bugbear, and ravaged the scene.

"AAH!"* a spear graced the side of Chrysalis.

"Chrysali-*oof* Cozy was interrupted when some creature put their grubby talons over her mouth, and slowly whisked her away.

Chrysalis returned to normal form as she was brought down by the guards. The royal guards surrounded her, and poised their spears at her. Things seemed bleak, until a dark glimmer of hope came marching through.

*stomp*

Chrysalis wasn't alone, she had reinforcement in the form of a certain centaur. Upon hearing him come in, Chrysalis grinned an evil grin.

"You're all so screwed now." Chrysalis beamed.

Tirek knocked down several trees on his way to the area, until he came crashing onto the scene. He opened his mouth, and prepared a large blast of magic.

The guards gulped, and braced for the worst.

*boom*

The fired his blast at the two villains continued to brawl in the area.

Meanwhile however, Gallus mysteriously vanished, along with the guard Magnolia.





Magnolia, instead of choosing a side, noticed Gallus was gone. Her plan was to replace Cozy Glow with a battered doll to give off the implication that the paddle hit would have killed her, but that didn't go quite to plan. Sure, it was nice that Chrysalis made a surprise appearance but it made things more complicated. She made it to the spot in the dense forest, and met a roadblock.

"Stop right there, or I'll hurt Cozy!" Gallus said.

Gallus held Cozy at hostage.

"You wouldn't hurt a child, would you?" Magnolia asked.
"I'll do what I have to in order to protect Equestria from threats like you, Chrysalis." Gallus said.

Cozy and Magnolia looked at each other.

Sure, let's go with that story. Let him think that you're a changeling. Cozy thought.
"No! I'm done pretending. There's no Changeling that stands before you. You've got a real traitor on your talons." Magnolia said.
What are you doing, Magby?! You're gonna get us killed! Cozy fumed in her head.

"Magnolia?! Seriously!? One of our finest guards? Why have you chosen to side with the enemy?" Gallus asked.
"I gotta say, Gallus. I can't follow you anymore. I can't follow anyone willing to capture and torture a child." Magnolia said.
"The stage was your idea!" he said.
"The stage was a ruse! A ploy that would set Cozy free, and give her the ending she deserves!" she said.
"Cozy already got what she deserved!" he said.
"She's just a filly! And not just any filly, a kid whose life was robbed from her!" she replied.
"She robbed herself when she decided treason!" Gallus said.
"She should be as tall and mature as me! But she was robbed of her fillyhood!" she said.
"She's evil! She robbed herself when she betrayed us!" he replied.
"She needs help!" she exclaimed.
"Y'all need to shut up!" Cozy exclaimed.

“Think about what you’re doing, Gallus. What happened to protecting friendship?” Mag asked.
“I am protecting friendship, by making sure she is under custody. Cozy Glow is a threat, and Equestria is at risk every moment she’s free.” Gallus replied.
“That’s a darn shame.” Magnolia drooped.

Cozy’s mood dipped. Has Magnolia given up on her?

"You got three seconds to drop your spear before I make you." Gallus said.
"Careful, Gallus. My speed an precision with this spear is so tight, I could probably strike you before you had a chance to blink." Magnolia said.
"Well you better make a decision quick. Three..."

Before Gallus could down down any more, disaster would strike.

"Look out!" Cozy exclaimed.
"AHH!"

*BOOM*

There was a large explosion in front of them. The smoke soon cleared, revealing that Cozy Glow was... fine! Gallus and Magnolia, less so, but to differing degrees. Tirek had fired the blast, while Chrysalis projected a force field that protected Cozy from the blast. Magnolia was pushed back by the shock wave of the blast. Gallus however was, um, roasted by a direct hit.

"Nice shot, Tirek." Cozy said.
"This operation was a collaborative effort." Tirek said.
"I think I'm getting a hang of these magic spells. And they sure do come in handy." Chrysalis said.





Some time later:

Magnolia overlooked a roasted Gallus. He wasn't dead, just fainted, and very burnt. The rest of the guards had also been dealt with.

"I'm so dead for this..." she thought out loud.

Meanwhile, behind her, the villains had a little reunion.

"You came back for me!" Cozy said, with emotion.
"...Right. Brilliant observation." Chrysalis said.
"But why? You already have the completed map. You don't need me anymore." Cozy said.
"Uh... well... you see..." Tirek stumbled.
"We just so happened to be passing through the area when we saw the royal guards..." Chrysalis said.
"And we felt like a good brawl before our next mission." Tirek said.
"We happened to have ended up freeing you in the process." Chrysalis said.
"Mmm hmm. I see." Cozy smirked.
They love me, they just don't wanna admit it. Cozy thought.

Magnolia was listening on their conversation.

Huh, I guess she did find friends after all. she thought. Granted, she found it in Equestria's biggest villains, but, maybe she is changing...

"The truth is we-" Tirek stumbled.
"Neeeeeed me?" Cozy smiled.
"It wouldn't be a satisfying revenge without you." Chrysalis admitted.
"Equestria's biggest villains. Back at it. It's gonna be great." Cozy grinned. "Once the Rainbow of Darkness is ours, the three of us are gonna have so much fun bringing destruction and terror to Equestria."
"Well, that does sound a mighty interesting plan of yours. I'd tell Twilight, but I guess I'm a traitor now." Magnolia interjecting, after overhearing their plan.
"By betraying the bird, you're now one of us." Cozy grinned.
"How about a staged double crossing?" Magnolia suggested. "You steal my magic, and I'll say you guys defeated me."
"You know too much for us to simply let you go." Tirek said.
"Besides, we wouldn't get much use out of you that way." Cozy said.
"Who are you anyway?" Chrysalis asked.
"I'm just a unicorn guard who... decided to help. For no real reason." Magnolia replied, closing her lips.
"Fair enough. We'll cocoon her in a moment. But for now, let us get back to our usual program." Chrysalis said.
"Right, now let's take another look at that map!" Cozy affirmed.

They all looked at the map they completed previously. Cozy already marked and pinned the RoD's location, now was a matter of figuring out how to get there.

"The Rainbow of Darkness sits somewhere in the middle of the west sea." Cozy said.
"In the middle of the water it seems, no land on the map is drawn." Chrysalis said.
"If you three are gonna cross the west sea, you're gonna need a boat." Magnolia said. "And I may just happen to have a spare."
"You're an odd one Magby. We should discard you, but you've seen too much to let go. You can either spend your time in one of Chryssie's cocoons, or choose a life of treachery and help us." Cozy said.
"Hmm. Alright, I choose treachery." Magnolia grinned.





To be continued...
> Chapter 15: The Isle of Shroud
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was an exciting venture. Aboard a stolen royal vessel, Cozy Glow, Tirek, Chrysalis, and the newly recruited and royal guard traitor Magnolia, sailed the sea in search of the Rainbow of Darkness. According to the map, it was somewhere in the middle of the water, which seemed odd, but only one way to know what truly lies there.





The boat had an upper deck, with an entrance to an area below. Cozy Glow, dressed in an adorable explorer’s outfit, was beaming with excitement.

"Golly! I am so excited!" Cozy beamed.
"How close are we?" Chrysalis asked.
"With our speed and direction, I reckon we're nearly there." Magnolia said.
"By the way, how did you make this map?" Magnolia asked.
"It was nothing short of hard work and clever use of known knowledge." Cozy answered. "We spent weeks traveling Equestria, and gathering data, until we were able to detect where the Rainbow of Darkness was located.
"Wow, you triangulated its position using its varying pulse levels. Clever." Magnolia commented.
"It's unusual that we found the Rainbow of Darkness to sit in the middle of the ocean." Chrysalis commented.
"Maps don't always tell the truth. They are only a representation of pony's current knowledge. There is still a lot of undiscovered lands." Magnolia said.
"Why do you want the Rainbow of Darkness anyway? Why not just hide in exile?" Magnolia asked.
"Hiding out will only do us so much good. We need to dominate to survive. I'm so mad at Twilight Sparkle. Being in stone was the most miserable time of my life. She's going to pay for what she did to me. And we're going to succeed thanks to you mysterious hospitality." Cozy said.
"Don't think for a moment that I saved you because I like you." Magnolia said. "I only did it because I like, really pity you."
"What?" she asked.
"Believe it or not, you and I are almost the same age. The main difference, is the stone. You sat frozen in time for years. Look around, everything's changed. I'm a grown mare. But then there's you, you're still just a filly. Robbed of the privilege of growing up, it's sad really..." Mag replied.
"...How do you know my age?" Cozy asked.
"There's a lot I know about you, Cozy if that is your real name, which it isn't." Magnolia said.

Cozy gulped. It can't be her... can it? she thought.

"Well, same to you. If you're who I think you are, Magnolia isn't your real name."
"If you want, I can give you a blast from the past." she said in a threatening tone.

As they sailed, they spotted lots of fog in front of them. The fog interrupted the scene.

"We're entering foggy waters." Chrysalis said.
"Can you navigate?" Tirek asked.
"Of course." Magnolia affirmed.

This wasn't ordinary fog however.

"We're entering strange waters." Cozy said.

Despite the low visibility, they spotted something ahead.

"Land!" Cozy exclaimed.
"So there is land on this part after all." Chrysalis said.
"Why wouldn't the ponies have marked it on their map?" Tirek asked.
"Because this is no ordinary island." Magnolia said.





The boat crawled forward, until it finally they struck land.

"We're land borne." Cozy narrated.

They found themselves on a very strange, and ominous island. No light shined through the thick dark clouds. It was perpetually dark. The foliage was drab. Hardly any trees had leaves, and the soil was mostly dry dirt, with hardly any life besides weeds.

"Well, if such an object called the Rainbow of Darkness were to be hidden, it would definitely lay on an island as dark as this." Cozy commented.
*sniff* "I can sense it too. We're close enough that I don't need that machine or any extra magic to feel it." Tirek said.
"Then let's not waste a single moment. Tirek, you lead the way." Cozy said.

The three started off, but the guard sat by the boat.

"You coming, Magby?" Cozy asked.
"Nah, you three go ahead. This is your mission after all. I'll stay here and guard the boat." Magnolia said.
"Are you sure we can trust her?" Chrysalis asked.
"She could take the boat and bail." Tirek said.
"Don't worry. The chances of me taking the boat are 1 in 10,000." Magnolia said.
"I still don't like those odds." Chrysalis growled.





Chrysalis was just finishing wrapping Magnolia in a cocoon hanging from a tree.

"There. Comfortable?" Chrysalis asked.
"No! What in Tartarus in this? I help save Cozy Glow, and provide a means of transportation, and THIS is how you repay me?!" Mag replied
"Hello? We're villains, that's kind of our thing." Cozy said.
"This is merely temporary as to ease our minds." Chrysalis said. "We'll let you out once you're needed to pilot the boat once again."
"I'll ease your faces when I get out!" Magnolia exclaimed.
"Being cocooned doesn't have to be torture. If you empty your mind, and let the slime settle, it is a rather relaxing thing." Chrysalis said.
"You could at least show a little gratitude." Mag said.
"Oh yeah, what are you going to do? Cozy asked.
"I'll tell them secrets. I know more about you Cozy than you think." Magnolia said.
"Don't you dare do it, Maggie!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Yeah that’s right. You two think you know Cozy, but you don't! I've got the real dirt!" Magnolia said.
"Seal her mouth, Chrysalis." Cozy demanded.
"With pleasure." she replied.
"No! Stop! Let it be known that Cozy Glow is really-“

Chrysalis sealed the cocoon with Magnolia inside.

"Who is this unicorn anyway?" Tirek asked.
"Trust me, I have no idea who she is. Unless she’s... no, impossible." Cozy said. Small world huh? Never thought I'd run into her again...
"Now that she's sealed away, the boat is safe. We're free to explore the island." Chrysalis said.





The trio of villains began their venture into the murky forest of this unusual island./The three began their trek through the dark and mysterious island. It was a murky forest, somewhat like a bog. The trees were dead, and the dirt was dry and dusty.

As the three walked, this noise kept occurring.

*crunch*

It was mildly irritating.

*crunch*

"Would you quit stepping on leaves?!" Chrysalis snapped.
"Why? Crunching leaves is fun." Cozy replied.
Chrysalis gave Cozy an angry scowl.
"Fine, I'll use my wings." she replied.

Cozy hovered instead of walked.

Tirek took a sniff.

"We're so close. I can sense its power, and here, without the aid of magic or that equipment." Tirek said.
"That's perfect. All we have to do is sniff out the Rainbow of Darkness, and it will be ours in no time." Chrysalis said.





After some more time, their optimism was fading as their search led them nowhere.

"Just admit it, we're lost!" Chrysalis said.
"We're not lost!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Oh really, then how come we've passed by the same rock seven times?!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"That is NOT the same rock! That rock from earlier looked like a snake. This one looks like a giant worm." Cozy said.
*ugh* "You two are getting on my nerves." Tirek said.
"You know, for being able to sniff out the RoD, your senses sure are misleading us." Chrysalis sassed.
"I'm doing my best! But it's leading us in circles!" Tirek said.
"Yeah well-"
"You listen here-"
"Would you all just-"

The three started arguing, until they heard a sound.

*crash*

"What was that?" Cozy asked.

It seemed they weren't alone. They spotted a wooden shack in the woods.

"There's a structure out here." Tirek said.
"Do we dare enter?" Chrysalis asked.
"Maybe there could be something useful inside." Cozy said.





The three cautiously approached the shack. It was just a simple wooden structure with an entrance without a door. They made their way inside, and inside the shack, was a cloaked figure. The figure stood up and spoke.

"Oh goodie... I have guests... it's been an eternity..." they said.
"Who has fulfilled the pleasure of bringing me company?" they asked.
"Who wants to know?" Chrysalis asked, raising an eyebrow.

The figure reached with their hooves, and undid their hood. Their face came into view. They had two large curled horns on their head.

"I am Grogar..." he said.
"GROGAR?!" they exclaimed simultaneously.
"Ah, so you are familiar with me, I take it." Grogar said.
"Nice try, Discord! But we're not falling for this trick again!" Cozy Glow said.
"Discord? Now there's a name I haven't heard in eons." Grogar said.

Grogar talked very slowly.

"I haven't had visitors in many millennia. Lord Tirek. It's been far too long. My have you grown, King Vorak would be so proud. And I assume you to be the latest queen in the Changeling heritage." Grogar said.
"Wow. THE Grogar! Oh the stories you can tell!" Cozy squeed.
"Who is this? Have you two brought me an offering?" Grogar asked.
"I'm a what?" Cozy asked.
"She's with us. We all share the same ambition of ruling Equestria, and ridding the land of friendship." Chrysalis said.
"So Equestria is still run by friendship... Pitiful." Grogar said.

Tirek wasn't one for extended reunions, or small talk, so he tried to move things along.

"What are you doing here?" Tirek asked.
"We didn't think you were still alive." Chrysalis added.
"Long ago, I came to this island long ago to retrieve the Rainbow of Darkness. It is a powerful item, that holds all of Equestria's malice, and ill will. I came to this island, with my trusty bell in tow. But my plan was halted by one Gusty the Great. Gusty had followed me to this island, to stop me from achieving my goal. We engaged in a truly epic battle. But ultimately, their cleverness and determination got the better of me. Gusty used my own bell against me! They used it to drain all of my magic from me. Gusty then hid it away, leaving me completely powerless, and stranded on this island." Grogar said.
"I thought she only sapped a portion of your magic." Cozy said.
"Nope. Every last pinch of magic. I managed to live, however, I was too weak to enter the temple and retrieve the Rainbow of Darkness, leaving me old and rotting." Grogar said.
"Well uh, sorry to hear that Grogar." Chrysalis said. "That doesn't sound fair."
"I would do it myself, but I am in a weakened form. I ask that you three retrieve my bell for me." Grogar requested.
"No way!" the legion said simultaneously.
"Been there, done that." Cozy said.
"I beg your pardon?" Grogar asked.
"We did find your bell, and we used it ourselves, but then we lost, and now the princess has it." Cozy explained.
"But I beg of you." Grogar pleaded
"Forget the bell! We used its magic, but Twilight Sparkle and her stupid magic of friendship rainbow still trumped us while we used your bell!" Chrysalis ranted.
"That is why we're here for the Rainbow of Darkness. The ultimate source of evil power in Equestria. No way she can beat us with that." Tirek said.
"I see." Grogar said. "If the Rainbow of Darkness is what you seek, it indeed sits here on this very island. The Rainbow of Darkness sits in the temple at the center of the island. Gusty was not able to obtain it, so they left it here, and I have been too weak to retrieve it myself."
"Well we're such an awesome group, we ought'a be able to access it." Cozy said.
"Well, you are free to try. It's hidden in the temple. The easiest entrance can be found on top of the tallest hill here on this island." Grogar said.
"Much obliged." they said together.
"Bring me the Rainbow of Darkness, and we shall use it to bring darkness to Equestria." Grogar said.





The three exited the shack, and talked about their plan.

"So, do we give give the Rainbow of Darkness to Grogar?" Cozy asked.
"Almost certainly not. This is our revenge plot." Chrysalis replied.
"But that's Grogar. THE Grogar!" Cozy repeated. "Not some lame plot twist."
"I don't trust him. He probably has his own agenda, like Sombra." Chrysalis said.
"Even if he also desires to overthrow friendship, he'll likely betray or abuse us along the way." Tirek said.
"So for the time being, it's just us three. Got it." Cozy said.

The three found a path that lead up the mountain.

"This is the path alright." Cozy said.
"A path less traveled I can see." Chrysalis commented.





The three climbed their way to the top of the island. It was mostly a simple trek up a trail. A walk in the park compared to Mt. Everhoof. Though, a lot more ominous. At the top, there was a flat plateau with an arrangement of rocks, and what looked like a closed doorway on the ground. Tirek leaned down and pressed his hands against the entrance.

"It's shut tight." he said.

His two contemporaries were distracted however. Cozy Glow and Chrysalis looked over the mountain.

"Wow, you can see everything from up here." Chrysalis said.

From the top of the mountain, they got a good overhead look of the entire island. Despite the dark, they could make out the entire landscape. Being so high and seeing everything from above filled with with an odd feeling of empowerment.

"It is a wonderful sight" Tirek said.
"Being all the way up here, and seeing seeing the ocean span out to the horizon in all directions, it really makes you... appreciate the freedom." Cozy said.

The three admired the view for a few moments. It totally captivated them.

*ahem* "Anyway, the mission at hand." Cozy said. "We need to figure out how to get into the mountain."

Cozy examined the surroundings, in search of a solution.

"Now hang on, there are clues. According to this rock, the passage only opens on the summer solstice. The one day of the year where sunlight pierces through the clouds and onto the island. Hmm, I wonder if we create a bright enough source of light, to manipulate the shadows so that we trick the area into thinking that..."

While Cozy was speaking, Tirek had lifted the rock blocking the entry way, and cleared the passage. Tirek boasted and gestured to the open entryway.

"Or, you can have a centaur brute force through." Cozy grinned.
"Lead the way, Cozy." Tirek said.
"Please, after you. Tirek, you can sense it, plus your horns can light the way."

Tirek went down the stairs, Chrysalis followed, along with Cozy afterwards.





The three wandered through the dark temple. The cobblestone passages were tight. The red glow of Tirek's horn was the only source of light inside.

"This is definitely the place *sniff* I can feel it. It's closer than ever." Tirek said.
"Keep yourselves on alert. Who knows what obstacles lie in our way." Cozy said.

Chrysalis stepped on a stone tile that caved in.

"Look out!"

*pew*

Chrysalis grabbed Cozy, and ducked, barely dodged the dart.

"Thanks for the save." Cozy said, relieved.
"That was a close one." Chrysalis replied.
"I think the place is booby trapped!" she said.





After some more time of traveling through the labyrinth, things were looking less ideal.

"This place gives me the creeps." Cozy commented.
"You're not scared are you?" Tirek asked.
"No! Of course not!" Cozy said.
"This place is eerie. We could turn around, and have you wait by the entrance." Chrysalis suggested.
"No! We're in this together! No matter what scary obstacles come our way!" Cozy exclaimed.





After some more exploring through a mostly empty temple, the three found themselves in what appeared to be a giant altar. A pathway ran through the room and led to a large treasure chest.

"Bingo." Cozy said.
"Pah. That was too easy." Chrysalis said.
"They wouldn't leave something so powerful unguarded would they?" Tirek asked rhetorically.
"Who's they? Who built this place? Who created the Rainbow of Darkness? Is it -" Cozy hyperventilated.
"Cozy, calm down!" Chrysalis said.
"Yeah, world domination..." she said, calmly.

Her two allies went ahead, but Cozy stood for a moment and thought.

This is it. Our chance at revenge. she thought. Cozy's mind was noisy though, and words echoed in Cozy's mind.


"I don't understand. Why, Cozy? Why?"
"No more solo, trust is the way to go."
"You're an irredeemable little monster who deserves to be locked away!"
"I know more about you than you think."
"There isn't a punishment worthy of all you've done!"
"Hmm. That does seem fitting."
"Together forever. I can't think of anything that they would want less!"

Some of the voices were clear and recognizable. while others, though somewhat familiar, she had trouble identifying. Cozy's face filled with tears, while simultaneously her mind filled with rage.

"Why don't you just go into hiding? Be free from Twilight without having to put in the effort." Magnolia's words echoed.
Why don't we just go back into hiding? Why go through all this trouble for power, when those two are already my...

"Cozy? COZY!" Chrysalis raised her voice.
"Wha?" she was dazed.
"Snap out of it." Tirek exclaimed.

Cozy came back down to reality, and saw Tirek and Chrysalis staring at her perplexed.

"What's gotten into you?" Chrysalis asked.
"I'm just thinking, about all the torment..." Cozy said.
"Once we collect the Rainbow of Darkness, we can rewrite Equestria to our liking." Tirek said.
"Yeah, yeah that does sound nice." Cozy smiled.





The three walked up to the altar, but they halted once more by some traps.

"More poison darts." Cozy said.
"Does this place have any other tricks?" Chrysalis wondered.
"Somehow it knows if we cross the space." Tirek observed.
"That lever on the other side sure does look like an off switch." Cozy said.

The three brainstormed a plan to get across.

"I can probably just lay waste to the entire room." Tirek wondered.
"I could transform into a rat, no way the place is sensitive enough to detect that." Chrysalis said.
"I'm a fast flyer. Remember during washouts show? I was a speed demon!" Cozy said.

But they didn't listen. The grown up were talking. Cozy, wanting to prove herself, took a deep breath, and readied herself for a daring stunt.

*zip*

*creak*

Cozy pulled the lever, and the poison darts stopped.

"The path's clear, comrades." she said, affirmative.

The two came over, and gathered around the chest.

"That's it though? No final boss? No guardian? Actually very simple. Baring the darts, this was pretty easy." Cozy commented.
"Just go with it. The easier it is, the better for us." Chrysalis said.
"Now for the moment we've all been waiting for..." Tirek said.

The three opened it slowly, and inside, was a truly unspeakable horror. Thankfully, their faces didn't melt, but they were breath taken by the release dark energy. When the inside cleared, they could see the object itself. The Rainbow of Darkness sat inside a smaller box. Cozy picked up the box, and held it above her.

"Here in my hooves, I am holding the Rainbow of Darkness! The ultimate dark power!" Cozy beamed.
"And we're going to use it to dominate Equestria." Tirek added.
"And make Twilight Sparkle cry and weep!" Chrysalis said ecstatic.
"It's safely contained in this here chest. We have to wait for the right opportunity to open it up." Cozy said.





Yes, it is finally done! After a long hard journey of thinking, struggles, and determination, our villains had successfully completed their goal and obtained the Rainbow of Darkness!





"...now what?" Cozy asked.
"Do we unleash its horror now?" Chrysalis asked.
"No. It is unwise to do that. We need to find out more about what we have, and formulate a plan before we do this thing." Cozy said.
"I second that. Now we get the heck out of here." Tirek said.

The three made their way out of the temple. Cozy thought about what Tirek said, and what they're going to do next.

"You know, I've been thinking, and I was wondering..." Cozy said.
"Yes, Cozy?" they asked.
*sigh* "I'm not saying we shouldn't use the Rainbow of Darkness to enhance ourselves, build an army, and attack Equestria, it's just... I'm anxious..." Cozy admitted.
"A totally rational feeling. We don't know the full extent of what it's capable of." Chrysalis said.
"Yeah. But also, what if we fail again? We thought Grogar's bell would make us unstoppable, and well, they stopped us. And they put us away in stone for what we did. Being free and going on this quest has really made me appreciate our time together. I'm just afraid that we're going to lose again. They always seem to win no matter what, and what do you suppose they'll do to us next? Tartarus? Stone? In Tartarus as stone statues? Could they shatter us next time? Whatever it is, I don't want to lose you guys again." Cozy wept.
*sniff* "I'm sorry you have to see me weak like this. But we're most effective when we're together. And I wanna keep it like that..." Cozy said.

The two villains thought. Once gain, Cozy was showing a more vulnerable side of herself. Was this an act, or was she real troubled? Either way, villains aren't great prep talkers, so they gave it their best shot.

"I know luck hasn't been on our side in the past, but I have a good feeling about this one." Chrysalis said.
"If we work together and *believe*, then there isn't anything we can't do." Tirek said reluctantly.

It was difficult for the villains to be supportive.

"I'm sorry for showing my weaker side, I've just been so mistreated by every one of them, and I know there isn't anything I can do to change their mind. Defeating them is the only hope for my salvation..." Cozy said.
"Yeah, it almost makes me wonder... Cozy!" Chrysalis said.
"What?!" she asked.
"There's a poison dart in your butt!" Chrysalis pointed.
"Huh? Oh, wow, that really sucks... Must not have noticed earlier..." Cozy said. "Well, don't just stand there. Get it off of me!"

Indeed, at some point, Cozy was hit by a poison dart in the flank. Chrysalis approached, and got close to the booty.

"Okay, now hold still!" she said.
"This better not hurt." Cozy commented.

*yank*

"OW! That hurt a lot. That's the last time I don't wear pants on an adventure." Cozy said.

Chrysalis successfully pulled out the dart. She and Tirek took a look at it, and made a worrying observation.

"It's empty..." they said.

Tirek compared the dart he pulled out of Cozy to one that had missed. He noticed the misfired dart was full of fluid, but the one from Cozy was empty.

"Uh..." he said.
"That's not good." Cozy's heart sank, and her pupils dialated.
"Um, you'll be fine." Tirek said.
"Yeah. I'm totally fine..." Cozy assured.

Cozy was sweating. The pitter patter of her little wings slowed, until.

"Oh, golly, I sure am getting sweaty. Is it me or is it getting hot in here or is it just-"

Cozy immediately fainted and fell to the ground.

...





Outside the temple, and on the island, Tirek and Chrysalis wondered what to do next. Chrysalis carried the unconscious Cozy on her back, while Tirek held the chest containing the Rainbow of Darkness.

"What do we do now?" he asked.
"We can't just give it to him." she replied.
"So you've returned. Did you retrieve the Rainbow of Darkness?" Grogar suddenly appeared and asked.

Grogar found them and approached the group. Tirek hid the RoD behind his back.

"Uh..." they said simultaneously.
"Nope! Sorry. We tried, but the task proved to be much too difficult." Chrysalis said.

There was an awkward pause as Grogar glared at them.

"...you're terrible liars." Grogar said. "You're hiding the Rainbow of Darkness from me. I know you have it."
"Well, at least he's way smarter than Discord." Chrysalis muttered under her breath.
"You have the Rainbow of Darkness. Now, activate it, so that we can all join forces, and destroy friendship." Grogar said.
"But first, how can we use the rainbow to help Cozy Glow?" Tirek asked.

Chrysalis showed Grogar the unconscious Cozy Glow.

"Poor thing got hurt exploring the temple." she lamented.
"If she's dead, it won't do any good. It brings chaos, not miracles. If she's sick, it won't do much good either." Grogar explained.
"But there's gotta be something you can do." Tirek pleaded.
"Forget about the pony. She is your weakest link. As evil as you may think she is, she is a spark of hope and friendship. She is poisoning you two, and preventing you from reaching your evil potentials. Now, unleash the Rainbow of Darkness, and be rid of her." Grogar said.

Tirek and Chrysalis exchanged looks, and they both had the same idea.

"You know what? You can just go ahead and buzz off." Tirek said.
"We're going to use this ourselves. We have no interest in having you tag along." Chrysalis said.
"Cozy Glow is important to us, and we're going to make sure she's restored before we use this thing." Tirek said.

Grogar looked down, and chuckled.

"So, your time in Equestria has made you compassionate." Grogar said.

Grogar's horns lit up.

"If you're willing to allow her to hold her back, then I will have to finish her and kill her myself." Grogar threatened.

But before he could strike, Chrysalis spat onto his hooves, trapping him, and Tirek sucked whatever magic was left in Grogar, which in this case wasn't much.

"Traitors!" Grogar exclaimed. "You would choose a little pegasus over me?"
"Cozy Glow has more than proven herself to us." Chrysalis said.
"We're going to use the Rainbow of Darkness ourselves, and conquer Equestria together!" Tirek said.

“Fools! You’re only as strong as your weakest link. Even with the darkness, you will succumb to Twilight Sparkle, so long as you keep her alive. She will be your downfall.” Grogar said.
“Well, that’s a risk we’re willing to take.” Chrysalis said.

The two wandered off back to the boat, leaving Grogar stranded.

Grogar was left alone. He was amused. Very amused.

"Heh heh. Unfortunately for you, I'm tagging along anyway."

His eyes glowed red, his body turned dark, and dissolved into dark particles that scattered into the air.





The two arrived back at the beach.

Chrysalis crawled up, and swiftly sliced the bottom of the cocoon, and Magnolia came pouring out.

"Eww... I'm all covered in slime." Magnolia said.
"Get up. We need you to pilot the boat." Chrysalis demanded.
"Took you three long enough." Magnolia said. "So i take it you found the magic macguffin?"

She saw Tirek carrying Cozy Glow.

"Oh... no. Is she okay?" Magnolia asked.
"She was struck by a poison dart." Chrysalis said.
"She's been unconscious since." Tirek added.
"Hurry, climb aboard. We gotta help her." Magnolia ordered.

They all climbed aboard the boat. Mag let loose the anchor, and they were off sailing again. Inside the boat, they all gathered in the lower deck to check on Cozy.

"Lay her down, she needs to rest." Magnolia said.
"I don't want to let her go. I don't want her to leave my sight. I'm going to keep holding her." Chrysalis said.
"Do it! She needs to relax."

Chrysalis embraced Cozy Glow, who was still unconscious. She slowly placed her onto the bed inside the boat. 

Magnolia put her hoof to Cozy's forehead. 

"She's alive, but she's hurting. She needs urgent care." she said.

"I thought you didn't like Cozy." Chrysalis said.

*sigh* "So here's the thing, Cozy Glow and I are actually almost the same age. We actually have quite a history together. Later on though, I aged up, and became a guard. But Cozy spent all these years in stone. I got to grow up, but she didn't... Even though we had our differences, I felt bad and thought that nopony deserved the punishment she got." Magnolia said.
"Truly those ponies are the real cruel ones." Chrysalis said.
"Trapping one of their own kind in such a prison." Tirek said.
"I know she's evil and doesn't wanna reform, but putting her in suspended animation was the worst thing they could do to her." Magnolia said. "Now it's up to us to save her."





To be continued.
> Chapter 16: A Rude Awakening
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, are you alright, kid?"

Voices were coming from the outside. Slowly, the filly's eyes opened, and she saw two other pony figures overlooking her. One taller, and the other shorter.

"Wake up already, kid." the filly said.
"Brenda, quiet. She's just waking up. Don't yell too close to her face." said the taller of the two.
"Sorry, mom." she replied.

The dazed filly was very confused.

Two unicorns overlooked the pegasus. One of them was a light colored unicorn filly with a yellow bow in her red colored mane. The other was a taller unicorn mare. The mood was tense. The only light in the room was the morning sun beaming through the window. Slowly, the pegasus filly regained consciousness.

"What are you two talking about?" she asked.
"Golly, you're more dazed than I thought." Brenda said.
"Now Brenda, be nice to our guest. She's probably had a rough time." the mare said.
*sigh* "Okay, mom." Brenda said.

The filly looked around and took in her surroundings.

"What the heck is going on?" she asked, dazed.
"You're in the town hospital, dear. They found out cold in the woods." the mare explained.
"I know we didn't get along so well in school, (and I was tempted to leave you) but we decided to help." Brenda said.
"School? What are you talking about?" the filly asked.
"Brenda, she's clearly been through some traumatic experience. She's just waking up, and is probably having trouble remembering at the moment." her mom said.
"What's going on exactly?" the filly asked.





The mare went ahead and explained what she knew.

"The doctors don't know what exactly happened to you. They found you fainted in the woods. Whatever happened, it left a nasty scar on your head." the mare said.

She touched her head, and sure enough, the filly's head was wrapped up in bandages.

"Your parents never came forward to claim you, so we volunteered to help. I know you and my daughter didn't get along in school, but ironically, due to your bickering, Brenda knows you best, so we volunteered to help." she explained.
"That's all well and fine, but, *brr* it sure is cold in here." the filly said.
"Would you like another blanket, dear?" the mare asked.

Brenda's mom wrapped their patient in a warm blanket.

"Thanks, miss." the filly thanked.
"Don't mention it. I heard you and my daughter had a little fallout at school, but don't worry about it. It's not healthy to hold grudges." the mare said.
"Whatever are you talking about?" she asked.
"Don't play dumb! You know what you did!" Brenda said.
"Don't worry about it. It's neither of your guy's faults. I wish I could have been there to help. It sounds like the teacher was way too rash in her decision to expel you both on the spot." the mare said.

Whatever the mare was talking about, it sounded serious. But the pegasus hadn't a clue what she was talking about.

"...Who are you two again?" she asked.
"Pardon me for skipping the introduction. My name's Heather. I'm Brenda's mother. And you are?"
"Mmm. I'm cozy. Thanks for asking." she replied, wrapped in the warm blanket.
"So your name is Cozy?" Heather asked.
"¿Me llamo?" she asked.
"Sí." Heather replied.
"My name's not Cozy, but if you want to call me that, that doesn't sound like a bad name." she said.
"Okay then, Cozy." Heather said.
"So, you're Cozy now? I would've renamed you to Crazy. 'Cuz that's what you are, Crazy Glue." Brenda chuckled.
"No. I don't like that name." Cozy said.
"Then come up with a better one." Brenda said.
"Alright. I'm not Crazy Glue. I'm Cozy... uh... Glow." she said.
"That's the best name you can come up with?" Brenda asked.
"Shut up. It's a temporary name." Cozy said.
"I think it's a nice name, Cozy Glow." Heather said.
"Thanks, miss. And you know what, it does have a nice ring to it." Cozy said.





During her time in the hospital, nurses brought Cozy tea and snacks. No one else came to claim responsibility for Cozy, so Brenda and her mom Heather watched over her.

"So, Cozy Glow. They found you tangled in your saddle bag's straps. Here's the bag." Brenda said.

Brenda put the saddlebag on the bed. Cozy opened it and had a look inside. She found her old notebook from school.

"Are you sure this belonged to me? The name's smudged, but I think this is my notebook." Cozy said.

She turned the pages, and saw all that she had written. There were worrying words inside the book. There were torn pages, and harsh scribbles.

"Golly, these are some interesting notes." Cozy said.
"Hey, don't copy what I say." Brenda said.
"It says that after school, regardless of passing or not, that I would enroll in the brand new, Twilight Sparkle's School of friendship in order to control-" Cozy started, but was interrupted.
"How convenient, because thanks to you, both of us were expel-" Brenda was interrupted when her mother nudged her to stop speaking.
"Is that what you want, little one? To enroll into Twilight's school of friendship?" Heather asked.
"I think so. It says here that my time in EEA school districts was a waste of time, and that I have much more to gain from Twilight Sparkle's new non-EEA approved School of Friendship." Cozy said.
"Well, okay. If that's what you want, we'll help you find your bearings, and try to enroll you into Twilight's school." Heather said.





With that, Cozy Glow was under the care of Heather and Brenda. Whoever Brenda was, she seemed to hold some kind of grudge against Cozy. She didn't have any memory of anything before waking up, but Brenda kept insisting that they were in some sort of fight. Thus, Brenda acted biter, and not very welcoming to Cozy. Heather wasn't much better. She had her moments, but mostly just gave Cozy the essentials. She didn't seem very interested in watching over her, and Cozy got the impression that they would part ways once she was healed enough. She only seemed to do it because no one stepped forward to claim Cozy (which itself was odd and mysterious). That said, Heather had her moments of tender care. A few days after awakening, the doctors said it was okay to remove the bandages from Cozy's head.

"Alright, Cozy, the doctors say it's okay to remove your bandages." she said.

Heather used her unicorn magic to undo the bandages on Cozy's head. Her straight hair drooped and flowed down, covering her face.

"Oh this will never do." Heather said. "You're due for a makeover."

Heather used her magic to untie the yellow bow from Brenda's mane, and put it up to Cozy's mane.

"You'll get used to it. My mum's a freak when it comes to hair styling." Brenda said.

Heather went to town styling Cozy's mane. She had an idea to make Cozy's mane more distinct.

"Instead of having your mane flow freely, I think curling it all together will suit you greatly." Heather said.

When she was done, Cozy had a very orderly hair style. Rather than straight hair and a flowing mane, pieces of it swirled into neatly ordered curls. The big yellow bow completed the now familiar look.

"There. Now that's a look that screams Cozy Glow. You look diabolically adorable." Heather said.
"Thanks, I... what did you say?" Cozy asked.
"I said, you look downright adorable." she replied. "Have a look."

Cozy looked into the mirror, and blushed.

"Golly, I am just adorable." she said.
"Why, you're cute and lovable." Brenda said, sarcastically.
"Dang right I am." Cozy said.
"Keeping in line with good news, earlier I got done sending a letter of recommendation to Twilight's school. With any luck, we'll hear back from her soon." Heather said.
"Well, what am I to do in the meantime?" Cozy asked.





Now that Cozy had recovered somewhat, she spent most of her time in a day care/recovery center while she waited for the ultimate a-okay on her health, or for an acceptance letter from Twilight Sparkle. She would sometimes go almost the whole day without seeing Heather or Brenda. There were a few other foals in daycare with her, but she didn't care for any of them. She felt that compared to herself, they were mindless children, most of which were younger than her. Rather than playing with the children, Cozy would continue to read her notes, and add to them, while daydreaming about what it'd be like at Twilight Sparkle's School of Friendship.

"It says here that after I finish my old school, to enroll in Twilight's school, and make my Pappy proud by becoming the most powerful pony in Equestria, just like he always wanted me to be. But what does that mean? Who's Pappy? What did he want? How do I become powerful? What makes Twilight so special? Why does she go from unicorn to alicorn? Why can't I do that?" Cozy thought aloud to herself.

Cozy watched a group of younger fillies building a tower out of blocks. A little pegasus placed one last block at the top, and the entire structure came crashing down.

"Hmm. What if instead of elevating myself, what if I knocked those princesses down a few pegs?" she thought.

Cozy saw the foals fight over the blocks. She noticed the unicorns hoarded all the blocks with their magic.

"Unicorns think they're so entitled. Without their magic, then they're no better off than earth ponies." she said aloud.

Cozy wrote all of her new thoughts down for... future consideration.





About a week later, Heather returned with good news.

"Good news, Cozy Glow. We just received a letter. It's your acceptance letter to Twilight Sparkle's School!" Heather said.
"That's fantastic, miss. Let's hear it." Cozy said.
"It reads: Dearest, Cozy Glow. The only requirement for Twilight's School of Friendship is a will learn about friendship. Our school is a place where any creature can congregate and learn the meaning of friendship. It would be an honor to welcome a young pegasus from your far away town. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our school. We hope to see you soon. -Twilight Sparkle."
"Golly! Let's not waste a single moment!" Cozy exclaimed. "But, aren't I still hurt?"
"The doctor says you've basically made a full recovery. If you're ready, then let's dive right in." Heather said.





While Heather and Brenda helped to pack Cozy some bags, Cozy took one last look at her notes.

"This is perfect. Twilight Sparkle thinks she's welcoming an ignorant little pegasus. But little will she know that I have my own ideas about how to use the magic of friendship." Cozy grinned.
"What was that, Cozy?" Heather asked.
"Uh, I said, I can't wait to learn about the magic of friendship." Cozy replied.

Brenda raised an eyebrow, but it wasn't her place to argue.

"I don't know what past me went through, but I like where her mind was. I would like to be powerful, and Twilight's school is where dreams come true." Cozy thought.





At the train station, Cozy had her saddle bag, and luggage bags with her. The train was steaming, almost about ready to depart for Ponyville. Brenda and Heather were there to say goodbye.

"Looks like you've got all your luggage. We packed only the essentials. It can get cold in Ponyville during the Winter so we packed you a snow coat and beanie." Heather said.
"Thanks, miss. It's a shame I have to leave so soon, feels like I barely got to know you two, but classes are about to start, and I don't wanna miss them!" Cozy said.
"Are you sure you're ready, Cozy? It's a long train ride to Ponyville, and you'll be on your own when you get there. You did just recover recently." Heather said.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Cozy said. "It's Twilight who should be worried."
"Pardon me?" Brenda asked.
"I'll master friendship alright. I'll surpass her in fact. I'll be the most powerful friendship user in the land!" Cozy beamed.
"That's the spirit! Aim high!" Heather encouraged.

"All aboard!" the conductor cried.

"Guess it's time for me to go." Cozy said.

Cozy walked over the platform and stepped inside the train.

"Good luck at Twilight School of Friendship!" Heather said.
"I won't need luck where I'm going. Friendship is power! And when I'm done, I'll be the supreme ruler of-"

*slam*

The train door closed, cutting off Cozy's speech.

"Should we be worried about her?" Heather asked.
"Worried about sending a filly to a far away town unsupervised? Nah." Brenda said.
"Are we sure she's going to school for the right reason?" Heather wondered.
"What's the worst she could do?" Brenda replied.

*choo choo*

The train left the station and headed to Ponyville.

"Now, that she's finally gone, and since you were also expelled from the EEA elementary school, it's time we find a path for you. I think this is an excellent opportunity for you to explore exciting new careers." Heather said.





On the train to Ponyville, Cozy read her notes. Both the notes she took while in daycare, and the ones she doesn't remember writing.

"It says here that I'm supposed to misconstrue the magic of friendship, and make it serve me. That seems a little extreme." *sniff* "Bleh! What's that putrid smell?"

There was a large yak sitting right next to her. Cozy didn't like this.

"Yaks smell like dirt pile." Cozy said and mocked aloud.
"Who say that?!" the yak asked.

Cozy pointed to somepony next to her.

"Yak not take disrespect sitting down! Yak smash!" the yak exclaimed.
"Wait, what? No! I didn't-" they exclaimed.

*SMASH*

Cozy giggled.

"Lying to others to manipulate their actions sure is easy." Cozy smirked. "I think I'll get by in Twilight's school just fine."
Cozy laughed internally. I am diabolical. she thought.





Cozy Glow had arrived at the school of friendship, started taking classes, yada yada yada. Cozy Glow's time at Twilight's school started off slow. She made very little impression, so much so that most of the students barely noticed her first day. To most of them, she just seemed to appear as part of the crowd. She didn't really stick out, but she was determined to change that. Cozy needed to gain the attention of Twilight Sparkle, but whenever Twilight was actually at the school, the line to her office was always dreadfully long. Same story with Starlight Glimmer.

*sigh* I'm never going to get to them at this rate. Cozy thought.

"Thanks, Twilight!" Apple Bloom said.

Cozy saw the cutie mark crusaders leave Twilight's office.

"Hmm, I think I know just the ponies who are going to get me to Twilight." she smirked. "Hmm, I'm going to have to create a scene and grab her attention."





Later that afternoon, Cozy Glow found herself outside the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse.

"Focus Cozy. Remember the act, you're a struggling student and these pathetic assignments are giving me too much trouble. You really got to make this convincing and sell this one."

Cozy took some deep breaths, and got ready for her act. She pulled out a pair of tweezers, and plucked one of her nose hairs, in order to start shedding tears.

"3, 2, 1. Wahhhh!" Cozy cried. She went as far to shed fake tears to make her act convincing.

"Y'all hear somethin'" Apple Bloom asked.





Cut to after the events of Marks for Effort.

"You're pretty neat, Cozy Glow." Apple Bloom said.
"Thanks. You three have helped me out so much. I'm sorry I failed my test on purpose. I didn't think Twilight would blame you guys." Cozy said.
"It's okay. Sometimes we don't always understand the full extent of our actions." Scootaloo said.
"One time I tried to prank my sister Rarity by sabotaging her dress, but I stopped myself because I was worried the humiliation would've spiraled her life out of control." Sweetie Belle said.
"Well, golly. I hope nothing I do affects your life that badly. No hard feelings?" she asked.
"No hard feelings." the crusaders said simultaneously.
These fools are so easy to manipulate. she thought.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all lifted Cozy up again.

"Hahahaha!" Cozy laughed aloud.

However, one of them slipped, and dropped Cozy.

"Whoops!"
"AH!"

*BONK*





"AH!"

Cozy woke up abruptly, and was back in the present time.

*heavy breathing*

Her surroundings changed completely when she woke up. For the first few moments, her mind lapsed, recounting the dream she just had.

"No, it can't be. I-I-I remember them!" she exclaimed. "But how? I haven't thought about them in years."
"Oh good. You're awake now."
"AH! Don't sneak up on me, Magby." Cozy said, startled.
"I've been sitting here this whole time though." Magnolia said. "I gotta admit. I was getting worried, you've been near motionless for a while, but recently you started tossing and turning in your sleep."
*hic* "I think I'm gonna hurl..." Cozy said.

Cozy grabbed a bucket. She looked queasy. Cozy puked into the bucket. Magnolia looked away because it was absolutely disgusting. Finally, she stopped, and looked at her surroundings.

"How long was I out?" Cozy asked.
"A good week I would say." Magnolia replied. "It sounds like you woke up from one heck of a dream."
"It was a weird dream. You were there (I think), and you were there, and you were there too." Cozy said.

Magnolia looked around the room, but the two of them were alone.

"Uh... I'm the only other one in the room." she said.
"Speaking of, where am I now?" Cozy asked.
"You're home, Cozy. You're back in your village of TCGC." Magnolia said. "Right now we're in one of the bedrooms of the main castle."

Cozy looked outside the window, and saw her village bustling with activity.

"It's so different now." she said.
"Yeah, your citizens have done pretty well. They've developed the place into a bustling community while you three were gone adventuring." Mag explained.
"How did we get back here?" Cozy asked.
"Tirek, Chrysalis, and I arrived here a few days ago. You've been out since you guys found the Rainbow of Darkness." Magnolia answered.
"Oh right. We did it? We succeed in our long time mission to find it?"
"Yep." Magnolia replied.
"Heh, well, there was never any doubt that we wouldn't succeed." Cozy said. "Have we conquered the world yet?"
"Not yet, they haven't even activated the thing. They've been waiting for you to awaken before they do." Mag explained.
"Well if that's the case, then I've got lots of catching up to do."

Cozy climbed out of bed.

"What are you doing? You're sick!" Magnolia exclaimed.
"I feel fine."
"You literally puked into a bucket." Mag said.
"And now I feel better, now that I got it out of my system." Cozy said.
"No you aren't fine! Take a look!"

Magnolia pointed to a mirror.

Cozy saw herself in the mirror. She had wrinkly dry skin.

"Ugh. When I wanted to grow up, this isn't what I had a mind..." Cozy said.

Cozy put on a big dark robe to hide her withering body.

"Do you want the good news or bad news?" Magnolia asked.
"Just give me news!" Cozy snapped.

Magnolia began to explain the grim situation.

"You're sick. You were hit by a poison dart at that dark temple. We don't know exactly what it's made of, but it's definitely affecting you negatively. Fortunately, have a sample of the poison, and we've been studying it. Chrysalis was kind enough to kidnap a doctor to assist us, so he's been helping us make a cure."
"Well, that's just dandy. The last thing I needed was impending demise..." Cozy said.

Cozy got up headed to the doorway.

"You need rest, Cozy." Magnolia said.
"I'm the leader of this town! I call the shots!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Fine, kid." Magnolia said. "You haven't changed one bit."





Cozy walked downstairs.

I know exactly who you really are Magby. And now that I do, I don't trust you. Why are you trying so hard to help me now? You hate me. she thought.

In the castle foyer, she saw Chrysalis and Tirek sitting and discussing something.

"Cozy! You're awake!" they exclaimed.
"Hey guys..." she said softly.
"Are you okay?" Tirek asked.
"I'm fine. *cough* I've had a few rough nights and odd dreams/flashbacks." Cozy replied. "But, I'm awake now."

Cozy noticed something. Magnolia said they had the Rainbow of Darkness, and indeed it appeared that her contemporaries hadn't used it yet.

"You haven't used the Rainbow of Darkness yet?" Cozy asked.
"Nope." Tirek said.
"We've been waiting for you to wake up." Chrysalis said.
"You're the best of us three. We're not going to use its power until all three of us are in prime condition!" Tirek said.
"You're the brains. We expect you to come up with a crafty plan, to best use the powerful item." Chrysalis said.
"Alright. I will do my best to come up with a plan for how to use the Rainbow of Darkness most effectively." Cozy said. "But first, I'd like to see how much my town has grown since I've been away."
"But, wouldn't you like to discuss matters concerning our new dark energy source?" Chrysalis asked. 
"Tell you guys what, I'll be thinking long about our next course of action during my walk today." Cozy affirmed.

Cozy walked past the villains, and to the exit.





Cozy walked outside the castle, and saw her village now bustling with ponies. It was such a beautiful sight. Almost made her cry, that was until her stomach started to hurt.

*ugh* "It's going to be a long week..." Cozy said to herself.





Cozy met with Svengallop. He had his own office building where he conducted business.

"Svengallop!" Cozy busted the door open.
"Ah, Cozy Glow. Nice of you to stop by again." Svengallop said.
"Right... What do you mean again?" she asked.
"You were here just the other day." he replied.
"Right, whatever. Anyway, I'm here to relieve you of your mayor duties." Cozy said.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea? I've helped turn what was an underdeveloped community into a bustling epicenter of trade!" Svengallop said. "Suri's crops are on fire! Well, not literally, but they are selling very well. Cotton production has proven to be a most lucrative venture. We have bits in the thousands in the bank! The Washouts are as popular as ever, and Flim & Flam-"
"That's all very wonderful. However, I am the founder of this town, so I am demoting you to assistant mayor."
"But, Ms. Glow. I have done everything I can for the benefit of your town!" Svengallop said.
"Very well. You may resume your duties of trade, and whatever. However, all executive power goes back to me." Cozy said, sitting in the mayor chair.
"Now fetch me a copy of Relics of Equestria Through Time! Along with a pen and paper! I have some research I need to conduct." Cozy demanded.
"Yes, your lordship." Svengallop said.

*zip* *zoom*

Svengallop returned swiftly.

"Everything you asked for, Cozy. Plus some additional books we just recently acquired that I believe are relevant to the topic." he said.
"You have done well Svengallop. Now leave me alone I need to concentrate." Cozy requested.
"But this is my office." he said.
"Out!" she demanded.

Svengallop hightailed it out of the building.

Cozy sat at the desk, and began reading up on the Rainbow of Darkness. It felt silly reading about something that was already in their possession, but there were a lot of unanswered questions regarding what it could do. Out of curiosity, Cozy would also read up on Grogar's bell. The more she read, the more she read about additional abilities she wished she knew about when she had the bell herself.

Golly, if we had just done a little more research, we could've won. We could have absorbed Celestia and Luna's alicorn magic without taking in Discord's chaos magic. We won't be so shortsighted next time. Grogar's bell was a powerful, but finite source of magic. But the Rainbow of Darkness is a near limitless source of dark power.

Concentrating on world domination was hard, when personal matters were troubling her.

That was a nice blast from the past earlier this morning. But I still can't for the life of me remember anything preceding waking up in that hospital. Why can't I remember that fight Brenda and I had?  Where did we go to school together? Who were my parents? What happened to me to cause me to lose my memory? she wondered.





To be continued...
> Chapter 17: Head Trauma
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a long and frustrating day of research, Cozy Glow decided to cool off in the nearby lake. The same lake from earlier in the story. There were a lot of new residents in town since their departure, but since everyone was already aware that Cozy Glow was in charge, and accepted it, she didn't have to hide her identity. Even so, she still covered herself to not reveal too much of her withering body. There was a lot on her mind, from the poison in her body, her rekindled memories, and the pressure of coming up with a surefire plan to use the Rainbow of Darkness and take over all of Equestria. So, she decided to cool off in the lake and clear her mind.





Well, I'm not going to let the impending doom get me down. Cozy thought.

Cozy removed her robe, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and dived into the lake. However...

*bonk*

She landed face first into the dirt. What was once a shoreline at the beginning of the story, was now dryness extending for many meters.
"Where is my lake!?" Cozy exclaimed.
Indeed, the lake was nearly gone. And now that Cozy took a closer look, she could see canals and pipes draining the water.





Cozy met with Flim and Flam to discuss the urgent matters.

"Explain to me why the lake is almost gone!" Cozy demanded.
"We're sorry, but Suri's cotton crops demand an enormous amount of water." Flim explained.
"We've been diverting water and using this lake as a source." Flam added.

Cozy examined the pipes, and was less than impressed with the brothers' work.

"If you're going to use the lake, would it kill you to do it right!? These pipes are leaking!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Well, we are always seeking to improve our designs, and will look into it." Flim said.
"As your leader, I command you to improve your design! Find a way to use resources without destroying the environment!" Cozy ordered.
"Balancing nature with industrial development is very difficult." Flam said.
"Well if you don't, it will be your downfall. Now fix the lake, that's an order!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy wandered off without another word, and went to check on other ponies in the village.





It had been a while, but Cozy met with the Washouts, and their new coach on their practice field.

"Cozy Glow!" they exclaimed.
"Long time no see, dude." Lightning Dust said.
"Yes, it has been a while..." Cozy said.
"I just wanna say, this gig has worked out tremendously." Lightning said.
"Having a home town to our name, our own obstacle course on the outskirts. We've never been better, and our popularity is at an all time high!" Short Fuse said.
"And it's all thanks to you, Cozy Glow." Rolling Thunder said.
"Golly, uh, thanks..." she replied.
"We even have a new trainer who's been helping us improve our flying." Lightning said. "Cozy, meet Wind Rider! Wind Rider, this is the masked flyer!"
"You should'a seen 'er earlier. She was amazin'!" Rolling Thunder said.

Wind Rider took a good look at Cozy.

"So, best little flyer in Equestria, huh." he said.
"Yeah, I'm pretty great. I can out fly anything." Cozy said. "(Except poison darts apparently...)" she muttered.
"You know, Cozy, I used to be a Wonderbolt like Rainbow Dash, and I used to hold a speed record, that was until it was broken by Dash. I tried to sabotage her before she could do it, but that sow Rarity found out my plan, and humiliated me."
"You tried to cheat to maintain your record? I'm all for manipulation, but lying to keep a speed record?" Cozy asked.
"Yeah, well, it meant a lot to me!" Wind Rider affirmed.
"You sound like a sore loser to me." Cozy smirked.
"I'm the best flyer in Equestria! Not Rainbow Dash! If I were still in my prime, I could easily reclaim the record. However, I'm past my prime, so the best I can do is pass on my knowledge. When I saw the Washouts performing, I was impressed, and I knew I had to help train you guys." Wind Rider said.
"And thanks to his expertise, our skill level has grown tremendously!" Lightning said.
"We're actually half decent at flying!" Rolling Thunder said.
"But enough about me, let's see what you got, Cozy." Wind Rider said.
*cough* "What?" Cozy asked.





The Washouts practiced their performance with Cozy. They practiced their flying, and their commentary. The three washouts stood in the center of the stage, while Wind Rider watched from the empty seats.

"And now, the long awaited return of the masked filly!" Lightning announced.

There was a pause.

*splat*

Cozy fell face first onto the ground in front of Lightning. They look at her, confused. Wind Rider watched, still waiting to be impressed.

"Well now what?" Rolling Thunder asked.
"Uh, let's practice the cannon firing act." Lightning suggested.

They placed Cozy in the cannon, and lit the fuse. The fuse sizzled, until-*BOOM*. Cozy Glow blasted out of the cannon, tumbled through the air, and into a safety net.





After their practice, they went to see if Cozy was okay. They gently carried her from the net and laid her down, and removed their helmets to examine her closer.

"I think we killed her..." Short Fuse said.

Lightning removed Cozy's helmet, revealing a very sick and queasy looking Cozy.

"You alright, kid?" Rolling Thunder asked.
"I'm fine. I've just been a little out of it lately..." Cozy replied.
"Well, you're in no condition to be performing extreme sports." Short Fuse said.
"Mind if I borrow this? Thanks."

Cozy reached over and took Rolling Thunder's helmet without asking. She then proceeded to puke into the helmet. She then gave it back when she was done.

"There you go." Cozy said, feeling relieved.
"Uh, never mind..." Rolling Thunder said.

Wind Rider was confused.

"Uh, we all have off days, right?" Lightning Dust excused.

"Cozy!" cried a distant voice.

It was Suri Polomare. She caught a glimpse of the practice session, and rushed to Cozy's aid.

"Are you alright, dear?" she asked.
"Never better..." Cozy said sickly.

Suri was disappointed in the Washouts.

"You guys are ridiculous. Firing a sick filly out of a cannon!" she said.
"She landed in the safety net..." Short Fuse said.

Suri scooped up Cozy, and put her on her back.

"Poor little thing needs her rest. She's obviously tired." Suri said. "You're in no shape to be participating in extreme sports."
"Okay, whatever..." Cozy replied, deadpan.

Suri carried Cozy to her boutique.

"So, what's Dash's speed record?" Lightning asked.
"You're not proposing to beat it, are ya?" Wind Rider asked.





At Suri's boutique, she was nice enough to put some time aside to service Cozy. Cozy was laying down on her chest, while Suri fixed her mane.

"How are you doing, dear?" Suri asked. "You seem very out of your element, m'kay."
"Horrible." Cozy replied. "I have everything I could have ever wanted, so why am I so miserable?"
"Obviously because something is troubling you." Suri replied.
"But how? We literally possess the Rainbow of Darkness. We have a weapon powerful enough to stop Twilight Sparkle dead in her tracks!"
"You're not really going to go through and unleash an ancient evil are you?" Suri asked.
"It's what Tirek and Chrysalis want. They want unlimited power to conquer Equestria for real this time." Cozy said.
"But what about what you what? What does Cozy Glow want?" Suri asked.
"I don't know. *sniff* Cozy Glow isn't even my real name. If I don't know my real name, then how do I know what I really want? If I'm not supreme ruler of Equestria, then what am I? Just a stupid annoying brat. Nopony will take me seriously unless I have extreme power on my side.*sniff* I have to defeat Twilight, it's only a matter of time before she finds me here, and does something terrible to me." Cozy lamented.
"You talk big, Cozy, but you are a small individual. Are you lying to your village by pretending to be nice? Or are you lying to Tirek and Chrysalis by pretending to be evil?" Suri asked. "What are your true colors?"

Suri's question made Cozy Glow cry. It made her think deeper than she ever had before.

"You're not pure evil. If you were, you would've used that magic dark rainbow thing already. I sense some hesitation in you." Suri said.
"I'm doing what they want because they're my... *cough* you know the word." Cozy said. "I just don't wanna say it aloud... Right now there is so much uncertainty. Twilight could still win, and heaven knows what punishment she'll give us next. And on top of all of that, I'm sick, and I'm afraid I may not be able to carry out any plan." she vented.
"And you don't want to lose your friends, again." Suri said.
"...No, I don't..." Cozy admitted.

Suri reached over and hugged Cozy Glow.

"What are you doing? Get off of me!" Cozy tried to break free. "No! Stop it! You're filling me with friendship! A poison worse than the liquid killing me right now!!"

Cozy cried uncontrollably.

"You love those two beasts in the castle, Cozy. But you're afraid to admit it, because you're worried they'll see you as weak if you do. You think they only respect you because they think you're evil." Suri said.
"Stop reading my mind!" Cozy cried.
"You don't wanna raid Canterlot, you wanna just live here, and enjoy life with your two evil doing frenemies." Suri said.
"That's not true! I do wanna raid Canterlot! As long as Twilight rules, I'm in danger!" Cozy clarified.
"The mighty Cozy Glow. You're just a sad pegasus with no friends, and an extremely abusive past. Pride is a sin, and your concern with maintaining your image is torturing you inside. You say friendship is a poison, but you have friends. Which is it?" Suri asked.
"When did you become some caring pony? You're a run down fashion designer." Cozy talked back.
"You see a lot of desperate ponies looking to reinvent themselves when you're been selling dresses for as long as I have. I've seen a thing or two. Plus, any pony whose life was ruined by Rarity is an ally of mine." Suri replied.

Suri let go, and Cozy sat up.

*sniff* "Do you still have my old bow?" Cozy asked.
"I never throw out fabric, dear. I always keep them in my discard basket."

Cozy got up, and peaked into the discarded fabric pile, and sure enough, she found her old bow.

"There's something I have to do with this." she said.





Later that evening, Cozy sat alone in the town office, thinking of more potential plans.

"Nope!"
"Terrible idea!"
"If we come in from the side, ugh, then she'll just be anticipating it!"
"What if we--nope! She could just reunite with her friends and blast us with their stupid rainbow power!"
"Ugh! Nothing I can think of is a surefire guaranteed victory!" she screamed in frustration.

Cozy picked up the book once again. This was about the seventieth time she'd done so this day alone. She read its texts in her head.
The Rainbow of Darkness is unique. It envelops its target with darkness, and turns them into an unspeakably horrible creature of dark. Cozy read the book.
"Gosh, that sounds brutal." she said.

Cozy fantasized about her, Tirek, and Chrysalis as ultimate dark beings trampling and defeating Twilight Sparkle. But in the back of her mind, she wondered if this was a bad idea. Unlike Grogar's bell which acted like a bank of magic that gave them a huge magical boost, the Rainbow of Darkness was a whole other beast. She worried that the RoD would envelop and turn her and her contemporaries into mindless shadow beasts. It seemed like a last resort, but at this point, she needed one.

Its only weakness is the Rainbow of Harmony, which is summoned whenever true friendship gathers against a great evil. she read.
"Great, so basically, we're screwed anyway! Destroying their friendship was only a temporary thing! So this time we'll just have to plain destroy them, before they can stop us!" she exclaimed.

Even Cozy wasn't evil enough to unleash something like this? Well, now that the poison was reopening her lost memories, reliving all the suffering Cozy really endured, she was even angrier, and using the darkness seemed like a tempting idea.





Late that night, Cozy returned to the castle after a long day of thinking.

"How's that plan coming along, Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"Oh, it's uh, going great." Cozy lied. "I can already hear Twilight crying for help as we crush her to pieces!"
"Great! So what is the plan?" Tirek asked.
"The plan is uh... I'm not ready to share it yet. It is too secret." Cozy said.
"We don't exactly have unlimited time. So-" Chrysalis started.
"It will be ready soon! I'm just not ready to share the details!" Cozy snapped.

The two villains onlooked in bewilderment.

"You seem frustrated, Cozy." Chrysalis said.
"Yes, and more than usual." Tirek added.
"I'm fine! I'm just overloaded with thoughts right now." Cozy said, with some anger.

Cozy walked very slowly, she seemed very unwell

*yawn* "This is a monumental undertaking, I need to sleep on it." she said.
"Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"What?!" Cozy snapped.
"Just know we're not rushing you. We're waiting patiently." Chrysalis said.
"Take all the time you need to craft a perfect plan." Tirek said.
*cough* "Thanks guys, but, I wish time was on my side..." Cozy lamented.

Cozy walked up the castle stairs to her room.

"At least they're finally being considerate, but it might be too late." Cozy said under her breath.





Upstairs, Magnolia was already waiting for her.

"There you are, what have you been doing all day?" Magnolia asked.
"Useless antics..." Cozy said, exhausted. "Typical stuff you'd expect from a filler arc."
"You've been way too busy given your condition." Mag said.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Cozy said. "What have you found out about the poison coursing through my veins?"
"I've been researching the poison with the doctor all day and..." Maggie's voice trailed off.
"Show don't tell, Maggie! Show me what you've found." Cozy said.
"Do you want me to tell you, or should I just-" she was interrupted.
"Give me the findings!" Cozy demanded.

Magnolia paused before replying.

"Let's just say, whatever you have planned, you better do it sooner than later..." she said reluctantly.
"Why?! Is the news bad?" Cozy asked.

Magnolia stood with her lips closed.

"Since you won't talk, let me guess, and please stop me if I state an incorrect fact. The poison is deadly, there's no cure, and I only have a few days left to live!" Cozy exclaimed.

Magnolia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Cozy..." she said.

Cozy's heart sank, but she covered it up with more anger.

*SLAM*

Cozy slammed her door on Magnolia.

*sigh* "Now that she knows, I better tell the other two. If we can't cure her with science, maybe they, or someone else, can work some magic." Magnolia said aloud.





Late that night, Cozy was struggling to sleep.

"It's okay. Don't stress out. Think happy thoughts. What's something even remotely happy that's happened in your life? How about the time you met Tirek? That'll do."

Thinking happy thoughts made her drowsy, and she quickly fell asleep. She had a dream, but it was really a flashback to past events.





*Flashback to Cozy's time at Twilight's school*

Shortly after the events of Marks for Effort, she spent many hours in the library reading about the tree of friendship. But of course, she had big ambitions, so big in fact, that it would require some help.

"If I'm going to make this work, I gotta do something about Twilight Sparkle." she thought. "I'm never going to succeed with Twilight and her friends watching over me. I need some way to get them out of my hair. If I'm going to make this work, I'm going to need some help. Let's see."

Cozy thought about who to recruit for help. She read the journal, which listed all of the villains Twilight had previously defeated.

"Let's see..." she pondered.

"Nightmare Moon is Princess Luna's alter ego. Luna is too loyal to Twilight, that's not going to work."

"Queen Chrysalis was last seen fleeing from her hive after Starlight and Thorax took it over. She could be anywhere in disguise."

"And then there's King Sombra. He's dead. I think. Blasted by Princess Cadance and the Crystal Heart Nope."

"The Sirens of mythology. I'd love to meet them, but even if they were real, legend has it Starswirl banished them to another world. Kind of hard to contact."

"The Storm King, eh? What even is he king of? There's so much not known about him, but he's dead anyway, so scratch him off."

"Tempest Shadow is a powerful skilled fighter, but she's off spreading the message of friendship." *blegh*

"Ahuizotl may be the main antagonist of the Daring Do books, but allegedly he's a real creature who exists in our world. I'll put him in the 'hard maybe' category."

"Starlight Glimmer has magic that rivals the alicorn princesses, but now she's Twilight Sparkle's buddy. No way am I going to convince her."

"Discord is also buddy buddy with Twilight Sparkle, but he's still very mischievous still, so I doubt he'll take on full traitor again. He's been on their side ever since his last betrayal, when he teamed up with... *gasp* that's it!"

A light bulb went off in Cozy's mind. There was one obvious choice.

"There's one villain who's not dead, not indoctrinated by friendship, and whose whereabouts are known! He's sitting pretty in Tartarus, waiting for his next moment to shine. Hehehe! Time to send a calling card." Cozy grinned.
"I'm coming for you, Lord... T-t-t-Tire-





*Flashback to a much earlier memory*

"TIREK!"a group of fillies cried in fear. (Cozy's dream suddenly segued into a much earlier memory. A memory that precedes her time in the hospital).

"Yes, it is. I'm glad you all recognize the famed centaur of legend. I really wanted to convey his likeness in my painting." narrated the blue haired filly with the rook cutie mark.
"Well, although it is scary, it is very well done. You get full marks on your assignment." the teacher said.

The teacher trotted to the next painting to grade.

"And Brenda, commendable effort from you as well." the teacher gave her a B+.

Brenda was most furious that she got a lower grade than Cozy.

"You did pretty well, Brenda." Cozy complimented.
"Oh shut up, you! I don't wanna hear it! I don't wanna be your friend!" Brenda exclaimed.

The words shocked, but didn't surprise Cozy.





Later that day, it was almost time for class to be dismissed. This was the last day of school, after it was done, the students would move to the next grade. Cozy tried to cheer up Brenda.

"It's a shame this is the end, bickering aside, it's been an interesting year for both of-" Cozy started.
"Oh cut it out! I'm so sick of your fake attitude! You keep saying you wanna be friends, and that you've learned so much from reading about Twilight Sparkle. But you're just a sad pathetic pegasus looking to get the upper hoof on others!"
"...Well, takes on to know one." Cozy fired back.

Brenda fumed, but she took deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Forget it. You're not worth it. I won't even see you again after today." Brenda said to herself.
"You know, for everything you've done to me, I have one final parting gift." Cozy said.
*slap* Cozy slapped Brenda's flank.
"Oh, that does it!" she exclaimed.

*fight* Brenda leaped and tackled Cozy. They both threw punches in each other's faces.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" the teacher broke up the fight with her magic. "I don't know who started it! You're both expelled!"
"But teacher!" the fillies said simultaneously.
"No buts! Office! Now!" she exclaimed.





Later that evening, Brenda and Cozy sat in detention, waiting for their parents. Cozy was furiously writing in her notebook.

"Easy. Any more force, and you'll pierce the table." Brenda teased.
"Shut up!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Alright, girls. Time's up. Brenda, your mom's outside, you can go." the teacher called.
"That's my cue. I bet no one's even coming for you." Brenda teased.

The unicorn filly got up, and left the room. Cozy put her hooves against her face and cried.

"What am I going to do? Pappy's going to kill me when I tell him I was expelled before graduating, and that I won't be moving up a grade."

But then, Cozy realized there was a silver lining to this situation.

"No matter! Who needs normal school? I was going to beg him to enroll me into Twilight's school anyway, and since it's not EEA approved, my previous progress doesn't matter! At Twilight's school anything is possible. I'll show Brenda real magic. I'll show all of them!"
*ahem* the teacher interrupted.
"What do you want?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Are you parents coming, dear?" the teacher asked.
"No, they aren't. My dad never pick me up, and he isn't going to start now!" Cozy replied.

The pegasus got up and walked home by herself.





Cozy had arrived at her home. It was a small one story house. She opened the door and went inside.

"Pappy, I'm home!" she cried.

Cozy found herself in her house. She just lived with her dad. He was an exhausted horse, who had little time to listen to Cozy's woes.

"I uh, today was a rough day, but don't panic, I have some good news." she said. "Pappy?"

It seemed he wasn't home, but that rarely was the case. Most of the time he hid away in his room away from Cozy.

*ugh* Cozy threw her saddle bag at a table. It knocked over several papers. Cozy went to pick them up, but some of the contents caught her attention.

"Hmm?" Cozy picked it upa binder, and read the cover. "Hmm, Project A.L.1.C.0.R.N." she read.

Cozy opened it, and found an illustration of an alicorn filly, with her mom and dad. She read the caption below.

"Oh, my dear *illegible writing* our child is going to be amazing. And if luck is on our side, then the experiment is going to work, and you're gonna give birth to a beautiful alicorn."

*drip* a single tear fell onto the picture.

"What is this? That's not what happened..." Cozy cried. "I'm not a special alicorn. I'm just a pegasus, and mommy is- AH! Daddy?!"

Her dad appeared suddenly from behind.

"Oh, my dear. You weren't supposed to ever see that." he said, nervous.
"What is this? What's going on?" Cozy asked.
*sigh* "You mom and I were very close. We were both fascinated by alicorn lore and legend. We met while studying biological engineering in university. After graduating, and years of dating we both got the same idea. We wanted our child to be the most special pony in Equestria. So uh, a few... steps later, your mom was pregnant with you. I knew our plan was a long shot. The forces of nature seem to forbid a pony being born with both wings and a horn naturally, but we held out faith." he explained. "Since it's known that genes can be recessive. In fact, in Ponyville, an earth pony gave birth to a unicorn, and a pegasus. We thought that we could express both the unicorn, and pegasus gene in one pony."

Cozy of course, was just a pegasus.

"So I'm a... mistake?" she cried.
"Only in a technical sense! But, you're still my-"
"But I'm not an alicorn like you wanted. I'm not perfect, and mom's not here because of me." she said.
"No matter what, you're my daughter!" he affirmed.

Cozy paused, then lashed out.

"So you killed her! Not me!" Cozy exclaimed. "You told me she died giving birth! But it was your gene splicing experiment that killed her! And for what? All you got out of it was a pathetic little pegasus!"
"That's enough!" he yelled.

Her dad walked off, and locked himself in the other room.

"I'm not finished with you!" Cozy rushed to the door, and banged her head against it.

"Come out and look me in the face! Don't you wanna know how my last day of school went?! I got f****** expelled! They're holding me back a grade! But don't fret, Princess Twilight Sparkle has her own school! I think it's the perfect match for me!" Cozy exclaimed. "If Princess Celestia can make Twilight Sparkle from unicorn to alicorn, then she absolutely can do the same to me! And if she doesn't then we'll force them to! Against their will! We'll force them to relinquish all their magic to me! And I'll become the most powerful alicorn princess to ever--*SLAM* *SHATTER*





*SHATTER* Something traumatic happened in her flashback, and the timing coincided with Cozy in the present time, crashing her head against a mirror, and shattering it. The shards cut part of her face, and blood dripped below. She was hyperventilating after reconnecting with memories she thought she had forgotten.

The other creatures in the castle heard the noise, and rushed up to see what had happened.

"Cozy!"
"Are you okay?"
"What happened?"

"I remember everything now." she growled. "I knew that it was my destiny to take over Equestria, but now I know the events that led me down that path!"
> Chapter 18: Keep Your Enemies Close
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the previous chapter, Cozy Glow was finally able to remember the events that set her on her path through life. The shocking recollection of the events woke her violently, and she crashed her head in a mirror when she remembered the violent blow dealt by her own father. Here in the present time, Cozy was laying down in bed, while Magnolia and Chrysalis were wrapping bandages around her head. Most of her head and face was now obscured by bandages. She even needed a patch over her left eye. Tirek was also there, watching over them.





"I know it should go without saying, but try NOT to bang your head against mirrors." Magnolia scolded.
"I was having a dramatic reliving of my past, cut me some slack..." Cozy said.
"You did overreact just a little." Chrysalis said.
"He tried to kill me!" Cozy exclaimed. "It all makes sense now! Before last night, waking up at that hospital and being greeted by Brenda and her mom was my earliest memory. Brenda was referencing our time in school, and the fight that got us expelled, but none of it made any sense. Whatever hit my head, it caused me to forget everything that preceded that moment."
"So that's the story of Cozy Glow, huh." Tirek said.
*sigh* "Yep. A mistake of a pegasus who failed fillyschool, so my own caregiver tried to get rid of me. But he failed, and I lived. So I went to Twilight's school, on a desperate quest for power. And look where that got me..." Cozy said.
"But you told us earlier you couldn't remember your caregiver. Why has your memory started to unlock now?" Chrysalis asked.
"That's a good question, but I have an idea." Magnolia said. "Among the things we learned from studying the poison, we found that it affects the brain in interesting ways. I wonder if somehow the poison has unlocked the inner sanctums of Cozy's mind."
"Great, it's killing me, and it's forcing me to remember my awful past..." Cozy said.

Cozy moaned, and covered her face. She was having trouble coping with the inevitable.

"Tire, Chryssie, do you mind fetching me some ice?" Cozy requested.
"But of course." Tirek said.

The two villains went downstairs, leaving Cozy and Magnolia alone.

"Why do you need ice, Cozy?" Mag asked.
"Because there's something I need to say to you alone, Maggie." Cozy said. "Now that it's just the two of us, I have some things to get out of the way."

Cozy reached behind her, and pulled out her old bow, and gave it to Magnolia.

"Here, you can have it back if you want." she said.

Magnolia held the bow, and sat, a little bewildered.

"Suri Polomare gave me a new bow when we met, but this one here is the original one. The one I wore encased in stone, as an alicorn, in Grogar's lair, in Tartarus, in Twilight's school, on the train from my home town. Yeah, we've been through a lot together. Here you go, it's your old bow that your mum gave me, Brenda."

Tears ran down Magnolia's face when she heard Cozy speak that name. A name nopony had called her in years.

"So you do remember me... I'm sorry, Cozy, for everything. This whole thing is my fault..." she said.
"Why the double name anyway? You try to cover your tracks?" Cozy asked.
"My mom wanted me to be named Brenda, but my dad called me Magnolia, so they just called me whatever each of them wanted. At school, I told the teacher to call me Brenda, but when I joined the royal guard, I took the name my dad called me to honor him." she answered.
"Well aren't you lucky to have parents to look up to." Cozy hissed.
"Look, I'm sorry you had such a rough childhood. I know I definitely didn't help matters..." Magnolia apologized.
"So why did you decide to help me now in the present?" Cozy asked.
"Because if I could go from petty school bully to a royal guard saving lives, I thought there was a path for you." Magnolia said. "I wanted to believe that there was somepony worth saving."
"And well, what have you found?" Cozy asked.
"You know what, Cozy? If you were truly an irredeemable monster incapable of making friends, then you wouldn't have made friends with Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis, but you did." Mag said.
"Is it that obvious?" Cozy asked.
"You guys are a team! You do everything together. The old Tirek and Chrysalis would've already unleashed the Rainbow of Darkness upon Equestria. They're waiting for your plan, and for you to lead them to victory." Magnolia said.
"Yeah, I am pretty awesome." Cozy smirked.
"You created something truly terrifying. Equestria's biggest baddies, working together. It never would've happened were it not for you. If Discord had just gathered Chrysalis, Tirek, and Sombra, but not you, then the lead up to Twilight's coronation would have been a lot more boring. Chrysalis and Tirek would have raged solo attacks on Equestria just like Sombra did, and look how far he got. And they most certainly never would've been able to retrieve Grogar's bell without you. You're the one who took the idea of friendship (cooperation), and twisted it, and the three of you formed the fiercest legion in Equestria." Magnolia said.
"So, my life hasn't been a complete waste after all..." Cozy wept.
"Yet in spite of all that, somehow you need them more than they need you." Magnolia said. "I know that my mom and I were hardly great caregivers, and your parents, um, *ahem* you know. And then what? You lied to Twilight, and just like that, she showed you no sympathy and put you in Tartarus and stone without second guessing. They hate you, Cozy. The only creatures who ever gave you true positive reinforcement, ironically, were Equestria's meanest creatures."

Cozy had a lot to consider. She hadn't really thought about things from this perspective.

"So now what? If I say anything like this to them, they're gonna think I'm weak, and disregard me. And if they don't respect me, no one in Equestria will." Cozy cried.
"Obviously they have a much different idea of positivity than most of Equestria. You don't have to tell them what a pony would say, instead, prove once and for you're on the same page as them, by doing what they want. And I think you know what that is." Magnolia said.
"So you're just cool with our plan for world domination?" Cozy asked.
"Hey, I'm just here for the ride. Do whatever feels right. Things always balance out, and if Twilight is destined to fall, then she will." Mag said.
"Don't say that, if events are decided by fate, then we're guaranteed to lose, because evil has lost every time in Equestria." Cozy said.
*sigh* "Remember what matters most, Cozy. If overthrowing Twilight Sparkle is the only way you'll feel salvation, then go for it. But if you think there's a way to win the respect of those two without an invasion, maybe consider it. Really think it through. But whatever you're gonna do, you better do it quick. You don't have much time remaining I'm afraid." she said.

Cozy stomach sickened.

*cough* "I can't tell if this is better or worse than stone. In stone, stupid Twilight got the satisfaction of winning, but at least I was with them. Death is odd. I don't know what happens when you die..." she lamented.
"Well, then I hope you make these last few days count." Magnolia said.

Cozy took a deep breath.

"Okay, I know what needs to be done." she said.





In the castle meeting room, Cozy sat at the thinking table with Tirek and Chrysalis to discuss urgent matters.

"Our long journey of discovery has culminated to this moment. As you two know, we were fortunate enough to succeed in our efforts, and find the Rainbow of Darkness. It's the plot macguffin that's going to push us over the edge, and allow us to defeat Twilight Sparkle and conquer Equestria once and for all." Cozy said. "The time has come to unleash its power, and invade."
"Finally." Tirek said.
"Oh, I've been waiting for this moment." Chrysalis said. "We won't be beat this time."
"Yep. It's the moment you've all been waiting for. Today is the day that we unleash the biggest baddest spell Equestria will ever experience." Cozy beamed.

The villains all got giddy thinking about their upcoming revenge plan. Using the power of Grogar's bell was exciting enough, and they were foaming at the mouth for the opportunity to wield an item even more powerful.

"We will show no mercy. Reliving my horrible past reminded me why we need to do this. I want everyone in Equestria to suffer worse than I did! We'll crush our enemies to dust, and laugh as they all-*COUGH COUGH* Cozy fainted.





Cozy woke up, lying on her back in a bed.

"Cozy?" Tirek asked.
"Are you okay?" Chrysalis asked.
"Okay, so slight asterisk, you guys are going to have to do this without me..." Cozy said, softly.

The two were shocked by what she said.

"What!? No!" Tirek exclaimed.
"There's no way we're invading without you! We're in this together!" Chrysalis said.
"I'm afraid to say it, but Equestria is just gonna have to tackle the classic villains this time. And then there's poor old me, who was injected with a fatal dose of poison... and well, I guess my time is up.

Her villains started to panic.

"No! There's gotta be something we can do right now!" Chrysalis said.
"We can still do this together! The Rainbow will rejuvenate you!" Tirek suggested.
"Nah, it doesn't work that way. The darkness creates voids, not life. Worst case scenario, it'll just kill me the moment I use it..." Cozy lamented. "The darkness is a gamble anyway, it will either make us glorious, or it'll rapidly consume our minds."
"There has to be something we can do!" Tirek cried.
"I'm afraid not this time..." Cozy's voice faded.

Tirek put his hand close to Cozy, and to his surprise, Cozy reached forward and grabbed his hand, and embraced it next to her.

*sniff* "Oh Tire... Come here, Chrissie." Cozy said.

Chrysalis put her front limb to Cozy. Cozy embraced the limbs of her two villainous partners.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you. *sniff* But, I guess disappointing you guys isn't anything you aren't used to..." Cozy said. "I've always been out of place here... You guys are super powerful, and well, I'm just a fragile little pegasus..."
"What are you talking about, Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"You're the reason we made it this far at all!" Tirek exclaimed.
"Without you, we wouldn't even be discussing how to use our unstoppable weapon to conquer Equestria!" Chrysalis said. "You honestly are the best of us three."
*sniff* "Thanks guys, your words mean the world to me..." Cozy sobbed. "I couldn't have asked for two better partners in crime than you guys... But unfortunately, it's curtains for me..." Cozy said.

Cozy's voice trailed off and faded, and she slowly closed her eyes... Tirek picked up Cozy Glow slowly, and he-

"NO! COZY, YOU CAN'T DIE!" Tirek exclaimed while violently shaking Cozy.
"Stop it! Violence isn't the answer to this problem!" Chrysalis cried.
"Then, *sob* then what is?" Tirek asked, putting her down.
"I don't know!" Chrysalis exclaimed. Tears erupted from the changeling queen. "Can things possibly get any worse?!"

They needed a miracle to come through the ceiling. And well, this happened...

*boom*
*crash*

Something powerful came crashing through the ceiling, and landed on the ground in front of them.

"So, you three thought you could hide forever, but I found you! And now you're going to pay for the damage you've done, once and for all!"

It was none other than-

"Twilight Sparkle?!" Tirek and Chrysalis exclaimed.

Indeed, before them stood THE Princess Twilight Sparkle!

"That's right, and you three are in for a world of hurt." Twilight growled. "I'm going to make sure you three never see the light of day again!"
"Wait! This isn't a good time!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"No it isn't! For you three, it's never a good time, because your time is up!" Twilight exclaimed, as her horn lit up.

Tirek and Chrysalis were ready to defend Cozy with their lives. Chrysalis shot magic at Twilight, but she dodged it. Tirek lunged forward and grabbed Twilight, and pinned her against the wall.

*oof* Twilight grunted.
"You've interfered with us for the last time, Twilight Sparkle!" Tirek reeled back his fist.
"Woah woah woah! Time out!" Twilight's voice changed.
"What the?!" Tirek asked, perplexed.
"You guys are no fun. Everything's so serious when it comes to the legion of doom." Twilight said, but now, she sounded just like...
"Discord?!" The two exclaimed.
"What the hell's going on?" Cozy woke up.

*snap*
*poof*

Twilight disappeared, and reappeared as Discord had appeared.

"I can't believe we fell for your stupid shapeshifting again." Chrysalis mumbled.
"What are you doing here?!" Tirek asked.
"What, a former villain can't pay a visit to current villains?" Discord asked.
"No! Not one bit!" Tirek said.
"Would you just go away!?" Chrysalis hissed.
"And miss out on the chance to catch up with what each of us have been up to?" Discord asked.

Discord leaned in on Cozy.

"I hate you, Discord. You made made my life a living hell! You made my life miserable, when I already had enough misery. I'll never forgive you for what you did to me!" Cozy scowled.
"Geez. Cold reception." Discord said.
"Why do you think? Huh?! Use your brain for two seconds, and you'll know why we don't like you!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Discord backed away when she shouted.

"Well, if you lot aren't interested in any fun, then I suppose I ought'a get back to work then." he said.

*snap*

Chains appeared around Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow.

"I was assigned a mission to retrieve you three, so I may as well move forward with that agenda." Discord said.
"NO! STOP!" Cozy cried. "You want this to be the last thing a dying child sees before they die? Do you?"
"Huh?" Discord said.

He leaned close to see what was wrong. He put on a doctor's coat, put a stethoscope to her chest, and even x-rayed her body.

*scan*

"Oh dear, you are in trouble." Discord said. "You have a rare poison compound in your bloodstream. Where have you been sticking your nose into?" Discord asked.
"That doesn't matter. It hurts, and I'm afraid this might be it for me." Cozy cried.
"You must help us." Tirek begged.
"If you do not help her, she may not see the sun rise tomorrow." Chrysalis pleaded.
"Is that so..." Discord pondered.

Discord put his claw to his mouth, and gave this a hard thinking.

"We haven't done anything bad since we've been free. In fact, look outside. Look at all the ponies inhabiting this little town we originally set up as a secret temporary hideaway." Cozy said.

Discord looked outside, and saw the bustling town of ponies. He even noticed a flagpole with the flag Cozy had designed, showing the unity of the three.

"You three have established quite the little community I see." Discord said.
"We established a place where ponies who feel out of place can congregate, and find a place of belonging." Cozy said.
"Well, Twilight did want to show her student kindness, so I guess I owe it to myself to be nice to creatures in need." Discord said. "Alright I'll help."
"Great. So is there anything you can do to get rid of her ailment?" Chrysalis asked.
"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do. I'm the chaos lord. I create disorder, not order. So nothing I can do can remove the poison from her, or heal her back to health." Discord admitted.

The villains' mood flipped quickly.

"Well if you're of no use, then get out!" Chrysalis shouted.
"Hold on! Even though I can't help directly, I definitely know an alicorn princess who can." Discord said.
"What? No!" Chrysalis and Tirek said simultaneously.
"No way!" Cozy cried. "No way am I seeing Twilight Sparkle!"
"Then do you would rather die a painful death by poison?" Discord asked. "Put aside all hatred temporarily, and I can help."
"Why should we trust you? You lied to EVERYONE with your pathetic Grogar prank." Tirek said.
"Well, to you too! Hiding the bell from me and not telling. What a very dishonest thing to do." Discord said.
"And do you know who told us to retrieve the bell?!" Tirek exclaimed.

Chrysalis interjected their argument.

"Stop it! We don't have time to argue about the past right now!" Chrysalis said.
"Alright, since time is of the essence, I'll make you an offer you can't resist." Discord said. "Should you accept, I will take little Cozy Glow to Canterlot, where I promise she will be safe from any scrutiny. We'll find a way to cure her of her ailment, and nurse her back to full health. Once she's cured, I'll bring her right back here, where we'll resume this encounter, free of any dilemma."

Cozy nodded no heavily, but the two baddies thought about what Discord had said, and with a heavy sigh, they realized there was no other option.

"You promise your deal is what you say? No strings attached?" Chrysalis asked.
"You have my word. Make this deal with me, and saving Cozy Glow shall become my number one priority." Discord said.
"Do you really trust Discord?" Cozy asked.
"Not one bit." Tirek replied.
"But would you trust me if it meant saving the little pegasus?" Discord asked.

Cozy was getting worse by the minute, so they reached a verdict.

*sigh* "Only because there's no other way." Tirek said.
"It's a deal, Discord." Chrysalis said.

They each shook with Discord, and accepted his offer.





A few moments later, they were nearly set to go. Magnolia had joined them, and they decided that she would tag along, while the villains stayed at the village.

"Oh, and one last thing." Discord said.

*snap*

Chains appeared around Tirek and Chrysalis and confined them in place.

"I knew this was a bad idea!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Traitor! You already broke our deal!" Tirek shouted.
"Calm down. This is only temporary so I be make sure that the world won't end while I'm gone." Discord said.
"You don't trust us to not cause trouble, but you expect us to trust you to not do anything bad!?" Chrysalis asked.
"Pretty much. I'm not the one who tried to take over Equestria leading up to Twilight's coronation." Discord said.
"You're literally the one who assembled us! You're to blame for the attack more so than us!" Tirek exclaimed.
"It was all in good-" Discord started, but was interrupted.
"So what did the princesses do? They locked us away in stone for doing what YOU told us to do! And despite your screw up, they welcomed you with open arms while they let us sit and rot in purgatory for years!" Chrysalis ranted.
"Okay, I get it. You're still a little touchy about that. But I guarantee you that Cozy's in good hands." Discord assured.
"Your promises mean nothing." Tirek said.
"Hey, don't worry. Don't forget, I'm going too, and I'll be sure to keep him in check." Magnolia affirmed.

With that, they were almost set.

"Are we ready to go?" Discord asked.
"Her clock is ticking, so I'd say so." Mag replied.
"So there you have it. I promise to cure Cozy Glow of her ailment, and then I'll bring her back here." Discord said.
"And in exchange, Tirek and I remain in the castle, no trickery, until you return." Chrysalis added.

Discord nodded.

*snap* *poof* Discord snapped his fingers, and he, Cozy, and Magnolia were gone, which left Tirek and Chrysalis alone. However, the Chrysalis in the castle room *poof* transformed into the real Magnolia! Her change in size freed her from the chains. Unbeknownst to Discord, the unicorn tagging along was really Chrysalis. Cozy and Tirek were in on it however.

*phew* "Shapeshifting spells are really hard! Changelings make it look so easy." Magnolia said.
"Nice idea with to swap the roles, now Chrysalis will keep a watchful eye over them." Tirek said.
"Indeed. But for now, I suppose we'll give Discord the benefit of the doubt. I suspect that Cozy has at least three days left. If they're not back within two, we may just have to handle things ourselves." Magby said.
"Oh, but we promised Discord we wouldn't end the world while he was helping us." Tirek said sarcastically.
"Discord has broken enough promises to fill the ocean. And as Cozy would say, nothing beats a good backstabbing." Mag said, grinning.

As you may have noticed, they managed to keep the Rainbow of Darkness a secret from Discord, and so it remained hidden under the castle.





Discord brought Cozy Glow to the Ponyville hospital. Chrysalis joined Discord disguised as Magnolia the unicorn. Discord placed Cozy Glow in a bed in a private room. He picked Ponyville to keep her hidden better. Cozy laid in a hospital bed, while Discord and disguised Chrysalis looked over her. Discord had set up curtains to hide Cozy from potential spectators, but it didn't take long for that rule to be broken.

"What's going on in here?" A pinkish unicorn peered through the curtain, and her jaw dropped. "Cozy Glow!?"
It was none other than Luster Dawn. Twilight's faithful student, who just so happened to be in the building.
"Hey, no visitors." Discord said.

Luster walked in anyway.

"You! You're the little brat who stole my magic! You guys never returned it to me by the way. Princess Twilight had to give me a reserve of magic so I could continue magic studies." Luster said.
"Oh right, that was a thing we did some time ago..." Cozy said, sickly.
"And I wasn't there for the record, I'm just a unicorn helping out..." Chrysalis lied.
"Yeah, that was kind of mean of you guys." Luster said.

Cozy felt overwhelmed by Luster's criticisms, and her illness started back up.

*cough cough* "Never mind that, I need your help." Cozy coughed.
"What's wrong with her?" Luster asked.

Luster examined Cozy Glow.

"We came because we were hoping some powerful magic could cure her. What do you think?" Discord asked Luster.
"I've never seen a condition like this. I wouldn't know where to start." Luster admitted.
"Well, if you have nothing to offer, then I suppose I'll get Twilight and-" Discord started.
"NO!" Luster and Cozy cried simultaneously.

Discord was surprised that they both shared the same sentiment.

"I mean, no need to get Twilight. I'm pretty sure we can handle this ourselves." Luster said.
"Just think about it, Lusty. Twilight Sparkle wanted you to reform us, and she'll be so proud of you if you cured me, and made that happen." Cozy said.

Luster put her horn up to Cozy, and took a much closer look into her condition.

"Alright, this is much more serious than I thought..." she said, anxiously.
"So, you still think you're up to the task?" Chrysalis asked.
"I think so. It's nothing out of the realm of impossibility." Luster said, nervously.
"Look, kid. As much as we appreciate your help, we need an expert, not an apprentice." Chrysalis said.
"She has a point. I'm sure you mean well, but there's a lot at stake here." Discord said.
"Well, you know what, the princess herself, Princess Twilight Sparkle trusted me to help her. She wouldn't have tasked me if she didn't believe in me!" Luster said.

Cozy Glow was getting impatient. She had only a few days left, and the only thing going on in the room was arguing. So she came up with a way to get their attention.

"AH! Oh! The pain! I I feel it! I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel!" Cozy cried. "I think this is it for me!"
"We're losing her! Do something!" Chrysalis cried.

Luster panicked, and in a desperate attempt to save Cozy, she came up quick and desperate spell. Her horn lit up, and shot a magic beam at Cozy's head.

*MAGIC BEAM*

Both of their eyes glowed, and a beam of light connected their heads together. The magic stopped, and Cozy's body fell back like a stone. Discord put his hand to Cozy, but no pulse, and no response!

"You killed her!" Discord exclaimed.
"Oh my gosh! I-I-I didn't mean for-" Luster panicked.
"What did you do?!" Chrysalis hissed at Luster. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she shook Luster.
"I-I-I panicked. I couldn't think of anything else to do in a pinch. So I tried to-GOLLY, WHAT HAPPENED?!" Luster's voice changed at the end of that sentence.

...

There was an awkward pause in the room.

"What the?" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Where am I? What year is it? Why do I feel so tall?" a high pitch voice came from Luster's mouth.

Luster looked at her hooves. "Oh..."
"Cozy Glow?" they asked.
"Wow, this is unexpected..." Cozy said. "I'm you! Rather, I'm in you?!"

Cozy Glow was still around, but her voice came from Luster Dawn? Yes, indeed. Luster's spell had taken Cozy's consciousness, and put it into Luster's mind! The two of them now shared Luster's body! Both Luster and Cozy's voices came from Luster's mouth. It was easy to tell based on the pitch who was talking.

"What the? Why would you do this!?" Chrysalis asked.
"I panicked, okay! The only thing I could think to do was to transport Cozy's consciousness into me to preserve her soul before it was lost." Luster explained.
"But, what do we do about the body? This doesn't solve anything!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Well, I suppose it is still salvageable. And this does buy us more time." Discord said. "So here's what I'm thinking, we rid Cozy Glow's body of the poison, make her body suitable again, and then she can return to her body at full health."
"This is the most ridiculous plan imaginable." Chrysalis growled.
"I mean, it isn't so bad. Living with Luster for a few days might not be such a bad thing." Cozy said.
"If that's what it takes, then I suppose so..." Chrysalis said.
"Don't worry, we'll work up some kind of miracle cure spell to help Cozy." Luster said.
"Or you could just go get Twilight for help." Discord suggested.
"Twilight can't know that Cozy is here!" Cozy said.
"I doubt she'd be too hostile to a dying filly." Discord said.
"I also doubted she'd put a filly in Tartarus and in stone, but here we are." Cozy said. "Come, Luster, we have business elsewhere."

Luster trotted out of the room. Where she was going? I don't know, probably off to look for a curing spell. Luster now had to live with Cozy's voice ringing in her head.

"A bit unorthodox, but I appreciate the effort you're going through to help me, Lusty." Cozy said.
"Don't worry about it. So do you promise to be good if we can cure your body?" Luster asked.
"If you can do that, then I absolutely will." Cozy replied.
"I'm glad to hear that, Cozy. I look forward to witnessing the new you!" Luster replied.





Cozy promised Luster to be good if she could heal her body back to health. But of course, what is Cozy to do while stuck in Luster's mind? Was Cozy ready to turn over a new leaf and show gratitude to the ponies trying to help her? Well, let's just say, she picked her words carefully when she made that deal. Until her body was fixed, she didn't owe anypony anything. And you better believe that Cozy Glow had her own ideas. Sorry, some things don't change quite that easily.
> Chapter 19: Total Control
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously, in a last ditch effort attempt to save Cozy Glow from the fatal poison in her body, Luster Dawn used a spell to take Cozy's consciousness, and put it inside her own mind. Now Cozy Glow's consciousness inhabited Luster Dawn. Cozy was basically a voice inside Luster's head now. Because Luster was the host, she remained mostly in control, while Cozy could only speak, and see from the same viewpoint. The hope was that this would buy more time while Discord tried to find a way to get the poison out of Cozy's physical body, and restore her to full health.





In the meantime, Luster Dawn was nice enough to show Cozy Glow around Canterlot and Ponyville the following morning, to see how much has changed since she's been gone.

"I know we had two rushed and awkward introductions, so allow me to reintroduce myself, Cozy. I'm Luster Dawn. One of Twilight's magic students." she said.
"So you're to Twilight what Twilight was to Celestia?" Cozy asked.
"I guess that's one way of looking at it." Luster replied, blushing.
"So does that mean you're gonna grow wings, become a princess, and Twilight's gonna pass the duty of supreme ruler to you and retire?" Cozy asked.

That was a loaded question Cozy asked, and it overwhelmed Luster.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far. That's a lot to think about at once." Luster said, anxious. "Not to mention, Celestia was princess for more than a millennium. Twilight's only been ruler since... how long were you in stone?"

Cozy gave Luster the silent treatment and didn't entertain her comment.

"Too soon?" she asked.





Later, Luster toured around Twilight's school of friendship.

"You remember this place, right, Cozy?" she asked.
"All too well..." she replied, slightly deadpan.

Luster walked by a glass case in the school, which contained some very particular objects.

"And this here case is what holds the-" Luster started, but Cozy's voice chimed in.
"The Amulet of Aurora, the Talisman of Mirage, the Helm of Yksler, the Crown of Grover, Knuckerbocker's Shell, and Clover the Clever's Cloak..." Cozy said, enamoured.
"Right you are. Glad you retained the knowledge you learned in school." Luster complimented.

She thought about how Cozy nearly used the six artifacts to banish all the magic in Equestria to another dimension.

"They kept the artifacts here? Even after my... stunt?" Cozy asked.
"Looks to be that way. They are important symbols of learning after all. So they're best utilized here at the school where everyone can admire them." Luster said.

From inside Luster's mind, Cozy looked at the artifacts. Luster got the hint that Cozy was getting ideas looking at them.

"I can read your thoughts, Cozy. Even if you wanted to try your little spell again, it wouldn't work." Luster said.
"Oh. I would never. True insanity is doing the exact same thing and expecting a different outcome." Cozy said, innocently.
"You're in no position to be crafting any nefarious schemes. Your body is with us, and your mind is with me. You ain't got nothing." Luster winked.
"I would never try to fudge a plan when I'm clearly in such a disadvantaged state." Cozy said. "I do hope someone is able to cure my body and return me to normal."
"Don't worry, Cozy. I'm here to help, really." Luster said.

Luster's kind words warmed Cozy slightly.





Meanwhile, in the same building, Chrysalis explored the school, disguised as the unicorn named Magnolia. One of her main objectives was a mission closer to home. She talked to every Changeling she could get within proximity to, and asked a ton of questions. This was all in an effort to see if she could find a way to reverse their reformation, and have them feed on love again.

She found a tall green Changeling who looked smart, so she decided to pester them for information.

"Excuse me, Changeling." Chrysalis was less than subtle with her questions. "With your queen no longer in power, how are new Changelings being created?"
"You know, now that you mention it to me, I think King Thorax did mention something to that concern." they said.
"What? What did he say?" she asked, concerned.
"Something about concerns regarding Changeling population." they said.
"What?!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"Don't quote me, I'm not an expert." the changeling said. "But it has something to do with our new forms I think."

Now that this was brought to Chrysalis' attention, she had noticed that all the Changelings she encountered were past adolescence.

I had no idea that Changelings were in such bad shape. If they were in trouble, then it's up to me to revert them back to their old ways, starting with this drone. Chrysalis thought.

She noticed two ponies giving each other an intense stare. She saw an opportunity.

"Those two ponies look like they're in love." Chrysalis pointed out.
"Bleh. Public signs of affection make me uncomfortable." the changeling said.
"Doesn't it make you... hungry?" she asked.

*grumble*

"You're right. It's almost lunch time! I don't wanna be at the back of the line!" The Changeling ran off.

*Hmph* "Guess they haven't gotten smarter. If anything, they're pushovers now. They'd never survive an invasion. Hmm..." she thought.

Her own kind was proving ineffective, so she turned her attention to a random unicorn who happened to look smart.

"Excuse me, citizen, where do I go to research Changeling population?" Chrysalis asked.

The pony raised their eyebrow at the unusual question.

"Just uh, it's for a research." Chrysalis said.
"If you need information on creature population over time, then you should look in the archives to read up on population surveys conducted by the Equestrian Population Division." they said.
"Much obliged." Chrysalis thanked.

Chrysalis was about to head out, but the unicorn stopped her in her tracks.

"Say, you look familiar." the changeling said.
"No I don't." Chrysalis snarked.
"I think you better come with me." they said.
*gulp*





Meanwhile back at the village, the real Magnolia went into the castle to check on Tirek. She found him on the balcony, looking off to the distance. Although she'd only known Tirek for a little while, she could tell this was unusual behavior.

"You alright, Tirek?" she asked.
"I'm doing fine I suppose..." he replied.

But she could tell from his tone, that he was troubled.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Magnolia asked.
"Cozy told me to trust Discord to heal her, but this whole trust thing has me feeling very weary." Tirek said.
"I don't blame you. You have a rocky history with trusting other creatures." Magnolia said. "Your brother betrayed you, plus you and Discord double crossed each other on multiple instances."
"I'm not used to relying on others to do much of anything." Tirek said. "I'm used to taking down any creature who stands in my way."

Both Tirek and Magnolia were growing impatient. It had only been a day, but not being able to take action was killing them.

"You know, the stakes are pretty high, and I don't trust Discord for favors, and if they can't find a cure, and we don't act soon, I'm afraid it may be too late for Cozy Glow..." Magnolia said.
"Then what do we do?" Tirek asked.
"What do we do? Are you kidding me? We literally have the most powerful item in Equestria beneath us! Discord was too narrow sighted to realize we have it! This is our chance!" Magnolia said. "Discord said he'd bring back Cozy Glow once she was cured, but she's been gone for almost two days. So I say, Discord has failed to uphold his end of the deal, so let's break out side of the deal too. Let's get Cozy back ourselves!"
"Yes! Forget relying on others to help. We're going to take matters into our own hands!" Tirek said.
"This is the moment you've been waiting for. It is time to unleash your next big attack!" Magnolia said. "We're going to do a good old fashion invasion for power. And if Cozy isn't cured by the time we get there, we'll force Twilight to do something!"

Tirek clenched his fists in glee, anticipating the carnage to come.

"Magnolia, bring me the Rainbow of Darkness." Tirek commanded.
"Your wish is my command, my liege." Magnolia bowed.





Meanwhile, Chrysalis was brought before the royal guards. The captain inspected Chrysalis' disguise closely. She was sweating, hoping not to be discovered.
During the inspection, Chrysalis' mind spiraled.

Do you consume them if they find you out? Or do you just run? If my cover is blown, what are they going to do to Cozy? If Discord knows where the village is, who else knows? she panicked internally.

Finally, the captain of the guard spoke.

"Magnolia?" he said.
"...Yes. It is I. Magnolia the guard." Chrysalis replied.

The guards got closer to her. Then suddenly, one of them embraced Chrysalis.

"Oh, Magnolia! We're so glad you're okay!" one of them said.
"We were so worried when you went missing!" said the second guard.
"You were the only soldier unaccounted for after our guards were raided by Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis." the captain said.
"After seeing what they did to Gallus, we feared the worst." the first guard added.
"Yes... I survived the attack." Chrysalis said.
"What have you been doing in the meantime?" the captain asked.
"That doesn't matter. I fear we are on the verge of an imminent threat." Chrysalis said. "And so, if you shall allow me, I need access to the archives to get a head count for every creature in Equestria."

The guards nodded, and were willing to fulfill her request.





Later...

After a long day, it was now early in the evening, and Luster Dawn was ready to hit the hay.

"Why are we heading out to sleep so early?" Cozy asked.
"I wanna be wide awake for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala! It'll be my first gala, and I wanna make a good impression on Twilight!" Luster replied.
"Bleh. I hate formal gatherings..." Cozy slumped.

The door to Luster's place was conveniently placed too close to a dragon sneeze tree, which prevented it from opening all the way. Every time she tried, she would knock the door against the tree, and flakes would fall down.

"You better call the landscaper to fix this glaring oversight." Cozy said.
"No no, they designed it this way. I don't remember the exact reason why..." Luster said.

Luster got the door open, and squeezed herself into her place. Luster lived in a tiny one room suite in Canterlot.

"And this is where I call home. It ain't much, but..." Luster said.
"It really isn't much." Cozy added.
"It's all I got. Canterlot is a lot more populated, so some concessions have had to be made in recent times." Luster explained.
"I see. I guess Canterlot ain't the unicorn capital of Equestria any more." Cozy said.
"Nope! Unicorns became a minority here years ago. In fact, I don't know which creature is the majority here, but that's okay, because we all have something unique to contribute!" Luster said.
"... Lusty?" Cozy asked.
"Yes, Cozy?" she replied.
"Go to bed and stop talking." Cozy demanded.

Luster closed her lips, and hastily laid down on her bed. She tucked herself in, and said good night to that voice in her head.

"Good night, Cozy." Luster Dawn said.
"Good night, Lusty." Cozy Glow said.





.

.

.

Inside Luster's mind, she found herself in a void. The room was empty, besides her, and a familiar little pegasus standing in front of her.

"So, Luster Dawn. Do you like being Twilight's student? Is it gratifying? Is it cozy?" Cozy asked.
"It's really great. I consider myself so lucky that the Princess Twilight Sparkle took me out of all unicorns under her wing." Luster replied.
"That must mean you're pretty special and talented." Cozy winked.
"Oh, gosh. You're making me blush." Luster said. "I think I'm only decent, but Twilight seems to see potential in me."
"You know, I was also Twilight Sparkle's student. I was also pretty special, but she didn't like my plan, so she locked me away in Tartarus for my actions. And when I tried again to take over Equestria she locked me away in-" Cozy cut herself off.
"You're not jealous are you?" Luster asked.
"Jealous? Of what? Jealous that Twilight Sparkle took you under her wing? No way! Not even close." Cozy said.
"Is there something you wanna tell me, Cozy?" Luster asked.
"I just wanna say that, I'm humbled by your kindness, Lusty." Cozy said. "Everypony here in Equestria hasn't been so kind, or forgiving to me for my actions. It's refreshing to meet a pony who actually wants to help."
"I'm glad you feel that way, Cozy." Luster said. "Maybe you are starting to change already."

Cozy nodded.

"You know what I love most about dreams?" Cozy asked.
"The escapism factor?" Luster asked.
"Close." Cozy grinned.

Cozy lit up, and she grew a horn, and larger wings. Cozy transformed into Cozycorn right in front of Luster.

"In a dream, anything is possible." Cozy said. "You invited me into your mind, so we both have to share this confined space don't we? But don't worry, I have an idea to settle the playing field."

Cozy's horn lit up, and created a blinding light. When the light dissipated, Luster Dawn found herself on a large checkerboard.

"Tell you what, Lusty. Let's play a game." Cozy said. "A classic game of wits."

Giant chess pieces fell around Luster.

"Chess?" she asked.
"Of course. You thought my cutie mark was just for show? I earned this bad boy after winning a chess match in school. Of course, immediately after I earned it, I lost my next chess game against Brenda (so I have no idea if it's a direct correlation), but I do know one thing, I am a wiz when it comes to outwitting creatures." Cozy explained.

The game was ready to begin.

"I'll let you go first, Lusty." Cozy said.

Luster nervously pointed to a pawn, and moved it to square c3. Cozy, with a smug look on her face, cocked her head, and her pawn moved itself to f3.

"It's a shame Luna isn't around to spectate our dream match." Cozy smirked. "I have a feeling fireworks are gonna fly.





One intense game of chess later:

"You're not bad, Luster. For an amateur, you're pretty decent." Cozy said.

Nearly all of Luster's pieces had been eliminated. Her King was in a tough spot, and it was Cozy's turn. Cozy moved her Rook into winning position. Luster was sweating, there was nowhere she could move her King.

"Checkmate, Lusty." Cozy grinned.
"Come on. Best two out of three?" Luster asked.

Cozy nodded no.

"It's single elimination, winner takes all, baby." Cozy grinned.

Cozy lifted her giant rook, overhead, and hovered it over Luster. Luster was compelled with fear, she was paralyzed and couldn't run. 

"No fair! I gave you my trust! I gave you my body!" Luster exclaimed.
"I know, and for that, I'm truly grateful." Cozy said. "I promise to put your body to good use. I'm in control now."

Cozy lowered her rook and *boom* crushed Luster Dawn.





Luster Dawn woke up, and immediately flung away her blankets, and trotted out of bed. She exited her room, and made her way through Canterlot. She had a determined look on her face. There was one objective on her mind, and she wasn't going to let anypony stop her.

"Watch out, Twilight Sparkle. Your star student is coming." she grinned.





Meanwhile, back at the village, Tirek placed the box containing the Rainbow of Darkness in the middle of the table. Magnolia grinned a sinister looking grin.

"Do it, Tirek." Magnolia ordered.

Tirek shot magic at the box, and it started to glow, and open slowly. From inside, the ominous object revealed itself. It levitated in front of them. It was the sack that held all the dark magic of the Rainbow of Darkness. The sight had both characters star struck. 
Magnolia nodded, keeping her eyes on the object. Tirek reached for it, and grabbed the sack. 
He felt a jolt of power coursing through his body. He used one of the strings to attach it around his neck.

"Are you ready to be consumed by the darkness?" Tirek asked.
"Yes. I've been looking for a new personality anyway." Magnolia replied.

Tirek held the dark sack in his hands, and opened it wide. 
Dark clouds plumed out, and wrapped around Magnolia.

*tee hee* "It tickles." she said.

The darkness crept up around her.

"Okay now it's starting to hurt. Okay now it's REALLY starting to hurt!"

The darkness bound tightly around Magnolia.

"Sweet mother of Celestia the pain!" she exclaimed. "AAH-"

She was silenced when the darkness completely enveloped her. Tirek looked on with concern. Even to his eyes, it looked gruesome. The darkness completely swallowed Magnolia, and her body turned all dark. Her eyes glowed a sinister yellow.

"Heh heh heh. It's good to breathe fresh air again." Magnolia's voice had completely changed. It was now a much lower and sinister pitch.

Magnolia had been possessed, and turned into a dark demon like creature. She grew sharp fangs and wings. The voice coming from her was not of hers, but of something far more sinister. She was under the influence of some kind of dark consciousness.

"Lord Tirek." it said.
"Magnolia?" Tirek asked.
"No. The unicorn is now gone. I made her better. I made her into something remarkable. I made her into something powerful. Heh, it's good to see you again, Tirek."

The dark voice sounded very familiar. It was none other than-

"Grogar?" Tirek exclaimed.
"Yes, it is I." Grogar's voice came from Magnolia's body.
"But how?" Tirek asked.
"Let's just say, I am the Rainbow of Darkness now." he said. "Whatever creatures I touch, I devour, and possess."
"So this is the power of the Rainbow of Darkness..." Tirek said.
"Mmm hmm. Now, where is your little filly?" Grogar asked.
"Why do you want to know? You tried to kill her last time we encountered you.”
"I was wrong. The filly is an important aspect to our plan. Now tell me, where is she?" Grogar asked.
"Right now, Discord has her! That's why we unleashed you, so you could help us get her back!" Tirek said.
"Discord, huh? That's no good. We must find her, and use the darkness' power to revive her." Grogar said.
"Are you sure using the darkness on her is a good idea?" Tirek asked.
"If you value her, then we must make sure she is not indoctrinated by those ponies. The darkness brings life! We can save her." Grogar said. "We must rush to her. We must hurry to Canterlot to save your little filly. But we can't possibly do it alone, we will require some recruitment. There's an entire gathering of unsuspecting creatures outside. I order you to gather them."
"And do to them what you did to the unicorn?" Tirek asked.
"Yes. Assembling an army is the only way we'll be strong enough to overthrow Twilight Sparkle. Now go, gather them, and bring them to me." Grogar demanded.

This Grogar was no longer the physical ram feared by ponies of past. This Grogar was a dark consciousness that controlled the Rainbow of Darkness, and puppeteered any ponies who had been transformed into dark creatures.





To be continued...
> Chapter 20: Countdown to Destruction!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Queen Chrysalis was back in Equestria, and reclaiming her hive was her main goal. Word on the street was that the Changelings were in trouble. Upon learning this, Chrysalis was determined to find out why Changeling population was on a downward trend.

Chrysalis was in disguise, exploring the library, and she had found exactly the book she was looking for. A census on Changeling population since the rise of King Thorax.

I'm so glad that I've taken up reading as a hobby. Twilight is right about one thing, you can learn so much from books. Chrysalis thought.

She was reading a recent publication on Changelings, and well, the contents were interesting.

All attempts at raising a new Changeling queen have resulted in failure. Every attempt to recreate the royal juice necessary to raise a queen have failed to impregnate any female individuals. As a result, the population has been stagnant since the defeat of Queen Chrysalis, and the rise of King Thorax. New offspring aren't being created. Although solutions are being explored, if there are no new advancements, the Changelings face eventual extinction! she read.

"So, do you still care about all creatures, Twilight Sparkle? This is how the Changeling legion comes to an end? I will not allow it! My creatures need me! They need their queen! They need-"
"Chrysalis." said somepony.
"My point exactly! Wait, who's there?" 

Chrysalis turned around, and it was Luster Dawn. Or was it?

"Uh... no. I am Magnolia, member of the guard. And no, I'm not on the side of the bad guys, I just-" Chrysalis said.
"Chryssie, it's me." Cozy's voice came from Luster's mouth.
"Cozy Glow? I thought that unicorn was..." Chrysalis trailed off.
"Yeah, but shh..." Cozy said.
"How did you..." Chrysalis was about to ask.
"I'll explain more later. But just know that I'm in total control of Luster." Cozy said. "It's her body, but all her words and actions come from me."

Chrysalis was confused, but anything to manipulate the minds of weak ponies was to her liking.

"But enough about me, what have you been up to?" Cozy asked.
"I've made a startling discovery. With no queen, the Changelings are facing the threat of extinction within the next generation or so." Chrysalis said.
"That's awful. So the Changeling revolution was a mistake after all." Cozy said.
"The urgency of our mission has increased tenfold!" Chrysalis said.
"Well, if that's the case, then I believe both of us have some family matters to attend to." Cozy grinned.

Chrysalis scratched her head, not sure of what she meant.

"We can't afford to waste any more time. If your hive's in danger, then just take it back!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Sounds risky. Shouldn't we wait to regroup and use our secret weapon before we do anything of the sort?" Chrysalis asked.
"I think each one of us is more than capable on our own. It's a game of chess, and I have a winning strategy." Cozy said.
"Here's the plan. You're more than capable of reclaiming the Changeling hive by yourself. I want you to do it by sunset tomorrow."
"What about the brawn of our group?" Chrysalis asked.
"I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again soon." Cozy grinned. "Since Discord won't be fulfilling his promise, I guarantee you Tirek will be coming around soon."

Somehow, the plan was starting to come together.

"You'll take over the Changeling kingdom, Tirek will cover the outskirts with his immense strength, and presumably, our secret weapon in tow. And me? Well, you'll see at the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala." Cozy smirked. "Now, be off. Before anyone catches wind of our conversation."

Chrysalis' horn lit up, and *poof* she disappeared. Cozy, however, wasn't done in the library. She was something she needed to take care of.





Cozy made her way into the deeper Canterlot archives. She found an entry way the lower level, but it was closed, and locked with heavy metal bars. However, using Luster's magic, she used a spell, and phased through the bars as if they weren't there. She successfully infiltrated the deeper archives.

"Ahh, good ol Canterlot anchovies. Absolutely nothing you can't learn from here." she said in a sarcastic mocking tone.

Cozy opened a book about Equestrian history. This particular one told the story of when the ending ended, and Twilight Sparkle defeated three of her biggest adversaries all at once. It conveniently wrote in detail exactly all the precautionary measures taken after their defeat.

"So, that's what you did with it? Seriously? Whatever, not gonna complain about an easy task." she said.

Cozy closed the book, and put it right back where she found it. 





She found herself in the forbidden corner of the archives. She pushed in the correct books, and successfully figured out the pass code. A secret passage opened, leading to a large stone room. She went ahead and wandered inside. 
Inside the hidden room, she found exactly the item she was looking for. The bewitching bell. The bell of course needed no introduction. It's like they say, if your plan doesn't work, just do it again, except don't make mistakes. And Cozy was beaming at the idea of reuniting with Grogar's bell. The bell wasn't unguarded however. It was in a glass case, on a podium, surrounded by lasers.

"Alright, Lusty, let's see how precise your magic is..."

Luster's horn glowed, and the bell also glowed. 

*poof*

The bell disappeared, and a rock was in its place. Luster had been delegate enough that the swap didn't trigger any alarms. She had successfully done it! Cozy Glow stole the bell!

"Nice work, Lusty. Now, if you don't mind bringing this thing back to life."

She used her magic on the bell, and the bell started to glow, and float in the air. It tilted, and aimed for Luster. 

"Why wait for Twilight to bestow wings for yourself, when you can take all the power for yourself?"

*ring*

The bell fired a stream of magic at Luster Dawn, and she absorbed the powerful magic inside.
The bright glow of Grogar's Bewitching Bell cast a silhouette of a powerful alicorn.





Later that night, Chrysalis was wandering in a rock quarry.

"The first step to reclaiming my hive requires me to rebuild the throne. Once my spell is put back in place, the Changelings will fall like dominoes, and they'll all revert to their old selves!" Chrysalis said to herself. "I'll construct this new throne out of anorthosites. But where am I expected to find a large collection of anorthosites?"

Luckily, she wasn't alone. There was an expert on site. A rock expect.

"You there!" she exclaimed.

She caught the attention of Maud Pie, who was a notorious late night worker.

"Tell me where I can find a large deposit of anorthosites!" Chrysalis demanded.
Maud Pie blinked, without replying.
"I uh, for personal gain of course." Chrysalis added.
"Anorthosite can be found in large deposits underneath that mountain over there." Maud replied.

She pointed to the nearby mountain, with an entryway to a mine.

"Many thanks." Chrysalis thanked.

The two were about to go their separate ways, but then something came to Chrysalis' mind.

"Oh, one more thing. Between you and me, I'm not exactly made of muscles. Heavy lifting is so hard, and I need to get all these rocks to, oh I don't know, the Changeling kingdom." Chrysalis said.
"Fortunately, there's a railway that leads from this mine to most major locations in Equestria. Including the Changeling hive."
"Thanks once again." Chrysalis was about to head out once again, but this time Maud chimed in.
"Wait." Maud said. 
Chrysalis screeched in her tracks, and turned around.
"I had no idea you of all creatures would be interested in rocks, queen. Would you like to join us?" Maud offered. "Mudbriar and I discovered some dense rocks that glow under UV light. We think they have unique properties. They emit energy on their own, but it doesn't seem to the result of a chemical reaction. It could revolutionize energy consumption in Equestria, I just hope they're not to dangerous..."
"Uh, no thanks. I'll pass. It is of the utmost urgency that I... what did you call me?" Chrysalis asked.

Before she got an answer, Maud Pie was already many meters away, heading in the other direction.

"I must've misheard her. I should cocoon her, but I can't afford to cause a scene. Just think of the goal. Rebuilding your glorious throne..."

Chrysalis reminisced about her throne, and her kingdom. Her throne sure was big, which meant, it was going to take lots of rocks to rebuild it...

"It's going to be a long night..." Chrysalis moaned.






Later, in the dead of night, Luster Dawn (controlled by Cozy Glow still)  was visiting the hospital. There was one particular room she was looking for. The room that held Cozy Glow's body. She trotted into the room, and there it was. Cozy's body, hooked up to various pieces of medical equipment. But also the room was crawling with royal guards. They noticed her walk in, and approached her.

"Uh, excuse me, no visitors after hours." a guard said.
"I need to see Cozy Glow." she said.
"We can't allow for that." they added.
"She's coming with me." she affirmed, sternly.
"She needs to be hospitalized!" they affirmed.
"No..."

Her magic gripped the guards head. She lifted them up and-

*SLAM* "YOU NEED TO BE HOSPITALIZED!" she exclaimed.

She forced the guard to the ground. The guards went on the offensive. *pew pew* Luster fired magic at two other guards. She lifted a guard, and chucked them at a stack of guards. The last guard had her cornered, but she revealed her wings, and a powerful wave of magic paralyzed the guard in front of her.

With all the guards defeated, Cozy took the bewitching bell from Luster's saddle bag, and rang it to suck up all the magic from the guards. With that done, she began what she came to this room for. She walked up to the lifeless and empty Cozy Glow body.

"Poor old Cozy Glow. Big ambitions, but small and weak body. But now, thanks to a very generous body donor, our plans are allowed to continue. I just need to borrow something before we can begin. Now, I'm not sure how life support is supposed to help an empty body, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't work if I-" *YANK*

Cozy yanked all the wires off her body, threw the equipment to the ground, and stomped on it for good measure. With her mild outburst out of the way, it was time.

"Come here, Cozy. I pwomise not to hurt you." she said.

Cozy Glow's consciousness, inside Luster Dawn's body, was now in possession of the actual Cozy Glow body. As morbid as it seemed, she embraced what was essentially her own corpse.

"I pwomise to listen to you, and give you what you need. Oh, you're so lonely, but don't worry, I think it's time for a little family reunion!"





Meanwhile, in the castle foyer, a mandatory meeting was taking place, and every single creature in the town was gathered. Many dozen ponies (most unnamed) were all in attendance. But for what special occasion they wondered.

"What do you suppose is going on now?" Lightning Dust asked.
"I haven't the slightest clue. And I'm Cozy's right hand stallion." Svengallop said.
"Another power nap?" Short Fuse asked.
"Perhaps some recognition for our hard work." Flim said.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Suri said.

*the lights went out*

A spotlight beamed onto the upper deck where Magnolia stood. 

"Attention, everypony. I want to thank each and everyone of you for making it tonight. I know you all have done a wonderful job making this town a truly special place." she said.

Some peaceful chatter went on in the crowd. But it was about to head south fast.

"And now that I have you all here, I just wanted to take the time to say, y'all a bunch of losers!" Magnolia exclaimed.

*confusion in the crowd*

"Huh?"
"What?"

"I mean, seriously?! Who in their right mind would willingly serve Equestria's most dangerous villains? Did y'all honestly expect this wouldn't backfire!? HA! Just look over your heads. See those cocoons?"

Everypony looked up, and indeed, there were Cocoons hanging from the ceiling.

"That's what happens to creatures who don't obey! Y'all been sitting cozy for a long time, but no longer. Now it is time to fulfill your true greater purpose! The real reason you're all here, is you're all going to be what pushes us over the edge and conquer Equestria for good!"

Tirek stood behind Magnolia. So tall, his head was obscured by the shadows. He walked forward to intimidate the crowd. Tirek opened the Rainbow of Darkness, revealing the emptiness and evil magic inside. 
Magnolia stood on two legs, and transformed into a hideous terrifying shadow beast once again. She raised her front limbs into the air, and held an orb of dark magic in her hooves.
The village ponies stood in fear, and shock.

"Sweet mother of Celestia..." Suri Polomare gasped.
"Oh boy..." Svengallop gulped.
"Let's get out of her brother!" Flim and Flam cried.

The magic power charged in her hooves. The ponies inside tried to make a run for it. They piled up at the main door, but it was locked. Lighting and the Washouts panicked and searched high for some kind of hole in the ceiling. But nothing. Flim and Flim bashed their heads against the windows, but they wouldn't break. There was no escaping.
Dark magic shot in all directions, and leeched onto every creature in the foyer. The villagers screamed in agony as the darkness consumed them.

"AAAHH!"
"I trusted you!"
"HELP!"
"IT HURTS!"
"AAAHHHHH!"

The dark magic consumed everypony it touched. The darkness crept up, and wrapped around each and every individual creature. It slowly wrapped around them, and swallowed them whole. Finally, once the magic reached every creature, all motion in the foyer ceased. The dark magic even surrounded the cocoons on the ceiling.

"Wait for it..." Grogar said, speaking from Magnolia's body.

Suri's eyes opened, and glowed. The other creatures in the foyer followed. They each stood up, revealing they had been consumed, and turned into horrifying shadow demons. The ponies became vicious alicorns, with wings and horns, regardless of their normal race. Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, Rolling Thunder, and Wind Rider were sort of like shadow bolts. Fast, and evil. One of the cocoons contained Sludge, and yes, he also became a shadowy monster.

Grogar watched in glee from Magnolia's body.  He still controlled Magnolia's mind. Tirek however was, surprisingly unenthusiastic.

"This is perfect. Our very own army of darkness!" Grogar said. "Such a wide variety of ponies with unique abilities! Let's see what you all are capable of!"

Grogar puppeteered all the shadow creatures. Whenever they spoke, it was really Grogar.

Grogar controlled Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, and Wind Rider.
"Look how fast we can fly!" they said together.

They took off into the air and-

*ZIP* *BOOM*

The four flew so fast, the shock wave blasted the castle walls down.

Dark Sludge breathed a huge stream of dark fire into the air to demonstrate his power.
Shadow Polomare weaved a magic fabric, and was ready to use it to strangle any opponents.
Even Svengallop (now Shadowgallop) was overpowered. He single handedly knocked down an entire tree.

Though the shadow creature's powers were impressive, in the back of Tirek's mind, he had a feeling he never felt with any evil plan before. Doubt.

Grogar could sense it, and the creatures gathered close around Tirek.

"What's the matter, Tirek?" Dark Magnolia whispered in Tirek's ear.
"What are you waiting for? Do it, Tirek." Dark Sludge said.
"It's the only way to save Cozy Glow." Shadow Polomare said.
"She's waiting for you." Shadowgallop added.
"Crush that Princess Twilight Sparkle to pieces! And take over all of Equestria!" the Washadows said.
"And save Cozy Glow, right?" Tirek asked.
"Yeah, that too." every creature said simultaneously.

Tirek stepped outside the castle, with the Rainbow of Darkness sack around his neck. The creatures swarmed out of the castle, and landed beside him.

"Don't be hesitant because we may hurt a pony or two." Shadow Polomare said.
"Be extra destructive! Because that's what you want! It's what Cozy Glow wants." Dark Magnolia said.
"Think about all the pain we shall inflict upon Twilight Sparkle, and everypony she cares about!" the Washadows said.

All the creatures morphed into dark dust, and flowed into the sack that held the darkness.

"At the ready, simply activate the rainbow to unleash your army of shadowy creatures." Grogar's voice echoed.

Tirek grinned, thinking about all the power at his disposal. It made him giddy, and he was excited to unleash this incredible dark magic upon the helpless creatures of Equestria.





To be continued...
> Chapter 21: New Glow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was morning, and in a quaint little distant village, a caring father was caring for his daughter. The daughter was a little filly unicorn, with pale skin, freckles, a flowing blue mane, and a blank flank.

"Pappy, can I have some more soup?" asked the little filly.
"Of course, little Amber, I'll be right back." her father said.

The father walked into the kitchen, leaving the filly unguarded. Unbeknownst to either of them, they were being watched. Outside the window, one wicked equine was appalled at what she saw inside the house. But as to not be out down, she thought of a scheme, and she thought of it quick.





The father returned, and made a horrific discovery.

"Now, dear. Be careful, it's a little hot, and-*gasp* what the?"

He walked in to a most horrific sight. His daughter, dead, and hanging by a noose in the middle of the room.

*gasp*

*crash* The father dropped the soup.

"Amber! No! Not again!" he cried.

The father's legs collapsed, and he wept.

He barely mustered the strength to look up, and gaze at the horrific sight. But the closer he looked at the details, he noticed something wasn't right.

"Wait a second..."

The filly in front of him looked a lot like his daughter, but it wasn't! The dead filly in front of him was a pegasus, not a unicorn! His daughter was also a blank flank, and the body in front of him had a rook cutie mark. The pony hanging in front of him was none other than...

"Oh my god..." he said under his breath.

"Heh heh heh." giggled somepony.

He wasn't alone in the room. There was a somepony in a reclining chair, facing away from the stallion. The chair turned around, revealing Luster Dawn, as an alicorn, with the bewitching bell. His unicorn daughter sat in her lap, tied up.

"Hello, Pappy." Cozy said, who was mind controlling Luster Dawn. (Cozy's consciousness lived inside Luster's body).

Pappy was completely shocked at this insane sight.

"What's going on?" he asked.
"Surprised to see me? I know I look a little different now, but I am still your daughter." Cozy said. "See that filly hung by the noose? You did that! That's me! Or at least it used to be me.  Sure, you tried to kill me, and you failed, but death eventually caught up to me/her. But you needn't to worry. Luster Dawn here was kind enough to donate her body to my cause! Now, Cozy Glow's life and soul lives on in the body of Luster Dawn!"
"You know Cozy Glow isn't your name, right? Your real name is-" Pappy started.
"Enough about me! Let's talk about you!" Cozy said, holding Amber. "So, one child wasn't enough? You just had to raise another to eventually kill?"
"Stop it! Give Amber back this instant!" her father exclaimed.
"So, Amber, is it? I don't deem you as fit to raise a filly, so I'm officially adopting her myself!" Cozy said. "I hereby rename you, little one. Your name is now Amber Glow!" Cozy said.

Cozy stroked Amber's mane. It was remarkably similar to her old mane, besides the fact it wasn't styled. 
Amber was too terrified to say anything. She quivered in fear, but for whatever reason, Luster radiated a warm aura.

"So, who's the lucky mare?" Cozy asked. "If mama's dead, how in Equestria did you conceive of another filly? Let alone one that looks so much like the old Cozy Glow?"

It was true. Amber Glow looked almost exactly like Cozy Glow! In appearance, she basically was Cozy Glow, but with no cutie mark, different mane style, and most distinct different of all, Amber was a unicorn, not a pegasus.

"Pappy? What's she talking about?" Amber asked.
"You stop this right now!" he exclaimed.
"You don't know what our daddy did to me?" Cozy asked. "He's just going to do it to you too! It's like a rite of passage when Pappy tries to kill his daughter."
"That's enough! Unhand my daughter and-"

*ZAP*

*a beam of magic connected to Pappy*

"Show us exactly what happened that day!" Cozy said.

A magic stream flowed from her dad, to Luster, and then it projected an image to the wall for everyone to see exactly what happened to Cozy Glow on that day.





That fateful moment in young Cozy Glow's life replayed for the three to watch. Her dad had locked himself in his room, while Cozy was outside yelling, after the worst school day of her life.

"Come out and look me in the face! Don't you wanna know how my last day of school went?! I got f****** expelled! They're holding me back a grade! But don't fret, Princess Twilight Sparkle has her own school! I think it's the perfect match for me!" Cozy exclaimed. "If Princess Celestia can make Twilight Sparkle from unicorn to alicorn, then she absolutely can do the same to me! And if she doesn't then we'll force them to! Against their will! We'll force them to relinquish all their magic to me! And I'll become the most powerful alicorn princess to ever-"

*SMACK* *SHATTER*

The door swung open when the dad forced it open.

"What do you want now?!" Pappy exclaimed.

He looked around, but his daughter was nowhere to be found. He looked around the corner to where the door flew open, and saw a shattered window.

"Oh no!" He looked out the window and saw- *gasp*

The opening of the door had slammed against Cozy's head. The force of the impact forced her through the window, shattering the glass, and then she fell down an entire story.

"No no no!"

The dad rushed downstairs to his daughter. By the time he had arrived, the authorities had already arrived. They were surrounding the fallen filly. She laid unconscious on the ground.

"Do you know what happened here, sir?" the chief asked.
"That's my daughter! And I-"
"So you're the one responsible for this gruesome crime?" one of the deputies asked.
"Well, yes technically, but not intentionally, I-"
"I think you better come with us." the sheriff said.

They arrested the dad on the spot, and carried the inured pegasus away.

"Don't worry. Your daughter will be in better care soon." the chief assured.

Pappy looked around in shame. He knew he was neglectful of his daughter, but he never could have imagined that his actions would lead to this.

*the flashback concluded*





"Tsk tsk. So reckless." Cozy said. "And they still allowed you to have a child after this? Pitiful! So who is her mother?"
"It's a bit more complicated than that." Pappy explained. "If you paid close attention to the flashback, you would have noticed I kept a clump of your hair. I frankly wasn't sure if you were going to survive. I know I can't take back my mistakes, but using a sample of your genes, I was only recently was I able to successfully create Amber."

Cozy was quite shocked at this revelation.

"So you nearly killed me, and instead of facing me, you decided to cloned me so you could try again?" she asked.
"They said I was never allowed to see you again, and that you would be fostered away." Pappy explained.
"Well, golly! I have an identical twin sister!" Cozy said.

Cozy flicked Amber Glow's horn.

"You're so cute. You look almost exactly like the old me! Except... why exactly is this little girl a unicorn?" Cozy asked.
"Exact copies practically don't exist. There's always genetic variation." the father said.
"So if she's a unicorn, but she came from my genes, that means I almost was an alicorn after all?" Cozy asked. "Interesting, but unfortunately, almost doesn't cut it." she added.
"You have us at your mercy, so what are you going to do?" the father asked.
"I'm going to make you suffer." Cozy grinned.

Luster got out of the chair, and tied Amber to the chair. She walked forward, threatening Cozy's father.

"So, what is an appropriate punishment for attempted filly murderer? There isn't a punishment worthy enough for you!" Cozy exclaimed in a mocking tone.

Multiple Luster Dawns appeared and whispered into Cozy.

"Hmm, that does seem fitting." she said mockingly.

Her horn lit up, and the walls around them collapsed, 
*FLASH*
There was a blinding flash of light, and when the light faded, they had appeared at the tip top of Tartarus.

"Welcome to Tartarus, home to the most vile creatures in Equestria, and so I think you'll fit right in, Pappy. Now, what to do? Caged in Tartarus? Stone? Caged in Tartarus as a stone statue?" Cozy pondered.

A giant cage fell from above, and *BOOM* landed, trapping Pappy inside.

"I pick all of the above!" Cozy exclaimed.

*ZAP*

Cozy zapped her dad, and he started to turn to stone.

"You can't do this! You're not Queen of Equestria!" Pappy exclaimed.
"Not yet. But I will be very soon!" Cozy stuck her head in the cage and gave him a nasty grin.

His body turned to stone from bottom up. Cozy walked forward, and stuck her head through the cage, watching her father turn to stone.

"Do you have any last words before nopony hears from you again?" Cozy asked.
"I just want you to know that I loved your mom dearly." he said.
"Is that what you told her before she died?" Cozy asked.
"I told her that our daughter was going to be the most special pony in Equestria..." he said.
"Well, mission accomplished." Cozy grinned.

Her dad had completely solidified in stone.

Cozy noticed her corpse was still here. She took her corpse, and hung it inside the cage with her father.

"Together with his daughter, forever. I can't think of anything he'd want more." Cozy said.

*clop* *clop* Somepony clapped their hooves together.

"Congratulations. Well done, Alisha." said somepony.
"What are you doing here?" Cozy asked.
"I came so that you could thank me for all I've done for you." she said.
"What have you done for me? Besides push me out of your birth canal, and then swiftly dying soon thereafter! You gave birth to me, and that's all you did! Don't act like anything you did influenced my life!"
"I've been here this whole time, guiding you." she said.
"Shut up! That's not how it works! I did this on my own! I'm the most powerful alicorn in Equestria! And it's no thanks to you or dad's wishful thinking! It's 100% because of my ambition!" Cozy ranted.
"But at what cost?" she pointed to Cozy's original body. It was now an empty corpse.
"A necessary loss! You and dad created a weakling. The old body was poisoned to death, but now I have a new body! I am immortal!" Cozy said.
"No, you are lost." they said.

Cozy got very mad.

"I'll show you!" she exclaimed.

Cozy started forward, but a different pony reached from behind and embraced her. It was Cozy's sister, Amber. She gave her big sister a big ol hug.

"Please stop, Cozy!" she pleaded.

Luster's legs collapsed, and she fell onto her hind legs. Cozy's tears ran Luster's face.

*sob* "How could you love me? I'm a monster..." Cozy sobbed.
"You're my sister. I want you to stop, and to be happy." Amber cried. Tears ran down her face too.

Cozy looked into the cage, seeing her own father encased in stone brought back horrific flashbacks of being sealed away in stone by Discord. And seeing her corpse tied to a noose reminded her of when a poison dart hit her, and ultimately sealed her fate. She looked at Amber, a filly who looked just like Cozy, except she was fresh, meanwhile there was herself, who ultimately lost her body after a series of punishments, and hardships.

Amber embraced Luster's body tighter, filling Cozy with even heavier emotions.

*sniff* "I promise that I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you." Cozy said. "Little Amber, so young, so pure, innocent. Such a blank slate..."

Cozy realized that Amber really was a clone of herself, except without any experience. This gave Cozy an idea.

"Say, would you like to play a game with me?" Cozy asked.
"Yes, anything for you, sister." Amber wept.
"Let's play pretend. You'll be Cozy Glow, the most feared and awesome pony in all of Equestria. And I'll be Luster Dawn, Twilight Sparkle's most trustworthy and faithful student. At least, trustworthy for now... hehe." Cozy giggled.
"I guarantee you it'll be fun for both of us." Cozy grinned.
*sniff* "Will I make you happy?" Amber asked.
"Yes, little one. I would be beyond happy if you played pretend with me." Cozy said.
"Then I'll do it, sister." Amber said.

Cozy was giddy as she conceived of what would be her final plan for world domination.

"Golly, a lot has happened to me. There's a lot to dive into. But don't worry, I'll catch you up to speed so you'll be able to play the part of Cozy Glow!" Cozy said.
"This does sound like fun!" Amber said, ecstatically.
"I'm glad you think so, my little sister, Amber." Cozy said. "I think Twilight Sparkle will have the most fun out of any of us." Cozy grinned, while holding the bewitching bell by her side.





Cozy Glow reconnected with her family, and met a family member she didn't know she had. Besides her different mane, and blank flank, Amber Glow looked just like Cozy! She was even almost the same age Cozy was during the events of the main series. This was about to come in very handy very soon...





To be continued...
> Chapter 22: Infiltration Complete
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was that time of year to once again celebrate the Grand Galloping Gala.

With Twilight Sparkle as ruler of Equestria, galas were a little different. To put it simply, galas were a lot less uptight, and far more easygoing. Creatures from all over Equestria were here! Ponies of course, but also Yaks, Griffons, Hippogriff, Dragons, Kirin, though notably absent today were any Changelings...

Twilight congregated with other powerful magic users. Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Trixie, Moondancer, and Princess Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire.

"What an amazing gala, Twilight." Starlight said. "It's so casual, every creature is having such a fun time."
"Yep. It sure beats the galas of old times." Moondancer said.
"I'm really happy with what you've done, Twilight." said Flurry Heart.
"I'm so glad you're all enjoying it." Twilight said.

Twilight was particularly thrilled because this would be Luster Dawn's first gala! She was too busy in years prior.

"I couldn't be more excited. Luster Dawn said she has something extra special to show me tonight." she said. "I can't wait to see it. Maybe she finally mastered Hayscartes' fourteenth method. Or, I bet it's-"
"Slow down. You don't wanna guess correctly and ruin the surprise." Trixie snarked.
"You're right, I'm just really excited..." Twilight blushed.
"I love the enthusiasm." Sunburst commented.
"I take it you're pleased with Luster." Starlight said.
"She's made such excellent progress. I couldn't be more proud of her." Twilight said.

*some distant talking*

"It looks like you got some more guests." Starlight said.

Twilight turned around, and there they were. Her old friends. The other ponies of the mane 6.

"Girls! You made it!" Twilight exclaimed and rushed over.
"Of course we're here, Twilight." Applejack said. "And it's no thanks to Rainbow Dash for writing the wrong date on my calendar."
"Hey, what's it matter? It's not like I can't make the trip here in a flash." Rainbow Dash said.
"What they're trying to say, is we wouldn't dream of missing a gala run by you." Fluttershy said.
"It's always a pleasure to get back together." Rarity said.
"You seriously didn't think that Pinkie Pie would miss a gala, did 'ya?" Pinkie asked. "It's not a party until Pinkie Pie arrives!"

*party cannon go BOOM*

"Now it's a party!" she exclaimed.

*laughter*

"HAHAHA." the mane 6 all laughed it up.
"It's like nothing's changed." Twilight said, a single tear ran down her face.

These weren't the only guests to greet Twilight. There were other familiar faces too.

"Twilight!" exclaimed a green pony, riding a yak.

It was the student six! Although, they were more of a foursome at the moment.

Yona and Sandbar were tighter than something very tight, while Silverstream and Smolder were their usual selves.

"How's Gallus? Is he still recovering?" Twilight asked.
"'fraid it isn't good. They really cooked his goose." Sandbar said.
"I didn't know Gallus was part goose." Silverstream said.
"That's not what he meant..." Smolder said.

Gallus wasn't the only missing student. If you were an astute reader, you should know who else is missing.

"Where's Ocellus?" Rarity asked.
"We're not sure. We think she's at the Changeling hive. She said there were some urgent matters." Smolder said.
"I don't like the sound of that one bit." Rarity said.
"You ever get that rumbling that there's trouble?" Applejack asked.

*rumble*

"You're right. My tummy is hurting! BRB!" Pinkie exclaimed.

*ZIP*

The pink pony zipped away from the scene.

"That doesn't sound encouraging." Rainbow Dash said.
Discord still hasn't found Queen Chrysalis. It has to be her. Twilight thought.
"Twilight, are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Everyone's in danger, I knew I should have canceled the gala. Why did I put on this gathering when there are three bloodthirsty maniacs on the loose?! her mind spiraled.
"Psst. Twilight, a word?" Discord's voice echoed.

Twilight turned her head, and saw Discord across the room. If anyone knew about the rumblings going on, it'd be him.

"Hang on, I have to talk to someone." Twilight said.

Twilight walked up to Discord in the ballroom. He was busy snacking on pears.

"There you are, Discord! How's the reconnaissance going?" Twilight asked.
"Right, the mission. So the thing about that is..." Discord said.

Discord twiddled his claws and looked away slightly. He didn't appear confident.

"Have you located any of the three threats?" Twilight asked.
"Technically, yes." Discord replied.
"What does that mean? Have they been apprehended and dealt with?!" Twilight asked.
"Yes, okay. None of those three are capable of any harm. They are in incapacitated states." Discord said.
"Good." Twilight sighed with relief.
"Last I checked on them anyway..." Discord added.
"WHAT?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Look, everything is under control. I'll check." Discord said.

*snap* Discord disappeared.

(Discord appeared at Midnight castle. Nothing. In fact, everyone in the village was gone! The hospital room that once held Cozy was now empty)

*snap* Discord reappeared.

"Okay, everything's not under control." Discord admitted.
"WHAAAT?!" Twilight exclaimed even louder. "Discord! What is going on?!"
"So, there's a lot to unpack here." Discord said. "Now try not twilighting while I explain what happened." Discord said.
"I'm already twilighting thinking about what you could have done! And how you may have put the lives of everypony here at risk! I don't want excuses. I want those three dealt with, and I'm this close to categorizing you with the likes of them!"

*ahem*
*cough*

Everyone in the room was looking at Twilight, awkwardly. Including, Luster Dawn, who had just appeared at the main stage, and was starting at Twilight.

"Are you okay, master?" Cozy asked (speaking from inside the body and mind of Luster Dawn).
"Oh, Luster Dawn. I didn't mean to distract." Twilight apologized.
"No no, it's fine. I get it, princess stuff is very stressful. It's hard to let go, even at galas. Am I right?" Cozy said.
"Yeah, hehe..." Twilight laughed nervously.
"Mmm hmm. Anyway, I believe it's almost time for my presentation to begin." Cozy said.
"Uh, Luster, may I have a word with you and-" Discord started.
"I said it's time to begin!" Cozy shouted.

Discord went quiet.

*ding ding ding*

"Here ye! Here ye! May I have everypony's attention?!" Cozy exclaimed.







Luster Dawn (actually Cozy), took center stage in the ballroom. She was on higher elevation, and behind her was a mysterious object shrouded by a curtain. Every creature in the room gathered round to hear her speech. Cozy did her best to sound like Twilight's faithful student.

"Fillies and gentlecolts! Thank you all for coming to the grand galloping gala!" Cozy said. "I just wanted to say what an honor and a privilege it has been for me, Luster Dawn, to study under the supervision of Princess Twilight Sparkle herself."

Twilight blushed and smiled, but tried to hide her excitement.

"It is my utmost priority that peace forever shines upon Equestria. And today, I have great news that should come as a huge relief to all across the land! Actually, a huge relief, for a small problem." she said.

Cozy walked up to the curtain, and used her magic to begin to pull it. She undid the cover and revealed.

*gasp*

Twilight's enthusiasm took a sharp spiral downward.

"What the?" ponies cried.
"Cozy Glow?" Starlight exclaimed.

That's what it appeared to be! A pony that looked like Cozy Glow was bound and tied together in chains, and laying on her stomach on a wooden bed. Most startling of all, was that above this Cozy Glow, was a giant blade that loomed precariously overhead. But instead of the real Cozy, this was her newly discovered twin sister, Amber Glow. Cozy styled Amber's mane to look just like what Twilight remembered Cozy looking like. No pony seemed to noticed Amber's lack of wings or cutie mark. Was Cozy really about to kill her sister??

Everypony in the room was shocked, and mixed.

"Behold! I, Luster Dawn, have captured the notorious Cozy Glow!" she exclaimed.

The crowd was astonished. Twilight was shocked most of all.

"But that's not all folks! She was caught snooping around Canterlot castle! No doubt for some nefarious scheme!" Cozy said. "For this, and her other great crimes against Equestria, Cozy has proven once again that she cannot be trusted, even after given more than one chance. If years spent in stone could not teach her a lesson, then there is only one final punishment worthy of a pony of her evilness. Death."

*gasp*

"That's right! When I pull this rope, the guillotine will come falling down, and end Cozy Glow once and for all!" Cozy exclaimed.

"What in the?" Applejack shook.
"Where did she learn this?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward, appalled, and confused.

"Luster Dawn! What in the holy mother of Celestia are you doing?" she asked.
"Isn't this what you wanted, dear master? Prison in Tartarus, and a life in stone, were far too merciful of punishments! She didn't learn her lesson, so death is the next logical step!" Cozy said. "I expect full marks for effort, teacher!"
"But you can't just do this." Twilight exclaimed.
"Why not? Cozy Glow is the most powerful creature in Equestria! No doubt if left unhinged, she could cause mass destruction! You wanted me to talk sense into her, but I ran into the same problem you did, she just isn't willing to change her ways. Tsk tsk." Cozy said. 
"This isn't what I expected from you. If that's what you took away from my lessons, than I am truly sorry." Twilight hung her head in shame.
"Twilight, this isn't your fault. You didn't teach her this." Starlight said.
"Apparently I did though..." Twilight wept.

Luster went ahead with her presentation anyway.

Yes, sob and cry for the student for losing her way, not for the filly who's about to lose their head! Cozy thought.

"I order you to halt this, Luster Dawn!" Twilight ordered.
"Now now, Twilight. I know you're supreme leader, but show a little democracy." Cozy said. "Let the ponies decide what happens to Cozy Glow."

"If anypony would like to step forward and tell me why I should spare Cozy Glow, please step forward and present your argument." Cozy said, gleefully.

The four remaining students were the first to speak.

"I mean, this is a little extreme, but on the otherhoof, that is Cozy Glow..." Sandbar commented.
"The construction student ponies death machine is impressive." Yona said.
"I would have just smacked her silly until she did what she we told her to do." Smolder said.
"Uh, that's very uh... I got nothing to say..." Silverstream "said." 
"Very, uh, interesting insights, students." Cozy said.

There was additional chattering in the crowd.

"You there, country girl." Cozy pointed to Apple Bloom.
"Well, last time we ever interacted with Cozy Glow, she locked us in a closet!" Apple Bloom exclaimed.
"She took advantage of us and almost made everything in Equestria worse!" Sweetie Belle added.
"Honestly, I can't say I missed her one bit since she's been gone." Scootaloo commented.
"I still don't know who Cozy Glow is!" Feather Flatterfly blurted from the crowd.

The lukewarm response to the news of Cozy's impending doom was exactly what she expected.

"You're all tugging at my heartstrings with your endearing encounters with Cozy." she said sarcastically. "Such lack of sympathy for the filly!"
"I wouldn't give her a pass because of her age! She knew what she was doing was evil!" Smolder said.
"A truly irredeemable monster she was. Amazing that out of all the former bad guys in Equestria, that she would be the one too stubborn to change!"

"Truer words were never spoken." Cozy grinned, and her eyes twitched. "And now, it is time for her reign of terror to come to an end."

"Hey girls, I'm back, what'd I miss?" Pinkie Pie had returned from the little filly's room.
"Luster's about to make a huge mistake. We have to help Cozy Glow." Twilight said.
"Well why would you want to defend Cozy Glow? You said she was the most vile pony ever born, and that she needed to be stopped immediately." Pinkie said.
"Is that what you think, master? Then I won't waste another moment." Cozy said.

"Don't do it Luster!" Twilight cried.
"Why not? Because you truly care about preserving the life of Cozy Glow? Or you just don't want your student to commit murder?" Cozy asked.
"...Well-" Twilight started, but was interrupted.
"Well nothing!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy pulled the rope, and the guillotine came falling down.

*THUD*

"What the?" Cozy cried.

The guillotine stopped midway in the air. The bewitching bell floated above Amber, and halted the blade. The bell started to glow as it disintegrated the blade, and freed Amber from being tied up.

Amber pointed the bell at Cozy, and sucked out her magic.

"Oh no, what is happening to me?!" Cozy said in an exaggerated tone.
"Hehehe!" Amber laughed.
"Luster Dawn!" Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight tried to intervene, but there was a magic force field preventing her from stepping forward. Cozy's magic drained into the Bewitching Bell, wielded by Amber Glow. Cozy collapsed onto the ground.

"Oh no, Cozy Glow has the bewitching bell again!" Cozy exclaimed.

The bell turned around, and beamed its magic onto Amber, transforming her into an alicorn princess! She hovered over Cozy and began to recite her lines.


"Did you honestly think you could change my mind, Lusty? And this little trap? Wack! You should have been careful as to not get caught off guard." Amber said. "But it doesn't have to end this way. Wanna be friends?!"

Amber extended her hoof forward to Cozy. Cozy paused, but quickly accepted Amber's offer.

"You have my allegiance, Cozy Glow." Cozy said.

*gasp*

"Luster, no!" Twilight cried.

Amber handed Cozy the bewitching bell.

"I'll be taking that. Wouldn't be wise to let a filly be in charge of such an important magical artifact!" Cozy said.
"Why are you doing this, Luster? I thought we had something!" Twilight asked.
"Sorry, Twilight. But Cozy Glow offered me more than tea parties and pissy magic spells. She offered me real power!" Cozy exclaimed. "Besides, its only inevitable that a powerful unicorn betrays her master! You're an outlier, while I'm the norm!"

Amber stood up and spoke as well.

"That's right, you're going to pay, Twilight Twinkle! For what you did to me, Tirek, and Crystal! For locking us in Tantabus, and putting us in stone, you better believe that my anger has bottled up enough that uh... uh... something something..." Amber said.

Cozy stepped forward and interrupted Cozy.

"As she was trying to say, the two of us will start a new order! Ruled by Lord Tirek! Queen Chrysalis! The Empress of Friendship, Cozy Glow! And-" *RING*

Cozy pointed the bell at herself, and she gained powerful magical abilities, and morphed into an alicorn.

"Everypony will bow down to the might of the Empress of Magic! Empress Lust Star!"

*gasp*

"Is that a working title?" Trixie asked. "Because you really should consider that name..."
"Silence!" Cozy exclaimed.
"This can't be happening, this can't be happening!" Twilight spiraled into insanity.
"Don't worry, Twilight." Rainbow Dash said.
"We got your back." Applejack said.
"We're not going to let them get away with this." Rarity assured.

"Now then-"

Cozy pointed the bell at Twilight.

I'll be taking your magic!" Cozy exclaimed.

*RING*

Twilight was so shocked, all she had time to react with was brace for impact. However, Discord leaped forward, and took the hit. The bell absorbed Discord's magic. He collapsed onto the ground.

"Discord!" Twilight exclaimed.

The ponies gathered around Discord to see if he was okay.

"Don't worry, only I (and Pinkie Pie), can wield chaos magic effectively. I've essentially bottled necked the bell, and they can't use it to absorb any more magic without relinquishing my magic back to me." Discord explained.
"Hmm, this is true, Discord. Good thinking. Very selfless, and clever of you." Cozy said.
"Yes, clever, but blocking the bell is... what was the word?" Amber asked.
"Futile." Cozy corrected.
"Gesundheit." Amber said.

Cozy and Amber stepped forward. From everypony's perspective, it looked like Luster Dawn and Cozy Glow, as alicorns.

"Fortunately-"

*poof* the bell disappeared.

"We're already more than powerful enough to defeat all of you!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy and Amber charged their horns and-

*ZAP*

*BOOM*

They blasted the entire room with magic. Twilight blocked part of the beam with her magic. There was mass panic from the crowd of ponies.

"Get everypony to safety, now!" Twilight ordered.

Starlight, Trixie, Flurry Heart, Moondancer, Sunburst and the students all evacuated every creature from the room. They all ran out the exit in a panic crowd.

"Where are you all going? Don't you want to witness the rise of your new queen?!" Cozy exclaimed.

Twilight and the other members of the mane 6 stood strong, and unintimidated against the two alicorns.

"It's the Princess of Friendship and her friends against us, sister." Amber said. "What do you think? Can we take them?"
"Together, there isn't anything we can't accomplish, my little pretty." Cozy said.

Lust Star held Cozy Glow by the hooves, and they did a dance and twirl. Their horns lit up and charged their spell.

"You fillies are about to experience what the near undivided power of Grogar is capable of!"

*ZAP*





Anyway, we're not quite done, because we're about to see what Chrysalis was up to.

At the Changeling hive, Chrysalis, still disguised as Magnolia the unicorn, was sneaking around the hive. She pulled a mine cart of anorthosites through the hive. She brought the rocks to the back of the hive, and stacked all them together, very meticulously. After many hours of the same tedious task, her throne was starting to reshape. Other members of the hive were onto her though, and were keeping an eye on the suspicious activity. While she was putting the finishing touches, she was getting lots of suspicious onlookers.

"Oh don't mind me, I'm just stacking some rocks. Nothing to see here!" she said.

Chrysalis waved nervously, and the changelings were on their way.

"Once my throne is reconstructed, and I activate it, all the magic will be banished, and I will reclaim my hive!" she said to herself.
"Is that so?" said a changeling.

Chrysalis turned around, and there stood King Thorax, and a whole lot of Changelings.

"Oh, did I say that out loud? Whoops." Chrysalis said.
"You made a mistake coming here. We're going to make sure don't cause any disturbances!" Thorax exclaimed.
"You're too late, Thorax. Your strange and unusual life style will come to an end. Changelings weren't meant to live in such an unnatural way! I mean, what do you even do, Thorax? Govern? That's lame. Your population is on the decline, and you've been keeping it a secret from everyone!" Chrysalis said.
"What's she talking about?" Ocellus asked.
"How did you know?" Thorax asked.
"Oh, I've been keeping a watchful eye on you all since my escape." she replied. "I'd be doing a disservice if I didn't save my children."
"We're not going to let you get away with this." Thorax exclaimed.
"Oh, I but I already have!" she exclaimed.

Chrysalis lit up her horn and zapped the throne.

*zap*

The throne turned dark, and magic coursed through it.

"Huzzah! It has worked!" the queen exclaimed.

The throne lit up, and the spell worked.

"What's going on?" the changelings panicked.

A force field surrounded the Changeling live, and all non-Changeling magic was no longer possible.

"Contrary to what you may have been taught in recent times, but I do care for all of you. That's why I simply want what's best for you all. Your queen is here, and she's here to stay." Chrysalis said, sitting on the throne. "You need me. The Changelings are in peril! The population has been on a steady decline since the reign of King Thorax. I'm your salvation. I am your only hope! So now you will all join me and go back to our old ways."

Every changeling was at a standstill.

"You know, I'm willing to listen." Pharynx said.

*gasp*

"Pharynx!" Thorax exclaimed.
"Ah, Pharynx. Such a loyal drone." Chrysalis said, gleefully.

Pharynx walked forward towards the queen.

"She has a point. We're facing an extinction level predicament! She ideas, so we should listen to her point of view! We don't have to fight, we can work togeth-"

*ZAP*

Chrysalis zapped Pharynx, and he transformed to the old style Changeling.

"Any other takers?" Chrysalis asked.

Ocellus cowered in fear behind Thorax.

"No? Fine? I'll make up your minds for you!"

*ZAP*

A surge of electricity was on a runaway ripple through the hive.

*BOOM*

There was an intense flash of light. A tremor violently shook the hive. When the light faded, and the earthquake ceased, the Changelings opened their eyes, to their shock and horror, their bodies were dark, and their eyes blue. Chrysalis zapped them back to their old selves!

"No! This does not radiate good vibes!" Tymbal cried.
"Problem solved! No need to fix what isn't broken!" Chrysalis said.
"You can't do this, Chrysalis!" Thorax exclaimed.
"I already did!" the queen announced.
"But Chrysalis, this isn't the way anymore!" Thorax argued.
"You shall address me as My Queen!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "Our your majesty, or your lordship."
"Never!" Ocellus exclaimed.

The cries of the changeling rebel shocked Chrysalis.

Ocellus singled herself out from the crowd.

"You can change our bodies, but you can't change our minds!" Ocellus exclaimed. "We're not going back to our old ways!"
"If you will not obey your queen, then I shall-" Chrysalis started.
"You're not my queen! I hate you! I hate feeding on and abusing other creatures for our own gain! Everything was fine as soon as you left and King Thorax took the throne! It doesn't have to be this way. We can work out a solution to our problem without reverting to our savage ways!" Ocellus ranted. "And one more thing, you're ugly!"

Chrysalis, was shocked. She walked forward to Ocellus.

"I didn't want it to have to come to this, but-"

*crunch*

"AAHH!" Ocellus cried.

"Ocellus!" Thorax exclaimed.

Thorax rushed to Ocellus' side, but he flanked by the side.

*oof*

"Pharynx?

"At this point, it seems to me that Chrysalis cares more about our future than you!" Pharynx shouted.
"SHE LITERALLY TRIED TO EAT OCELLUS!" Thorax shouted back.
"She's the only one taking the threat of extinction seriously enough to offer a solution!" Pharynx shouted back.
"I can't believe it! My own brother betraying me!" Thorax cried.
"News flash, mewling grub! WE'RE ALL SIBLINGS! WE'RE BUGS! THAT'S OUR MOM!" Pharynx exclaimed.
"GAAH!"

Thorax kicked Pharynx up, and was ready to defend the hive from them.

A wave of changelings all started attacking other changelings. They transformed into all sorts of exotic creatures, to do combat. It was complete chaos. A Changeling civil war erupted in the Changeling hive!

With the Changelings in a civil war, and Twilight and her friends facing off against Cozy Glow and her sister, fireworks were flying, and the fate of Equestria was up in the air. And then there was Tirek and Grogar, who controlled the Rainbow of Darkness, and commanded an army of brainwashed shadow creatures. What challenges would they bring to Equestria?





To be continued...
> Chapter 23: Cozy Glow Strikes Back / Revenge of the Centaur
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cozy Glow Strikes Back

The alicorn "Lust Star" is Luster Dawn, possessed by the spirit of Cozy Glow. The other "Cozy Glow" lookalike is actually Cozy's twin sister, Amber Glow. But to the mane 6, it sure looked like Luster Dawn and the Cozy Glow they were fighting.
(Though for the sake of consistency, I will attempt to refer to them by their real identities).

Cozy Glow and Amber, did a little dance and twirl around each other, and then shot a blast of magic at Twilight and friends. 

*blast*
*BOOM*

Twilight Sparkle withstood the impact with a magic shield. The other members of the mane 6 were by her side, and they leaped into action.

Amber hovered high in the air above, while Cozy hovered lower.

Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared next to Amber.

"Surprise!" Pinkie cried, holding a party launcher.

But Cozy suddenly appeared behind Pinkie.

"No, YOU!" Cozy spun Pinkie's cannon until it faced her instead.

*BOOM* "AAH!" Pinkie cried.

The party canon fired at Pinkie Pie, causing her to fall to the ground. Rarity caught her just in time. Applejack roped her lasso around Amber, but Cozy came to her aid, and unleashed a fire spell, and the rope burst into flames.

Rainbow Dash flew to their aide, but Cozy was quicker.

"So Rainbow Dash, I hear you're pretty fast." Amber smirked.
"But I bet you can't out pace THIS!" Cozy exclaimed.

*ZAP*

They blasted Rainbow Dash with a bolt of lightning.

"Nothing can go faster than light." Cozy said.

Every blast of magic Twilight fired, was easily blocked by Cozy. Amber and Cozy retaliated with another powerful blast. They twirled around each other and-

*PEW*
*BOOM*



*yawn* "Haven't you guys learned no new tricks since your last run with Cozy Glow!?" Cozy exclaimed.
"Yeah, this is almost exactly like our last battle!" Amber exclaimed. "At least, I'm pretty sure..."

The mane 6 were worn out from the battle already.

"They're beating us senseless!" Applejack exclaimed.
"I'm rusty. Give me a break!" Rainbow Dash cried.





Despite the hairy situation, they weren't ready to give up, and they were still determined to win.

"Golly, you guys are are getting mangled! Now would be a good time to unleash your Rainbow powers!" Cozy said.
"Unless your friendship has weakened all these years later and your friendship is gone!" Amber added.
"The friendship between us runs much deeper than you think." Cozy grinned. "Why, we're closer friends than you guys are to each other!"
"That's what you think, but our friendship runs forever!" Twilight exclaimed. "Come on girls.

The 6 of them joined hooves. They all started to glow, and however in the air. Amber and Cozy watched with glee, and not a hint of anxiousness.

"True friendship is the power of when friends unite and it's more powerful that can stop any force." Twilight exclaimed.
"Have you been to the doctor lately, Twi? You seem to have problem with complicated sentences." Cozy smirked.

The 6 were almost ready to fire their blast.

"Oh no. Twilight of Sparkle is going to blast us with her rainbowy friendship spell. Whatever are we going to do?" Amber wept sarcastically.
"I'll show you, my student." Cozy smirked.

Cozy confidently cocked her head, and suddenly, the mane 6 stopped glowing!

"What the?!" Twilight exclaimed.

Cozy had grabbed Fluttershy with her magic, and broke the chain, and their glowing and floating stopped.

"FLUTTERSHY!" they cried.
"Let her go! NOW!" Twilight snapped.
"You guys are like a weak chain. Break one, link, and the entire chain crumples!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Luckily for us, our cooperation is optional." Amber said.
"We're each completely self sufficient-*THUD*

Rarity flung a giant boulder at Cozy. It was a direct hit. Cozy's magic wore off, and Fluttershy escaped, only to be caught by Amber's magic instead.

"Rarity! That's still my student! Don't kill her!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Sorry, I kind of got too heated there." Rarity said.
"Don't worry, I feel just fine!" Cozy exclaimed.

*BOOM*

The boulder exploded, and the Cozy was nearly unscathed. She withstood the hit like it was nothing.

"What the?!" Rarity exclaimed.

Cozy cocked her head, and it made and eerie bone cracking sound.

"Heh heh. I feel no pain!" she exclaimed.





Fluttershy was struggling to free herself of Amber's magical grip.

"Do you mind doing something about Flutterpie here? I'm sick of baby sitting her." Amber said.
"With pleasure." Cozy replied.

*poof*

Fluttershy disappeared.

"There. Out of sight, out of our way." Cozy said.

Rainbow Dash came zooming in. She flew into the air to build up great speed.

"Alright, A.G., just like we practiced." Cozy said.
Amber nodded, and flew in front of Twilight.

"Hey, Twilight. I betcha can't catch this!" Amber exclaimed, and slapped her flank. "Come and get a piece of this!"

Twilight flew into the air, and chased Amber around the room, while Cozy dealt with her friends.

Rainbow Dash was coming in fast, but Cozy appeared suddenly with magic, and literally flew circles around her.

"So, Equestria's fastest flyer? I don't see it." Cozy said.

Luster's wings grew huge, and gust powerful winds at Rainbow. The force of the wind made her lose control and she fell to the ground.

"Guess they don't call you Rainbow Crash for nothing." Cozy said. "Lightning was right, you are a fraud."

*poof*

With a quick spell, Rainbow Dash was gone.

Who's left. she thought.

Besides Twilight, there was Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity.

Applejack wasn't ready to let them get away with this. She tucked her hat down, which meant this was serious. Cozy chased Applejack around the room as she did leaps and bounds off damaged infrastructure.

"You got lots of dexterity for an older pony." Cozy commented.

Applejack tossed her lasso onto a piece of debris hanging from the ceiling. She held onto to the rope and swung from it. It was an elaborate web like trap, and she tied Cozy down.

"Expert knot tying skills, master AJ." Cozy said.

Her horn glowed, and in a bright flash of light, the ropes were absolutely lacerated! The alicorn ginned and walked forward.

"DEMONS BE GONE!" A

Lusty grabbed Applejack with her magic.

"Now, Profile Applejack, if you ever see the light of day again, please do us all a favor and allow for free market to operate unimpeded." Cozy said. “You should see how miserable you made Svengallop and the Flim Flam Brothers after ruining their businesses.
“What are talkin’ abou-“

*poof* Applejack was gone.

"Who's next?!" Cozy exclaimed.

The only ponies left were Pinkie Pie and Rarity.

Pinkie built a makeshift fort of rocks. From behind, she chucked a fast barrage of pies at Cozy.

*oof*

"You're not too bad, Pinkie Pie. Dropping a giant cupcake on me was funny in hindsight." Cozy said.
"What? I think you got it a little mixed up." Pinkie said.
"Oh. I mean, Cozy Glow. It was funny in hindsight when you dropped a giant cupcake on Cozy Glow. Not me, I wasn't born yet! I don't think. Say, Pinkie. How old is Luster?" Cozy said.
"Well, let me count the number of birthdays I've celebrated for you. I've celebrated every one of your birthdays, so let me reminisce. I believe it was your latest birthday party where you accidentally turned Twilight into a frog. And the year before that-" Pinkie went on and on and on.
"I don't have time to reminisce! I'm looking forward to the future." Cozy said.

Luster's horn lit up and was about to strike.

"Don't hurt me! I have a child." Pinkie cried.

Cozy was surprised, and flipped her mood.

"Golly, why didn't you say so?" Cozy pushed her hoof to her cheek. "As accommodation, you get Lusty's care package for hardworking mothers. Now be off."

*poof* Pinkie Pie vanished.

Next, Cozy turned her attention to Rarity.

*PEW*

Cozy fired a magic beam, and Rarity blocked it with a magic shield.

"You've got quite a strong magic shield considering what you are. A rundown mediocre peasant fashion designer." Cozy said.
"Great ponies can come from anywhere. And apparently, the worst ponies can too." Rarity said, pointing to Amber, being chased by Twilight.
"Yeah, she's the monster. Not Luster, of course. Do you even know where Cozy came from?" Cozy asked.
"I'm not particularly curious." Rarity replied.
"Well, I just lived through my *I mean* her life, so I don't feel like reexplaining." Cozy said.

Rarity was actually pretty darn decent at using her magic in combat, but she was no match for Cozy, and the sheer power of the bewitching bell and Grogar's magic.

Cozy's magic overcame Rarity, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Don't hurt me! I-" Rarity cried.
"You what? What's your excuse, Rarity? You don't have a family. You're a lone wolf! You've lived alone and you'll die alone!" Cozy exclaimed. "Oh, and by the way, Suri Polomare is a WAY better designer than you."
"NOOO!" Rarity cried. "Wait, what was that last bit?"

Cozy threatened her glowing horn against Rarity.

"AAHHH!-*POOF*

Rarity disappeared.





*oof*

Twilight caught up to, and pinned Amber down.

"I got you, Cozy!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Alright girls! I got Cozy Glow down! How's-*gasp*

Twilight looked around, but no friends to congratulate her.

"You and what army? Professor?" Cozy asked.
"You don't seem so confident without your friends, Twily." Amber said.
"What did you do to them?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Don't worry, they're in good hands." Cozy said.

Amber escaped Twilight's clutches, and appeared next to Cozy.

The two rogue alicorns inched forward, threatening Twilight.

"I don't get it! What could have possibly motivated you, Luster Dawn, to trot a path of treachery? You were always so eager to learn friendship, and were such an excellent student!" Twilight exclaimed.
"It's nothing personal, Twilight. Treachery is the natural path for young unicorn students.” Cozy replied.
"What's gotten into you, Luster?!" Twilight asked.

Cozy Glow cocked her head in the direction of Amber.

*Heh heh heh* Cozy giggled.

Amber joined her and started to laugh too.

"HA HA HA HA!" they laughed together.

"Oh, Twilight. You'll get a kicker out of the explanation." Cozy said. "But first."

Cozy and Amber lit up their horns.

"Time to kick every last smidgen of willpower out of you!" they exclaimed together.

They both charged up a powerful magic spell.

"Cozy Glow! Please, stop!" Twilight pleaded.
"Is this how Princess Celestia felt when her prized student Sunset Shimmer betrayed her?!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy Glow and Amber fired magic beams at Twilight, and she braced for impact.

*boom*

A magic shield protected her. But it was not hers.

Suddenly, a team of unicorns appeared besides, featuring Flurry Heart, Starlight Glimmer, and Trixie.

"Now that everypony is safely evacuated, we're here to fight along side you!" Flurry Heart said.
"Cozy Glow! This ends now!" Starlight exclaimed.
"Trixie's here to save the day!" Trixie declared.

The two alicorns were not intimidated.

"So, your actual useful friends have arrived." Cozy said.
"Doesn't matter! We're still gonna whup your plots!" Amber exclaimed.

Cozy charged up her horn and fired a blast of magic.

*boom*

"What?"

Trixie blocked the blast by her self.

"You're not the only ones who can power up!" Trixie exclaimed.

Trixie pulled out the alicorn amulet and put it to her neck. Her eyes and horn glowed red.

Twilight, Starlight, Trixie, and Flurry Heart fired beams of magic at Cozy Glow and Amber. The two evil alicorns fired their own beams of magic. The beams of magic intersected in a four versus two beam battle. The four 'corns were having an edge, and their magic was creeping up on Cozy and Amber

Cozy needed the edge, so she saw an opportunity. She used her magic to grab a plane of glass, and flung it at the other side. 
The glass was about to fall onto Twilight and her allies.

"Look out!" one of the 'corns cried.

One of them used a reflector spell, and the glass pane bounced the other way and headed towards Cozy and Amber.

*gasp* "Sister, look out!" Amber cried.

Amber flew forward to stop the glass.

*SHATTER*

She rammed head first into the heavy glass pane, and it shattered in the air, sparing Cozy.

"Watch what spell you use! You could have hurt Luster!" Twilight exclaimed.
"It wasn't Trixie!"  
"Look, your students gone rogue, show no mercy!"

While the four were arguing, Cozy took in the horrifying sight.

"No! Not again!" Cozy cried.

Amber laid on the ground, bloodied and bruised. When Cozy looked at this sight, it reminded her of her own past, being flung out a window, and almost dying.

"I've become my father..." she cried.

Tears of Cozy started to pour from Luster's face.

"Please, oh please..." Cozy wept.
"Sister?" Amber struggled to say. "I'm sorry I messed up the act..." she said lightly.
"No, you did nothing wrong! You tried to save me!" Cozy cried.

Cozy tried to hide the emotions and stay in character.

In the middle of their arguing, Starlight had noticed Luster weeping.

"Luster Dawn, are you okay?" she asked.

*RING*

The bell had appeared, and it completely sapped Amber of all of her magic. She plopped to the ground when her magic was drained.

Cozy got back into character and pretended again to be Luster.

"Cozy Glow?" Twilight asked.
"Take a closer look." Cozy said.

Cozy nudged Amber and rolled her over.

"Notice anything off about this filly?" Cozy asked.
"For one, she's dead." Trixie replied.
"Trixie!" the others scolded.
"Anything BESIDES THAT!?" Cozy exclaimed.
"That's definitely Cozy Glow. What are you getting at, Luster?" Twilight asked.
"Come on, Twilight. Use that big brain of yours." Cozy said, tapping Luster's head. "I know you haven't seen Cozy Glow up close in Celestia knows how many years, but what about this filly isn't correct?"
"I think I see it. Despite being drained of her magic, Cozy still has a horn!" Flurry Heart observed.
"But she hasn't got her wings." Starlight added. "She's also got a blank flank."
"Ding ding! You're getting warmer." Cozy exclaimed.
"This little filly sure looks a lot like Cozy, but all these subtle differences make you think, huh?" Cozy said.
"So if that's not Cozy Glow, then who is it?" Flurry Heart asked.
"And where is the real Cozy Glow?" Twilight asked.
"Golly, headmare Twilight. I'm disappointed it's taking you this long to figure it out." Cozy said. "You're right about one thing, Luster wouldn't betray you, Twilight. At least, not unless she's under the influence."

Twilight and the others did some deep thinking, and suddenly came to the realization.

*gasp* "No... It can't be!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Cozy Glow may be gone, but she lives on in the body of another mare!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Cozy Glow is mind controller Luster Dawn!" Flurry Heart exclaimed.
"Ding ding! We have a winner! Congratulations Flurry Heart, my love. You solved the mystery of Cozy and Luster's alliance!" Cozy said.

"This filly here is NOT Cozy Glow. In fact, I haven't fully wrapped my head around her existence, but she's here! Well, at least, she was!" Cozy explained. "And the real Cozy Glow has been in control complete of Luster Dawn this whole time!"
"You've been controlling my student this whole time, Cozy Glow?" Twilight asked.
"Uh, duh. Isn't it obvious? Luster's not as smart as me, and never would have come up with such a clever scheme to conquer the world!" Cozy said.

Cozy's story was crazy, and very hard to believe.

"This is all sounding very dubious!" Starlight said.

Twilight however couldn't help but buy into this narrative. She simply couldn't imagine Luster Dawn betraying her like this. So she had to be under some kind of control. But was this mysterious Cozy lookalike really a different pony?

"If what you say is true, Cozy Glow, then release Luster Dawn at once!" Twilight demanded.

Oh, Twilight. Feeling sorrow for the student, but not your mortal enemy. Cozy thought. Not one of them extended a hoof forward to try to help you. It's a shame you had to suffer, Amber, because of their vendetta against me.

*poof* Cozy cast a spell, and Amber Glow disappeared.

May you rest peacefully, sister. I promise your lose won't be for naught.

"There is no more Cozy Glow! Only the one true, Empress Lust Star!" Cozy exclaimed.

"If you want your precious pupil, Twilight-" Cozy started.

*poof* The bell appeared besides Lust Star.

"-then come and get her." she finished saying.

The two unicorns and two alicorn princesses opposed Cozy Glow. The four charged forward towards Lust Star Cozy.

Cozy held the bell close to her.

One way or another, Cozy's legacy ends now. Cozy said in her head.





Revenge of the Centaur

Meanwhile, one giant, angry centaur was marching through Equestria. Tirek was full of magic, and trudging through the land, heading for Canterlot, on a mission to find and save Cozy Glow. He wielded the Rainbow of Darkness around his neck, and was prepared to take on any foes that come in his way. But his behavior did not go unnoticed. He was being watched by two mighty deities.

"What is he doing?"
"It appears he is marching to the heart of Equestria."
"Well we simply cannot allow that to happen."
"It is not our place to interfere with the outcome of fate.
"But we still owe it to ourselves to protect the land."

It was none other than the original two princesses, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. They approached the mighty centaur, and opposed him. Tirek halted in his tracks to speak to the princesses.

"What do you two want?" Tirek asked.
"So, Tirek. We meet again." Luna said.
"This is your final warning, Tirek. Surrender immediately at once, and tell us where your accomplices are." Celestia said.
"Unless you two are here to give me your magic, then step out of my way. I don't have time for this. I have urgent matters." Tirek said.

I don't know why, sister. But something seems off about Tirek. Luna thought.
He's typically down for any challenge, but he far more serious than I have ever witnessed. Celestia replied through thoughts.

"Whatever mischief you have in mind-" Celestia started.
"-we're here to make sure your plans fall through." Luna finished.

Tirek crossed his arms and tapped one of his hooves. Though Tirek had with him the darkness, he wondered if now was the time to use it.

"You don't need me yet, you can take these two on your own. Save it for the eleventh hour." Grogar whispered. "Exercise your own raw strength and crush them."

With that, Tirek's mind was made up.

"If it's a fight you want, then I'll make this quick." Tirek said.

Tirek clenched his fists, and charged up his own magic. He fired a fireball at the princesses. Luna flew up, and Tirek chased her the field, while Celestia prepared her trap.

Tirek went in for a punch, but Luna cast a magic shield to intersect his fist.

*BOOM* The was a magic-splosion, and they were back on neutral ground. Tirek couldn't help but notice this was so far a one sided fight.

Luna evaded, and flew around the scene.

"You aren't even putting up a fight! You are simply evading!" Tirek exclaimed. "This is a waste of my time."

Tirek turned around and was about to leave the scene anyway, when all of the sudden.

"Now, sister!" Luna exclaimed.

Celestia cast a portal, and banished Tirek into Tartarus.





With Tirek and the Rainbow of Darkness now trapped in Tartaurs, he turned around, and banged against the door to the outside.

"LET ME OUT!" he pounded the door with all his might, but it didn't budge enough. Grogar was slightly more optimistic.
"Those fools." Grogar said.
"What are you on about?" Tirek asked.
"Look around, it's a buffet of powerful creatures, and I get the feeling you're rather hungry." Grogar said.

Tirek opened the Rainbow of Darkness, and it consumed all the creatures in Tartarus.

"We shall devour every creature we see." Grogar said.

Shadow magic slowly crept in, and consumed the various creatures inside. From a Cockatrice, the Bugbear, a Manticore, a Maulwulf, and many more.

Cerberus growled, but even they were not immune to the darkness' influence.

*boom*

The cages blew open, and the creatures from Tartarus roamed free.

"Yes! Our army of darkness continues to expand! With an army of the fiercest creatures in Tartarus, we'll be invincible!" Grogar exclaimed.

Tirek couldn't help but notice something unusual at the top of the Tartarus staircase.





Tirek climbed up the stairs to see what was waiting. When he reached the top, he had discovered something horrifying.

"Oh my-... Cozy Glow?"

He found Cozy's lifeless body hanging in a cage. He reached in gently, and grabbed the corpse, and held it close to him.

"No... Cozy..." Tirek wept.
"Tsk tsk. The recklessness of those ponies were her demise." Grogar said.

Tirek however, wasn't in the mod for back and forth banter. He bent his knees, and (unbelievably), he wept for Cozy Glow.

"This is all my fault... I shouldn't have passed her on to Discord. I owed it to myself to try everything in my ability to help her, but I failed..."
"It was a mistake to put any trust into Discord." Grogar said. "Now come, Tirek. We should have more than enough power to escape from here."

But Tirek didn't listen. He was near paralyzed by the emotions rushing through him.

"What's wrong with me?" Tirek wept.

Tirek had never lost any creature he cared about. But every emotion he felt was second nature. He couldn't help but feel extreme sorrow over the loss of Cozy Glow.

"I feel this profound emotions overcoming my head. I've never experienced anything like this..."

Tirek had never experienced sadness, or mourned for the loss of any creature, until now.

"And how does it feel?" Grogar asked.

Tirek clenched his fist, and converted all his sadness into uncontrollable anger.

"I hate this feeling! I want it to end! I want everything to end!" he exclaimed.

Tirek was over the sadness phase, and was now angrier than he'd ever been in his life.

"Yes, it is tragic. Cozy may be lost, but we shouldn't take this loss sitting down." Grogar said.

The Rainbow of Darkness glowed, and some of the creatures crawled out to speak.

"Make those ponies pay for what they did!" Shadow Polomare said.
"Show those ponies unimaginable power!" The Washadows said simultaneously.
"Make them sorry they ever lived!" all the shadow creatures exclaimed at once.

Dark magic crept out of the Rainbow of Darkness, unprompted, and wrapped itself around Tirek, and absorbed itself into the centaur.

The surge in rage and dark magic transformed Tirek.

"AH! What is happening?" 
"I'm just gonna make sure you put your anger to good use." Grogar said.

The darkness started to consume Tirek, and fill him with even more power, and even more pain.

"Stop! It hurts! The power! The darkness! I can't feel my-"
"Tirek..."
Tirek opened his eyes, and saw Cozy's corpse twitch. Its head fell over, and its eyes opened.
"Avenge me, Tirek." it said.
A dark plume consumed Cozy's body.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Tirek let out a tremendous scream as the darkness consumed him.





From Tartarus, Celestia and Luna watched anxiously as Tirek pounded against the gates of Tartarus.

*BAM* *BOOM*

The force was tremendous!

"Surely no creature can escape, right?" Celestia asked.
"No creature has ever escaped from Tartarus by sheer brute force." Luna replied.

*BOOM* the doors flew open with so much force, they dislodged from their hinges, flew forward and embedded themselves in the nearby mountainside.

"Well there's a first time for everything..." Luna said.

Tirek emerged from Tartarus, cuffing his hands together, as if he was holding something. He marched forward, and the Princesses stood firm. Tirek threw forward a punch. The princesses braced for impact, but his fist stopped short of their shields. His fist opened revealing Cozy Glow's body.

"Is this what you call friendship?! Is this how you treat your own kin?!" Tirek exclaimed.

Tirek held the Cozy corpse in front of the two princesses.

"I assure you this has to be some sort of misunderstanding." Celestia said.
"I assure you this is exactly what it looks like! Take a closer look! She's GONE!" Tirek exclaimed.
"What do you think, sister?" Luna asked.

Celestia closed her eyes and thought deep.

"This is unusual, Her soul is not here with us. She must somewhere else..." Celestia replied.
"This all happened because you all put too much trust into Discord! When he makes a promise, THIS is what he delivers!" Tirek yelled.
"Discord is the most trustworthy creature I know of. Absolutely nothing can go wrong when making a deal with him." Luna said.
"Are you being sarcastic, sister?"
"This is your fault! You let this happen!" Tirek raged.
"Preposterous." Luna said.
"We're not even real anymore, so we're not responsible for any trouble that you guys stick your noses into." Celestia said.

Tirek opened the Rainbow of Darkness, and his army of shadow creatures crawled out.

"I'm going to make sure that light never shines upon the land again!" he exclaimed.

The legion of shadow beasts surrounded the princesses. They were clearly outnumbered, and their power far exceeded their own.

"What do we do now, sister?" Luna asked.
"We've done all we can. We can only hope that balance is maintained..." Celestia said.
"This is no ordinary rage. He grieves for the filly, so perhaps there is a way through to him..." Luna said.
"Twilight's got her work cut out for her, but regardless of what happens, friendship always finds a way..." Celestia said.

The creatures all fired a powerful blast at the princesses and-

*BOOM*

It was a mighty explosion. When the dust cleared, the princesses were completely gone!

"WHAT! WHERE'D THEY GO?! AAH!" Tirek exclaimed.

Tirek punched the mountainside where they once were.

*heavy breathing*

"Get over it. They are gone, and out of our way, leaving us free to do as we please with all our shadowy friends." Grogar said.

Tirek clenched Cozy's body in his fist, and held it close to his chest. He marched forward and headed for Canterlot.

"I'm going to avenge you, Cozy. I'm going to annihilate every last creature who still breathes." Tirek said, marching towards the mainland.

To be continued...
> Chapter 24: True Evil
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the plains of Equestria, the battle raged on. On one side, was Luster Dawn, whose mind was occupying the mind and essence of Cozy Glow, who was in complete control of the young student. She had already obtained the power of Grogar's bell. She stood against Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer, Trixie, and Flurry Heart.





The four 'corns leaped into action and charged forward. Cozy flew into the air, and charged her horn.

*BOOM*

The 'corns blocked her blast. Flurry Heart flew forward with her magic poised and ready, but Cozy was done playing around. Now she was serious.

*RING*

*AAGHH!* Flurry cried.

Cozy activated the bell, and a powerful vortex leached onto her horn, and depleted her of her magic.

"And now-"

Cozy flipped the bell over which sent Flurry up and over and-

*SLAM*

She slammed Flurry to the ground.

"FLURRY!" The others exclaimed.

Cozy pointed the bell at herself, and a beam of magic shot into her, and she absorbed Flurry's alicorn magic. The surge in extra magic made Luster appear more powerful. She grew fangs, and her hair became more fiery.

"By the way, dear reader, it turns out you CAN select which magic you absorb from Grogar's bell. So Discord's chaos magic isn't actually a hindrance." Cozy commented. "So that's that, deal with it."

Cozy slowly walked to the downed Flurry.

"Thank you for the magic, Flurry." Cozy patted Flurry on the head, and then-

*poof* Cozy made Flurry disappear for convenience.

"Any other magic donors want to step forward and contribute to my great cause?!" Cozy exclaimed. "Or are you too scared I'll do the same to you?"

Starlight and Twilight were hesitant, But Trixie was steadfast.

"Trixie shall not be intimidated!"

Trixie activated the alicorn amulet, and her magical abilities grew in strength. Trixie ran forward and charged Cozy fired a blast of magic, but Trixie easily deflected it with a magic shield. The alicorn amulet made her surprising powerful.

"Wow, Trixie, you're no slouch. Especially with that juicy looking amulet..." Cozy's mouth watered at the thought of the magic contained in the amulet.

The two chased each other around. Trixie withstood one of Cozy's beams. Though Trixie's defenses were tough to penetrate, Cozy went in for the magic.

"Trixie's hit!" she cried.

Trixie fell to the ground. Cozy snatched the amulet from Trixie, and then-

*SHATTER*

She threw the amulet to the ground, and stomped on it, destroying the amulet, and releasing all of its magic. Cozy rung the bell and absorbed the magic from Trixie and the amulet.

"Any more smarty pants comment, Ms. Lulamoon?" Cozy exclaimed.

"Uh-"
"Nope!" Cozy exclaimed.

*poof*

Trixie disappeared.

With Trixie and Flurry Heart defeated, that just left Twilight and Starlight.

"Stop this right now, Cozy Glow!" Starlight cried. "This has gone on long enough!"
"Release Luster Dawn at once!" Twilight cried.
"Never! She's mine now!" Cozy declared. "Luster has literally given me the time of my life!"
"You can hear me, Luster! You got to fight it!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Oh, help me! Twilight, help!" she said with Luster's voice.
"Luster Dawn!" Twilight cried.

Cozy pretended that Luster Dawn was breaking through, but it was only a facade.

"Just kidding! I'm in full control of Luster!" Cozy exclaimed. "HAHAHA!!!" she laughed.

"We need to rethink this, Starlight. Before any other pony gets hurt!" Twilight said.

But it was too late, Starlight already made her move.

"That's it! This will be the last time you invade Equestria!" Starlight exclaimed.
"I agree. No need to invade a kingdom in which I rule!" Cozy replied, with a smug, evil smile.

Starlight had lots of anger bottled up, but now she was ready to unleash it. Starlight ran forward, and fired magic shots are Cozy. Cozy flew the other way as Starlight chased her.

"You're no match for me, Glimmy!" Cozy said.

Cozy spun around, faced Starlight, and fired magic at her. Starlight leaped and dodged the onslaught, but she only had so much energy, and was starting to show signs of fatigue.

"I'll admit this, you were always my favorite counselor." Cozy said. "After all, you made a great instigator for my spell! HA!"

Starlight leaped up, shot beams of magic, but Cozy was fast! Soon she was overwhelmed by Cozy's immense magical power. Cozy zipped and zoomed, and brought Starlight to the ground. Cozy put Starlight in a magic bind to hold her in place.

*ERGH* "Stop it! Don't!" Starlight cried.

*RING*

Cozy drained Starlight of her magic, and immediately absorbed it for herself.

"You have to stop!" Starlight pleaded.
"I will stop soon. I have just one pony left." Cozy said.

*poof* Starlight disappeared.

"And then there were two." Cozy said. "Oh this is going to be fun!"

All that was left, was just Twilight Sparkle against Cozy Glow, who again was possessing the body of Luster Dawn.

"Cozy Glow!" Twilight cried. "AH!!"

*zap*

Cozy fired a beam of magic at Twilight, which she intersected with her own beam.

*BOOM*

Twilight fired her own magic beam at Cozy, but it was completely ineffective. Cozy took pleasure that Twilight's magic was basically useless against her.

"It's no use, Twilight. My power far exceeds yours! You can't defeat me with brute force magic!" Cozy exclaimed.
"She's right, I can't defeat her magic. I need to break through to Luster, but breaking down Cozy Glow." Twilight said to herself.

It was then that Twilight finally decided that the best thing to do was to talk to Cozy Glow.

"Cozy Glow, please, I-" Twilight started.
"You what!?" Cozy cried. "Choose your words carefully!"
"Please release Luster Dawn! She didn't do any harm to you!" Twilight pleaded.
"Hmm, you got a point there, Twilight. Here's the interesting thing though. Hold your breath, you're not gonna believe this, Twilight. Luster Dawn offered to HELP ME! Which is a lot more than what you or any other creature can say!"
"Is that all you wanted, Cozy? Was help?" Twilight asked.

*hoof palm* Cozy faced palmed Luster's face.

"I'm not saying I would have accepted your help, but gee, anything beats a life sentence in Tartarus!" Cozy exclaimed. "All because I threatened your precious magic! Which you're about to lose anyway!"
"I asked you why you did it, but it was you who didn't give me a clear answer!" Twilight shot back.
"What part about "friendship is power" didn't make sense? The question you should have been asking, is: Why was a filly was so obsessed with power? Ever wonder that? Not enough to ask any further questions apparently! It's not like you Twilight to lock your enemies away without getting to know them. So what gives?"
"If a chance redemption is what you want, then the first step to righteousness is-" Twilight started.
"PFFT!!" Cozy spat at Twilight. "You can forget about reformation! I wouldn't be caught dead following your hoofsteps, Twilight. You took everything from me! Now I'm going to take away everything you care about. I already took your student, Luster! Now for your magic!"

Cozy inched forward, posing the bell ready to sap the magic.

"You can do what you want to me, but please just let Luster go!" Twilight pleaded.
"And then what? Without a vessel, are you just gonna let Cozy's soul pitter patter into oblivion?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"What are you talking about, Cozy?" Twilight asked.
"Why do you think I had to take over Lusty? You think this was my first choice? Frankly, no, if for no other reason than Lusty is way less pretty than me."
"What's going on, Cozy? What happened to you while you were gone?" Twilight asked.
"Let's just say that my sister isn't the only Cozy to die." she said.
"What are you talking about, Cozy!?" Twilight exclaimed. "So if you're controlling Luster, where's the rest of you?!"
"As if you care! You barely cared when you thought Cozy Glow was gonna lose her head earlier!"
"I'm sorry, Cozy! I wish I could have help!" Twilight shouted.
"See. NOW you want to help. Now you feel sorry, now that it's too late! Way to go Twilight, you waited too long! Did you honestly think your harsh punishments wouldn't have a drastic effect on me?! That I would't build up additional anger while sealed away in stone? Did you really think I wouldn't come up with a convoluted and dangerous revenge scheme?!"

Twilight's horn glowed, and she lunged forward, but Cozy's magic was so strong, she stopped the princess in place.

"You didn't reach out and give me the help I needed after my little stunt in your school. Then, after being misguided by two of Equestria's biggest baddies, you decided to punish me just like one of them. You enlisted your little student to talk to me, instead of doing it yourself, just for the sake of her little school project. Your recklessness only cost me my life! My body's gone! Lusty's all I have left..." Cozy's voice trailed off.
"I didn't do this to you Cozy! Everything you've done was your choice!" Twilight exclaimed.
"You could have prevented this, Twilight! You had multiple chances to reconcile with Cozy, but you never did! You just let Cozy's life slip away..."

Cozy slashed her horn in the the air, ripping a scar in the air, that opened and fired bursts of magic at Twilight. Her magic shield was only barely strong enough o block the onslaught of magic. Cozy was not letting up. She was more furious than ever, and continued her assault on Twilight Sparkle.

"If you stop attacking right now, I will reconsider!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Is this your form of surrender?" Cozy asked.
"You are right, I could have prevented this all from happening." Twilight said.

Twilight's legs collapsed in exhaustion, and her horn stopped glowing.

"Come on Cozy, we can start over." Twilight said. "If you stop all of this, I'll listen to what you have to say. We can work through this situation and find a solution."
"Need I remind of you of the misery you put me through, Twilight?" Cozy asked. "You're only reaching out now because I'm on top! But when the little filly was gasping for air under a giant cupcake?! Lock her in stone and never speak of her again!! You're only listening to me now because I'm controlling your student. Absolutely pathetic."
"You were my greatest failure Cozy Glow!" Twilight admitted. "It is my job to spread the message of friendship! But I failed you! I couldn't show you the meaning of friendship!"

Cozy was not impressed by Twilight's melodramatic speech. So she wanted to see if she really meant what she said.

*poof*

Amber Glow appeared in front of Twilight.

"Say that to her face." Cozy demanded. "Prove that you can feel real sentiment for Cozy!"

Amber wasn't dead, although she was bloody and bruised. She was conscious however, and just able to stand on all four legs.

"You're princess Twilight Sparkle?" Amber said, faintly.
"Yes I am. I don't know who you are, but you sure look a lot like Cozy-" Twilight said.
"Why? Why did you hurt my sister?" Amber asked. "Why did you put her away in stone?"
"I couldn't let Cozy go unhinged. She was going to destroy all the magic, and-" Twilight explained, but was interrupted.
"She's just sad. Our daddy was mean to her, so she came to your school for salvation." Amber Glow explained.
"It doesn't matter how sad her life was! That's no excuse to come to Equestria with the intent of conquest. I had to!"
*gasp* Amber started to tear up.
"Oh, you were doing so well, Twilight." Cozy said.
"I didn't mean-" Twilight started.
"Well if simply can't let Cozy go unpunished for her actions, then-"
*ZAP*
"AAHH!" Amber cried, when Cozy's magic shot hit her from behind. 

Amber started to turn to stone, from bottom up.

"Cozy! Or, err. Whatever your name is!"

Amber was frozen in stone, in a helpless pose.

"What's the matter, Twilight? I thought you were okay with putting Cozy Glow in stone!" Cozy exclaimed. 
"Whoever she is, she didn't do anything wrong!”
"My sister's no saint either, she tried to attack you too." Cozy said.
"You made her attack me!” Twilight exclaimed.
"Uh, hello? Discord made me collect Grogar's bell, and told me to use it against you, which I did! So where do you draw the line? Huh? I think you just don't like me." Cozy said.
"Cozy Glow! I don't know how you can expect forgiveness if you keep acting ridiculous!" Twilight exclaimed.
"I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to torture you by reminded you of your failures." Cozy replied. "Take a good long look at the sad child!" she ordered. "Do you feel sorry for her now? Do you want to reach out and help the filly now? You went through so much trouble to bring Princess Luna back from Nightmare Moon. You and your friends reformed Discord just because Celestia told you to. You begged Starlight Glimmer to change her ways. You argued against your idol, Starswirl, to reform Stygian. And what did you do for Cozy Glow?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO COZY GLOW?!"

Twilight closed her eyes and wept.

"I...I..." she tried to say.
"You did nothing!" Cozy exclaimed.
"I failed her..." she said.


When Twilight saw Cozy's (somewhat) innocent sister trapped in stone, she wondered if Cozy was no different.

"You know, the shame about being immobile, not being able to defend yourself. It leaves you especially vulnerable to vandals... But don't worry, Amby, I'll make sure you're safe."

Cozy nuzzled the stone statue of her sister, and whispered into it. "You did good, sister. "

*poof* the statue disappeared.

"I'm sorry, Cozy Glow." Twilight apologized. "I had no idea you were such a miserable pony." Twilight said.
"Of course you didn't." Cozy said, deadpan.

Cozy walked forward, and Twilight backed up.

"You don't know the beginning of my misery! You think you had it so rough, when you had everything going in your favor! Then there's me, where every possible force of nature tried to oppress, or kill me! But while you had your princess duties handed to you, I had to earn my powers! The universe tried to kill me, and it succeeded! You can kill Cozy Glow, but you can't get rid of her so easily! I always find a way to come back! And look at me now! I'm the most powerful creature in the entire world!"

Twilight fell over in fear.

"Alright, I've had enough. Time to end this." Cozy said, holding the bewitching bell by her side.

Twilight tried to defend herself, but Cozy walked up slowly, and forced Twilight to the ground.

"You were wrong, Twilight. Friendship isn't magic. Friendship is power after all! And now, I have all the power in Equestria!" Cozy exclaimed. "And now, you will be fortunate enough to contribute to my power!"

The bell rang, and the beaming vortex latched onto and sucked the magic out of Twilight Sparkle. Twilight returned to her plain old short unicorn form. A form she hadn't had since before she got her wings. Cozy pointed the bell her host, Luster, and she absorbed the magic, and grew more powerful in magic. Luster now had flame like mane, and sharp fangs. Her wings had grown larger, but her body only grew very marginally taller.

"This is what happens when you give a masochistic child all the power in the world." Cozy said. "The universe tried to kill me, multiple times! But I will always come back to torment my enemies!"

Cozy stood tall, showing off the fact that yes, she controlled Luster Dawn, and made her into a powerful alicorn.

"Take a good look at this. You created this. You enabled me to rise to power!" Cozy exclaimed. "You lose, Twilight Sparkle."

Cozy walked forward, slowly. Thinking of ways to finish off Twilight Sparkle.

"I hear you're good with words, Twilight. You reformed Starlight Glimmer with nothing but empty promises and lies. So please, if you think you can talk yourself out of this, then go ahead and try!" Cozy smirked.
"I've got nothing..." Twilight admitted, exhausted.
"Well, that makes this easier then." Cozy said.
"If you've convinced me of anything today, it's that nothing can change your ways. You'll always have the urge to be more powerful than ponies around you, and you'll always be a threat. And no matter how young, true evil can manifest itself in anypony." Twilight said.
"Gee, Twilight. How uncharacteristically pessimistic for you to say. You really would have hurt my feelings *giggle* if I cared about your opinion." Cozy replied.

Cozy conjured a sharp magic tool to finish off Twilight. She held up the cognitive knife. Twilight laid helplessly on the ground. Cozy had her right where she wanted her. But despite all of this...

...*ERR* AAHH!" Cozy exclaimed. "Why isn't this satisfying?! I literally accomplished everything I set out to do! I fulfilled my parent's wish and became the most powerful creature in Equestria! I completed my number one objective and defeated you! I humiliated you, and took advantage of your student! Here I am about to slay you for good, but why does it feel so EMPTY!"

Cozy breathed heavily.

"It feels like... something's missing..." Cozy said.

If there's one thing that can be said about Cozy, Twilight definitely recalled Cozy having fun during their battle before her coronation. This Cozy was the opposite of that. She was alone, and very vengeful. In spite of achieving her goals, she definitely lost more than just her body along the way. Cozy was in a slump, and Twilight saw an opening.

"You mourned your sister when she got injured. That means you really care about her. And I know she's not the only creature you care for." Twilight said.
"What do you mean?" Cozy asked.
"I didn't see it before, but now I realize, you're not as evil as most other villains." Twilight said.
"What makes you think that?" Cozy asked.
"Most other bad guys want to conquer Equestria for themselves. But you, you're doing it so you can be together."
"UGH! Dammit! How do you know?!" Cozy asked.
"I can sense your emotions. The thing you want most, is to be reunited with your friends." Twilight said.

Cozy was about to finish Twilight, but she couldn't...

*hrrgh* "Fine! I admit it! Tirek and Chrysalis are my friends!! Okay! There I said it!" Cozy wept, and tears poured down Luster's eyes. "And they aren't the only friends I've made since being freed from stone! And you know what friendship, it isn't so bad after all! Helping out others and them helping you in return is a nice feeling!"
"You're starting to see the light, Cozy Glow." Twilight said. "Perhaps you can change your ways after-" Twilight was interrupted. 
"But you! How can you sit here and say friendship is magic when you stole my fillyhood from me?! I refuse to suck up to you! I have no desire to ever join you!" Cozy defied.
"You don't have to take my word for it. Look around, Cozy. Reflect on what you've done. Is this really the outcome you want?" Twilight asked.

Cozy looked at her hooves, but they were Luster's her identity was gone.

"I can't undo all the damage that's been done!" Cozy wept. "My body's gone! My sister's gone! I'm Equestria's most hated creature! But I don't care what others think of me. I just want *sniff* I just want to see my friends again..." Cozy wept.
"What are you going to do, Cozy?" Twilight asked.

Cozy was scared, and uncertain.

Twilight reached her hood out, and Cozy reluctantly started to extend Luster's hoof out too. The two reached for each other, and were about to make contact, when all of the sudden.

*stomp*

The ground shook, and they heard a loud thud from the distance. Cozy reeled her hoof back in. Twilight’s heart sank.

"I'm not going to do anything to you, Twilight." she said.

Cozy came to life with excitement. Twilight looked over the vista, and she saw him. Lord Tirek. He had finally arrived onto the scene, fully loaded with magic, and very large. About as large as his largest size seen in the show. But he also had a very... dark aura to him. He was surrounded by dark clouds.

"What is that?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"The Rainbow of Darkness." Cozy grinned. "Funny, I didn't even need it to defeat you."
"You won't get away with this, Cozy! We'll-"
*Shh* Cozy shushed the princess.

Cozy put magic around Twilight's mouth, so she couldn't breathe.

"Close your eyes, Twilight. Everything will be all better once you open." she said.

Twilight lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, and then-

*poof*

Twilight Sparkle was gone.

Cozy looked over, and saw the mighty centaur, fully loaded of magic. She could see he had the Rainbow of Darkness tied around his neck.
"So, Tirek decided to unleash the Rainbow of Darkness anyway. Nice." Cozy said.

Cozy was over the moon excited to see that Tirek had finally made it here. So she casually flew right over to him to greet the centaur.

"It's good to see you again, big guy." Cozy said to herself.

Tirek had a very grumpy look on his face. He looked around, befuddled at what he saw.

"...What is this?" Tirek asked. "You dare to have the audacity to approach me directly!?" Tirek asked.
"I-I don't know what you mean." Cozy replied.
"You're that little unicorn student of Twilight's. You've come to stop me in my tracks." Tirek said.

Cozy looked at her hooves, she still looked like Luster Dawn.

"Oh! No no no. Tirek, you got it all wrong, it's me! Cozy Glow! See, look!"

Luster's horn glowed and then-
*poof*

After a poof of magic... Cozy still looked like Luster Dawn.

"Is this supposed to be humorous?" Tirek asked, with anger.
"Uh, let me try again." Cozy said.

*poof*

Cozy tried to transform, but no matter the spell she tried, she still looked like Luster Dawn.

"I don't know why this isn't working. But I swear, Tirek! It's me! Cozy Glow! Really!" she pleaded.
"No, that's impossible. Cozy Glow is right here..." he said.

Tirek held his fist out to Cozy, and slowly opened it, revealing he held Cozy's corpse.

*gasp* "You weren't supposed to see that..." Cozy wept.
"The most vile, despicable, and diabolical pony in modern Equestrian history. She was truly evil. *sniff* But now she's gone..." Tirek said.
"No no no, Tirek! I swear this isn't what it looks like!" Cozy pleaded.
"No, this is exactly what it looks like." Tirek said. "You kill off the only pony I ever cared about, and you have the audacity approach me!? And pretend to be her!?"
"But it's really me! Tirek! Remember! We ran away and started our own village called TCGC! We built a machine to find the Rainbow of Dark-*gasp*

Cozy noticed the darkness was slowly creeping around Tirek.

"Remember Chrysalis and her pathetic princess act? Remember climbing Mt. Everhoof together! Remember laying siege to Twilight Sparkle with Grogar's bell by our side? Luster wouldn't know about our times together!"
"C-Cozy?" Tirek asked.
"Yes, it's me, big guy." Cozy replied.
"Cozy? I-*ZAP*AAAHHHHH!"
"Tirek!" she exclaimed.

Tirek was fully consumed by the darkness.

"Tirek! Can you hear me?! Tirek?!" Cozy exclaimed.

"The Tirek you knew was a shell of his former self." a voice came from the darkness around Tirek's neck.

*gasp* Cozy gasped.

The Cozy corpse crawled over Tirek’s shoulder. It twitched as its eyes opened, and they glowed a terrifying purple glow.

"Lord Tirek was destined to conquer Equestria, but then you came along, and showed him friendship. You turned the mighty centaur into a pansy on a mission to save his girlfriend. I'm simply here to put Tirek's on track." it said.

Cozy had recognized that voice. It sounded just like the voice of Grogar!

"Stop it! You're hurting him!" Cozy exclaimed.

"Tirek deserves better." a different voice said.

*gasp* "Who said that?" Cozy asked.
Dark voices whispered around Cozy Glow.

"So, you're Twilight's student."
"You hurt Tirek."
"You killed Cozy Glow."

A bunch of shadowy creatures surrounded Cozy Glow. She immediately recognized them as her friends from the village. Suri Polomare, Lightning and the Washouts, Svengallop, and many more. All had been turned into hideous shadowy beasts.

"What have you done?" Cozy exclaimed. “

Tirek charged up his magic. His large horns glowed red, and a ball of energy charged in the middle of the horns.

"It is YOU who is the evilest of all! You took Cozy Glow away! So now I going destroy yoU!"

"Tirek, no! You don’t understand! I’m-“ Cozy cried. 

*ZAP*
“AAAAHHHH!!!”

Tirek zapped Luster's body with a massive magic beam. The blast sent Luster's body flying away at great speeds.

*bam*

They crashed into the side of a mountain, leaving the centaur and spirit of the Rainbow of Darkness to themselves.

"Thank goodness she's gone." Grogar said. "This kingdom is now mine once again."
If she truly is who she says she is, then she'll ruin my plan.  Grogar's voice echoed to himself.
"Wait." Tirek said.
"Hmm...?"

The mountain side was glowing. There was still a great power emanating from within.





To be continued...
> Chapter 25: Army of Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back at the Changeling hive, after a fierce battle, the swarming brawl had crawled to halt.

Nearly all the Changelings were on their last standings. Who was on what side? No one knew anymore. They only knew pain and violence.

Thorax had been knocked to the ground. Chrysalis, tired and exhausted, slowly walked up to the changeling king.

"Stop it! You're not going to get away with..." Thorax trailed off saying.
*heavy breathing* "I'll soon have my *huff* revenge..." Chrysalis said, exhausted.

Chrysalis stood up to finish off Thorax, but her hind legs shook, and she fell over onto her flank.

*oof* "This isn't going as I planned..." Chrysalis said. "I thought this would be a lot more satisfying, getting revenge on my traitor hive, but instead I feel like I'm the traitor..."
"Starlight isn't the problem." Thorax said. "She merely presented us the idea, but it never would have caught on if it didn't work..."
"But it isn't working now! How could you let the Changeling hive fall into state of despair?" Chrysalis asked.
"Do you know how hard it is running a colony?" Thorax asked.
"Uh, do you have any idea who you're speaking to?" Chrysalis replied.
"She's got a point, Thorax." Pharynx added. "She knows more than all of us about Changeling leadership."
"Leading the hive has been extremely stressful!!" Thorax exclaimed. "No matter how hard we've tried, we've been unable to craft the royal jelly to breed  new queen! And if we can't create a sustainable method of mass reproduction, then YES, we are on the brink of doom!"

Thorax was letting his emotion, and Chrysalis had noticed.

"You know, deep down, I was really disappointed that you just ran away from the hive on that day." Thorax said. "I know you were upset, and it felt like Starlight stole your hive from you, but if you just swallowed your pride and came back, we probably would have accepted you, Chrysalis." Thorax said.
"And then Discord thought it would be funny to gather you, Sombra, Tirek, and Cozy Glow together to arrange an attack on Twilight before her coronation." Pharynx added.
"Okay, I get-" Chrysalis started.
"And then after your defeat you were turned to stone without the collective consensus of the populous." Pharynx went on.
"Alright, I get it!" Chrysalis growled.

Pharynx put his guard down.

"Anyway, as I was saying. No matter how hard I try to think of an alternative solution, there just isn't one!" Thorax exclaimed. "Sometimes, you do have to fall back on traditions..."

Chrysalis looked around. The Changelings cowered in fear at their queen.

"What have I done...?" Chrysalis asked.
"When Changelings fight Changelings, who is the winner?" Pharynx asked.

Chrysalis hung her head in shame.

"My subjects. My hive. You once looked up to me like a deity. But now, you resent, and fear me." Chrysalis said, teary eyed. "And it's all because... because of what I've done."

"Mommy?" Ocellus asked.
"Little Ocellus, dear..." Chrysalis said softly.
"I think throughout this whole experience, we've lost a sense of togetherness of our species." Ocellus said. "What was once a unity of a powerful queen, and her loyal subjects was fractured. A lonely queen, and her lost subjects. But now, it is time we heal the wounds, and unify."

Ocellus extended her arm out of Chrysalis. Thorax stood by the young changeling's side, and did the same.

Chrysalis, scared, and hesitant. How could they be so forgiving? But ultimately, Chrysalis extended her hoof forward, and shook with Thorax.

The Changelings stood up, and cheered for their queen.

"Oh, how I miss being adored by my colony." Chrysalis said, teary eyed.

"Does that mean?" Ocellus started. But then, all of the sudden...

*BOOM*

A thunderous booming sound echoed from outside the hive.

"What was that?" Thorax cried.
"There's a dark storm raging in Equestria!" a drone exclaimed, looking out of the hive.
"Tirek..." Chrysalis said under her breath.


Chrysalis had a sinking suspicion of what was going on, and she knew it couldn't be good.

"My queen." Pharyanx said. "What is your order?"
"As your queen, I order you all to, stay here." Chrysalis said. "Stay here, and bunker down."
"What?" the collective changelings asked.
"I cannot risk your safety in this situation." Chrysalis said. "I shall brave the dangers, and handle this on my own."

Chrysalis was about ready to head out, but then she remembered something important.

"Oh, and one more thing..."

Chrysalis started to make disgusting noises with her mouth as she curdled something in her mouth.

"Uh... can this wait?" Thorax asked awkwardly.

*spit* Chrysalis spit some glowing purple goo onto her front limb, and held it out.

"Here. This is the royal jelly. Whoever drinks it will um... You know..." Chrysalis explained. "Save some to create a recipe in case you need more."

Chrysalis awkwardly wiped it onto Thorax's hoof. He put it to his nose and smelled it, and thought it was repulsive. Ocellus walked forward, and sniffed it too. She didn't mind the smell as much.

"Aren't you going to lead the hive?" Pharynx asked.
"Even if I return unharmed, I'm afraid not. I am past my prime. Whether I make it back alive or not, I want some other Changeling to lead the hive, and birth a new generation." Chrysalis said. 
"How uncharacteristically convenient of you to think." Thorax said.
"What did you say?" Chrysalis asked.
"I said, I'm so proud of you, for changing your ways, for us." Thorax corrected himself.

Chrysalis flew to the window. She stared at her hive, who looked up at her. The last time she'd seen her loyal subjects admire, was a very long time ago. And here she found herself about to turn her back on them again. But this time, the circumstances were different. 

"I bid you all farewell, perhaps for the last time. But this time, not because I reject your reality, but because I am so proud of how much you've all matured. Farewell..."

Chrysalis flew out of the hive, and headed to the storm. 






.

.

.

After being blasted by Tirek, Luster Dawn sat buried in the rubble. Slowly however, she started to awaken. Despite the excruciating pain, she woke up.

"Woah! *oof* Ow ow ow! Oh my goodness, where am I?" Luster cried.

It was dark, but even still, Luster looked at her own hooves.

"Wait, I'm me again!" she exclaimed.

*whew* Luster lit up her horn to see in the dark, but she underestimated her magic, and nearly set fire to herself.

"Woah! I feel real powerful with all this magic. But wait, what happened? What am I doing with all this magic? And these wings? Where am I, Cozy Glow?" Luster asked.

Luster cried out, but there was no response.

"Cozy Glow? Where'd you go?" she asked again.

*faint crying*

Luster could faintly hear Cozy Glow weeping inside her mind.

"What happened, Cozy Glow? I haven't been able to see outside since I went to sleep. Why are we embedded in the ground?" Luster asked.
"It's over! It's all over!" Cozy wept.
"Cozy, are you okay?" Luster asked. "Why do I have all this magic? Why are we in pinned by the side of a mountain?"
"Tirek's gone! The darkness got to him, and the rest of my friends too! They're gone and they've been turned into mindless shadow demons!" Cozy wept.

Luster peaked outside, and saw the giant dark Tirek.

Lord Tirek stood big, and at full capacity for power. Around his neck was the Rainbow of Darkness, which enhanced his power, and altered his form to make him appear even more beastly.

"What's going on? What did you do with my body while you were in control?!" Luster said, furiously.
"I finally conquered Equestria, and obtained all this magic, but I had no one to share it with. No one to dominate by my side!" Cozy cried.
"And I should feel bad for you because?" Luster asked.
"We have to break through to him.  We have to stop Grogar and the Rainbow of Darkness." Cozy said.
"Why do you want to stop him? Isn't this what you wanted?" Luster asked.
"Not this. I mean-... what I'm saying is. This isn't how I envisioned it. Tirek's out of control, and he tried to get rid of us!" Cozy replied.

Cozy wept. Luster actually felt a little bad for her. Cozy essentially had Tirek betray her. Even though she knew offering to help Cozy could only mean trouble, if anyone knew how to stop Tirek, it was her.

"So... what do we do about the big guy?" Luster asked.
*sniff* "It's your body. You've got all the magic coursing through you." Cozy said. Plus, you're Twilight's faithful student. You go out there and defeat Tirek. You got the magic of like, three unicorns, Twilight's alicorn magic, plus I think Grogar's magic is in there too since I used the bell to accomplish all of this."

Luster's mind was flustered. There was so much to take in. Even with all this magic at her disposal, she wasn't sure she could take on Tirek.

"We have to get Twilight and her friends." Luster said.
"That's uh, not really possible right now..." Cozy confessed.
"WHAT?" Luster exclaimed.
"You know, I'm quite proud of my progression. Before, I had to trick Twilight and her friends to trap them in Tartarus. But this time, I just flew up to them and whupped their flanks directly!" Cozy boasted.
"Cozy Glow!!" Luster scolded.
"What?" she asked.
"You defeated the only ponies who can stop the Rainbow of Darkness!" Luster exclaimed.
"See, THIS is what I can't stand about you ponies! You think there's only one way to stop a big evil entity! You think you can solve all your problems by just holding hooves, and blasting rainbows at your problems!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Well so far, holding hands and firing rainbows has worked just fine!" Luster fired back.
"Well stupid magic rainbows aren't so fun when you're on the receiving end!" Cozy shouted back.
"That's what you get for being a little b****!"
*gasp* "You take that back, Lusty S***!"
"We're going to get Twilight and her friends!" Luster exclaimed.
"That's what you think! Because you're so narrow minded, you think there's only one way to defeat this thing. But there's always more than one way." Cozy said. "This time! I'm going to save Tirek MY way!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Oh no you're not! I think you've done enough to help Equestria, Cozy!" Luster exclaimed.
"Why you!" Cozy shouted.
"It's my body! I'm in control!" Luster exclaimed.
"Not as long as I'm here!" Cozy snarled back.

The two fought for control over Luster's body.





Meanwhile, Tirek and Grogar, who was the spirit of the Rainbow of Darkness. Looked over the damage they had done, to see if Luster and Cozy were really eliminated. Tirek stood big, and strong. He was at peak power, and towered over the landscape. The Rainbow of Darkness had mildly morphed him into a dark beast.

"Thank goodness she' gone." Grogar said. "This kingdom is mine once again."
"Wait..." Tirek said.
"Hmm...?"

There was a bright light emanating from where Luster Star had landed. And it was getting brighter.

*boom*

The mountainside exploded, and from the dust, emerged Lust Star! Luster allowed Cozy to use her body to fight against Tirek. She stretched her large wings, and took to the air. She flew at great speeds, and aimed directly towards Tirek. Her horn was charged with the power of Equestria's strongest beings all concentrated together within her.

*HYAA!*

*magic*

She fired a massively powerful magic beam at Tirek. Tirek crossed his arms as the beam came rushing in.

*boom*

A direct hit, but Tirek blocked the powerful blast with his arms.

By the time it dissipated, he spotted Luster Dawn flying towards him at breakneck speeds, charging her horn of more magic. It was unclear whether Luster or Cozy was in control of the unicorn student.

"It's the end of the line, Tirek!" they exclaimed.
"No! It's the end for you, and your entire pony princess lineage!!" he yelled back.

Tirek lifted his fist and pounded the ground with all his might. The impact created strong fissures in the ground, that cracked and released plumes of energy from the ground. Luster dodged and maneuvered around Tirek's shock waves.

*poof**poof*

She teleported multiple times in a row, like no one's business, to avoid the shock waves and fissures.

*poof*

Luster appeared above Tirek. She lifted her hooves for dramatic effect, and gathered gathered a massive amount of magic in her horn and then-

*ZZZT* *BOOM*

She blasted Tirek with the might of all her magic combined. The blast sent Tirek below, and embedded him in the ground. Luster landed on the ground.

"AAAHHHHH!" Tirek lifted the earth over his head, and flung it.

Luster flew around the scene, but Tierk was furious.

"Give it up, Tirek! The last two times you fought a powerful alicorn, you got your rear ended handed to you!"
"That was before I had someone to fight for!" Tirek exclaimed.

Unlike all his previous attacks, which were mere attempts at world domination, this time, his rage was fueled by the loss he felt for Cozy Glow. But of course, he still doesn't realize Cozy's mind is in Luster's head.

Tirek reeled back his arm, and went in for a powerful punch. Luster mimicked his motion, and went in for her own magical punch.

The two were about to impact when all of the sudden-

*BOOM*

Their fists collided created a massive release of energy from the epicenter. Their power was more or less even. The blast wave knocked both of them back, but Luster more so.

*heavy breathing*

Both creatures breathed heavy from the exhaustion.

"He's tough. He's a really tough guy." Luster's voice echoed.
"He's fighting for me. Because he thinks you killed me, he's trying to avenge me. That's so sweet of him." Cozy said.
"Yeah, now he's going to kill both of us!" Luster exclaimed. "Great hecking plan!"
"Hey! I didn't choose to die! That poison dart just sort of hit me." Cozy said.

They noticed darkness surrounding Tirek, rejuvenating his energy. The mighty centaur stomped forward.

"We're almost through to him, just gotta push a little deeper, Lusty!" Cozy exclaimed.
Luster nodded, so it seemed like now they were on the same page for once.
"If you won't listen to me, Tirek, then I'll make you listen!" they exclaimed.

Luster rushed forward while Tirek was charging himself. She latched herself to the Rainbow of Darkness, wrapped around the centaur's neck. Cozy pulled, and tried to free Tirek of its influence.

"Come on, Tirek! I know you're in there! Just gotta get rid of this stupid thing!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy used magic to attack the Rainbow of Darkness at its source. She pounded it, slapped it, and shot magic at it. The Rainbow of Darkness grew angrier, and it started to glow, until glowed- *ZAP*

"AHH!"

It zapped Luster Dawn with a swift but deadly bolt of energy. The force sent her flying back many meters. She mustered her strength to try to stand up and could see Tirek charging something sinister.

Tirek put his hands to the Rainbow of Darkness, and opened it wide. The shadow energy started to seep out, and the shadow creatures swarmed out. In front of him gathered many dozen of shadow creatures. Maybe a hundred!

"What are those!?" Luster asked Cozy.
"It's them. It's all the ponies from my village..." Cozy said. "They've been possessed... and it's all because I uncovered the Rainbow of Darkness..."

Cozy got choked up thinking about the harm she brought to her friends.

"Now's not the time to feel sorry!" Luster's voice exclaimed.
*sniff* "You're right! We have to help them!" Cozy said to herself.

Cozy charged her horn, and created a mighty burst of energy. She fired the blast of magic, at the army-

*ZAP* *BOOM*

The spell created a massive burst of energy. But when the dust cleared, it revealed that all the creatures were completely unscathed!

"What the!?" she exclaimed.

The darkness chuckled at her feeble attempt.

"You shall be the first to witness the true power of the Rainbow of Darkness!" exclaimed Grogar.

Tirek lifted his arm, and pointed a single finger at Luster, ordering his army of possessed shadow creatures to attack Twilight's student.
The creatures immediately scattered and swarmed the scene. Luster looked around, panicked, not sure where to start.





Dark Magnolia was the first to rush Cozy. She flew in fast, but Cozy was just about able to block her. Cozy recognized this creature to be a twisted version of her childhood friend, Magnolia!

"What the heck is this thing?" Luster cried.
"Maggie, is that you?" Cozy asked the creature.

The shadow beast didn't reply, only stared into her soul with menacing eyes, and a vicious look.

"I take it you can't hear me either? I don't wanna hurt you, but fine!" she said.

Luster charged her horn for an attack.

"You'll thank me for this later! Eat magic!" she exclaimed.

Cozy went in for another magic fist.

*BAM*

Her hoof's momentum was halted in an instant by Dark Magnolia's strength.

"What the?" she cried.

Dark Magnolia stopped Luster's super magic fist dead in its tracks with her own hooves. Dark Magnolia grabbed Luster's leg, and flung her over. Her eyes glowed a eerie yellow, and the area above her head glowed, signifying a powerful spell she was charging.

*ZAP* *BLAST*

"AAAHHH!" they cried.

Dark Maggie zapped Luster with a spell, and sent her falling and skidding onto the ground.
Just as Luster was finding her bearings, a dark fabric wrapped around the alicorn. It constricted her, and immobilized her in place.

"What the? I'm stuck! AHHH!" she cried.

Luster looked up, and saw the fabric was being controlled by-

"Who's that?" Luster asked.
"Suri?" Cozy asked.

It was Shadow Polomare, weaving a magic fabric around Luster. Next, Shadow Sludge flew up, and charged his evil breath. He was going to torch her while she was constricted.

"Uh oh-"

*POOF*

In a puff of magic, Luster barely managed to escape before the wave of fire scorched the area she was just in.

She reappeared, right in front of Shadowgallop. He charged his magic was was about to blast her.

"Uh oh!"
*POOF*
*ZAP*

Luster managed to teleport before the creature could get her.

"Wow! Even Svengallop is a powerful beast!" Cozy exclaimed.

But that even that wasn't the end of it. More creatures locked their sights on her. In an evasive effort, Luster flapped her wings and flew at incredible speeds, but the shadow beasts were fast too. Not just in speed, but more frighteningly, in reaction time.

While flying through the area, she just happened to bump into Shadow Flim and Flim. The two had been transformed into heartless creatures who built machines to cause evil and destruction (so really, not much changed about them). For their latest invention, the shadowy pair piloted a freaking tank.

"What the? How'd you guys assemble this?" Cozy exclaimed.

They did not reply, as their minds were possessed. The tank clumsily aimed its sights at the alicorn.

"I don't think they're answering questions at this time!" Luster exclaimed.
"Uh oh..." Cozy said.

*fire*

They fired a homing missile at Luster. She flew in a figure eight pattern to try to lose the missile.

*BOOM*

The thing exploded in the air, with the shockwave effectively harming no creature. Despite the evilness of Flim and Flam's tank, it needed a hefty cool down time. Though Luster was in the clear of the explosion, there were plenty more creatures with their sights on her.

She encountered mythological beasts as part of the fray. Tirek and Grogar had recruited creatures of Tartarus as part of their dark legion. The evil Manticore reeled back its scorpion like tail, and-

It swung, and nearly impaled Luster's body.

"WOAH! That was close." Cozy sighed with relief.

Luster bucked her hind legs, and smacked the Dark Manticore in the face, actually knocking it back a good distance.

Next, the Dark Bugbear flew in, and attempted to stab Luster with its large stinger. She bobbed and weaved around the scene, avoiding the sharp end. She flew around, and twisted the neck of the Bugbear.

"You're not so tough, BB!" Cozy smirked.

And then there was Cerberus. Once guardian of Tartarus, was now  under the control of its most infamous captives. Tirek. came in and looked hungry. It chased Luster around.

"AH! Stay away! Stay! AH!-

*CHOMP*

Cerberus chomped their jaws and one of the mouths ate Luster. However, Luster lifted Cerberus' jaws open, and freed herself.

"I'm okay!" Cozy exclaimed. "Come on, Lusty, let's get outta here!"
*poof*
Luster escaped, and flew around some more. She made a u-turn in the air, with more magic charged.

"We've barely made a dent on these guys!" Luster's voice exclaimed.
"We're getting somewhere though! Brute force has got to work eventually! Right?!" Cozy said, reassuringly.
"I don't know! These guys are tough!" Luster said.

Cozy and Luster were completely overwhelmed by Grogar's army of darkness. Each and every one of these creatures were out for blood.

The most menacing creatures of all, were the four mysterious flying shadow creatures, who zipped and flew around at near the speed of sound! Cozy had a sneaking suspicion those four were the Washouts, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, Lightning Dust, and their new coach, Wind Rider. All possessed by the darkness' influence, and turned into literal speed demons. Not only that, Short Fuse lived up to his name, and was red hot, and ablaze. And Lightning Dust created trails of lightning in her wake.
Those Washadows were fast!

The Washouts flew in formation, and chased down Luster Dawn. She flew across the ground, evading their evil stunts. She tried to keep her aerodynamic steady, but Shadow Polomare's dark fabric appeared, and whipped Luster, slightly knocking her off course.

With Luster thrown off balance, the Washadows made their next move. Together, they each twirled in the air like a fast drill. They broke formation and split up. One by one, each of them flew in and aimed directly at Luster  like missiles. Short Fuse came fast, and now he really lived up to his name.

"Look out!"
"AH!"

*BOOM*

Luster nearly weaved to the side and dodged Short Fuse. Luster flew forward faster and faster as to avoid the Washadows. Rolling Thunder was next, and she impacted just behind, crashing like a meteor, but also missing. Lightning Dust, however, made her mark.

"AAH!"

Luster hastily put up a magic shield to try to stop the incoming attack.

*BAM*

Lightning collided with Luster magic shield with immense power and force. Though she didn't crack the shield, the force knocked Luster back. The impact left Luster in a bad situation. She was barely okay. She shielded the impact just fine, but she was already completely exhausted.

"Boy, Lusty. Did you forget to eat this morning? You're already running low on energy..." Cozy said.
"I don't want your attitude right now!" Luster snapped.





Cozy and Luster looked all around, and saw nothing but vast stretches of darkness. Cozy was sad to see all her friends turned into shadow monsters. She wanted to awaken the Rainbow of Darkness, but she never could have imaged it would have turned all her friends against her.

"What have I done?" Cozy cried. "My friends are trying to kill me..." she wept.
"We need a different kind of magic to get us out of this." Luster said.
"Yeah well, not every problem can be solved by declaring friendship, and shooting magic rainbows!" Cozy said.

Cozy looked up, and saw the four speed demons all flying together in the air. They flew in a coordinated zigzag pattern. They flew together in a tightly packed formation, and were aimed right at Luster.

"Oh buck me hard..." Cozy said, exhausted.

Luster put up the thickest magic shield you'll see, and she braced for impact.

*BOOM*

The impact created a massive shadow rainboom, which emanated a powerful shock wave. The sheer force of the impact knocked Luster to the ground, and tumbling through the earth. Her momentum came to a halt when her head bumped against some big hooves. She looked up, and saw Tirek directly overhead.

"Tirek?" Cozy asked.

Tirek reached down, and grabbed Luster.

"No no no. Tirek, please!"

Tirek clenched Luster's body in his fist.

"I-can't-breath!" Cozy pleaded.
"You let Cozy Glow die!" Tirek exclaimed. "You left her body to rot in Tartarus!"
"I didn't mean for things to turn out this way!" Cozy cried. "This is all just a big misunderstanding, with a mix of unfortunate events!"

Tirek clenched Cozy's old body tight in his fist. Cozy's old body started to melt away.

"She's gone..." Tirek said.
"I'm sorry you had to see your best friend wither away like that..." Cozy cried.

Cozy's old body melted, and became one with the darkness. Tirek's horns lit up, and as a ball of fire charged in between them.

"SHE'S GONE!"

Tirek flung Luster's body as hard as he could! She tumbled through the air faster than sound.

*BAM* She landed against a mountain.

Tirek charged his mighty horns for one final attack.

*zzzt* *ZAP*

The blast of magic flew through the air until-

*BOOM*

The entire mountain exploded in a fiery fashion. Debris and fire rained from the sky. Was this the end for Cozy and Luster?





"Good riddance." Tirek said.
"That has to have finished them off now. No creature could survive such an impact. Now, Tirek, it is time we lay waste to the rest of Equestria." Grogar commanded. “Every creature will be at my command, and the reign of Grogar will last forever!”
"Wait..." he said.

Once again, there was sign of life. The mountain side was still glowing.

"Hmph. Not again." Grogar growled. "Finish them off for good."

Tirek approached the area to see the aftermath of the impact. In spite of the devastating impact, there was indeed something glowing in the impact sight. He could see the silhouette of Luster Dawn in the dust.
Suddenly started to float upward. Tirek was ready to pounce, but something was off. Luster Dawn was motionless and surrounded by a magic bubble.

"What is this?" Tirek asked.
"It does not matter. Finish the job, Tirek." Grogar ordered.

Tirek popped the bubble with his finger tips, and grabbed onto Luster Dawn. He opened his mouth to sap her of her magic, but 

"Nothing. She's got no magic!" Tirek said.
"Impossible! She was a powerful alicorn moments ago." Grogar echoed. “Even if she is dead, the magic wouldn’t have just disappeared.”

Despite holding Luster in his hands, the mountainside was still glowing. There was a different source of power.

"I sense it, I sense... my bell!" Grogar said. "I haven't sensed it in eons."

Behind the smoke, the bell was pulsating with powerful magic. 

"There's the magic." Tirek said to himself.
"Retrieve my bell, Tirek." Grogar commanded.

Tirek reached in, but something compelled him not to. The bell glowed, and pulsated, almost as if it was alive. The pulse of the bell gave off the impression that there was something alive, and conscious inside.

"...Cozy Glow?"
> Chapter 26: Glow in the Dark
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Previously, Tirek and the dark creatures had defeated Luster Dawn and Cozy Glow, thanks to the immense power of Grogar and the Rainbow of Darkness. But the magic Luster possessed seemed to have gone away, as Luster was a unicorn once again. Though the mare was unconscious, and lacking any magic, the magic was not gone, instead, it had retreated elsewhere.

In front of Tirek, the bewitching bell glowed a bright glow. The bell seemed to have a mind of its own. It hovered in place, and glowed from all the powerful magic inside.

"Cozy Glow?" he whispered to himself.

Tirek paused, when all of the sudden he felt a great pulse of energy in him, compelling him to grab the bell, but he fought back.

"I command you to retrieve my bell!" Grogar ordered.
"No! I can't!" Tirek said as he struggled against the dark goat's control.
"What?" Grogar asked.
"Cozy's alive!" Tirek said.
"So what? Why does it matter?!" Grogar asked.
"She matters to me!" Tirek exclaimed.
"Then you are truly weak!" Grogar snarled.

Grogar's dark magic constricted around Tirek's body.

"You shall do as I say!" Grogar roared.
"No! I shall not be your puppet!" Tirek exclaimed.

Tirek pulled the Rainbow of Darkness away from his neck, and held it out. Then, suddenly, Rainbow of Darkness expelled from the sack all at once, and collected together into a large dark orb.

Tirek charged his own magic, and fired it at the Rainbow of Darkness, but the object fired back. The two were evenly matched.

The centaur struggled as he attempted to the destroy the dark orb. Tirek ran forward, in an attempt to destroy it.

*slash*
"AAH!!" he exclaimed.

The darkness conjured up a sharp blade, and stabbed Tirek through the chest.

"You're far more trouble then you're worth." Grogar said. "Fine, you may be together, under the caveat that you're DEAD!"

The darkness fled the scene, and regrouped with the other shadow creatures.





Tirek took quite the hit, he put his hands to his chest, and breathed heavily. He looked and saw the bewitching bell glowing with the intensity of a thousand suns. It was surrounded by light and magic. The powerful light stopped Tirek, and all of the shadow creatures in their tracks. The bell pointed itself at Tirek-
*RING* *SWOOSH*
The bell drained Tirek of all of his magic.

.
.
.

Tirek was reduced to his weakest form. When Tirek awoke, he was star struct at the sight.

The light surrounding the bell collapsed inward, and swirled around the bell. This was no ordinary magic aura, however, it was conscious. The light and magic slowed, as it settled around the bell, and light had begun to take shape. The magic took the shape of a little alicorn filly with curly hair.

He couldn't even move, all he could do was say-

"Cozy Glow?"

Astonishingly, right in front of Tirek, was Cozy Glow! Well, except there was something different about her.

"Tirek?" she said.
"Cozy Glow, is that you?" Tirek asked.

Cozy Glow was a radiant being physically made out of the magic and light. (She added a whole new meaning to Cozy Glow)

She nodded. "I think so. I've never felt more alive, yet dead at the same time."
"How are you doing this?" he asked.

Cozy shrugged. "I'm still not quite sure. I did what came to mind, and I ended up inside the bell."
"I-I thought you were dead." Tirek said.
"I was, Tirek. The poison was about to do me in, but Luster here saved me by putting my consciousness inside of her mind." Cozy explained. "But after her humiliating defeat, I put my soul into Grogar's bell. Now I'm back through the miracle of magic."
"I can't believe it... You poor thing, you've been through so much suffering and tribulation." Tirek said.
"I have, Tirek. But now, I'm powerful, and beautiful." Cozy said, bashfully. "I am all the magic now."

They both could hear the darkness roaring in the distance. They looked, and could see the Rainbow of Darkness congregating around all the shadowy creatures.

"Tirek, we have to stop it." Cozy said. "We can't let Grogar succeed."
"But, Cozy. Isn't this what you wanted?" Tirek asked.
"I wanted to defeat Twilight Sparkle and rule Equestria with you and Chryssie. And well *giggle* you should have seen me, I kicked that pathetic princess to the curb." Cozy said. "But this isn't what I wanted at all."

Cozy looked at Tirek's wounds. He wasn't fatally wounded, but he could be if he didn't back down now.

"Look at yourself. You're wounded." Cozy said.
"What, this? It takes a lot to take out a centaur." Tirek said, boastful. But Cozy would see through his ruse.
"You took a lot of damage." Cozy said.

The Rainbow of Darkness echoed and roared in the distance. It was unclear what its next action would be. It had diverted its attention away from Cozy and Tirek.

Cozy put her nose up to Tirek's face. The glow of her body was blinding.

"I've got to tame it." Cozy whispered to Tirek. "You should have seen yourself earlier. You were a miserable demon version of yourself, fueled by the pain of losing the pony you cared about the most. I have to stop it. If I don't, it's not just going to consume Canterlot. It'll consume every creature in Equestria."

Tirek didn't disagree with that, but in his mind, he thought about how their plans flipped upside down.

"We had all the power in the world to ourselves, and now you're trying to undo it..." Tirek said, feeling complete disbelief.
"Yeah, life's cruel like that. You think you want one thing, but then that thing backfires and tries to kill you." Cozy giggled morbidly.
"Think about all the havoc we could have caused if we were in control of that thing, and not Grogar." Tirek said.
Cozy nodded. "Life's no fun as a shadow zombie." she said. "What's the point in ruling the world if it means I'm incapable of loving you?"

Tirek was starstruck with how powerful Cozy looked.

"Cozy, I. I-I can't believe you're here. You've cheated death yet again, and you look magnificent." Tirek said tearfully. "You look so powerful! You really are the best of us three."

Cozy glowed brighter to signify her joy.

"Now then, lend me some of that magic, and together, we'll show Grogar who's boss!" Tirek exclaimed.
"I love the enthusiasm, but I'm afraid I can't do that, big guy." Cozy replied.
"Whatever do you mean?" he asked.
"I have to do this alone." she said. "I can't risk you getting hurt on my account."

Tirek was shocked to hear Cozy say that.

"B-but Cozy, I-"

Cozy wrapped her arms around Tirek, begrudgingly. The heat radiating off her magic body was tremendous, and was burning his skin, but the pleasure of holding Cozy again outweighed the burning pain of her glowing radiant form.

"If I see you again, I promise, we're going to frolic and enjoy being alive, and free." she said. "And if I don't see you again... *sniff* at least you'll have your memories of me... and if that's the scenario that goes down today... *sniff* goodbye, Tirek..."
"Cozy? You don't have to do this..." he said.
"But I do." Cozy said.

Cozy Glow patted Tirek on the forehead, and nuzzled him. The heat radiating from her body was intense, but he barely felt it in the heat of the moment.

Next, Cozy used a smidgen of her immense magic to pick up Tirek and Luster. The weakened centaur tried to escape, but Cozy couldn't let him fight any more.

She looked at Tirek's expression, as he reached out for Cozy. But for once in Cozy's life, she knew deep down what the right thing to do was.

She cocked her head, and with a little spell-

*poof*

Tirek and Luster disappeared.

Cozy wished that this final showdown could have been more momentous, but she couldn't let herself drag Tirek in, and risk him getting hurt. She never thought she'd care so much for the centaur, but with her life hanging on by a thread and tied to the bell, every bit of life was worth preserving. Therefore, the Rainbow of Darkness had to be destroyed.





Cozy Glow looked at the Rainbow of Darkness off into the distance. A swarm of shadow creatures surrounded a dark orb holding Grogar's mind. It was a terrifying sight to behold. Cozy held the bell close to her chest, and prepared for the most ridiculous thing she was about to do.

*sigh* "Show no fear..." she said to herself.

Cozy Glow, now a body made entirely out of light and magic, connected directly to the bewitching bell, slowly approached the army of vicious shadow creatures.

Alone she stood, determined, with the bewitching bell emanating the magic that formed her.

The Rainbow of Darkness floated high in the air, with all its impending might. It took the form of a glowing dark orb, with the spirit of Grogar in side. Beneath it were hundreds of shadow creatures.

Every creature stood still in this intense moment, simply opposing each other. Cozy and all the magic in Equestria, and Grogar with all the dark magic on the other side.

Dark Magnolia broke the standstill when she slowly floated in front of the group. Cozy's old childhood pal was gearing up to eliminate her. She raised her hoof, and at her command, a dozen other shadow creatures beamed magic into Magnolia to increase her power. Cozy watched as Magnolia charged a powerful magic in her horn. She was not intimidated, or worried. And finally, it came the time for Magnolia to unleash her magic upon Cozy Glow. Her horn glowed, and with all her might she fired her dark magic at Cozy.

*ZAP*
*BOOM*

She let out a massive blast of energy onto Cozy Glow. The blast kicked up massive amounts of earth, and dust obscured the scene. Immediately after, the scene was quiet, it there was no sign of activity on Cozy's side.

The shadow creatures watched intently, eager to see what had happened to Cozy.

"It is done." Grogar echoed.

Or was it?

Dark Magnolia inched forward to see the damage. And it was at that moment when-

*RING* *SWOOSH*

All of the sudden, the bell had rung, and a magic vortex had latched onto Dark Magnolia's horn. It put a powerful grip on the dark unicorn, and sucked out all of her magic.

As it so happened, Cozy Glow withstood the blast just fine, and was using the bell to suck Magnolia of all of her magic. She could see that Magnolia was starting to turn back to normal as the dark magic flowed out of the unicorn.

Within a few moments of sucking out the darkness, Magnolia was free of all dark magic! Once she was saved, she plopped onto the ground, defeated, and unconscious. This was the best outcome Cozy hoped for.

"Yes! The bell absorbs the darkness too!" she beamed with excitement!

The great dark orb attempted to reach for Magnolia, but Cozy put a magic force field around her childhood friend, saving her from reinfection.

"I've got you, Maggie!" Cozy exclaimed.

Magnolia slowly opened her eyes, and she could barely see the scene in front of her unfolding.

"...Cozy?"

But before she could take it all in-

*poof*

Cozy teleported the unicorn away to safety.

"One down, just a few more to go." Cozy said, confidently.

To say there were 'just a few more' was a gross under exaggeration.

The source of the darkness shimmered, which signified an order for the shadow creatures to scramble. They all disbanded, all going in their own pathway to fight Cozy.

Cozy, confident, and steadfast, went to work on the army. Cozy spun the bell perpendicular to the ground at many RPM.

"Here goes nothing!" she exclaimed.

*ZOOM*

Cozy released the bell, and because she's a spirit of the bell, she went with it, and zipped through the air at breakneck speeds, challenging the shadow creatures to come and get a piece of her.

Cozy's first target was Shadow Polomare. The dark mare appeared, and leaped from the cliff side, and with a set of sharp needles in her arsenal. She fired the sharp objects at Light Cozy, but she was able to quickly project a magic shield that stopped all the needles in their tracks.

Shadow Polomare charged into Cozy's face. The dark mare attempted to fist Cozy, but she blocked it with a kick, and another flip. Suri was quick in her combat, but Cozy used her other worldly body to her advantage.

Suri jabbed, but Cozy's body dispersed into particles. The particles gathered, and reappeared behind Suri. With the mare caught off guard. Cozy pressed the bell directly to Suri's head, 

*RING* *SWOOSH*

She began sapping her of the dark magic. After enough, Suri had been freed, and she too fell.

Cozy grabbed the mare and held her in her hooves.

"It's a shame I never got to wear that dress you promised to make me..." Cozy said to her. "But nevertheless, I can't thank you enough for your service."

*poof*

Cozy bubbled an disappeared Suri.

Then came the matter of dealing with Flim and Flam's metal tank. Their tank had finished cooling down from their previous shot, and it was was ready to fire again.

Flim and Flam aimed the barrel, and fired a ballistic missile at the glowing filly.

*boom*

The missile fired out of the tank, and it cut through the air.

Cozy wizzed through the air in a wild flying pattern. Her flying pattern was unlike anything a pegasus, or even alicorn could do. Light Cozy's form wasn't necessarily set in stone. She was flexible, and morphed into various shapes. When she sped through the air, she really zipped and bolted like a lightning bolt.

Light Cozy flew head first at the missile. She put magic onto the magic the missile, and delicately redirected it, and pointed it at Flim and Flam's tank.

*BOOM*

In a fiery explosion, the tank blew apart into metal pieces.

Dark Flim and Flam were so powerful, they were not harmed by the shock wave or excess in flames. They landed on the ground to team up and combine forces. However, they would be no match for Cozy.

They charged their horns and fired two powerful beams of magic at Cozy. The magic filly flew head on and effortlessly dodged their magic beams.

Once she was close enough, she begun the process of stealing their magic.

"Chew on this!"

*RING* *SWOOSH*

The bell projected its beam and sapped Flim and Flam through their horns of the dark magic. They returned to normal.

Cozy bubbled the brothers, and poofed them away.

While Cozy looked for easy targets to go after next, she found herself swarmed by the dark Manticore. the creature reeled back its tail and stabbed Cozy's ghostly light body.

"WOAH!" Cozy exclaimed. "That would have HURT if I were still made of flesh!"

Fortunately for her, the tail simply passed right through her. And the Manticore was foolish to leave itself vulnerable and in close proximity to the bell.

Cozy lit up, and the intensity burnt the Manicore's tail. With the creature in pain, Cozy went in.

*RING* *SWOOSH*

She zapped the Manticore of all its dark magic, releasing it from the darkness' grasp.

The dark Bugbear growled, and swiped its claws at Cozy. With each swipe, the Bugbear missed as Cozy cockily stepped back, not even evading that fast.

"Gee, how many members of the mane 6 does it take to befall a Bugbear?!" Cozy asked rhetorically.

*RING* *SWOOSH*

The bell latched onto the Bugbear, and drained it of the dark magic.

"None, cause Cozy's stronger than all of them combined!" she exclaimed.

Cozy picked up the Bugbear, and flung it at Cerberus, knocking them over.

*bam*

When Cerberus opened their eyes, Cozy was right in one of their faces.

*RING* *SWOOSH*

Cozy zapped the magic from Cerberus, and even they returned to their normal selves.

"If you creatures were smart, you'd have either run, or forfeit. But golly, you guys are so mindless, you're just attacking me anyway even though I'm exploiting your weaknesses."

In spite of her cockiness, the toughest part was yet to come.

Cozy looked up, and saw the mighty Washadows, Lightning Dust, Wind Rider, Rolling Thunder, and Short Fuse. Now was the matter of taking care of the dark pegasi.

"Now comes the hard part." Cozy said to herself.

The four dark flyers flew in tight formation, and headed right for Cozy. They flew in a v shape, with bolts of electricity propagating between the dark pegasi.

Cozy stood and watched as the dark fleet zoomed closer.

As she expected, they broke formation and each went off in different directions, but all four on a path to attack.

Short Fuse came racing forward, and held out a fiery fist. He was coming in hot, and he was close, but Cozy dissolved into particles once again, and in a fraction of a second, she reformed underneath Short Fuse. She kicked her hind leg up and threw Short Fuse off course, sending him crashing to the ground.

Rolling Thunder came zooming, and Cozy once again dissolved, and reappeared on top of the pegasus. She grabbed onto her, spun her around. She flipped over, and dead lifted Rolling Thunder up and over, and eventually flung her to the ground.

Lightning Dust and Wind Rider flew as a pair, with lightning propagating between the two. They flew head on towards Cozy.

Cozy zipped forward directly at the two dark flyers. She flew faster and faster. Her glow became brighter and brighter the faster she flew. She flew faster and faster until-

*FLASH*

Cozy flew so fast, she exceeded the speed of light (in air), which created a massive flash of light, and released a massive burst of energy. The force of the blast wiped out the remaining Washadows.

Lightning and Wind Rider crash landed onto the ground. Cozy landed besides them and activated the bell to sap them of the dark magic.

*RING* *SWOOSH*

The bell sucked out all four of their dark magic auras out at once. The four flyers returned to normal.

"YES! I'm unstoppable!" Cozy beamed.

*magic* *POOF*

"And you guys, you're safe now." she said.

There were still many more shadow creatures to go.  Shadowgallop (Svengallop) led all of the remaining creatures. Cozy needed a way to speed up her method, and very quick, she devised a method to speed things along.

Cozy lifted her hoof, and punched the ground, releasing geysers of energy. She impaired the creatures just long enough for the next part of her plan. Cozy flew overhead, and sapped the dark magic from the many creatures as she flew overhead.

She raised the bell, and projected a beam, and in a fly by, she latched onto to many many creatures at once. Once she latched onto all of them, and had many beams connected to the bell, she flew back around, and planted herself onto the ground, to stabilize herself while she took all that dark energy.

"AAAHHH!"

She felt the intensity of all the dark magic flow into her, but at least her efforts were working.

The darkness drained from all the creatures in waves. She befell all the remaining shadow creatures, the bell absorbed their dark magic, and they all returned to their normal pony forms.
Once she was clear, Cozy flew overhead and made the ponies disappear before Grogar could leach onto them, and repossess them.





Against all the odds, Cozy had done it! She looked around, and in the heat of the moment, she hardly realized that she had cleared them all away.

"Yes! I just, saved a bunch of ponies from terrible fate..." Cozy now just realized how heroic she had acted. It sounded wrong on paper, but in the moment, it felt so good helping them all.

But not all was cause for celebration. When she looked at herself, she saw the lower part of her body, up to about her hind legs, had turned dark. She was still in complete control of her whole body, so she tried not to worry about it.

There was however one more collection of darkness to take care of, Grogar himself.

The dark orb roared, and transformed itself into the shape of a big shadowy goat. The dark goat landed on the ground, and opposed Cozy Glow.

"It's just you and me, Grogar! It's two beings of unimaginable power pitted against each other." Cozy said.
"You think you're on the same level as me, child?" Grogar asked.
"Nope. I think I'm many levels above you!" Cozy replied with sass.

They both fired massive beams of energy at each other, and then-

*BOOM*

Their beams collided, and created a massive burst of energy. Their power levels were just about equal.

Grogar roared, and conjured multiple sharp spears, and flung them at the light filly. Cozy zoomed around, and she smacked and kicked each of these conjured weapons, sending them off course.

Grogar fired more dark magic at Cozy.

Cozy held up the bell, and it created a vortex. Grogar's dark magic impacted the bell, and Cozy started to absorb magic from the source of the Rainbow of Darkness itself.

The amount of dark magic she took in was incredible. It was almost completely overwhelming, but Cozy was strong, and she withstood the surge in dark magic. The more dark magic she absorbed, the more of her body was consumed by the dark. The dark crawled up from her legs, and was now up to her flank. Even so, Cozy was beaming with excitement.

The stream of dark magic stopped, when Grogar realized he was giving her what she wanted.

"Yeah, you might wanna think twice about attacking, Grogar!" Cozy exclaimed. "Anything you shoot, I can just absorb!"

"We'll see about that!" Grogar growled.

The dark goat dissipated, and split into two forms. It formed into a giant hammer and a giant nail.

"Hmm..." Cozy thought about how this might actually be perfect for her plan.

Cozy flew around the land, until she landed right in front of Twilight's school. She stood her ground, and waited for Grogar to attack.

The nail went in to spear Cozy, but she pressed the bell against the nail shaped darkness, and absorbed its power.

Cozy stood in place, holding the bell, absorbing very large quantities of Grogar's dark magic.

"AAAHH!"

Meanwhile, the hammer half reeled back, and was ready to press hard.

"If you want the darkness, here you go!"

Grogar reeled back the dark cognitive hammer, and was ready to pounce.

Cozy looked up, very anxious.

"Please be indestructible, bell!" Cozy pleaded.

Grogar slammed the hammer onto the dark nail, applying tremendous pressure directly onto Cozy.

*BOOM*

The darkness SLAMMED itself against Cozy and the bell, and plowed right through Twilight's school, causing mass destruction of the infrastructure.

After a moment of quiet, it all seemed done, but despite the heavy blow, the bell rung once again, and continued to suck up more darkness.

The bell had landed in the school basement, Cozy reformed, and absorbed the last bit of darkness.

"AAHH!" she exclaimed, feeling the darkness flow into her.

Cozy stood up, as the bell continued to slowly drain the last remnants of the darkness.

*heavy breathing*

The dark part of Cozy was crawling up as she absorbed more darkness. It got to the point where more than half her body was dark energy, instead of light.

"Heh heh heh heh..." a sinister laugh echoed in her head.

Cozy had consumed so much darkness, she could now she could hear Grogar's voice echoing in her head.

"I was wrong about you, you really are the most evil creature in Equestria." Grogar's voice echoed. "I've never seen any creature use my bell more effectively than you just did. I mean, hiding your soul in the mind of another pony, and then retreating, and putting your soul into my bell? What a stroke of brilliance!"

Cozy was flatted, but she was too stressed by the steady stream of dark magic coming in to easily reply.

"You know, you and I have a lot in common." Grogar said.
"You and I... *errgh* are nothing... alike." Cozy said.
"When Gusty the Great used my own bell against me, she spared my life, but banished me from Equestria for the rest of my days." Grogar explained. "I came to that island to retrieve the Rainbow of Darkness, but when I found it, it put an iron grip on me, and trapped my essence inside. I sense you were in a similar boat, losing your body, and being trapped in that peasant student."

Cozy was losing sensation and feeling in the rest of her body.

"Come on, come on!" she tried to do a spell, but she was having trouble controlling her horn. Cozy's horn sparked faintly. She struggled to conduct the spell.

"I'm so close. I came all this way, just to lose again..." she wept.

Cozy resisted the darkness, but it was slowly filling her body.

"Why do you resist the darkness?" Grogar asked. "It was you who was so adamant to set me free."
"You hurt Tirek! You hurt my friends!" Cozy exclaimed. "You controlled their minds, and turned them into something terrible!."
"It's not what you think it." Grogar explained. "I made them stronger, more powerful."
"You made them awful!" Cozy exclaimed.
"You hurt Tirek more than I did by abandoning your own body in Tartarus, and faking your death." Grogar said.
"I regret nothing more than what I did to Tirek!" Cozy wept.
"We've both made mistakes, but we have the ability to right our wrongs." Grogar said. "Together, we have the power control the cosmos, rewrite the rules of the universe!"
"No... I..." she wept. "Not like this..."

Cozy's body figure had turned almost entirely dark.

"You did me such a huge favor by collecting Equestria's most powerful magic in one place, and defeating its leaders. With all this magic, and all of the darkness in one place, there isn't anything to stop us from ruling the world now!"
"Hmm. All... of the darkness, you say?" Cozy asked.
"Yes! All the darkness all in one place!" Grogar added.
"Heh. All the darkness in one place." Cozy smirked. "It'd be a shame... if something... happened..."

Just about all her body had turned to dark, sans her horn, with still glowed a radiant bright glow. A glimmer of hope, and a bright idea was brewing in the filly.





To be continued...
> Chapter 27: Goodbye Cozy Glow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the last chapter, the spirit of Cozy Glow inhabiting the bewitching bell, used all her will power, and all the magic to create her new form. She was now a being made out of light and magic, and she wanted to finish what she'd started.

Cozy fought against Grogar's mighty army of shadow creatures, and miraculously defeated them. She sucked the dark magic out of all of them, and freed her friends from his grasp.

All there was left to do was face Grogar and the darkness itself. She fought against the Rainbow of Darkness in a face off of cosmic proportions.

In the heat of battle, Cozy had lured the darkness to the basement of Twilight Sparkle's school, and held the bell firmly as she absorbed all the the dark magic into the bell.

Cozy sucked up more and more of the dark magic. Just as Cozy was about to succeed, well, since Cozy's mind was still inside the bell, and because of all the dark magic she absorbed, more and more of her body turned dark, and it started to overtake her mind.

She could hear the voice of Grogar echoing in her mind. The spirit of the goat was attempting to overtake Cozy. Cozy was struggling and fighting to maintain control of herself and the bell.





"You can't fight it forever, little girl." Grogar echoed. "No mind can resist my influence."
"Hrr...! I won't let you take control of me or the magic, Grogar!" Cozy exclaimed. "I won't let you control any other creature again! Not me, not Tirek, not Chrysalis, not even ANY of my followers from my village..."
"Why do you fight for Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek? It's not like they cared much for you anyway." Grogar said.
"You're wrong. They... they really liked me... I know it!" Cozy exclaimed.

Grogar shamed Cozy Glow, and tried to crawl under her skin.

"Pitiful filly, this is what's made you and Tirek weak." Grogar said. "You fight for each other, not for power. You three could have had Equestria to yourselves, but because you three were so weak, Twilight Sparkle defeated you, and delivered to you the ultimate punishment."

*horrific flashback to the day she was turned to stone*

Cozy shuttered. No matter what, thinking about being turned to stone was extremely unpleasant.

"You must put away all semblance of emotion. You already defeated Twilight Sparkle, but I can ascend you to a whole other level." Grogar said. "And, you can still be together with those two, as you desire."
"Being together with them isn't worth it if you turn all of us into whatever those horrible creatures were." Cozy said.
"But isn't that what you want? Power?" Grogar asked.
"I did want power. And I-I still do. But along the way, I discovered something... nicer..." Cozy said.

*GRRRR*

Grogar roared in Cozy's head.

"I can't take it anymore! You have ruined the legacy of Tirek and Chrysalis. I witnessed it myself, listening to every word they spoke after discovering  the Rainbow of Darkness. Despite possessing ultimate power, all they could think about was YOU!" Grogar ranted. "Oh Cozy Glow! We have to save Cozy Glow!" Grogar said mockingly.
"They really said those things?" Cozy asked.
"Yes! And frankly, it's ridiculous!" Grogar growled.
"I'd like to see that for myself!" Cozy exclaimed.

Cozy zapped Grogar, and used a memory spell on the goat.

A light projection beamed up from Cozy's horn, and projected against the crystalized walls in the school basement. It replayed a past scene where Tirek and Chrysalis treated Cozy while she was unconscious.





Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy’s childhood friend, Magnolia were just leaving the isle of shroud on the boat. Cozy Glow had fainted after she had been struct by a poison dart. Grogar was secretly listening to them the whole time, but this was Cozy’s first time seeing how they cared for her while she was unconscious.

"Put her here, she needs rest." Magnolia said.
"I don't want to let go of her. I'm going to keep holding onto her." Chrysalis' voice echoed.

Chrysalis gently put Cozy Glow on the bed.

Cozy was enamored, and touched by the generosity expressed by Tirek and Chrysalis.





A later memory:

At village’s castle, in a bedroom chamber, Chrysalis and Magnolia watched as Tirek held Cozy in his arms, and he gently set her down in the bed.

"Careful with her." Chrysalis said. "Lay her down gentle."

Tirek and Chrysalis looked at Cozy with concern. Magnolia sat on the bed, and put her hoof to Cozy's face.

"Please be okay, Cozy." Chrysalis said.
"This can't be it. She's strong, and resilient." Tirek said. "She'll get through this."
"She's alive, I can feel her pulse." Magnolia said. "But judging from this long period of unconsciousness, she's very sick."
*sigh* "I knew the risk was too great." Chrysalis said.
"We should have protected her. She may be just as evil as us, but she is just a pony. She’s far more vulnerable than us..." Tirek said, softly. "I wish I would've taken the hit from that poison dart, it probably wouldn't have even pierced my skin."

Magnolia sat there, stroking Cozy's messy mane, and listening to these two creatures, whom she'd been taught were savages, acting in such a caring way to a pony.

"You know, for beings of great evil, you guys really care about Cozy Glow." Magnolia said.
"Her fragility reminds me of my time raising changeling larvae." Chrysalis said. "It's only natural for me to want to protect her."
"And well, we're frankly she’s a key component of our strategies." Tirek said, trying to cover his feelings.
"We've been through so much. When we do return and overthrow Twilight, we have to do it with her." Chrysalis said.
"Well, I gotta hand it to you guys. You really do look out for each other." Magnolia said, smirking.
"It is of the utmost importance that Cozy lives. And... truth be told... I’ve never have I felt this way about any creature before." Tirek said. "Don't tell Cozy I said that when she wakes up."
"Heh, my muzzle is sealed." Magnolia said. "But I think you should tell that to her yourselves when she wakes up."
"No way." Tirek shot down the idea.
"I can't bring myself to say it to her either." Chrysalis said.
"I think she'd really appreciate it, and it would motivate her to cooperate with you two more." Magnolia said.

Tirek turned his head, and resented what Magnolia was getting at.

"We don't do friendship." Tirek said.
"You know, there's more than one way to do friendship. You don't have to do it exactly like Twilight Sparkle teaches." Magnolia said. "Frankly, that's a message I feel has been lost since she took the throne."
"Nonsense. The whole point of our operation is to undo what Twilight has done, and " Chrysalis said.
“And I’m all for that, but I think you guys should reassess what you’re really fighting for.” Magnolia said.
"Whatever. Just make sure Cozy is well." Tirek said.

The two walked out of the room, leaving Maggie with Cozy.

"Heh. They'll come around eventually. They'll just reach their own conclusion eventually..." she said.

Those words resonated with present time Cozy as she watched these past scenes play out.





Later:

In a later scene, Discord had already taken Cozy Glow to Equestria to find help. In the meanwhile, all Tirek and Magnolia could do was wait patiently for them to return, and hope that everything worked out.

Magnolia walked up to the centaur overlooking the castle balcony.

"You look uneasy, big guy." Magnolia said.
"I worry. I feel so useless sitting here in the castle, not able to help her." Tirek said.
"Well, what do you say, Tirek. Let’s take matters into our own hands. Are you ready to unleash the Rainbow of Darkness and invade Canterlot?" Magnolia asked.

Tirek turned around, and happened to face where Cozy was viewing the scene.

"I will do everything in my power, Cozy, to bring you home." Tirek said.

Tirek's passion for her touched Cozy's heart.





The flashbacks stopped, and Cozy's and Grogar's minds were back in the present.

*sniff* "So they really do care about me after all..." Cozy wept.
"Grr... So what if they do!? Compassion and friendship makes creatures weak!" Grogar exclaimed.

*ZAP*

"AAAAHHHHH!" Cozy screamed.

Cozy felt an enormous jolt of energy through her, as Grogar continued to try to overtake her body and the magic.

"I will not allow the mind of a child to control all this power!" Grogar exclaimed. "You are not fit to rule the world!"

Cozy was losing sensation and control, but she continued to resist.

*Hrrgh* "No!" Cozy exclaimed. "You're wrong about everything!"
"What the?" Grogar asked.

Remarkably, Cozy resisted Grogar's influence.

"Our bond IS what gives us strength! You can never understand what it feels like!" Cozy exclaimed.

The darkness crawled up Cozy's body, until it suddenly stopped. And then, the darkness started to recede and the light started to return.

"What is going on?!" Grogar exclaimed.

Cozy started to regain control of the magic in the bell.

She tightened together, and regained strength and pulled through.

"I won't let you hurt my friends!" she exclaimed.

Cozy's horn lit up with a bright yellowish glow.

"I am stronger than you! I'm in control! I am mightier than any creature! I am the most power creatures to ever walk Equestria! And now, for my final action!"

*ZAP*

She shot six beams of magic outside the room. She pulled on the beams and reeled in six familiar items into the room. The six artifacts surrounded Cozy and Grogar in a circle like fashion, and zapped them.

The Amulet of Aurora, the Talisman of Mirage, the Helm of Yksler, the Crown of Grover, Knuckerbocker's Shell, and Clover the Clever's Cloak, came together, surrounded them, and blasted the bell with powerful beams of magic.

Grogar and Cozy were overpowered by the magic of these artifacts. The magic spell lifted the bell up, and trapped Cozy and Grogar with a shield and the spell.

"No! WHAT?!" Grogar exclaimed.

*BAM*

Grogar rammed against force field, but they were well and truly trapped.

"What is this!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Grogar exclaimed.
"What, this? This is just a little spell I learned in school." Cozy said.
"Ah, so this is the spell Tirek told me of. So now you're going to banish all the other magic in Equeatria. Brilliantly.” Grogar said.
"Eh... something like that, but not exactly." Cozy replied. "I'm not banishing all the magic this time. Just uh, some of it. Just a little dark smidgen of magic." Cozy smirked.
"YOU WHAT?!" Grogar exclaimed. "NO!"
"You know, you're pretty powerful, Grogar. And you've got quite the reservoir of dark magic, but even the entire mighty Rainbow of Darkness is much smaller in quantity than all the magic in Equestria. Plus, we're a lot more powerful than Glimmy was when she instigated my spell last time. So instead of 3 days to complete, this should take about... 30 seconds..."

Grogar panicked. He was trapped, and he was about to be banished.

"NO! STOP!" he exclaimed.

Grogar rammed against the magic shield, but couldn't escape.

"You're insane!" he exclaimed.

The magic from the artifacts was getting way more intense. Below them, a portal started to open up.

"You'll banish yourself too!" Grogar exclaimed.
"Mmm hmm. Yep. And the downside?" Cozy asked.
"You would banish yourself if it meant ridding Equestria of the Rainbow of Darkness?" Grogar asked.
*sigh* "All my life, I sought to control other ponies. But now, my first and only act of kindness, will be my last..."
“But what about reuniting with Tirek and Chrysalis?” Grogar asked.
“As long as they’re able to live out their lives, free from any influence, that’s all that matters to me. Even if, I cannot say the same of myself...”

The bell lifted itself up, and glowed, radiating the light and dark magics.

"It is time." Cozy said.

She lifted her metaphorical hoof.

"3... 2... 1..." Cozy was about ready to finish the job, but she was interrupted.

"STOP!" someone else exclaimed.

Cozy halted her actions, and took a look at who exclaimed. It was none other than-

"Tirek? Chrysalis?"

Chrysalis and Tirek (in his weakest form) had made their way to the basement, and stood mere meters away from the magical vortex spell.

"What are you doing, Cozy?" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"What does it look like? I'm banishing myself and the Rainbow of Darkness for own good! Using a modified version of my spell from before. Instead of banishing all the magic, I'm just banishing the magic in the bell." Cozy explained from inside the spell.
"But why, Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.
"I was wrong! The Rainbow only creates misery. Opening it was a mistake. If left unchecked, it could have consumed everything, and maybe tear apart the dimension who knows."
"That's a generous estimation of my power." Grogar commented.
"I have to correct my mistake by sealing it away. And it turns out this is the only way to do it." Cozy said.
"But Cozy! You'll destroy yourself too!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "I can't let you carry this out!"

Chrysalis ran forward to try to stop the bell.

"NO! STOP!" Cozy exclaimed.

*MAGIC*

*OOF*

Cozy fired a magic beam, and pushed Chrysalis back.

"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" she exclaimed.

*ZAP*

Cozy zapped magic and pushed Tirek and Chrysalis back. The impact wore Tirek down even more. He already could barely move after the devastating hit from before.

"We can't stand to live without you, Cozy!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "We need you!"

Cozy was confident in her choice, but now, she was filled with much doubt.

"Grr... If you guys jump in and disappear with me, then this ending would be no happier than that horrible day we were turned to stone." Cozy said. "If we all disappear, nothing new is achieved. The point of me doing this is so you two can finally live happy lives! Even if I can't..."
"But... Cozy." Tirek struggled to say.
"That's simply not possible without you." Chrysalis said.

Cozy filled up with heavy emotion. All of the sudden, she was second guessing what to do.

"Well, it's too late now! This spell's well underway, and there's no stopping it." Cozy said. "This is my one chance to finally do something truly impactful, and lead the way for real change. I have to do this."
"But you're so young, Cozy!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Cozy cleared her mind, and smiled, preparing for her next speech.

"I've lived a full life time of adventures with you guys. And besides, I completed every goal I set for myself, and what others set for me. We retrieved Grogar's bell. We retrieved the Rainbow of Darkness. I defeated Twilight Sparkle. And now I'm about to defeat the Rainbow of Darkness. I became the most powerful creature to ever exist, just like what my mommy and daddy wanted me to be all along. I got to work together with you, Tirek and Chrysalis. You guys led me through the adventure of a lifetime. I'm so grateful that we got to build a village, recruit allies, and just... spend time together... Now, I want you fulfill my final wish. Find my sister, free her, and have a happily ever after, all you guys, together. Let my sister Amber do and be everything I couldn't..." Cozy said.

Chrysalis, and even Tirek, felt a sinking feeling in her heart. Was this really goodbye?

Grogar was actually warming up to the idea of being banished, if it meant he wouldn't have to listen to this mushy talk anymore.

"Cozy Glow, I." Chrysalis said.

Tirek put his hand to Chrysalis, silently urging her not to run towards the light.

"Be free. Enjoy yourselves. Enjoy the light." Cozy said.

*cough* "weloveyoucozy." Chrysalis said quickly, and under her breath.

Cozy smiled, and her light body filled with warmth.

*giggle* "I knew it..." she said to herself.

Cozy smirked.

"Alright, guys. I know just what to do." Cozy said, confidently.

The bell glowed even brighter as the spell intensified, and entered its final phase.

"No! Lord Tirek! Queen Chrysalis! Help me! Remove those items, and stop the spell!" Grogar pleaded. "You wouldn't let her get rid of me and the Rainbow of Darkness would you? How else are you going to conquer Equestria? You need me!"

Chrysalis and Tirek stood, unconvinced by the spirit of the goat.

The two nodded, affirming their alliance with Cozy Glow first and foremost.

"I'll catch you guys on the flip side..." Cozy said.

Cozy's form faded away.

The bell started to shake violently, and ring.

*RING*

"Let's get out of here!" Chrysalis said.

Chrysalis picked up, Tirek, but she still didn't want to fly away. She didn't want to say goodbye to Cozy Glow. But the spell was about to complete, and the room becoming more dangerous to stay in. So, with a heavy heart, knowing they would probably never see Cozy Glow again, Chrysalis turned around, flew out of the basement with Tirek, never to see their old friend again...

The two escaped from the room, before the spell got really intense.

The bell vibrated up and down, the spell glowed. The light magic of Cozy and dark magic of Grogar clashed inside the bell. The bell wasn't built to withstand such intensity. The bell was getting ready to eject its load, when all of the sudden-

*BOOM*
*MAGIC*

The top of the bell blew apart, and two massive beams of light erupted from opposite ends of the bell. The top of the bell spewed out a massive beam of light magic through the entire school above, and into the sky, while the bottom of the bell shot out a big dark magic beam downward, into the portal. The bell looked like an hourglass of light and dark magic on opposite ends.

*crack*

The bell begun to crack from the immense transfer of energy, it couldn't take the intensity. The spell reached its apex, and the bell reached its absolute limit.

*BOOM*

A massive explosion of energy erupted from the spell in all directions. The shock wave blew away the six items, which caused the spell the cease, and the portal to close. The blast blew away the support beams in the basement, and the floor above collapsed. As a result of all the infrastructure damage, the entire school caved in and collapsed in on itself, and flooded the basement with water and debris. As explosively and suddenly everything happened, it all came to a stop. The damage was done, and everything went quiet. Not a peep could be heard from the basement. 

In the sky above Equestria, the clouds cleared, and light returned to the land.





To be continued...?
> Epilogue Part 1: Afterglow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

.

.

From Twilight Sparkle's perspective, everything was dark, and she couldn't hear a thing. She was left with only her mind to think about what could have possibly happened.

"...Twilight!"

All of the sudden, a familiar voice called Twilight's name.

"Huh... what?" the dazed princess could barely hear the familiar voice.

"Twiliiiiiight!" the voice grew louder.

The voice was so loud it startled Twilight.

"AH! I'm awake!" Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight woke up, startled. She leaped up and stood on all four legs. Her blood pressure went up as she woke up panicking.

"Twilight! Oh thank goodness I was able to find you!" Spike said. "What happened here?"
"Ugh... I'm still not entirely sure..." Twilight replied, deflated.

As Twilight regained her vision, she saw they were in the middle of a field in the middle of Equestria. The view was not pleasant however. The land was quiet, but it was scared and bruised.

"Sweet me, what happened to Equestria?" Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight looked around, and saw tons of structural damage all across the land. Mountains had been thrown, and craters carved by powerful forces.

"There was a dark cloud over Equestria! I came rushing over fast as a I could! But by the time I got here, there was a flash of light, then the clouds went away, and-" Spike explained.
"Dark clouds?" Twilight asked.
"You look distressed, Twilight. What did you see?" Spike asked.
"I-I-I'm still not entirely sure. I'm just shaken by the whole thing." Twilight said.
"You look unwell, just look at yourself." Spike handed Twilight a mirror.
"Ugh... thanks Spike." Twilight said.

Twilight used her magic to carry over the mirror. Twilight looked at herself, and she appeared to be her tall alicorn self again.

"Wait, HUH?!"

*shatter*

Twilight dropped the mirror.

"What's wrong Twilight!?" Spike asked.
"I'm just, surprised to see my magic working again. I thought she stole it..." Twilight said.
"Why wouldn't you? What's going on?" Spike asked.

Twilight shook her head. Whenever she tried to remember what had happened, it was a violent blur of emotions. She couldn't comprehend it or explain it yet.

"Never mind. All the answers will unravel in due time." Twilight said. "For now, let's make sure every creature is okay."
"Affirmative." Spike said.
"Now, be on the look out, Spike. You don't know who's going to pop out of nowhere." Twilight said.
"Like her?" he asked.

Twilight turned her head around and saw.

*gasp*

It was Luster Dawn, asleep, and suspended in a magic bubble just a short distance away from them.

"Luster Dawn!" Twilight cried.

Twilight ran towards her, and lowered the bubble.

"Luster Dawn! Is that really you? Are you in there?" Twilight asked.

*pop*

She popped the bubble, and out came Luster.

"Twilight! I- *crack* AAHHHH!" Luster screamed.

As soon as Luster touched the ground and put weight on her legs, her entire body collapsed.

"What? What happened?!" Twilight asked.
"It hurts!" Luster cried.
"What hurts?" Spike asked.
"EVERYTHING!" Luster exclaimed.
"What happened, Luster?" Spike asked.
"SHE HAPPENED! OUCH!" Luster cried.
"Is your mind of your own control, Luster?" Twilight said.
"Yep. 'Fraid Luster's the only one home... OW!" Luster replied.
"But how would-" Spike asked.

"If your mind is clear, then where is Cozy Glow now?" Twilight asked.
"She- AH! She-OW!" Luster said, in pain still.
"Never mind. We'll talk about this later." Twilight said. "For now, let's get you urgent medical care at once! You look like you went through a wringer!"
"It certainly does feel that way..." Luster said.
"Looks like I got some cleanin' up to do." Spike said. "And I'm not just talking about the structural damage..."

Twilight and Luster weren't the only ponies who were misplaced after the events.





Later that day:

After a long day involving Twilight patching Luster up, and Spike gathering all of the misplaced ponies in the aftermath, it was time to gather in the throne room.

In the slightly damaged throne room, before Princess Twilight, she had the guards bring in the notorious ponies, Suri Polomare, Svengallop, and the Washouts, Lightning Dust, Short Fuse, Rolling Thunder, and Wind Rider. They were found scattered across Equestria, and due to their dodgy backgrounds, it was believed they would know something about what happened.

The six baddies were brought before Twilight Sparkle, and the rest of her friends, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Starlight Glimmer, Luster Dawn, and Fluttershy, with an oddly silent Discord.

Luster Dawn was beside Twilight in a full body cast, and a wheel chair. The student could not speak beyond muffled speech. Only her eyes were showing, they revealed a grumpy look on her face.

It was time for the trial to begin.

"You lot are being brought before the supreme leader of Equestria to attest to your great crimes against our land!" Spike said.
"You all are our primary suspects." Twilight said. "We have reason to believe that you assisted in the most recent takeover attempt lead by the notorious Cozy Glow!"

The six grew nervous, but they held their breath, and didn't confess immediately.

"Well, who wants to spell out the truth?" Twilight asked.

The moment was getting to tense for some of them to handle. So quickly, Svengallop broke down.

"I confess!" Svengallop exclaimed. "We did it! We were cahoots with Cozy Glow, and we contributed to her plan!"
"Geez. Show a little bit of dignity." Lightning Dust said.
"Anypony else wanna add on to that?" Spike asked.
"Nope!" Suri said, defiantly.
"I ain't telling ya nothin'!" Short Fuse exclaimed.
"Me either! My lips are sealed." Rolling Thunder added.
"Why am I here?" Wind Rider asked. "I'm the Washouts' coach, sure, but I only met this Cosy Girl like once. I don't know nothing about world domination."
"No pony is going anywhere until we have the answers we're looking for!" Twilight exclaimed.

Everypony went quiet. It was unusual for Twilight to yell with such aggression. She tried to cover it up and proceed.

"Anyway, proceeding. Svegallop, step forward. You've got a lot of explaining to do." Twilight said.

Svengallop stepped forward, and approached the princess, and began talking, and explaining everything he knew to Twilight Sparkle and Spike.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang was left to... mingle, and catch up with the rest of the mane 6.

Suri Polomare turned her attention to her old pal Rarity.

"Ah, Rarity! Long time no see..." Suri said.
"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Rarity asked.
"So tell me. Did you ever iterate upon your hotelware fashion line? Or was it just a one and done for the sake of beating me?" Suri asked.
"Suri Polomare!" Rarity exclaimed. "Figures Cozy Glow would recruit the scheming lying likes of you by her side. Are you still jealous that I beat you?"
*pfft* "Me, jealous that I lost to a line of dresses cobbled together with leftover hotel room curtains?" Suri said, gritting her teeth. "Not in the slightest. M'kay. Besides. I couldn't care less what some snotty Manehatten judges have to say. I don't need to win an award to tell me I'm better than you."

Meanwhile, right adjacent to the fashion rivals, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but give Lightning Dust a piece of her mind.

"You don't have to confess a thing. I got you all figured out. You teamed up with Cozy Glow and used some sort of dark magic so you could beat my speed record!" Rainbow Dash said.
"That's literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Lightning Dust said. "Besides, I don't need any magical assistance to beat you, Dash."

Rolling Thunder noticed the Wonderbolts badge on Rainbow Dash's vest.

"Wow, you really climbed the ranks at the Wonderbolts." Rolling Thunder said, impressed.

Lightning Dust and Short Fuse gave her a mean look. She's not supposed to be nice to Rainbow Dash.

"I mean, whatever, who cares." Rolling Thunder.
"Well, Wind Rider. You've seen both of us fly. Who's the fastest?" Lightning Dust asked.
"Ack! I'm gettin' too old to be caught up in competitions." Wind Rider said.
"Soon as this is done, I challenge you to a race!" Lightning said.
"Not on my watch you ain't." Applejack interjected. "It's too dangerous for you to fly at top speed now. Think'a bout your blood pressure, Dash."
"Ha! You're retired, Dash? Me? I'm still in my prime!" Lightning boasted.
"Oh yeah?!" Rainbow said.

Lightning and Rainbow gave each other an intense and angry glare.

Meanwhile, Suri and Rarity were still going at it. Suri couldn't help but notice the disgrace wrapped around Rarity.

"I see your fashion designs haven't evolved one bit since we last met." Suri said. "Judging by that disgrace wrapped around you."
"You're on thin ice, Polomare." Rarity said. "Tread easy, you're on shaky ground for conspiring against Equestria."

The two's argument got more and more heated.

"You think you guys are some kind of dream team? We make our dreams happen! Through rigorous hard work, not friendship and hoof holding!" Lightning said.
"Y'all a bunch of cronies." Applejack said. "I should'a known that Svengallop, would've collaborated with the scummy lot of y'all, plus them Flim Flam Brothers apparently. Leave it to y'all to come up with-"

Svengallop overheard Applejack's comments, and turned away from Twilight, and faced Applejack.

"You know what? Hold on one second, princess." he said.
"Hey, I wasn't finished speaking to you!" Twilight exclaimed.

"You know what, I've had it up to my hoof with you, Applejack!" Svengallop exclaimed.

Svengallop inched forward and raised his hooves.

"I did not bust my flank off making Coloratura an international superstar, for some simple life farm girl to come along, and ruin everything!" he exclaimed.
"If by ruin, you me free her! Then yes! I did!" Applejack exclaimed. "And who you callin' simple?!"

"You take that back! No. YOU take that back!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Pinkie Pie? Who are you talking to?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"No one. *giggle* I was just getting a little envious that you all have rivals to talk to, but I apparently don't! I'm just too likable to have any enemies!"

"If I may have your attention once again Sven..." Twilight said, but the arguments raged on.

The princess tried to gain their attention, but their quarrel continued.

"Hey!"
"Stop that!
"No hittin'!"
"Quit shoving!"
"Argue argue argue!" Pinkie exclaimed at no one in particular, just adding to the commotion.

"STOOOOP!" Twilight yelled at the top of her lungs.

Every creature in the room went silent.

"Can I just say-" Svengallop tried to say.
*smack* Suri slapped Svengallop on the hoof.

"No! No more bickering! No arguing, or fighting either! I don't care who tells me, but all I want to know, is where is Cozy Glow!?"

*SLAM*

In that moment, the doors to the throne from flew wide open, and a very particular unicorn entered.

"She's right here!" she exclaimed.

*bam*

The unicorn, decked in royal guard armor, brought forth what appeared to be a stone statue of a distressed Cozy Glow.

"Cozy Glow?!" everypony exclaimed.

"Twilight Sparkle! How dare you freeze Cozy Glow back in stone after she single handedly saved each and every one of you!" Magnolia asked.

"Wha- No I didn't! I thought- But- -But she- Ah-" Twilight couldn't even get more than a few words out before other thoughts conflicted.

"I thought she was just sick!" Svengallop said.
"I thought she was in Luster Dawn!" Discord said.
"She was in Luster Dawn?" Rainbow asked.
"I thought we mortally injured her in battle!" Starlight said.
"M mmmght mme mms mmmd" Luster said, muffled by the bandages wrapped around her head.

"Hey! Just what is going on here?!" Rarity asked.

"I'll just show you." Magnolia said, reaching for something behind her. "Behold! The Rainbow of Darkness!" she exclaimed.
"Wait, no!" Starlight exclaimed.
"AHH!" Pinkie screamed.
*EEEK!* "Not again!" Svegallop shrieked in fear.

Magnolia held out the sack which held the darkness, and pointed it at the princess. She opened it wide. The mane 6 stood in fighting poses, but there was no need, for nothing came out of the sack. It was completely empty.

*plomf*

Magnolia dropped the empty sack to the ground.

"Nothing. What once held the Rainbow of Darkness, is now an empty sack. It's all gone." Magnolia said.
"Fascinating." Discord said, holding the sack. "I've never seen this item so close, and devoid of any power."

"But where did all the dark magic go?" Fluttershy asked.
"We have Cozy Glow to thank for that." Magnolia replied. "The Rainbow of Darkness would've consumed all of Equestria if Cozy hadn't put a stop to it."
"Cozy Glow did that?" Twilight asked.
"Mmm hmm." Magby affirmed.
"Huh, strange. She spent so much time and money too awaken the Rainbow of Darkness, then all of the sudden she got rid of it?" Svengallop said aloud.

*gasp* Every creature gasped at the shocking news.

"She what?!" Applejack exclaimed.
"All this destruction was her doing?!" Rarity asked.
"...Oops." Svengallop said.

The mood in the room went from bewilderment, back to anger towards Cozy.

"Well, which is it? Did Cozy Glow to unleash the darkness, or seal it away?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"I don't know! Why don't we unfreeze her from this statue, and ask her ourselves!" Magnolia said.
"Or, we can bask in the light while we have it, and forget'a 'bout Cozy Glow! She's nothin' but trouble!" Applejack said.
"Wow, and I thought Rainbow Dash was supposed to be the element of honesty." Magnolia said.
"Wha-I AM the element of honesty. She's the element of loyalty!" Applejack corrected.
"Really, huh? I've had it backwards my whole life..." Magnolia said under her breath.
"Could you speak up, traitor?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Anyway! What do you ponies want? What you feel is best for Equestria? Or what's best for Cozy?" Magnolia asked.

"Hmm..."

"That sounded more uplifting in my head." Magnolia said to herself.

Everypony in the room went into deep thinking mode. Although, the mane 6 didn't seem convinced.

"Can I just take a moment to be reasonable?" Discord asked.
"Discord? Reasonable?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Cozy had the opportunity to change her ways if she wanted." Discord said. "First Twilight did release her from stone and put her under the supervision of Luster Dawn, but then Cozy went ahead and escaped."

"Well-" Magnolia said, but was swiftly interrupted.

"I'm not done. Then when I finally caught up to her, and found she was sick, I generously offered to help save her, but then she went ahead and abused my favor and tried to take over Equestria again. So is this really a good idea?"

"Discord." Magnolia growled.

"I'm not here to say yes or no, I'm just presenting what I've observed. Whenever Cozy Glow is given an opportunity, she always takes advantage of it. So how do we know this is going to be any different?" Discord asked.
"Maybe because this time, she actually did something good, by destroying the darkness." Suri said.
"Well, okay. That's 1 good deed. And do we really even have proof that-" Discord said.

Magnolia was sick of arguing. She'd had enough of the selfishness floating in Twilight's court. She inturpted Discord, and gave her conjecture.

"Look, if you ponies would rather Cozy Glow suffer for the guaranteed sanctity of Equestria, then you all have truly learned nothing since you first sealed her away. Wanna know something?" Magby said, removing her helmet. "Cozy and I were born in the same month of the same year. We're the same age, but look at her compared to me. I'm a full grown mare, but she isn't. She spent many years in stone, frozen in time, and never got to experience what it was like to grow up. She was robbed of her fillyhood. Now you might say she did that to herself when she chose to do bad things. But how much of her actions were her doing, or was it a result of how she was raised? Perhaps she never received the help she needed. But for you all to look at a member of your own kin, and being okay with letting her continue to suffer, that truly breaks my heart. You guys messed up the moment you decided to put her in Tartarus without trying to find out what motivated her to do that spell." she was starting to get teary eyed. "Lock her up, and ask questions never! Even still, after she saved your lives, you give her no sympathy. And that makes me ashamed to be a member of your royal guard." Magnolia set her helmet to the floor. "Which is why I quit."

*clap clap* Rolling Thunder started clapping, but no other pony joined in. It was so awkward, she stopped her clap.

"What? Nopony else was moved by her passionate speech?" Rolling Thunder asked.

*sigh* "Forget it. Since you've clearly made up your mind, so I'll just be on my way." Magnolia said.

She picked up the Cozy statue, and was about to walk out, but Twilight couldn't let her just walk away.

"Magnolia?" Twilight said.

The mare halted in place, and turned around.

"Let's do it." Twilight said.

*gasp*

"You can't be serious." Rainbow Dash said.
"Are you sure about this?" Spike asked.

"We're going to release her, and talk to her, as well as ask her a lot of questions, under tight supervision, and an extremely controlled environment. We'll give her no window to escape this time." Twilight said. "We're going to find out once and for all what Cozy wants."

Twilight cocked her head at Discord.

"What are you looking at me for?" Discord asked.
"You are kind of the expert on petrifying spells." Fluttershy said.
"I see. So that's my everlasting legacy?" Discord asked.
"Discord." Fluttershy said.
"Oh alright." he said.

Discord and Twilight stood in front of the statue, and charged their magic.

*ZAP* *MAGIC*

They both fired their spells, and the statue started to thaw from the top down.

The filly was free, and she immediately collapsed to the ground, unconscious.





.

.

.

"Cozy Glow?"

The filly laid on the ground, looking up. From the filly's perspective, every creature in the room surrounded her, and was looking down on her. She looked up.

"Cozy Glow. I... look. I've heard from detractors that if I had just listened to you on the day of the eve of my coronation, that maybe you would've changed your mind. But we didn't listen to you. We sealed you away in stone for a long time, without giving you a chance to speak. But I'm listening this time. I'm not going to put you away, I'm not going to hand you off to somepony else. I'm here, and I'm listening! So, Cozy Glow. Put away the act, and be honest with me. Do you want to change?"
"...My name's not Cozy Glow..." she said.
"It's not her?" Twilight asked.
"We got the wrong filly?" Starlight asked.

Every creature suddenly became very confused. This wasn't Cozy Glow?

"She's lying. This is probably all another one of her tricks." Rainbow Dash said.
"Pah. Cozy doesn't like you, and simply doesn't wanna talk to you. We'll have better luck if she talks to me." Svengallop said.

Svengallop leaned in closer to the filly.

"Boss, it's me, Svengallop! Your right hoof colt!" he said.
"I've never seen you before." the filly said.
"So then you really aren't her then..." Rolling Thunder said.
"That doesn't prove anything! Svengallop is like the most forgettable character there is." Applejack said. said.
"I heard you say that. And it hurt..." he said.

Short Fuse walked up to the filly.

"Come on, boss. Show us your awesome flying skills!" Short Fuse said.
"B-but, I don't have wings." the filly said.
"Oh wow, no kidding." Lightning said.
"Strange. You resemble her so much..." Suri said.

And it was true. She was a unicorn, with no wings, but she looked so much like Cozy Glow. The pegasus looked around the room, and noticed Luster Dawn.

"Sister? Is that you?" she asked.

"Her?" Starlight asked.

Twilight nodded no. "I'm afraid not. This is my student, Luster Dawn. She's an only child. And uh... your sister isn't with Luster right now..."

"B-but she... I..." *cough* the filly coughed.

"What is your name, little one?" Magnolia asked.
"I'm A-A-Am...ber." she replied softly.
"Your name's Amber?" Twilight asked.

The filly nodded.

Amber lived up to her name when it came to her eyes. Unlike Cozy's scarlet eyes, Amber's looked just like prettified tree sap. Their mane, and fur colors were near identical however. Amber's messy mane was the same light blue as Cozy's. But as mentioned earlier, Amber was a unicorn, not a pegasus, which made her resemblance to Cozy more perplexing.

"You're the filly from earlier." Starlight said. "You're the filly who teamed up with Cozy Glow, and who got hurt in the action."

Amber nodded once more.

"Where is Cozy Glow?" Amber asked softly.
"That's what we want to know." Starlight said.
"I wish I could say, but we don't know." Twilight replied.

Amber shed a tear when she heard that Cozy was missing.

"What a strange case." Discord said.
"She's just as cute as da boss, but it ain't her." Short Fuse said.
"Cozy Glow was a pegasus by nature, but this filly's a unicorn." Rarity said.
"Do you know what's going on, Discord?" Fluttershy asked.
"I know you rely on me for my immense catalog of knowledge, but I haven't the faintest clue what's going on. She's definitely a different pony. That much I can assure." Discord said.

Twilight was still going through withdrawal, so she was still processing what she saw before being put away, and wasn't ready to explain what she saw first hand yet.

Things only seemed to get stranger the deeper the ponies looked. Instead of uncovering Cozy Glow, they encountered somepony entirely new to them.

"Well, now what?" Applejack asked.
"If this isn't her, then where is she?" Twilight asked.

Everyone in the room did some thinking, but Magnolia had a hunch.

"If you're looking for Cozy Glow, I might know where she really is." Magnolia said.





Every character in the throne room was now in front of the school of friendship... or what used to be the school of friendship. They were all shocked at the damage, but Twilight most of all.

"My school!" Twilight cried. "It's in ruins!"
"The entire thing's collapsed!" Starlight exclaimed.

The sight of all the debris was unpleasant. The thought of Cozy Glow being beneath all the rubble was... unsettling.

"What makes you think Cozy Glow is... there?" Spike asked.
"This was definitely the epicenter of some great magical disturbance. Cozy's gotta be... *gulp* nearby." Magnolia replied.

They looked at the wreck with pleasing discontent. Someponies, for different reasons than others.

"Ugh. This is going to take us all day to clean up." Rainbow Dash moaned.

"Well then." *snap* Discord conjured, and thew a bunch of shovels at the group. "Let's get shoveling!"
"Can I opt out of shoveling?" Lightning asked.
"I don't know about you, but I enjoy meticulous tasks." Suri said, eager to dig into the debris.
"I'll have you know I have a doctor's appointment that prevents me from partaking in laborious tasks." Wind Rider said.

Fortunately, they would all receive a little extra help.

"Need some extra help to move those rocks?" someone asked.

Everyone turned around and saw-

*gasp* they all gasped.

"Ocellus?" Twilight asked.
"That's Queen Ocellus. But, you guys can just keep calling me Ocellus if Queen is too formal." she said, kicking her hoof, trying to stay humble.

Ocellus was... taller than usual. Almost like Celestia or Chrysalis stature. She was bright and radiant, not the loving sucking changeling form at all.

"What happened to you?" Fluttershy asked.
"Uh... change in diet. But enough about me." Ocellus said.

Behind her was Sandbar, Yona, Smolder, Silverstream, and substituting for Gallus, was Gabby. As well as nearly the entire hive of good changelings. Each and every one of them were all holding shovels.

"I heard you guys needed some extra help. So, without further ado... Let's find Cozy Glow!" Ocellus said.





To be continued...
> Epilogue Part 2: Remnants
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The School of Friendship. Or at least, what used to be the School of Friendship. The structure had been reduced to a pile of rubble. But underneath all this rubble, is where everypony believed Cozy Glow would reside.

Princess Twilight Sparkle, accompanied by her friends Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Starlight Glimmer. They were accompanied by Cozy's former henchponies, Suri Polomare, Svengallop, and the Washouts, Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, and Short Fuse.

They received help from Ocellus and the changelings. Sandbar, Yona, Silverstream, and Smolder also joined in the effort to clear the debris. Gallus was still in the hospital, but Gabby was happy to substitute for him. Maud had also agreed to help since she's the expert on rocks and excavation.

The basement was a mess from the resulting landslide, and was barely accessible. Together, all of them took part in cleaning up the mess, and digging through the rubble in hopes of finding... a sign of something.

They all explored the school ruins. Nearly the entire structure collapsed. It was a laborious task clearing out all the rocks and debris.





All the characters were hard at work investigating what could've caused the collapse of the school. Whether or not they'd find Cozy, nopony knew.

Spike and Smolder lifted heavy boulders out of the pit, while Suri was quite content with her pace, but her work was put to shame by Maud Pie, who essentially glided through the debris.

"Pfft. Showoff." Suri said to herself, referring to Maud.

The mane 6 were hard at work as well.

"Do you think any pony could've survived all of this collapsing on top of them?" Rainbow whispered to Applejack.
"I mean, maybe she got lucky, and somethin' could'a broken the fall." she replied.
"She could've been crushed immediately, or she could alive, but gasping for air." Magnolia said, overhearing their conversation. "She may not even be here. But there definitely was some big magical disturbance here. So let's try to find out."

She gave the entangled mares a harsh glare, and they were back to work.





After many hours of work, they were making good progress, and they could now start to see the outline and stand in the lower basement area of the school. Sandbar trudged through the room, when he made a startling discovery.

"Uh... guys?" Sandbar said.
"What? What'd you guys find?" Starlight asked.

He picked up a very familiar looking artifact. He held it up so every creature could see.

"It's the Amulet of Aurora!" he exclaimed.

That wasn't the only discovery they made.

"Yona find Helm of Yksler." Yona said.
"I got the Crown of Grover!" Gabby exclaimed.
"Here is K-nuck... k-nocker bocker..." Silverstream said.
"She found the shell." Smolder finished her thought.
"And uh... this hideous green rag." Suri said.
"That would be Clover the Clevar's cloak." Sandbar said.
"Really? If they were so clever, they would have stitched together something better than this." Suri commented.

"So I suppose it's safe to assume the Talisman of Mirage. ought'a be here too." Starlight said.
"No need for assumptions. It's right here!" Ocellus said, holding the talisman.

All six artifacts, all in one place, gathered beneath the school.

"Well I'll be..." Magnolia said.
"The six artifacts... together, underneath the School of Friendship." Starlight said. "That can only mean one thing..."
"That son of a gun!" Applejack said, kicking her hooves.
"So, she tried to banish all the magic again!" Sandbar exclaimed.
"She gathered the artifacts together, for an encore of her little spell!" Smolder said.
"Well, it obviously didn't work. My magic's still good." Rarity said.
"Mine too." Twilight added.
"HA! And judging by the mess, it seems like Cozy's plan literally blew up in her face!" Rainbow Dash said.

A sound explanation, but not everypony was satisfied.

"But why would she try to do it again? You'd think after experiencing what it's like to be an alicorn, she would prefer to relish in all the magic she could get." Magnolia said.
"They say true insanity is doing the same exact thing, and expecting a different outcome." Pinkie Pie said.
"And well, if any pony in Equestria is truly insane..." Smolder said.

While every creature was thinking aloud, Twilight was thinking deeply in her head.

"Uh, Twilight. What do you make of all this?" Starlight asked.

"...I don't know. Something about this just doesn't add up.." Twilight said. "When Cozy possessed Luster Dawn, she went mad trying to steal my magic. So why would she then immediately turn around and try get rid of it again?"
"Maybe banishing magic was her plan all along?" Applejack asked.
"And what if the spell encountered an unexpected hitch?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"A hitch that would have caused her spell to fail." Rarity added.
"No... But she did succeed." Magnolia said.

Magnolia held the sack that once held the Rainbow of Darkness up, hoping every creature would put two and two together.

"...Come again?" Silverstream asked.
"You're all forgetting an important piece to this puzzle." Magnolia reminded every creature. "The Rainbow of Darkness! It was here, but now it's g-o-n-e."

"She's right." Fluttershy said.
"Hmm." everypony thought about how the missing RoD fit into this puzzle.

Magnolia was getting impatient with their speculating.

"Hello?! Spell that banishes magic?! Sudden disappearance of Equestria's biggest reservoir of dark magic?!" she exclaimed. "This empty sack is proof that Cozy's spell worked, and she succeeded in banishing magic. Only this time, she banished a different blend of magic..."

"So instead of our magic, she-" Twilight started.

"I got it!" Pinkie exclaimed. "Cozy didn't assemble these artifacts to banish our magic! She used them to banish the Rainbow of Darkness! This is how she banished the RoD!"
"Pinkie. That's ridiculous." Rainbow Dash said.
"Then how else do you explain the Rainbow of Darkness's disappearance?" Magnolia asked.
"Okay, maybe you're onto something." Dash admitted.
"But how did Cozy manage to put the Rainbow of Darkness down here, and banish it all?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah. If only there was an magical object in Equestria that had the ability to suck up magic with just a little ring." Pinkie said.

"..."

"Think this might have something to do with it?" Maud asked, holding a peculiar object.
"What is that? Let me get a closer look!" Twilight said.

Every creature gathered around Maud, and inspected the strange piece.

"It's not natural rock, nor is it consistent with stone work construction." Maud explained. "It's a special composition."

The unusual fragment in their hooves wasn't an ordinary rock. It was a piece of an ancient artifact.

"I don't believe me eyes." Discord said.
"I think I recognize this fragment..." Starlight said.

Luster Dawn was listening to their speculation. She was in too much pain to speak, but she was the only one in the vicinity who had the answer they were looking for. All this talk about Cozy Glow was bringing back memories. And seeing that fragment gave her severe anxiety. She knew exactly what it was.

Luster gazed at the fragment, when all of the sudden, from her point of view, the fragment flashed and turned into its complete form.





In front of Luster, the bewitching bell was glowing, and Cozy Glow appeared in front of her, as a being of light, projected by the bell.

"Cozy Glow? Y-y-you're... you're a..." Luster tried to say.
*giggle* "That's right. I am the bell, Lusty." Cozy said. "I'm in control of it, and all of its magic."
"You ejected your consciousness from my mind, and into the bell?" Luster asked.
"Yep." she affirmed. "You've been of great service to me, and I really mean that. But I've gotten way more than enough mileage out of you. Now it's time for me to finish this myself."
"But what happens to you if the bell is destroyed?" Luster asked.
"...I don't know. Good thing the bell's indestructible though!" Cozy replied.
"It is?" Luster asked.
"...I'm like 80% sure it is." Cozy replied. "But that may not matter anyway considering what I'm gonna do."
"But how are you going to defeat those nasty shadow creatures!?" Luster asked.
"Uh... let's just say if you can't beat 'em, *ring* eat 'em." Cozy winked.

*stomp*

They were running out of time, Tirek was fast approaching. It was time for Cozy's plan.

"Tirek's coming." Cozy said. "It's now or never."
"Cozy, no!" Luster exclaimed.
"I have to do this, Lusty. The Rainbow of Darkness captured all my friends. And I have to do everything I can to set them free. I'll do whatever it takes to save Tirek."
Luster was tearing up, not just from the pain, but from her words.
"You diabolical filly! You hate Twilight, but you love Tirek. You're gonna rid Equestria of darkness to save him. I guess you can be good, in very specific circumstances." Luster said.

*stomp*

"Whatever you're about to do, don't do it! It's too dangerous! You're to fragile!" Luster cried.
"Whatever happens, happens, Lusty..." Cozy assured. "When you open your eyes, everything will be all better, and I'll be in a better place..."

Luster's memory faded...

.

.

.





"Luster Dawn! Snap out of it!" Twilight exclaimed.

Back in the present time, Luster was crying uncontrollably.

"Luster Dawn?! What's wrong?" Starlight asked.

"Mmmm mmd mmd." Luster said.
"What was that, darling?" Rarity asked.

*rip* "BELL! AHHH!" Luster ripped her bandage from her mouth to speak.

"Luster! Don't hurt yourself!" Twilight exclaimed.

*sniff* "That's Grogar's bell! Cozy Glow put her essence into the bell in order to be in full control of all the magic inside! She used the bell's magical absorbing powers in a last ditch effort to destroy the Rainbow of Darkness!" Luster explained.

"I think I get it now." Magnolia said. "Cozy absorbed the Rainbow of Darkness into Grogar's bell, and brought it here under the school, where she then proceeded to reactivate the spell."

"And for the spell to work, you need somepony with powerful magic to activate the spell..." Starlight said, and then she realized it.
"She definitely had that requirement in check." Lightning Dust said. "Whatever she did, she freed all of us from the darkness' control."

"So instead of banishing all the magic. This time, she used that spell just to banish the Rainbow of Darkness!" Sandbar said.
"...and, herself..." Starlight said.

Amber started to cry when she and everypony else realized what happened. She'd only known her sister for a brief amount of time, and she was already gone.

"This is just terrible." Amber cried. "My sister's GONE! My daddy's GONE! I never even had a mummy! I'm all alone now!"

Magnolia leaned in close to Amber.

"Oh, come here you..." Magnolia said. "You look so much like her, my little Amby. I swore an allegiance to Cozy Glow, and that carries over to you." Magnolia said.

Magnolia sat down, and held Amber in her hooves. They both started crying.

"Oh, you poor thing." Suri said. "I was friends with your older sister too. And I'll be your friend *sob* too!"

Suri leaned in and hugged Amber and Magnolia.

"I told myself I wouldn't cry in front of other ponies, but I'm going to have to go against my own orders!" Lightning cried.
"I'm right behind you!" Rolling Thunder cried.
*sob* "...WAAAHH!" Short Fuse couldn't even form any words, he just exploded into tears, and joined them.

Amber Glow, Magnolia, Suri, Lightning, Rolling Thunder, and Short Fuse all joined in a group hug, and cried their hearts out for Cozy Glow. And yes, even Svengallop himself, removed his glasses and shed a few tears.

"It ain't all bad, Svengallop." Applejack assured.
"Now who's going to hire me?!" he cried.

The verdict seemed conclusive. Whether the spell completed first, or the bell exploded first wasn't clear. Either way, Cozy Glow was no longer around. The fate of the Tirek and Chrysalis was still up in the air, however.

"I guess that's that." Starlight said to Twilight. "Now what do we do?"
"There they are. Are you ready to lock away Equestria's baddest group of ponies?" Spike asked.

Twilight looked at the crowd of ponies crying over Cozy Glow. She didn't see a group of evildoers, she saw ponies crying over their friend.

"I don't think that kind of punishment is appropriate for them." Twilight said. "All they did was listen to Cozy, and attack under the influence of the Rainbow of Darkness. They aren't that bad themselves."

Twilight walked up to the crying group.

"I'm really sorry about what happened to Cozy Glow. I-" Twilight said.
"Stop it! You dictator!" Amber cried out.
"What?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"I know what she did some really bad things, *sniff* but she told me that you sealed her away immediately after her defeat, without giving her a chance to speak her mind!" Amber said.

Everypony turned their attention to Discord, whose idea it was to turn them to stone on the spot.

"What? We were cutting it close to exceeding the show's runtime, so I had to wrap it up quickly." Discord explained.
"A few minutes saved is years of suffering for somepony else." Magnolia said, deadpan.

Twilight shook her head, and expressed her condolences.

"I'm really sorry for how I treated Cozy Glow in the past." Twilight said. "I promise to try to make it up to you, and pay our respects to her."
*sniff* "Thank you, Princess." Magnolia said.
"In fact, I already have an idea for how to pay respects to her." Twilight said.





To be continued...
> Epilogue Part 3: Paying Respects
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


About a week after the events, it was time for every creature to pay respects. Just on the outskirts of Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle and others organized a funeral service for Cozy Glow. A crowd of (maybe a couple dozen) ponies and creatures gathered and sat. Such creatures included the complete student 6, the mane 6, the cmc, Discord, Cozy's contemporary cohorts, Magnolia, Amber and a few extras. In front of them all, was some kind of structure, that was still covered up, and was to be unveiled at the end of the service.






Twilight Sparkle stood up at the podium in front of the structure, and spoke to all the creatures.

"We are all gathered today in memoriam of Cozy Glow." Twilight said. "Though controversial in her time, Cozy Glow went to great lengths by sealing the Rainbow of Darkness away, saving every creature in the land, and allowing light to shine forever more. But in the process, Cozy payed the ultimate price. For her incredible show of bravery, and selflessness, we all come together, not to remember Cozy as what we experienced from her first hoof, but remember her based on second hoof accounts and vague evidence suggesting she acted selflessly."

...

"She was doing so good, too." Discord whispered to Fluttershy.

"Now, some of you might be confused as to why Cozy would suddenly do something so selfless, and, I'm right there with you. But uh, she must've had good intentions, right? Who wants to see the world get swallowed by darkness? Not even Cozy wanted that." Twilight laughed nervously.

...

The crowd of creatures were awkwardly silent.

"Uh... who here would like to come up, and express their condolences?" Twilight asked.

...

*cough* someone in the crowd coughed.

"I saw your hooves! Cutie mark crusaders! Please, come share your thoughts." Twilight said.
"But, we didn't raise our hooves." Apple Bloom said.
"Whatever, let's just get this out of the way." Scootaloo said.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo walked to the front to express their thoughts.

*ahem* "So, Cozy Glow and us go way back. The last time we ever saw Cozy Glow in the flesh, was when she slammed a door in our faces." Apple Bloom said. "While we were pretty mad at 'er, little did we know that would be the last time we ever saw her alive and breathing..."
"We all remember Cozy for being selfish, and rude, manipulative, and having a thirst for world domination. But you know, maybe we all just misunderstood her. And in fact, when she tried to harm us all, she didn't... uh-" Scootaloo.
"-I mean, she couldn't have been so bad if she was willing to banish the Rainbow of Darkness, even if she completely destroyed the school in the process." Apple Bloom added.
"May she rest peacefully, wherever she is." Sweetie Belle said swiftly.

The cmc stepped down, and went back to their seats. Twilight Sparkle once again took center stage. She stood up there, awkwardly. It seemed like most were ready to go home.

"Such sincere, and touching words by the Cutie Mark Crusaders." Twilight tried to say with a strait face. "Any creature else?"

Gallus, who was wrapped in bandages to hide his burn marks, raised his claw, but Smolder smacked it down. She could tell he didn't have anything nice to say.

...

"Alright, if no other creature has anything to add... then I suppose we ought to..." Twilight said.
"Wait!" Magnolia exclaimed. The mare stood up. "This little filly would like to speak." she said.

Magnolia carried Amber on her back to the podium. She kneeled down, and Amber stepped down.

"Go on, don't be shy." Magnolia said to Amber.

*gulp* Little Amber was very nervous. The little filly walked up to the podium. Amber walked up, wearing a hood, and headdress, to hide her similar appearance to Cozy. She stood on two legs, and put her front legs on the podium.

*ahem* "Look, I've heard all you thoughts. I know not all of you remember Cozy Glow fondly. And for those of you who do remember her not so fondly, well at least you have memories of her..." Amber wept. "I didn't even know I had a sister until she appeared suddenly, and took me in. I barely got to know her before she disappeared. *sob* She gave her own life, so her friends could live happy. So... just, make of that what you will. *sob* I'm proud of my sister. In the end, she listened to her heart, and saved each and every one of you. I can't change your mind, but I've made up my own mind... and *sob* I miss her so much..."

Amber put her head on the podium and started to cry. Magnolia walked up, and used her magic to pick up the filly, and put her on her back, and carried her away from the podium. Lightning and Suri went up to speak as well.

"Adding on to that, I think I speak for everypony who worked within close proximity to Cozy that, while sure, she had a knack for exploiting our talents for her gain, I can't say she didn't reward us kindly." Lightning Dust said.
"Cozy was a filly with a plan, and a... complicated way of expressing herself." Suri added.

The two stepped down, and sat as far away from their rival ponies as they could.

With everpony done, Twilight took center stage once again.

"With that, I think it is time to unveil what I, and many others have decided on, and constructed to honor Cozy Glow." Twilight said.

Twilight used her magic to pull out the giant cloth that covered the surprise.

*unveil*

*gasp* The audience was surprised.

"What the?" somepony exclaimed.

"What? What's wrong with it?" Twilight asked.

"It's fine. Just not what I was expecting..." Magnolia said.





The next day, late in the evening.

With every creature cleared, Discord and Fluttershy were at the base of the memorial. It featured a life sized bronze statue of Cozy Glow. Yeah, another statue... except, this one was a recreation of the filly. The statue was in a pose upright, and featured wings and a horn.

Fluttershy and Discord were greeted by Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Spike, who all came to visited them. The two turned around when they saw the friends approaching.

"You seem shocked to see me here." Discord said.
"Not shocked. Just, a little surprised." Twilight said.
"You never struck us as one of Cozy's bigger fans." Rainbow Dash said.
"I get why you may think that. And truth be told, while I was too cowardly to speak in front of that crowd, I do have lots of thoughts." Discord said. "Especially after hearing what Maggie and Amber had to say, I've been doing a lot of thinking. And I think I got some explaining to do."
"Yes, explain yourself. I've been getting bombarded with complaints directed at me, when I think you ought to step forward and take responsibility as well." Twilight said.

Discord stood up. He crossed his arms and hung his head, as he begun to explain.

"You know, in the heat of the moment, it felt so satisfying to be able to work alongside Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to put those bad guys away in stone. I had come a long way from when they put me in stone those all years ago. It really felt like I had earned their trust. But perhaps we took it too far that time." Discord explained. "I never took into consideration the psychological effect being immobile would have on a filly. I'm the lord of chaos, I'm nearly indestructible. I've been thrown into a volcano and lived. 1,000 years of stone for me is like a tap on the claw, and a timeout compared to how old I actually am. But for her, the utter psychological torment of being unable to move, feel, or do anything. The uncanny sensation of your entire existence going dark. I myself was furious at Celestia by the time the spell wore off 1,000 years later. I can only imagine how miserable it must have been for a mortal pony like herself, who may or may not have had a traumatic past."

Discord surprised everypony by actually expressing remorse for his actions.

"Disguising myself as Grogar, and gathering all those baddies together was... At first I felt it would've just been a fun skirmish leading up to your coronation, but it turned into near disaster and extra stress for you, and ended with suffering for each of them. No good came from my stunt. Being crowned princess would've felt the same regardless of a final battle or not. Not to mention, I made the wrong call, that eventually led to more disaster to come. This whole thing truly is my fault." Discord admitted.

Fluttershy patted Discord on the back.

"I'm not used to seeing Discord talk reasonably and admit to his faults." Rarity said.

Twilight stepped forward.

"No, Discord. This is my fault." Twilight said. "You never specified how long they should've been sealed. I'm the leader of Equestria, and that was all up to me. I should have released them from stone much sooner. I waited far too long, and Cozy spent what could have been her formative years completely encased in stone, unable to see or do anything, let alone grow up. I figured she would have been far more merciful upon being released, which is why I was confident Luster Dawn could talk sense into her. I should be blaming her for escaping, but, I feel I should blame myself for misreading her, and underestimating just how miserable she was, and how angry she was at me. Not to mention, as long as she has those two, she will stop at nothing. I was too reckless for leaving them unsupervised with Luster Dawn. They slithered away, and with all that built up anger, I honestly can't blame them for crafting one last revenge plot. One last plot, that happened to result her..." Twilight couldn't finish her sentence.

"No, Twilight. This isn't just your fault, or just my fault. We both made a series of poor decisions that led to the demise of Cozy Glow." Discord said.

Everypony was getting stuffed up.

"If you want some lighter news, look at it this way. I think the best thing I ever did was bring those three together." Discord said. "Cozy and Tirek already had a history in Tartarus, but bringing them together with Queen Chrysalis, and tasking them finding the bell, really changed their dynamic. I don't know if you ever noticed, but Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis definitely... influenced her life, in a big way. While you may think your friendship lessons had no effect on her, I have a hunch they did, and some of that rubbed off on those other two. If Cozy didn't consider them as her friends, well, then we might just be bowing down to Dark Empress Cozy right about now. But because their lives were more important than the destruction of Equestria, she gave her life, for their sanction. She proved she at least knows of some twisted form of friendship, somewhat, enough to sacrifice herself for her friends."
"But, that's not written in my journal of friendship. I clearly specified that that cliche isn't ever worth it." Twilight said.
"You know, you can't learn everything from a book." Discord said. "There's always something new to write about. Maybe try to look beyond the pages."

Everypony was left with some heavy thought provoking things to think about.

"Speaking of Tirek and Chrysalis, any clue what might've happened to them?" Applejack asked.
"Ocellus told us of Chrysalis and her surprise visit to the Changeling hive. But after she fled into the darkness, she wasn't seen again." Spike said.
"And Luster Dawn and I saw Tirek approach Equestria with the Rainbow of Darkness in tow." Twilight explained. "Who knows what exactly happened to him."
"Well, I haven't got a clue either. Maybe they were consumed, or maybe they escaped, and are still out there." Discord said. "But on the quick subject of those two, I echo most of what I said earlier. With Tirek... uh, nothing's impossible, but let's just say, he's not the same centaur he was when I made the mistake of joining his side. And Queen Chrysalis, it's a shame she never connected with her hive after the Changeling revolution. I do wonder what could've been."

Discord cleared his throat and wiped his face. He was just about done at the scene.

"I think I've spent enough time here. I must be off. I promised someone a favor, and I intend to keep my word. In the mean time, I think you ought to take some time to pay respects." Discord said.

*snap*

With a snap of his claws, Discord was gone, leaving the ponies all to themselves at the memorial.

Twilight took a closer look at the base of the statue. There was a plaque that wrote: "Cozy's glow dimmed, so that Equestria could shine." They all stood, for a moment in silence, for the fallen filly. After say, ten minutes of silence, they finally broke the quietness.

"Not gonna lie, but standing here makes me uncomfortable." Rainbow Dash said.
"Graves make me uncomfortable." Pinkie said. "I can't stand by them for long."
"Well, technically it's not really a grave because she isn't buried here. It's more of an empty tomb. A cenotaph, if you will." Twilight said.

Feelings were mixed about whether something like this was really a proper way to pay respects to Cozy.

"Doesn't it seem kind of inappropriate to display a statue of Cozy Glow on her cenotaph. Cause, you know..." Spike asked.
"First of all, this stature is made of solid copper, not stone. It is much more durable, and you know, isn't actually her..." Rarity said.
"It might seem that way at first, Spike, but this statue sends a completely different message." Fluttershy said. "That last statue was the actual Cozy Glow, in a frozen state of eternal suffering, and misery, displayed for all to see and mock her. She sat there, helpless, vulnerable to haters and vandalism. But this statue is an artist's rendition of Cozy in a state of great power, and genuine happiness, something very few ponies ever got to see... *sob*"

Fluttershy's words hit everypony hard.

"I never thought I'd feel anything for the brat, but I kind of do now..." Rarity wept.
"It does feel weird doesn't it? It's not like Cozy Glow had done anything good until now..." Rainbow Dash said. "But now we're supposed to like her?"
"If anypony wanted to redeem themselves, harnessing a metric boat load of magic and banishing the Rainbow of Darkness ain't a small feat." Pinkie Pie said.
"But that's just it! Why'd she do it? Did she banish the Rainbow of Darkness for the greater good of Equestria? Or for the sake of saving only herself?" Twilight asked.
"Well, those henchponies seemed close to her. She freed all of them, so at least she cared for some ponies." Fluttershy said.
"Like Discord said, Cozy could've joined with the RoD, but she rather sealed it away. Even if it meant paying the ultimate price..." Spike said.

It was hard to accept that Cozy Glow was gone...

"I can't believe she's really gone." Twilight said, her ears drooped.
"I mean, I get what you're saying, but having Cozy Glow disappear doesn't feel all that different from before. Like Discord said, being encased in stone is most of the way to death anyway." Rainbow Dash said.
"At least with stone, she was under our watch, and we had the option to free her at any time, and try to talk sense into her." Twilight replied.
"But like, it's not like we did much of that anyway..." Rarity added.

Although it is debatable how much being in stone feels like being dead, the main difference here, is because Cozy went out on her own terms, Twilight no longer had the satisfaction of defeating Cozy, and because she could not be reached any more, it really start to set in that she was gone, and how it could have been prevented.

"Tell me, Twi. What compelled you to eventually unfreeze Cozy, and task Luster Dawn with reforming those three all by herself?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"I thought that since Celestia trusted us to reform Discord those years ago, I thought it would be a nice callback to that by introducing Luster Dawn to the three of them." Twilight explained. "I suspected that they wouldn't be too happy to see me, so I thought they'd be easier on a new face, and Luster would have better luck talking sense into them. But that didn't work... No amount of restriction spells could held them back. I should have been there, or at least- *sniff* They were my responsibility, and I should have dealt with them responsibly, and not recklessly like I did."

"Well, you do take a lot after Princess Celestia." Applejack said. "For better, or for worse."
"It's not your fault that Cozy went mad after she escaped." Rainbow Dash said.

"She was so mad at me, after being imprisoned for so long. She went to such extreme lengths to get revenge, she nearly died trying to find the darkness, and... *sob* I wonder if she did such a risky spell because she'd lost her body anyway."

The new statue of Cozy Glow stood, looking confident, and proud. The opposite of the old statue of the real filly.

"Cozy Glow was the one pony I couldn't show the light. And that means I failed in my duty to spread friendship." Twilight said.
"But Cozy Glow did come around and see the light. She gave her life in the most spectacular and selfless way, so that her friends could be free, and live happy. I think she did learn a thing or two." Spike said.

"Why? Why did she change her mind so drastically?" Twilight asked.
"Well, like Discord said, those two were a big influence on her." Applejack said.
"But enough to the point of sacrificing herself for their safety?" Fluttershy asked.

"I don't know... *sob* And it pains me so much that I'll never be able to know..." Twilight said, choked up. "I don't get you, Cozy Glow! You abused every sign of hospitality I offered. (What few they may have been.) You had our love and respect when you were my assistant at the school, but you were still intent on banishing all the magic. Why? What was it you wanted that I couldn't provide to you? And I'll never truly know if you learned your lesson, or changed your mind after your first attack with the bell."

"You okay, Twi?" Applejack asked.

"I shouldn't feel this way about you. You're bad. Really bad! You mind controlled my student and attempted to takeover Equestria again! Even after Discord was willing to try to save you! You filly napped your own sister, and put her in danger by making her involved! You were about to finish me, but you spared me. Then all of the sudden, when faced against an impossible foe, you decided you wanted to be the good guy and destroy the Rainbow of Darkness? How?! Why?!"
"So you don't like her, Twilight?" Rarity asked.
"I just *sob* I just don't understand you, Cozy!" Twilight exclaimed.

Twilight closed her eyes and hung her head as the stress ate up her head.

"You okay, princess?" asked somepony.

"Who said that?" Spike asked.

They all turned around and saw.

"Magnolia!" they exclaimed.

The mare stood behind the group.

"I thought I'd find you here." Magnolia said. "How are you all doing?"
"I'm uh... *sniff* doing alright." Twilight replied, wiping her face of tears.
"How 'bout yerself?" Applejack asked.
"I'm doing alright. So, you're checking out the cenotaph of Cozy Glow I see?" she asked.
"Yep." Twilight replied. "I just wish I could have done more to help Cozy Glow while she was still with us." Twilight said.
"I never thought I'd here those words from you, Twilight." Magnolia replied. "I'm sure Cozy would've been pleased to hear that from you."
"Is that what she really wanted? Was my respect?" Twilight asked.
"...Yeah probably." Magnolia said quickly. "You know, Cozy may be gone, but there's still plenty of fillies who need help."
"You don't say." Applejack said.
"Mmm. But I do say. In fact, I have an idea that might cheer everyone up." Maggie said. "Tell you what, let's invite the filly. I think you ought to talk to her."





At the hay burger.

Amber Glow was sitting on Magnolia's lap, while the mane 6 all sat in the cramped around a small table. They were just served their meals, and they were all ready to chow down. Pinkie Pie devoured her meal in just a few gulps. Twilight couldn't help herself but have the good ol hay burger. Despite raising to her royal status, she was just as sloppy an eater as ever. Rainbow Dash and Applejack shared their fries, and shake, while Fluttershy saved part of her meal to give to Discord later. Rarity wrapped a napkin all around her neck, and ate using only a fork. She wouldn't dare touch anything with her hooves. Amber and Magnolia were just glad to have such lively company. (Spike wasn't here, he had business elsewhere)

"You know, Cozy Glow loved hay burgers" Magnolia said.
"She did?" Amber asked.
"...I actually have no idea..." Magnolia replied.
*mmm* "They sure are tasty though." Amby said.
"I'm inclined to agree." Twilight said.
"For fast food, it is of decent quality." Rarity said.
"Not to mention, completely vegetarian." Pinkie added.
"Now Rainbow, just 'cause we're sharing a bucket 'o' fries, doesn't mean you can eat 80% of them!" Applejack said.
"But if I eat 80%, that leaves you with 20% of the fries. Isn't that cool?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Mah stomach sure doesn't think so." Applejack replied.

*giggle* Amber laughed listening to the friends banter.

"If I had known we were coming strait here, I wouldn't have worn my favorite-" *splash* *GASP* Rarity exclaimed when a splatter of food got on her outfit.

"Chew with your mouth closed, Pie." Rarity said.
*sallow* "Sorry, Rarity. So uh, you want Twilight to keep her mouth closed too?" Pinkie asked.

*splash*

"Heh, sorry." Twilight said, blushing.

*giggle* Amber kept laughing the more Twilight and friends bickered.

"You and your friends are hilarious!" Amber said.
"I knew I had it in me." Rainbow Dash said.
"You know what? You're pretty neat, princess." Amber added.
"It's one thing to hang out with us, but you're totally well versed in our group." Rarity said.

Pinkie patted Amber on the head.

"Thanks for all your support, princess." Amber said. "And uh, thank you for dinner."

"Uh... *BURP* you're welcome." Twilight replied, blushing.

"I don't mean for this to sound offensive, but, you're really sloppy for a princess." Magnolia said.
"Twilight's got her own way of ruling Equestria." Applejack said.
"And every creature in the land has been grateful for her efforts." Rarity said.

Twilight took a napkin and wiped her face to at least try to look professional.

"Look, I know Cozy Glow was... complicated. I know it must be awkward seeing me, somepony who looks so much like her. But I'm glad that hasn't detracted you from accepting me." Amber said.
"No worries." Fluttershy said.
"Don't sweat it, squirt." Rainbow Dash said.
"You're welcome with us any time, sweetie." Applejack said.
"I guess uh, thank you for the kind words, Amber." Rarity said.
"Mmm, and thanks to the chef!" Twilight said, cheerfully. (Leave it to hay burgers to cheer the princess up)

"Say, why don't you go in the kitchen and thank the chef eye to eye?" Magnolia suggested. "It's his first day cooking today, but already his work is quality."

"Is that so?" Twilight asked, chewing. *gulp* The princess swallowed the last of her meal, and stood up. "Alright. I'll be back girls."

The princess got up, and trotted to the kitchen area.

"So, Magnolia, how long have you been in service with the royal guard?" Applejack asked.
"Uh..." she replied, sweating. "Eleventeen... moons?"





Twilight entered the kitchen.

"Excuse me, chef?" she asked.

Inside the kitchen, it was empty. There was no sign of any food being properly prepared.

"Huh... That's strange." she said to herself.

The princess investigated. She opened a freezer, and found all the ingredients for hay burgers frozen.

"...Well, I guess it wasn't fresh food. Still decent though."

Twilight then opened the pantry door and saw...

*gasp*

A slimy green cocoon, with a unicorn inside.

"Magnolia?" Twilight asked.

*STOMP* a loud thud sound boomed from behind her.

"Ah. Princess Twilight Sparkle. Such a pleasure to be serving you this evening." someone said.

*gasp* "YOU!" The princess exclaimed. "Have you changed your ways, or not?!"
"I'll let this do the talking for me!"

*ZAP*






Everypony had finished their meals. Now they waited patiently for Twilight to return to pick up the tab.


"What's taking her so long?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"She's probably writing down the recipe as we speak." Applejack replied, jokingly.

*BOOM* a huge explosion of fire erupted from the kitchen, to the astonishment of everypony.

*gasp* "Somepony left the oven on for too long!" Pinkie exclaimed.

But no, it was no kitchen disaster. Twilight Sparkle was in a magic battle with-

*gasp* "It's Tirek!" the mane 6 exclaimed.

"You idiot! What part of sneak attack did you not understand?! Sneak?! Or attack?!" Magnolia exclaimed.

Everypony looked at the mare, confused.

"Uh... oops." she said. "Well, I guess this jig is up."

*magic*

Magnolia transformed into-

"Queen Chrysalis!" the mane 6 exclaimed.

Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis had returned. A prime and strong Tirek, and a... slightly off looking Chrysalis.

"You guys are alive?!" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Wa ha ha! Yes, it is us! We're alive and well, and we've come to claim what is rightfully ours!" Chrysalis exclaimed.

Amber was still sitting in her lap, but now, she was in custody of the former changeling queen.

*poof* *poof*

Chrysalis appeared right besides Tirek, (albeit, facing opposite the way he was facing) she turned around showing she had Amber in her grasp.

"Sorry, spells have been acting up lately." Chrysalis said.

"Give her back!" Twilight shouted.
"No way!" Tirek exclaimed.
"I'll drag each and everyone of you to the far corners of Equestria before I let you take the filly from us!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"There is no need for any senseless violence. We've already got what we came here for." Tirek said.

Amber looked at the princess, helpless, (though not as scared as you might think).

"We'll be taking this filly to go, if you don't mind." Chrysalis said.
"Sorry, but we don't do take out!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"No! You can't! Stop!" Twilight exclaimed.

Tirek and Chrysalis lit up their horns and then-

*poof*

They vanished in a puff of magic.

"They're gone!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Oh dear, oh dear!" Twilight exclaimed.
"This ain't good." Applejack said.
"What are we going to do now?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Oh, wait, there they are." Pinkie said, pointing at the window.

The two villains were just outside the destroyed hay burger building, about to make an escape. And so, the 6 rushed out to confront them.





To be continued...
> Epilogue Part 4: Frenemies in Need
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


In the previous chapter, Twilight and friends had a close encounter with Lord Tirek and Queen Chrysalis. They had returned, and were here to steal Cozy's twin sister, Amber (technically she's a biological clone). Twilight and friends rushed to confront them, as they weren't about to let this happen.






"Finally. We've been searching all of Equestria for you. And now we finally have you." Chrysalis said.

"Hey! Stop!"

Twilight and gang ran to meet with the two baddies. Tirek was holding Amber tight in his arms against her chest, while she struggled.

"It's no use, Twilight Sparkle." Tirek said.
"This little filly's coming with us!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"You don't understand! That's not actually Cozy Glow! That's-" Twilight said, but was interrupted.
"Her sister." Chrysalis replied.
"You guys know?" Fluttershy asked.
"You think you know Cozy better than us?" Tirek asked.
"So wait, they're in on this?" Applejack asked.
"I don't care what they do or don't know, but we have to save Amber!" Twilight exclaimed.

The mane 6 and the two baddies braced in fighting poses. Everyone started to charge forward, when they were interrupted by an awkward sound.

"Tee hee hee." Amber giggled.

The sudden outburst from Amber stopped every creature in their tracks.

"What the?" Chrysalis asked. "What is this sound that curses my tympanal organs?"

Everyone let their guard down, when they saw Amber giggling in Tirek's grip.

"Gee, Mister. Your chest, and your arms are so firm!" Amber exclaimed.
"Please stop..." Tirek said, blushing.
"Tirek! Please control the child while we take care of business!" Chrysalis said.

The mane 6 were confused, more than anything by this interaction.

"She knows she's in danger, right?" Rarity asked.
"Maybe she knows more than we do..." Twilight wondered.

"Just who are you guys anyway? And why do you want me so badly?" Amber asked.
"C-Cozy didn't tell you of us?" Chrysalis asked.

Amber stopped and thought for a moment. She looked up, and took a closer look at the two baddies.

"Were you two friends with my sister or something?" Amber asked.
"Uh..." neither one of them knew what to say. "See the thing is..." they weren't sure how to answer Amber's question.
"We were... we collaborated in team efforts that involved your sister." Tirek said.
"We joined forces with your sister, we climbed Mt. Everhoof together. We were..." Chrysalis said.
"It's thanks to her brilliance that we were able to find and unleash the Rainbow of Da..." Tirek halted himself when he realized the RoD was a... touchy subject.

After a touch more thinking, Amber remembered what Cozy had told her.

"Wait a sec. Lord Tire?. Queen Crystal? Yeah. Cozy did tell me about you guys." Amber said. "She told me how much she loved-"

...

The one word lingered for what felt like eternity.

"-loved coming up with evil schemes with you guys." Amber concluded.
"Oh." "Phew..." Tirek and Chrysalis were relieved. She almost had them in the first half.
"She didn't want me to tell you this, but I'm awful at keeping secrets, so what the heck." Amber said. "She said you two were her favorite creatures in the wide world of Equestria. She told me that after she and I defeated Twilight Sparkle, that the four of us would live together as one big happy family."
"Us...?" Chrysalis questioned.
"F-f-fa...?" Tirek tripped on his words.
"Uh, maybe she didn't use the f word, I might've added that, but regardless, she wanted us to be together. Forever! But not in stone this time." Amber clarified.
"T-together..." Chrysalis said.

They were now questioning the future Cozy promised for Amber, and that she had in mind for the lot of them. Would they have continued their life of mischief, or gone back to do something simpler than that.

"You know, you two seem pretty neat. You should stick around here longer." Amber said.

"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed.

"No way!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "That is not part of the plan!"
"You're coming with us!" Tirek added. "And we shall not reside here in Ponyville or Canterlot."
"Well, where are we going then?" Amber asked, calmly.
"There's a few options. We can return to our super secret village, and resume some of our side projects. Or, if you wanna live undercover, there's-" Chrysalis explained, but Amber didn't seem interested in any of these ideas.
"But I don't wanna leave Equestria." Amber said, interrupting.
"Oh... really?" Tirek said, surprised.

Amber nodded, reinforcing her answer. The two baddies took her response, reasonably well, but still disappointed. They didn't rage at all, to the surprise of Twilight and friends. Rather, they were more concerned.

"...I see." Chrysalis said.
"B-but, surely this isn't what Cozy had in mind." Tirek said.
"When she gave us her final request, this can't be what she wanted." Chrysalis said.
"From the little time I spent with my sister, she told me we were going to be happy in the end, and well, having Twilight Sparkle support me has made me pretty happy so far." Amber said.

Tirek and Chrysalis were dumbfounded, and while vulnerable to attack, Twilight and co watched the events unfold. To defeat them in this moment, seemed like a waste, as they were seeing a side of the two they'd never seen before.

"But, you can't. To make amends with Twilight Sparkle? Her worst enemy?" Chrysalis asked.
"Twilight made Cozy anything but happy! She tormented her!" Tirek said. "She doesn't deserve you."

Twilight and co were watching the entire events unfold. They heard every word exchanged between the group. Instead of pouncing on the villains, Twilight, having learned from Cozy, was wondering if this was her opportunity to break through to them.

"Chrysalis, what were Cozy's last words exactly?" Twilight asked.
Chrysalis hung her head and paraphrased her last words. "Cozy said she wanted her sister to live the life she never got to."
"Live the life she never got to..." Twilight repeated.

It was clear to everypony that Amber didn't want to leave, but she didn't mind the company of Tirek and Chrysalis, and moreover, the mane 6 was surprised to see them not really being that forceful in changing her mind.

"Well, if your mind is made up then, then... then-" Chrysalis said.
"Here! Take her!" Tirek exclaimed.

Tirek released Amber from his grasp, and placed her gently on the ground. The filly walked to Twilight, unsure. Twilight put her hoof to Amber's shoulder and held her.

"I suppose the best thing we can do for Cozy Glow's successor is give her free will." Tirek said.

Everpony scratched their heads.

"...Cozy's wut?" Applejack asked.
"What did you just call her?" Twilight asked.

"That's not all we're returning to you, Sparkle." Chrysalis said, ignoring her question.

Her horn lit up, and with a touch of magic-

*poof*

A cocoon appeared in front of them. Chrysalis gently put it to the ground, and sliced it open with her horn. The cocoon opened up, freeing the real Magnolia.

*EEEUGH* "I'll never get used to being covered in slime..." Maggie said.

Tirek opened his mouth and returned the magic to Maggie. She was surprised that they freed her themselves.

"Thank you for returning my magic to me?" she asked, confused.
"We appreciate your cooperation in this endeavor, but unfortunately today wasn't out day..." Tirek said.
"Does it necessarily count as cooperation if you guys forced me to give up my magic?" Maggie asked.

"You're doing the generous thing by releasing her?" Twilight asked.
"I see it more as lightening the load." Chrysalis replied.

Chrysalis and Tirek turned their backs to the scene.

"Where are you guys going?" Amber asked.
"Away! Twilight Sparkle has won, and retains custody of you, just like you said you wanted." Tirek replied.
"I didn't say anything about guys leaving though. You guys should stick around." Amber said.
"M... What?" Tirek asked.
"Stay here, and reason with the enemy?" Chrysalis asked.

The two baddies were most confused. If anypony was going to get through to them, it definitely would be Cozy's lookalike.

"Well, what'll it be?" Twilight asked. "Are you two finally ready to change your ways?"

So what happens next? Is this the fabled reformation of Tirek and Chrysalis? Well, it wouldn't be that simple. The two villains were stuck, thinking about what they'd just done, and what they were going to do next.

"I-It can't be. Such a cruel twist of fate." Tirek said. "The second coming of Cozy has been indoctrinated by Twilight Sparkle!"

"So, now what'do we do about them?" Applejack asked.
"Do we just take them out? Do we let them go? Or...?" Rainbow Dash asked.

The villains' mood quickly swung from confusion, to what seemed like hostility. Tirek and Chrysalis held limbs and their horns glowed, about to do some kind of spell. They were planning to teleport away, but Twilight and co didn't know that, and braced for another potential smackdown. Despite that, the two stood, charging their spell. However, Chrysalis opened a single eye, and wasn't ready to call it quits yet. She kept her rage bottled up... or at least her words were bottled up. From the outside, she looked... unwell. Layers of skin were peeling off her exoskeleton. The added stress of seeing Amber Glow, a filly who looked so much like her precious Cozy Glow, in good terms with Twilight Sparkle, made her furious.

No! This isn't what Cozy wanted! Chrysalis' voice echoed in her cranium. You took everything from me already, Twilight! I won't let you have this, even if it kills me!

In a scene that felt like it was in slow motion, Chrysalis charged forward. Her front limbs extended, her mouth open, and her horn glowing. Except, something was about to go horribly wrong. The magic in her horn was jammed, and built up energy that halted the queen, until it was too much for her to handle.

"AAH!" *poof* *BOOM*

A great flash of light expelled from Chrysalis as she burst.

*gasp*

"Chrysalis!" everyone exclaimed.

.

.

.





.

.

.

"Mom?" an outside voice called.

Chrysalis opened her eyes, and overhead, she saw Queen Ocellus.

"Ocellus? What are you doing here?" Chrysalis asked.
"I came here to help. We all did." she replied.

Surrounding Chrysalis were a group of changelings. The queen was too weak to speak,

"Don't stress yourself out. We've got you. Your hive is here for you." Thorax said.

"What happened to her?" Fluttershy asked.
"I know what is happening..." Chrysalis said, with a heavy breath. *exhale* "This is why I wanted to jump into that vortex with Cozy. But no, I chose to fulfill the filly's wish by making her think we could live alive and well. But alas, it is the natural order. Since Ocellus is the queen now, there is no reason for me to exist any more..."

"WHAT?" everyone exclaimed.

The former queen lost consciousness and wasn't able to speak any more. Pharynx came forward with some supplementary information.

"So basically, after Ocellus drank the royal jelly, and grew to be the new queen, Chrysalis started to lose energy, and began to weaken, and wither away slowly. And now the side-effects are really catching up to her." Pharynx explained.
"We gotta get her urgent care at once." Thorax said.

Thorax and Pharynx, and an entire swarm of changelings gathered around Chrysalis. They picked up her body, and carried her away to the hive.

"Thanks for luring her out, Twilight. We've been looking for her since she ran off." Ocellus thanked.
"No... problem?" Twilight replied, unsure.
"What are you doing to do with her?" Maggie asked.
"Something we should have done a long time ago." Ocellus replied.
"Is she going to be okay?" Amber asked.
"Only Celestia knows..." Ocellus said.

And with that, the changelings carried their former queen off to the changeling hive.

The former changeling queen was defeated. Not by Twilight, but by nature and the consequences of her own choices. Tirek on the other hoof was more fortunate in this scenario, as the teleportation spell worked for him, and he seemed to have vanished while everyone turned their attention to Chrysalis.

"So, any ideas what happened to Tirek?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"He was there one second, then he disappeared the moment we took attention off of him." Pinkie said.
"I guess Tirek's magic is still workin'. His spell either worked, or he just plain ran off." Applejack said.

Amber sat on Twilight's back, bewildered. Actually, everypony was confused by the unusual encounter that just took place.

All the changelings already flew off, leaving Twilight and co to themselves.

"Well, uh, that was um... something." Twilight said.
"How long was Chrysalis disguised as you, Maggie?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Not too long. Only since after the funeral service." she replied.

Everypony stood in place, awkwardly.

"Well, uh, that was um... something." Twilight said.
"So... now what?" Rarity asked.
"How is anypony going to sleep easy knowing that that centaur is on the loose?" Pinkie asked.
"I have a feeling you don't have to worry about him any more." Magnolia said.
"Says you, they stuffed you in a cocoon!" Rainbow Dash said.
"I know, but they released me on their own." she replied. "They've both definitely changed since I first encountered them..."

That settles it. Chrysalis was in custody of the changelings, and Lord Tirek was on the run. The ponies all stared into the sky, wondering about where Tirek was, and wondering what he really thought about Cozy. The thought did not sit easy with everpony. And in particular, little Amber.

"You okay, Amber?" Magnolia asked.
"I'm fine, just a little disappointed." she replied.

"Hey, Twilight. Remember what Chrysalis said earlier?" Fluttershy asked.
"About fillies in need?" Twilight replied with a question.

Even though it was Chrysalis disguised as Magnolia in the last chapter, she affirmed the idea of Twilight and friends being the ones to supervise and bring up little Amber.

"Well, her point still stands. This little filly needs us." Maggie said.
"Amber, I may not have treated your sister Cozy with the kindness I should have. The best I can do going forward is to make sure we provide you with all the friendship you need. I hope that you'll accept my hospitality." Twilight said. "I'll do my best to make sure you're much better off. I will do everything I can with my busy schedule in mind..."
"Thank you, princess." Amber said, softly.
"Say, Twilight? What's the name of your top student? If you're so busy, I wonder if she'd be interested in helping Amber integrate into Equestria." Maggie said.





Meanwhile:

.

.

.

*poof*

Tirek reappeared on a deserted island. Thanks to waypoints he and Chrysalis set in between now, and after the darkness disappeared, he was able to appear in this secret location. Actually though, this is a location the trio has visited previously, it just looked different now.

What a nail biting escape we pulled off. Tirek thought.

But when Tirek looked around, it was just him. One of them didn't make it out.

Looks like the time caught up to her. So be it. Tirek thought. Guess that settles that debate. I am the strongest of our group after all. I still have all of my abilities, and I shall return, and get what is rightfully mine. But in the meantime...

The sun was shining brightly on the landscape. The foliage was dry, and looked like it hadn't seen sunlight in many years. Rather than immediately thinking about revenge, Tirek took it upon himself to build a shelter. He had learned craftsmanship along his journey, and taking initiative to build was second nature by this point.

He gathered twigs and branches, and crafted various things on the beach.

"There we go. Three chairs, fit for all... one of us.."

Without even thinking, he built a chair sized for him, a longer and skinnier chair, and a little chair, sized filly.

*Hmph*

He sat, trying to ignore the distress, but the sun was too bright for his taste.

*Ugh* Tirek stood up and went to assemble some shade. He thought he was content now, but the waves were getting too close. He stood up and moved his chair and shade back away from the ocean.

He sat, and tried to relax. But no matter how hard he tried, voices kept echoing in his head.





"You wouldn't let them do this to me, brother?" Tirek's voice echoed.

Scorpan removed his necklace, reached into the cage, and wrapped it around Tirek.

"Here. Something to remember me by." his voice echoed.

Cerberus dragged Tirek's cage into Tartarus.

*slam*

The doors to Tartarus closed, sealing Tirek inside.





Back in the outside world, Tirek was not pleased with his past.

*Hmph* "What a miserable millennium. But at least now you get to catch a break." he said out loud.

"I suppose this is your ultimate punishment. Cursed to live on this planet alone. Not that that bothers me at all..."

A large wave came crashing to the shore, and destroyed the two other lawn chairs.

In that moment, he heard more voices echoing in his head.





"Do you swear to help Cozy Glow?" Chrysalis' voice echoed.
"I promise that I'll take little Cozy Glow to Canterlot, where-We'll find a way to cure her of her ailment, and nurse her back to full health. Once she's cured, I'll bring her right back here. You have my word." Discord's voice echoed.

Obviously, things didn't exactly play out the way Discord said they would.





*Hmph* "So much for Discord's word. Never trusting Discord again. Where is that lying draconequus anyway? He better not show his face to me again." Tirek groaned.Cozy... I never should have let you go. Even if we couldn't save you, I would have rather held you in my arms as your last breath gave out, rather than watch you vanish into oblivion...

"She said she wanted us to be one big happy family." Amber's voice echoed, though it sounded just like Cozy's voice.

"Some family we turned out to be..." Tirek graoned.

But then, Tirek thought about the memories he had of Cozy Glow. Although the two of them continuously attempted to upstage each other, and wine, and bicker, they really had something special. The two of them, and Chrysalis stuck together until they met their end.

"Hmm. Some family we were..." Tirek said, feeling down.

Tirek's grievances weren't limited to tragic memories. New voices echoed in his head as well.

"It doesn't have to be this way. That filly could be what fills the void in your heart." a voice echoed.
"The only way I will get her is by attacking those ponies once again." Tirek said to himself.
"Are you sure that's the only way? Perhaps there's a better way, not to be bad, but to be-" it said.

The voice dissipated, leaving Tirek alone. He leaned back, and let out a hearty sigh.


The loneliness was worse than any punishment. The centaur sat lonesome on the island. He may have been safe from punishment, but he was not safe from the emotional discourse caused by the loss of Cozy Glow, and now Queen Chrysalis too. But on the other side of the coin, Cozy's clone Amber was about to be shown real friendship by Twilight's protege.

> Epilogue Part 5: A Hearth’s Warming Glow (The End?)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some time had passed since The Glow happened (it's their term for the bright light that sealed the darkness), and it was Winter in Ponyville and Canterlot! Hearth's Warming was right around the corner, and the snow was tickling everypony's snouts.

With little Amber all alone now (I wonder what happened with her father...), Princess Twilight Sparkle wanted to give the filly a chance to live happily. Although, after witnessing the falling of Queen Chrysalis, and the fleeing of Lord Tirek, it was difficult to keep in good spirits. To make matters worse, as Princess, Twilight was typically too busy to be directly involved with Amber. Most of her friendship lessons were taught by her pupil, Luster Dawn. Luster and Amber became tight study buddies, it was quite cute actually. Cozy's old pal Magnolia acted as Amber's guardian outside of study time.





Magnolia was walking Amber through the snowy Canterlot, as they were heading to the study where she'd practice magic with Luster Dawn. As they walked, Amber was very quiet. She didn't say much, but based on her stressed expression, she had a lot on her mind."

"Are you alright? I'm starting to worry." Maggie asked.

Amber looked up to the mare, and then back to the ground.

"I'm fine, it's just... I'm tired of watching every creature I care about suffer..." Amber said. "Twilight can shower me with all the kindness in the world, but that can't undo what happened to them."

...

There was one lingering question on Maggie's mind that she was surprised no pony had asked by now. It seemed risky, but it was likely only Amber knew the answer.

"I'm sorry if this is a sensitive subject, but, could you tell me about your's and Cozy's parents?" Maggie asked.

Amber took a moment to think, as she reminisced, she started to hyperventilate.

So, dad, after you almost killed me, you cloned me so you could try again? Cozy's voice echoed. You're DEAD! Don't act like you influenced my life in any significant way, mom!

"Amber! Snap out of it!" Maggie exclaimed.
*Hmph* "They're not important." Amber replied.
"Oh. Is it because they're..." Maggie followed up.
"I said they're not important!" Amber exclaimed.

Magnolia knew not to ask any further questions at this time. And luckily, they reached their destination.

"Well, we're here." she said.

Maggie knocked on the entrance, and immediately, Luster Dawn opened the door to greet them. 

"Luster Dawn! It's good to see not incapacitated." Maggie said.
"Thankfully with our advanced magic medicine, the recovery process wasn't so bad." Luster said.

Luster Dawn had since recovered to the point where she didn't need any casts or bandages anymore. And thus, Twilight Sparkle reintroduced Amber to Luster, and assigned her pupil to be Amber's magic tutor. Maggie passed Amber onto Luster Dawn.


"I'll meet you at the Hearth's Warming gift exchange tonight, Amby." Maggie said.
"Okay. I'll see you tonight, Magby." Amber said.
"Take care Magnolia! Thanks for your service." Luster saluted the retired guard. She was young for retirement, but she'd had enough of guard business.





Some time later:

It was a long day of studying and magic practice. In this moment, Amber was practicing a magic spell while Luster encouraged her.

"Alright, Amber. Let's try this again." Luster said.

Amber concentrated on exerting magic from her horn. She struggled as she tried to push it out.

*magic*

Little Amber Glow gave the spell her best shot.

"You can do it." Luster said.
"I'm trying." Amber said.
"Don't hurt yourself." Luster said. "Know your limits."

*EERGH* Amber stressed when she tried to do the spell.

Amber's horn lit up a yellowing glow, as she lifted the book. She placed the book on a stack of books, about two mares tall. Not particularly impressive, it was a start.

"That'll do for now." Luster patted Amber on the head. "However, the Hearth's Warming ceremony fast approaching, and we have much else to get down, so we best be on our way."

Amber was disappointed to end the lesson this suddenly, but she tried to express her gratitude anyway.

"Thank you for the lessons, master." Amber said.
"Uh... just call me Luster. Okay?" she replied.

Luster used her magic to lend Amber a winter coat.

"Wrap up, it's cold outside." she told the filly.

Luster was about to leave, but something was on Amber stood in place, as something was on her mind.

"Before we go, Luster, there's something I've been wanting to ask you, Luster." she said.
"Sure. Ask me anything." Luster said.

Amber tapped her mouth with her hoof while she thought about how to phrase her question.

"Um... Did you like my sister?" Amber asked.
"Um..." Luster thought.

*dramatic flashbacks* "I'm in control now, Lusty!" Cozy's voice echoed in Luster's head.

*shutter* "See the thing is..." Luster said, thinking. *gulp* "That's a multi-layered question."
*sigh* "I know that when ponies look at me, they see Cozy, but I never actually saw the Cozy they saw. The only time I ever saw her, was when she was inside of you. So, although it may sound weird... I sort of... you..."

Luster sat down and wrapped her arms around Amber.

"I can't begin to imagine what it's like to walk in your hoofsteps. You want to believe that your sister was good, and look, I see your points too, but I'm sure there's immense pressure to think otherwise." Luster said.

Amber nodded while pressing her head against Luster.

"But think about it this way. You share like 99.999991% of her DNA. It's almost like she's a part of you, and you have the opportunity to change what everypony thinks about Cozy." she added.
*sniff* "I suppose you're right, Luster." Amber replied. "She may not be here, but she is with me... in a way."
"Now come on. Twilight sent me a checklist of things to do in Ponyville. Come along. I'll show you around." Luster said.
*sniff* "Okay..."

Amber wrapped a purple winter coat around her, and put on a purple winter hat. The hat was an awkward fit because of her horn, so it mostly covered the back of her mane. It looked quite a lot like Cozy's winter outfit. Amber followed Luster outside. They would head for Ponyville to take care of some things before returning to Canterlot.





Meanwhile in Ponyville, Rarity was outside her Ponyville boutique, shoveling the snow, when she was approached by an unexpected guest.

"Rarity." the mare said.

Rarity turned around and spoke to them.

"Who wants to know? Oh, it's you again, Polomare." she said.

It was Suri Polomare, hauling a large cart behind her.

"I figured since Lightning Dust and the Washouts are on their way to redemption, that uh, maybe it's my turn." Suri explained.
"The Washouts? Redemption?" Rarity asked.
"Oh yes. Lightning, Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse have gone to Spitfire for help *giggle* and based on their letters, it sounds like they're making splendid foal sitters." Suri grinned.
"...Alright, you're here for redemption. But what of the cart?" Rarity asked.
"Listen, Rare. I know we've had our differences in the past, but business is business, and it's the season of giving or whatever, so I've come to make a deal." Suri Polomare said.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, but was curious at what Suri had to say.

"Go on." Rarity replied.
"Well, despite the collateral damage and our extended absence, my cotton crops from the town of TCGC managed to survive. I managed to harvest it all right before the frost blew in, and I'm here to make you an offer." Suri said.

She walked to one of the carts, and opened them up, revealing loads of cotton.

"You pulled these carts all the way from TCGC?" Rarity asked.
"What? No, that'd be ridiculous." Suri replied. "I drove it here. Vroom vroom. We're in future. We have (slightly less primitive) technology."

Their conversation was getting off the road, so Suri put it back on track.

"Anyway. It's cold or whatever, so I figured you could use some supplies for the winter outfits." Suri explained.
"So... you're offering multiple carts full of cotton?" Rarity asked.

Rarity seemed a little confused, and Suri was losing her patience.

"Look if you don't want it, I'm sure I can find a buyer elsewhere." Suri replied.
"Oh, no need. I uh... I have been looking into new suppliers due to our dwindling resources. But only if you promise no more shady tactics." Rarity said.

As the two mares were negotiating, another pony walked out from the boutique.

"Uh, Rarity, where would you like for me to put the-" she said.

The mare stopped mid sentence when she saw Suri.


"Oh, my apologies, I have some help today. And uh, your timing is impeccable." Rarity said.

The pony who stepped from out of the door was Coco Pommel. She came assisting Rarity, but her timing was interesting.

"C-Coco Pommel?" Suri asked.
"Folks just call me, Ms. Pommel now..." she replied.

Coco Pommel kicked her hooves in the snow, and looked away from Suri Polomare. But Suri was a (slightly) new mare, so she had this to say.

"Listen, when you're in the big city, sometimes underhanded tactics really are the only way to succeed." Suri explained.
"Because of you, I was so overworked, and under rewarded, I was scared I'd never want anything to do with the fashion industry!" Coco exclaimed. "Rarity really saved me from that slum, and saved my mental health."

Suri hung her head and thought of how awful she treated Ms. Pommel in the past.

"I promise, going forward, even exchanges only." Suri said. "And fair treatment of every member of the fashion family." Suri said.
"I suppose there's not a lot more I could ask of from you." Ms. Pommel said.
"Well, I can think of one more think something. How about a formal apology." Rarity suggested.

*sigh* "I'm sorry, Coco Pommel." Suri apologized.

Ms. Pommel wrapped her hoof around Suri.

"It's okay. I forgive you." Coco accepted her apology.

With that, it was long overdue, but Suri apologized to her former partner, Coco Pommel.

"You know cotton's not the only gift I bring from TCGC. Where's little Amber? I brought her something she might just love." Suri said.
"Oh, if you have a gift, I see." Rarity said.
"Who's it for?" Ms. Pommel asked.
"A relative of an old friend." Suri replied.

Rarity looked over, and behind Suri, she noticed Amber walking with Luster through Ponyville.

"You know what? I think you should wrap it up, and save it for the Hearth's Warming gift exchange tonight." Rarity said.
"But, I wasn't invited." Suri replied.
"You don't need an invitation to attend a celebration of friendship, darling." Rarity said.
"Hmm. Alright. But mostly for the filly." Suri agreed somewhat reluctantly. It's not like she was overly familiar with friendship.

Luster and Amber noticed the ponies.

"Look, it's Suri Polomare and Rarity." Amber said.

They turned their heads away from the two, to keep the surprise, but it came across as cold.

"They seem busy. We'll see them again tonight." Luster said.
"Alright." Amber agreed.

The two would reserve their greetings to the fashion experts, and instead visit some place else.





Amber and Luster visited the Cozy Glow bronze statue, and happened to run into Rainbow Dash and Applejack as they were tending to the statue. Rainbow  flew around the statue and polished the top of it, while AJ did the base.

"How nice of you guys to be caring for the statue." Amber said.
"It's the least we can do." Applejack said.
"Yep. We're totally doing this out of the kindness of our hearts." Rainbow Dash said. Not because we had direct orders or anything.

Luster noticed around the statue's neck was a chain necklace, with it, was tied a piece of the bewitching bell. In fact, it was the only piece of the bell that was found.

"I didn't notice that necklace around the statue's neck earlier." Luster said.
"Twilight put it there recently. She thought it'd be a nice touch." Applejack said.
"It's alright I guess." Amber said. "A piece of the bell. The a piece of artifact she used to bravely, heroically, and in utter ridiculously crazy fashion, destroyed the Rainbow of Darkness by harnessing a truckload of magic and... I don't like the ending." she said, drooping.
"Well, look on the bright side. No other pony in history has ever wielded as much magic as she did." Luster said.
"Heh. Yeah. She was pretty neat that way." Amber smirked.





Later, they visited Sugarcube Corner. Amber and Luster watched as Pinkie Pie prepared food for the evening.

"I can't begin to express how excited I am that I am in charge of all baking for tonight's Hearth's Warming feast!" Pinkie said.

Pinkie Pie was frantic, yet calculated in her cooking.

Amber held Lil Cheese in her hooves, while the cutie tickled the filly.

*Heh* "Your child's really cute." Amber said.
"I think Lil Cheese likes you!" Pinkie said.
"Heh. I think you're sweet, little one." Amber said.

But despite the affection, Amber still let out a heavy sigh.

"What's the matter?" Pinkie asked.
"I'm just really anxious about tonight." Amber said.
"Why? There's nothing to be anxious about! It's not like anything up tight or ultra strict!" Pinkie said. "This is just a night for everypony to meet and greet and express their gratitude, with gifts! Or love and affection."
"I'm... I'm not sure if everypony is ready to be nice to me." Amber said.
"Well..." Pinkie started.
"Well, nothing. I think Cozy Glow proved her self, and I think Amber doesn't deserve any flack!" Luster said.
"...Uh, sure. That's the spirit." Pinkie said, supportive.





Later, Luster and Amber were helping Fluttershy at the animal sanctuary. Their activities comprised of helping animals with hibernation. Though, some of the animals were awake and cranky. The two were trying to do Fluttershy a favor by helping with the restless villains, but neither of them were particularly good with animals.

"Uh... Mrs. Shy?" Amber asked.

*hiss* A snake hissed at Amber. Fluttershy leaned in and calmed it down.

"Oh, it's alright. All it takes is the proper approach." Fluttershy said. "There there, don't hiss at her. She's not so bad."

Luster leaned in on Amber.

"Don't worry, Amber. I doubt that snake has any prejudice." Luster said.

*hiss*

Fluttershy listened to the snake's hiss, and understood it.

"Uh, yeah, no prejudice from the snake." Fluttershy said, nervously.
"You'll get the swing of things around here, Amby." Luster said.
"Don't call me that!" Amber said, twisted. "She was the only one who could call me that. My name is Co...Amber Glow!"

There was quite a lot of commotion in the sanctuary. And I'm not just talking about the feisty filly.

"Why are your animals so out of control?" Luster asked.
"Normally it's easier with Discord around. But he's been awful busy lately." Fluttershy said.
"Why's that?" Luster asked.
"I'm not sure. At first, he said he was working on completing a puzzle with a friend, but later he changed his story and insists he's doing important work." Fluttershy explained.
*Hmph* "I'm glad Discord isn't here." Amber grunted. "He's lucky he's not here, or else he'll get a piece of my mind again."

The three of them then stood all awkwardly. No one knew how to follow up on her comment.

*ahem* "Would you look at the time? Sun's about to go down. We better catch the train to Canterlot." Luster said.
"Okay, we'll see you tonight." Fluttershy said.

With that awkward ending to their meeting, Luster lead Amber out of the sanctuary and to the train station.





Meanwhile, at the changeling hive, Chrysalis was being cared for by the changelings. The former queen laid in a gooey bed, as she breathed slower and slower. The main changelings surrounded Chrysalis as they tended to her. Thorax rubbed her skin to see how her exoskeleton was doing.

"Your skin is so rough." Thorax said.
"And it will only continue to get worse as I run out of energy." Chrysalis replied.

The changelings and looked each other in the eyes, and an affirmative. They had a plan to perhaps extend her life somewhat.

"My time is limited." Chrysalis said.
"But you can't go, my queen! There's still so much I don't know about running a colony!" Ocellus cried.

Though Chrysalis wanted to help, she knew this is how things were meant to play out.

"It is the changeling way..." she said.
"But it doesn't have to be! We can start a new way." Thorax said. "One that doesn't involve the loss of our former queen!"
"You've already thrown out all changeling culture. And now you dare to defy death? I'm afraid this isn't possible..." Chrysalis asked.
"But it is possible! Join us. You'll feel a lot better once you've metamorphosed." Pharynx said.
"No, I simply don't have the energy to morph into your new forms." Chrysalis said.
"Then let's help you out, mom." Ocellus said.

Ocellus, Thorax, Pharynx, and several other changelings gathered closely around Chrysalis. She tried to resist it by extending her limbs, but they gathered anyway, and all group hugged Chrysalis. Their horns lit up, as they attempted give life to Chrysalis.

"Stop it!" Chrysalis resented their embrace, but inside, she...

The bodies of all the changelings glowed, as they passed their energy onto Chrysalis. When their horns stopped glowing, Chrysalis was... the exact same old changeling form... Slightly fresher, but still showing signs of decay.

"I don't feel any different..." Chrysalis said.
"Why didn't it work?" Ocellus asked.
"Well it didn't do nothing. But our efforts were merely a temporary solution." Pharynx said.
"The transformation sequence is initiated when a changeling's hunger is permanently satisfied by real love." Thorax said, thinking aloud.
"And there's no shortage of love from us to you." Ocellus said.
"But even still, there's a key component missing. Without Cozy Glow, she may never love to her heart's full extent again..." Pharynx said.
"That's ridiculous." Chrysalis said, hiding her feelings for Cozy.
"Well, if we did something. Let's just try again later. We'll do whatever we can to make sure you keep on kicking." Thorax said.

Chrysalis was humbled by their effort.

"I appreciate the effort anyway. But rather than trying to fish for an oldie like me, I think your energy is better spent securing the future of the hive." Chrysalis said.
"We're already on the task. Ocellus is already hard at work improving the health of the changeling population." Thorax explained.

Chrysalis smiled, genuinely.

"You're all such mature and powerful changelings. I guess that's all a queen ever could have hoped for..." Chrysalis voice faded off.

Pharynx wrapped his arms around Ocellus, as tears poured out of the new queen's eyes. Thorax walked over used his limbs close Chrysalis' eyes, as she went to sleep.

"Rest easy..." he said.





Later, it was dusk in Canterlot, and the Hearth's Warming lights lit the streets and walkways. It was almost time for the big gift exchange with Princess Twilight Sparkle. Luster and Amber made it back in time, and they were almost ready.

"Come on Amber, it's about to start." Luster said.

She starting to trot off. But the filly just stood in the snow. Luster peered over and noticed Amber was looking very down.

"You okay, squirt? It's Hearth's Warming Eve. It's supposed to be the happiest time of the year." Luster said.
"Yeah? Well something's bothering me." Amber said, looking down.
"What's bothering you this time?" Luster asked. "Your parents? Tirek? Chrysalis? Your sister? The difficulties assimilating into Equestria?"

Amber peered her head around, and drooped.

"You know, there are ponies who think I'm her. So it doesn't matter how many friends I make, there's always going to be some ponies who don't like her, and by extension, me. *sob* Why am I forced to bear the weight of all of her mistakes?" Amber shuttered. "And... what's stopping ponies from unleashing their discontent for her upon me? What if I have to take responsibility and bear her punishments?"

Luster was about to speak, but then she took another moment to really think about what she needed to say.

"Look, Twilight already said she wouldn't bring any harm to you, as long as you promise not to do any wrong doing." Luster said.
"That's the thing! If I resemble her so much, what's stopping me from repeating what Cozy did?" Amber asked.

Amber started to break down, so Luster walked closer to support her.

"We are." Luster replied. "Perhaps Cozy could have turned out differently if she was treated with real kindness, and her issues were addressed. And that's why Twilight Sparkle wants you to feel loved by all of us."

No amount of your so called kindness can bring her back! It can't save Chrysalis, and it won't win over Tirek! Amber thought.

But she kept her real thoughts bottled up, and out loud, she said something different.

*sniff* "You're right, Luster. Thanks for sticking with me." Amber said.

And with that, the two headed off to the main gathering.





Luster opened the entrance for Amber, as she walked up the steps and into the main room. In the Canterlot ballroom, there was... no one. It was totally empty. There were decorations, and signs that there were crowds of ponies, but no one actually present.

"This is really strange." Amber said, with her ears drooping.
"We came at the right time right?" Luster asked.
"Yep. You came at the time I specified." Twilight's voice suddenly echoed through the room.

The two looked up, and saw the princess descending from the ceiling above.

"So then where is every creature?" Luster asked.
"Actually. The main ceremony already happened. I ordered you to come later so I could have a more personal meeting with you." Twilight explained.

This seemed like an odd choice despite her reasoning.

"Wouldn't have coming to the main ceremony have been a good opportunity to Amber to make new friends?" Luster asked.
"...You know in retrospect probably. But I wanted to have a more personal gift exchange with Amber." Twilight explained. "I know it can be intimidating, being friends with a princess. But I assure you I'm just like any one of you."

Amber looked at Luster, confused. It didn't make much sense to her what Twilight was trying to accomplish.

"Wait, does this mean we missed Pinkie Pie's cooking?!" Amber asked.
"Please tell me you saved some of her baking." Luster said.

"I'll see what I can do about that." Twilight replied. "But uh... it’s only Hearths Warming Eve. You have all of Hearths Warming Day tomorrow to make friends. Anyway without further ado..."

Twilight reached behind her, and pulled out a purple box.

"It's for you, Amber." she said.

The princess handed it to the little filly.

*DOOR SLAM*

The doors flew open as somepony entered. It was Suri Polomare and Rarity.

"Sorry we're late." Rarity said.
"Rarity! So glad you could make it." Twilight greeted her old friend.
"Yes, it is I. Somepony thought her horseless carriage would get us here faster!" Rarity shouted.
"I swear, it would have worked!" Suri argued.
"If it didn't break down half way to Canterlot!" Rarity exclaimed.
*Ahem* "Anyway. We bring gifts for the filly." Suri said.
"Don't worry. It's never too late to exchange gifts." Twilight said.
"Are you sure? I expected a full house." Rarity said.
"Well, it's complicated, but at least you caught Amber." Twilight said.
"Excellent. Because I have something to give to C-, little Amber." Suri and Rarity walked to the end of the room.
"Hello, Amber. It's been a while, I brought you something I thought you might like." Suri said.

Suri passed amber a gift box to Amber. She used her magic to open the box and inside-

"It's a dress!" Amber exclaimed.

"Mmm hmm. It was a commission requested by you know who. I fitted it to her and everything, so I figured it outght'a fit you just fine." Suri explained.

It was a classy dress, fitting for the demeanor of the Glows.

"Thank you, Ms. Polomare." Amber said. "I look forward to wearing it in her honor."

"Now do my gift. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you think of it." Twilight said, excited.

Twilight gave Amber a little gift box. The filly opened it, reached inside, and she was... confused.

"Uh, cute little necklace." she said.

It was a purple ribbon with a gold emblem.

"Mind explaining to *ahem* me what it is?" Luster asked.
"I gave this medal to Cozy Glow long ago because I believed she was a good and trustworthy student at my school. I hope that by giving this medal to you, that you'll cherish it, and that our friendship is genuine." Twilight said.

Amber was intrigued by Twilight's choice in gift. But regardless, it made her tear up.

"T-Twilight, I-" Amber's eyes started to water. "Thank you I *sniff* I love it..."

Twilight, Luster, and Amber all embraced each other in a group hug.

Hmm. By giving me a gift she gave to Cozy that had a lot of meaning, maybe she does understand me... Amber thought.

"Mmm. Isn't this the most wonderful thing you ever could have wanted?" Luster asked.
"It's alright I suppose." Amber replied, feeling down.
"What's the matter?" Twilight asked.
"It's just, um... Twilight, aren't you upset about what happened?" Amber asked.

Twilight didn't immediate answer.

"Twilight? Are you okay?" Luster asked.
"More than you can imagine." Twilight replied. "I'm suppose to be the princess of friendship. So what does it say about me that Cozy... you know..."

Eveverypony in the room choked up a little.

"I realize now that there was a lot more to Cozy than I thought. She was a brave soul who truly cared for her closest friends. I plan to continue to honor her, and ensure the best possible future for you, her sister." Twilight said.

"Thank you, Twilight..." Amber said softly.

It was late at night, and everpony had a case of the yawning.

"It's getting late. Make your Hearth's Warming wish, Amber." Twilight said.

Amber put her hooves together, and closed her eyes. Reciting her wish in her head.

I wish my sister could come back. she wished in her head.

"What'd you wish for, Amber?" Rarity asked.
"If I tell you, then it won't come true." she replied.
"I suppose you're right." Suri said.

Amber turned her attention fully to Princess Twilight.

"Thank you, princess. For giving me a family." Amber said. Maybe the princess can give me what I need after all...

"It's the least I could do for you. I can't undo what happened, but I can keep moving forward, and make sure you live happily ever after." Twilight said.

*yawn* "Thank you, Princess..." Amber said, dozing off.

Amber fell asleep in Twilight's grasp. She drooled and snored as she slept. Twilight looked upon the precious filly. She was every bit as cute as Cozy, and as nice as Twilight wishes she could have been.

Soon after, Amber's guardian, Magnolia arrived to pick her up.

"She fell asleep in your grasp. That's so cute." Maggie said.
"I can't take back what has happened, but I look forward to ensuring this filly has a bright future." Twilight said.

Although Amber still had many many woes on her mind, maybe mentorship by Twilight Sparkle would help after all.





And so, though it might not have been ideal.

Twilight Sparkle learned to accept. She may not have been able to apologize to Cozy Glow herself, but making it up to her twin sister was the closest she could get. Amber was a unique opportunity for Twilight to make it up to a pony like Cozy after all. She got to experience the redemption and acceptance arc that her sister Cozy Glow never got to. Cozy went to great lengths to ensure happiness for her friends, and that's at least what Amber got. Chrysalis was proud of Cozy Glow for reaching for the stars, and achieving power. And Tirek... had the fond memories of their time together.

Twilight and company made a new friend, and Amber Glow found a new family.

The...

.

.

.

.

...and more?
.

.

.

.

It ain't over until the little filly's wish comes true.
> ???
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

.

.

.

In the middle of the night, with everypony sound asleep this Hearth's Warming night, the bronze Cozy statue stood peacefully, alone. But tonight, it would see two an unusual visitors.

In the distance, the sound of someone approaching could be heard.

*boing* *boing* *boing*

In the dead of the night, a hooded pony, covered in a dark cloak, hopped their way to the Cozy memorial. They stopped in front of the statue and gave it a good look.

This is the place alright. they thought. That's some expert craftsponiesship on this thing. And is this solid bronze? That stuff's expensive.

They noticed the necklace around the statue's neck, which held the only known shard of the bewitching bell.

"There's our target. Now where is he? He's supposed to meet me here." they wondered.

But they didn't need to wait for long, as their cohort would soon appear.

*poof*

They heard a pop sound. Their friend had arrived.

"Ah, right on cue, Discord." they said.

Yes, it was him. Discord appeared, and met up with this mysterious pony figure.

"Perfect, you're here. Excellent." he said. "Once again, I can't thank you enough for your assistance."
"My pleasure. Now then." the hooded pony cocked their head to the statue. "This is your plan, the execution's all on you."
"With pleasure." Discord stretched his limbs and went to work.

Discord slithered around the statue slowly, and with a delicate reach of his claw, about to snatch the piece of the bell, when he paused his motion.

"Uh... How can I be sure of your method?" Discord asked.
"I am 100% absoltootly sure this is going to work! I mean, if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be standing here right now! Tee hee! But here I am!" the hooded pony giggled.
"I suppose you have a point." Discord said.
"Thing is, it only works if we have every piece." they said.

With his claw, Discord quickly snatched the piece of the bell, and crawled back to the ground.

"Luckily, I've been hard at work on this here puzzle."

Discord reached behind him, and pulled out (hold your breath for this), the near completed bell! It mostly cracked, showing the fractures where it originally broke apart, but it had been put back together! Almost! It just had a little chip in it, where one piece needed to fit.

"The last piece always gets lost, doesn't it." Discord commented. "But now we have the whole thing."

Discord and the hooded pony both seemed confident and nervous at the same time.

"You know, it's not the method that rustles my tummy with doubt. It's the ethics. Is this a good idea?" they asked. "Are you sure though you don't just wanna leave things off as they are?"
"But I must do this. I made a promise that I intend to keep. And so far, your method is the only way I know of to be able to keep that promise." Discord explained. "Not to mention, if you take a look around, there's definitely room for a happier ending." he added.
"I gotta hand it to you, Discord. Despite your oopsie daisies, it's pretty admirable what you're trying to do." they said. "So even though not every idea of yours is a winner, I think you're really onto something with this."
“Let’s hope you’re right.” he replied.

They both gave each other affirmative nods.

"Shall we?" Discord said.
"Let's shall! Tee hee!"

*ahem*

"So without further ado..." Discord said.

Discord, with the bell in his paw, and the last piece in his claw, slowly put the piece into place.





To be continued...?
> The Last Ending Part 1 of 3 — Mare in the Mirror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Part 1



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Imagine for a moment, nothing. Pure, non-existence, blankness. Empty consciousness, and the subtle sensation of floating in an infinite pool of water. Not bound by your weight, but carried by the buoyant force.

But then picture, all of the sudden, a chute of light. Seeing light for the first time in a long time, and being allured to its temptation. Suddenly the light approaches. Is the light homed in on the awareness, or is the awareness being drawn to the light?

Is it safe to approach the light? Or take the alternative? Which in this case is misery.

The beam of light is suddenly formed a tunnel, with a hoof reaching in. The awareness was weary of the signs, but it seemed friendly enough.

Consciously, the awareness reached and started to hear vocals.

The words echoed:

Repeat after me: Into her own reflection she stared
Into her own reflection she stared


Yearning for one whose reflection she shared
Yearning for one whose reflection she shared

and solemnly sweared not to be scared
and solemnly sweared not to be scared


at the prospect of being doubly mared!
at the thought of being doubely... WHAT?!


Before the consciousness could think, the light put an iron grip on them.

NO! STOP! LET GO! AAAAHHHHH-...

The light beam grew bright and brighter as it's grip tightened on the consciousness, and pulled them through the light, until she couldn't see anything.

AAAAAAA-

.

.

.





-AAHHH!"

"Cozy Glow?" someone asked.

The sudden surprise of the question made her stop screaming.

"Are you okay? Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding? Oh wait, I don't have fingers HAHAHA!"

The loud an obnoxious banter of some high pitched squealing pony agitated the soul.

"W-Who are you? What are these voices I hear?" they asked, panicking.

"Open your eyes and find out, silly." they replied, with a squeaky voice.

It was difficult to open her eyes.

"Are your eyes not working? Is your breathing malformed?" the loud one asked.

"SHUT UP!" she exclaimed.

They opened her eyes suddenly

The pony opened their eyes.

"..."

In front of her were two familiar, but unwelcome faces. A quadruped in wearing a hood, and a familiar draconequus. The pony undid their hood, revealing their true identity.

"Discord?" Cozy exclaimed. "And Pinkie Pie?!"

"It worked! WELCOME BACK, COZY GLOW!" Pinkie greeted. 
"AH!" Cozy jumped in scared.
"I told you it'd work! You had the bell with her essence, you were convinced it'd be impossible to bring her back. But luckily, Pinkie Pie 2 always has a solution." she said.

Cozy was, naturally, extremely confused.

"...What is this?" Cozy asked, unamused. "What worked? WHAT IS GOING ON!?"
"What does it look like? You're alive." Discord said.
"...WHAT!?"

Cozy Glow was visibly frustrated.

"You told me she'd be more excited." Pinkie 2 said.
"Up to yet more shenanigans, Discord?! You couldn't leave things as they were, could you?!" Cozy asked.

Discord crossed his arms and looked the other way.

"And you, Pinkie Pie?!" Cozy exclaimed. "What are you of all ponies doing here?!"
"Tee hee. Not quite I mean technically yes, but technically no." she said. "See, you and me, we're like sisters. We were both born here at the Mirror Pool!"
"The Mirror... what?" Cozy asked.

Cozy took in her surroundings. And indeed, the three of them found themselves in the mirror pool cave. Behind Cozy, was the pool with mirror powers.

"So you're not Pinkie Pie, you're..." Cozy was so confused she didn't even know how to finish her sentence.

The pink one nodded.

"Yep. One time Pinkie Pie made like a hundred clones of herself. Twilight got rid of them. But just like hoof sanitizer, she was only successful in eliminating 99.9% of Pinkie clones. Leaving me as the sole survivor!"
"...what?" Cozy asked.
"Discord discovered me, and was nice enough to let me live in the chaos dimension, free from being destroyed by Twilight." Pinkie 2 explained. "They never gave me a name, because they don't know about me. But I suppose you may call just Pinkie 2, since I was the second Pinkie Pie, but technically the first of the clones."

All this information was enough to make Cozy's head spin.

"You alright there? You seem kind of, disoriented." Pinkie 2 asked. Her eyes fluttered and blinked following her question, in attempt to garner Cozy's attention.

Cozy looked at her hooves, and touched her mane. She hyperventilated. She was astonished to be physical once again.

"How exactly did you guys manage to-*gasp*

"So basically, after spending lots of time gathering shards, and rebuilding the bewitching bell, we found it still contained your consciousness! So we poured your soul into the Mirror Pool, reached in and tada! Contrivances are magic!" Pinkie 2 explained.

Cozy was surprised at this revelation, but her explanation seemed to make enough sense.

"You reached in, and pulled out... me...?" Cozy asked.
"Yep!" Pinkie 2 affirmed. "Pulled out a new physical form for ya!"
"So I'm just a reflection?" Cozy asked.
"Yes!" Pinkie 2 exclaimed.

*GASP* Cozy let out a huge gasping scream.

"And no! See, not only does the mirror pool pull out reflections, but with the right pinch of soul magic inside, it was able to create a new body for you!" Pinkie 2 exclaimed. "There's nothing left in here.

*flick* Pinkie 2 flicked the bell to show how empty it was now.

"The bell really poured out your soul, and the pool created a new body!" she went on.
"But how did my soul or whatever survive? The bell like, glowed really really brightly, and ejected all that dark magic." Cozy asked. "All the magic in the bell was released! How did you manage to recover me?"
"Well, if you want the technical answer. Although you ejected all the light and dark magic from the bell, your consciousness was dense enough that it managed to stick
inside the bell, even after it broke apart. Sort of like oil and water. Soul magic and magic magic thankfully don't mix completely together." Pinkie 2 explained.
"...That's uh... interesting..." Cozy replied.
"It's not a mirror clone because the bell's empty now. But it is a mirror body, but still comprised of all the wonderful body bits." Pinkie 2 said.

This was a lot to take in. Cozy breathed fast. She instinctively tried to flap her wings, but they were strangely heavy. Her usual fast pace pitter patter of her little wings was much harder.

*pant* "Why can't I fly? What's weighing me down?" she asked.
"It must be the age." Discord replied.
"Wait, WHAT?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Have a look in the mirror (pool). Tee hee. I crack myself up." Pinkie 2 went on. "It's amazing how reflective the surface is."

Cozy turned around, and looked in the water and saw her reflection.

*gasp* "AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Cozy screamed so loud, the entire cave vibrated, and dust fell from the ceiling.

To Cozy's horror, she was taller, her wings were wider, and overall more... developed.

"I'm an adult!" she exclaimed. "WHY AM I AN ADULT!?"
"That's a good question. You were definitely a filly last time you stepped hoof in Equestria." Pinkie 2 said.

With Cozy arguing with Pinkie 2, she almost forgot Discord was here.

"Discord, speak up! You've been awful quiet since I awoke!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Yeah, lend a hoof, or a paw, or a claw, or is that a talon? Lend me-" Pinkie went on.
"Pipe down, sugar pie!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Glad to see your personality is still in tact. And hey, I like that name. Sugar Pie." Pinkie 2 said.

Cozy walked forward and pushed Pinkie aside, and directed her attention to Discord.

"Explain what's going on! NOW!" Cozy demanded.
"If I had to wager a guess about the age thing, it may be because you really were an adult mare at the time you disappeared." Discord said, nonchalant.
"Uh, no I definitely wasn't." Cozy said.
"Not physically, but you spent so long in stone-" Discord started.
"Please don't remind me." Cozy interrupted.
"-that your mind still aged, even if your body could not." he finished explaining.
"So when the mirror pool constructed a new body, it based it off your mind, which is of adult capacity!" Pinkie 2 said.

Cozy wasn't sure how to feel about this sudden change in pace.

"Forget it! I didn't ask for this!" Cozy exclaimed. "I accepted my mortality, and Equestria is better off without me!"
"But you've got so much unfinished business to attend to!" Pinkie 2 exclaimed.
"If this is so I can apologize to Twilight Sparkle, forget it! I will never make amends with that sleazy princess!" Cozy exclaimed.

...

Cozy's expressive fury created an awkward and silent vibe in the cave. It was Discord who had the nerve to break the silence.

"You know, that's not why I revived you." Discord said.
"It's not?" Cozy asked. "Then why'd you do it?"
"Normally I would have laid off and leave things as is, but this is a special case. I brought you back because I promised those two creatures I would help you." Discord said.
"...really?" Cozy asked.
"Mmm hmm." Discord replied. "Way back when I barged in on you three in your little town, and discovered the poor little sick version of you, I promised them I'd nurse you back to full health, so that's what I eventually did technically. No more, no less. I kept my end of the deal. This is my last favor. Since nopony seems to appreciate my antics, I've decided to not intervene from this point forward. From now on, your fate is in your hooves. No more intervention from me."

"Well..." Cozy paused, and thought about how to reply.

...

"Well, if you ain't gonna try to stop me, I ain't gonna complain!" Cozy beamed.

What a relief. No more intervention from Discord? About time.

"Well, since I am back, I reckon those two would wanna see me. Ooh. I can't wait to see how they've been treating Amber. They must be so happy together." Cozy said.

"Who wants to tell her?" Pinkie 2 whispered.
Discord brushed off her comment, suggesting they weren't going to tell Cozy what was actually going on. She'd figure it out herself.

"I shall join them, and together, we'll be more powerful than ever!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Discord?" Pinkie 2 asked.
"I don't know. But it's also not my problem to get involved with." Discord said.

Discord lifted his claw, and was about to snap, but before he did, Cozy spoke up.

"Discord, one more thing." she said.
"Hmm?"
"...tha*COUGH* *COUGH* *HACK* *GAG* *ahem* th-...a...*acho*

"thanks." Cozy said quickly, reluctantly, and under her breath.

Pinkie 2 looked at Cozy, who looked cold. She wanted to do one more favor.

"Here, something to keep your warm." Pinkie 2 removed her hood and coat, and wrapped it around Cozy.
"Hmm. This'll make nice cover too." Cozy said.
"Mmm hmm. Now to make sure nopony catches me and the real Pinkie Pie in the same scene together. Otherwise, Twilight will realize she missed a Pinkie clone, and probably destroy me!" Pinkie 2 said.
*sigh* "I've been there, marefriend." Cozy said. "Hiding from Twilight, because she's out to get you..."

*blink blink blink* Pinkie 2 blinked her eyes in rapid succession.

"Anywho... Like Discord said. Your destiny is in your hooves! WooOOOoooOOO! good lu-"

*snap* *poof*

Discord and Pinkie 2 disappeared, leaving the newly formed adult mare shaped Cozy Glow alone, with just a dark cloak for warmth, and seemingly by accident, they left the bell by the shoreline of the pond.

"Hmm." Cozy thought.

But before she could do anything with it-

*poof*

Discord reappeared quickly, simply to retrieve the bell.

"I'm not making that mistake again." he said.

*poof*

"He seems off. For one, he's actually thought his plans through for once. But he does have a point. He may screw up a lot, but it's uh... nice of him to bring me back I guess..."

Cozy touched her hooves together, then to the ground. The clopping sound of her hooves in the dirt was a firm reminder she was really back. Her larger wings and heavier body made flying totally different.

"This is gonna take time to get used to..." she said to herself.

As she was thinking aloud, a bright glow hit her eyes.

"Hmm, why is the pool still glowing?" she wondered.

*shrug* She chose not to worry about it.

A breeze blew into the cave, and chilled her skin.

*Brrr* "I sure am cold. I better keep this article of clothing. Cozy put on the hooded cloak, to warm herself, and hide her identity.

Cozy flapped her wings some more, but she was struggling to fly.

*UGH* "How do mares fly with this big freaking wings, and with so much weight in the flank?!" she exclaimed. "Fine, I'll trot!"

Cozy up the incline which lead to the exit of the cave.

But just behind her, and unbeknownst to her, in the pool, trouble was brewing. As you may recall, Cozy's soul wasn't the only soul inside the bell at the time all the dark magic was destroyed.

*bubbles* There were bubbles rising from the mirror pool.

*gasp* A pair of curled horns peered out of the water, and, then a large creature breached the mirror pool. Two bright yellow eyes glared at the pegasus right as she exited the cave.

*STOMP* The beast planted its hooves into the dirt along the bank of the lake. He barely caught of glimpse of Cozy leaving the cave.

"There... you... are..." he growled.



Part 2



Meanwhile, at the changeling hive, the two unicorns, Luster Dawn, and Amber Glow, still wearing Cozy's friendship medal. They had arrived as per request of Queen Ocellus.

They were greeted by the head changelings upon arrival.

"You guys wanted to see me?" Amber asked.
"Yes, you're the one." Thorax said. "You're her... something."
"Well, she and I share a lot of similarities." Amber replied.
"Our mother is in peril. She's hanging onto life by a thin thread." Pharynx said.
"We've surrounded her with love, but our efforts haven't been enough." Ocellus said.
"That's where this filly comes in, right?" Luster asked, pointing at Amber, while giving an awkward smile.
"It should go without saying. Maybe seeing you will be enough to revitalize her." Thorax said.

Amber took a deep breath.

"I got this." she affirmed, confidently.

With much anticipation, she entered the chamber, alone.





Amber saw Chrysalis, in an extremely weakened state. She was wrinkly, and flaky. Her eyes barely opened.

"Um... Queen Chrysalis?" she asked.
"h-h..." the queen was barely responsive.
"Hi. It's uh me! Remember me? I'm... Hmm, I doubt she can tell the difference between me and her. It's me, Cozy Glow." Amber lied.

Chrysalis twitched slightly.

"It's me, Cozy! GOLLY! Or, whatever she would say." Amber said.

Chrysalis seemed to hear her, but didn't exactly spring to life.

"Oh, I can't tell a lie. It's me, Amber Glow. Remember? I'm her sister! I look just like her, sound just like her. We almost joined forces."

Amber climbed onto the bed, and beside the former queen.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, here's a little something about Cozy you may not have known. Cozy was almost an actual alicorn, hence why she grew to be an alicorn simply by absorbing Grogar's magic. Normally it takes special circumstances like Celestia put onto Twilight, but Cozy was so close! She was almost somepony special, I mean, she is special... very special. Not just to me, but to you, and Tirek."

Amber continued her story.

"I contain her remaining magic genes, so I guess that's why I'm a unicorn. She might be gone, but through a variety of complicated circumstances, I'm here, and I look just like her so..." *sob* "-the thought that she's gone pains me to this very day. As it does you I imagine."

Amber looked upon Chrysalis. No sign of hope so far. But perhaps she hadn't been personal enough.

"I can't stand the thought of losing you too! Oh the things you can tell me about my sister that I still don't know."

Amber leaned closer to Chrysalis, and wrapped her arms around her.

Can she even tell the difference between me and her at this point? I do sound like her. What's something she's always wanted. she thought.

"I love you, Chrysalis." Amber said. "Did Cozy ever say that to you out loud? I-I'm sure she did."

"...Cozy?" Chrysalis asked.

Chrysalis started to move ever so slightly.

"Yes! Chrysalis! It's me, or her sister! Whoever you want me to be, I'm her!"

Chrysalis' horn gave the faintest little glow.

Amber's face lit up with excitement at the promising sign.

But just when things were looking up, Chrysalis' glow stopped, and her movement slowed. Amber's excitement quickly turned to worry.

"No no no! Come back!" she cried.

Amber embraced Chrysalis much harder.

"I don't know what it'll take, but I'm giving it my all..." *sob* "I'm sorry I didn't join you earlier! I should have taken your offer! We could have lived together, but I created rift, and hurt you guys.

Despite her best efforts, and all her heart, Chrysalis' movement had stopped.

*sob* I'm sorry I chose Twilight over you... *sniff* I know in my mind that was a mistake..." she said, looking at her reflection in her necklace.

.

.

.





Later, Amber walked out of the chamber, completely defeated. She was saddened, and she hung her head.

Her expression said everything the changelings needed to know, so none of the changelings asked her any questions.

"I'm sorry... *sob*

Ocellus and Thorax walked up to her and gave her a big ol hug. Luster watched them and felt really sad.

*sniff* "It's okay, Amber. You tried." Ocellus said.
"You gave it all your heart." Thorax said.
*sigh* "I guess that's that..." Amber said. "Come on, Lusty, walk me home please."
"But, I told Twilight we'd see her after-" Luster said.
"I said, home." Amber corrected her, with a feisty demeanor.




Part 3



The walk back to Ponyville was an unpleasant one for Luster and Amber. Neither one of them hardly said a word. The atmosphere was far too uncomfortable. Amber was so upset she couldn't save Chrysalis. She took the changeling's fate personally, and blamed herself 100%. Every hoof step she took was a stomp. Her head was drooped, she didn't dare look eye level.

Luster knew speaking was a bad idea, but she did it anyway.

"Listen, Amber. I know you must be extremely let down." Luster said.
"That doesn't begin to describe it." Amber said.
"All I wanted to say was..." Luster started.
"I don't care what you have to say!" the filly exclaimed, into Luster's face.
"...Excuse me?" Luster asked, looking agitated.
"I've had enough of your snarky teacher attitude!" Amber shouted and interrupted.
"Look! I've been doing everything I can to help!" Luster exclaimed.
"And I did everything I could to help Chrysalis! But it didn't work, because not every creature can be saved! And you know, I'm starting to regret my choice that day."

Luster was shocked by Amber's tone, but the filly continued on.

"If I had just let them take me, we could've been together. But instead I chose the Princess of Equestria, now Tirek's alone, and Chrysalis probably isn't going to make it! My choices had terrible consequences on others..." she sobbed.
"Twilight's trying to help you!" Luster said.
"It's going to take a lot for Twilight to prove I made the right choice." Amber said. "I'm directly responsible for Chrysalis' demise!"
"Amber, that's not true! They already explained it's because she passed her energy onto Ocellus. It would have happened regardless of your choice." Luster said.
"Yeah right! You've hardly been of help! I know what you did! I'm not the only one who's guilty!" Amber said.

Amber's side tangent confused Luster.

"What are you talking about now?" Luster asked.
"This all started with you! You ripped Cozy's soul from her body, and let her body wither away! I saw her corpse in front of my own eyes!" Amber exclaimed.
"Amber, please! I know you've seen a lot of terrible traumatic things, but-" Luster was interrupt.
"It was empty because of you! YOU KILLED COZY!" Amber exclaimed.

Luster was blasted by her shocking words, but instead of helping, she decided to start arguing.

"I SAVED COZY... by ripping her soul out of her body..." Luster said. "Look, it's complicated!"
"So you admit it! " Amber exclaimed.
"Temporarily!" Luster exclaimed.
"Yeah, because Cozy's just temporarily gone!" Amber stood up on her hind legs and put her front limbs on her side. "In fact, she's on her way right now to reunite with me!" she said sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant!" Luster exclaimed.

Amber was fed up.

"Forget you!" Amber exclaimed and pointed at Luster.

She turned around and headed the other direction.

"Where are you going!?" Luster exclaimed.
"NOT to Canterlot! That's for dang sure!"
"You march your blank flank over to me right now!" Luster demanded.
"NO!" Amber defied.
"Fine! You know what, good! Because you're not welcome there anyway!" Luster exclaimed.

The two faced away from each other. But then Amber quickly rushed over and reached into Luster's saddle bag.

"And I'm taking this book with me!" Amber exclaimed.

Amber stomped away anger, and Luster stomped the other way.



Part 4



*knock knock*

The hooves of somepony knocked on the front door of a normal Ponyville house. The door opened, and inside was the unicorn, Magnolia.

"Who's there?" Magnolia asked.

Maggie opened the door. It was a pony wearing a dark cloak with a hood.

"Is this the residence of Magnolia Valentino?" the pony asked.
"Temporary residence technically, but yep, that's me. Who wants to know?" she asked.
"I'm an old... f-f-friennnd." she struggled to say.
"You seem suspicious." Maggie replied, right before she closed the door on her visitor.

*door slam*

"Wait! Brenda!" they cried.

Hearing that name was unusual. Nopony called Maggie that, except for her dad, and her old classmates...

"Cozy Glow?"

She opened the door slowly.

"Are you...?" she asked.

Cozy rolled back her hood, revealing her familiar scarlet eyes, and freckled face.

"What the..."

Maggie was astonished.

"Well since you know it's me, I need your cover."

Cozy shoved Magnolia aside and invited herself inside the building.

"That's definitely her." she said, deadpan.

Cozy entered the home, and quickly took a seat in the living room. She kicked her legs, closed her eyes, and slouched on her couch, laying back, wearing nothing but the cloak. Maggie's face blushed when she saw just how long her legs were, and how plump her belly was.

Cozy opened one eye, then her face turned to shock when she saw Maggie's frozen expression.

"Something wrong with you?" Cozy asked.
"Uh... *cough* It's just, you're all... grown up." Maggie said.
"Don't mention it. I'm not even speaking figuratively." Cozy said.
"What in the world are you doing here?" Maggie asked.

One explanation later:

"So Discord reconstructed the bell and used the mirror pool to construct a new body for your consciousness to inhabit?" Magnolia recapped.

Cozy nodded yes.

"And your goal is to reunite with the legion." Maggie added.

Cozy nodded yes again.

"Then why do you need me?" Maggie asked.
"Well, I searched as much as I could, but the more I search, the greater the risk of me being discovered." Cozy explained.
"So you want me to help you look for them?" Maggie asked.
"I want you to tell me where they are." Cozy replied.

Magnolia looked nervous.

"Well, whose location do you want first?" Maggie asked.
"Why, are they separated?" Cozy asked.
"They're not exactly together..." Maggie replied.

Upon hearing this revelation, Cozy's face turned red, with anger.

"Why not!? I set the stage for them to be together! WHY AREN'T THEY TOGETHER?!"
"See I-" Maggie started, before being interrupted.
"WHERE'S MY SISTER?!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Well, see the thing is. Amber isn't my filly." Maggie said.
"Then whose!?" Cozy asked loudly.

Cozy got close to Maggie's face and pressured her to speak the ugly truth.

"...Twilight Sparkle has her." Maggie answered, reluctantly.

Cozy head steamed, and fumed with rage.

"Don't scream, you'll give away your location!" Maggie warned.

Cozy picked up a pillow, pressed her face against it and let out a loud muffled scream.

*muffled* "AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

After screaming, Cozy put the pillow down forcefully.

"WHAT!?" she exclaimed. "You let Twilight Sparkle look after my sister!?"
"I did what felt right in the moment. She was frozen in stone, Tirek and Chrysalis were nowhere to be found. And, to be frank, I didn't realize that wasn't you. I thought Twilight turned you to stone after your performance. It's not beyond her to do something like that. And besides you two do look so much alike after all. Or, you used to. You've uh... grown up now. She's still a filly."

Cozy gave herself a great big face palm with both her hooves.

"So you expect me to march over the Canterlot and risk being apprehended by Twilight Sparkle?" Cozy asked, angry.
"Well, you came on a good day, because you're in luck. Last I heard, little Amber's alone with Luster on little trip." Maggie said.
"That's great. Now either tell me where they are, or retrieve her immediately." Cozy said.
"I'm your friend, not your delivery pony." Maggie sassed.
*sigh* "Fine, messenger pony. Where is she at this moment?" Cozy asked.

Maggie got up, and whispered into Cozy's ear.

"Most likely at the changeling hive." she whispered.
"Interesting. Is Chrysalis with her?" Cozy asked.

Maggie looked the other way and didn't answer immediately.

"Where's Chrysalis!?" Cozy raised her voice.
"...If you're gonna get the gang together, you better hurry." Maggie said.
"Very well. With this knowledge in tow. I will reassemble the legion!" Cozy said.
"Do you know where Tirek is?" Maggie asked.
"Well, if he's alone, I have a strong hunch, but he isn't close." Cozy said.
"Well, if that's the case, I got something that might help." Maggie said.

Maggie reached into a drawer, and pulled out-

"Tada! I this gem came in handy during royal guard duties. I call it the Clot Pontrivance." she said. "Just rub the stone, and open a portal to anywhere in Equestria." Maggie explained.

A way to quickly teleport across Equestria? No unicorn magic required? Cozy was ready to sign up.

"Neat. So anyway, I'll be taking that." Cozy swiped the stone without asking.
"Yes, Cozy, you may borrow it, thanks for asking nicely." Maggie sassed.

Cozy tapped the CP stone, and a portal opened up, exactly as advertised.

"Uh... thanks..." she said reluctantly. "Glad we could have our adult conversation, but I must be off."

Cozy was ready to leave, but then she realized there was one more thing.

"Oh, one last thing. Whatever you do, don't tell Twilight Sparkle about this." Cozy said.
"I won't." Maggie replied.
"Good." Cozy affirmed.
"I think you should tell her." Maggie said.
"NO! Twilight can not learn that I'm back!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Why not? It's not like before. She really feels bad about what happened to you." Maggie added.
"She feels bad that I disappeared on my own terms, but didn't bat an eye when she defeated me." Cozy sassed.
"Cozy, get over it. Move on. Twilight's changed, I mean it. She sees the error in her ways, and she'll be overjoyed to see you." Maggie said.
"...you don't say." Cozy said, slowly.
"She thinks you're a hero for what you did in the end." Maggie added.
"Well, let's keep it that way." Cozy said, turning her head away from her friend.

Cozy entered the portal, and the portal closed. Leaving Magnolia to herself.

"I'm definitely telling Twilight." Maggie said to herself.



Part 5



Amber sat under a tree, laying on her belly, reading the book.

She frantically flipped through the pages, looking for some kind of spell. But she quickly grew tired of the book, and instead, she let her mind wander. She twiddled with the medal around her neck.

"I look just like her. I sound just like her. All my gifts from Hearth's Warming were items intended for Cozy Glow." she said, holding Cozy's medal.

She looked at the shiny medal, and saw her reflection.

"Am I destined to make the same mistakes she made? If that's the case... *giggle* then why try to fight it? Now then, where's the chapter on how to defeat a princess?" Amber wondered to herself, searching the book.

Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over her. Twas the shadow of a large creature, with a large pair of curled back horns. With her sunlight rudely blocked, Amber rolled over onto her back and looked up and saw...

"Who the heck are you?" Amber asked.
"Are you the one called Cozy Glow?" they asked, with a groggy crackly voice.
*groan* "You know what? Sure! Since everypony just treats me like her, yes! I am Cozy Glow!" Amber exclaimed. "Anything she did you can pass on to me."

*Grr*

"Uh... why are you looking at me like that?" Amber asked.





To be continued...
> The Last Ending Part 2 of 3 — The Final Showdown
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------



Part 6



A portal opened up, and Cozy Glow walked out. She had arrived at the Isle of Shroud. (The same Isle of Shroud seen in a previous chapter.) Although, more like the Isle of Sunshine now. With the Rainbow of Darkness gone, the clouds cleared, and the sun shined on this strange island. Why would Tirek be here? It seemed like a fitting place to run off and hide. In fact, it didn't take long to find Tirek.

She noticed the centaur, playing chess by himself on the beach. He wore glasses, and sat around a small chess table, thinking carefully on where to move his hand made pieces made of twigs and stones, and his table was just the stump of a palm tree. After each play, he'd slowly get his tired body up, walked to the other side, and think of his next play.

"This is the saddest thing I've ever seen." Cozy said to herself. "I have to do something about this."

Tirek slowly lifted his rook (I know, we keep coming back to this symbol). His arm was shaking, and uneasy. He focused on the piece, but behind the piece, blurry in his vision, he saw a pony with a dark cloak and hood covering their face.

"Huh? W-who goes there?" he asked.

Cozy, wearing her dark hood, walked up, and took a seat on the opposite side of the chess table. It seemed that Tirek had just started a game, and so Cozy took the role of his opponent, without saying a word. Tirek asked no further questions, and began playing chess against his unusual visitor.





The stranger became less mysterious as their game went on. Tirek caught on to their play style, and played accordingly. With the back row of his opponent's side clear. Cozy, castled her Rook and King, exactly as Tirek anticipated.

"CHECK!" Tirek exclaimed, after frantically placing his Knight.
"I had a feeling you anticipated my castle. That's why I anticipated your anticipation!" Cozy said.
"Huh?"

Cozy moved her Bishop, in a way Tirek didn't see coming, and completely trapped his King.

"Checkmate." Cozy said, winking.
"Your play style is awful familiar." Tirek said.
"Let me show you why."

Cozy undid her hood, and revealed herself to the centaur.

There she was, the grown up mare, Cozy Glow.

"...Cozy Glow?" he asked. "It's really you?"

Cozy nodded.

"Hey there, big guy." Cozy said.
"But I thought you... h-how?" Tirek asked.
*heh* "Well, there's always a way." Cozy replied.

Cozy noticed Tirek was very off. His legs gave out, and he dug his fists into the sand.

"W-why?" Tirek asked.
"Why what?" Cozy asked.
"Why did you... We had unlimited dark power, and you made it all disappear! We could have defeated Twilight Sparkle once and for all, and had the kingdom to ourselves." Tirek said.
"I get that. But, I'm gonna confess something to you." Cozy said. "I love taking over Equestria as much as the next bad guy. But being trapped in stone for all those years, was the most miserable, terrifying thing that had ever happened to me. It really scared me, and in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but fear what Twilight would've done to us next after another failed takeover attempt. That's why I... *sigh* I actually would have been content with us ruling over our little town we founded."

Tirek thought about what she said.

"If you did not wish to to takeover Equestria, then why did you go to such lengths?" Tirek asked.
"Because... well, it was mostly because I wanted to impress you." Cozy admitted. "I knew finding Rainbow of Darkness was a stretch, and I didn't know for sure if we could do it. But the deeper I dug, the more reachable it seemed. Then uh, then that poison dart hit me, and well, life came real fast after that..."
"Why have you come back?" he asked. "Do you have another plan?"
"No plan. I just, I'm honestly sick of this whole take over the world shtick. It was fun for the first few attempts, but it always feels so awful to lose. But you know, nothing I ever do is gonna top merging with the magic in the bell and befalling all of Grogar's dark minions. Good times. Good times..."

Tirek wiped his eyes, and shook his head.

*sniff*

Tirek tried to hide his feelings, but wasn't doing a great job of doing that.

"If you're not here for any more takeover attempts, then what?" he asked.
"I'm here, for... you, Tirek... I... *cough* I want to be with you..." Cozy admitted.
"Well..."

Tirek covered his feelings the only way he knew how. By acting like a jerk.

*hmph* "If you're not here with some kind of plan, then... then I don't see the point of you being here." Tirek said.

Tirek's words actually hurt her.

"But..." Cozy said.
"I-I've made up my mind. I'm not going anywhere." Tirek said.

Despite claiming to have made up his mind, Cozy still tried to change it.

"What upset you more? The fact that you lost your precious Rainbow of Darkness? Or the fact you lost me?" she asked.

Tirek tried to act all tough, but his feelings were starting to show through. It was obvious from his body language what his answer was.

"I had just assumed our teamwork came first, and world domination was just the outcome of our efforts. I thought that being together was more important than the domination of the entire world. I assumed you'd be overjoyed to see me again... But... I suppose you're right. Maybe this friendship poison has infected me, and I lost track of things that actually matter..."

Tirek didn't reply, leaving Cozy to keep guessing.

"Well, if that's how you feel..."

Cozy turned her back on Tirek, and trotted off.

Fine, Tirek. I'll go find my sister first. Maybe the sight of two Cozy faces will change your mind. she thought. If you won't come with me, I'll just bring everyone here later maybe.

It was a valiant effort, but Tirek wasn't ready to return to Equestria just yet. Even face to face with his ally whom he thought was dead, he just couldn't swallow his pride. Or was he? Deep down he also wasn't ready to let her go again. Tirek tried to relax, but he couldn't take another moment of solitude. He bit his lips and sweat, realizing that acting like an exclusive jerk was a mistake.

"W-what have I done?" Tirek said. "Cozy!"

He turned his head, but Cozy had already left, leaving him alone yet again...







Part 7



Cozy traversed the grazing plains of Equestria, on her way to the changeling hive, as it was the most likely place to find Amber according to Magnolia.

If I was a near perfect genetic clone of myself, where would I be? Cozy wondered.

She was halted when she found a piece of paper, mysteriously on the ground. It seemed to have belonged to a spell book. She looked up and saw-

*gasp*

Cozy found a torn book underneath a tree. Pages ripped out and tossed everywhere, scattering the nearby area. A curious sight to be sure. She walked up to the book and gazed it. The side opposite the cover said If lost, return to L. Dawn. Luster Dawn. Twilight's student, and most likely the one with Amber. But the book was completely tattered, which worried Cozy a lot. She turned her head, and saw a trail of torn papers creating a pathway. A smarter pony may not follow the path to danger, but Cozy was known to throw herself into danger for those she cared about. She followed the trail of paper, which led to an unlikely location...

.

.

.

Cozy trotted steadily, as the land grew more desolate. She looked up and saw exactly where the pages led to.

"The castle of the two sisters?" she thought out loud.

The castle was in ruins. I guess Twilight halted that restoration project. (And let's just say after this, more restoration would be required).

But it seemed some creature decided to take up residency inside, and they likely had Amber with them.

You should get help. Cozy thought. Get help? From who? Tirek's too selfish to wanna join. Chrysalis is incapacitated. Twilight Sparkle would keelhaul me if she saw me. Maggie... well, she's a pretty capable unicorn who's loyal to me. Hmm. I guess I'm doing this myself.

Cozy took a deep breath and entered.





Cozy trotted through the dank hallways of the castle. No sign of any creature yet. Even though it was broad daylight outside, it was still quite dark inside the castle. The halls were lined with pony armor. Cozy got up close look at the armor suits, which gave her an idea. The armor looked to have belonged to knights of Princess Luna, with lunar motifs and everything.

*ting* Cozy tapped one of the helmets.

"Hmm. Alright. We're near the end, let's have some fun." she thought out loud.

.

.

.

Cozy suited up in the dark silver night armor, complete with a helmet to hide her face. She grinned at herself in the reflection of a large breast plate. She even found a sword with one of the armor suits. She held it and examined it.

"Is this just a stick of metal, or some kind of enchanted sword?" Cozy wondered.

The sword felt... less than sturdy? It was definitely solid steel, but the blade felt like it could detach from the hilt. Perhaps by design?

Cozy held the sword upright, and in the air.

"With this sword, I shall WOAH!"

*CLANG* *CLASH* The sword was heavy, and it tipped over, knocking over some of the other armor.

Cozy picked it up, embarrassed, and tried to keep quiet.

"And the reward for the most breakable sword goes to, huh?"

The blade of the sword fell off, but not because it broke, but because attached to the hilt was a secret mechanism.

"Ohhhh. That's actually a pretty clever design. Could come in handy..." Cozy thought out loud.

She put the sword back together and put it in its scabbard.







Part 8



In the foyer of the same castle, Grogar had tied Amber to a wooden stake, standing up, hooves tied behind the stake.

"I keep telling you Mr. Grogar. I don't have any of your dark magic." Amber said. "And I don't know how to recreate the spell to bring it back."

Grogar put his face right against little Amber. She could feel his breath against her face.

"Well, if you will not tell me, then I suppose I have some... experimenting to do." Grogar said.

Grogar walked out and continued to ponder. He drew a large circle in the ground around Amber, attempting to recreate Cozy's spell.

"Now then, it looked something like this. A circle, with points for six beams of magic to project inward..." Grogar pondered. "Six beams... six... the Elements of Harmony? Is that what I'm missing?"
"Very unlikely! The Elements of Harmony were destroyed a long time ago by King Sombra." Amber said.
"Perhaps he destroyed the stones, but the magic still exists. I witnessed it surround me in a magic bind, and you're going to tell me where the magic is, so I can reactivate the spell, and unleash the Rainbow of Darkness once again!" Grogar said.
"I'm not telling you anything. You're a monster. I'm surprised you haven't just killed me already." Amber said.
"I could easily do that if I wanted to." Grogar said. "But what knowledge would I gain from that? Now don't say something that'll make me change my mind."

*sigh* Well, what an ending. First Cozy, then Tirek, then Chrysalis... and now me. Why is it so hard for us to have a happy ending? Amber thought.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Cozy watched the scene play out from the ceiling. She wasn't going to save Amber by just sitting down, she had to take action. Flying was still difficult, but doable after spending the whole day as a mare.

It was hard to read the room and know if Amber was in any immediate danger, but Cozy couldn't afford to hesitate any more.

*bam* An armored pegasus landed (very clumsily) onto the scene.

"Halt, Grogar!" Cozy cried. "Release the filly now, or else throw down thy horns and do battle."
"Who are you?" Amber asked.
"I'm uh... your knight in shining armor, here to rescue you!" Cozy exclaimed.
"...My what?" Amber asked.
"Your daddy never read you fairy tales?" Cozy asked.
"Nope." Amber affirmed.
"Oh, right. He wouldn't do that." Cozy said.
"So, another foolish mareoine in line to get crushed under my hooves." Grogar said.
"Not just any foolish mareoine. I'm uh... I'm Gusty the Great's great great... (how long ago did she live?) like, 50th great granddaughter's cousin twice removed?" Cozy said.

Grogar gritted his teeth and slowly approached the knight.

"It matters not who you are. You puny ponies are like flies compared to me." he said.
"Well if we're so puny, how did you get your rear end whupped by Gusty?" Cozy asked.

Her question struck a chord with Grogar, and made him angrier. Cozy walked backwards slowly away from Grogar. Every step Grogar took shook the earth.







Part 9



Grogar slowly approached Cozy with his horns armed.

Having a plan would be really nice right about now. Cozy thought.

"What are you going to with that?" Grogar asked.
"I'm going to... AAHH!"

*slice*

Cozy swung the sword, and with a single swing from the sword... Amber was untied.

"I'd love to stick around, but I got what I came here for." Cozy said.

Cozy grabbed little Amber in her hooves, and took to the air and flew from the scene. Grogar was furious, his large horns lit up to strike the mare where she flew.

*ZAP*

*BLAST*

The magic blasted the wall, sending debris. Cozy evaded the blast and continued through the maze-like interior of the castle. Flying was otherwise difficult, but the adrenaline rush was all she needed.

"What's your plan, oh brave mareoine?" Amber asked.
"Run!" Cozy cried.
"Works for me!" Amber said.

Cozy held Amber in her grasp, and flew from the scene, with Grogar hot on their tails.





Cozy flew through the castle with her sister in tow, but the halls were difficult to navigate.

"Uh oh..." Cozy said.
"We've reached a dead end!" Amber exclaimed.

Cozy found herself at a dead end, with the only way out, guarded by the mad ram himself. Grogar appeared, and cornered the two in a tight room. His horns glowed, charging his powerful magic.

"Alright, no more flight. *unsheathe* Time to fight!" Cozy drew her sword and held it out. "I draw my sword and challenge the mighty Grogar!" she said, in an exaggerated heroic tone.

But Grogar didn't flinch. He lit up his horn and immediately challenged Cozy.

*ZAP*

Grogar shot his magic blast in the direction of Cozy. Cozy clenched the sword and nervously swung against the direction of his blast.

*ZZzZZz*

The magic blast impacted directly against the metal sword. Cozy clenched the sword even tighter as she endured energy.

*SHING*

To the surprise of both of them, the sword held its own, and withstood Grogar's powerful attack.

"What the?!" Grogar cried.

But how you may wonder?

"Wow. Not bad for a normal sword." Cozy said.

*ahem*

Cozy looked over to Amber. She cocked her head and lit up her horn, and then Cozy's sword glowed with magic of the same color as her magic and eyes.

"Brave knight, if you don't mind, I think I know a way to make your sword even more powerful." Amber said.
"Go for it, kid." Cozy said, with a supportive tone.

Amber's horn lit up, and made Cozy's sword glow. With a little magical help, the battle continued.

Grogar kicked his front hoof into the ground, ready to attack.

"AAH!" Cozy gave a battle cry.

*ZAP*

Grogar's horns sizzled with lightning and magic. Cozy's sword clashed against Grogar's massive horns, sending sparks of magic and lightning coursing through the room. Cozy sliced and slashed the sword, as Grogar clashed his large horns against the iron. But Grogar plays dirty.

Grogar stepped on the sword, and swung his head against Cozy, knocking her to the ground, and dislodging the helmet.

"GAH!"

*oof*

"NOOO!" Amber cried.

Cozy laid on the ground incapacitated by the blow. Grogar walked up slowly, and flipped her over, revealing her face to him and the filly.

"COZY GLOW?" Amber cried.
"Hey there... surprised to see me?" she asked.
Amber nodded without speaking.
"So you're also called Cozy Glow?" Grogar asked.
"You leave her alone, Grogar. I'm the one who used your bell to suck up all the dark magic and banished it from our realm!" Cozy said.

Grogar slowly approached the downed Cozy.

"You pathetic pegasus. Why do you constantly insist on meddling with my plans?" he asked.
"Because, you're bad, and you hurt my friends..." Cozy replied.

He put his humongous hoof onto Cozy's head, to the horror of Amber.

"You wouldn't kill me, would you? How else are you gonna reactivate the spell?" Cozy asked.
"I'll figure it out. You're too dangerous to leave unchecked." Grogar said.
"Funny, you sounded a lot like Twilight right there." Cozy said.

Grogar pressed his hoof on her head, and was about to stomp.

So, this is how it ends. Crushed by a goat with blue b- Cozy said in her head.

Grogar was about to crush her, when suddenly-

*BEAM*

*Oof*

Grogar was hit from the side.

"What the?"

It was Amber! Who shot a beam of magic at the goat.

"You shouldn't have done that." Grogar growled.
"I'm not afraid of you! You may be Equestria's most feared of ancient creatures, but you're just a dumb goat!" Amber cried.

Grogar lifted his hoof off of Cozy, and approached Amber, but she stood her ground firm. A sign of bravery? Or foolishness?

"If the armored one is the knowledgeable one, then I see no point keeping you alive!" Grogar said.
"DO YOUR WORST!" Amber exclaimed.

Grogar's horns activated, and the entire scene seemed to be in slow motion, as he lit up the entire dark room with a bright radiant glow of yellow and black. Cozy cried out for her sister. "Amber, noOOOoooOOOooo...!"

Why would you sacrifice yourself, Amber? That's something... I did... and I hurt the ones I cared about by disregarding my own life... Cozy thought

Amber closed her eyes, and braced for whatever would come next...

.

.

.

*swoosh*

Cozy opened her eyes, and saw Grogar's magic being diverted away from Amber!

"What the?" Cozy asked.
"EEERG. What is this?!" Grogar exclaimed.

But there's only one creature they know of that can divert and absorb other creatures' magic. And sure enough, there he stood.

"Tirek!" Cozy exclaimed.
"You came back!" Amber exclaimed.
"I personally had no doubt. It was just a matter of time." Cozy said, confidently. "Although, it would've been nice to have you earlier."

Tirek stood there absorbing Grogar's magic. Grogar pulled out and stopped his magic.

"You stubborn centaur! You better hand back my magic at once." Grogar said.
"Never! I owe nothing to you!" Tirek exclaimed.

Grogar in a furious rage charged at Tirek, but Tirek fought back. The two mighty creatures collided with tremendous force from them both.

"Get her out of here!" Tirek exclaimed. "I've got this."
"But..." Amber said.
"You must go. If you don't, then my efforts are for naught!" Tirek said.

That sentence right there told Cozy what he was fighting for. And she couldn't be more glad that he was still looking out for her. The thought warmed her, and gave her energy.

Amber ran by Cozy's side.

"Come on, get up, Cozy!" Amber cried.

Cozy stood up, and swooped in and wrapped her hooves around Amber.





She flapped her wings to fly from the scene, as he fled through the castle.

"You think he's really. got this?" Amber asked.
"Of course he does. I believe in him." Cozy said.

But she spoke too soon as-

*BOOM* There was a massive burst of magic from the room where they did battle.

"TIREK!" they cried.

The area was in flames, and what emerged was...

*STOMP*

That was the loud crashing stomp, not of Tirek's hooves, but of Grogar, emerging from the damage. He set his eyes on the two.

"Here he comes!" Cozy said.

Cozy held Amber in her grasp, and flew around the castle, evading Grogar's wrath. Grogar charged at the two with great speed. Cozy zipped and zoomed up and around Grogar's magic blasts.

Grogar shot bursts and beams of lightning. The shots were the brightest objects in the scene, and lit the rooms they passed through.

Cozy flew up, over, and through his beams of magic, basically evading the blasts from every direction. After much frantic flying, they were almost out of the castle.

"There it is!" she exclaimed.

Cozy flew forward with one final push, but her flying tripped up, and she tumbled and skidded to the ground.

*pound*

*cough *cough*

It was a rough landing, but she got up, and Amber was unharmed by the landing.

Just ahead, was the castle gates. They were almost free.

"There it is! Go, Amber! Run to the exit!" Cozy nudged Amber in the direction of the exit.
"What about you?" she asked.

Cozy unsheathed her sword.

"I'll take care of him!" Cozy exclaimed. "I'll make sure he leaves us alone once and for all!"

Cozy was about to charge, wings flying, but Amber put her hoof on the soldier's shoulder. Cozy turned her head and saw her sister's face. The filly didn't speak, but her gaze said more than words could ever. We're in this together.

Cozy gave an affirmative nod.

Amber climbed on top of Cozy's head.

"Hold on tight, and concentrate on the sword! It's gonna get intense!" Cozy said.

*magic* Amber used her magic to enchant the sword.

As Amber spearheaded herself on top of Cozy, it was almost like the two of them united to combine Cozy's wings and Amber's horn.

Here you go, mom and dad. The alicorn daughter(s) you always wanted... Cozy thought.

Cozy took a deep breath, and then began her charge.

"AAAAAAHHH!"
"AAAAAAHHH!" they both screamed at the top of their lungs their cries for battle.

Cozy flew forward at high speeds straight t towards Grogar, and Grogar himself charged forward with all his might. Cozy held the enchanted sword steadfast in front of her, as Grogar unleashed his powerful magic.

*ZAP*
*SLASH*
*SHING*

The blade cut through the air and sliced through Grogar's intense magic, splitting it in two directions.

As Cozy got closer to the crazy goat, it was time for their next maneuver.

"NOW!" Cozy cried.

Amber leaped up, and Cozy slid onto the ground, going their separate ways.

Cozy slid onto the ground, and skidded underneath Grogar's belly, where she kicked Grogar's hind leg, which momentarily stunned him.

Cozy stood up, but Grogar was quick to turn around. Cozy lunged the sword forward as Grogar intersected it with his horns.

*MAGIC*

The magic of the sword, and the magic of his horns once again collided and sent sparks flying.

"You're a lot more stubborn than Gusty ever was!" Grogar exclaimed.

*shing*
*crash*
*clang*

Cozy pulled off and detached the blade itself from the hilt revealing underneath it was a-

*poof*

Cozy blew into the hilt of the sword as if it was a tube. Because it was!

"Ah!" Grogar cried.

Cozy had shot something into Grogar's hind leg.

"A poison dart? You think this puny thing will affect my metabolism?" he asked.
"No. But I do think it'll distract you." Cozy replied.
"Distract me? *stab* AAAAHHHH!" he cried.

Amber conjured a huge cognitive inverted spike, and drove it through Grogar. The pain was enough to slow him to a crawl. Cozy looked in astonishment at the powerful spell her sister had created.

"A devastating blow to be sure." Grogar said. "But you will not have the last...*gasp*

*slurp*

"Sorry, but who gets the last gasp?" Cozy sassed.

Tirek had returned, and snuck up behind Grogar. Tirek opened his mouth and began sapping the rest of his magic. Grogar's glowing yellow eyes started to gray out as his dark and yellow magic flowed into the centaur. His knees collapsed, as the goat was weakened, and defeated.

"No... but how? I'm stronger than each and every one of you..." Grogar said.
"But you're not stronger than us combined." Cozy said.







Part 10



After a hard fought battle, they did it...

"We did! You were so heroic, and I helped finish the old goat by stabbing him with my magic!" Amber exclaimed.
"Ha! That's my little sister! You gave him a good ol backstabbin'!" Cozy exclaimed.
"Just like you taught me, sis." Amber said.

Cozy put her hoof onto Amber's head, but then the filly leaped into her older sister's arms, and she caught her.

"HAHAHAHA!" Cozy and Amber laughed together as they embraced each other.

"I missed you so so much, Cozy Glow!" Amber said, embracing her sister, Cozy. She hugged her sister tightly, and tears poured from her eyes and onto Cozy's armor. "Don't ever scare me like that again! I thought you were a goner!" she cried.
"I was a goner." Cozy said. "But, thanks to someone and their... um, generosity, I-I have another chance."

"Well, I heard you have a new mentor. I suppose now that you're saved I ought to..." Cozy said.
"NO! Forget Twilight!" Amber exclaimed. "Twilight Sparkle would've just held hooves with her friends and blasted Grogar with rainbows. Bleh. But you, you came in charging fearlessly, with a suit of armor, and a sword at your side! You're not on some agenda to spread your narrow minded way of friendship, just a pegasus determined to save her little sister... *sob* And if Twilight still thinks you're evil, well, from my perspective, she's the evil one!"
"That's what I wanna hear." Cozy said. "I'm glad I could be somepony for you to look up to..."

There stood Tirek, awkwardly looking away and kicking his hooves onto the stone ground..

"You came back to save us." Amber said.
"I personally wasn't very surprised to see you come back." Cozy said. "But if you don't mind explaining your reasoning..."
"Well uh, I happened to follow you Cozy (for no particular reason...), and when I saw Grogar, I couldn't help but want a slice of his magic again." Tirek explained.
"Mmm hmm. So now that you're powered up with Grogar's magic again, what are you gonna do? Lay siege to Canterlot again?" Cozy asked.

Tirek looked to his massive biceps, and thought for a few moments, and made up his mind.

"Hmm... Nah. Thinking about it now, it simply isn't worth it. Too much risk, and the reward isn't gratifying enough." Tirek explained.
"So instead of chasing the hopeless dream of impressing King Vorak, what would you like to do instead?" Cozy asked.

Tirek started to... weep?

"Forget dad, I came back because, I-I couldn't stand the thought of losing you again... Losing you felt worse than 1,000 defeats. I never want to feel that again." Tirek wept.

...

Cozy felt quite emotional listening to his woes.

"Why would you allow yourself to disappear like that?" Tirek asked.
"Tirek, I knew my life was over because my old body was destroyed. But I knew that my sister was out there waiting for you, so there was no hesitation in my mind to destroy the Rainbow of Darkness, so that you and her and Chrysalis could be together as a family..." Cozy explained.
"B-but that's not how it actually ended..." Tirek said with heavy emotion.
"Now's our chance to rewrite the ending, and make it right." Cozy said, intimately. "I'm sorry I made you guys so sad... I promise never to leave you again."

Amber walked beside Cozy and the older sibling put her hoof onto the filly's head.

"I never thought I would have felt this way for any creature." Tirek said. "Chrysalis was right. Friendship is a poison, and it's struck me. I was a wreck without you, and I have no idea why, these feels are all second nature."
"I think I might know why." Cozy said, blushing. "If raiding Canterlot is so boring, how about we partake in something a little more gratifying..." she said, winking.

Tirek had run out of words to say. All he could do was let his feelings take over for his actions. Tirek and Cozy reached their arms out for each other. Cozy flew into his chest, and wrapped her arms around Tirek, which soothed his soul, and calmed his mind. Cozy felt warm and welcome, while Tirek felt accepted.

Aww... Amber thought, watching the two of them.

*heavy breathing* Grogar moaned and groaned, reminding them he was still here.

"Subjecting me to your oochie coochie friendship talk is a worse punishment than having my soul trapped in the darkness." Grogar said. "You may have my magic, but still I live. And I shall-"
"Say, guys. Would y'all like to help clean up this goat?" Cozy said. "I've got this gem that can transport Grogar anywhere."
"No need. I aced teleportation spells last week." Amber said.
"Perfect." Cozy said, grinning. "We'll deal with you after our little moment together.
*gulp* Grogar winced.

But before they swept Grogar away, they dragged out their moment a little longer.

"Ah, Nothing like beating an ancient goat to bring the family together!" Amber exclaimed.

Cozy embraced Tirek tighter. By which point, Amber leaped up, and embraced Tiek from the other side. He enjoyed having the two by his side, and they all enjoyed their warm moment. Tirek had never understood the point of friendship. And even recently, viewed it as a curse, and a burden to bear the loss of Cozy. But now that he was reunited, he saw things in a different light.

*exhale* "All together now..." Cozy said.

The three enjoyed their moment together. But there was that sinking feeling something was still missing...

...

"...Almost all of us." Amber said. "I'm so glad I found you two. There's someone dying to see you guys again."





To be continued...
> The Last Ending Part 3 of 3 — All Together Now (The End)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's a mouthful of a chapter title. It's the final chapter. It's been an honor writing this story for you all. Let's wrap this up.







Part 11



At the changeling hive, the head changelings were pacing anxiously, brainstorming what to do about their withering mother, Chrysalis.

"We're fighting a losing battle." Pharynx said.
"We've tried everything." Thorax bemoaned.
"I guess there isn't anything we can do to change the natural order..." Ocellus cried.

Nothing they can do to change the natural order that is.

*sob*

"You hear that?" Thorax asked.

They looked around the corner, and saw a little filly walking and crying.

"Amber?" Thorax asked.
"What are you doing back?" Pharynx asked.
*sniff* "I just wanted to see her one last time. Do you mind giving me some time alone with her?" Amber requested.
"Uh, but of course." Ocellus replied.
"Much obliged." Amber said.

The three changelings left the area, leaving Amber alone at the entrance to Chrysalis's chamber. The filly smirked, it was too easy getting them to leave.

"It's all clear!" she exclaimed.

Cozy Glow peaked her head through an opening leading outside, and crawled inside, and the armored pegasus met up with her sister.

Next, the entire side of the wall glowed red, and created an opening for Tirek to stomp inside and enter.

"Now, shh. Be quiet. Not only could we give ourselves away, we don't wanna create any sudden noises that could scare her into... a worse state." Amber said.

Amber opened the door and lead them into the chamber.





Cozy Glow, Tirek, and Amber slowly entered the chamber, and there she was. The former queen of the changelings, Chrysalis. They all gathered around to help their old pal. But was it already too late? She laid in the bed, wrinkly. Even worse than Amber had seen earlier that day.

"...So, what exactly is supposed to happen next?" Tirek asked.
"I don't know. I thought that just having our positive energy surround her would be enough awaken her." Amber said.

But unfortunately, simply having their energy standing idly wasn't cutting it.

"Well, it's a shame that friendship and wishful thinking isn't ever enough." Tirek scoffed.
"But there has to be something we can do. Think. How did Thorax and the rest of the changelings change forms? And why don't they need to "feed on love" any more?" Amber pondered.

Cozy thought back to the few lessons she learned at Twilight's school, in particular, the changeling course.

"I'm only going to say this once, but I wish I remembered what Twilight taught me in school." Cozy said.

While Cozy may not have retained any iota of knowledge from Twilight's school, Tirek seemed to recall something that might be of use.

"Well, there was this one time in Grogar's lair where Chrysalis may have given me a hint." Tirek said.
"What did she say?" Amber asked.
"She must've bemoaned for half the day about her hive and their transformation." Tirek explained.
"And then what?" Cozy asked.
"She told me how she watched friendship infect her hive. She had no idea that a changeling's never ending hunger for love... could end." Tirek explained.
"Hmm, permanently quenched hunger..." Cozy pondered.

From that hint alone, Amber knew what to do.

"So it's exactly what I thought. Guys. You need to tell Chrysalis how much you love her!" Amber said.

...

They both stood silent.

"Uh... I suppose I'll go first. After all. I'm the one who did this to her..." Cozy said.

Cozy crawled up close, and spoke into where she assumed Chrysalis's ears were.

"Hey there, um, hi Chrysalis. It's me, Cozy Glow. I know you probably never expected to see me again. But uh... please wake up. It'd really make me happy to see you lively again..." Cozy said.

...

"Nothing so far..." Cozy said.
"Say something, Tirek." Amber said, pushing the centaur.
"Hmph. Uh... hello, um, Chrysalis. What say we join forces again. For old times sake?" Tirek said.

Amber gestured her hooves, urging Tirek to keep going.

"I-it would be an honor to work with you again." Tirek said, sweating.

Not much. But not nothing. The queen shook slightly, but it wasn't enough.

"Can she even hear?" Tirek asked.
"She's kind of responding, but how do we know for sure our words are coming through?" Cozy asked.
"She needs something a little more personal." Amber said.
"Do we just hold hands, sing a song, and bring her back to life?" Tirek asked, with a snarl.

Each of them thought about what to do.

Think. What's the happiest Chrysalis ever was? Cozy thought. At what moment did she turn from ruthless energy craving creature, into... something more?

"We're losing her!" Amber cried. "Quick, just hold hands!"

With dwindling options, that's exactly what they did. The three all joined together and held hands in a circle surrounding Chrysalis. But were still missing something.

"It's still not enough! What are we missing?" Amber asked.

I have an idea, and it might be crazy enough to work... Cozy thought.

"I don't know what to do!" Tirek exclaimed. "Cozy?"
"I think..." Cozy said, trailing off.
"Think what?" Tirek and Amber asked, simultaneously.
"I think... I know... a way that she can grow... it's time to try something new, something better. Cozy began to sing. No more, solo, trust is the way to go. All we have to do to bring her back is sing together.

The two looked at Cozy astonished, but for different reasons. Amber was in awe at Cozy's wonderful singing voice. While Tirek... wasn't expecting this.

"Really?" Tirek asked, surprised.
"It's worth a shot." Cozy replied.
"I like this plan." Amber said. "Let's all hold hands and siiiiiing!"
"I draw my limit here!" Tirek said.
"Come on. Won't you sing with your old pal Cozy?" Cozy asked.
"No." Tirek replied.
"Will you sing for two Cozy Glows?" Amber asked.

*blink blink blink blink* Both Cozy and Amber stared and Tirek at blinked in order to entice him.

[Tirek] Oh please, no thanks, I feel the need to say, I'm smarter, stronger and...

"I'm already singing, aren't I?" Tirek asked.

Cozy and Amber nodded. It seemed like he was in after all. With that, it was time for the main event to begin.

[Cozy] It's time, to find a better way to be bad.

[Tirek and Amber] Do we really need another way to be bad?

[All] United as one-

[Amber] Teamwork? Please! Just one more time.

[Cozy] Combine all our strength, we'll go to any length Once we have a better way to be bad.

"Are you guys really still about being bad? Shouldn't we change the lyrics?" Amber asked.

"..." neither Cozy nor Tirek had an answer to that question.

But as the sound propagated through the air, it had a real affect on Chrysalis.

"It's working!" Amber exclaimed. "Our harmonious melody is reaching her! Don't stop! Keep going."

[Cozy] Let's go, begin, this time we're going to win.

[Amber] The ice she's thin so let's get this right...

The song made memories rush back to Chrysalis, and she was actually starting to glow.

[Cozy] Yes, that's it! She's in!

[Amber] I think I see a grin.

[Tirek] For all this pain and torture I swear you'll paaaaay.

...

[Cozy] This time, we've got a better way to be bad.

[All] Sounds like a long shot, this "better way" to be bad

[Cozy] United as one, please wake up, don't make us sad

[Amber] If this song somehow works, will you please join our way?

[All] Once we have a better way to be bad

[Cozy] We wanted to break their friendship. We wanted to make them weak. You wanted revenge Starlight. You have that huge physique. So let's increase our chances By singing as a team. We'll be together at least, and laugh as they all scream!

Chrysalis was glowing even brighter. They were definitely on the right track.

"Come on everyone, let's bring her home!" Cozy exclaimed.

[All] A better way to be bad

[Tirek] When she reforms, she'll be mad.

[Amber] Please don't die, we'll be sad

[Cozy] If she lives we'll be glad

[All] Now we've got a better way to be...

[Cozy] ... not bad, felicidad...

"Really?" Tirek asked.
"What? It means happiness. Plus, I couldn't think of anything else that rhymed..." Cozy said.
"I think that was a nice change to the lyrics." Amber said.

But their strange alteration to the song was effective. Chrysalis's entire body glowed a blue and yellow glow.

"Come on... you're so close..." Cozy said.

"Um...?" Amber had just noticed that her horn was glowing, and magic propagated around the three of them, which gave Chrysalis the energy she needed to live.

*eegh* Chrysalis twitched, and grunted. Finally, her eyes opened, ever so slightly.

"...C-Cozy Glow? Is that you?" she asked.
"Yes! It's me, Queen Chrysalis!" Cozy exclaimed.
"But I thought you were..." Chrysalis said.
"I was, but I'm back! Despite all odds, I'm back!" Cozy said, crying.

Cozy was over taken by the emotion of being reunited, she lunged forward and wrapped her hooves around Chrysalis.

"I never thought I'd see you again..." Chrysalis said in astonishment.
"Likewise." Cozy added. *sniff* "Now that we're together, let's never be apart again."

Chrysalis peered around, and saw that Tirek and Amber were also here.

"And Tirek, and your sister. You all came just to see me?" she asked.
"Of course we did, silly. We love you, and we didn't want to see you go away!" Amber said.
"And uh, you know. That's what friends do." Cozy added.
"...Friends?" Tirek asked.
"So this is friendship?" Chrysalis asked.

Amber nodded. "How does it feel?"

"It feels..."

"Are you trying to say it's nice?" Cozy suggested.

"It doesn't feel bad I suppose..." Chrysalis replied. "It is nice seeing you guys again..."

"Come here you guys!" Amber cried out.

All four embraced in a nice warm group hug. But in that moment, something magical happened.

Amber noticed her horn started to glow again.

"Uh... guys?" Amber asked.

*ZAP*

A beam of magic expelled from Amber's horn, and zapped the three original members of the legion. Amber's eyes went blank with magic, and she started to float. Their bodies, and entire room started to glow.

A bright glow surrounded all four of them, and the entire changeling hive glowed a brilliant radiant glow.





Meanwhile, outside the hive, the cavalry was coming, so to speak.

Magnolia had rounded up Twilight and her friends, the mane 6, Spike and Starlight, and convinced them to follow her.

"What's so important Maggie that you need all of us?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"There's something you guys should all see." Maggie replied.

But none of them were prepared for the sight to behold.

*gasp* "The changeling hive!" everypony exclaimed.

The entire hive was glowing a silver glow from top to bottom.

"Hearth's Warming Eve Eve!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"It's simply divine!" Rarity exclaimed.
"It's almost as bright as the Crystal Empire." Fluttershy said.
"I haven't seen it glowing like this since..." Twilight said.
"Since a changeling changed..." Starlight said.







Part 12



Inside the changeling hive, a magical transformation was taking place. Chrysalis' body had metamorphosized into something new. The metal rings around Tirek's wrists finally broke off, as did the piece around his neck. And Amber's flank shined a radiant glow.

When the glow dissipated, the four were huddled together in a big group hug in the middle of the hive.

"Woah..."
"Wow."
"Is that..." The changelings in the hive looked at the group in awe.

Tirek was the first to open his eyes and realize they were surrounded.

"So uh... we really butchered that song back there." Tirek commented.
"Eh. It was the best we could do in a pinch." Cozy said.
"I thought you guys were spectacular!" Amber exclaimed.

Cozy, Tirek, and Amber joked and laughed around. But Chrysalis was much less cheery. She looked at her hooves. They were whole, and shaded a bright green. She looked at her reflection through a shiny part of the wall, and there she was. At long last, Queen Chrysalis reformed. (Almost)

"NOOOO!" Chrysalis exclaimed. "It has happened! Friendship has CURSED ME!"

...

"And is it so bad?" Thorax asked.
"No... it isn't that bad, I suppose..." Chrysalis admitted. "Frankly, I was expecting the bright colors to burn. But it actually feels kind of..."
"Nice?" Ocellus asked.
"It's not that unpleasant." Chrysalis replied.

*applause* All of the sudden, every creature in the hive started to applaud.

"They're assaulting our auditory sensors with the stomping of their hooves!" Chrysalis exclaimed.
"No, silly! It's an applause! They're cheering for us!" Amber said.
"But we mustn't stay! We're totally vulnerable for an attack!" Tirek said.
"Why would we attack you guys? You just saved our mom." Pharynx said.
"It was our pleasure. She's our friend too after all." Amber said.

They really did. Chrysalis was bright, and radiant, and full of life finally. But Chrysalis wasn't the only one who had a transformation.

*gasp* "Amber, your flank!" Cozy exclaimed.
"What about it?" she asked.
"You got your cutie mark!" Cozy said.
"Really?! What is it?! Is it a Bishop? Maybe a Knight piece. It's, it's..."

They all gathered to see, it. Amber spun around herself in excitement, trying to see what it was.

"It's..."

At long last. Amber Glow got her cutie mark! And it was not actually a Chess piece, or anything to do with Chess, but instead it was...

"CHECKERS?!" they exclaimed.

Amber's cutie mark was of two Checkers pieces.

"Oh! That's uh... neat." she said.
"Checkers is like filly's introduction to Chess..." Chrysalis said.
"You know, Checkers is pretty neat." Cozy, talking up to her. "Still plenty of strategy to be had. It's pretty cool."
"You guys are pretty cool." Amber said.

Amber leaped up and Tirek caught her in his arms. Chrysalis gathered closer to embrace Tirek, and Chrysalis got closer to see her cutie mark. Together the three of them huddled and enjoyed each other's company.

Then there was Cozy Glow herself...

Cozy Glow gave out a great sigh of relief. At least, the outcome she wished for at the moment of her disappearance, only she had to come back to fix things herself. Chrysalis was alive, Tirek was free, and Amber had a family she was happy with. And that just left...

"Cozy Glow?" somepony asked.

Cozy looked up, and was face to face with her worst nightmare.

"Oh dear..." she said.

"Twilight Sparkle?!" they exclaimed.

In front of them, was Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her friends, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Starlight Glimmer, and Spike, and Cozy's friend Magnolia was by her side.

Cozy's legs shook as she shuttered before her greatest adversary.

"It's a surprise to see you again." Twilight said. "You're looking quite garish in that lunar armor."

Cozy thought long and hard. She looked back and saw the legion now as a family at last. Tirek's wrist bands and neck piece were destroyed. Chrysalis transformed, and Amber got her cutie mark. And then there was Cozy...

"Twilight Sparkle... I... *sigh* "I am here... to turn myself in." Cozy said.

*gasp* every changeling, and even every creature in the room gasped.

"What the?" Tirek asked.
"Sister?" Amber exclaimed.
"Cozy, no!" Chrysalis said.

"Really?" Twilight asked.
"Yep. No strings attached. Just me, accepting the consequences for my actions." Cozy said, with a strait face.

The legion behind her seemed confused.

*Psh* "She's distracted. This is the part where you guys sneak away and live together, safely and far away." Cozy whispered.
"What was that, Cozy?" Twilight asked.
"I said, Princess Twilight Sparkle... m-my work here is done. It's impossible to beat friendship, so there's no point in trying. Do your worst." she said.

She got on her knees and bowed before the princess. Twilight merely stood in place, silent. Cozy looked up, confused. She looked to her sides to the other mane 6, and they gave affirmative nods.

"Alright, Cozy Glow. If you say so, here comes our worst!" Twilight exclaimed.

Cozy braced for impact as the mane 6 inched forward.

They all lunged at her and-

"AAAHH!" Cozy screamed.

The 6 surrounded her and gave her a big ol gigantic hug!

"Ugh! So this is it! This is how I go out! Strangled to death by Twilight and friends." Cozy said.
"No, silly. It's a hug!" Pinkie exclaimed.

Cozy didn't know what to say. None of them had ever been so nice to her.

"I don't understand. Isn't a big metal cage supposed to fall from the sky trapping inside? Or aren't Discord's hands supposed to glow, trapping me in stone?" Cozy asked.
"Why would we do any of those things?" Applejack asked.
"That's no way to treat the pony who defeated the Rainbow of Darkness!" Fluttershy said.

Cozy opened her eyes as she realized what was going on.

"What, that? You think that was some noble heroic act? Pah. I just did that to save me and my closest frie... allies, you know." Cozy said.
"Regardless of why you did it, you did save all of Equestria in the process you know." Rarity said.

Cozy broke down. Was she a hero now? But that was not possible.

"I don't understand! You sent the message that friendship wasn't for me! By sealing my away for what was supposed to be forever, you taught me that I could never do friendship *sob* so I never bothered to try!" Cozy cried.

Cozy pressed her face against Twilight and wept.

"And that's why I regret letting that happen to you on that day. I'm the Princess of Friendship, and what does it say about me if I use cruel punishment to try to change other ponies' minds?" Twilight asked.

"Ultimately it didn't do anything to change your minds. After you escaped, you were furious, and immediately thought of a new world domination plan. Maybe that's another case against you, but I think that just proves the stone punishment was not an effective way to change your minds." Starlight said.

"Mmm hmm." the rest of the mane 6 affirmed.

*sob* "I wouldn't say it did nothing. It definitely scared me, and made me worry about getting caught again. But instead of scaring me into surrender, it only inspired me to come up with an even more ridiculous revenge scheme." Cozy said.
"So wait, you admit that petrification was an effective way to teach you a lesson?" Spike asked.
"Effective or not, I don't want to be the princess who tortures and scares her opponents into submission." Twilight said. "That's not the way I want to go about handling things from now on."

"It only served as a means of torment." Rarity added.
"Not to mention-" Rainbow Dash started.
"Alright, I get it! I get it!" Discord's voice echoed.

"Discord?!" everypony asked.

*snap*

*poof*

Suddenly, Discord appeared.

"I get it already! I messed up. This is all Discord's fault! Discord's the true villain of this tale." Discord suddenly appeared.
Cozy wiped her face of the tears. "Well, don't get yourself too down, Discord. After all, I do have you to thank for reviving me." she said.
"Oh, uh... you're welcome." Discord said.
"Saving me was a nice gesture, but I simply don't belong here regardless." Cozy said. "I already accomplished everything I wanted. I was lucky enough to come back. I crafted the ending for my team mates. Tirek and Chrysalis are now united with my sister Amber. There nothing left for me."

Cozy hung her head, but then she felt a nudge in her forelegs.

"But, Cozy, you should join us." Amber said.
"Amby, I..." Cozy said.
"Your journey isn't over. It's only just begun." Maggie said.
"R-really?" Cozy asked.

Just adjacent, Chrysalis was about have her own revelation, thanks to an old "pal".

Fluttershy, Pinkie, Starlight, and the changeling leaders gathered around Chrysalis.

"Stop, don't get too close to me!" Chrysalis said, leaning away from the ponies.
"You know, it did always feel unsatisfactory that you never got to reconcile with your hive." Fluttershy said.
"But now you have all the time in the world to watch your hive grow and mature!" Pinkie said.
"Yes... yes I do." Chrysalis said.
"Say, mom, are you hungry?" Thorax asked.
"Me? Not particularly." Chrysalis replied.
"So then you'd say you're no longer hungry for love?" Thorax asked again.
"I suppose not, because my hunger for love... has been fulfilled..." Chrysalis was standing to understand now.

Thorax nodded. "Now you understand the point of our new forms. We can still live off love, but instead of stealing it, we share it with the ones we care about!"

"And don't worry, us Changelings can still thrive in these new forms." Ocellus said, holding a little larvae.
"G-gwandma?" they asked.

The sight of a new changeling generation was enough to make an old bug weep.

"I never thought I'd live to see my offspring produce a new generation of larvae." Chrysalis said, holding the precious pupa.

"So, you still interested on getting revenge on me?" Starlight teased.

Chrysalis seriously thought about the prospect, but came to a startling realization.

"You know... I don't see much a point to that any more." Chrysalis replied. "My hive loves and adores me now, and now they're thriving. So, what is there to get revenge on any more? Sure, they look a little different, and their traditions are a little different too than what I'm used to. But if unfamiliarity is the worst of it, then... I've got some learning to do."
"That's the spirit." Starlight said.
"You already begun to understand how to..." Thorax said.
"COMPROMISE!" Starlight and Thorax shouted together.

But what of Tirek you ask?

Tirek flexed his muscles and looked at his massive biceps. Then he realized once again, he had a lot of magic stored he could use at any moment...

"And you, Tirek? You look like you've got the collection of magic. What are you gonna do with it?" Discord asked. "Are you going to continue to chase the dream of impressing your father? Or do you want to join in something more..."

Tirek thought long and hard, but came to his own realization.

*ring*

Tirek willingly relinquished the magic her acquired from Grogar into the betwitching bell, held by Discord. So there he stood, strong, but not over powered.

"There, a little more manageable." Tirek said. "Now I can look forward to growing out these biceps the traditional way."
"Does this mean you're done with the whole..." Applejack asked.

Tirek crossed his arms.

"...A reserved truce, sure." he replied. "After all, I know when enough is enough."
"That's good enough for me!" Amber said, jumping onto his back.

*Heh heh* Tirek chuckled, when Amber jumped around and played.

"Well, I guess that settles it then." Applejack said.

Twilight extended her hoof out to Cozy.

"Cozy Glow, with our newfound bond, how would you like to join your sister in a course of friendship lessons?" Twilight offered.
"Hmm... friendship lessons you say?" Cozy asked.

Twilight nodded, affirming her unbelievable offer. There was much anticipation as every creature awaited Cozy's response. And ultimately, her response came to the shock of many.

"Hmm, thanks... but no thanks." Cozy said, winking.

"WHAT?!" every creature exclaimed.
"ARE YOU KIDDING!?" Discord exclaimed. "I was about to drop this party ball in celebration of your progress, and you just turn her down?!"

Not the reaction I was expecting. Cozy thought.

"It is a nice party ball. You should drop it anyway." Pinkie commented.

*poof*

Pinkie activated the party ball and confetti came flying out.

"What I mean is, no thanks, to personal friendship lessons that is. I think we're better off doing friendship our own way." Cozy said.

She flew over to join the legion, and the four of them joined forces, but instead of being bad, they found something better.

"You might be the Princess of Friendship, but that doesn't mean you know every way to be friends." Pinkie said.
"I suppose you're right, Pinkie Pie." Twilight replied.
"Talking to me? I didn't say anything." Pinkie said.
"Then who..." Twilight said.

Twilight looked over her shoulder, and there was nopony where she thought Pinkie was standing. Odd.

"But first, Twilight, do you mind helping us with a favor?" Cozy asked.
"Of course, Cozy." Twilight replied.





In Tartarus, every creature creatures appeared on the top section.

They peered around, and saw several interesting things.

"Grogar?" Twilight asked.

Grogar was caged. He was caged in between now and the previous chapter.

"Hello you old, goat." Discord said.
"Discord, you've joined these merciless ponies too?" Grogar asked.
"'fraid so." Discord replied. "Say, what are you doing here anyway... wait a sec..."

Discord realized there's only one way Grogar could have come back.

"Oh... right... uh... well at least you're under control now." he said to himself.

Grogar wasn't the only creature Cozy added to Tartarus.

"Excuse me, I'm here too!" Sludge exclaimed. "I've been in here since the darkness was vanquished! Why am I still in here?" Sludge asked.
"Eh. Let's leave him here just a little longer." Spike said.
"Alright." Twilight agreed.

They were getting distracted. There was only one creature Cozy was interested in freeing.

"We'll deal with these guys later." Cozy said. "There. He's the one we want."

Cozy pointed to a different cage. The one with her dad trapped in stone.

"Discord, if you don't mind." Cozy said.
"It would be an honor." Discord replied.

Discord's rubbed his hands together to build up a charge. His limbs glowed with lightning. Only this time, he would use his powers to free, not trap.

*ZAP*

Discord zapped the cage, and the statue inside. The statue was undone, and the pony inside was free.

He opened his eyes, and looked up. He saw the grown up Cozy and Amber staring down at him.

"...A-Alisha?" he asked.
"Hi, dad. Call me, Cozy." she said.
"Cozy... you've matured..." he said.
"Pappy?" Amber asked.

"And Amber, you got your cutie mark." he said.

It was a bittersweet reunion. Cozy put him in there, but even in this relatively short amount of time, she grew a lot.

"So... are you kids ready to come back?" he asked.
"Nah. We're just here to set you free." Amber replied.
"Then what are you going to do?" he asked.
"We have our own plans in mind..." Cozy said.








Part 13



Two weeks later:

Cozy had one final meeting with her old pals she met while forming their little village.

"You just came back, and you're leaving already?" Suri asked.
"Are you sure you guys wanna just leave?" Lightning Dust asked.
"I'm positive." Cozy replied.
"But..." they all said.
"Leading the village was fun and all, but I'm taking a break from leadership. You guys will be fine." Cozy said.
"I think she's right. And it's all thanks to your fantastic leadership skills." Rolling Thunder said.
"Me? A fantastic leader?" Cozy asked.
"Absolutely." Short Fuse said.
"We were all lost in the world, but you brought us together, and motivated us to use our unique talents to benefit a larger group." Suri said.
"You're really good at bringing creatures together to work in tandem." Lightning said.
"I always interpreted my cutie mark as control, but if you guys think I'm a great motivator... *sniff* You're all too kind..." Cozy said, blushing.
"But, who will lead us?" Svengallop asked.
"I'll find somepony to lead you. If not, then I'll default to Svengallop being mayor." Cozy replied.

"But before you go, we have something to give you." Rolling Thunder said.

They presented Cozy with a... pilot's jacket?

"Wind Rider isn't using it any more, and we thought you might want it." Lightning Dust said.

"I think it'd suit you much better than that gaudy armor." Suri said.

Cozy put down her armor, and put the jacket on. The sizing fit her new larger mare body perfectly. She looked rather proper in it.

"It's neat. Rather fitting actually." Cozy said. "Thank you."





Later that day in Ponyville, everypony was standing together.

Cozy was perched on Tirek's shoulder, wearing her jacket, and Amber was sitting on Cozy's head. Amber was wearing a neck piece, similar to the one alicorn Cozy wore in Ending of the End. It was a neat thing that made her feel special. Chrysalis stood beside them, as her radiant body reflected the sunlight.

Cozy, Tirek, Amber, Chrysalis, and the mane 6 & Spike, standing together, in harmony.

"You know, Twilight. When Pinkie Pie dropped that enormous cupcake on our heads, if you had just talked to us, we might have come around then and there." Cozy said.
"Yeah, well, think of all the valuable lessons you learned along the way." Twilight said.
"...Nah, being in stone pretty much sucked." Cozy said.
"HAHAHAHA!" Cozy, Amber, Tirek, and Chrysalis all laughed together.
"And we only came out more angry which lead to... this long journey."
"But hey! At least that was one delicious chaotic treat that landed on your heads." Pinkie said.
"It was actually quite tasty." Chrysalis said.
"At least everything worked out in the end." Twilight said. "Even if it did take a while..."

*exhale* Cozy breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yep. It all worked out for the best." Cozy said, relieved.
"I can totally see that you're twins. It's like you two were an alicorn, but you split up, now Cozy's the pegasus, and Amber's the unicorn!" Pinkie said.
"Uh, Pinkie, you shouldn't say anything too offensive to them." Rarity said.
"Not to mention. Wasn't Amber born much later? Not exactly a separated at birth situation." Rainbow Dash said.

Cozy and Amber actually giggled at the prospect of them being split from a singular alicorn.

*giggle* "I like your headcanon though." Cozy said. "Princess Cozy Glow! Mighty alicorn, split at birth, into Cozy and Amber Glow!"
"When Amber is sitting on your head, it's almost like you two combine into an alicorn." Spike said.
"Hmm, I guess you're right..." Amber said, lighting up her horn.
"Rrawr! I am a mighty alicorn princess!" Cozy exclaimed.
"You all will quiver before us!" Amber added.

Cozy tried to look vicious, and Amber sat Cozy's head, to add the horn.

Cozy flew across the landscape with Amber on her head, that was until-

"AH!"

*crash*

Cozy and Amber crashed into the base of a tree.

"Are you guys okay?" Twilight yelled over the distance.

"We're okay!" Amber yelled.
"I do need help going up though." Cozy said.

"Allow me." said somepony.

Cozy looked up and it was her old pal Magnolia. She lent a hoof and helped Cozy stand up.

"There you are." Maggie said.

They were greeted by Magnolia, and their dad, who was holding hooves with Maggie's mom, Heather.

"Hey you guys." Cozy said.
"Long time no see, Cozy. My, how big you've grown." Heather said. "There's my little hero of Equestria."
"Oh gosh, quit overstating what I did." Cozy said, humbled.
"I'm proud of you, Cozy. And I know your mum would be too." he said. "Not because Cozy plus Amber are sort of like an alicorn, but because of the extraordinary things you two have done. Your mum and I thought only extraordinary ponies could do extraordinary things. But you showed everypony that anypony has the potential to be extraordinary."
"Thanks, Pappy." Cozy said.
"You, Cozy, are truly resilient." Heather said. "You never gave up until the very end. And look where you got."
"Of the little support I got as a filly, I'm grateful to have had you guys who believe in me now." Cozy said.

Cozy was about to head out, when she remembered something important.

"Oh, before I forget, Mag, I have an offer for you." Cozy said.
"An offer?" Maggie asked.
"How would you like to lead my village as mayor?" Cozy asked.
"Me, mayor of TCGC?" Maggie asked.
"Mmm hmm." Cozy affirmed. "There's nopony else I trust as much as you. You'd do a great job as a leader. Plus, there's already infrastructure, a castle, and ponies to lead, a trade route.."
"You mean we'd have to move from the sanctity and comfort of Ponyville?" Pappy asked.
"-and move all the way out there and live in the cold?" Heather asked.
"...Yep." Cozy reaffirmed.

"Hmm..." they thought about Cozy's offer.

"Let's do it!" Pappy and Heather exclaimed.
"I guess that settles it. Me and the old geezers are heading out." Maggie said.
"Excellent." Cozy said. "Now, as we discussed earlier, I relinquish Amber to you."

Cozy handed Amber off to Maggie, and the mare wrapped her hooves around the unicorn filly.

"I look forward to seeing you again, little Amby." Cozy said.

Amber was too emotional to speak up. She teared up, and smiled.

"Now then, be careful on the epic journey you're embarking on." Pappy said.
"I will, dad. I will." Cozy said.
"Good luck you guys on whatever the future holds." Maggie said.





Later:

In the early morning, just before the sun was ready to rise:

Twilight Sparkle, mane 6, Starlight Glimmer, Spike, Luster Dawn, Discord, as well as the student 6, all the changelings, and a bunch of other ponies all gathered at the outskirts of Ponyville to witness the going away party for Cozy Glow, Chrysalis, and Tirek. They were ready to leave, and venture into the vast world of Equestria, and beyond.

And just adjacent to them, was the village party. Suri, Lightning Dust, Rolling Thunder, Short Fuse, Svengallop, as well as their new mayor Magnolia, along with her mom, Cozy's dad, and Amber Glow all gathered in a large vehicle driven by Flim and Flim. They were about to depart themselves, and head back to the outer parts of Equestria where their village sat. In fact, the vehicle was adorned with the flag Cozy designed for the village way back at the beginning of the story.

"You sure you guys don't need a ride?" Flim asked.

"Nah. It's not about the destination, it's about the journey." Cozy replied.

"Suit yourselves." Flam replied.

But before they headed out, they gave some last minute goodbyes.

Cozy walked up to Luster Dawn.

"Luster Dawn... thanks for saving my life." Cozy said. "And enabling me to defeat the Rainbow of Darkness."
"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier. Thanks for the chaperoning you did." Amber said. "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Likewise. You two are crazy. In a good way. I like you guys." Luster said.

"And thanks, Discord. If you ignore that middle bit, and just focus on the fact that you introduced us together, and brought me back to life, I say you didn't do too bad." Cozy said.

"I'll take it." Discord said.

"I'm proud of you, Cozy." Fluttershy said.

"Keep working those abs, Tirek." Rainbow Dash said.

"May whatever the future holds treat you all kindly." Rarity said.

*bzzzz*

"You hear something?" Pinkie asked. "Parasprites?"

"No, it's..." Tirek said.

A swarm of baby changelings appeared, and surrounded every creature.

"Wow, look at all the changeling babies!" Amber said.
"How many you pop out today, Ocellus?" Cozy asked.
"At least a couple dozen." Ocellus replied.

Cozy held one of the larvae in her hooves.

"She's so adorable." Amber said.
"I am so glad the changeling hive is booming with new larvae again." Cozy said.
"It's wonderful..." Tirek said.
"It's everything I could have hoped." Chrysalis said. "The future is bright of changelings, and all the creatures I suppose."

Cozy took one last look at every creature. A crowd of ponies staring at her fondly, what an odd sight.

"Twilight Sparkle... I bid thee farewell." Cozy said.

"I'm so proud of you. Good luck out there." Twilight said.

It was tough saying goodbye, but it was time to go.

"Well we're not gaining daylight by sitting here." Flim said.

"Indeed. We must be off." Flam added.

*engine start*

Flim turned the ignition key, and their vehicle started moving.

"Let's head out as well." Cozy said.

Tirek and Chrysalis smiled, and followed her lead. They turned around, and started to head in their own direction.

"Goodbye!"
"We'll see you soon!"
"Til our paths cross again!" Every creature in Ponyville waved goodbye.

It was a nice change of pace to have a group of creatures all say something positive to you, at least that's what Chrysalis thought, and Tirek thought the same.

The cart of village ponies all waved happily to the legion was they departed. But one little filly was quite restless. Amber couldn't stand to watch them leave and be separated from her.

"Cozy!" Amber leaped out of the vehicle.

"Amber!" all three cried.

Cozy flew forward and caught the unicorn in her loving arms.

Amber clung to her big sister and said. "Take me with you, please."

"What? Really?" Cozy wondered.

Her dad waved affirmatively as he drifted away.

"Just promise to keep her safe!" he yelled, as they drove off.

"I will..." Cozy replied.

And just like that, the village ponies left, and Amber got to stay with the legion after all.

Cozy placed Amber on Tirek's shoulder. "So, I guess then the four of us are off to see the world."

Once again, every creature waved bye, now to the four members of the new legion, as they set out for the world on foot.

"Are you glad?" Spike asked Twilight.

"More than I can express." Twilight replied. "It turned out the only friendship they really needed, was each other's."

Twilight Sparkle lit up her horn, and commanded the sun to start rising, bathing the landscape in the warm orange glow of sun rise.
She and all the friends waved goodbye to Cozy Glow, Tirek, Chrysalis, and Amber Glow. No matter what adventures awaited them next, they were ready to tackle the world, together.





As they left Ponyville, they took the time to reflect, and bask in each other's presence.

Chrysalis's arc was complete. With her new form, she breathed life once again, and she took solace knowing that with queen Ocellus, the changeling hive was in good hands.

Tirek found a sense of belonging he never knew existed, or knew he needed. Cozy and Amber gave him a sense of joy, he'd never felt before. But of the four of them, his background was definitely the most... unresolved thus far...

Cozy Glow, even with a huge gap in time, she  finally got to age up, and experience marehood, and little Amber was happy to join them on their adventures, serving to remind them of what Cozy looked like as a filly.

*exhale* "We almost had it all, didn't we?" Chrysalis said.
"We could've covered Equestria in darkness and ruled the world." Tirek said.
"But a world covered in darkness is a world where I'm not capable of loving you. And that's no world I wanna live in." Cozy said.
"You do have to admit, this is a much better ending." Amber said.
"This is the best outcome I ever could have hoped for." Cozy said, wrapping her hoof around Tirek, and he enjoyed it. "A loving family. The respect of everypony. It's better than any takeover plot I ever could'a come up with. It just don't get much better than this..."





United as one, the four of them ventured into the unknown, to explore Equestria, and beyond.

No longer did the bewitching bell toll. For Cozy and Tirek... different bells might soon toll for them.

Together forever, once again. Only this time... they were happy.

The perfect ending at last, for one special pegasus, and her closest friends.



The End