Fun and Games

by Naliah

Tarturus certainly wasn’t all fun and games for Cozy Glow and Tirek. Cozy Glow reached out towards Tirek, trying to grab his attention.

“Cozy Glow, what do you want this time?” muttered Tirek. It was rather bleak in hell. Everything was void of color, the bars of the cages the brightest thing they saw. The peaks around them kept them from seeing anything on the outside. The only thing to look at was one another, and Tirek was sick and tired of dealing with Cozy Glow and her antics.

“I want to play a game. I’m tired of just sitting here all the time doing nothing.” muttered Cozy Glow, rolling her eyes, and groaning.

“And how well did that little game of yours go last time? Let’s see...you were banished to Tartarus to be forever by my side and now we’re both trapped here with no way out.” retorted Tirek, smirking.

“That wasn’t a game though. That was serious. And if you had been a better teacher, maybe I would’ve succeeded!” Cozy Glow yelled furiously, kicking dirt up at Tirek.

“Please. Don’t blame me for your own mishaps. You’ve no pony to blame but yourself.”

“At least I did something. All you did was sit here in this cage and admire yourself in a mirror!” yelled Cozy Glow.

“First of all, I’m trapped here. It’s not like I can just walk out and go wherever I please. You had that luxury, and you threw it all away because you got greedy with power.”

“SO DID YOU!” shouted Cozy Glow, cheeks puffing up, scowling back at Tirek.

“At least I did something with my power. Sure, you put on a good performance, but ultimately you failed. And here we are arguing over a mute point. Now if you don’t mind I’m going back to sleep.”

“Aww come on! Stop being so lazy and play with me.”

“I’d rather not.” Tirek replied, bluntly, a dull expression on his face, yawning.

Cozy Glow facepalmed, groaning and rolling her eyes at the audacity of this centaur. Staring down at the bottom of her cell, she sighed. It felt so empty, void of anything. Cozy Glow was sick of it. She had an idea, perking up to poke Tirek awake.

“Hey wake up you old grump you.” Cozy demanded in such a gentle yet demanding tone.

Tirek sighed heavily. “What do you want this time Cozy? It's only the sixth time today you've bothered me over something stupid. I've already told you, I don't know how we're going to get out of here. You were supposed to be my...”

“Oh shut up already. It's not my fault. It's those ponies. It's their fault! But someday I swear I'll get my revenge.”

“Pfft. If it was me, I would've taken over Equestria.” Tirek snorted, as he turned away from Cozy Glow once more, shifting his pillow against his cell. He groaned, and closed his eyes.

“Tirek...” began Cozy Glow lips curling downwards, her big wide eyes staring into his batting her eyelashes. “I'm BORED. Can we do something?”

“And what exactly do you suggest we do?” muttered Tirek rolling his eyes, snuffing his nose up at the little filly.

“Let's play a game! It'll be fun.” Cozy Glow stated excitedly clapping her hooves together, and jumping up and down in place seemingly happy.

“No thanks, I'd rather just sleep.” //I tire of this stupid filly and her games, why did I choose her to be my student?//

“Aw come on, you can do that anytime!” Cozy Glow pouted, lips curling downwards, eyes staring into his with that big wide eyed expression. Endlessly gazing into his. When she noticed he still wasn't paying her any attention. She grabbed him by the tail.

“Owwwww. Cozy Glow, I swear I'd send you to Tartarus if we weren't already there!”

“Oh Tirek you know you care about me! I mean you wouldn't have sent me all those letters and given me so much help with taking over Equestria if you didn't care about me. Come on stop being a big old grump.”

“I'm not in the mood for games Cozy. We're stuck in this place for who knows how long and the only thing I want right now is for you to leave me alone.” muttered Tirek crossing his arms across his chest.

“Exactly! We could be here for like a REALLY long time. And you can sleep later. I want to do something!”

“Well, you could open my gate and let me out---Oh wait, you are locked in here too!”

Cozy Glow paused, cheeks puffed up, nose scrunched and glaring daggers at Tirek, shaking the bars of her cage.

“If I could get out of here, I wouldn't even bother taking the time to let you out.” Cozy Glow pouted, letting out a triumphant huff.

“Please...you couldn't even begin to take down Twilight and her friends if it wasn't for me. You owe me.” smirked Tirek leaning down.

“Hmmmphh! You think you're so smart. Well guess what you big oaf, we're both stuck down here. And I'd rather spend our time doing something than just doing nothing.”

“Technically, sleeping is doing something with your eyes closed.”

“Pfft. Come on Tirek! Just one game. One teany tiny little game of chess.”

“Why should I? You're nothing but an annoying little pest. And worse yet a pony...”

“PLEASE.”

Tirek continued to drown her out, covering his ears, and letting out a huff.

“One rock, two rock, red rock, blue rock.” Cozy rhymed happily, reminding herself of school.

“Oh stop that insufferable counting! Fine, I’ll play with you…” muttered Tirek, moving his hand down his face. Tirek sighed heavily. If I don't agree to this, she'll just go on and on until I do.

“Alright. One game that's it. No rematches, no two out of three. Just one simple game of chess. Then you have to swear to leave me alone. Got it kid?”

“Yes sir!” Cozy Glow smiled excitedly, clapping her hooves and getting out her chess board. “I call the red!”

“Fine, I like black better anyways. It's more fitting for someone who is truly evil.”

“Are you trying to say I'm not evil?” questioned Cozy, lips curling downwards, chin down, head swooning side to side, shifting her forehoof against the bottom of her cell.

“It's your move.” Tirek gestured with a wave of his clawed hand.

“You are so lame. Fine. Get ready to get your flank kicked.” Cozy Glow stated adamantly, head held high.

Tirek tapped his claws against the ground, leaning on his non-dominant hand, and letting out a yawn.

“Someday this century would be nice filly.”

“I'm thinking!” Cozy pouted.

“Oh is that where all the smoke is coming from?” he smirked a smug grin.

“Oh....I ought to...give you a piece of my mind.”

“Go ahead and try. You won't accomplish anything worse than what's already been done. Forever trapped in Tartarus with no way out and a little annoying pest to constantly remind me of my failings. It's still your turn.” Tirek smiled, gesturing once more with his clawed hand.

Cozy Glow's face scrunched up further, nose squished together, eyes narrowing as she picked up a pawn and moved it forward.

Tirek chuckled, slapping his hand on his knee. “Ha! Is that your best Cozy? Why I expected better of you.” The slap caused a slight trembling of their cages.

“As did I of you.” smirked Cozy gripping the bar of her cage, squinting her eyes directly at Tirek.

Tirek growled and picked Cozy up by the scruff of her neck.

“Why I ought to....finish you right here and now.”

“And what good would it do? You'd still be stuck here in hell.”

“At least then I could sleep.”

“Pfft. Is that the only thing on your mind? Here I'd thought you'd like to show me that strategic mind of yours. Unless you've chickened out...”

“Chicken out? Me? Never!” he then dropped Cozy immediately to the ground, and considered his move carefully. It had to be something she wouldn't expect. Something devious. He moved his rook forward.

“It's your turn little filly.” he gestured back towards her.

Cozy Glow smirked, rubbing her forehooves together, staring at the board in front of her, debating her next move.The solid grays all around them gave her an inkling of an idea. Deviously smirking, she moved her bishop forward.

Tirek laughed, and slapped his knee. “Three moves down, and already I am frowning at the sheer stupidity of a filly whose cutie mark is a ROOK.”

Cozy Glow’s cheeks darkened to a deep shade of red, and she wanted to throw something at Tirek. Instead. She let out a shrill of a scream, flying straight up her cage to get as close to eye level as she could with the mighty centaur.

“SHUT UP. You think you’re so smart just because you're bigger. Well I’ve got news for you. You’re smaller than me in my eyes. Because if you can’t see how I am clearly ahead, then you’ve never even played chess before.”

“I’ll have you know, Scorpan and I used to play chess all the time.” he then muttered under his breath. “And somehow he always bested me.”

“At least you had someone. I always had to play by myself.”

“Maybe it’s because no one could put up with an annoying shrill little filly like you.”

“Why I ought to…” Cozy balled up her hoof and glared daggers towards Tirek, who just yawned lazily.

“Try what you will. Nothing is worse than being stuck here with you.”

Neither of them were willing to submit to the other, it was obvious by how distracted they were from their game, bickering back and forth with one another. Cozy Glow ended up losing their little game of chess. To which she pouted.

“Ah ha! I finally won. Take that brother.” mocked Tirek shouting to the empty void above him.

“Pfft. You got lucky.” Cozy Glow continued pouting, crossing her arms across her chest, and sitting down on her flank.

Tirek smirked a smug grin as he shifted one of the rocks in his cage for a pillow, it wasn’t as nice as a real pillow, but he was limited on his resources. He lazily yawned, closed his eyes, and spoke one last time to his fellow cell mate before drifting off to sleep.

“And so our little game has come to a close, and once again, I’ve proven I’m superior to you in every way. Next time maybe listen to me, and you’ll actually learn something.”

Cozy Glow wanted to rage and scream at him in return, but instead, she just sat there staring at the bars of her cell. Then closing her eyes.

“Maybe he has a point. Oh. Who am I kidding? He got lucky. That doesn’t make me any less of a villain. I’ll show him. I’ll show them all.” her smirk grew, eyes widening as she laughed machilly.

Author’s Note: This oneshot has been brought to you because I was bored, and while I’m still working on my other stories, it’s nice to take a break and just write without having to remember where I am. So I hope you enjoy and if you’d like more works like this, support me on Patreon. It’s the best way to help me bring you all amazing content like this.