Chapter 1

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Flurry Heart sighed as she approached the door before her. Dread gripped at her very soul, and she felt silly for it. Even years after her parents’ divorce, she still wasn’t used to the new paradigm of being raised by two separate sets of parents knowing that, initially, there had only been one. Her father’s house was nice, as was to be expected of a ranking veteran of the Royal Guard and former royalty, but it was almost gaudy with the additions her stepmother had added: flowers in great abundance, and bright pastel paints. To have a house bright and flowery enough to make even an alicorn princess cringe was an impressive feat. With reluctance, Flurry knocked tenuously on the door.

Almost immediately the last creature she wanted to see answered.

“Oh, if it isn’t little Flurry Heart!” Chrysalis gave a warm smile to her stepdaughter, reaching out awkwardly to hug her but stopping when she saw the filly tense, “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you still haven’t warmed up to me… even after five years.”

“Sorry, Chrys, but it’s hard to warm up to a someone who tried to kill me several times during my formative years,” Flurry said as she walked past her stepmom, muttering under her breath, “and also ruined my parents’ marriage.”

“I do try to make up for that, though…” Chrysalis kept her smile but Flurry could sense the frown in the changeling’s eyes even without looking, “I’m changed, in more ways than one.”

Flurry spared a look back at the former queen. Chrysalis had changed, just as all her kin had, into a stunning creature of shining blue and green chitin, with waves of silky hair. Her horn was as majestic as Flurry’s birth mother’s, and her magic had become the color of vibrant spring rather than creeping venom. Her eyes remained like those of ponies, bright blue irises surrounding black pupils, unlike the rest of her kind. Somehow, the fact Chrysalis looked neither fully pony nor fully changeling made Flurry’s stomach flop. Honestly, everything about the changeling mare rubbed Flurry the wrong way, but she tried to stay cordial for her father’s sake.

“I guess so,” she relented, not wanting to make Chrysalis mopey so soon into her stay. Despite her negative feelings towards her, Flurry Heart still recognized that she wasn’t the same creature that had tried to ruin her family in the past, and so it wasn’t fair to be cruel to her. “Is dad home, yet?”

“Sadly, he’s still at work,” the feeling of loss from being separated from Shining Armor was so genuine in Chrysalis’ voice that Flurry failed to stop from rolling her eyes. Ever since turning good, the former queen had been a hopeless romantic, swooning for the former prince. Hopeless probably wasn’t the best word since she had achieved her dream.

It irritated Flurry to no end how her parents – the rightful rulers of the Crystal Empire – had just… fallen apart. They had grown unhappy and distant by the time she had grown into a young filly, and they had found companionship in King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis – two of their greatest adversaries whom they had been tasked to help reform. It turned out that, besides their past as rivals, they all had shared interests. In time, a combination of jealousy and desire had ultimately led to Cadance and Shining Armor simply deciding that a divorce was the best option. Before Flurry had even had time to get used to the idea of her parents being separated, her mother had taken Sombra as her new husband and her father had taken Chrysalis as his wife soon after. Only a few years had passed, but both had tried to bond with her.

She hated it. She hated them, and how fake they seemed with their kindness. She hated her parents for breaking their family apart and marrying former tyrants who had tried to kill them all. She hated having to visit her dad on weekends. She hated how Sombra and Chrysalis tried to spend more time with her than her own, busy birth parents. She hated how, even when she had time with her mom or dad, they insisted on Sombra or Chrysalis tagging along. She hated how her parents wanted her to somehow forget the nightmares those two had caused, to forgive them, and to welcome them into her heart.

So much hate for the daughter of the Princess of Love.

“I… heard you’ve taken an interest in Hyperspace Hyperwars,” Chrysalis spoke up. Flurry Heart refused to look back at her, not wanting the changeling to see her sneer. “We could pass the time until your dad gets home with a quick round, if you’d like.”

“That sounds…” Flurry forced something approaching civility into her tone as she shot a fake smile back at her stepmother, “…lovely, but I’m so tired. It’s been a busy week; Sunburst has me reading almost as much as Aunt Twilight these days. So, uh… I’m going to take a nap.”

“Oh… okay…” Chrysalis gave a fragile smile.

Flurry Heart felt a twinge of guilt as she climbed the stairs towards her room. Guilt? For making Chrysalis sad? Nah. It was probably just frustration that, now that Chrysalis was upset, she’d hear about it from her dad. The young alicorn entered her room and closed the door harder than she intended, wincing as it slammed. Great, there was that guilty feeling again. With a sigh, she decided to play out her frustrations. Starlight Glimmer – who had become like an aunt and second mentor to her after marrying Sunburst – had given her a lot of her old mementos from childhood. The punk/goth aesthetic was very pleasing to Flurry Heart, especially since she was sick of having to travel from one candy-coated household to the next. Probably her favorite gift was Starlight’s guitar.

Plugging the guitar into the amp with a sigh, Flurry began to play out her emotions.

…

Shining Armor sighed as he approached his house, hearing the thrash metal long before he reached the door. Forcing a tired smile onto his face, he didn’t even have time to use magic to open the door before Chrysalis opened it for him. He immediately perked up seeing her, feeling ten years younger. Then he noticed her pained expression, despite the obvious efforts to hide it, and the fact she’d been crying.

“Flurry’s home, I take it?” the stallion asked dryly.

“I suppose the music gave it away,” the changeling’s giggle was forced, “I’ve learned to tune it out.”

"Did she say anything rude?" Shining asked, concern on his face.

"No!" Chrysalis was a little too quick to answer, "I'm just... I know I'm not her mother, but I'm trying so hard to be her friend. It's still a new concept to me, and I'm getting frustrated, and when I get frustrated, I get angry, and if I get angry, I'm worried I'll-"

"Easy, easy," the stallion shushed his wife, bringing her into a comforting embrace, "There's no need to worry, Chryssy. You're not the world-conquering schemer you used to be."

"You're about the only one who thinks so..." Chrysalis mumbled into his shoulder. She seemed much more like her normal self when they were alone. An idea occurred to Shining.

"Why don't you drop the act around her?" he asked.

"What act?" Chrysalis looked offended, baring her fangs, "I'm changed, Shining! I'm a-"

"Chryssy, I swear, if you make a changedling joke again, we're filing for divorce."

There was a paused.

"I'm a changedling."

"I hate it when you call my bluffs," Shining rolled his eyes, "What I mean is that you tend to act really sweet and friendly around Flurry, but have you tried just... being yourself? Maybe not try so hard?"

"What do you mean?" the changeling Queen looked genuinely confused.

"I mean, well... you were counseled by Starlight, weren't you?"

"Yes, yes," Chrysalis sighed dramatically, "Worst year of my life! All the 'I know there's good in you,' this, and 'I'm not giving up on you that easily,' that. So sanctimonious. So dull."

"I know you like her," Shining smirked, "Why else do you send her a kite on her birthday every year?"

"What was your point about my counseling?"

"Oh yeah. My point was, what did she teach you about pretending to be something you aren't?"

"That if I can't be the real me, then I shouldn't expect to make real friends," Chrysalis murmured, repeating the lesson Starlight had taught her verbatim, "Do you really think Flurry will like me if I quit being nice? She thinks I'm a monster! How is acting snide going to help improve that image?"

"I can't say if she'll like you or not," Shining smiled, "but there's no reason for you to be uncomfortable living here. Who knows? Maybe with the punk phase she's going through, she'll actually warm up to the real you."

Chrysalis looked thoughtful, but still uncomfortable.

"How about I go talk to Flurry, and invite her downstairs for a game of Hyperspace Hyperwars, alright?" Chrysalis perked up at the mention of the game, "Just be yourself."

"I won't be playing, will I?"

"You have just as much fun watching and making fun of players as you do playing," the stallion chuckled.

Chrysalis only nodded, giving the minimum of consent, but Shining rushed off to enact his plan before she could ferret a way out. The stallion approached the door of her daughter and braced himself for the volume of the music he'd have to deal with. Knocking with the same force he would have used before entering a felon's hideout, Shining waited for his daughter's response. The music lessened considerably.

"Who is it?" Flurry's muffled voice came through the door.

"It's daddy," Shining beamed despite the fact his daughter couldn't see him. There was the sound of several locks being undone and then the door cracked open, revealing half of his daughter's face. The pink fur of her face was detailed with dark mascara and an assortment of punk accouterments hung around her neck and in her mane.

"How many times do I need to tell you, dad, I'm too old to be calling you daddy?" Flurry cringed, "Feels like something Chrysalis would call you."

"Wow," Shining cleared his throat, not expecting that response and not sure how to handle it. Some heat entered his cheeks at the fact that his wife did like to call him daddy... "Uh, so, I know you just got here, but how about a game of Hyperspace Hyperwars? Just the two of us?"

"And where's your wife going to be if it's just the two of us?" Flurry sneered, but as usual her dad didn't let that bother him.

"She'll be watching the game," he chuckled, "giving strategic advice."

"Oh boy, a back seat gamer," Flurry rolled her eyes, "Like I need her advice."

"I never said she'd be helping you," her father let out a laugh, "If it'll make you feel better, she won't put up the act of being so sweet anymore. I know it makes you uncomfortable."

"I knew it was an act!" Flurry scoffed, then looked confused, "Wait, how does she act around you?"

"Come downstairs, play a match with me, and find out."

Curiosity getting the better of her, the filly followed her father down to the basement which he'd converted into the "War Room". Several large tables stood, ready to be used for any number of games, or wheeled together for one massive game. Shining Armor often hosted Ogres and Oubliettes nights with Flurry's Uncle Spike and the other nerds of the realm, but she'd also caught him and Chrysalis playing simpler games like chess or cards. Chrysalis was already down there, having fished out the carrying cases holding Shining Armor's Galactic Defenders army, and Flurry's Auroral Specters.

Father and daughter examined the battlefield Chrysalis had set up, and Flurry privately admitted that it was expertly tailored for their two armies. Using ubran scenery (from the Galactic City Ruins line of sets, naturally), the changeling had recreated a ruined city block with both broad avenues and side streets, plenty of barricades, large enough spaces for heavier weapons and vehicles, and hiding holes. With the addition of craters and other scenery, all of it painted to perfection, Flurry almost felt as if it were a diorama of some historical battle. But it couldn't be; Hyperspace Hyperwars was set in a distant future with technologies ponies could scarcely dream of.

"Nice work, Chryssy," Shining grinned, "This is gonna be tough."

"For you, maybe," Flurry smirked, "She could've set the table with you in trenches and me in open ground, and I'd still curb stomp your tin soldiers."

"Nice trash talk, kid," Chrysalis grunted, a small twist of her lips showing her approval. The very-Chrysalis response caught both of the ponies' attentions and her ears drooped. "What? I thought you wanted me to quit acting sickly-sweet?"

"I'm just... surprised," Flurry confessed, keeping her expression neutral. She wasn't old enough to remember any conversations with Chrysalis before her change, but she had never expected the evil changeling Queen of her nightmares to be snarky. "Let's get started."

They'd set up their armies, and began the game. Chrysalis observed in silence for the most part. She didn't have much advice to give to either player. Shining was a veteran of the game, and a competent real-world strategist. The Galactic Defenders were based on more traditional soldiers, and despite the unrealistic technologies in the game's universe, Shining's army of choice was relatable enough that he could apply his real-world strategies to the game. For all intents and purposes, he had the edge.

Yet - and Chrysalis was surprised - Flurry was no slouch, either. The Auroral Specters were an odd faction - more fantasy than science fiction, and heavily inspired by both the umbrals from the Crystal Empire (hence the "aurora" cliche) and the Windigos. A dark, foreboding army, they specialized in debuffs, area-of-effect attacks, stealth, and invulnerability saves. They lacked any traditional weapons and were a difficult army to play for many. Yet, here was a filly - relatively new to the game - who was employing them to great effect, making use of all the cover and alleys Chrysalis had provided, spreading her forces to cover as many arcs of fire as possible and to saturate the field with her AoEs.

Chrysalis realized Shining was the first to make a mistake. He was unfamiliar with Auroral Specters; unsurprising, since they were such an obscure faction. He moved his forces forward, trying to use firecorn soldiers to burn the specters out of the side streets. Before they could get into position, Flurry activated a string of AoEs, catching every firecorn in several blasts. She rolled one attack pool of dice after another, each one picking off anywhere from one to five firecorns. By the time the AoEs finished, Shining Armor was gaping at the total destruction of his close-range fire support units, and the fact that - due to the side alleys Flurry was using for her approach - none of his long-range units would have the distance they needed to pick off Flurry's Specters.

Chrysalis suddenly laughed - a laugh that for all the world sounded like her evil laugh - and once again drew both sets of eyes.

"I'm sorry, dear, but you have to admit," the Queen smirked, "that was an impressive move. You only made one mistake, and Flurry managed to decimate your army with one series of attacks because of it."

"I admit," Shining frowned, "I got a little cocky. Should have known my daughter would be a prodigy at this. I mean, she is my daughter, after all."

"I dare say she's already surpassed you in skill," Chrysalis was looking at Flurry now, "The Auroral Specters are a difficult army to master. They're tactics are unconventional to say the least."

Flurry muttered a close approximation to thanks and returned her focus to the game, trying not to blush too much at the praise. At first she had assumed the changeling was simply blowing smoke, but the vexation on her father's face showed Chrysalis' biting remarks had been genuine. She hated herself for feeling a small sense of pride at Chrysalis' assessment of her skills, and a curious desire not to embarrass herself by losing.

The match progressed quickly - as quick as a tabletop could - and within three rounds they had entered the endgame. Flurry Heart had control of all but one objective, whilst her father had fortified the position with enough firepower to give her pause.

"Seems we're at an impasse," Shining Armor sighed, but he was smiling. It made him proud to be able to enjoy this hobby with his daughter. Cadance had never understood his hobbies, had never been able to relate. She'd always thought of his interests as cute and childish, which had been demeaning at best.

"An interesting match," Chrysalis mused aloud, eying the table with a calculating gaze. The scenario they were running had a six-turn limit and demanded one side control all the objectives. At this point, there was no way either side could win unless they had the luckiest rolls imaginable. Shining's position was too well-fortified; if Flurry moved up she'd likely lose all of her forces to incoming fire, and she'd leave her own objectives unguarded. Shining couldn't afford to break out of cover, either. The game was a draw. "I didn't expect you to put your father in a stalemate."

"It's happened before," Flurry said, nonchalant.

"So I recall," Chrysalis nodded, looking the field over, "which was why I designed the layout to both of your strengths."

"What?" the young alicorn furrowed her brow.

"You mean you never noticed how Shiny always gave you some kind of edge?" the changeling smirked.

"Chryssy, you aren't supposed to tell her," Shining chided.

"That's..." Flurry put a hoof to her chin, thinking back. Usually games with her father did seem to limit his own army in some capacity. Tight quarters where he couldn't apply formations, strength of numbers, or heavier units; sometimes he was out in the open instead of occupying fortified positions. "Hey, wait a minute! Dad, you've been going easy on me!"

"Not this time, sweetie," the stallion eyed his wife with a small smile, "I let Chryssy set the table this time. She wanted to put your skills to the test."

"I wasn't exaggerating when I said you've probably surpassed your father in skill," Chrysalis explained, "the Auroral Specters are an unusual army with very niche strategies; Shiny's army is simple."

"Hey now," the Royal Guard glared, "I can't think of any army simpler than Sludgenoids."

"Sludgenoids are a time-honored and integral faction to the lore of the franchise!" Chrysalis snapped, defensively. She blushed and cleared her throat, "I digress. The point is, I enjoyed watching the match."

"Thanks," Flurry couldn't stop the smile on her face. Her stomach rumbled.

"Oh, you're hungry," the changeling noted, "It is around dinner time, isn't it? I guess I'll go make some dinner."

"Honey, we've been over this," Shining explained, tactfully, "you're not used to pony food. Maybe I should cook something?"

"Oh, like your cooking is any better," the former Queen rolled her eyes, "Let's let Flurry decide."

The pair looked down at the filly who suddenly felt awkward having to choose. Honestly, her dad cooked about as well as the quartermaster tasked with feeding thousands of Royal Guards. He was right about Chrysalis' lack of taste, though. The changeling had been introduced to cuisine for a long time, but her culinary talents were always prone to experimentation, eager to try new flavors. It had taken awhile to break her obsession with chocolate, and Flurry dreaded another potential "chocolate lasagna" incident.

"What about eating out to celebrate my near-victory?" she offered instead. Fortunately, despite their infatuation with one another, Chrysalis and Shining hated each other's cooking as much as Flurry did.

"Sounds good," her dad was quick to respond with Chrysalis right on top, "Delicious."

Flurry went to the bathroom while her father and stepmother prepared to leave, mostly to gather her thoughts. She stared at herself in the mirror,appreciating her heavy eyeliner and piercings, but really she was deep in thought. Chrysalis wasn't completely intolerable to be around. For an hour, Flurry had been in the same room as her and not felt ill or furious; they had spoken, Chrysalis had complimented her, and it hadn't made her cringe or fume. The filly shuddered at the idea she might actually come to like the mare.

No, she chided herself, not like; tolerate.

She could, she conceded, tolerate Chrysalis. After all, any fan of Hyperspace Hyperwars couldn't be all bad, right?

Chapter 2

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Friendship was hard.

"Ugh," Cozy Glow grunted, voice muffled from her muzzle being in the cottony moisture of a cloud.

It had been thirteen years since the final defeat of her and the remaining villains. Thirteen long years. The young mare had considered the idea of lifelong imprisonment with the others a preferable alternative to being adopted by one of the mares who usurped her power, but in time she had grown to be thankful for her second chance.

I'm a big believer in second chances, was what her adoptive mother, Starlight, had said when Cozy Glow had finally cooled down enough to have a civil conversation with her. Third chances too, apparently, since those words had been spoken right after the filly had foolishly tried her hoof at vengeance against the Elements of Harmony and the Student Six.

Still, while Starlight had welcomed her into her life with an open heart, the rest of Equestria had been... less receptive. Which was why, even thirteen years later, she was face-down in the clouds.

"Again," the pegasus' tone was pitiless. Cozy glared up at her tormentor, daring to fix her with all the hate she could. Eye contact only made her 'workouts' worse, but darn it all if it didn't help alleviate the fury.

Cozy attempted to lift herself, but her forelegs wouldn't respond. They were swollen from exertion, and fatigued beyond pain. She would need to visit the infirmary after training. Again. Her wings were in a far worse condition, and Cozy suspected the rainbow-maned pony tasked with supervising her training was purposely trying to physically cripple her.

"Come on, Glow," a griffon recruit whispered, his motivation tinged with desperation. He snapped his beak shut at the look from Rainbow Dash.

"You really can't move, can you?" the Wonderbolt leader sneered. Cozy glared upwards, eyes half-crazed with hate and outrage as she let loose with a feral, shrieking roar of defiance. The older pegasus pursed her lips, impressed despite herself as the young mare forced herself up onto shaking legs. A twinge of guilt wormed its way into her heart, a bit of shame. Breaking their staring contest, Rainbow Dash nodded her head to the medical station. "Get fixed up, kid."

"Nuh-uh," Cozy huffed, voice hoarse from a throat raw from screaming, "Not this time, Dash. I'm not... giving you the satisfaction!"

"You're exhausted, kid," Rainbow let some concern show on her face, though she tried to keep up the mask of indifference, "If you do anything more, you'll really hurt yourself."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Cozy muttered under her breath. It was quiet, but the tension between them had silenced every other voice long ago. Even a whisper could be heard as clearly as a shout when one of them talked. Cozy winced when she realized everyone had heard her; a pegasus further down the line sucked air in through her teeth.

"Everyone! Dismissed! Get some rest and some lunch and be back here at 13:00, understood?" she waited for their affirmation and their departure before fixing the mare with a glare of disapproval, "Why do you think you can get away with acting like a moping foal, Glow?"

"What?" Cozy deadpanned, feeling her choler rise again.

"You think sulking and muttering things about me in front of everyone else is going to get you into the Wonderbolts?" the officer stepped forward, eyes narrowing.

"No, Captain Dash..." Cozy went ramrod straight, staring dead ahead, but was unable to stop from shaking. The shaking had more to do with fury than physical exhaustion.

"I swear, I don't know why I let Starlight talk me into-"

"Can we not, Captain?"

"What was that, Recruit?" Rainbow snapped, "If you have a problem with how we do things, you can always choose to wash out."

Cozy held Rainbow's glare, matching it in intensity, but then that intensity died. It was snuffed out, the younger mare's eyes going cold, losing their vibrancy. It was only through discipline that Rainbow was able to mask her surprise as Cozy slumped slightly - not just physically, but as if whatever had been supporting her for the past two weeks of training suddenly gave way. This was it; this was the defeat of Cozy Glow. The Captain of the Wonderbolts felt sick at the realization this was exactly what she had wanted.

"Permission to be dismissed, Captain?" Cozy's voice sounded frail, almost hollow. In all the years Rainbow Dash had known her, there had always been some kind of emotion to her voice. Sickly-sweet kindness or some other falseness, usually, but also genuine emotions of a wide range.

Not trusting herself to say anything more, Rainbow simply gave her permission and watched the mare limp to the infirmary. Watching the retreating mare, the older pegasus realized she'd worked Cozy into such a state that she would likely need days to recover. She might have even risked more serious injuries than that. A wave of self-loathing washed over the mare, and she couldn't quite put her heart into the rest of her drill instructing for the day. Before heading home for the night, the pegasus overheard some of the recruits discussing Cozy Glow.

"Poor Glow," one recruit sighed, "What's up with the Cap?"

"I don't know," the griffon muttered, "but it's not fair. The medic said Glow's going to need a week's bedrest!"

"Good luck with that," a female pegasus gave a cruel bark of laughter, "Remember when she worked Glow over so hard she had shin splints? Needed to recover then, too, but Cap skirted around that restriction by making her fly everywhere - even after training!"

"Ain't Glow the daughter of Headmare Glimmer from that friendship school?" a fourth recruit asked, "Starlight's one of Captain Dash's friends, ain't she? What the heck happened to put them on such bad terms?"

Rainbow left before they noticed her listening and stopped by the infirmary. Recruits were able to go home each day. The Wonderbolts were very regimented, just like the Royal Guard, but unlike that service their training allowed for them to keep one foot in the civilian world at all times. In fact, living a civilian life alongside that of the Wonderbolts was encouraged; it kept ponies from winding up as high-strung as Spitfire had been. Cozy Glow was still there, reading a book in bed.

"Hey kid," the older pegasus greeted.

"Captain Dash," Cozy made an effort at proper decorum, but winced at her injuries and slumped into the bed.

"At ease," her superior gave a dry chuckle, but any pretense of mirth left her features, "What are you still doing here? Why aren't you going home?"

"I can't feel my wings," Cozy gave a smirk that wasn't entirely pretty.

"Pony feathers," Rainbow called her out, "You could take a wind chariot home. Come to think of it, why hasn't Starlight attacked me yet? Considering the abuse you go through, and how protective she is..."

"I don't like to complain about my injuries," the recruit didn't look her superior in the eye, "It's not the first time I've been stuck in hospital beds by ponies who remember what I was like."

Bullied, Rainbow grimaced, she means it's not the first time she's been bullied. Bullied? That's rich, Dash. Try 'abused'.

"Still, she'd know something's up as soon as she looks at you," the Wonderbolt felt a chill run through her, "Wait, have you been... have you been staying at the barracks this whole time?"

"So what?" Cozy snapped, some of her usual vitriol returning, "It's better than running home to Starlight so she can click her hooves together and make things better!"

Rainbow Dash recoiled at the outburst and the younger pegasus struggled to keep tears out of her eyes.

"You need to go home," Rainbow said simply.

"You've been saying that since I got here," Cozy's voice was small and bitter. She flexed a wing she'd certainly sprained. "In actions more than words, at any rate. Is this where you kick me out? Tell me I'll never pass muster?"

"Why are you here, Cozy?" Rainbow asked. The fact she'd used Cozy's personal name was enough to catch the younger mare offguard. "I mean, why become a Wonderbolt? There's no power to be had, and not to be rude, but it's not exactly what you're good at."

"I seem to recall that I passed the entry exams and practice physicals just like everypony else," Cozy retorted, then frowned, "Everyone. Gotta remember there's more than just ponies..."

"I meant, you've always struck me more as an egghead than an athlete," Rainbow elaborated, "What with the psycho-mind games and political manipulation and all."

"Maybe I wanted to distance myself from that," Cozy huffed, "You know better than most that my past will never go away. Any ambitions I've ever had to be a leader are history. No one trusts me - not really. Few creatures even tolerate me."

"I see what you're doing," Rainbow grinned, "You dodged my question! Oh man, I didn't even notice for a moment! Seriously, though, why the Wonderbolts?"

"Starlight never told you?" Cozy raised an eyebrow, "I'm not going to. With all due respect, Captain, I'd like to get some rest."

"You'll get it, Glow," Rainbow's expression became neutral, "I'm sending you home."

"What?" Cozy looked like she had earlier on the field, eyes filled with dread, "So... you really are...?"

"Relax, kid," the Wonderbolt rolled her eyes, "I'm giving you medical leave. You've overexerted yourself and you shouldn't stay cooped up on the base the whole time. We're the Wonderbolts - not the Royal Guard."

Cozy relented quickly, though it was clear she wasn't looking forward to going home to her adoptive parents with her injuries. Truth be told, Rainbow wasn't either. Starlight would have her head for the abuse she had dished out, and while the Wonderbolt feared few things, Starlight was practically a force of nature with her mastery over magic. Worse, the reality that she had betrayed Starlight's trust by not giving Cozy a fair chance was even harder to face.

Rainbow Dash made certain that Cozy Glow boarded the wind chariot home before heading to her and Applejack's home, utterly spent. Hopefully Applejack wouldn't ask too many questions for why she was late.
...

The following morning was fairly routine. Applejack woke up first, getting to her chores along with her brother. Rainbow Dash slept in until Tank forced her awake, then proceeded to do her best to help out around the farm. Sometimes she simply stayed in her cloudy abode which hovered nearby, not wanting to completely move in with the farmer. It wasn't a fear of commitment, but the simple fact that - as a flyer - she longed to be in the sky.

Of course, she also longed to be in Applejack's bed, too. The other mare's body heat was a comfort during winter. And there were other reasons, too...

"Rainbow Dash!" Applejack called out, pulling the pegasus from her perverted thoughts, "You got a visitor, and she ain't happy!"

The pegasus flew through the house and barely dodged a startled Sugar Belle before leaving the farmhouse. She wasn't sure why, but seeing Starlight there was somehow surprising.

"Hello, Rainbow..." the unicorn was clearly struggling not to seethe. Applejack and Big Mac looked between them for a moment before deciding to find farmwork somewhere else.

"H-hey there, Star..." the pegasus cleared her throat, "I take it Cozy Glow told you what's been happening?"

"No," the unicorn huffed, "Quite the opposite, actually. She comes home on medical leave because her body's on the verge of collapse, but all I could get out of her was 'nobody said it'd be easy'! Rainbow, I know for a fact that Wonderbolts training isn't intense enough to cause muscle strains that severe, and it sure as hay isn't intense enough to cause dislocations and bone fractures! What have you been doing?!"

"I... might have been putting her under more intense workouts than the others..." Rainbow confessed.

"I can't believe this," Starlight looked disgusted, "You've been abusing my daughter?"

"Adopted daughter," the pegasus shrugged, then winced at the idiotic move. As if trying to play off the severity of her mistake wasn't bad enough, she had to try doing it that way.

"Adopted or otherwise, Sunburst and I have been raising Cozy Glow since she was a filly - for thirteen years!" the unicorn was really seething now, "Thirteen years, Rainbow Dash. That's how long it's been since her crime. I don't understand why none of you can let this go."

"I realized I messed up, alright?" Rainbow snapped a little, just enough to signal Starlight to let her talk, "I messed up bad. I don't know why, but after what she did at the School of Friendship, how she almost destroyed everything... The way she talked about our students, about non-ponies... She was twisted. I never came face-to-face with a filly so cruel before. I mean, almost every creature we met was turned evil by some sort of curse, or by a misunderstanding, but there was none of that for Cozy Glow! I guess I just thought she was evil. I know she's not, but for some reason, I just... I'm sorry, Starlight. It won't happen again."

"You're right about that," the unicorn snapped, but at least the borderline hatred was gone from her voice, "She's withdrawing from the Wonderbolts."

"What?!" Rainbow's eyes widened and she felt an awful guilt bloom in her chest, "Tell her I promise not to treat her that way again! I swear, she doesn't need to quit!"

"It doesn't matter," Starlight cooled down even more at the pegasus' reaction, "I'm not letting her risk that kind of abuse anymore. I tried to tell her the Wonderbolts weren't the right way, tried to get her to follow Sunburst and I into education. She's brilliant - and a living example of why you should never give up on others. The lessons she's learned could help hundreds of students."

"The right way for what?" Rainbow asked, curious.

"Cozy wanted to join the Wonderbolts because she thought it was the best way to learn about friendship, to earn the trust and favor of others again," the unicorn's eyes welled up as she looked at the ground, bitter at the unfairness of it, "She talked a lot about you. Creatures adore you, and your loyalty. The Wonderbolts are famous for their camaraderie and loved for how they help others. Everyone trusts and respects them. Everyone adores them."

"That's why she wanted to be a Wonderbolt..." Rainbow's heart sank as it all finally clicked together.

"She wanted to be a hero," Starlight choked back a sob, "I blame myself. I told her... I told her how anyone, no matter what they'd done, could come back to the light. That even villains could become heroes. I guess I got her hopes up."

"Star," Rainbow put a hoof on her friend's shoulder, earning a death glare. The glare died at the serious expression on Rainbow's face. "Take me to her."

...

Cozy Glow stared at the poster hanging over her bed. A simple Wonderbolt recruiting poster. She felt like a foal for having it. She was already an adult and still living with her adoptive parents - nothing to be ashamed of, as Applejack and Pinkie Pie were quick to point out. Still, she felt the need to distance herself from her adoptive parents. They were loving, attentive, and Starlight had enough of a dark sense of humor that they could always have a good laugh. They understood her, understood what it was like to live a life of mistakes, and through their guidance she had grown up comfortable in the knowledge that others had been there before, had done far worse than her, and had been forgiven.

And yet... she was never really forgiven. Twilight still checked in on her, though it had become increasingly difficult to tell if there was still any mistrust there. It had been obvious, for the first few years that she was there to make sure Cozy wasn't a threat. The realization that a life in Tartarus or worse awaited her at the slightest hiccup had made Cozy acutely aware of the severity of her actions as she had grown older. The Royal Guard was closed to her. Every leader was aware of her, viewing her with skepticism and distrust. Employers, too. She had always been reliant on Starlight and Sunburst's good words to get her into anything.

Which was one of her reasons for joining the Wonderbolts. To get in on her own merits - though, admittedly, Starlight did have to argue the case for her enlistment - would be a milestone of independence.

Or it would have been, but that dream was up in flames. She really was better suited to education, or some inspirational work or another. She'd been to the dark and back. So far into the dark that the idea of imprisoning her and her cohorts in stone for eternity had been seriously considered. Cozy still felt uncomfortable around Discord for that suggestion, despite the fact that - as redeemed villains - they were pretty close. He was an oddly relatable creature that had helped her get through much of her frustration during the early years, even if he'd been incredibly infuriating.

"Cozy?" the young mare sat up at hearing the voice beyond her door. It wasn't Sunburst or Starlight, but rather a mare she didn't think to see so soon.

"Door's unlocked," she replied, voice still weak from her throat being raw. Her injuries were still fresh and she didn't exactly feel inclined to open the door for the other mare even if she were in perfect health.

"Hey," Rainbow Dash greeted as she entered, "Nice poster."

The joke was met with silence as Cozy continued to stare at the poster instead of acknowledging the guest in her room.

"I hear you're pulling out of the Wonderbolts," Rainbow's voice was quiet, "How I treated you was wrong. My behavior was shameful, and I'm sorry."

Cozy looked up at the other mare, expression unreadable.

"I know I'm probably the last mare you should be taking advice from, but quitting is a mistake," the older pegasus continued, "Star told me about why you wanted to be a Wonderbolt. To be respected. To be admired. To be a hero. To show creatures that mistakes don't have to be what define us. That sounds like top-notch Wonderbolt material to me."

"Golly, Starlight talked to you and now I'm getting what I want?" Cozy groaned, laying her head back, "Great."

"Stow the attitude, Recruit," Rainbow used her drill instructor voice, suppressing a smirk at the fact Cozy tensed up despite her injuries and misery, "If you think your mommy just negotiated for you to stay in, then you're even dumber than you look."

Cozy glared at Rainbow, irritation on her face and, more importantly, a fire in her eyes.

"As soon as you get back, you'll be working hard to catch up with the other recruits," the officer fluttered her wings, flying back and forth as she lectured, "You will wake up at the same time as the others, do the same workouts as the others, and go home at the same time as the others, do I make myself clear?"

Cozy narrowed her eyes.

"Doing the same workouts? What about catching up?"

"Studying, Recruit," Rainbow Dash pulled out a set of manuals from her flight jacket and tossed them onto Cozy's chest, "All the history, all the science, and all the maneuvers of the Wonderbolts. It's not enough just to be physically fit, after all."

Cozy recognized most of the manuals as from her locker. Well, raiding her locker was probably the least disrespectful thing Rainbow Dash had done to her since she'd enlisted. One manual wasn't hers, though, and it looked worn.

"What's this?" Cozy asked, opening it. A few names were written on the inside of the cover, the last two being Spitfire and Rainbow Dash.

"That's the officer's manual," Rainbow said, voice softening a little, "Upon successful completion of basic training, ambitious flyers with brains can try for a commission."

"I can't be commissioned," Cozy laughed at the absurdity of it, "I'm a former criminal! I was barely even let into the Wonderbolts!"

"Technically, your criminal record dates back to when you were a minor, and thus can't legally affect you during the selection process," Rainbow explained with a smirk, "And the officer program requires a bit of doing, but isn't impossible. Recommendations from creatures with influence, partly, and of course a recommendation from a commissioned officer, retired or otherwise."

"You're serious?" Cozy's eyes widened, "You'd... vouch for my commission?"

"Cozy Glow, I've never seen a pony take the kind of punishment I dished out on you for as long as you took it," Rainbow was completely serious, "You want this. You want this for reasons I can't even relate to. All I ever wanted to be was a Wonderbolt, and my only reason was because of the prestige. But you... You have awesome reasons for doing it! If you keep showing the same spirit you showed these past two weeks, then I would be honored to vouch for your commission."

Cozy Glow gaped, staring down at the manual in her hooves. It was obviously a personal item, handed down from one mentor to another. Cozy felt a warmth bloom in her chest and the fire of ambition reignite. She'd learned years ago not to fear her ambition when it was righteous. She could be a force for good, an example to others who had made terrible errors. She didn't have to be a villain or a pariah because of mistakes she made a lifetime ago. She could be everything she ever wanted to be.

"Tell my fellow recruits," Cozy shot her superior a confident smirk, "that it'll take more than a few sprains to keep me down."

"Just make sure your injuries heal, kid," Rainbow laughed, pleased by Cozy's fire. They said their goodbyes and the older mare was pleased to see Cozy staring at the poster again, but this time with an almost childlike wonderment in her eyes.

"Thank you, Rainbow," Sunburst's voice caught her by surprise as she was making for the front door. The stallion had tears in his eyes as he fixed his glasses, "It'll be awhile until Starlight cools down enough to tell you herself, but I want you to know that we are thankful for what you're doing."

"I'm just trying to fix my mistake," Rainbow blushed, "I shouldn't have treated her the way I did. I just couldn't believe she'd changed. I'm sorry."

"We all make mistakes," Sunburst chuckled at the mantra of their household, "Starlight will forgive you; actually, besides Fluttershy, you're probably the only one of her close friends who's really giving her a second chance now."

"What about Twilight?"

"Twilight's not entirely convinced..." the stallion shrugged, "She's busy with her job, you see. She tries to make time to visit us, always asking about Cozy Glow's progress. She's happy for Cozy, but there's always the suggestion... Well, you know what I mean."

Rainbow nodded. The princesses hadn't hesitated to lock Cozy Glow away in Tartarus as a filly - a prison designated for only the most dangerous creatures in Equestria. Looking back, it had seemed like a good idea at the time, but was now utterly ridiculous. Even when she had sided with Chrysalis, Sombra, and Tirek under Discord's stupid plan to boost the Elements' confidence, Cozy had still only been a filly with no unique powers - just some prejudice and an ambition to seize power. She was no more threatening than Gladmane or Filthy Rich, and they weren't even in jail, let alone Tartarus. Twilight couldn't be sure Cozy had changed - not 100% anyway - and while she supported the changes Cozy had made, it was clear there was always the threat of a relapse on most ponies' minds.

"Your daughter will be a Wonderbolt," Rainbow assuaged Sunburst's unspoken fears, "If she keeps doing what she's been doing, she'll wear the blue-and-gold in no time and move up the ranks. Might even move higher than me; she's got the brains to go far in the service. I guarantee, as soon as our friends see her in her first air show, their minds will change. Twilight and the others won't have any doubts anymore."

"Thanks," Sunburst's voice was frail, but warm, and he wiped tears from his eyes, feeling silly for getting so emotional. He cleared his throat, "Will you be staying for dinner?"

"It's probably best I get back home," the pegasus' ear twitched. She'd been hearing muffled hoofsteps and muted words from the basement since exiting Cozy's room. "I think dinner with Star right now might be a little... tense."

"That's putting it mildly," the unicorn snorted, "Don't be a stranger."

Rainbow Dash said her goodbyes and departed, flying towards Sweet Apple Acres. She felt lighter, younger. It had always been a pleasure helping young ponies achieve their dreams in Wonderbolts training, and Rainbow had taken pride in the fact her retention rate for recruits was the highest in the organization's history. The realization Cozy Glow was similar to her, had the same drive as her, made Rainbow almost giddy with anticipation. How far could she go? She hadn't been this excited since mentoring Scootaloo.

The future was looking bright.

Chapter 3

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The School of Friendship. One of the youngest institutions of learning in Equestria, and in just over a decade it had become one of the most prestigious as well. Creatures from all over came to learn about friendship (and a variety of other subjects, too), establishing diplomatic ties between nations that more often than not were at each other's throats or utterly apathetic. Now, with the combined efforts of the school, Twilight Sparkle's leadership, and Spike's diplomacy, the world was in the early dawn of a golden age.

The thought of a bright future for all living things did little to alleviate the annoyance Flurry Heart felt at the upcoming friendship exam. Despite her family, she was absolutely terrible at making friends with her fellow classmates. She'd griped about the situation to Chrysalis while they played a game of Hyperspace Hyperwars, waiting for Shining Armor to come home. The changeling queen had recommended a list of ponies that could help: Starlight Glimmer, Trixie Lulamoon, even Discord - redeemed 'villains'. They'd all had trouble making friends, and they were all unusual and beyond the pale. Friendship had been a completely foreign concept to them at first.

In the end, Flurry had decided to go to the student counselors. She was surprised to see a light-pink mare with a blue mane done up in curls in Apple Bloom's office.

"Ain't you supposed to be at Wonderbolt training or something?" the counselor asked in an annoyed drawl.

"Rainbow Dash encourages me to spend time with civilians instead of staying in the barracks all the time," the new mare explained in a fake-sweet tone, "Gosh, aren't you happy to see me?"

"Quit talking like that, Cozy Glow," Apple Bloom deadpanned, "Why try and get a job here? I thought you wanted to, I don't know... go into politics or something."

"Why does everypony think that?" Cozy scowled, then tsked, "Every creature..."

"You don't have to correct yourself every time, you know that right?" the other mare smiled, "So, you're really interested in working at the School?"

"I figured if Rainbow Dash could be a Wonderbolt and a teacher, there's no reason I can't try for both too," Cozy shrugged. Her own smile fell, her voice becoming more sincere. "I... know I've apologized about it before, but-"

"Let me stop you right there," the earth pony giggled, "What you did happened more than a decade ago, alright? The girls and I don't hold it against you. Oh! Hello, Flurry Heart!"

The filly flinched at being caught eavesdropping and decided to play it off like she'd just stopped by.

"Hey, Ms. Apple Bloom," she greeted with a chuckle, "Who's this?"

"This here's Cozy Glow," Apple Bloom smirked, "Old friend."

"Witty," Cozy returned the expression before shooting a neutral one at Flurry Heart, "Huh. Never seen an alicorn filly before. Aside from myself, anyways."

"...Right..." Flurry narrowed her eyes at the pegasus before addressing Apple Bloom in a poorly-concealed whisper, "So, are you guys branching out into psychiatry or something?"

Apple Bloom laughed out loud while Cozy only rolled her eyes. It figured this filly had no idea who she was; she must have been a baby when- Wait a minute! This filly had no idea who she was!

"You don't know me?" Cozy asked, eyes wide, "You've never heard the name Cozy Glow before?"

"I mean, it sounds kinda familiar," Flurry scratched her chin, "from Modern Equestrian History, I think. But, I was drifting in and out pretty bad. You another hero creatures overlook because of the Elements?"

"Cozy's Headmare Starlight's daughter," Apple Bloom explained. Cozy shot her a thankful look for the save.

"Really?" the alicorn eyed the pegasus skeptically, "I thought Luster Dawn was an only foal."

"I'm adopted, you little punk," Cozy said with a light scowl, but the heavy-eyeliner-wearing alicorn wasn't fazed.

"Uh, Cozy?" Apple Bloom interjected, "That's Princess Cadance's daughter. Y'know - the only pony ever to be born an alicorn?"

"Ah..." the pegasus blanched. If Flurry complained to her mother that Cozy had been aggressive... if the authorities found out she wasn't being nice and friendly, they'd think she'd had a relapse. She'd be in Tartarus faster than she could think. "S-sorry."

"What's with the sudden personality change?" Flurry snorted, "You worried you'll hurt my feelings? Relax; I might be a princess, but I'm not made of paper."

Cozy felt her anxiety die down a little, but she was still visibly shaken. She excused herself and left in a hurry. Flurry raised an eyebrow, but turned her attention to Apple Bloom.

"Friendship exams?" Apple Bloom guessed.

"I'm having a terrible time at it," the alicorn groaned, "The only one worse than me is Luster Dawn, but she gets to be a prodigy at literally everything else."

"You get to be an alicorn princess," the earth pony shrugged with a grin.

"Chrysalis suggested I talk to somebody about it."

"I think she meant for you to talk to someone with experience about how hard it is to make friends," Apple Bloom said, "The girls and I are better at answering questions like 'what do you wanna do when you grow up?'"

"I don't want to talk to Headmare Starlight, or Ms. Trixie," Flurry pouted, "and I really don't want to talk to Discord."

"Ah, but Discord's fun," Apple Bloom giggled. Seeing Flurry's discomfort, she asked, "Why don't you want to talk to any of them?"

"Because I can't relate to them," Flurry scoffed, "I know they all started off with no friends, but I don't know... I need someone closer to my age, someone who shares my interests."

"Someone closer to your age, huh?" Apple Bloom mused. Flurry had come to her, so if she were close enough in age to relate to, then... "Try talking to Cozy Glow."

"The mare that just left?" Flurry laughed, "She seemed a little crazy to me."

"You said you wanted someone you could relate to," the mare smirked.

"Your parents should have named you Apple Sass," Flurry rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright. I'll go find her."

The filly left as hastily as she could without being rude, searching for this so-called Cozy Glow. She ended up running right into one of her favorite professors. Bumping her head, Flurry Heart craned her neck to look up at the tall centaur. Everyone knew about the evil Tirek - a foreboding, magic-consuming monster who sought to destroy all magic. They'd all seen artful renditions of him as both a scrawny, emaciated schemer, and a muscular, powerful warlord. His current appearance was far more... dignified. Neither lanky, nor muscular, the centaur wore a black top with flowing sleeves and a hood, his ruddy face and long, white beard half-hidden in shadow. Through holes in his hood, his horns protruded - neither nubby nor massive. Despite his newfound balance providing him a stable, well-proportioned form, Tirek's appearance still looked villainous. He didn't look like a normal pony like Sombra or Cozy Glow, and he hadn't gone through a metamorphosis like Chrysalis had. His eyes still glinted from the shadows of his hood, and his smile rarely looked wholesome.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry, little one?" Tirek asked with a smirk. Most students got a creepy vibe from how he talked to them - like a predator would talk to prey - but Flurry didn't mind. If he was still interested in stealing the magic from Equestria, he had had ample opportunity to suck her dry whenever she was in class.

"Hello, Professor Tirek," Flurry greeted, "I'm looking for somepony. A mare I just met."

"Oh?" Tirek asked, curious. His tone no longer had the creepy-amused edge it usually did; now he was just being his true self.

"About the same age as Ms. Apple Bloom, Ms. Scootaloo, and Ms. Sweetie Belle," Flurry put her hoof level with a rough estimate of Cozy's height, "Pegasus, pinkish fur, light blue mane done up in curls. Had a chess piece for a cutie mark."

"Cozy Glow?" Tirek's eyes widened, "She came back here?"

"Back?" Flurry blinked in surprise, "Is she an alumnus?"

"You could say that..." Tirek looked away sheepishly. Out of all the redeemed villains, he was the least apologetic, but there was some guilt engraved on his features. "I haven't seen her."

"You okay, Professor?"

"I'm fine, Flurry," Tirek's yellow eyes flitted elsewhere, "You should check the library. She enjoys studying."

Flurry gave her thanks and went to search the library. Sure enough, there was Cozy Glow, poring over some books. Vice Headmare Sunburst stopped by to greet the mare - reminding Flurry Heart that her former teacher was now the adoptive father of this blue-maned mystery. Considering Sunburst had been almost like a second father to the alicorn, in a roundabout way the pegasus was almost like a sister. Sort of.

"Cozy Glow, right?" Flurry gave a cocky grin in an effort to ease the tension in the other mare, "Sup. It's me, Flurry Heart."

"H-hey," Cozy mumbled, turning her attention back to her book.

"Whatcha reading?" the alicorn asked, trying not to let her disappointment show. How could Professor Smolder manage to waltz up to every student, act cool, and immediately get them to warm up to her, but any effort Flurry ever made was a dead end?

"Just some history," the mare didn't look up or elaborate, so Flurry got into her personal space to take a look.

"Wonderbolts, huh?" the princess asked, then with a grin she added, "You know, my aunt is best friends with Rainbow Dash."

"I train under Captain Dash," Cozy let out a chuckle, a smile creeping onto her lips, "Was that supposed to impress me?"

"Oh look at that," Flurry feigned surprise, "she talks."

"Do you need something?" Cozy sighed, giving the filly her full attention.

"Now that you mention it..." Flurry avoided eye contact, "Friendship exams are coming up and I'm terrible with friends. Like... really bad. I tried talking to others about it, but they suggested I talk to you."

"To me?" Cozy guffawed before she could stop herself, "You're joking, right? They lied to you; I'm the worst at making friends. I started trying thirteen years ago, and I think Rainbow Dash and I are something like acquaintances - and I work with her almost everyday!"

"At least you have an acquaintance," Flurry rolled her eyes, "My only friend right now is my stepmom - who I spent the last five years hating."

"What about all these students?" Cozy gestured around her, indicating the school and not just the empty library, "I mean, you're a princess for crying out loud! Friends should be lining up!"

"Yeah, you'd think that," Flurry grimaced, "I don't like being bubbly and cutesy. Apparently that turns a lot of creatures off."

"Why not just pretend to be bubbly?" Cozy smirked, "It's pretty easy; I used to do it all the time."

"How'd that turn out for you?" Flurry asked in a deadpan.

"So, are you the Princess of Mouthing Off?" Cozy glared at the filly, "Look, ask anybody about me and you'll see I'm not the pony to talk to about friends."

"I'd rather hear it from you," Flurry took a seat next to the mare, "Even Professor Tirek didn't want to talk about it. What in Equestria happened?"

"Wow, you really need to pay attention in class, kid," Cozy chuckled darkly, "Nothing much happened. I just lied and cheated my way into taking over the school, turned the pony students against the non-ponies, and then tried to destroy all magic in Equestria which would have destroyed life as we know it."

Cozy's forced smile was edged with pain and quiet frustration. She waited for the filly to doubt her, or to cringe back in repulsion, but instead young Flurry Heart let out a whistle.

"Wow, really?" she started laughing, "That's pretty metal! You almost destroyed all the magic in Equestria?"

"...In the world, actually," Cozy furrowed her brow. Sweet Celestia, was she this odd as a filly? Cozy was fine with it, but she knew that nearly any other creature would have felt uncomfortable around any pony that could laugh in the face of total annihilation. "It's not funny. I served a sentence in Tartarus - twice - before Starlight and Sunburst rescued me. I've... made a lot of mistakes."

"Sorry," Flurry sobered up, "How old were you when this happened?"

"Eight or so," the pegasus shrugged. Now the alicorn looked horrified.

"They put a filly in Tartarus?" Flurry shuddered. Cozy had been younger than her! Tartarus was a prison for monsters who posed a serious, physical danger to the world; not a powerless filly who had already been exposed as a liar!

"They almost imprisoned me in stone..." Cozy had a distant look on her face now, something like terror in her eyes, "I've already been forgiven twice... if I mess up again, I- they could..."

"Whoa, stay with me, Cozy," the princess chuckled nervously, "That was years ago. You're joining the Wonderbolts, and your parents work for one of the most prestigious institutions in Equestria. You can relax."

"What about you, kid?" the pegasus deflected, trying to distract herself from creeping anxiety, "You mentioned a stepmom? I thought you were a princess?"

"Yeah, well, apparently the Princess of Love doesn't live up to her title," Flurry spat out, "You'd think an all-powerful alicorn whose domain is familial and romantic affection would have chosen a husband she could be with for eternity, but no!"

"Gosh, that's awful!" Cozy said. Despite dropping her fake, sugary attitude for most conversations, much of her false mannerisms had become second-nature to her, especially when she was trying to be genuinely kind. She simply didn't know a better way to act when trying to be nice.

"It's... whatever," Flurry blew a loose strand of her mane out of her face, "It's just hard to find creatures who can relate, y'know? My mom does such a good job with keeping love flowing that few marriages end in divorce. Ironic, right?"

"Wow, so you get two sets of parents?" Cozy whistled much like Flurry had earlier. The filly shot her a disbelieving look. "Sorry, heh."

At the comment, Flurry realized something had been on her mind regarding the mare.

"Wait, you were adopted?"

"I know you're struggling in your classes, but did you really forget that quickly?" Cozy smirked.

"What I mean is, what about your real parents?" Flurry asked, "I mean, somebody raised you, right? You had an education before coming to the School of Friendship?"

"Equestria is filled with a surprising amount of orphans, kid," the mare frowned, "Apparently turning to villainy isn't uncommon for us."

The conversation turned into a stilted silence as the pair were uncertain of what to do or say. Cozy wondered how she could possibly help the filly with friendship exams in the first place. Her only friend-making experiences had been in an effort gain power. After she'd given up on designs for vengeance, she'd given friendship a genuine effort, but no one her age wanted to be friends with her. After a few years of trying, only the Cutie Mark Crusaders and the Student Six - ever the altruists - had accepted her, but she was always just the secondary friend.

"So... will you help me study?" Flurry Heart asked at last.

"What, seriously?" the pegasus' lip curled in distaste, "Sure. Because I clearly have nothing better to do." She held up her own study material to emphasize the point.

"I'll take your sarcasm as permission," Flurry teleported the books out of Cozy's hooves and replaced them with a copy of her textbook.

"Oh goody," Cozy sighed, looking at the cover and noting in a bored tone, "The Compendium of Companionship. Fourth Edition. Wow-ee, back in my day it was in the first edition."

"Oh hey, you're in the book," Flurry snickered, "I checked the index."

"Fantastic. Can we just focus-"

"Found it!" the alicorn began reading the text, "'Forgiveness is a key component to companionship. Throughout Equestria's history there have been many villains, creatures who have abused power and nearly brought ruin to the entire world. Names like Nightmare Moon, Discord, Tirek, Chrysalis, Sombra, and Cozy Glow have become bywords for disharmony and terror in cationary horror stories for years.'"

"Golly, putting me on the level of Nightmare Moon and Discord," Cozy sighed, "Then again, I did try to take Discord's powers for myself, and I was an alicorn who attempted to overthrow Princess Celestia, so I guess that fits."

"Wait, when was this?" Flurry did a double-take, "I thought you tried to destroy all magic in Equestria?"

"This was after I was busted out of Tartarus," Cozy waved a hoof, dismissively.

"Dude, could you get any cooler?" Flurry cackled, "Anyway, shush! I didn't finish reading yet! 'Despite the severity of their actions, each was given multiple attempts at redemption. They struggled to embrace the ideals of harmony, even stumbling into graver and graver mistakes, but in the end each of the aforementioned creatures turned over a new leaf. They are exemplars of the virtue of forgiveness, of never giving up on someone even when they are trapped in darkness.'"

Cozy Glow felt something in her chest that was unfamiliar but not entirely unwelcome. It was a sort of lightness, as if she felt... lifted up. It was almost terrifying how foreign the sensation was, making her almost giddy.

"Let's just get started, alright?" Cozy said, quietly, opening her own textbook.

They spent several hours studying before Flurry decided it was late and she should get home. Cozy found it odd she could go home while others couldn't, and Flurry explained that - as royalty - normal rules didn't apply to her. Oh, and she could teleport across the country, so why share a dorm? Cozy noted she might learn more about friendship if she had a roommate, which left the alicorn introspective before she departed.

The pegasus, for her part, packed up and met her adoptive parents in front of the school.

"Hey, sweetie," Starlight greeted. Cozy had gotten used to the motherly side of her years ago, but it had been a bit of a shock when she was younger. Starlight had always been so young and cool, hardly the one you'd expect to call someone 'sweetie'.

"Hey, mom, dad," Cozy nodded to each of them as she approached. Sunburst and Starlight's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

"You just... called us..." Sunburst's jaw was slightly slack.

"You called me 'mom'!" Starlight had tears in her eyes and a smile that would put Pinkie Pie to shame, "Oh my gosh! Give me a hug!"

"Gah!" Cozy cried out as she was roped into the embrace. Sunburst had attempted to turn and flee, but Starlight snagged his cape and dragged him back. "It's not that big of a deal, is it? I mean, I've called you guys 'mom' and 'dad' before!"

"No you haven't," Starlight frowned as she ended the hug.

"What? Really? Not even once?"

"No," Sunburst shook his head, thankful to be able to breathe again.

"Oh..." Cozy suddenly felt very guilty for that, "Sorry for that."

"Apologizing, too?" Starlight snorted, "What's gotten into you, Cozy?"

"Are you okay, honey?" Sunburst looked a little concerned.

"Yeah," the pegasus gave an amused grunt, "I was talking to a student and realized... I'm really lucky."

"You knew that already," her father looked uncomfortable, "you've always talked about how you only escaped 'justice' because you were lucky..."

"Which isn't true, sweetie," her mother added, sternly, "you deserved another chance, and you've proved yourself. Luck had nothing to do with that."

"No, no, not that," Cozy felt that lightness again and it was a little less overwhelming this time, "I meant, I'm really lucky to have parents like you."

Now both the older ponies were stunned and struggling not to cry. To help them save face, Cozy brought them back into a group hug so she couldn't see them cry. They could be so emotional sometimes, always fretting over her, always so proud of her. Cozy blinked as she realized she was crying too. It was a weird sensation, crying but not feeling sad. She felt silly for it and a laugh escaped her lips.

They all had a good laugh before going home.

Chapter 4

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Flurry Heart sighed as she came home from another day at school. Teleportation had always been one of her greatest strengths in magic, being one of the things she learned in infancy. Now, teleporting across Equestria to her mother's castle in the Crystal Empire seemed like child's play. She'd considered just teleporting straight to her room, but for some habitual reason she always teleported in front of her parents' homes and came in through the front door.

Maybe on some level I actually like being greeted by them... she thought to herself.

Sure, her relationship with Chrysalis had improved astronomically, and while it felt a little premature, Flurry Heart considered her stepmother her closest friend (not that that was hard considering she didn't have any friends), but she had yet to build any kind of rapport with her stepfather. Taking a deep breath and reminding herself of her friendship lessons, Flurry entered the castle.

"Mom! Sombra!" she made sure to call out her stepfather's name too, though it still felt weird, "I'm home!"

Then he appeared.

Dark gray fur, a mane as black as coal, and jaundiced eyes with irises of red flame. Even out of his ceremonial attire, even after his reformation, he still stood regally and had a dark aura around him. Flurry Heart had learned a good deal about umbrals from her mother and knew that the shadow ponies were just like that by nature, that she shouldn't hold it against them, but... well, when your great-aunt was the Princess of the Sun and had been held up as the pinnacle of virtue for so long, a repulsion towards beings of darkness was sort of ingrained in your psyche.

"How was school, little one?" Sombra asked in his husky voice. Unlike Chrysalis, the King's kindness wasn't sickly-sweet, just obviously forced. It was clear he still wasn't used to modern pony customs, or even speech in general. His lips twisted in an effort at a smile, revealing his pointy teeth. "Did you make any new friends?"

"New friends?" Flurry smirked as she teleported her saddlebags to her room, "I don't even have one friend!"

"What about the mare who's helping you study for those exams?" Sombra asked as he moved aside to let the filly pass.

"Cozy Glow?" Flurry asked, failing to notice her stepfather tense behind her, "She's, like... in her twenties. I mean, she's cool, but can you be friends with someone almost ten years older than you?" Flurry tapped her chin, "Or maybe she's only about six years?"

"Your friend is Cozy Glow?" the umbral chuckled, drawing his stepdaughter's attention.

"Yeah? Why's that funny?" Flurry shot a look back Sombra.

"I just think it's amusing," the King confessed, "After all, Cozy is a former villain - one of the greatest in Equestria's history, like yours truly - but acts like a sweet and innocent filly. Meanwhile, you're an alicorn princess, the daughter of the lovely Princess Cadance and the stoic Shining Armor, niece to the ruler of all of Equestria, and yet you act and dress like a villain."

"It's called punk, Sombra," Flurry rolled her eyes.

"I don't think your mother would appreciate me calling you a punk," the umbral smirked, "Villain seemed more appropriate because of the dark aesthetic. The fixation on fire and spikes helps, too."

"You would be the expert on that, wouldn't you?" the alicorn sighed as her stepfather laughed. Unlike with Chrysalis, her biting comments only seemed to amuse Sombra. Though, truthfully, her words no longer held any venom since she found herself hating her step parents less and less. "Didn't you work with Cozy Glow?"

"Yes," Sombra hissed out - a holdover from his phantasmal days, "Out of all of us, I think she was perhaps the most wicked. Chrysalis and Tirek are parasites by nature, so it is no surprise that they should have been villains. I am a creature of shadow and darkness, and my quest for power - as well as my heritage - drove me insane. All three of us struggle with the burdens of our blood, struggle to hold back our lusts and natures lest they see us destroy everything."

For the first time Flurry Heart thought she could see the remorse in Sombra's features. When it came to being apologetic, he was right up there with Tirek in not seeming to care. Now, in a rare moment, Flurry could see that he did understand his actions were wrong and regretted them. The filly also realized that Sombra, Chrysalis, and Tirek were likely next to helpless to stop themselves. After all, Chrysalis and Tirek gained strength from sapping others' energy; it only made sense to them that such a place was their role in nature, and that the only limit to their growth was by how much they could take. They probably hadn't known another way until Celestia and her followers arrived, and of course they'd resist such a challenge to their beliefs.

"But Cozy Glow," Sombra continued, returning the princess to the moment, "she was just a filly. An orphan, I think, but still a filly. There didn't seem to be any trauma in her background, no negative influences, no dark heritage, no hidden nature driving her appetites... Just a desire to be all-powerful and a total disregard for others. Even when our entourage bonded as villains, she would still have stabbed any of us in the back."

"She doesn't seem that way now," Flurry felt oddly offended by Sombra's comments and defended the mare. Sombra eyed her in surprise, then gave an almost fatherly smile.

"No, of course not," the King stated, "I'm actually quite proud of her. Out of all of us, she is the most thoroughly-reformed. Even I have relapses from time to time, and your mother - bless her - helps me through them," Sombra frowned, "I think she's terrified, though. I've only seen her at our annual get-togethers, but there's always an edge of terror to her."

"Yeah, she seems to think that if she so much as looks at a picture of Celestia the wrong way, they'll turn her to stone or something," Flurry rolled her eyes, "I think it's ridiculous."

"Yes, well," Sombra cleared his throat, returning to his usual demeanor, "you've been more amicable lately. Are things going well with Chrysalis?"

"We've started talking, yes," Flurry sniffed, acting dismissive.

"And playing Hyperspace Hyperwars, apparently," the King smirked, "Auroral Specters? I'm flattered."

"Oh, hush," Flurry rolled her eyes, "I didn't pick that army because of you. I picked them because they were dark and edgy."

"Dark an edgy," Sombra gave a wry chuckle, "From you that's almost a compliment."

"Anyway, where's mom?" Flurry decided to change the topic, "Fixing one of your mistakes?"

"I fail to see how increasing the Royal Guard was a mistake," Sombra wasn't amused.

"You tried to build a standing army," the alicorn deadpanned, "and you press-ganged half the population into service!"

"It should be considered an honor to serve..." Sombra muttered, "No, your mother isn't... balancing my eccentricities. Cadance is helping counsel a family right now."

"Ah, I see," Flurry nodded.

Cadance had taken some convincing by Starlight and Sunburst to support the reformation of villains. Sombra and Chrysalis had been two of her oldest enemies, and the most dangerous. Both were the things of nightmares, and both had left mental scars on the mare. Yet, she had been swayed by the redeemed villainess to give them a chance. Truth be told, it had also been recommended by Twilight as a pet project, something to keep her mind off of the divorce with Shining Armor. While helping reform the villains, Cadance had taken an interest in Sombra in particular, obviously. Even years after his successful reformation, Cadance found herself interested in helping others with therapy, counseling, and all manner of soul-searching works. She frequently helped families with misunderstood young, or unstable mental disorders, and Sombra often helped too.

"She is a goddess," Sombra mused aloud, startling his stepdaughter, "I've never met anyone so compassionate, so... so forgiving. After everything I'd done to her, to her kingdom, to her family, she was always willing to give me another chance. In my rages, she calmed me. In my despair, she guided me. Your mother's love and guidance is a thing of beauty, a thing that makes her physical beauty a paltry thing by comparison," the umbral gave a wicked grin, "not to say that she isn't also quite alluring."

"Gross," Flurry gagged, "Why'd you have to go and ruin such a touching speech with that? I get it, you guys are married; I don't need the details!"

"Sorry," the King's chuckle said he was anything but, "Cadance will join us for dinner."

"I don't suppose you play Hyperspace Hyperwars?" Flurry asked, clearing her throat.

"I read the literature when I'm bored, and I appreciate the dramatic, over-the-top background, but no, I do not play the game," Sombra grunted, "It's fun to watch, but the rules aren't to my liking. I see the value in using dice to symbolize the fickle fortunes of war, but I prefer games of pure strategy, like chess."

"You're so old," Flurry laughed.

"Yes, well..." Sombra cleared his throat, "Everypony still plays chess the same way as back in my day, but how many editions has your silly game gone through in the last ten years alone?"

"Ooo, touche," the alicorn smirked. It fell after a moment as her thoughts returned to school. "Did you know I'm the only student at the School of Friendship who's allowed to come home every night?"

"As is your right as royalty," Sombra grunted, "I don't understand why most of the pony students live on campus, anyway. Half the students there live in Ponyville; why stay in dorms?"

"Cozy Glow suggested it'd be a good way to make friends if I lived in a dorm."

"Did she now?" the umbral mused, "Ironic how you seem to keep asking the worst creatures about how to make friends. You know, outside of your mother and the other redeemed villains, my only friend is Spike?"

"Wait, you're friends with Uncle Spike?" Flurry did a double-take.

"I'm as surprised as you, but he was pretty persistent," Sombra shrugged, "Nice guy. He lets me borrow his comics."

Flurry stifled a laugh. Ever since calming down and adjusting to the age of modern ponies, Sombra had taken an uncharacteristic liking to comic books and other media most ponies considered childish or over-the-top. He likened them to ancient sagas, with tales of heroes battling difficult foes. Which, really, most of them were inspired by such things. As much as Flurry hated to admit it, Sombra had influenced a lot of her aesthetic choices in life. Even at the height of her fear and repulsion towards the stallion, he'd still managed to entertain her with his war and horror stories. Cadance had initially been opposed to such an influence, but seeing as how it was literally the only thing Sombra could bond with his stepdaughter over (and the fact it also improved her relationship with Shining Armor, a warrior), the Princess of Love had let it slide.

"I don't have many friends," Flurry admitted, "I just... don't fit in with most ponies. I guess that's why I turn to you guys for advice - because you're the only ones who have been there."

Sombra's expression softened considerably. He looked more like a normal stallion in that moment than he'd ever had before, the usual edge of restrained madness completely absent.

"I don't understand how you could possibly have trouble making friends," the King confessed, "I see so much of your parents in you."

Flurry blushed. Despite her resentment towards her parents for their divorce, she still loved both of them and held them up on a pedestal for their virtues. To be likened to them made her feel oddly validated.

"I'm nothing like them," she murmured.

"Do not be foolish, girl," Sombra growled lightly, "I do not lie to make others feel better. You have your father's courage and your mother's compassion. You're as open-minded and intelligent as either of them. Self-pity doesn't become you."

"Self-pity?" Flurry scowled, "Hey, listen gramps, you might be sharing my mom's bed, but that doesn't give you the right to lecture me!"

"There it is," Sombra smirked, a glimmer of pride in his eye.

"There what is?" the alicorn narrowed her eyes.

"Your spirit. Your fire!" Sombra cackled, "Out of all your qualities, that is what I see in you that is exactly like your parents."

Flurry muttered a string of curses under her breath, face flushed even harder at the compliments. The King only chuckled as he decided to leave the filly to her own devices until dinner. Flurry went to her room, still muttering mild obscenities at her stepfather's expense. After a few minutes to cool down, she pursed her lips and opened the drawer of her dresser, levitating a framed photo she usually kept hidden. It was the last photo she had taken with both of her parents as a family. She felt a smile tug her lips and an old pain in her heart, a feeling of loss for what had been.

But, she reminded herself, if they hadn't divorced, Chrysalis and Sombra would have probably turned out very different.

Did she care if they were different? Thinking back to her newfound friendship with Chrysalis, with Sombra's oddly encouraging words, and the fact she sometimes found it easier to fit in with the outcast former villains, Flurry realized that she did care if they changed. She liked the way they were.

Ugh, what's happening to me? Flurry pushed the thoughts away.

She passed the hours until dinner studying, but her mind kept wandering back to school and other creatures her age. Luster Dawn, naturally, as she was one of the most famous ponies at the school and the protege of Twilight Sparkle. Others, like the Cake Twins, several dragons and griffins, and - while not her age - Cozy Glow. It still surprised her that Cozy was Luster's older sister, but then again, Luster never discussed her personal life with anyone; she barely talked to anyone at all. Students often forgot she was the daughter of the headmare.

By the time dinner rolled around, the alicorn was lost in thought, poking at her food while Cadance made small talk with her husband. Eventually, however, the mother noticed her daughter's funk and looked to Sombra with a raised eyebrow. He shot her a smirk that told her he wasn't responsible this time. That was a surprise; usually Flurry Heart only brooded when Sombra bothered her with some existential dilemma.

"How was school, sweetie?" Cadance asked, not expecting a real answer.

"It was okay," her daughter shrugged, surprising her, "I... actually, something about school has been bugging me."

"Really?" Cadance's eyes widened and she felt her pulse quicken. Was her daughter actually going to talk to her about something? She'd heard from Shining Armor that she had finally opened up to Chrysalis, and the fact made Cadance burn with envy. "What's bugging you, sweetie?"

"Why don't I stay in the dorms like the other students?" she asked.

"Because most students can't teleport home, sweetie," Cadance giggled.

"Yeah, but... a lot of ponies live within walking distance of their homes," the youngest alicorn sucked air in through her teeth, "and some live within flying distance. Most students only get to visit home on holidays, but I get to teleport home every night... It doesn't seem fair."

Cadance shot another look at her husband, but Sombra only shrugged. Clearly this wasn't his doing, though he seemed pleased with Flurry's behavior.

"I want to live in a dorm," Flurry stated, looking her mom in the eye sternly. The two stared at each other for awhile, the mother's mouth hanging open. "I think it'll help me with the finals."

"Finals?" Cadance came out of her stupor, "The friendship exams?"

"Yes," the filly groaned, "Cozy Glow suggested I move into-"

"Cozy Glow?!" her mother gasped, sitting up straighter, "When did you talk to Cozy Glow?"

"Earlier this week," Flurry waved a dismissive hoof, "Anyway, she said-"

"Where did you even meet her?" Cadance grimaced, "Last I heard she was training to become a Wonderbolt."

"I met her at school; she's a new teacher."

"They let her teach?"

"Well, assist in teaching and substitute," Flurry clarified, "What gives, mom? Usually you're telling me not to judge others for their past actions."

"Yes, of course," her mother cleared her throat, embarrassed, "It's just... Cozy Glow is very different from creatures like Discord, or Chrysalis, or Sombra. She doesn't really have a reason to behave the way she does; no dark or chaotic nature, no-"

"Yeah, Sombra gave me this speech already," Flurry rolled her eyes, "I think she has a perfectly good reason."

"What? What reason would explain why she nearly destroyed the world just for power?" Cadance furrowed her brow, "She wasn't under any supernatural influences, or anything."

"How about the fact she's an orphan and never grew up without someone to guide her?" Flurry crossed her forelegs and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

Cadance cast a sidelong glance at Sombra, wondering if he had somehow been responsible for imparting such information to the filly. She inhaled sharply as she thought of how to frame her thoughts to her rebellious daughter.

"How much do you know about her crimes?"

"She told me that she nearly destroyed the world and was locked in Tartarus at the age of eight," Flurry explained, looking unamused, "which is sort of interesting that Headmare Starlight almost destroyed the world and was given a chance at redemption."

"Cozy was given the same offer," Cadance began.

"Back in my day, if a foal misbehaved so, we'd take such a choice from them," Sombra ground out, "Making an offer like that to a clearly disturbed filly... what did your sister-in-law think was going to happen? That she'd suddenly be right in the head and see the error of her ways?"

"We... didn't think about illnesses of the mind back then," Cadance bit her lip, feeling a flush of shame. Celestia hadn't exactly set the precedent for permanently banishing creatures Equestria didn't know how to deal with, but she had certainly made the practice a state institution. Tartarus existed for just such a reason, and who could ever forget about Nightmare Moon's or Discord's punishments? "We've learned since then."

"And now Cozy Glow is cool," Flurry said, hurriedly, "I mean, I think she was cool back then, too; how many other ponies can say they've nearly conquered Equestria?"

Sombra smirked as he made to raise his hoof, but Cadance shot him a severely-disapproving look. Instinctively, he lowered his foreleg.

"But, she's cool now," Flurry continued, "like, she doesn't want to conquer the world, or any of that. She just... wants to be a Wonderbolt."

"A Wonderbolt?" Sombra's eyebrows shot up, "One of those flashy, regimented, athletes? Cozy Glow was never one for physicality or obeying orders."

"Why does she want to be a Wonderbolt?" Cadance asked, likewise confused.

"To make friends, I guess," Flurry shrugged, suddenly feeling like maybe she shouldn't be flaunting the information, "She's filled with a lot of remorse - like... a scary amount. Seems to think at any moment, Aunt Twily will change her mind and turn her to stone if she makes a mistake."

"That's ridiculous," the Princess of Love giggled, "She has nothing to fear from Twilight, right honey?"

Sombra stared at his food, thoughtful. For the first time in a long time, Cadance wondered if her husband's rehabilitation was absolute. There was no chance of him returning to villainy, of course; she trusted him a great deal not to. What bothered her was the possibility he still feared retribution, that he still felt his crimes were too severe to forgive and the alicorns might turn on him.

"I think so, too," Flurry scoffed, "I mean, it's obvious she's changed - just as much as Chrysalis or Sombra. You'd have to be nuts not to see it, not to see how hard they try to live a normal life after nearly ruling the world."

The filly blushed and covered her mouth, embarrassed that what she said was dangerously close to praise for her step-parents. Sombra gave a soft smile, very different from his usual smirks and grins. Her mother was now the one who looked deep in contemplation, weighing Flurry Heart with a neutral expression.

"I'm very proud of you, sweetie," Cadance said at last, her tones filled with a genuine pride that made the filly go rigid in surprise, "Here I am, married to a reformed villain, always lecturing you about second chances, and I dismissively judged your new friend, whom I haven't seen in at least half a decade. I'm so proud that you stand up for your friends."

Flurry's blush deepend as she murmured an approximation of thanks and returned to her meal in relative silence. Friends? Was Cozy Glow her friend? The idea was dizzying as she considered it. For years the youngest alicorn had contemplated what friendship even was, an outcast by her status, her personality, her appearance, and her very nature. She'd never felt the sensation of friendship and struggled to understand it, something that infuriated her as the Princess of Friendship was her aunt and her closest mentor after Sunburst. The idea that she might finally have a friend caused a heady mix of emotions...

...including no small part of happiness.

Chapter 5

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Cozy Glow wiped the sweat from her brow, grimacing and muttering a dark string of curses as she gave another swift kick to the tree. She felt only a small sense of satisfaction as she watched the last of the apples drop into her bucket, her frustration and humiliation from her poor applebucking overriding any sense of accomplishment at finishing a tree.

It didn't help that every member of the Apple family present was going through trees like a scythe went through wheat.

"Don't feel bad, kid," Cozy tensed as she heard her superior's voice from above her. Looking up, the young pegasus saw Rainbow Dash reclining on a small tuft of cloud above the tree, eating an apple. "I'm not good at applebucking either; it's not really a thing pegasi are good at."

"Then why did you encourage me to volunteer to help Apple Bloom during the harvest?" Cozy demanded, her tone barely respectful with all-too-obvious effort. The Wonderbolt captain snorted in amusement at how poor of an actress Cozy had become over the years.

"You wanted to be a Wonderbolt to make friends, right?" Rainbow asked as she glided down to land beside her recruit, "From what you've told me, Apple Bloom, Scoots, and Sweetie Belle wouldn't take much to be your friends. Heck, my former students would probably be interested, too."

"Let's... not get ahead of ourselves," Cozy grimaced at the idea of having to try and ingratiate herself with so many of her former enemies.

Apple Bloom was one thing; she was a counselor, and even compared to her fellow counselors she was open-minded and balanced in humors. Scootaloo seemed likely to forgive her, but they shared few interests and the other pegasus' excitability made Cozy uncomfortable. As for Sweetie Belle, well... the unicorn had a legendary temper and capacity to hold grudges despite her generally sweet nature. As for the Student Six, perhaps Sandbar would forgive her with his laidback demeanor, or Silverstream and Ocellus with their kindness, but Yona? Gallus? Smolder? Those three would take some convincing.

"They're good creatures, Glow," Rainbow assured the younger mare, "They don't hold a grudge. Besides, I've been making sure to put in a good word for you as often as possible!" the Wonderbolt beamed, then looked away sheepishly. "Sort of my way to make up for... y'know, almost putting you in an iron lung."

"Golly, that sure was nice of you," Cozy's sarcasm was obvious. She began to move the bucket of apples then glared back at the pegasus. "Wait, isn't Applejack your wife?"

"Uh, well..." Rainbow spluttered, blushing, "W-wife is a little... sudden, w-we think, uh... I mean, it's certainly been, uh..."

"What I mean is that you two live together, right?" the younger mare sighed.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Why aren't you helping on the farm, then?"

"Because Rainbow's about as handy on a farm as a rattlesnake in a habberdashery," Applejack cut in as she approached with her siblings to help, "Which is to say, not at all."

"Love you too," Rainbow retorted in a deadpan.

"Thanks for offering to help us, Cozy Glow," Apple Bloom beamed as she effortlessly picked up and balanced the bucket the pegasus had filled atop her head, "I'm impressed; outta all my friends, I've been the only one who could finish a whole tree off by myself. Well, until now, anyway."

"Friends?" Cozy's eyes widened at the implication, "Do you, uh... consider me...?"

She stopped herself, wincing and feeling embarrassed at how childishly desperate her question felt.

"Do I consider you a friend?" Apple Bloom gathered, then giggled, "Of course I do, Cozy. I mean, I wouldn't have invited you to the farm earlier otherwise. I confess, I'd like it if we could spend more time together, maybe doing something fun."

"Gosh!" the pegasus exclaimed, then blushed at the excited outburst, trying to regain her poise, "That sounds enjoyable."

Cozy helped carry a few of the apple buckets to the barn before Applejack and Big Mac encouraged Apple Bloom and her to take the rest of the day off to hang out. Apple Bloom explained that the three of them, and Granny Smith, had managed the farm all alone for so many years, but with the addition of Sugar Belle, Rainbow Dash, and Big Mac and Sugar Belle's foals, it was even easier to manage the farm. Admittedly, Apple Bloom's niece and nephew weren't quite up to the job yet, but they were old enough to help with certain tasks.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Apple Bloom asked as they left the barn and headed towards the exit of Sweet Apple Acres.

"What?" Cozy cocked an eyebrow, unsure how to proceed, "What do you mean?"

"Well, normally when ponies hang out, they do something," the earth mare giggled, "What do you like to do?"

Cozy Glow thought it over. She'd developed a few hobbies from being raised by Starlight and Sunburst, but she wasn't sure how much fun Apple Bloom would have with them. Studying artifacts and bones wasn't exactly a universally-enjoyed hobby, and flying kites probably wasn't either. Reading? No, she couldn't suggest that!

"What do you like doing?" Cozy asked instead.

Apple Bloom frowned.

"You don't have to just do what I want to do, Cozy Glow," the mare explained, "I'm just curious is all."

"To be honest, I'm just excited to be spending time with a... a friend," Cozy gave a small smile, but it fell, "and... I really don't know what kinds of things ponies are supposed to do together."

"All sorts of things!" Apple Bloom declared, "Oh! I know! How about we meet up with the girls and go shopping?"

"Oh, uh, I-I don't know, that's not really necessary..." Cozy blanched.

"Wow, you must not like shopping," the earth mare chuckled, "What if we all just got lunch, then?"

Cozy Glow stayed quiet, straining and feeling to look comfortable. Apple Bloom's eyes widened as she realized what was bugging the other mare.

"Wait, do you not want to hang out with Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle?"

"What?!" the pegasus' reaction was all the answer Apple Bloom needed, "Th-that's not it! I... Um..."

"You don't like them?" Apple Bloom tried to process how anyone could not like her best friends.

"No! I just... I feel... really..." Cozy struggled to find the words, shifting in discomfort, "I'm worried they don't like me."

Apple Bloom stared at the other mare for a length of time before letting out a loud laugh, unintentionally making Cozy's face flush in embarrassment. Seeing what effect her laughter had, the earth mare queited herself.

"I'm sorry, Cozy Glow, but that just caught me offguard," she explained, "Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo have been bugging me to hang out with you since I told them we were friends. They're so excited that you're finally opening up, and they want to be your friends!"

"...Really?" Cozy struggled to believe that, "I mean, after everything I did-"

"For the love of Celestia, not this again..." Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, "Cozy, it's been over a decade, alright? Besides, the worst you did to us personally was lock us in a closet. Trust me, we don't hold that against you."

Cozy stayed silent for a moment, looking at the ground, processing her feelings. When she finally looked up, she forced confidence into the expression.

Look at how much I've changed, the mare thought to herself in amusement, I used to be able to lie through my teeth, and I almost never lacked for confidence, but now even the idea of getting lunch with three mares makes my heart race in panic! I guess having loving parents for 13 years will do that to a filly.

"Alright," she nodded, "lunch sounds good."
...

Flurry Heart let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she stood before the door. Headmare Starlight Glimmer was still standing beside her, just behind her, waiting for the filly to make the decision of her own volition. Seeing Flurry's anxiety stretch on, however, the headmare decided to be a little more proactive.

"Did you know my daughter studied under your aunt, Princess Twilight?" she asked, suddenly.

"Which daughter?" Flurry returned, putting up a feeble smirk.

"Luster Dawn," Starlight explained, pleased that Flurry respected Cozy Glow's relationship with her. "She was a prodigy, you know. Magic, science - everything, really. She's nearly as powerful as me and only a filly, and a genius. Cozy was so jealous growing up; I think she was relieved when Luster went away to study in Canterlot."

"Why is she back here?" Flurry asked. "I mean, Aunt Twily told me she didn't finish training under Celestia until she was a mare. Luster Dawn's smart, but I don't think she's smart enough to finish her apprenticeship under a princess as a filly."

"I finished my friendship lessons in only a year," Starlight chuckled, "but you're right - she didn't graduate. Twilight realized that there was something she couldn't teach Luster, and it was the same thing Celestia couldn't teach Twilight when she was younger: friendship. So, Twilight figured, where's the best place to study friendship?"

"The School of Friendship?" Flurry guessed.

"Bingo!" the headmare giggled. "I was excited to have my youngest daughter move back in, but..." the smile on the mare's face faltered, "she was different. More confident, but... distant, somehow. Self-assured, arrogant even... Well, I'm sure you know."

"Everybody knows about Luster Dawn," Flurry snorted, "no offense. What's your point?"

"Living here, in the dorms... it's helped her, even if only a little," Starlight elaborated, "and I think you're making the right decision. I think it'll help you, too."

"It's funny that you mention Luster," the alicorn noted, "since Cozy was the one who suggested the idea of moving in to me. Anyway, speaking of that... who's my dormmate?"

"Ah, yes... well, that's a good question..." Starlight cleared her throat, suddenly looking nervouse. "I wasn't sure where the best place to put you was. The other faculty and I discussed it, and... you should know it wasn't my idea."

"That's as unnerving as it is unhelpful," Flurry deadpanned. "Who are you rooming me with? Professor Tirek?"

"That'd be scandalous," Starlight muttered under her breath. "No, none of that. You'll be bunking with our resident prodigy."

"You can't be serious."

"Again, it wasn't my idea, but..." Starlight rolled her shoulders, "I mean, it is a good idea, really."

"Putting the two smartest students who are the worst at making friends together?" Flurry scoffed. "Oh yeah, brilliant! If you were writing a sitcom!"

"Look, I'm gonna level with you," Starlight lowered her voice, "Luster could use a friend in order to better understand friendship, but she's so... confident."

"Confident?"

"That's the word we'll use," the headmare explained. "She tends to drive others away by being a little... well, belittling."

"You're really selling this, you know that?"

"Look, creatures are intimidated by her because she's my daughter. No one is willing to talk to her like an equal because they're afraid I'll punish them or something, but you..."

"...I'm a princess," Flurry Heart sighed, then mulled it over.

Really, Luster was in a similar boat to her. They were both given a bit of a higher status by being the daughters of important figures to the school. It was difficult to make friends when creatures were afraid they'd get expelled for hurting your feelings, and to be honest, Luster never seemed fully sane. She acted a lot like Aunt Twily did when she was younger, at least according to Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and... well, everyone who knew Twilight, really. Luster could become obsessive and neurotic if something eluded her understanding, and more than once she'd snapped back at members of the student and faculty bodies... Flurry Heart wouldn't have that problem; she had absolutely no problem telling the upstart filly off.

"And if I get a little rough with her, that's not gonna rock the boat between Sunburst and me, is it?" Flurry asked.

"Still trying to steal my husband from me?" Starlight smirked.

"I say I want to marry Sunburst when I grow up once as a foal, and you guys will never let it go, I swear!" Flurry rolled her eyes, blushing.

"I'm kidding," Starlight giggled. "I don't think Sunburst will mind if you snap back at her. I mean, if we can forgive Rainbow Dash for what she did to Cozy, then- actually, forget I mentioned that."

Flurry Heart raised an eyebrow, but chose to ignore the remark. What did Rainbow Dash do to Cozy Glow? The two seemed pretty amicable whenever she bumped into them.

"Let's meet my roommate, then," Flurry shrugged.

She followed Starlight to the dorms and to her future.

Chapter 6

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Lunch with the Cutie Mark Crusaders - now the Cutie Mark Counselors, as they were popularly known - had been good. Hanging out with the three mares made Cozy feel... normal. As close to normal as she could gather, anyway, judging by watching other creatures hanging out. The pegasus had been worried, afraid that some of her darker traits would show through and drive the mares away from her, that they'd think she was weird or otherwise repulsive, but quite the opposite happened.

They found her endearing and likable, even when she let slip with the occasional dark humor.

"Honestly, you're not that bad, Cozy," Sweetie Belle was giggling. "Your jokes are pretty tame, actually."

"Scootaloo's are tasteless," Apple Bloom chimed in, "and Sweetie's? Why, she can say things that'd make a sailor's ears burn!"

"I try," the unicorn had a proud smirk on her face as she stirred her drink with her straw.

"Hey now, how are my jokes tasteless?" Scootaloo demanded.

"Dead foal jokes?" Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow.

"I haven't told a dead foal joke in... a month, at least," the orange pegasus rolled her eyes. "At least Sweetie and I have a sense of humor. What jokes do you tell besides apple puns?"

"That's fair, I reckon," Apple Bloom shrugged.

"So, Cozy Glow," Sweetie Belle decided it was time to finally learn more about their new friend, "what have you been up to? I've only heard a little bit from Apple Bloom. I don't think we've ever said more than three words to each other since... well, you know."

"Don't remind me..." Cozy stared at the leftovers on her plate before answering. "Well, I guess it started with when I went back to Tartarus, this time with new cellmates..."

Cozy filled them in on the time she'd spent since Discord's botched plan to present the Elements of Harmony with a difficult challenge in order to build their confidence. For some reason, she felt comfortable enough around the three of them to simply spill her guts, to let loose with her life's story, and they sat there patiently, faces sympathetic or interested, never once shooting her a dirty look.

She told them about Tartarus, about Sombra's rages and Chrysalis' toxic spite. She told them about Tirek's manipulations and her own petty cruelties. They were done for, trapped for eternity, turning on each other while stewing in their failures. Within a few weeks, even Sombra's madness relented and they'd all fallen silent. A few days after their rage broke, they began talking, and slowly built the beginnings of friendships they swore they'd never submit to. Finally, nearly half a year after being put back in Tartarus, the trials began.

They'd been separated, assigned counselors, offered ways out. Chrysalis and Sombra had been assigned to Princess Cadance, though eventually Chrysalis was handed off to Twilight due to the increasingly complicated romantic situation developing between the rulers of the Crystal Empire and the former despots. Celestia and Luna both took on Tirek as a charge, cautious in the extreme. Starlight Glimmer took Cozy Glow as her charge, and the filly had honestly felt more than a little insulted.

She had nearly destroyed the entire world, and aided three of the most powerful villains in all of Equestria's history in the conquest of that pathetic nation, and while the others were being counseled by powerful alicorn princesses, who was she given as a jailor? A no-name unicorn, a former despot of some backwater village no one knew or cared for. At least, those were her initial thoughts.
...

"You're better than this, Cozy."

The mare's words had bit into the filly's psyche deeper than she cared to admit. Cozy looked at her hooves chained to the table rather than at the face across from her, brimming with affection and sympathy. Pity, she tried to convince herself.

"I am better than this," the pegasus gave an ugly, psychotic smirk. She was dirty, the curls of her blue mane undone from months in prison, her face sallow and pale from the harshness of Tartarus' surroundings and a lack of sunlight. "I'm better than all the ingrates of this world! I should be allowed to rule; not some shut-in bookworm obsessed with friendship!"

"Where are you from, Cozy?" Starlight asked. The question caught Cozy Glow offguard, her face going slack before she could help herself. "Where is your family?"

"I don't have a family," the pegasus snorted at the absurdity. "I never needed one before. They make ponies weak, tie them down with sentamentality, keep them from reaching their full potential."

"You're an orphan?"

"My parents didn't die, they-" the filly stopped herself, realizing she'd slipped up and revealed more than she intended. Worse, she felt an old ache fill her, something she thought she'd purged from herself. She gathered herself with a shaky breath. "Why do you care? You didn't ask any of this the first time you locked me up."

"That wasn't my decision."

"You didn't try and stop them."

"You're right," Starlight's voice was heavy with regret and the filly couldn't help but look into her eyes. The emotion was raw and genuine, and Cozy found herself softening a little. "I should have said something then. Instead, I stood by and did nothing. But I'm doing something now."

"By following your precious princesses' orders?" Cozy sneered.

"Actually, they're following my suggestion."

Cozy stared at the new headmare of the School of Friendship, disbelieving.

"It's true," Starlight continued. "I insisted that imprisonment wasn't a good solution. I insisted that we could reform each of you, that you could all be saved."

"Saved..." Cozy turned away, feeling... feeling something coil unpleasantly in her stomach. She might have called remorse if she were capable of such a thing. "I'm supposed to believe that you - a former student counselor - convinced four of the most powerful creatures on the planet to waste their time and energy teaching us the value of friendship?"

"It's not a waste of time, Cozy," Starlight argued. "You are not a waste of time."

"Stop talking like that!" the filly snapped, slamming her hooves on the table. This wasn't good. Starlight's words were making her feel things she hadn't felt in years, bringing up painful memories, making her feel vulnerable. "I know what you're doing! I've done it plenty of times before!"

"What?"

"You're trying to manipulate me," Cozy laughed, half-crazed, "trying to convince me that you care, so you can get me to behave and be a good little filly! But it won't work. I know what ponies are really like, what those disgusting creatures are like, too!"

Starlight said nothing, studying the filly with a level expression. That enraged Cozy more.

"You'll turn on us as soon as we're an inconvenience!" she spat, hearing her voice break. "Oh, you'll act all high and mighty now, preaching how you can save us, but when you see we don't want to change, you'll throw us away! You'll give up and lock us away, because if we can't be what you want us to be, then we can't exist at all! You'll abandon us!"

That last part slipped out without conscious thought and Starlight's eyes widened. The filly felt herself starting to cry, more out of frustration for losing her composure. The tears blurred her vision and she began to sob in earnest, venting years of suppressed emotions. She heard a faint click and felt pressure being relieved from her hooves. Opening her eyes and wiping the tears away, she saw that she was unchained. Blinking in surprise, she looked up at Starlight standing over her.

"I will counsel you, Cozy Glow," she said, her voice soft and kind, "I will do everything in my power to help you see the light of friendship, to learn about kindness and generosity. I'll show you my honesty and my loyalty by never giving up on you."

"You want something..." Cozy narrowed her eyes. A guilty expression crossed Starlight's face then, the mare avoiding her gaze for a moment. "I knew it. What do you want?"

"It's entirely up to you, but..."

"Spit it out, already!"

"I will be your counselor if you want," Starlight took a breath, "but I would like... I want to be more than that for you."

Cozy's confusion showed on her face.

"As I said, you don't need to agree, I'll still counsel you anyway. I'll never give up on you even if you turn it down," the mare assured her. "I want to adopt you."

Cozy reeled, astounded. Her mind tried to cook up scenarios wherein Starlight benefited from adopting her, but nothing made sense. There was no reason, no rationale, nothing to motivate making a crazed criminal filly an adopted daughter.

"What kind of game are you playing, lady?" Cozy let out in a hysteria-tinged voice. "Golly, even I'm not this twisted! You want me to be your... your..."

"Daughter," Starlight gave a half-smile, the sincerity in her expression all but flooring the filly. "You don't have to; I'll still help you through all of your problems, help you make friends, help you build strong and lasting relationships and work through your darker emotions. I used to be a lot like you when I was your age, and seeing you locked up, it doesn't sit right with me."

"You're nothing like me."

"I used to be. I once misunderstood something natural, and spent my whole life trying to control it, trying to seek power," Starlight had a distant look in her eyes. "For me, it was cutie marks; for you, friendship. The only difference I can see is I had ponies who never gave up on me; all you had were Equestria's worst villains."

"I don't want to be your daughter," Cozy spat.

"That's probably best," the mare sighed heavily. "I'd probably be a terrible mom anyway. I didn't really have one growing up. The closest thing I have to a mom is Twilight, if you can believe that - a female role-model who showed me a better path."

"You gave up power and dominance for what?" Cozy scoffed. "Friendship?"

"Love," Starlight returned her attention to the filly. "Friends, family, and... well, romantic."

"Gross," the filly gagged. After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but ask, "And if I was your daughter, you'd just love me? Just accept me, unconditionally?"

"Warts and all," Starlight nodded, "but I'd still expect you to behave and learn from the lessons I teach you, and I would still be your counselor, trying to show you the true meaning of friendship."

"Why do I need to accept your way? Why can't the world accept mine?"

"Because most creatures don't want to be treated like subjects, or live in a society where getting to the top is the only thing of meaning," Starlight explained carefully. "Creatures need something more to believe in. What would you even accomplish becoming the sole ruler of the world? What would you get out of it? Everyone would resent you. You'd be alone, hated, and ruling over a world of pain and misery."

"I should be respected for my inherent value! I am worthy of being ruler of the world!" Cozy ranted.

"The worth of a leader is determined by the creatures she leads," Starlight countered. "If you lead the way you wanted, how would history remember you? You'd just be another despot to overthrow. Do you really want to be like Sombra? Insane from powerlust, unable to think of anything but the next conquest? Or Chrysalis? A parasite who needs to steal love, deposed and forsaken by her own hive? What do you actually gain? Power you'll be paranoid of losing, which will never be enough to sate your appetite. And what do you even do with that power except flaunt it? Ironically, you'd be the most powerful creature in the world, and equally the most pathetic."

Cozy floundered for a moment, mouth working furiously without words to fill it. She had no retort for that analysis, and worse it was all true. She was still trying to regain her footing when Starlight continued.

"I could show you a way where you will be respected for your inherent value," she spoke softly. "Not power you stole. Not the fear you can invoke. They'll respect you for your character, your moral fiber, and your kindness. Your loyalty. Your honesty, generosity, and the way you can make others laugh. You could be surrounded by creatures who care about you, who you can trust, and lean on for support."

"...and you really want me as a daughter?" Cozy gave a mirthless laugh, one final, weak noise of defiance. "I'd be... pretty difficult to handle... being a crazed felon and all."

"I've dealt with my fair share of crazies and felons," Starlight laughed. "I would be proud to call you my daughter because I see the world has wronged you, just as it has wronged so many foals. More than that, it's because I see so much potential in you."

Cozy felt her breath hitch. She had agreed to Starlight's counseling, but aggressively resisted the offer for adoption. Months passed in therapy, with Cozy working through stages, going through outbursts while Starlight merely weathered them, talking her through the tangled web of emotions that tortured her. After about a year, Cozy was stable enough to leave the facility unsupervised, though she preferred to only leave with Starlight. She hung out with her fellow reforming villains, and they all agreed that - despite their pride - the road to recovery was... pleasant. Cozy spent her free time largely with Starlight and Sunburst, and warmed up to them more than she'd allow herself to admit.

She had a relapse when she'd discovered Starlight was pregnant with Sunburst's foal.

"Please calm down, sweetie!" Starlight pleaded, using her magic to catch or deflect the loose objects the filly was tossing around in her fury. "I thought you'd be excited!"

"Excited?!" the pegasus laughed madly. "Why would this excite me?! Now you have a daughter! A real daughter! Guess I missed my chance, huh?"

"Cozy, it's not like that," Sunburst rolled his eyes as he approached the filly. From what Cozy had heard, Starlight's rages were far more frightening, but it still surprised her how fearless the vice headstallion was around her. He treated her like... like a filly. "You haven't been replaced."

"You knew about the offer?" Cozy stopped in her rampage, surprised.

"I'm her husband, remember?" the stallion chuckled. "I mean, it'd be pretty weird if she just came home one day with you in tow and said 'by the way, this is our daughter'."

"I... I can't be replaced anyway," Cozy shook her head. "I never took the offer. I missed my chance."

"Do you really think we'd still spend all this time with you if we weren't still interested in having you for a daughter?" Sunburst looked genuinely surprised. "Cozy, you don't have any guardians, and we really like you."

"You like me?"

"You're smart, and you have a fire in you," Sunburst looked back at his wife, "just like Starlight."

"I'm also a psychotic megalomaniac with an obsession for dominating others," Cozy grimaced. A year ago, she'd never have spoken the words, and certainly not let them affect her with anything approaching regret. So much had changed in the time she'd spent with Starlight.

"You're in a bad place," Starlight stepped forward, "and that's okay. I was in a bad place for more than a decade. Plenty of ponies in your position were. Tempest Shadow, for one."

"Oh yeah, she was pretty bad," Sunburst nodded, "but now she travels around helping others. Don't forget Discord."

"I know about the reformed villains," Cozy sighed heavily, but she felt the tension leave her. "I just... I don't see how you could still want to be my friend, let alone... want me as a daughter."

"Because we love you," the two adults spoke as one, without hesitation. Cozy stumbled as if she'd been punched in the gut.

"I..." she took a shaky breath as she steadied herself. She made sure to look up at the couple, despite the tears in her eyes. "Alright. I accept."

"What?" Starlight's eyes widened.

"I accept," Cozy repeated. "I'll be your daughter."

"You'll also be a sister," Sunburst added, trying to hide the tears in his own eyes.

"A great one," Starlight added.
...

"I was not a great sister," Cozy Glow began wrapping up her story. "I was still a brat for most of it, but when Luster turned out to be a prodigy and got sent away to Canterlot while I was being homeschooled, I sort of realized how lonely I really was. I kept to myself a lot after that. I tried to get work, but I could only get a job through Starlight arranging it, and I just... I wanted something on my own merits, you know?"

The mare paused, still staring at her plate.

"When Luster came back, I was so excited, but she... she's different," she continued. "She's smug. I managed to convince myself that I was a regular pony, that I could make our parents proud, and somehow she just came in and made me feel like garbage without having to say anything. She's a prodigy, enrolled with honors from one prestigious school to the next, apprenticed under the most powerful pony in all of Equestria, while I couldn't even get a job without my mom's help, and can't afford to live on my own. She never had to say it, but I saw from the look in her eyes, from the smirk on her lips, that she felt superior to me in every way. And... she's right."

Cozy blinked when she realized how much she had shared, shooting a worried glance at the other three mares. They all stared back at her with varying expressions. Pity wasn't one of them.

"It sucks living in a sibling's shadow," Sweetie Belle agreed.

"Feeling like you can never live up to the bar they set," Scootaloo frowned.

"It's important to realize that every creature's their own creature," Apple Bloom, ever the wise one, chimed in. "You shouldn't judge yourself by comparing yourself to others. I mean, Luster Dawn's a unicorn for one; of course you couldn't get into some fancy magic school."

"If it's any consolation, I couldn't either," Sweetie Belle noted. "Plus, if you were a unicorn, I bet you'd have been accepted. You've got the aptitude."

"Besides, you're in the Wonderbolts!" Scootaloo beamed. "That's way cooler, and harder to get in. Well, okay, maybe not harder to get into, but you help in emergencies and look cool doing it!"

"I'm not a Wonderbolt yet," Cozy blushed at the unexpected support. "Thanks for not... for not judging me."

"Why would we judge you? For venting?" Apple Bloom giggled. "Everybody needs to vent, Cozy."

"Believe me, I've put up with far more venting for far less important things from my sister," Sweetie groaned, then imitated Rarity, "Oh, it was dreadful, darling! They had a fuschia bow on the burgandy sun hat! Simply dreadful!"

They all shared a little laugh at the impression and Cozy felt lighter. The realization that her problems were valid, that she wasn't some damaged psych patient but just a normal mare with relatable problems, lifted a weight from her shoulders.

"How is your sister doing these days, anyway?" Apple Bloom asked.

"Yeah, did she get better?" Scootaloo leaned in, interested.

"You know, I'm not really sure," Cozy tapped her chin, "though I think mom said something about her finally getting a roommate at the school. No idea who would be crazy enough to room with her, though."

They shared a little laugh at the joke, though Cozy was genuinely curious. Who was going to room with her sister?

Chapter 7

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Luster Dawn looked up from her texts after she realized what her mom had said. Confused, she turned around to find the mare standing with another filly - a pink alicorn slightly older than Luster herself. She recognized her, of course; Luster wasn't so out of touch that she hadn't heard about and seen Princess Cadance's daughter strolling around the school. In fact, they'd meant once or twice in Canterlot. Luster had been jealous of the closeness Flurry Heart had with her aunt, Luster's mentor, Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh, hello," Luster made sure to bow despite the residual jealousy. It was illogical, she realized, but the fact some snarky punk could talk so informally to a princess was upsetting. Granted, Flurry was a princess too, but that just made her unprofessional manner all the more disconcerting. "Your Grace."

"I prefer 'Your Royal Highness', actually," Flurry said, haughtily.

"O-of course," Luster stiffened and bowed even deeper, "Your Royal Highness."

"Yeesh, relax," the alicorn snorted, turning to the headmare. "Was she born with a stick up her..." Flurry trailed off at the unamused expression on Starlight's face. "Uh, sorry. Come on, stand up. I might be the daughter of a princess, but don't treat me like royalty; I'm getting pretty tired of it."

"As you wish," Luster stood up, forcing down years of courtly etiquette to look Flurry in the face. Twilight had always advocated for informality, but her royal tutors in Canterlot had still managed to drill it into her. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Again, I mean."

"Likewise," Flurry inclined her head in greeting, her piercings jingling. She scanned the room briefly. "It's... kinda cluttered in here. Where do I put my stuff?"

"You... you were serious about moving in?" Luster's eyes widened. But... why? You're powerful enough to teleport home every night. It's illogical."

"Well, aren't you that powerful? Why don't you stay at home?" Flurry countered. "Heck, you could just go home with your parents every night."

"Why would I do that?" Luster raised an eyebrow, completely ignorant of the affect her words had on Starlight. "All my notes and research are here. What would I accomplish by going home each night when I could continue studying."

"I wanted to stay in the dorms because..." Flurry paused, wondering what she could say to speed things along faster. "It would help with my research."

"What are you researching?" the unicorn looked surprised and interested. "Is it some new magical enchantment? A powerful spell? An artifact?"

"Friendship," Flurry smirked. "Why else would I be enrolled here?"

"Ah, yes... of course," Luster immediately lost interest. "I... suppose I can find a place for my materials so you can live here. I'm not entirely sure why you'd choose to room with me, though. I-I'm honored, of course."

"I have it on good authority we could be... friends," Flurry spared a look back at Starlight who had stayed distant the entire time. The headmare gave a nod of approval.

"Friends?" Luster furrowed her brow, also sparing a look at Starlight. "Mom, you didn't put her up to this, did you?"

"Actually it was my mother who suggested it," Flurry outright lied, "after learning about you from Aunt Twily."

"I-I see," Luster shuffled at the mention of her mentor. "If a princess thinks we'd be compatible friends, then... alright, I'll try it."

"That's great to here, honey," Starlight beamed. "I'll leave you both to it, and remember: my door is always open."

"Thank you Mrs. Starlight," Flurry made sure to bow deeply to the headmare. She wasn't going to say anything, but she felt Luster had been more than a little rude in her casual dismissal of Starlight. Perhaps seeing how highly respected she was by an alicorn would inspire some better behavior. She was pleased to see the other filly bow dutifully while her mother shifted uncomfortably. "I'll come to you if I need anything."

The mare left the fillies alone. Flurry watched as Luster set about shifting her things around, levitating dozens of objects and moving them to and fro without even having to look at them. Flurry found herself being impressed, knowing the level of focus such levitation required. Still, any filly who trained under Twilight would surely be capable of such skill. Rumor had it that Starlight was the most powerful unicorn in the world, and that if Twilight hadn't been raised to the status of alicorn, then Starlight would have surpassed even her in power and skill. Starlight's daughter, trained under Twilight... it wasn't surprising Luster would be as talented as she was with magic.

Luster began to minimize most of her possessions with a shrinking spell, quickly freeing up half of the room for Flurry to use. The alicorn nodded in approval, teleporting her luggage from her mother's house and a few personal possessions from her father's house - notably her guitar and cases of Hyperspace Hyperwars miniatures. She quickly stowed her possessions and hopped onto her bed, spreading out with a sigh. She felt rather than saw Luster staring.

"See something you like?" the alicorn gave a playful smirk as she rolled onto her side and fixed the other filly with a purposely-terrible seductive pose. Luster took a moment to register exactly what was insinuated, then spazzed out in a blushing, apologetic mess. Flurry laughed and sat up. "Relax, will you? But seriously, why were you staring at me?"

"I, um..." the unicorn cleared her throat. "I was studying you."

"Huh," Flurry raised her eyebrows in surprise as she went back to laying on her back, "I was joking when I flirted; I didn't think you were really interested."

"Not like that!" Luster blanched. "I meant... I've seen you before, whenever you visited Canterlot. Princess Twilight even introduced us one time, but I just... I know you, and now we're roommates, and it feels so... weird."

"Weird?"

"You've only ever been a... a distant relation, I suppose," Luster decided to turn her attention to organizing her shrunken books. "The former student of my father. The niece of my mentor. It feels like our paths should have crossed more already, and now we're suddenly roommates without even getting to know each other. I'm new to friendship, but doesn't that seem odd?"

"A little," Flurry shrugged, sitting up again. "I don't know what to expect. I've always been an only child; never had a roommate before. You have a sister, don't you? Surely you know what to expect more than I do."

Luster tensed at the mention of Cozy Glow.

"I have an adopted sister, yes," the unicorn spoke quietly, somehow enunciating 'adopted' without ever stressing the word. "She and I weren't particularly close."

"That's too bad," the alicorn spoke evenly. "She's a teacher here, did you know that?"

"They let her teach?" Luster looked up from her work, scowling. Flurry hadn't expected that kind of reaction.

"Well, assist in teaching," the alicorn gave a disarming smile. "What's got you so riled? Aren't you happy for your sister?"

"Because mom got her another job?" Luster grunted. "Or was it dad this time? She's a former criminal, you know. I learned all about her wild youth in Canterlot."

"Oh really?" Flurry had to keep her temper in check, feeling uncharacteristically angry with the other filly badmouthing Cozy. "And who told you all about Cozy Glow?"

Luster spared a curious look at the alicorn for knowing Cozy's name and for her tone, but she continued anyway.

"Princess Twilight," the unicorn explained. "The princess confided in me that she was worried about my sister, about an impending relapse. After all, for a mare who used to be obsessed with obtaining ultimate power now being reduced to relying on her adoptive parents for work... I mean, I'd feel insulted, but Cozy? She's probably half-crazed!"

"She got her job on her own merits," Flurry snapped, startling herself almost as much as Luster. It took some effort to calm herself. "Starlight and Sunburst are her parents, Luster. As much hers as yours."

"You and I both know they aren't," Luster couldn't help the small tug of her lips. "Biologically, I'm their only foal. Why do you care anyway? Have you met my sister?"

"Yes I have, actually," Flurry hopped off her bed, standing as tall as she could and pleased she was a few inches taller than the other filly so she could stare down at her. "Cozy Glow is one of the smartest mares I've ever met, and definitely one of the hardest working. She assists with teaching, and studies her flank off, and trains for the Wonderbolts, and still finds time to hang out with me when she can. You should show her - and your mother - more respect."

"Cozy joined the Wonderbolts?" Luster asked, confused. Flurry blinked, realizing the unicorn had completely ignored the last thing she'd said. "Wait, how did she get into the Wonderbolts?"

"Through the entrance exam," the alicorn explained. "I... didn't your parents tell you? She's been in for weeks!"

"I haven't really run into my parents much, but they might have mentioned it."

"Haven't run into... they run the school!" Flurry was incredulous. "How could you not run into them? Sunburst is almost always in the library! Starlight frequently visits students!"

"I mean, I've talked to them, just not often," Luster rolled her shoulders, uncomfortably. "Look, no offense, but I'm not trying to pry into your life. Can you not pry into mine?"

"Whatever," Flurry scoffed. She got up from her bed and headed for the door. "I'm going to see what they're serving for dinner."

"You should really be studying," Luster noted without turning around. "Friendship exams are coming up, you know."

"Bite me," the alicorn muttered as she slammed the door behind her.
...

"Trixie is impressed," Trixie Lulamoon commented as she finished listening to Flurry Heart vent. "Few students are so... expressive when it comes to their frustration with Luster Dawn."

"Yeah, well, you said to let it out," the alicorn sighed. She'd just unloaded all of her pent up irritation at her roommate onto the school counselor. "How can she talk about Cozy Glow like that? Her own sister!"

"You really don't pay attention much," Trixie gave a mirthless laugh. "The students talk about her behind her back all the time. Her and Luster."

"Why?"

"Well, older creatures remember Cozy Glow," the unicorn explained, sadly. "They remember the bad and haven't seen the good, so they tell and re-tell the old horror stories, and their kids hear, and they share and embellish... You know how rumors are. As for Luster, well, they don't like her. They think she's rude or weird. Or both. Once they find out they're sisters, they start connecting dots that aren't there, thinking the pair are somehow inherently freaks despite not being blood relatives. Trixie has tried her best to curb such cruelty, but... well, I can only do so much."

"Does Starlight know?" Flurry frowned. "I can't imagine having to deal with all these students knowing they talk so poorly about her daughters..."

"They're young, Flurry," Trixie giggled. "Starlight might have a temper, but she can keep a cool head around a few youths. She knows they don't know any better. Now, when Trixie says something stupid, that's another matter."

"That happen often?" the alicorn smirked. Trixie was one of a hoofful of adults with whom Flurry could be as snarky as she wanted. Unlike more polite society, the former magician had a penchant for mischief and could sympathize with the snarky heiress of the Crystal Empire. "Seriously though... thanks for listening. I feel like I'll be needing to visit you a lot more before I graduate."

"It's what I'm here for," Trixie pointed out. "If rooming with Luster becomes a problem, just ask Starlight for a transfer. You wouldn't be the first, and I know she won't take it personally."

"I don't want to give up, but she's just so rude!" Flurry groaned. "I mean, at least when I'm rude and snarky, I know I'm doing it. I honestly think Luster doesn't realize she's being rude, or worse, she thinks she's smart enough to cover it up."

"Hard to believe she's Starlight and Sunburst's kid," Trixie admitted. "Twilight and I might not get along very well, but I can't imagine she had anything to do with Luster's attitude."

Flurry frowned. She'd neglected to mention Luster's view on Cozy Glow had been shaded by Twilight. It still seemed impossible, the idea that her aunt - the embodiment of friendship and advocate for redemption - could view the adopted daughter of one of her closest friends so poorly. And to share that negative impression with Cozy's own sister? It simply beggered belief.

"I think she needs a friend," the alicorn sighed, "or at least someone with sense enough to smack her upside the head."

Trixie gave a disapproving look.

"Metaphorically," Flurry gave a sly grin, "of course."

"Of course..." the counselor murmured. "Trixie will not help you if Starlight comes down on you because her daughter has a concussion."

"I'm much to scared to get on Headmare Starlight's bad side," Flurry laughed lightheartedly. "I might have to take Luster down a peg or two before the semester is over if she keeps up like this."

"Or you could try to bond with her over a shared interest, or a shared problem," Trixie noted absently, feigning disinterest, "instead of resorting to force."

"What shared problem? That we have no friends?"

"You said it, Trixie didn't."

"Alright, fine. I'll go and talk to her," the alicorn made to leave. "I'm sure we have some shared interests."

"That's the spirit," Trixie beamed. "Have a good day, Flurry Heart."

Flurry said her farewell and began the trek back to her dorm. She could have easily teleported there, but she figured taking the time to walk the halls of the school would allow her to better adjust to her peers. She recognized a few of them, though she couldn't put names to any of the faces. There were sentient creatures from every corner of the world now attending the School of Friendship. Flurry appreciated the non-ponies, largely because they didn't know how rare alicorns were. She rarely had to deal with stares or gasps from Abyssinians, or kirin.

"I heard you've moved into the dorms," a female voice caught the alicorn's attention. Flurry turned to see Professor Smolder leaning against a doorframe, watching students pass by. The dragoness gave an easy smile. "Glad to see you're getting into the swing of things."

"We'll see how long it lasts," Flurry confessed with a grunt. "My roommate is... an acquired taste."

"Yeah, heard about who you'd be rooming with," Smolder took a sharp inhale. "Tough break. Still, if anyone can get Luster to come out of her shell and start making friends, it's you."

"Wow, that's optimistic," the alicorn blinked. "You really think so?"

"Sure," the dragoness smirked. "If you can't make her your friend, you could probably drive her crazy enough to leave her room and make some."

"You'd be the expert in that field, judging by Professor Ocellus' stories," Flurry shot back, wearing her own smirk.

"I'm gonna swat that bug..." Smolder muttered with a scowl. She regained her languid poise. "Alright, well, get out of here, kid. Try and play nice, alright?"

"Are you going to play nice with Professor Ocellus?" Flurry asked. She gave a small smile. "Say, are you and her... you know? I mean, you seem really close."

"Yeesh, can't two females hang out regularly without it becoming a scandal?" Smolder rolled her eyes.

"I can't help it, being the daughter of the Princess of Love and all," Flurry giggled. "Shippers gotta ship."

"Ugh, Ocellus says that about those fan books she writes..." Smolder massaged the bridge of her snout. "Just get back to your dorm, Flurry; you've got early classes tomorrow."

"Don't remind me," the alicorn grimaced. "Alright, alright; I'm leaving. Take care, Professor."

"You too, twerp," Smolder chuckled.

Flurry returned to her room and opened the door in time to see a bright flash.

And then nothing.

Chapter 8

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"I'm sorry!" Luster Dawn's voice was frantic. "I swear, I don't know what went wrong!"

"Aside from the fact you blinded me?" Flurry was surprised by how calm her voice was given the circumstances. "No, I can't say I know either."

"Oh, this is bad..." the unicorn's voice trailed off into murmuring calculations Flurry only half-understood.

The alicorn felt her eyelids being manipulated, the proximity of some instrument or another near her eyeball. She felt Luster's breath across her lips and suddenly felt uncomfortable at the proximity. Luster shifted and the presence Flurry felt was near her other eye. Then, the unicorn and her instrument were gone, murmuring some more. Flurry heard the scratching of a quill on parchment.

"Alright, well the good news is this condition is temporary," Luster chuckled nervously. "In fact, you should fully recover after a good night's rest."

"Should?" Flurry asked in a deadpan. "Wait, what's the bad news?"

"That you're blind?" Luster sounded confused. "I... I thought that was obvious."

"Plain as the muzzle on my face," the alicorn gave a forced smirk, glaring where she thought her roommate was, "which I can't currently see."

"I'm sorry!" Luster exclaimed. Flurry thought she heard a light thump and when Luster spoke again, she sounded lower. "I understand if you're going to report me to the authorities, but I honestly wasn't expecting you to be back so soon! Oh, Princess Twilight is going to reject me as her student have blinding her niece!"

"Will you relax?" Flurry scoffed. "Yeesh, if it's temporary, then I'm not complaining. It's kinda freaky, but I nearly blinded myself staring at the sun as a foal - like half the foals in Equestria at one time or another. I just want to know what you were doing."

"I was attempting a spell which creates a miniature sun, actually," Luster gave an anxious chuckle. "It's just a little funny that you'd mention it."

"Why would you create a miniature sun?" Flurry tried to not feel impressed. "How did you create a miniature sun?"

"It was an experimental spell I've been working on as a side project for a few years," Luster confessed. Flurry felt bandages being wrapped around her eyes. "For protection from anymore bright lights," the unicorn explained before continuing. "Anyway, I've always been curious how the magic of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna actually works, you know? I figured moving a celestial body would be impossible to me, but if I were to create a small enough one, then I could study the magic required to move it. Honestly, this was a far more successful experiment than the last time I tried this spell."

"What happened the last time?" Flurry couldn't help but ask. Creating a miniature sun to study the magic used by Celestia and Luna? That was amazing! Not that she'd give the smug prodigy the satisfaction of knowing that right after blinding her.

"Uh, well..." Luster made chuckled nervously, "I nearly set the castle on fire."

"Whoa, really?"

"No, not... I did set the castle on fire..." Luster confessed, her shame evident in her voice. "It was mortifying! How many students accidentally burn down the castle of all things?! Thank the stars Princess Twilight was there to stop it."

"Gotta say, that's pretty metal," Flurry grinned. "Here I thought you were a harmless bookworm, but you it turns out you can burn castles to the ground with artificial stars."

"You really think that's impressive?" Luster was stunned.

"I doubt I could do it," Flurry shrugged, "and I'm an alicorn. So, yes, color me impressed."

"No one's really complimented my work since I left Canterlot," the unicorn confessed, cheeks coloring slightly. "I've never... I mean, can I be honest with you?"

Flurry nodded.

"I know I act really confident, but the truth is I feel like I have to advertise my brilliance because no one pays attention to it," Luster confessed, blush deepening. "It's silly, but I was used to being praised for my genius in Canterlot, and here... no one even cares I exist."

"The point of the school is to make friends," the alicorn pointed out, "not stars. It's not that they don't care, it's just that everyone here is more interested in making lasting friendships than scientific or magical progress. Especially since only a small percentage of students can even use magic."

"I know, but being a magical and scientific prodigy is sort of all there is to me!" Luster groaned. "I mean, look at you! You're not just an alicorn; you've got this... punk rock thing going on, too! And you're smart. You have diverse interests and character; you probably have hundreds of friends already!"

"Wow, that's the first time you've complimented me," Flurry noted. "So far you've just casually insulted me."

"I have?" Luster furrowed her brow trying to think back. "Sorry about that. If that makes any difference..."

"An apology always helps. Say, can you fix my eyes with a spell?"

"I never learned medical magic."

"You play around with miniature stars," Flurry began, "but never bothered to learn how to heal yourself if something went wrong?"

"In my defense, if a star the size of a buckball went supernova on me, I don't think there'd be enough of me left to heal," Luster giggled and Flurry joined in. "Thanks."

"For what?" the alicorn was caught offguard by the question.

"For not freaking out on me, I guess," Luster chewed her lip. "Even in Canterlot, I wasn't popular. A lot of ponies resented me for moving up so high in school, outshining ponies years older than me. When I was made Princess Twilight's apprentice, they claimed it was because I was the daughter of her former student. I had to work hard, but nobody recognized that except Twilight. Then, coming here, nobody even knew or cared who I was. I was suddenly expected to fit in like a regular pony, as if I hadn't been training in powerful magic under a princess for half my life."

"That's... rough, actually," Flurry conceded.

"I don't really care about making friends, honestly, but Princess Twilight says I need to learn about the magic of friendship," Luster groaned and Flurry could hear the unicorn fall back onto her own bed. "I got frustrated because I kept failing, because I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong! I tried to make friends, but I just annoy or anger everyone I talk to! I mean, you had to leave the room for half the day and we only spoke for twenty minutes!"

"You can come off a little strong, that's for sure," Flurry admitted, "but you're perfectly fine now. You should act more like this - like how you really are."

"Insecure and uncaring about others?" Luster snorted. "I doubt creatures will find me not caring about friendship all that endearing."

"Worked for me," the alicorn said. "Okay, well, not exactly. I only have one friend, but that's how we bonded: by being terrible at making friends."

"Really? I thought you were super popular."

"Because I'm an alicorn?"

"Because you're so... cool," Flurry could hear the awe in Luster's voice. "I mean, you play guitar, you wear whatever you like, and you talk to Princess Twilight as if she were your sister!"

"She's my aunt," Flurry pointed out. "Really, I'm not... I'm not that cool. Like I said, I only have the one friend, though I'm trying to make more."

"I honestly don't see how you could only have one friend," Luster sighed. "You're so confident. My books say confidence is key to making friends. I tried being confident, but it just annoys them."

"There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance."

"Okay, ouch," Luster scowled before her expression softened. "Do I really come off as arrogant? I was trying for some kind of professional haughtiness."

"Oh Celestia, that's even worse!" Flurry gagged. "Trust me, you should just be insecure and dorky. Guys love that."

"Why would I care what guys think?"

Flurry laughed until she realized that Luster was completely serious.

"Oh. You like mares or something?"

"No more than anyone else?" the unicorn looked around, confused.

"Wait, do you really not think about romance?" Flurry's eyes widened behind her bandages. She gave a devilish grin. "Or, y'know... anything naughty?"

"Don't really have time for it, honestly," Luster gestured towards her books before she remembered her roommate couldn't see. "I'm sorry about your eyes."

"Don't worry about, really," Flurry waved a dismissive hoof. "As long as it's temporary. Any other crazy experiments I should know about?"

"Haha, no!" Luster snorted, organizing her books again. She stopped to look at one she'd snuck out of the restricted section from Canterlot before leaving: a leatherbound journal of arterial red with aged, gold-lined pages. She spared a look over her shoulder at the alicorn just to make sure she hadn't seen her, but of course Flurry was still blinded. "I am studying something revolutionary, but it's just light reading, really."

"I'd like to hear about it sometime," Flurry made her way to her guitar and began strumming it without power, a suppressed melody floating around the room. "Oh yeah, what's your stance on me rocking it out from time to time?"

"I suppose we could work out a schedule," Luster noted, "that way you have time to play your music and I have time to conduct experiments without endangering you."

"That's mighty thoughtful of you."

"You mentioned you had a friend earlier?"

"Oh yeah," Flurry missed a chord, caught offguard again. "She's a little older than me. Actually, a few years older."

"Really?" Luster raised an eyebrow. "I'm no expert, but it normal for a filly to be friends with an older creature? Isn't that considered, um... problematic?"

"Ms. Scootaloo was a filly when she befriended Rainbow Dash," Flurry shrugged. "It's not too weird."

"I'm sure she must be pretty cool if she's friends with you," Luster returned to her work, smiling softly.

"Yeah," Flurry paused in her music, thinking back to the comments the unicorn had made about Cozy Glow earlier, "she is."

Chapter 9

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What price would you pay?

Cozy's eyes snapped open as she woke up. She felt her heart beating in her chest, but seeing the sunlight coming in through the windows made her relax as she realized she was back home and not... wherever she'd been.

Half-memories of ancient architecture still stirred in her mind but she banished them from her mind. Her training was ending soon, meaning it was only going to get tougher. She needed to focus.

The realization she was almost a Wonderbolt made her feely giddy and electric. She was going to finally be remembered for something other than a terrible villain. The promises her parents had made to her, that she could redeem herself, were almost coming to fruition.

But it was also the fall break, where students would be returning home from the School of Friendship for a few days. Cozy had gotten so used to living alone with Sunburst and Starlight that she froze when she nearly slammed into Luster after leaving her room. The two stared at each other in astonishment, neither having seen the other in what felt like years, but had really only been since the last holiday - which was, admittedly, many months earlier.

"You're so tall now..." Cozy commented, surprised by her own remark. It was true; Luster was nearly as tall her now, coming to the age where fillies reached their full height. Luster had also changed her mane style to a ponytail, and she carried herself with dignity and self-importance. There was also... something else in her eyes, something unpleasant, whenever she looked at the older pegasus.

"Are you here for the holidays or do you still live with mom and dad?" the filly asked. She noted how little Cozy had changed in appearance, with her loose blue curls and dour expression. Still, there was a lighter cast to her eyes, and the mare stood taller. She seemed to move with more economy and discipline.

"It was their idea," Cozy broke eye contact, bitterness spoiling the brightness that had been on her face. "I was staying in the barracks until Captain Dash made me go home."

"You stayed in the barracks?" Luster was momentarily unsettled. "Like the Royal Guard? I thought the Wonderbolts let recruits and members keep one hoof in the civilian world?"

"They do," Cozy moved past the unicorn without looking at her. "I just didn't want to be a burden. Like I said, it was their idea."

Luster felt a twinge of guilt as she watched her sister move towards the stairs. She called out suddenly.

"I'm glad!"

The pegasus stopped and shot a surprised look over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here, I mean," the unicorn continued. "I... it wouldn't feel right if you weren't... home. Especially when I come to visit."

Cozy didn't say anything, but Luster saw the smile tugging at the mare's lips as she nodded. The lightness in her steps returned as well, evidenced by how she glided down the steps and into the kitchen.

"No flying in the house, Cozy," Sunburst sighed as his oldest daughter narrowly dodged him on her way into the kitchen. "Will you be long at training today?"

"It's just a few drills we could do in our sleep," the pegasus chuckled as she grabbed a piece of buttered toast from the stack her parents had prepared for them. "Cap is taking it easy on us for a few days because a lot of us have siblings on vacation from the schools. She said we'll have to work twice as hard to make up for it, but I'm no stranger to strenuous work."

"As long as she doesn't put you in the medical tent again..." Starlight spat as she readied some tea.

"Cozy was put in a medical tent?" Luster asked as she arrived in the kitchen, levitating toast to her. "When did this happen?"

"Weeks ago, early on in training," Cozy shot a look at her mother. "Let it go, mom."

Luster coughed as she choked on her toast.

"Did you just call her 'mom'?"

"Oh yeah, that's a thing now," Sunburst noted dryly, smiling. "All because she made a friend, too."

"Dad..." Cozy blushed.

"Really? You?" Luster forced a mean smirk on her face, but she couldn't hide the envy she felt. Cozy Glow had made a friend before her? The little tyrant? That was just embarrassing.

"Jealous?" the pegasus smirked playfully, but it might as well have been a slap to the face for how disgruntled the unicorn felt. "Relax, it's not that impressive. Thirteen years and I've only made one friend. I hear you've made one, too."

"You have?" Starlight turned from the tea, a smile blooming on her face as she went to hug her youngest daughter. "Oh, sweetie, that's great!"

"Is it your roommate?" Sunburst asked, equally enthused.

"Yeesh, give me space to breathe!" Luster backed away, shooting a suspicious look at her sister. "Yes, it was my roommate, though I think 'friends' might be premature. How did you find out, though? I never told anyone."

"She told me," Cozy looked confused. Her confusion grew at the confusion on her sister's face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just confused why Flurry Heart would tell... you..." the unicorn's eyes widened as the pieces fell into place. "You're the older mare! You're her one friend!"

"Golly, not anymore," Cozy shuffled nervously. "Older mare? Really? That makes it sound... creepy."

"I can't believe this!" Luster scoffed. "I finally make my first friend, and I have to share her! With you! This is unbelievable!"

"Oh come on, you can both be friends with Flurry Heart," Starlight rolled her eyes. "Especially since you're her only friends."

"And what was all that about 'friends' being premature?" Sunburst weighed in.

"She... didn't mention me by name?" Cozy felt a little hurt.

"No, that detail seemed to slip through the cracks," Luster sighed. "Well... whatever. Princess Twilight taught me to share one's siblings with friends, so I suppose the inverse must be true."

"You can even hang out together, maybe," Starlight suggested, hopefully.

Luster and Cozy spared an unreadable look before turning away from each other to start their own tasks.

"I need to get to training," Cozy said. "It won't take long, but I was going to see about hanging with Apple Bloom and the girls. She's invited us to the farm for a get together this evening. Applejack said she mentioned it?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Starlight gasped. "Of course we'll be there. Luster, you should join us."

"I don't know..." the filly tried to stay neutral, but she felt a well of bitterness at the fact Cozy apparently also had other friends. With the school counselors, and the professors too? What had changed? She hadn't even noticed Cozy working at the school!

"You could meet new creatures and make new friends," Cozy suggested. "Little Mac is about your age."

"...I'll consider it," Luster shot her sister a glare, then took a calming breath. "Sorry, it's just... finals are coming up, and you know how I get about tests."

"Yeah," Cozy smiled sadly, "I know."

"I'll be there, I just... need to relax a little first," Luster forced a smile on her face. "I'll be in my room studying for a bit. Let me know when it's time to go."

The family said their goodbyes before going their separate ways.
...

"I can't believe it's already time for another family reunion!" Chrysalis beamed as she entered the open hive where all the changelings were gathered. "Where are my boys?"

King Thorax and Pharynx approached and indulged in their mother's mushy attention for a moment before she moved on to greet the rest of her various offspring. Flurry watched the spectacle with a detached fascination at how changeling families worked. The idea that every changeling there was somehow Chrysalis' foal boggled her mind.

"Sup," Pharynx greeted her. "You still shred that guitar?"

"You know it, cos," Flurry shot back, sharing a hoof-bump with the changeling monarch. Unlike most of the changelings, Flurry got along well with the more aggressive, broodier changeling.

"Is she always like this?" the king asked, watching Chrysalis. "I mean, I understand how she was before was wrong, but... couldn't she stay a little mean?"

"Oh, trust me, she's got some bite under all that sugar," Flurry grunted. "She just doesn't want to scare off her kids again."

"Huh, so you have been getting to know her," Pharynx scowled. "Not gonna lie, I'm a little angry. You're her stepdaughter and know her better than any of us. Kinda feel cheated."

"Do you want her to beat you at Hyperspace Hyperwars while she monologues about impending Sludgenoid dominance?" Flurry asked in a deadpan.

"Oh hive, does she still do that?" Pharynx groaned. "Yeah, no, I don't miss that. Anyway, I'm glad she's happier at least."

"You're glad someone else is happy?" Flurry smirked. "What, did you get a girlfriend or something?"

"No!" Pharynx blushed, surprising the filly. Usually when she made that joke it was patently false.

"Wait, you found a girlfriend?" the alicorn's eyes widened. "You?"

"Yeesh, don't act so surprised," the changeling cleared his throat, "and keep it down, will you? It's nothing serious right now; we just sort of meet up from time to time."

"I'm speechless," Flurry put a hoof to her chest in mock offense. "And here I thought we were the closest of cousins. This is a gross betrayal from my kith and kin."

"Hardy-har," Pharynx grunted. "What about you? You find a special... what do you guys call it?"

"Special Somepony."

"Wow, that's tacky."

"Hey, that's our culture," Flurry snickered, "but yeah, it is pretty tacky. And no, I haven't found one. Made two friends, though."

"That's great!" King Thorax beamed as he approached, eliciting a groan from both Pharynx and Flurry. "You can groan, but I know you both like me."

"Yeah, but you know we like to hang in the back and make fun of others during these things," Flurry pointed out. "Are you gonna babysit us?"

"I was just coming over to say hello," Thorax assured them, "but I overheard you made two new friends and wanted to congratulate you! It's always great making new friends."

"Ugh, you sound like a motivational calendar!" Pharynx groaned louder.

"Hey babe," a female voice was preceded by the only dragon at the reunion, Princess Ember. The blue dragoness stopped by Thorax's side, the two sharing a brief kiss while Pharynx and Flurry looked away and gagged. She smirked at the two afterwards. "Jealous?"

"Just nauseous from watching my brother suck on your lizard lips," Pharynx grinned mischievously, pleased at how Ember bared her fangs.

"Can we have a get-together without you two starting a fight?" Thorax pouted.

"If you'd let me finish the fight, there wouldn't be another," Ember snorted a quick burst of blue flame.

"You're just upset because my brother's saved your scaly hide-"

"Hey, no talking about my girlfriend's scaly hide," Thorax had an edge to his voice that made his brother shut up. Then Thorax smiled and pulled Ember closely. "I happen to like her hide."

"Oh, you're feeling daring tonight," Ember grinned, waggling her brow.

"Ugh! There are younglings present!" Flurry stuck her tongue out.

"Considering some of the things I've heard come out of your mouth, squirt," the dragoness laughed, "I'd say you could handle any of Thorax's pillow talk."

"I imagine your pillow talk is pretty bad," Pharynx chuckled.

"You imagine your brother's pillow talk?" Flurry smirked.

"Shut up," the black changeling king deadpanned, unamused.

"But seriously, tell us about your friends," Thorax insisted.

"Alright, but only because I do enjoy talking about myself," the alicorn stated dramatically, "and because mom and Sombra haven't arrived yet; you know I love to watch my parents awkwardness," the others murmured varying levels of agreement, remembering how often their family reunions turned into debacles because of Flurry's parents. "The most recent friend is named Luster Dawn. She's a unicorn - Headmare Starlight's daughter, actually, and the daughter of my former mentor, Sunburst."

"Oh yeah, Star did end up with that dork, didn't she?" Ember grunted.

"You're one to talk," Flurry shot back, blushing.

"Ah, that's right, you liked that dork," the dragoness grinned. "Sorry kid, I forgot."

"So you've begun hanging out with his daughter so you can infiltrate his household and steal his love?" Pharynx raised an eyebrow. "Wow, Chrysalis has trained you well."

"Alright, alright, ease up," Thorax intervened, seeing the filly's choler rise. "Who's your second friend?"

"The first friend I made was Cozy Glow," Flurry noticed how the three tensed at the name. "She's reformed. Seriously, she's joining the Wonderbolts and everything."

"Those stunt flyers?" Pharynx asked.

"They also help creatures in need during emergencies, and help with the weather," Thorax noted, visibly relaxing. "If they're letting Cozy Glow join, then she must be truly reformed."

"Or a good actress," Ember noted. She saw the look in Flurry's eyes and sighed, relenting. "But I trust you're judgement, kid. I've never met her, and honestly what I've heard about her sounds outrageous. Plus, Star adopted her, right?"

"Yeah."

"I like Star," the dragoness nodded. "It's funny how both your friends are the daughters of the headmare of the school."

The alicorn shrugged and made a noncommittal noise before they moved on to other topics.

Flurry passed the time trading a few stories with her step-cousins and Ember until her mother and Sombra arrived. As always, Sombra stood tall and proud, shifting his eyes in paranoia. Even after years of attending reunions with the changelings, the old king still held onto prejudices and fears of spies and assassins. Cadance looked suitably uncomfortable, still feeling as if she didn't belong since the only reason the ponies had been invited at all was because Shining Armor married Chrysalis. Thorax often put her at ease, assuring her that being the mother of Flurry Heart made her family. Besides, he'd go on to say, the changelings loved and adored her.

Eventually Cadance and Shining would bump into each other and talk like old friends, leading some petty argument between Chrysalis and Cadance, or a bravado argument between Shining Armor and Sombra. Naturally, things usually escalated until one or more of the creatures involved had to be dragged outside, screaming and ranting. Usually it was Sombra, but in the earlier reunions, any of them could wind up exploding.

This reunion, however, Flurry found herself actually spending time with her parents and step-parents, and as a result there was no escalation. Any time Sombra made some sort of challenge to Shining or vice versa, she snarkily cut them down in a joking manner that got them both laughing. Any snide remark Chrysalis or Cadance made at the other's expense was countered with Flurry bringing up a memory from when the two bonded during Chrysalis' rehabilitation, replacing their bitter emotions with reminders of their friendship.

Flurry found she enjoyed defusing the situations, feeling herself smile as she watched her father and stepfather discuss the finer points of military history without trying to brawl. She turned her attention to Cadance and Chrysalis who were chatting away like old friends. The youngest alicorn couldn't believe it, really. Not only had her parents divorced and married the two most dangerous enemies of the Crystal Empire, but now they were bonding as friends as much as couples. They might even be able to hold their own reunions with just the four of them.

"Do you think they're planning to swing?" Pharynx asked quietly at Flurry's shoulder, Ember flanking her on the other side.

Flurry made a retching, gagging noise while the changeling and the dragoness laughed at her expense.

As the reunion was coming to a close and Flurry was saying her goodbyes, she wondered what she could do for the rest of her days off. Cozy Glow would probably be busy with training, but perhaps Luster Dawn might want to hang out. It'd be interesting to see how the other filly behaved outside of an academic setting, if nothing else.

Flurry smiled at the thought. Yes, she would hang out with her unicorn friend tomorrow. If Luster was interested, of course.

Chapter 10

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What did ponies do outside of school? What did friends do?

Luster Dawn kept rethinking the questions as she watched Flurry Heart from across the table. The alicorn filly was simply looking around the house, studying them with a casual air of disinterest, but Luster could tell she was drinking in the details to try and learn more about both Luster and Cozy Glow. Starlight and Sunburst popped in every few minutes, nosy and eager to monitor their daughter's unfolding friendship. After an intrusion by Sunburst where he struck up a conversation with Flurry Heart and left the filly blushing, Luster unintentionally found a topic to discuss.

"Wait..." the unicorn felt a smile tug at her lips, "do you like my dad?"

"No!" the alicorn's denial was so instantaneous that even she realized how obvious it was. Flurry buried herself under her forelegs and wings, groaning. "It's a stupid crush! Everyone gives me grief over it!"

"Relax, it's not that big of a deal," the unicorn snorted. "He's an attractive stallion, all things considered; it's only natural for a filly to be attracted, especially if you've spent so much time with him." Luster giggled a little but stopped when she saw the bewildered expression Flurry was giving her. "What?"

"You just called your dad attractive..."

"Isn't he?" Luster seemed confused. "I mean, aesthetically-speaking, he has a clean and symmetrical face, and despite living a largely sedintary lifestyle, he's in good health with a decent build. Intellectually, he's a genius, but is also humble. He's also really charismatic, which frankly I'm jealous of because-"

"It's just weird for a filly to be attracted to their dad is all," Flurry grinned a little.

"From the research I've done and what I've noted in my observations of mares, it seems being attracted to one's relatives is fairly common," the unicorn shrugged. "I don't see a problem in admitting that my father is attractive anymore than admitting my mother is attractive. Just because someone is attractive doesn't mean I want to couple with them romantically."

"That's fair," Flurry grunted, "but in the future you might want to stick to calling them handsome and pretty. Less weird looks that way."

"Noted," Luster smirked. "I'm new to this... hanging out thing. What do friends do?"

"I don't really know," the alicorn confessed, rubbing her chin. "Cozy and I usually just talk."

"Really?" Luster seemed unconvinced. "What about? I mean, I remember Cozy talked a lot as a filly, but after I left for school, she became increasingly reserved when I visited. Does she just stay quiet around me?"

Flurry noted the twinge of concern in Luster's voice. So, the unicorn did care - at least in some small part - about her relationship with her sister.

"I think she's like that with most creatures," Flurry assured her. "Back to hanging out, uh... you mentioned you've been working on a magic project? I take an interest in magic."

"Really?"

"I mean, I'm an alicorn born to a royal house of the most powerful magic-users in Equestria," Flurry chuckled, "and you know my aunt."

"I should also remember that my dad was your tutor growing up," Luster smirked, playfully.

"Can we not bring him up?" the alicorn had a light blush on her cheeks. "The experiment?"

"Follow me," Luster said quietly, swiftly leading her friend up the stairs and to her room. Her horn glowed a moment and Flurry could hear several locks being undone on the other side of the door before it opened. "After you."

The alicorn walked into the room and whistled. Despite the fact Luster had spent most of her foalhood in Canterlot and then in the dorms of the School of Friendship, her room was still filled with experiments and volumes upon volumes of books. She watched Luster lock the door before summoning a particular tome from some hidden space. It was blood red with golden-edged pages. Flurry felt mildly uncomfortable watching it levitate in the unicorn's magical grasp. For a book, it almost had a certainy gravity to it.

"What is it?" the alicorn asked.

"A grimoire I found in the Royal Library at Canterlot," Luster spoke quietly, with an excited and conspiratorial tinge to her voice. "It's the only one of its kind that I've found. It talks a lot about old magic."

"Old magic, huh?" Flurry deadpanned. "You're definitely Sunburst's daughter."

"You wanted to know what my experiment is, didn't you? Well, this is it."

"Old magic?"

"Pre-harmonious magic," Luster locked eyes with Flurry as she spoke and the alicorn wasn't entirely comfortable with what she saw there. "There are ancient legends about powerful forces existing before the pony tribes united, magic that could be called upon and drawn on. I've been doing a lot of research about Equestria's ancient enemies, about where they took got their magic from."

"Like who? Discord? Tirek?" Flurry stepped back, suddenly wanting space.

"No, not them," Luster giggled, breaking the eye contact to place her grimoire down on a desk. "Discord's magic is similar to the magic generated by friendship and harmony, but is derived from wacky and unpredictable elements in nature. Where our magic is orderly and interwoven, his is chaotic. And Tirek, well, his magic is more of a... a sponge, really."

"So what enemies?"

"I'm not sure really," the unicorn inhaled sharply, levitating a notebook over to Flurry. She opened it to a page of scribbled notes and stood beside the alicorn. "See, I have a working theory. Where do alicorns come from? Why are they so powerful in magic, so orderly and precise and perfect? Conversely, where do entities like the windigos, Nightmare Moon, and the Pony of Shadows come from? What created the umbrals?"

"I don't follow you..." Flurry furrowed her brow as she skimmed the notes.

"The alicorns are embodiments of ultimate good. You're power is benevolent because it is from the same font as all pony magic," Luster explained. "Pony magic is interdependent; no tribe can exist without cooperation with the other tribes."

"Yes, I celebrated Hearth's Warming Eve," the alicorn sighed.

"Pony magic is inherently benevolent. It's built off of creative energy and cooperation, order and cohesion. One might call it good, if you look at it from a moralist perspective," Luster shrugged, clearly not fond of that perspective. "Alicorns are the culmination of all pony magic - passive and active. You can control the weather and the land, as well as perform active magic, fly, and even control astrological bodies."

"...Wait, alicorns can control weather?" Flurry was astonished. "We can farm?!"

"As far as my studies have shown, alicorns are capable of everything regular ponies from the three tribes are capable of," Luster nodded, "and magnified a hundredfold. Of course, princesses haven't participated in agriculture or weather in many, many centuries."

"Wow, this is some pretty cool research, actually," Flurry admitted. "I should take up gardening."

"That isn't my research," the unicorn shook her head, bringing the red book to them. "I theorize that there is an opposite, equalizing force in magic. Pony magic is creative and orderly - harmonizing. There must be, arguably, a destructive force in opposition to it."

"Discord."

"No, no, no," Luster shook her head again. "Discord is disharmony incarnate, but his magic is creative and spontaneous. He doesn't destroy so much as... randomly generate. I mean, there needs to be a force of corruption, or erosion, as opposed to creation and harmony."

"And you believe creatures like the Pony of Shadows are such a force?" Flurry spared a look at the red book and felt that unease again.

"Exactly!" Luster beamed. "This book details so much information about pre-harmony history, culture, and spells. It's... not pretty. A lot of the spells and rituals required sacrifices."

"Sacrifices?" the alicorn's eyes widened and Luster giggled and waved a dismissive hoof.

"Relax, not like that! Think of it like a bargain: if you want something, you must exchange something of equal value. Some of your vigor, your sight, a part of your soul..."

"I'm sorry, what?!"

"Alright, so it sounds pretty bad, but the rewards were usually greater than anything that could be brought about by conventional pony magic," Luster explained. "Pre-harmony unicorns could use beneficial magic much like they do today - as I said, pony magic is centered on harmony. That's how unicorns were able to raise and lower the sun and moon; because it was beneficial for all three tribes. Unicorns could also call upon this other pool of power, to generate greater abilities at a cost."

"So, you're theory is that before the tribes unified, unicorns could cast spells like they have nowadays - spells that are largely beneficial to all three tribes - or they could bargain away their health for greater power?" Flurry pursed her lips. "Where do the enemies fit in, again?"

"My theory runs that the windigos were created as a result of the sacrificial magic," Luster explained. "It goes against the grain of cooperative magic. The windigos are a physical manifestation of destructive disharmony. The Pony of Shadows, the Nightmare entity, the umbrals... all are possibly manifestations of this kind of magic. As a counterpoint, I theorize the first alicorns were the result of harmonious magic."

"This is all really fascinating," Flurry confessed, "but how would you prove any of this? I mean, you're running off of, what, a one-of-a-kind book you found in a library?"

"Like I said, I'm working on an experiment," Luster smirked. "I won't go into the details, but let's just say that once I've got it down, all my theories should be validated. Princess Twilight will recognize my brilliance as a magical student and stop trying to force friendship on me."

"I mean, if she didn't force you to try friendship," Flurry mumbled, "we wouldn't be friends..."

"Oh!" the unicorn blushed. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I just meant... She can be really pushy about it, and you know how it is... being made to feel like we need friends, but not really... clicking with others."

"Yeah, I get it," the alicorn nodded, offering a smile. "You are smart enough to be successful without a degree from the School of Friendship."

"I just want Princess Twilight to acknowledge it, too..." Luster sighed. "She puts so much faith into me, and I just don't understand friendship or see the need to understand it; I mean, I have a friend, and that's great, but it won't be enough for her. I don't want to disappoint her."

"She wouldn't be disappointed in you."

"I want her to accept me as I am and not try to force her ways on me," the unicorn continued, ignoring her friend's comforting words. "If I told her so, she'd forsake me for a more pliable pupil! I couldn't live with that kind of failure, not after all these years studying under her, but I also can't... I can't be the student she wants."

Flurry stayed silent, unsure what she could say or do. Luster was baring a lot of her soul, a lot more than Flurry had even expected she was capable of. It spoke volumes of the trust the unicorn put in her, but it made the alicorn uncomfortable. Flurry was unskilled in friendship, unskilled in socializing, and unskilled in relationships. She had no advice to offer her friend that wasn't possibly catastrophically wrong. In the end, the alicorn approached her friend and gave a tenuous shoulder pat.

"Sorry!" Luster giggled, blushing in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to get all broody."

"It's fine, Luster," Flurry offered a friendly smile. "I'm kinda the Princess of Brooding."

They shared a laugh. Luster remembered that she had something she wanted to give to the alicorn as a token of their friendship.

"Oh, a gift really isn't necessary!" Flurry paled at the thought. She was a princess, heiress to an entire empire! She didn't need anything, and it always made her feel uncomfortable whenever others gave her things.

"I want you to have it," Luster insisted, levitating a necklace out of a drawer in her desk. Flurry grasped it with her own magic as Luster passed it to her. "I made it in Professor Rarity's class shortly after I got to the School of Friendship."

The necklace was relatively simple. It seemed to be a corded braid of kite string terminating in a clasp around the back. Glass beads decorated the weave, forming a rudimentary pattern. At the center of the necklace was a scrap of wood with a rune carved into it. Flurry was no expert, but the wood looked very old - ancient, in fact - and the rune was like none she'd ever seen before. Despite the simple materials, it was obvious a lot of planning and work had gone into it.

"It's very nice," Flurry said, fixated on the rune.

"It was a craft project we had to do," Luster explained, "to make something that reminds us of our loved ones. So, I asked mom for some kite string - because she loves kites - and dad for one of his more expendable antiques, and I made a necklace. The clasp and beads were supplies Professor Rarity had on hoof."

"I can't take a memento you made of your family," the alicorn frowned.

"I want you to have it," Luster assured her friend. "I see my family regularly, and I can make new mementos, but this one is... special. It symbolizes my first serious attempt at the School of Friendship, and I can't think of a better gift to give my first friend than that! Besides, don't think of it as made from things my parents like; think of it as made from things I like."

"You like kites and antiques?" Flurry snorted.

"I mean, you've met my parents," the unicorn smirked, "and my mentor. You wouldn't be the first one to call any of us dorks."

Flurry let out a genuine bark of laughter at the admission and accepted the gift, clasping it around her neck. It fit well, hanging comfortably across her chest.

"Thank you, Luster," Flurry smiled, "this means a lot to me. If it's anything, I don't think you're bad at friendship; you're doing a really good job at it."

"Oh... thanks," the unicorn became flustered again, unused to praise about friendship. "Well, enough of the sappy stuff, right? Would you like to help me with another project?"

"Sure, I guess. Is it another magic exp-" Flurry stopped dead and her eyes widened as her friend produced a box out from under her bed. "Is that a Mecha-Bronco assault carrier?!"

Sure enough, the unicorn was levitating an unopened box of one of the most expensive and modular units in the entirety of Hyperspace Hyperwars. She looked around for a moment, perplexed.

"Um... I guess so?" Luster shrugged. "I saw it on sale at the crafting store my mom usually goes to for kite supplies and thought it looked neat. See, I've picked up assembling and painting models as a hobby over the years. You can't see them because I have them stored in a small pocket dimension."

"How many models have you built?" the alicorn's eyebrows raised.

"...Enough to need a small pocket dimension..." Luster giggled, nervously. "Princess Twilight noticed I wasn't using my allowance for anything 'fun', so she encouraged me to find a hobby, but I remembered a lesson about coming into my own and not just doing what my parents did, so I tried to find something new, and I'm rambling..."

"It's alright!" Flurry assured her. "I never knew you were in model-making! Especially not for Hyperspace Hyperwars!"

"What's that?"

Flurry fixed her friend with a grave stare.

"Only Trottingham's greatest contribution to pony culture ever."

"What about Shakespony?"

"To hay with Shakespony!" Flurry snapped. "This is Hyperspace Hyperwars. A miniature wargame with over a dozen factions, several hundred units, each with dozens of configurations. The lore alone is covered in hundreds upon hundreds of books, each one a dramatic narrative of heroism and despair in a grimdark future!"

"That sounds... oh, what's that thing you always say?" Luster put a hoof to her chin. "...Metal."

"Believe me, it is," Flurry grinned. "But, you're only into the model-making part, and that's cool too. I can't imagine why you'd need my help, though. These kits aren't particularly difficult."

"Well, now you've got me curious," the unicorn placed the box on her bed, "I'm thinking of making a diorama now, maybe a small-scale battlefield. I would need your expertise on what goes best with a Mecha-whatever-this-is."

"Hmmm..." Flurry tapped her chin, thinking.

The pair worked on designs for the better part of the day, Flurry gushing about the lore while Luster envisioned the diorama. The alicorn was a little distressed so many valuable miniatures would be never used in battle, but to make something as epic as their proposed diorama, she would gladly contribute to the cause. They agreed it would be a joint project, both buying, assembling, and painting a small force to be used for the display. Who knew? Maybe they could even submit it as a friendship project.

Eventually Flurry Heart returned home, leaving Luster to her own devices. The unicorn returned to her studies, making sure her door was locked before opening the red tome and studying the glyphs hidden in the pages with a revealing spell. She was surprised that Flurry Heart hadn't thought to do the same, a mixture of relief and disappointment coursing through her. The rites and rituals written out in worming glyphs were some of the most powerful magic she had ever seen, but each with steep costs. The passage she had been studying detailed a particular artifact of immense power, one she'd heard Twilight and Trixie lecture her about. If she could get the artifact, she could unlock it's true power, far more than Trixie had ever used.

Unfortunately, the artifact was locked away. It would take a powerful spell to claim the Alicorn Amulet from its confines within the Royal Vaults of Canterlot, and such a spell would require a great personal sacrifice. Luster was certain she had found the perfect spell for the job within the tome. All she needed to do was contact her other mentor and arrange the bargain.

Soon she would make Princess Twilight see. Friendship wasn't the only kind of magic out there.

11

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Cozy Glow fell before the figure before her, panting in exhaustion. Her Wonderbolt uniform was tattered, burning at frayed edges. Her wings were broken, her feathers and fur singed. Black flames guttered along the fabric, stabbing into her with a pain that was colder than the Crystal Empire's darkest winter, yet hotter than the lava pits of Tartarus. The filly struggled to continue resisting, looking around for help. It was fruitless.

Everyone was gone. She'd failed them all.

"Cozy Glow," the figure cooed, a demon of shadow with two voices. One was slick and vile, raw with primordial power; the other was a filly's voice, cruel and vainglorious, and painfully familiar. The figure materialized fully, her form no longer obscured by the flames of the School of Friendship. It was a mare, an alicorn. Suddenly it was obvious why the voice was familiar.

The alicorn was her.

"Why do you continue to resist?" the evil Cozy asked, smirking at her smaller self. "I mean, come on! You used to be so ambitious, so ruthless! You're still filled with all those desires, still filled with your lust for power, but you suppress it. You deny yourself, bottling it up, and with it all the negative emotions you've accrued."

"What are you?" Cozy asked, actively ignoring her doppelganger's biting comments.

"I'm you, silly!" the alicorn gave one of Cozy's old, sickly-sweet smiles. "Gosh, don't you recognize yourself? Your true self, I mean."

"I'm not that pony anymore," Cozy challenged, standing up on uneasy legs. "How... how is this possible? I don't understand."

The alicorn opened her mouth, but she faltered, looking towards the sky. Her expression shifted from one of condescension to one of fear. Cozy looked up, but could only see the night sky filled with stars and the full moon. A part of her wondered if it had been night a moment ago or not. When she returned her attention to the alicorn, Cozy was shocked to see the creature was far more twisted, eyes like slits, fangs bared, black fire seeping from her horn like bubbling magma defying natural laws.

"I can make you powerful, Cozy," it promised, "I've done it before. I've always helped the disenfranchised, the dispossessed, the outcasts. Take what I offer, and you can be whatever you wish, be beloved by whomever you wished. No more fear of others turning you to stone, of being locked away, of being forgotten. Accept me, and I can give you the power to undo all your past wrongs. You can be a ruler, beloved by all creatures."

"No," Cozy shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. The pain in her body was gone, and the fires were out. Her uniform was intact. The night air was cool and refreshing, like a balm for her soul. "I... I've seen you before. This isn't the first time we've done this."

The demon was almost entirely shadow when she saw it again.

"You think you're the only one?" it asked. "Do you think there are not others who seek power? You'd be surprised how close they are..."

"LEAVE THIS PLACE!" a booming voice like a thunderclap turned the figure into wisps of darkness. Cozy Glow watched as a figure she had not seen in nearly a decade descended from the night sky, a radiant mare of midnight blue with a mane like the night sky. The demon hissed at her. "BEGONE, WRETCH!"

Princess Luna fired a bolt of magic at the entity, banishing it from the school grounds. Cozy blinked in astonishment, stepping backwards as the new alicorn approached her. The mare bowed, then kowtowed, unable to bring herself to look up at her jailor and face the complex emotions the princess wrought in her.

"Rise, Cozy Glow," Luna commanded simply. She waited for the mare to do so before continuing. "You resisted the Nightmare."

"Was this... some kind of test?" the Wonderbolt asked before she noticed her uniform was gone. "I'm dreaming..."

"It was no test, I'm afraid," Luna explained, gravely serious. She paused to offer a half-smile. "Though, if it were, you have certainly passed. Few can resist the temptations of my oldest enemy."

"So... that thing was... what turned you into Nightmare Moon?" Cozy's eyes widened. She felt a chill crawl up her spine. "What did it want with me?"

"To make you its new vessel, evidently," Luna's lip curled in distaste. "I blame myself. I have become lax in my duties since retirement; I had hoped with the final defeat of all the major villains, the lasting peace Twilight and her friends had wrought would starve that demon. It appears it has simply been hiding... waiting..."

"For me?" the pegasus was disbelieving. "I'm nothing special, I'm just..."

"A mare with powerful negative emotions and desires," Luna gave a sympathetic look, "I know the feeling, believe me. How many times has it been visiting you?"

"A week, I think," Cozy answered as her waking memories came to her. She'd been suffering nightmares since fall break had started. Even returning to her usual routine and saying farewell to her sister, Luster Dawn, the pegasus still struggled with the nightmares.

Luna had seen the traits of the dream, the destruction that was caused, the helplessness of the mare. Even with the dream mended, the Princess of the Night could see the underlying damage from the nightmare, like scars just beneath the skin of the un-reality of the dream realm.

"It takes all you hold dear and forces you to try and save it?" she asked.

"Y-yes..." Cozy shuddered as the full weight of her memories came back to her. "I feel so powerless... I'm just a pegasus, and... and..."

"...and a former criminal," Luna finished for the other mare. "Your past actions do not define you."

"That's easy for your to say," Cozy grimaced. "You were possessed by a demon when you were a villain. No one holds you at fault. There was no excuse for me..."

"Clinging to guilt for so long is not healthy or productive, young one," Luna chided. "And you are wrong."

"Wrong?"

"I hold myself at fault," the alicorn explained, "for there is something that every creature forgets about my fall: I chose it. I was not taken over by the Nightmare by overt force, or outright deception; I was promised power in exchange for betrayal, and I accepted the terms. I embraced the darkness. I lived with the consequences for a thousand years, with only that demon as company, and for nearly my entire reign afterwards, I have done battle with that foul creature. Until Twilight's ascension to the throne." Luna paused, considering. She turned her attention back to Cozy. "You have paid for your mistakes, as I have, but more importantly, you rejected the Nightmare. All of its promises, all of its threats, all of its obfuscation and manipulation of your memories, and you have continuously rejected it for an entire week, without assistance. That takes great strength."

"I..." the mare blushed. "I... had good mentors."

"Your parents raised you well," Luna agreed with a smile. "They would be immensely proud of you, if they knew. Why didn't you tell them?"

"That I'm having nightmares?" Cozy deadpanned. "I'm an adult, I can handle it." She waited a moment before confessing. "The dreams also... the creature also talks a lot about my sister. It shows me horrible things about her, about her... potential..."

"Luster Dawn?" Luna asked, a grave expression on her face. "Why does it use her against you?"

"I don't know," Cozy shuddered, "but whenever I wake up, the same words ring through my head... 'what would you sacrifice?'"

"Sacrifice? For what?"

"I don't know," the pegasus repeated. "It scares me. Do you think it will hurt my sister?"

"No," Luna assured her. "I have returned to my duties as guardian of dreams. The demon must face me before it tries to steal into others' minds. I have also noticed that Luster's mind is closed to me, that her dreams are hidden. She has found some magical means to isolate herself. If I cannot enter her dreams, then neither can the Nightmare."

"That's a relief, I guess," Cozy sighed. "I guess her self-isolation thing actually paid off, for once."

"And you were a social butterfly at her age?" Luna smirked.

"Alright, alright, fair..." Cozy chuckled, then remembered who she was dealing with. She blanched and fell to her knees. "Princess Luna, I never formally apologized-"

"Please, Cozy, do not debase yourself before me," Luna sighed. "I have watched over your progress for years, stealing glimpses into your psyche and helping alleviate stresses in your life, though you would not remember my influence in your dreams."

"Y-you have?"

"It's my duty, even if I am no longer a princess," Luna explained, "which reminds me: quit bowing!"

"Why keep watching me?" Cozy asked. "I mean, it's obvious I haven't... relapsed. Are you still worried...?"

"Fear not, Cozy Glow," Luna giggled. "I didn't watch your progress in order to pass judgment. I watched because... because I wanted you to get better."

"What?"

"I rather enjoy seeing villains reform," the alicorn explained, demonstrating as she brushed her wing over a fray in the fabric of Cozy's dream, mending it. "To see the scars heal, and the self become stronger. To repair the weave of one's character. It is a balm for my soul to see others healthy in more than just the physical sense."

"I always thought Apple Bloom and the others were blowing smoke up my flank when they said you visited their dreams," Cozy snorted before realizing how vulgar her wording had been. She blushed. "Uh, what I mean is-"

"Be at ease, Cozy," Luna giggled. "I found the euphemism quite amusing."

"Are... are the other princesses watching me, too?"

"My sister has taken to retirement with gusto," Luna gave a tiny laugh, "but she knows that I check in on all the creatures of Equestria from time to time, so occasionally she has asked after you. Increasingly, as late, considering the news of your Wonderbolt training."

"Oh... she knows about that, huh?"

"Don't be embarrassed," the Princess of the Night gave a warm smile, "it's quite an achievement. You will make an excellent addition to the team."

"You honor me, Princess," Cozy half-bowed, unsure what the proper decorum was.

"Please, call me Luna," the alicorn smiled, "and there is no need to bow, anymore. My sister and I are retired."

"I suppose you'll be leaving soon, huh?" the pegasus sighed.

"You did want to get back to sleep, didn't you?"

"Would it be... too presumptuous of me to ask if we can be friends?" Cozy blushed at how silly her question sounded. "If you wanted to, of course. I imagine you're probably too busy-"

"I rather like the idea," Luna beamed. "You know, it is rather difficult for alicorns to make friends."

"So I've been told," Cozy gave a smile at her own little joke.

The pair bid farewell and Cozy drifted into deeper sleep, forgetting herself in more pleasant dreams.

...

Luster Dawn enjoyed her dreamscape. She was always in control within the confines of her mind, having studied dream magic and lucid dreaming. She'd even learned to shield her dreams from others, a skill necessary to keep the prying eyes of the Princess of the Night from stumbling upon her research. She didn't need Luna meddling in something the alicorn would easily misunderstand.

She didn't need the rulers of Equestria trying to shut her down before she could even get started.

"Why are you hiding?" the unicorn asked. "You know I'm in control here."

"Yes," the demon hissed as it materialized from the too-dark shadows of her laboratory. It coalesced into the silhouette of an alicorn of black flame and purple eyes. "Luna is aware of my presence."

"You're a parasite," Luster chided, disgust evident in her tone, "and you have very little to offer me anymore. You're free to hide out in my dreamscape at nights. It's the least I can do for your tutelage, I suppose."

"You are an ungrateful whelp," the Nightmare hissed. "To be talked down to by a filly... I drove fear into the hearts of ponies for a thousand years!"

"Nightmare Moon did," Luster corrected with a smirk, finally looking at the creature, "not you. And she did it while banished on the moon. She did it as a legend and a fable. Without a host, you're nothing but a depository of forgotten dark magic."

"Dark magic you have a keen interest in," the Nightmare grunted. "There are still secrets left to learn."

"Which reminds me," Luster's horn glowed for a moment and the demon was entombed in stone, only its head exposed, "if you're going to be hiding here, I do expect a payment. That's how the magic works, yes? Bargaining?"

"You think this will hold me?!"

"In my mind, I am Queen!" the unicorn filly snapped, her will forcing down upon the stranger with such force the demon quailed. "Now, let's get down to brass tacks. You're nothing but a sliver of a greater whole, the manifestation of dark magic to counter the alicorns - the manifestation of harmonious magic. Correct?"

"I see you're still reading that book..." the Nightmare struggled to speak but showed no fear. "You already know this."

"I do, but it's good to start with review, isn't it?" Luster returned to her dream research, conducting experiments in the safety of her dreamscape she couldn't safely conduct in the waking world. "Now, the Alicorn Amulet is an artifact that more or less focuses the natural laws of dark magic, correct? The wearer is granted continuous great power in exchange for continuous personal sacrifice?"

"Indeed, and like all dark magic, such sacrifice is acceptable with great willpower," the Nightmare gave an ugly smirk, "which you are in no short supply of."

"Exactly. Herein lies my dilemma, however," Luster gave a sharp inhale of breath as she turned from her research to begin circling the trapped demon. "The Alicorn Amulet has been locked away in the Canterlot Vaults, which are... nigh-impregnable."

"Yes."

"So, I need to find a particularly powerful spell in order to infiltrate them without causing a lot of damage."

"Why?" the Nightmare seemed genuinely confused. "Why not simply use a host of powerful destructive spells in order to bypass the guards? Isn't your quest for power to establish dominance?"

"No!" the unicorn scowled. "I only want to master dark magic so I can show the fools around me that while, yes, there are risks, they're manageable risks. Dark magic isn't for everypony, but that doesn't mean I should be barred from it, or forced to practice some stupid friendship stuff!"

"I can see you're really working on that bitterness."

"Shut up!" Luster snapped. "I've read this book cover to cover, and I can't find any sort of infiltration spell capable of bypassing their security. I need that spell, Nightmare."

"...and in exchange, you'll let me stay here? In your mind?"

"You and I both know you're no threat to me," the filly's smirk was pure hubris. "Do you have a spell that can get me into the Vaults undetected? And out of the Vaults, too; don't monkey's paw me!"

"If the Alicorn Amulet is your wish, then yes, I can teach you a spell to attain it," the Nightmare's grin was malicious and foreboding. "Using it will cost you, however."

"The cost for such a spell?" Luster asked, impartial, unemotional, detached as a scientist.

"You will fade out of existence as you use it, moving through a shadow realm," the demon explained, "which naturally carries many risks, not least of which is that staying too long in the shadow realm is liable to make such an arrangement permanent."

"Cool, so stay too long, I'm trapped forever," Luster deadpanned. "Anything else?"

"The damned souls of those who were trapped there."

"And?"

"Possibly other shades like me, likely more powerful since you will be in their realm."

"No long-term negative effects, though?"

"Well," the Nightmare tried to shrug, "the longer you stay, the more... faded your soul becomes. It slowly eats away at your sanity and morality."

"See? Isn't this so much easier when we skip the idiotic doubletalk and nuance?" the unicorn smiled. "Just tell me what I want to know. I'll release you now. Play nice and quietly in my head, or I'll put you in a corner."

"In all the countless centuries I've existed, I've never met a filly so singularly arrogant."

"It's called self-confidence," Luster smirked. "I'm leaving now; I need to make sure my roommate wakes up on time."

"Ah yes... the filly alicorn..."

"She's off-limits," Luster's attitude became serious.

"And your sister?" the demon licked its lips.

"Is that who you've been bothering?" the unicorn narrowed her eyes. "Why? She's not a magic-user. What use does she have to you?"

"It doesn't matter now, does it? I'm grounded, apparently."

"Hey, if you want to go out and get vaporized by Princess Luna, that's your business," Luster gave a dry laugh, "but I'm waking up now."

The filly departed her dreamscape without another word, waking up refreshed and focused. She felt some trepidation at the last thing the demon had said, about her sister Cozy Glow. Why in Equestria would the Nightmare entity be bothering with a pegasus? The demon was aware that Cozy Glow wasn't an alicorn anymore, wasn't it?

None of it mattered. The demon was contained and Cozy Glow wasn't any worse off for wear - at least, not that Luster was aware of yet. If something happened to her sister, she'd make sure the demon suffered greatly for it, but until then, it was time for school and research.

Luster Dawn arose with her namesake, enjoying the sunrise for a brief moment before setting about her usual morning routine. Much later, with the help of an alarm (and a magical shock from the unicorn), Flurry Heart awoke to begin her own morning routine.

"Are you ready for another fun day of studies?" Luster asked, chipper.

"Tone it down," Flurry yawned. "Did you have good dreams, or something? I don't understand how you can wake up so refreshed each morning."

"Something like that," the unicorn smirked. "Come on, lazy bones; we're going to be late for class."

"Tragic," Flurry grumbled, groaning as Luster sped up. "Ugh! Wait up!"

The pair giggled as they went as quickly through the halls as they could without galloping. Luster felt young and lively for the first time in her short life, doing something as silly as trying not to get caught running through the halls. It was absurd. A small part of her wondered if this sort of feeling, this inexplicable joy she felt, was the price she'd have to pay one day for a greater understanding of magic. Her entire academic career, she'd assumed she'd pay the price if it was something feeble like giddy, illogical emotions, but now that she was experiencing them...

...she hoped she wouldn't have to.

Chapter 12

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Cozy Glow felt anxiety course through her veins as she stared at the tidy collection of booklets in her locker. They were well-organized, as immaculate as the uniform she wore. The pegasus took a deep, calming breath, trying to slow her rapidly-beating heart. Today should have been like any other - a routine training day on the downward slide of their training. They'd finished Tartarus Week, and while Rainbow Dash was just as relentless in her training of the recruits, the certainty of success for all of them increased each day.

However, on this day, Rainbow Dash had announced a surprise guest for their performance: The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle.

The architect of the diverse cooperative alliance that had brought the world closer, brought peace and prosperity to millions. Savior of Equestria and the world, ten times over. The most powerful magical being on the planet, and a scientific genius besides. She was, of course, also Cozy Glow's jailor. Like Rainbow Dash - and, Cozy suspected, the majority of the Elements of Harmony, and indeed Equestria - she had never fully trusted the pegasus' reformation. Her visits had become less frequent, but she still inquired after Cozy's mental health and any signs of regression. It had been over a year since Cozy had seen her in person, but she knew the princess kept a monthly dialogue with Starlight, and often asked about the former villainess.

Cozy let out a strained breath, struggling to keep her cool. She jumped at the sudden pressure on her shoulder and looked back. Gary the Griffin, one of her fellow recruits, shot her a comforting smile.

"Easy there, Glow," Gary said, moving his talons back as if she had burned him. He chuckled disarmingly. "What's got you so wound up?"

"The princess is watching our performance today," another pegasus recruit - Rumble - explained the obvious.

"Oh yeah," Gary clacked his beak in thought. "I forget that's kind of a big deal for ponies."

Rumble rolled his eyes, then spared a cautious look at his fellow pony.

"Though... you do seem pretty nervous," he noted. "Are you alright, Glow? You're usually solid."

"I'm fine," Cozy lied, wincing out how obvious the deception was.

"Wow," Rumble deadpanned. "Y'know, with the stories Sweetie Belle and the others told me about how you used to be, I got the impression you were... I don't know... good at lying."

"Is something bothering you?" Gary asked, showing more concern.

"I'm fine, guys," Cozy denied. She hesitated, some of her mother's friendship lessons trickling into her head. Eventually, her pride broke and she sighed. "Actually, I'm pretty worried about Princess Twilight's visit."

"Because you're a former criminal?" Gary guessed. Rumble shot him an expression of disbelief and the griffin blinked after a moment. "Oh! Did I say something wrong?"

"It's alright," Cozy chuckled despite herself, "I'm not so thin-skinned that being reminded of my past is going to break me. You're right, Gary. I'm worried because I used to be a criminal."

"Yeah, more than a decade ago," Rumble rolled his eyes. "Glow, I thought you moved past this, especially with Dash making you her apprentice and all."

"Firstly, there's no apprenticeships in the Wonderbolts," the mare corrected, "and secondly, I have moved past it. The problem is, I'm not sure Twilight has... She's constantly checked up on me, and even now she still asks about my mental health. Just last month, I saw the letter she wrote my mom. She doesn't trust me."

"Maybe," a new mare's voice cut in, making the recruits go ramrod straight by reflex. Rainbow Dash smirked at them, calming Cozy's anxiety some. "But Twilight isn't stupid. She just needs to see how far you've come in person, and see how genuine your mom's and my testimonies are."

"Captain Dash, I-" Cozy stopped herself. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough, recruit," the rainbow-maned pegasus snorted. "Trust me, I'm good friends with Twilight. She's just a little paranoid, is all. If you think she doesn't trust you, you should have seen her at Shining Armor's second wedding."

"I remember," Cozy Glow noted, face twisting at the memory of that thoroughly-awkward event. Thinking back to that time, Cozy realized Flurry Heart had been the flower filly, but in all the excitement and drama of the event, she had never noticed the young alicorn except in passing. More than likely, the younger Cozy Glow had probably assumed it to be a costume. It was funny how she had completely missed her close friend all those years ago.

"Then you'll remember how she tried to fight Chrysalis in front of everyone because old Queenie sneezed," Rainbow Dash giggled. "My point is, Twilight can be a little wound up, but once she sees how far you've progressed, she'll accept you as one of the fold, I guarantee it."

"Really?"

"Hey now, officers shouldn't doubt," Rainbow jokingly chided. She gave the younger pegasus a playful hoof-bump to her shoulder. "Have some confidence, Glow. Relax. This is a simple training exercise, like any other."

Cozy nodded, feeling a smile tug her lips. She felt calm begin to flood into her, and then the old confidence - the assuredness that she was on the right path. She finished her preparations after Rainbow left, overseeing the final preparations of her fellow recruits. She had been the de facto squadron leader even before Rainbow Dash had picked her out, her natural desire to lead and perfectionism providing a rock on which the nervous and unsteady recruits could lean on. Over time, she'd earned their trust and demonstrated natural talent as a leader, her old instincts as a conqueror balanced by the lessons she'd learned from her parents: compassion, sympathy, and understanding.

Cozy let out a calming breath as she led her fellow flyers onto the cloudy fields of the Wonderbolts training grounds. They were precise, orderly, and perfect. They looked every inch the Wonderbolts in their blue-and-gold uniforms. As one, they stopped and turned to face the stands. Rainbow Dash stood before them, a pleased grin on her face. Behind and above the captain sat the Princess of Friendship, watching them with a trained, neutral expression. It was oddly contradictory: imperious, clinical, and impassionate, yet benevolent, forgiving, and kind. Like a mother or a teacher. Cozy felt a rush of emotions when the alicorn's purple eyes fell on her, but Twilight's face betrayed nothing.

Then Twilight smiled.

"Alright, Rainbow Dash," the alicorn giggled, reminding Cozy Glow of the Headmare she had known over a decade ago, "show me what your recruits can do."

"You heard her!" the Wonderbolts captain snapped. "Squadron Leader! Take point!"

Cozy took her place, giving the order to affix goggles, an action every recruit performed in-sync. The pegasus took a final calming breath, collecting herself, before beginning the routine.

...

Rainbow Dash watched the entire performance, stony-faced. She had told Cozy Glow to maintain her confidence, that Twilight would be easily-won over. In truth, the veteran Wonderbolt wasn't entirely sure. She saw Twilight only once a moon for their usual hang-out, but even such frequent get-togethers weren't enough to help the Wonderbolt gauge Twilight's interpretation of Cozy Glow, especially since they'd never talked about her. The last meeting had only been days earlier, where Rainbow had gone on at length about Cozy's progress. Twilight's shock at Rainbow's apparent reversal of opinion was... troubling to the pegasus. The alicorn had seemed far more disbelieving of Cozy Glow's personal growth than Rainbow had expected.

So the pegasus watched her protégé’s performance with silent anxiety, urging her to succeed.

There was nothing to fear, of course. All the recruits were fantastic, and Cozy Glow was the cream of the crop. She had taken up the mantle of Recruit Squadron Leader as if she had been born for it, and had even taken to designing her own stunt routines as a side-hobby, asking Rainbow Dash for her opinions on them. There was always something Rainbow disagreed with - some dangerous maneuver that needed to be replaced, or the like, but by and large the veteran Wonderbolt was impressed with the thought and detail that went into Cozy's designs.

Rainbow tensed as the performance reached its climax, then visibly relaxed when the recruits pulled off the difficult series of twists and turns with expert precision. With the relief came pride; this might be her greatest class of recruits yet. They landed in formation, marched into position, and saluted their captain before bowing to the Princess of Friendship.

"At ease!" Rainbow ordered, grinning from ear to ear. She about-faced to look upon a smiling Twilight. "Did you enjoy the performance, Your Majesty?"

"I think this might be your best batch of recruits yet!" Twilight beamed, echoing Rainbow's earlier thoughts. She leaned in, conspiratorially. "But, uh, don't tell the other recruits I said that."

"My lips are sealed," Rainbow chuckled. She spared a glance at her recruits and winked at Cozy Glow. The younger pegasus stayed steely-faced, but that was to be expected with all the discipline she'd instilled in the trainees.

"Recruit Squadron Leader Cozy Glow," Twilight spoke with the rigid authority of a princess, "step forward."

Cozy was distantly aware that she had obeyed the command as surely and automatically as if it had come from a Wonderbolts officer; she had obeyed Twilight as a princess, respecting her rank and paying no mind to the fact this was Princess Twilight Sparkle, the author of her imprisonment as a filly. A twinge of buried resentment stirred at the distant memories. She heard a voice in her head, unintelligible. A brief hiss that dripped with malice and cruel satisfaction.

"No need to look so anxious," Twilight's air of command gave way to her more genuine kindness. Cozy realized she had tensed considerably, her features growing ashen. "I'm very proud of you, Cozy Glow."

Patronizing twit, a voice hissed in the back of Cozy's mind. The shock of Twilight's praise was enough to sober the pegasus from her resentment, however. Immediately, Cozy realized where the voice had originated from and chose to ignore it. She wasn't going to let a demon make a fool out of her.

"You are?" she asked, choosing to focus on what Twilight had said.

"Of course," the alicorn's smile was warm and friendly. It was marred by a moment's doubt and she looked to Rainbow Dash. "Would you mind if I took your Squadron Leader for a flight?"

"Who am I to deny the request of a princess?" Rainbow asked with a smirk, dismissing the other recruits and excusing herself, leaving Twilight and Cozy alone.

"Would you like to fly with me, Cozy?" Twilight invited. "I may not have been born with wings, but I've grown to love flying almost as much as Rainbow Dash."

"That's a lot," Cozy noted, laughing nervously at her own joke, then cringing. "Um. Sure."

The pair took flight from the Wonderbolts training grounds, skimming between clouds for a bit. It was silent, but for the voice whispering poison inside Cozy Glow's head. She tuned it out as best she could, knowing it wasn't her own, but it murmured and hissed, just on the edge of hearing, daring her to listen to truths about herself she didn't want to revisit. Despite this, there was no tension during the flight; Cozy felt little anxiety being around Twilight, the princess' radiating an aura of serenity.

"I must apologize, Cozy Glow," Twilight spoke at last.

"What?" the pegasus tripped up and caught herself. "Why? For what?"

"Starlight has frequently advocated on your behalf, telling me how far you've come in your reformation, telling me that I shouldn't be lurking over your shoulder all the time," the alicorn explained with a guilty tone in her voice, "but I was always afraid you'd relapse. Of all the former villains, you haven't yet. Sombra has a manic spat every so often, but less frequently of late; Chrysalis had an episode shortly before marrying my brother; and Tirek? He... requires advanced supervision."

Cozy raised an eyebrow at that but didn't pry. Of all the reformed villains, Tirek was perhaps the most dangerous and the most prone to relapsing. After all, he grew stronger by feeding on others' magic. Through friendship, he had reached a happy medium, no longer magic-starved but without resorting to gorging himself in a parasitic fashion - not unlike the changelings - but the impulse was still there. The willpower required for him to avoid feasting on every ounce of magic he could reach was immense, and Twilight personally oversaw the centaur's guidance, offering sage counsel and a patient ear. Of course, Cozy didn't know that; very few outside of the princesses knew.

"I realize now that my concerns for you were unfounded, and that my attempts at keeping track of your progress have come off as a sign of mistrust," Twilight sighed. "That wasn't my intention, but if I'm honest, I guess I didn't trust you. Seeing how much effort you put into the Wonderbolts, I can see I was wrong to doubt you. I also see that my paranoia was somewhat infectious."

"How do you mean?" Cozy asked, keeping her voice neutral despite the buzzing emotions racing through her and the sinister voice trying to corrupt her.

"Your mom confided in me that you have... nightmares."

Cozy blanched. Did her mom know about the demon? Did she tell Twilight? Or did Luna tell the princess? It was a gut-chilling thing to contemplate.

"I never meant to make you so anxious," Twilight continued, "and I never, ever intended to keep you in line with the threat of being permanently frozen in stone. Just the idea of it, now... it's cruel. I can't believe Discord could have recommended it, especially after facing it himself."

"Discord is an odd one..." Cozy confessed. The holdout villains had taken several years to warm up to Discord, resenting him for multiple reasons, not least of which was his suggestion to freeze them in stone. The fact he got away with his relapses so frequently while Cozy lived in terror was also a point of contention between them.

"He is, but he's also oddly insightful," Twilight smiled at memories, then frowned. "Usually in a cryptic, panic-inducing way..." The smile returned quickly. "I believe his intent was that, since being frozen for so long had helped him, it might also help you."

Cozy stayed silent, not sure what to say. Had that really been Discord's intent? That the petrification would only have ever been temporary, until such a time someone more relatable or capable would have been able to reform them? It sounded absurd, and yet... Discord was nothing if not the living manifestation of making the absurd reality. Really, it was probable that, eventually, someone would have come along who was capable of making the villains see the light. The voice that had tried to ensnare her had fled, realizing it had failed once again. A small sense of victory filled the pegasus.

"I should have trusted you more," Twilight confessed as she continued, drawing Cozy's attention back. "I just... I found it difficult to believe that a normal filly would be so thoroughly evil at such a young age. I'd never heard of it, never seen it. And then, to see the same filly reform so thoroughly... it was difficult to believe. You demonstrated incredible ability at deceit and manipulation, at waiting and planning, when you were younger. I suppose a part of me just thought it was more likely you were lying, holding out and playing a long game, waiting for the moment to strike."

A moment of regretful silence lingered before she continued, tears in her eyes.

"I thought the same thing about Chrysalis, too. And Sombra. And Tirek," she confessed. "I'm not sure why, but even after I came to accept their reformations, after I spent time with them, I couldn't bring myself to fully believe in you or give you the same attention. I'm sorry for that, Cozy Glow."

Cozy had to stop flying, landing on a cloud to gather her thoughts. Twilight came around after realizing the pegasus had stopped, landing beside her. Cozy looked distant and felt lightheaded.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Cozy Glow apologized, holding herself steady, "I just... that was a lot to take in."

Twilight stayed quiet, letting the younger mare collect herself.

"I always got the impression you didn't trust me," Cozy explained. "I worried every waking moment, the older I got, that I would be frozen in stone at the slightest sign of relapse... I've been terrified..." She saw the pain on Twilight's face and forced a smile. "But that's in the past. I know you were just trying to protect those you care about, especially Flurry."

"Flurry?" the alicorn raised an eyebrow, confused. "What does my niece have to do with this?"

"Uh..." Cozy shifted, nervously, "she never mentioned me?"

Twilight shook her head.

"Golly, that's awkward..." Cozy inhaled sharply. "She's my... first friend."

"Really?" Twilight's eyebrows shot up. "I can't believe she didn't tell me! This is fantastic!"

"Wait, really?"

"Yes!" the alicorn's excitement was genuine. "Flurry has had trouble fitting in and making friends; it's so amazing you and her were each other's first friend!"

"She's also friends with my sister," Cozy smiled, "but you probably already knew that."

"She's friends with Luster, too?!" Twilight gasped, her image as a mature and sage princess shattered as she gushed about her pupil and niece. "This is amazing! I can't believe neither of them told me!"

"Really? I figured Luster would report to you or something."

"Luster Dawn is... selective with what she tells me," Twilight explained, a twinge of lament in her expression that Cozy didn't miss. "She is a brilliant filly, don't misunderstand - my best and brightest pupil. However, she has become increasingly resistant to my lessons on friendship. So much, in fact, that I practically had to force her to attend the School of Friendship. I think I pushed too hard and the only reason she agreed was to be out from under my supervision."

Cozy wanted to tell Twilight about the Nightmare entity, about how it made frequent references to Luster Dawn, and hinted at some kind of connection between the demon and filly. The fact the princess would press her for more information, that she might discover the demon was visiting Cozy herself, stopped the pegasus. It was under control, anyway, wasn't it? The entity harassed her in the daytime, when it perceived weakness, but at night it hadn't bothered her at all, fearing Luna's diligence.

"I didn't realize there was a rift between you two," Cozy frowned, then blanched. "I-I mean, I don't mean to assume that she and you - that is, I thought you two got on so well, and-"

"Relax, Cozy Glow," Twilight giggled, but her mirth was short-lived. "As your sister has gotten older, she has become more rebellious. It is only natural, especially for one so gifted. I was very much the same as her, when I was her age. I had hoped the School would change her interpretations on friendship, but it seems to have made her more... bitter."

Cozy covered up the grimace she felt at knowing the truth behind her sister's bitterness. The School of Friendship probably would have helped her develop more, but for the presence of the one pony Luster Dawn loathed: her sister, Cozy Glow.

The pegasus was under no delusions about why her younger sister resented being in Ponyville. Their parents ran the institution, and Cozy was a frequent visitor - and now part-time teaching assistant - at the school. Luster, who had been away for several years to study in Canterlot, had returned to Ponyville to find that - in her absence - the adopted Cozy Glow had further bonded with Starlight and Sunburst, while Luster Dawn's dismissive attitude and arrogance had made it difficult to reconnect with their parents at all, the relationship already strained by time and distance. Luster secluded herself at the school, throwing herself into her studies, resentful of the love their parents gave Cozy Glow.

Cozy knew that, despite the best efforts of their parents, Luster didn't see her as a sister. Indeed, the filly seemed to resent Cozy for getting 'special treatment' as a daughter of Starlight and Sunburst. She never said it directly, but she always had a way of subtly reminding Cozy that the pegasus was adopted, on top of overtly reminding everyone of her status as Twilight's pupil.

"I don't think lessons of friendship are entirely why she's bitter..." Cozy noted but didn't elaborate. Twilight didn't question it, displaying the sage grace of alicorn princesses.

"Have you considered talking to Starlight about your relationship with Luster?" Twilight asked. Cozy winced; of course the Princess of Friendship would have picked up on the resentment between her prized student and the former criminal. Luster had probably openly complained about Cozy to Twilight while studying under her.

"I don't want to bother mom about it," Cozy shifted uncomfortably, "and I don't think tattling will make Luster like me more."

"Perhaps you should talk with Luster directly?"

"That... might work, actually," Cozy felt her heart swell a little at the idea that this could work. "Golly, why didn't I think about just talking to her?"

"...Are... are you being sarcastic?" Twilight looked confused.

"Oh! No, I wasn't!" Cozy blushed. "I just talk like that sometimes."

A moment of silence passed before both mares burst into laughter. Twilight calmed herself a shared a smile with the younger pony.

"I have always dreamed of a moment like this," the alicorn confessed, "where you and I could talk like friends, with no tension. I'm sorry I didn't realize I was the reason we didn't have the chance."

"I can't really blame you," the pegasus snorted. "I am a former felon, after all."

"You're far more than that, Cozy Glow," Twilight's tone was serious, as if she were commanding the pegasus to acknowledge the fact, "I am only sorry I didn't see it sooner."

"You... honor me," Cozy said, honestly.

“I must return to my royal duties, but I will be sure to follow your progress closely,” Twilight spread her wings and gently took to the air. “Farewell, Cozy Glow. Tell your mom and Luster I said hello!”

Cozy shouted a farewell to the departing princess and stayed, watching the sun set, stunned at what had just transpired. She felt as if an immeasurable burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Eventually she returned to the barracks in a daze, barely noticing how late it was or that Rainbow Dash was the only one left.

“There you are!” the Wonderbolt Captain zoomed up towards her protégé. “Where have you been?”

“Sorry,” Cozy couldn’t quite wipe the smile from her face. “Twilight, uh, Princess Twilight and I got to talking and she… apologized to me. I feel so relieved.”

“Ah,” Rainbow relaxed and had a smile of her own. “See? What did I tell you? Nothing to worry about, kid!”

“Thank you, Captain Dash,” Cozy’s smile broadened.

The two moved into a quick, awkward embrace before parting and double-checking there were no witnesses. They shared a nervous laugh before saying their goodbyes. Cozy flew home, feeling lighter than she had in years, happily landing at her family’s home. A flash in one of the upstairs windows caught her eye, a flash of magic from Luster’s room.

“Huh,” the pegasus noted to herself as she entered the quiet house. Starlight and Sunburst had already turned in for the night, with Cozy having arrived later than usual. “I didn’t know Luster was visiting.”

The mare retired to her room, her high wearing off as she finally reached her bed. She could greet her sister in the morning; the nerd was probably staying up late working on some magic experiment anyway. The pegasus tucked herself in and let sleep take her.

13

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Luster Dawn reviewed her plans within her dreamscape, safe from prying eyes. The Nightmare demon hovered nearby, peering over her shoulder at the magical hologram she’d created of the vaults. It would be difficult, but with the spell she’d learned from the demon, she’d be able to bypass the vaults’ security and acquire the Alicorn Amulet. The filly felt a smirk grace her lips as the idea she could fool her mentor and pull off such a heist beneath the Princess of Friendship’s muzzle crossed her mind.

And all without friendship, Luster thought.

“This is certainly ambitious,” the Nightmare hissed.

“But necessary,” Luster replied. “I need the power of the Amulet in order to summon my new mentor, don’t I?”

“Not necessarily,” the demon grinned – an ugly expression, filled with broken obsidian teeth. “If you would but let me guide you…”

“Let me correct myself,” Luster sighed in exasperation. “I require the Amulet in order to summon my new mentor without being possessed by a parasite.”

The demon let out a low snarl but stayed quiet. The filly smirked to herself in satisfaction as she reviewed her plan one more time. Committing it to memory, the filly allowed herself to wake up, unceremoniously leaving the Nightmare entity behind. She awoke in her bed, same time as always, and carried out her usual morning ritual. It was the weekend, which meant no class. Normally she’d study all day while her roommate was out and about, and today she would pretend to do the same as if nothing had changed.

Flurry Heart eventually woke up and went through her usual morning routine, which was mostly her attempting to go back to sleep. When the alicorn finally did leave to entertain herself with various adventures, as she was want to do, Luster made sure to politely refuse the offers to join, then waited until she was absolutely sure her roommate was gone before immediately teleporting to Canterlot.

The filly felt only the slightest taxation of her powers at such a feat of magic. She had perfected channeling her magical energies, allowing her to perform spells that should have been impossible for one so young, and left even unicorns as powerful as her mother exhausted. Trotting through warrens and back-alleys, Luster worked her way to towards the castle, stopping just shy of where the city ended and the castle grounds began. She took a moment to watch the Royal Guard’s patrol patterning, though it wouldn’t matter. It was more from personal interest, enjoying the clockwork movements of the iron-discipline guardsponies.

Luster snorted to herself. She’d been spending too much time with Flurry Heart.

The filly briefly reached inwards, into her personally dreamscape for one final conference with the demon.

“You pick now to hesitate?” the demon’s voice grated on her psyche.

“Of course not!” Luster snapped, but she felt her reservations surface now that she was facing the decision. Whether or not she was right – which she totally was, she was sure – her course of action was not only illegal, but a blatant betrayal of Princess Twilight’s trust in her. Like it or not, she needed reassurance. “Is there an alternative, however?”

“Aside from allowing me to give you power?” the Nightmare hissed. “No. Only the power of an alicorn will give your magic the boost it needs, and only the Alicorn Amulet can do that. Unless Princess Twilight has shown you the path to ascend…?”

“No.”

“I didn’t think so,” the Nightmare sneered. “If she trusted you with that kind of information, we wouldn’t be here.”

Luster felt her anger flare, her reservations burning up in its flames. She forced a sneer of her own onto her face.

“Try not to lose composure when I become everything you’ll never be,” Luster’s voice had a cruel cut to it that made the demon seethe. The filly retreated from her mind and double-checked that there were no witnesses in her secluded alley before she began working the spell that would help her sneak into the Canterlot Vaults.

As the weaves of magic flowed around her, she felt cold and sick. It felt as if ice were replacing her marrow, and filth replacing her blood. Nausea and painful migraines overtook her as the weaving of magic helped her fade from the material plane and to the next. When she opened her eyes, the filly was in a realm that only resembled Canterlot at the basest level. Where once there were buildings of beauteous architecture, now there were floating blocks and sheets of non-reflective obsidian, so dark that even the deepest cave would seem bright by comparison. Looking down, Luster saw the streets were glassy and reflective, in contrast to the floating ruins, but her reflection was a warped parody, her colors dim, her eyes flickering between malice and terror. Her face shifted in horrifying ways.

Luster looked up, eager to avoid the reflective ground. The sky was colorful, like the Northern Lights that Princess Cadance conjured, but they gave off no warmth or light, and the colors seemed sick and broken. Looking too closely, the filly could make out expressions of faces in the light that disturbed as much as her twisted reflection. Everything was silence and ruin, save for the occasional skittering or distant howls that no animal could ever make.

Despite all her bravado, Luster felt like a scared filly who was in over her head, frozen in fear. She forced herself onwards, knowing every second she stayed in this hellscape risked her soul being devoured. She could feel herself burning away, a torch with limited fuel, bright and inviting whatever foul entities called this realm home. A shattered tower of dark rock, floating in splinters, was where the castle stood in the material plane. She made her way there, dimly aware that she was followed. Turning suddenly, Luster screamed.

A tall pony was behind her, long and lithe, chimeric in its qualities. Its wings were like those of bats, and its hooves were lined with razor edges. Reptilian eyes blazed with midnight blue fire. Its mane was a similar flame, flowing like Twilight’s, but instead of starlight glimmering in the weave, it was the death of stars. The face was horrifying, a disturbing amalgamation of skull and flesh, as if it were flayed, onyx muscle. When the creature smiled, showing its jagged obsidian fangs, Luster realized who it was.

“Y-you?!” she demanded of the Nightmare entity.

“Do not act so surprised, little one,” the demon chuckled, its voice powerful and resonant. In truth, the creature radiated power here, outshining the filly’s talents dramatically. For once, Luster felt genuinely threatened by its power. “This is my home, and here I am at my strongest. I know the student in you has many questions and longs for answers, but time is short; you’re of no use to me if your soul is devoured.”

Luster only nodded, realizing that the demon was what was keeping whatever other creatures were around at bay. Without this apex predator to protect her, her essence would have been consumed by whatever scavengers were lurking about. They made their way to the castle swiftly and in silence, following the paths through its corridors and halls, going deeper into the complex. Luster noted that, despite everything, this realm was a perfect reflection of her own. The layout of buildings was the same, even if they were only represented with floating ruins. One hall, in the real world, had beautiful tapestries depicting the virtues put forth by the alicorn sisters, but in this realm they were wispy banners of thin flame and shadow, parodies depicting vices.

The filly slowed as one caught her eye. A pink alicorn with a fiery mane, sitting upon a throne of purple-veined obsidian, the arms of which were carved into the shape of equine skulls. A crown of cruel barbs sat upon her head, and she wore a demonic visage. At the foot of her throne were kneeling supplicants, mewling and begging for mercy or aid – she could not tell which. At the bottom was the name of the vice:

Hubris

Luster shivered as she moved on, the shifting matter of the banner turning its clarity into obscure shade and smoke once more. She wondered if she had even seen what she had thought she’d seen.

They entered the lower levels. Where there should have been massive doors of iron-hard, ancient wood carved with magical runes and sigils, protected by the most complicated locks, in this shadow realm there were nothing – nothing barred their passage deeper into the warehouse of Equestria’s most closely-guarded artifacts. Even though most items were not reflected in this plane of existence, Luster could make out the Alicorn Amulet, such was its power. It glowed red hot upon a pedestal, as if freshly forged, looking infernal in its heat.

Luster approached the amulet, cautiously, hesitant to reenter the material plane despite ever second she delayed tearing her soul apart. She could feel the will of the Nightmare behind her, its power radiating off of the amulet and back again, the two feeding each other with her caught in between the tides of energy. It was like being caught between two volcanoes: incredibly heat and pressure, titanic forces of the same nature.

“Do not waste any time, child,” the Nightmare’s voice rang like a bell dragged up from the darkest depths, resonating in her ethereal form. Before the filly was even aware of it, she had obeyed.

Luster’s eyes opened and she was back in the waking world, the pain and horror she had experienced in the shadow realm sticking to her like a retinal burn sticking to the eye that stared at the sun too long. It was at once real and faded memory, coming back in snatches she’d sooner forget. The filly looked around the vault room she was in, its size the equal of the one she’d entered in the shadow realm, but built of heavy, cold stone. A thick, barred and locked door set in an iron doorframe was the only way in or out, and the only light that shone was torchlight from the hall slipping through the thin crack beneath the entrance, and the glow of warding runes set along the doorframe.

Luster allowed her eyes to adjust, knowing using magic would be a dead giveaway in a place so heavily guarded. The pedestal was etched with sigils as well, clearly enchanted with some sort of alarm. The amulet sat atop it, dark and foreboding, simple as it was. It was far less intimidating in the true world, but Luster found she had an increasing sense for darker powers, as if she could better gauge their strength. The scholar in her made a mental note of that, but the majority of her mind was consciously aware of the sheer power radiating from the amulet, like a miasma of corruption. It was the equal of an alicorn, but a darker cast, a reflection in a mirror warped by age and heat.

The filly licked her lips. She’d have to hurry once she grabbed the Alicorn Amulet, which would prove difficult considering the shadowalker spell took several seconds to perform. It was untraceable, however, and would allow her to slip away as easily as she had snuck in. Steadying herself with calming breaths, Luster snatched the amulet with her forehooves and placed it in her saddlebag before immediately beginning the weaves of dark magic. She had barely begun when the magical alarm screeched its warning, the sound of approaching hooves sounding up the hall along with orders for the intruder to stop. The unicorn worked faster, keeping her nerves steady despite the sound of enchanted locks being undone. She disappeared into the world of shadows moments before the door was unbarred, the Royal Guard galloping into an empty room with no sign of forced entry or escape.

Luster almost cheered as she reentered the horrifying realm for her escape, but focused on fleeing.

“Not bad, eh?” she asked, waiting for the Nightmare’s inevitable retort. Instead there was only silence. The filly looked around, realizing she was alone. Abandoned. “Where are you?”

Silence answered her.

Silence and… a whooping noise that grew closer.

The filly decided it’d be better to get out of the eerie realm sooner than later, focusing on escape. Working her way out of the castle, she ignored the hall of ghostly banners and all but galloped as she noticed loping, vulpine forms pursuing her. She spared a look over her shoulder and saw the ethereal specters giving chase: quadrupedal, with a canine cast, made of ice and fog, the ender of all things, the creeping chill of death.

Only one thing she’d heard of matched their appearance, a myth she had always been taught but largely ignored. The Windigos. Luster let out a stream of expletives at the fact the demon had conveniently forgotten to mention that this realm was the plane those frigid frights came from. She had been foolish to trust the demon, and she felt despair and fatigue fill her as the Windigos drew closer, and the realm of shadows siphoned her life. She was almost free, she just needed…

She just needed…

The filly used her magic to levitate the Alicorn Amulet out of her saddlebag. She had wanted to study it in detail first. Simply jumping into using it was foolhardy, risky, and exactly what the Nightmare wanted, but she was growing weaker and dying here would serve no one but the demons wanting her soul. Reluctantly and desperately, Luster slipped the amulet on, accepting its power.

She felt like a god.

Power funneled into her like a tornado of black flame, driving into her heart. Where she had been a smoky shadow of herself, she was now solid in this realm, with a crown of terrifying glory radiating from her head, onyx wings of magic flaring at her sides. The Windigos paused in their hunt, hesitant at this sudden reversal. Luster did not allow them time to retreat, feeling an uncontrollable need to conquer, to dominate, to subjugate. She let loose with a single magical blast, a beam of screaming purple and white that struck the first Windigo and evaporated it in a shriek of light and sound. The others fled, but not before Luster destroyed three of the fleeing demons.

The shadow realm was no longer terrifying to her, but she sensed it was still feeding on her soul. Regardless of her powers, it would still destroy her if she stayed. Returning to where she had begun the journey, the filly returned to the material realm.

She blinked in surprise at the night sky before looking at her body. Contrary to what she had thought, the amulet had not given her true wings; only the powers of an alicorn. She reluctantly removed it, feeling somehow weaker and infinitely healthier in that instant, and hid the artifact in her saddlebag. A familiar presence entered her mind.

“Where were you?” she asked within. “And why is it night?”

“Time works differently in the world of shades and darkness,” the demon’s voice was the sinister hiss she remembered, no longer redolent and powerful. “Did I forget to mention that?”

“You conniving little…” Luster muttered. “No matter, it’s done. I have the artifact and no one can trace it to me.” The filly paused for a moment, thoughtful. “You still haven’t told me where you went.”

“To talk to a friend,” the demon chuckled, “she’s a very special lady.”

“Gross,” Luster cringed. “I’ll drop the amulet off at my house. The presence of so many magical items should mask it, just in case Princess Twilight goes searching.”

“Are you so confident you can part with such power?”

“You should know by now that I’m not so weak-willed,” the unicorn retorted. In reality, she could feel a dread at the idea of removing the amulet, of losing the unholy power surging through her. There was no need for her annoying companion to know they were right, however. Celestia forbid the demon get an even larger ego.

The filly teleported to her home, directly into her room. She lifted the amulet with her hoof without removing it, looking at it, trying to determine if she really could simply remove it. The sound of the door opening downstairs made Luster tense up. She had assumed everyone was home already, and likely in bed. She cast a quick seer spell to peer through the walls of her abode and found her adopted older sister, Cozy Glow, returning home at such a late hour.

“Why is she back so late?” Luster whispered to herself.

“Didn’t you know?” the demon hissed in her mind, voice dripping with mock surprise. “As Twilight’s prized pupil, I assumed you knew she’d become fast friends with Cozy Glow.”

“What?” Luster winced at the volume of her voice but Cozy didn’t notice. Cozy also didn’t check on her, heading straight to bed. The unicorn dismissed her seer spell. “What are you talking about?”

“Cozy was delayed because she was having a personal chat with one Princess Twilight Sparkle. Your mentor.”

Luster scoffed, trying to brush off the demon’s words. Twilight would never lower herself to talk to a formal felon on such personal terms. Would she? Even if she did, why didn’t she talk to her protégé first?

“How would you know?” she demanded.

“Who do you think I was visiting?” the Nightmare chuckled as it sank in for the unicorn. “Your sister is a special lady, wouldn’t you say?”

“She’s a felon. I shouldn’t be surprised she consorts with demons, like you.”

“I assure you, the only one who consorts with me in any capacity, is you,” the demon’s snarl held a malicious snicker behind it. “Felon she may be, but she has resisted every enticement and trick I’ve thrown her way. She is… inoculated to the darkness.”

“More the fool her,” Luster sneered, “forsaking powers she has every right to accept.”

“Ironic, coming from you.”

“I do not need nor deserve your foul power,” Luster ground out. “I am one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria, one of the greatest magical users in all history! I have no need for your paltry shadow magicks, only what you and your master can teach me.”

The unicorn flinched as she felt the demon smile in her mind, like a wound splitting open in her thoughts.

“Then, tomorrow, you shall meet him.”

Chapter 14

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Something was off when Flurry Heart woke up Sunday morning, bleary-eyed and half-asleep. As she fell back to sleep then woke up again, she realized that her roommate and best friend was missing. That couldn’t be right, of course, because Luster Dawn was always awake and muzzle-deep in a book. Today she was… absent.

The alicorn filly got ready for her day, the mystery of her missing roommate keeping her from going back to sleep. Searching for her saddlebags, Flurry found the half-finished model they were working on stored in one of their shared cupboards, half-forgotten. A twinge of sadness touched the filly moments before an idea made her light up.

“I know what we can do today,” she mused aloud. This was a perfect way to spend a Sunday, building a project with a friend.

Flurry trotted through the halls of the school, searching for her roommate. She checked the library first, naturally, but the only pony there was Cozy Glow. Curious, the alicorn approached her oldest friend.

“What are you doing here on a Sunday?” she asked, a smirk already creasing her lips.

“Mom and dad work at the school on Sundays and we don’t have any Wonderbolt practice today, so the house was lonely. Thought I’d come in for a few hours before heading home,” Cozy explained, returning the smirk, “and I thought I might run into you, kid.”

“Oh?”

“It’s been awhile since we’ve hung out,” Cozy smiled, then blushed in embarrassment. “Though, I guess a full-grown mare like me hanging out with a filly is a little, ah… odd.”

“Yeah, but we’re odd anyway,” Flurry chuckled. “I’d love to hang around, but I’m looking for Luster. Have you seen her?”

“I haven’t seen her since Fall Break,” Cozy admitted with a sudden crestfallen expression. She bounced back quickly, a mischievous smile on her face. “Golly, are you sure you two are only friends?”

“Gah!” Flurry turned vibrant red, caught off-guard by the question. She’d never considered it before. Cozy Glow’s laughter snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I’m kidding! Gosh, relax.”

“Sorry, you just surprised me,” Flurry Heart laughed anxiously. “I don’t think I like her that way? Never really thought about it until now.” The filly put a hoof to her chin, speculating.

“Are you seriously thinking about this?” Cozy raised an eyebrow.

“I’m the daughter of the Princess of Love,” Flurry snorted, “speculating on romance is second nature to me. I think you’re right, though; I don’t have a crush on your sister.”

“I feel oddly relieved,” Cozy said, and Flurry couldn’t tell if she were being sarcastic or not. “Anyway, I’ve only seen a few students today. Maybe you should check the Headmare’s office, or the counselor. I’m pretty sure mom uses tracking spells on us, but I can’t prove it.”

“Alright, will do,” Flurry nodded. They said their goodbyes and the alicorn trotted through the halls, returning greetings to passing students before reaching the office of Headmare Starlight. She caught an argument going on inside and stopped to listen.

“Someone managed to get into the vault without being detected, then vanished without a trace!” Starlight was clearly on the offensive.

“Oh? And you think I can just get past magic alarms without setting them off?” a second voice retorted. Flurry immediately recognized it as Discord’s. She couldn’t tell if the God of Chaos was genuinely offended or simply mocking Starlight.

“Your powers rival that of the Princesses and are unpredictable,” Starlight retorted, a suspicious edge to her words, “and you’re able to travel by slipping through space and time. You’re the only creature I can think of that could have done this.”

“What would I want with a tacky piece of jewelry?” Discord scoffed. “As you yourself pointed out, my powers rival that of not one, but two alicorns. What benefit would I have from it?”

“Some bizarre life lesson?” Starlight deadpanned. “I wouldn’t put it past you to try and teach some creature a lesson about power and responsibility by giving them the Alicorn Amulet.”

“Don’t give me any ideas,” Flurry Heart could hear the smirk in Discord’s voice. His tone quickly became somber. “I promise you, though, I haven’t been to the Canterlot Vaults except for rare occasions when Twilight lets me accompany her, and even then I’ve found the place dreadfully boring.”

“…Twilight asked you to accompany her to the Vaults?”

“There are a few artifacts there that even her book reading couldn’t help her puzzle out,” the draconequus chortled. “It helps to have an ancient deity as a friend sometimes.”

There was a moment of silence as the Headmare weighed Discord’s reasoning.

“Sorry, Discord,” she sighed at last. “Princess Twilight has been stressing about this theft, but there’s no clues. You were the only creature I could think of.”

“You’re lucky that my ego isn’t as easy to bruise as it has been,” Discord chuckled. “Tell you what; I’ll bug that old fuddy-duddy Tirek about this and see if the two of us can puzzle out how it was done. There’s probably an ancient horror or two we’ve forgotten about. In the meantime, I believe you’ve had a curious filly waiting just outside for the past five minutes.”

Flurry Heart flinched back as a startled Starlight Glimmer quickly opened the door and flashed a nervous grin.

“Flurry!” the Headmare chuckled nervously, shooting a deadly glare back at Discord before returning her attention to the filly. “What, uh, what can I help you with?”

“I, um…” the alicorn wasn’t sure if she should ask about the conversation she had clearly overheard, or if she should pretend it wasn’t an issue like Starlight was. “I’m looking for Luster Dawn. Do you know where she is?”

“Oh, well…” Starlight blushed, lowering her voice. “To be completely honest, I do have a tracking spell I used on my daughters when they were younger, but Luster figured out how to stay undetected. Is something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Flurry assured her. “I was just hoping we could work on our friendship project. It’s been awhile.”

“That’s so sweet!” the Headmare struggled not to tear up with a mother’s pride. “I’m so happy you two have become friends!”

“Easy there,” Discord chimed in over the unicorn’s shoulder, “you’re starting to sound like daddy dearest.”

“Discord, shouldn’t you be bothering your wife?” Starlight hissed.

“Oh! You’re absolutely right!” the draconequus looked genuinely shocked, checking three watches and a sundial that were suddenly on his wrist. “It’s nearly teatime!”

And with that, he disappeared.

“I’m sorry about that,” Starlight sighed. “I wish I could help you, but I… don’t see my youngest daughter as often as I’d like.”

Flurry felt the deep heartache in the unicorn, like a keen blade pressed against her own heart. Although it wasn’t her domain, Flurry had a sixth sense for love, either as an inherited trait from her mother’s magic or because of her mother’s (and, to a lesser extent, Chrysalis’) influence and teachings on the subject. She was empathetic – indeed, empathic – towards emotions of romantic or familial love, and could pick up on even the subtlest of heartbreaks, the quietest of passions. In a flash, the Headmare bounced back.

“Have you checked the library?”

“Yes,” Flurry chuckled, rolling her eyes, “the thought crossed my mind.”

“I’m sure she’s on school grounds,” Starlight shared in the good humor. “Luster Dawn can barely stay away.”

Flurry thanked Starlight and headed on her way, mulling it over. Surely her roommate was still on school grounds. Where else could Luster be, except for her parents’ home? She rarely went there, and both her parents were on campus anyway. No, she had to be hiding somewhere at the school, surely.

…

“This is deliciously brilliant,” the Nightmare hissed at the edges of Luster Dawn’s consciousness, “working out of your parents’ home while they’re at work. The irony is palpable…”

“Quiet,” the filly muttered, more out of reflex than any serious attempt. Her focus was set upon the task before her: the careful memorization of the magical rites and formulas to bore her way into the dimension her would-be mentor was trapped in.

Luster had her suspicions who that mentor was. In all her research, the possibilities of who it could be dwindled with every fresh revelation, leaving only one mythical terror. Despite her insistence that what ponies referred to as “dark magic” was just an older form of magic and nothing to be feared, she had been raised on all the stories of the near-apocalypse caused by the various villains of Equestria, the dangers of disharmony and isolation, and the horrors that could be unleashed from the magic she was studying. If her mentor was who she suspected it was, she’d be unleashing nigh-unstoppable evil into the world…

“There is no such thing as evil…” she insisted to herself. Selfishness wasn’t evil. It was just nature. That’s what cold-hard facts and statistics told her. She chose to believe only what she saw, only what she felt. The beliefs and feelings of others were immaterial to her, and despite what her mother and father said about those things being just as important as the material reality of things, Luster Dawn refused to be swayed by it. She was proud to be amoral.

“Did you say something?” the demon sounded incredibly close, and unbearably amused. Luster bit down an angry retort. “You are correct that evil, as you think of it, does not exist.”

As I think of it, Luster noted mentally. She knew what the demon was waiting for. The filly’s eyes drifted to where she’d hidden the Alicorn Amulet, a feeling of power-lust washing over her. She felt an itch, a withdrawal from being separated from the artifact even after only a short exposure. Slowly, she uncovered the amulet and stared at it levitating in her magical grasp. It glinted maliciously, ominously.

“This is a mistake…” the comment was barely above a whisper.

The front door opening and closing caught her off-guard, her eyes widening in panic as she looked around her room. She’d pushed all her furniture aside to leave the floor clear, an ancient summoning circle clearly marked in chalk upon the wooden boards. Candles gave off plentiful light, enough to be seen from outside.

“Luster?” the voice of Cozy Glow came from downstairs, questioningly. “Are you home?”

The unicorn felt her heart jump into her throat at the creaking on the staircase as her adopted sister approached. She tried to think of how to escape, but she couldn’t fathom of how to explain away the strange state she’d left her room in. Cozy Glow was upon her door faster than expected.

“Have you been feeling okay?” the pegasus asked just beyond the wooden portal. “I thought I saw a light on in your room yesterday night, but you weren’t here in the morning… Have you been visiting home in secret? If your homesick, I’m sure mom would let you-”

“She’s not your mom…” Luster spat out, her voice quiet but loud enough that Cozy could hear she had spoken. The unicorn filly shook her head in surprise. Where had that comment come from? She felt a seething rage enter her heart.

“What was that?” the pegasus’ voice took on a slightly unnerved edge, as if she had made out at least some of the bitter comment. There was a moment of silence before Cozy inhaled to steady herself and then continued. “Luster… I know we haven’t gotten along well, but…”

Luster tuned her sister out, trying to steady her emotions. Why was she feeling enraged and envious all of a sudden? Her eyes widened in realization as she noticed the demon had fallen silent. The Nightmare was attempting to possess her while she was vulnerable!

“Get out, demon!” Luster snapped without thinking. Cozy went silent, but somehow the idea she’d hurt her sister only angered her further. The Nightmare was definitely inside her, trying to takeover.

“Luster… are you alright?” Cozy’s voice was concerned with an edge of hurt to it. She shifted, getting close to the door and trying the handle.

Rage shot through Luster, so volatile and potent that she let out a snarling roar. She shook her head and stared at the floorboards through blurring vision. She noticed the Alicorn Amulet was clasped around her neck, an act the Nightmare had accomplished without her noticing. Looking upwards at her own horn, the filly felt dread that it was still glowing.

I’m still performing magic… she realized, looking at the floorboards again in horror. The sigils and runes were glowing as they worked the spell, unbidden. Luster could hear the Nightmare’s hissing voice filling her head with the incantation.

“What’s wrong?!” Cozy started banging against the door.

“Stay out, Cozy Glow!” Luster snapped, fear and anger warring in her voice. A moment later she lost control of her voice, chanting the incantation seared into her mind. She lost control of her actions, becoming a puppet of the demon. She had thought the Nightmare weak, a fleeting shadow, but it had hidden its true strength.

“You do not know the half of my strength, little one…” the voice in her mind was at once a hissing whisper and the rumble of thunder, “I shall soon be complete.”

The latch on the door broke as Cozy Glow finally battered her way inside.

…

Cozy Glow had come home early out of boredom. There wasn’t much sense in helping out at the School of Friendship if there wasn’t anything to help with, or trying to spend time with either parent when they were busy. When she had seen the candlelight in Luster Dawn’s room, she’d hoped to pass on Flurry Heart’s desire to hang out to the young unicorn before too much daylight was lost.

It had been a surprise to hear the rage and bitterness of her sister’s voice, the snarling roars, and then the sinister chanting. The ominous glow of magic was also concerning, especially when coupled with the icy feeling of absolute dread. There was something wrong – terribly wrong – with this kind of magic. Cozy Glow was no expert, but she could feel the wrongness of the art. It was akin to the twisted parody of alicorn-ship she had assumed as a filly, but so much worse. Something old, more akin to the windigos she had briefly glimpsed.

Ancient, eternal, dancing through the chill of death.

So, she broke the door down to save her sister from a perceived threat. She hadn’t expected to see her sister wearing some medallion, performing the dark art she felt. The magic made the room shimmer as if she were looking at it through a haze of heat. In the wavy air, shimmering with light and power, Cozy could see wings – long and foreboding – rising from Luster’s back. The filly’s eyes were glowing with golden light veined in black, the intensity of her magic corrupted by cancerous darkness.

Cozy Glow only gaped, unsure of what to do to stop whatever ritual was occurring. She only watched and felt as reality buckled. A bend in the air formed, then ripped. Unlight filtered from the fissure in the fabric of the universe from some timeless void. The pegasus stepped back in primal horror as a mass of shadow dark enough to smother stars stepped through the increasing rip in reality. It towered over the ponies, seeming to fill the room and go beyond it. As soon as it stepped through, Luster ended the incantation. The drawn out moment of the ritual ended suddenly, the light of the magic and the candles snuffing out. Somehow, even in the darkness of Luster’s blinded room, the entity stood out clearly for the darkness of its being made the natural shadows seem light by comparison.

It turned its attention on the mare and Cozy Glow saw the death of galaxies within its stare.

…

“Excellent work, Luster…” the Nightmare hissed in her mind. “I am now complete!”

Before the filly, exhausted, could say anything, the demon left her behind to join the liberated embodiment of all evil. It seemed to grow from the additional darkness and inhaled deeply. A grin broke out on its spectral face as it let out a bark of laughter that was edged with the shrieking of tortured souls. Luster saw Cozy fall to her knees in fear.

“You have done well, my student,” the Pony of Shadows spoke with a voice of eternal darkness and smoldering hate. “You shall be an acolyte of in this new era, an era of restoration. For too long these soft-willed creatures have disturbed the natural order of things.”

Images of braying horses breaking bones and cutting flanks with rampant hooves in competition, images of fierce and bloody competitions for land, food and water, filled the minds of both ponies.

“Competition. Self-interest. Lust and hunger and greed…” the Pony of Shadows’ voice ground through the air and through their thoughts, making their teeth itch. “This is nature. These… civilizations are lies. Compassion is weakness. Cooperation is nothing more than laziness. The strong shall persevere and the weak shall wither and die. Their bodies will be consumed by worms and grass that will feed the strong.”

Luster stayed silent, feeling nauseous at the imagery. She could see the new world the Pony of Shadows would build, a world overrun with dangerous and hostile life, where creatures only banded together for self-preservation, a world without love or kindness or friendship.

A world where the strong and the gifted could rule over their lessers.

I didn’t want to rule over anyone, the filly thought to herself.

“Ah, but you did,” the embodiment of evil turned its sinister gaze upon the unicorn, pulling her thoughts from her mind. “Why would you wish to show others that friendship is irrelevant if you didn’t intend to create a world without it?”

“I-I… I just wanted everyone to get off my back about it,” Luster confessed, stepping backwards. She grew angry, “You tricked me! Your stupid minion made me do the ritual!”

“Only because you had shown weakness,” the demon chuckled. “What you did business with was no minion; it was a shard of my power, haunting dreams and sowing the seeds for my return since it was exorcised from Luna. Speaking of shards of power…”

The Pony of Shadows reached out towards Luster. The filly winced but was never touched. She felt her powers draining and looked down to see the vast magic of Alicorn Amulet being absorbed by the demon. Within seconds the medallion was emptied, nothing more than a decorative husk of crystal and metal. Its malign influence fled Luster’s thoughts and she found her emotions rebalancing. Her initial outrage and nausea was being replaced with her usual fascination with magic. So, the Pony of Shadows was the physical manifestation of dark magic, just like the alicorns were of harmonic magic – just as she theorized.

“How quickly your mood changes,” the Pony of Shadows noted, sarcastically. “Already, your pride reasserts itself.”

“Luster,” Cozy Glow’s voice broke in, reminding both Luster and her demonic ally that they were no alone, “Luster, what have you done?”

“I did what I needed to, to prove to everyone that friendship isn’t the only magic out there,” Luster snapped. “You have no idea what it’s like, to be so intelligent, to have so much knowledge in magic and science, and the only thing impeding your success is the fact that you don’t understand friendship! I am protégé to the Princess herself, and I’ll never reach her expectations because of a stupid fixation on making friends! It’s ridiculous!”

“I know what it feels like to not understand friendship, believe me,” Cozy dared to take a step forward, “but cutting it out of your life entirely – cutting it out of everyone’s life – isn’t the way!”

“You don’t have to deal with the pressure of being a prodigy and falling short,” Luster seethed. “I sacrificed everything at a young age to dedicate my life to learning! I left my parents behind, only for them to dote on you! I have been busting my flank for years to live up to the expectations put on me by mom, by dad, and by the Princess, while you’ve been coddled while trying to join some stupid stunt team!”

Cozy flinched backwards at the sudden venom of her sister. She had always suspected the deeper reasons for Luster’s animosity towards her, but to actually hear it aloud was something else entirely. The worst part was that there was no longer any of the demon’s malign influence inside of her; all of this was pure Luster Dawn.

“Child,” the Pony of Shadows spoke, drawing the filly’s attention, “I will gift to you powers capable of rivaling any alicorn.”

“Save the false promises,” the unicorn snapped, rolling her eyes. “I know you need a host to be at your most powerful, and that you grant the host unrivaled magical powers.”

Luster took a step towards the Pony of Shadows and Cozy’s eyes widened in horror.

“Luster, you can’t be serious!” she gasped. “You’ll really let that demon inside of you?!”

“Better to rule in Tartarus…” Luster grimaced as she opened herself up to the demon. Finally, she would have the power to be who she wanted to be, without the pressures of the Princess or her parents, without the awkwardness of personal relationships, without the glaring reminder that her ex-convict of a sister was better adjusted to society than she was. She could be a princess, nay, an empress with unbridled powers at her disposal.

The power seethed through her, the Pony of Shadow in all his dark majesty flooding into her. Luster clung to the hardened core of her thoughts, struggling to hold onto herself as the demon’s sheer gravitas threatened to usurp her entirely. She succeeded in retaining control, but all that was friendly or compassionate had whittled away as her body was transformed.

Cozy stepped back slowly, watching in disbelief as her sister transformed. Luster grew with power, rivalling Celestia in height. Her coat had become darker, a purplish red that looked disturbingly similar to blood, while her mane had become an ethereal glow, like sunrise through polluted fog. On her back, large wings of razor-edged pinions sprouted and spread, while atop her head her horn grew long and sharp. Magical power radiated off of her in such extremes that even a pegasus like Cozy Glow could feel it. Luster’s eyes were golden orbs slitted with black. Armor of obsidian edged in gold began to form along her body, jeweled with precious stones. The Alicorn Amulet remained as a decorative feature of her new costume. When the transformation finished, Luster struck a pose.

“How do I like, sister?” the nightmare asked, pouring malice into the title.

“Oh, Luster…” Cozy’s shoulders slackened, “what have you done?”

“Luster Dawn is no more,” the demon snapped, then smirked. “Call me… Shadow Dawn.”

Despite the tension, Cozy managed to sneer, though it was a poor cover for her terror.

“Shadow Dawn? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?” the mare’s bravado faltered when the humor died in Shadow Dawn’s expression.

“I think it’s quite fitting,” her possessed sister retorted, standing straight. “Aside from the obvious combination of our names, it expresses how I am the dawn that will bring forth the light of the Pony of Shadow’s wisdom.”

“The light of the Pony of Shadow…” Cozy repeated before shaking her head. “Don’t you see how stupid that sounds?”

“It’s poetic, not literal,” Shadow Dawn sighed, turning away from her sister. “Under normal circumstances, I’d have to do something to prevent you from tattling on me. Freeze you in stone, perhaps?” the nightmare’s smile was anything but kind. “But, seeing as how the Princess has half of Equestria’s magical experts tracking the Alicorn Amulet, they’ll already have sensed my power. I could freeze you, but I did all of this to convince the Princess that I could be just as powerful as her without friendship, so I’ll spare you.”

Cozy Glow felt herself cowed before the demon as it turned. It was so much like Luster Dawn in her speech and mannerisms, even in her appearance, but there was also an undercurrent of barely-restrained malice. Suddenly, the pegasus was acutely aware that if said the wrong thing, petrification would be the least of her worries.

“Y-you’re letting me go?”

“There’s nothing you can do to stop me, anyway,” Shadow Dawn shrugged. “You’re just a pegasus, not even an official Wonderbolt; a former felon that took over a decade to convince anyone besides my parents that you weren’t evil. You didn’t leave a very positive impression if it took that long.”

Cozy Glow winced at the sting in her sister’s words. She felt oddly defeated.

“They’ll be coming soon. My parents, the Princess and her hounds…” Shadow Dawn was talking mostly to herself. “I’ll have to impress them, show them my control over these powers, show them that they shouldn’t fear me. I am merciful…”

The nightmare kept prattling on to herself, dark energies ebbing outwards and remaking their house into a warped parody of itself. Cozy recoiled as everything became darker, more gothic, more regal, like a fane to a dark goddess. Within seconds, the pegasus was sprinting away – then flying away – in terror, fleeing what her sister had begun. Panic overrode her Wonderbolts training, her guilt, her sense of duty to her sister. She felt hopeless despair fill her when confronted with this being that hated her and wouldn’t hesitate to make her worst nightmares come true.

So, with great shame and even greater fear, Cozy Glow fled the only home she’d ever known, and the sister she’d failed.

Chapter 15

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A Decade Earlier

Princess Twilight Sparkle stood before the door leading into the sanatorium interview room for several minutes, gathering herself. She felt ridiculous doing so. She was the Princess of Friendship, and the leader of the Elements of Harmony – she’d dealt with everything the villain had thrown at her before, including being made powerless. Unlike those instances, she was also in complete control – magical runes protected the interview room, and there were guards that could come to her aid if she so much as raised her voice.

She still didn’t like it, though.

Twilight again wondered why she was entertaining Starlight Glimmer’s mad ambition to reform the last of Equestria’s major villains. She had personal tried to oversee all of their rehabilitation – all except Cozy Glow, whom Starlight and Sunburst had taken a disturbing interest in, in Twilight’s professional opinion – but the rehabilitations had largely fallen apart. She’d had to hand King Sombra and Queen Chrysalis off to Princess Cadance, which felt like tossing a flaming buckball to someone afraid of fire. Cadance had suffered the most from both of those villains; it seemed cruel to task her with rehabilitating her two greatest adversaries, especially while dealing with the rough patch in her marriage with Shining Armor.

Then again, thought Twilight, maybe it’s precisely because of the rough patch with my brother she needs the distraction…

With Cadance looking after Sombra and Chrysalis, and Starlight and Sunburst working with Cozy Glow, that left only one unredeemed villain for Twilight. He was, quite possibly, the single greatest threat to Equestria and the world, if she were being completely honest, and the only villain that posed a great personal threat to her. She was walking into a room with him – alone.

Bracing herself, she followed through with the mad plan and entered the room.

Tirek was there, an emaciated centaur that looked as old as he actually was. Miserable, gaunt, and pale, the creature looked up from the tabletop he’d been passively tapping with his fingers while he waited. His frown deepened, but other than that his expression was almost unreadable. There was something like boredom there, but other things Twilight hadn’t seen before.

“Good afternoon, Tirek,” she greeted in a tone that was supposed to be polite, but came out standoffish. The centaur grimaced and Twilight felt embarrassed as she took her seat opposite of him. “How have you been?”

“Bored,” the centaur stated flatly, with the same dry sarcasm he usually used these days. Through Twilight’s initial fear, she slowly came to a realization that Tirek was very different from when the villains had first been detained and held in the sanatorium. Not in appearance, but in demeanor.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked.

“I told you how I’ve been, already,” Tirek allowed some annoyance to slip into his tone. “Aren’t you supposed to move onto the next pointless question, not repeat the same one? Isn’t that how these ‘conversations’ work?”

“I remember when you first came here, you and the others had to spend a long time in your cells because you’d break into rages and try to attack the orderlies or each other,” Twilight continued, deciding to ignore his rudeness. “I worked very hard with several other magical experts to have the sanatorium shielded so you wouldn’t just suck the magic from every living thing.”

“Thank you for reminding me.”

“I don’t understand how you’re so… dejected,” the princess confessed. “In Tartarus, you were brooding, but malicious and plotting. Conniving, really. Here, you seem miserable, and I don’t get it. You have a room with a bed-”

“A cell.”

“-a cafeteria where you can eat fresh food and talk to others-”

“Oh yes, enjoying gruel while dealing with lunatics.”

“-and you have access to a library, too!” Twilight finished, all but scowling at Tirek’s snide remarks punctuating her points.

“A library?” he sneered, demonstrating some of his old personality, which was actually preferable to his sulking. “Don’t belittle the word. That paltry collection of bit-store novellas and third-rate histories and technical manuals isn’t a library; it’s a glorified bargain bin at a book store!”

“I admit the selection is a little… poor,” Twilight confessed, sheepishly.

“Poor?” Tirek stood up, anger on his face. “Poor?! I honestly preferred having no entertainment to Tartarus than this sorry excuse of ‘literature’ the hospital provides! It’s insulting!”

“W-well, they have some Daring Doo novels!” Twilight tried to console the centaur before she realized this was one of her archenemies, not a friend.

“Bah!” Tirek scoffed. “As if Daring Doo can compare to the sagas of Equus, or the Epic of Bucephalus!” After a moment, he added with a grimace, “Besides, they only have three books from the series, and they’re all over the place! Books 3, 5, and 9. What kind of a sick joke is that?!”

But Twilight was still stunned by what the centaur had said.

“You’ve read Equus’ sagas?” she asked. “All of them?”

“Yes,” the centaur raised an eyebrow, “all of them.”

“And the Epic of Bucephalus?!” the princess grinned.

“Yes?”

“Oh my gosh!” Twilight let her royal demeanor slip as she fangirled. “I’ve only been able to read snippets of the sagas, and the version of the Epic in the Canterlot Royal Library is incomplete! You’ve actually read them both, in their entirety?!”

“And the poetry of Ma Shiren,” Tirek allowed himself a smug smile, “in its entirety.”

“H-how did you come across such timeless masterpieces from across the world, and read them to completion?” Twilight asked. “Those works have been lost and only partially recovered, sometimes in languages no one alive can read!”

“Really?” the villain sat back down, genuinely surprised. “I don’t understand; they were incredibly popular a thousand years ago. Surely the princesses had learned the tales. Couldn’t they have filled in the gaps?”

Twilight blushed as she remembered a few years ago asking Celestia and Luna that very question, only to discover from the retired royalty that the ancient tales had bored them and they’d largely ignored or forgotten the texts.

“Um, well… a thousand years is such a long time,” Twilight giggled nervously. “I’m sure anyone would forget.”

“I haven’t,” Tirek grunted, allowing a small smile of pride on his face, “I have them memorized.”

“That’s amazing!” the princess struggled to maintain what little composure she was hanging onto. “Would you… would you mind writing them down?”

“I might be able to clear my busy schedule,” the centaur looked disinterested, “if you could make it worth my while, of course.”

“…Of course,” Twilight repeated, dryly. She sighed. She’d forgotten she was dealing with a villain with a penchant for bargaining. “What is it you want?”

“I want out of this sanatorium!” the centaur almost pleaded, startling the princess. “It’s insufferable here, especially with the others leaving!”

“Cozy Glow is still a resident here,” Twilight corrected, “and Chrysalis and Sombra were only transferred to the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, please!” Tirek snapped. “Cozy Glow gets to leave the hospital grounds daily with her new parents, and Chrysalis and Sombra are under the personal care of Princess Cadance, living in a castle!”

“Parents?” Twilight repeated, shocked.

“Oh yes, the little twerp has been quite vocal about it,” the centaur muttered, crossing his arms. “Lucky filly, I’ll give her that. And Sombra looked almost sane after he started talking to Cadance; practically floated out of here when he transferred. Chrysalis was just as sunny as ever, though.”

“Wait, you’ve been… talking to the other villains?” Twilight felt a smile tug at her lips. “Are you guys… friends?”

“We’re acquaintances,” Tirek countered, a blush forming on his cheeks, “nothing more! Quit looking at me with those bright eyes!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just exciting to see that you finally got along with them!” Twilight giggled.

“We almost got along before we were defeated,” Tirek confessed, opting for open-faced admission rather than trying to deny it. He was tired of putting up the façade anyway; his former conspirators had been the only companions he’d had since their capture aside from Twilight, and honestly he’d come to look forward to having others to talk to. Even Twilight.

Especially Twilight, if he were being honest. She was an intellectual who had frequently beaten impossible odds with her friends. After so many defeats, even Tirek’s twisted ego relented and had to admit he’d been bested. The bitterness of defeat had initially turned into schemes for escape and regaining lost glory, planning with the other villains, but those dreams died as their time being patients dragged on. A month. A year. 3 years had passed and they’d gone through cycles of defeat before simply relaxing and finding enjoyment out of small things.

“But now you get along all the time, I take it?” Twilight seemed genuinely interested in his development, and a part of the centaur’s ego enjoyed the attention.

“More or less,” he grunted. “Cozy Glow cracked first. First she felt powerless, like all of us, but as it became obvious we weren’t getting out until you finished brainwashing us, finished changing who we are… well, then she began to despair. We scolded her a lot, becoming more agitated as we, too, lost hope. Finally, I guess she couldn’t handle it anymore. Broke down crying. At first, the rest of us enjoyed having a weakling to push around, but…”

Tirek’s face twisted in displeasure at the memories. How superior and cunning the three adult villains had felt mocking and torturing Cozy Glow for being a broken, abandoned child. Looking back, the centaur was astounded he’d ever thought that was a good thing. Reeducation under Twilight or not, it was just plain cruel and petty – hardly befitting a warlord or a reformed citizen. And yet, it was his wanton desire to be evil that had inspired him to be so pointlessly cruel instead of acknowledging his failings.

“Eventually, all of us broke, in some way,” Tirek continued, not really looking at anything in particular. “It was Sombra who took the longest to actually settle down, but believe it or not it was Sombra who apologized first. I think it had something to do with that visit from Cadance and her husband. The two of them spent some time talking, more than she spent with any of the rest of us. That meathead of a husband of hers also had words with Chrysalis.”

“That meathead is my brother,” Twilight scowled. Tirek spared her a look before returning to staring at nothing as if she hadn’t spoken.

“After their visit, Chrysalis was more reserved, and Sombra… well, he was still a snarling, twitchy mess, but he seemed to be practicing more restraint,” the centaur shook his head in mild disbelief, “and then he apologized to Cozy Glow. Took us all by surprise. Suddenly, Chrysalis mumbled some sort of apology, and I refused. Then they started hanging out with each other and avoiding me. Can you believe that?! How do you avoid someone in a place this small!”

Tirek cleared his throat and continued.

“Anyway, I apologized eventually because I was sick of dealing with this place alone.”

“And now you’re all friends?”

“As I said, we’re acquaintances,” Tirek corrected. He frowned. “Still, it’s going to be lonely around here without them.”

“I suppose I could put you up in the castle for the time being,” Twilight ventured, tempering her excitement with caution. “There are a lot of magical wards around the castle now, and the Royal Guard would be on full alert, but… I don’t think you’d be any more of a threat there than here.”

Tirek had accepted the offer with an air of casual dismissal, though in reality he was pretty excited to be going somewhere – anywhere – other than the sanatorium. The Castle of Canterlot was spacious and comfortable, and as a former despot he felt right at home in its walls. Freer now than he’d been in ages, he had half-expected the desire for power to return to him, but instead there was an almost disinterested melancholy. He was genuinely more interested in studying and transcribing history and other activities with Twilight. She’d even taken him through the town with a pitifully small escort – the perfect chance for escape – and he just… didn’t care to escape.

Why am I like this? he frequently wondered. He had always hungered for power in the most literal sense, but here in the capital of Equestria, with the most magical being in the world at his side, he no longer cared for such things. Perhaps it was her lessons, that he’d come to view her as a friend; or maybe it was his old age catching up with him. More than likely, however, he had thought about world conquest for so long and the destruction of all magic, that he now had no idea what life would be like if he accomplished such a goal. He’d gotten so close more than once and each time had been a blunder, and yet… what was there at the end? What was he supposed to do with all the magic in the world?

No, he was content to play the historian. He even recounted his own conquests in an autobiographical saga that only Twilight truly enjoyed, though Sombra – now married to the recently-divorced Cadance – had enjoyed them enough to patron a theatrical version. Twilight excitedly took Tirek all the way to the Crystal Empire just so they could see, much to Tirek’s embarrassment. Still, halfway through watching two stallions in a centaur costume act as an overdramatic Tirek, the centaur realized that, at some point, he’d quit being a prisoner. He was given free leave. It had happened silently, without him noticing.

Once back in Canterlot, he tested his freedom, seeing how far he could go and for how long, and surprisingly all the Princess of Friendship would ask was where he was going and for how long. There was no escort or spies sent to follow him. He’d spent an entire month in Saddle Arabia, sightseeing.

The biggest sign of trust had come when the princess had shared her magic with him.

“You’re serious?” the centaur asked, red eyes flicking warily between the alicorn’s face and horn. It had been nearly a year since she’d taken him into the castle.

“I was unfamiliar with centaurs,” the princess confessed. “I had hoped you would have undergone a metamorphosis of some kind, like the changelings, but you’re still…”

“Dried up?” Tirek offered with a sardonic smile.

“I didn’t want to be rude,” Twilight’s cheeks colored slightly. Her wings twitched a moment as she waited. “I am serious, though. You can take some of my magic.”

“I could steal it all from you, you know,” the centaur narrowed his eyes, “I might not be able to control myself.”

“You’re too much of a gentle-stallion to let something as base as hunger overcome you,” the princess smirked.

She had become increasingly coy with him over the months they’d bonded. Part of the centaur wondered if it had something to do with the fact her mediocre attempts to catch the eye of the dense Royal Guard-pony with the blue mane had failed countless times. Or perhaps the Princess of Friendship had picked up a taste for flirting after she’d acquired power.

“Sarcasm aside, how can you trust me?” he chose to ignore the flirtation this time.

“As you’ve said,” Twilight was serious and sincere again, “you’ve had plenty of opportunities to steal my magic. It’s become clear you’re not really interested in it.”

“Then what makes you think I need it at all?” Tirek crossed his arms.

“Your form,” the princess’ voice took on that edge that let him know she was about to explain theory. “When you are without magic, your body is emaciated and frail, but when you steal a lot of magic, your body becomes swollen and overly-buff. Neither form is particularly natural in any other species. Well, except minotaurs… But it just doesn’t look natural on you.”

“I suppose it never really felt natural,” Tirek confessed. In all honesty, being deprived of magic entirely made him miserable – he lusted after the stuff – but whenever he absorbed a lot of magic, he was high on power, overstimulated. There was sound logic behind the princess’ theory… “So you’re saying if I take just a little, I should reach a natural balance?”

“That’s the theory, anyway,” Twilight nodded. “Since you feed on magic, I’m not sure if you can recharge your energies like unicorns can or not.”

“I do not have a natural reservoir of magic like some creatures, except in regards to siphoning power,” Tirek explained, “but when I do have some magic to work with, I do have some bit of a natural recharge. I imagine it is the recharging related to my siphoning magic. The trouble is, I can’t recharge very quickly, hence why I resorted to stealing so much magic in order to perform powerful spells.”

“I see,” Twilight drew a visual representation with her magic in the air. “So, you’re like this windmill with a soft breeze; it can only every generate this much flour a day because it’s limited by the breeze. Therefore, in order to have enough ‘flour’ to make lots of ‘bread’, you steal tons of it from the farms with much faster windmills.”

“Yes, except I consume the flour I produce at a near constant rate,” Tirek explained, using his minor magical abilities to doodle with Twilight’s hologram. “Even if I wanted to save up my ‘flour’, as you put it, I can’t. I can only use the small reserve I have in order to steal from others.”

“Therefore, if you had a larger reserve, you could potentially do regular magic,” Twilight rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I imagine it might even be possible to increase your magical recharge rate.”

“This all sounds promising, but I’m not sure…”

“I trust you, Tirek,” Twilight gave her friendliest smile and the centaur sighed, giving in.

He siphoned a bit of her power, feeling exhilaration surge through him as his power grew. He felt his body grow, his horns lengthen. His hunger whetted, Tirek continued to absorb, almost losing sight of his goal and draining her dry. He cut himself off, however, not wishing to betray the princess’ trust for some temporary power. Cutting off early, the centaur blinked in surprise at the fact there was no further hunger, but also no bitterness. He felt… almost complete, balanced. Looking down at himself, he saw his body was evenly toned and proportioned, his fur lustrous and healthy, and his skin a bright red. The horns on his head were long and straight, like a gazelle’s.

“How do you feel?” Twilight asked. If the borrowed power had weakened her any, it didn’t show.

“I feel…” Tirek felt a sincere smile come to his face for the first time in centuries, “…good.”

…

5 Years Later

“Oh come on, you!” the annoying voice of the draconequues grated on Tirek’s nerves more than any noise he’d ever heard in his unnaturally long life. “You and the princess are very close… Tell me everything! Gush!”

“Twilight and I are friends, Discord,” Tirek bit out, still unused to the word, “nothing more. Not everyone falls in love with their reformer!”

“Except for Chrysalis, Sombra, myself,” he added with a small smile, “and Cozy Glow, after a fashion. Look, I understand – it’s not cool and villainy to fall in love. I was a skeptic, too, once upon a time.”

“And now you can’t shut up about your wife,” the centaur muttered. “Why are you bothering me, again?”

“Because, you old fuddy duddy,” the Spirit of Chaos grinned, “now that you’re a good guy, and all, we should try and rekindle our old friendship.”

“I seem to recall that our ‘friendship’,” Tirek put air quotes around the word, “was merely the two of us delighting over torturing ponies as we tried to conquer Equestria, and it culminated in me getting you betray your only friend to the point of tears.”

“Wow,” Discord’s amusement died. “Honestly, did you have to bring that up? It still keeps me up at night to know I made Fluttershy cry.”

“More than once, I can imagine,” the centaur added with a grunt as he returned to the books he had dragged from the Canterlot Royal Library into his room within the castle. He could feel Discord watching him with an almost physical curiosity, aggravating the former conqueror. “What will it take to get you to leave me alone?”

“Is that any way to talk to your old friend?”

“Discord, we were never friends,” Tirek scowled, “and as it stands, I doubt we ever will be.”

“Ouch,” Discord looked genuinely hurt. “What did I ever do to you?”

“How about suggesting the princesses turn me and the others into stone, for starters?” the centaur’s scowl deepened. “I don’t think any of us have forgotten – or forgiven – you for that.”

“Yes, well…” the draconequues tugged at the fur of his collar, which comically began to behave like the collar of a shirt. “I-it was only a suggestion, intended to help preserve you until you could reform.”

“Really now?” Tirek raised an eyebrow. “That’s funny, considering you were also the one who freed us and united us, intent on encouraging us to do evil just so we could be defeated. Sombra nearly died!”

“In my defense, he rushed off on his own-”

“Which was very likely your plan from the start, Grogar,” the centaur cut Discord off. “I suspect you wanted Sombra to run off alone and be killed, partly so the Elements of Harmony could have their confidence-building victory, but also to permanently vanquish a recurring thorn in their side. What was the ultimate plan for the rest of us, Discord? How would we all have died if we hadn’t betrayed you?”

The draconequues stayed silent, looking disturbed and ashamed in equal measure. There was more to it than simple shame, though. Tirek wished he imagined it, but he could see the clear guilt and even regret in Discord’s expression. The Spirit of Chaos had changed greatly in the short span of time since he’d been redeemed by the Elements of Harmony, more so than in the millennia preceding his imprisonment – which was really saying something, considering spontaneous change was part of his aspect. Tirek felt himself looking at the floor, suddenly, looking inward at himself. He, too, had changed immensely in so short a time, and all due to the patience and kindness of one of the Elements of Harmony.

And I will very likely continue to change, he thought to himself. He looked again at Discord again, this time out of curiosity. Perhaps I may even grow to forgive him. Maybe, even to call him friend.

…

Present Day

They had been combining their talents to try and seek out the missing Alicorn Amulet from within the castle, even visiting the Canterlot Vaults with Twilight to assess the escape, when they felt it. All three of them, powerful in magic, could feel the waves of magic. Judging by the sudden discomfiture of the guards attending the princess, it seemed every creature could feel it.

“What was that?” Gallus asked, shifting his grip on his spear as he tried to maintain his calm. To the griffon it had felt as if a sudden chill had descended on him, dragging his heart with it.

To Twilight, the most potent magic user in the world, it had been a blatant sign for her to go and check out, as clear and direct as a shouted invitation. To Discord, it was like a distant explosion – something so powerful and obvious, he could easily pick it out. To Tirek, however, it was a familiar magic. The centaur had experience with all types of magic, exposed to them as he was over the course of his long life. He could recognize the ancient evil, and that recognition filled him with as much dread as it did confusion. All three of them felt the same chilling despair as Gallus and the other guards, of course, but only Tirek recognized it.

“Impossible…” he murmured under his breath.

“What is it, Tirek?” Twilight asked, sensing his mounting tension.

“I must be mistaken,” the centaur forced calm into his voice. “Nevertheless, we should probably investigate… that.”

“Agreed,” Twilight nodded, firmly. She turned to her guards. “Gallus, muster a platoon of Royal Guards in the courtyard on the double, and send word to the other Elements of Harmony to meet me in Ponyville.”

“As you command, Your Highness,” the griffon saluted quickly before flying off with the other guards. Twilight turned her attention to Discord.

“Do you think you could do a little recon for us, old friend?” she asked, a tenuous smirk on her lips.

“Oh, I don’t know…” Discord feigned disinterest, fixing a pair of glasses on his face as he checked a small ledger. “I’m awfully busy, you know. Tea time with the missus; scrapbooking with the missus; window shopping for new doilies; O&O with the guys…”

“Discord,” the princess giggled, pleased that the Spirit of Chaos could break the tension of the moment with his usual wit.

“Oh, alright,” the draconequues sighed, his items poofing away. “Whatever is in Ponyville must be awfully powerful, though. Are you really alright with sending your oldest and dearest friend to certain death?”

“I’m pretty sure you can’t die,” Twilight smirked in earnest now, “and oldest? Dearest?”

“Well, I’m certainly the oldest in age, at any rate,” Discord crossed his arms. “I’ll be in and out in a jiffy, then. Back in time for tea time.”

The draconequues teleported away, leaving Twilight and Tirek to canter to the courtyard as quick as they could without inciting a panic. There hadn’t been any major threat to Equestria – or even the world – in over a decade; creatures had become accustomed to a life of peace. To feel the unnatural dread in the air was bad enough, but to see the Princess of Friendship galloping to deal with the problem? It might incite a panic.

“Perhaps we should wait for the other Elements, my dear?” Tirek cautioned, using some of his old snake-like charm. Twilight raised an eyebrow at the title and his poor hand at charisma.

“Feeling awfully chivalric all of a sudden, aren’t we?” she gave a dry laugh. “Now’s not the time for our usual games, Tirek – we need to figure out what’s happening in Ponyville.” She stopped and turned to face the following centaur, narrowing her eyes. “Unless you already know…?”

“I have a suspicion, but it’s better kept to myself,” Tirek grunted, avoiding eye contact. “The magic is… familiar to me.”

Twilight eyed him a moment longer before continuing.

“We’ll wait for Discord to return before doing anything,” Twilight decided. “His report will let us know if time or caution is the bigger necessity.”

Tirek gave a quiet agreement as he followed the princess, but he couldn’t help the icy ball of dread in his gut that nothing short of the Elements of Harmony would be enough to deal with what was ahead of them.

And even then, perhaps they weren’t enough, either.

…

Discord came into existence outside Ponyville, scanning the town to try and pinpoint the cause of the magical disturbance. He didn’t have to scan long. A large portion of the town, from a residential neighborhood, through the town square, and the castle tree in its center, had been warped into a palace of purple-veined obsidian. The castle had grown into a citadel, the once impressively-large tree now swollen with additional turrets and walls, its roots gnarled and spreading through surrounding houses. The businesses and homes were little more than glassy black bastions wrapped in the crystalline roots of the citadel. Atop the highest tower of the structure, a false sun of dirty, golden light burned, and all the darkness and evil that could be felt came from there.

Discord shielded his eyes and squinted at the artificial sun. It almost looked like there was a figure just beneath it, standing in the balcony of the tower. With no other lead, Discord disguised himself as a small, innocuous creature – a butterfly – and tried to get closer to the castle. He flew past abandoned homes, the deserted state of Ponyville leaving him chilled. He had to fight the urge to rush to the cabin and check on Fluttershy, hoping she’d stayed home today instead of going into town. It seemed all the creatures had fled, though.

He reached the tree and began the flight up, only realizing how much taller the tree was once he’d reached it. It was truly massive, now, the trunk easily taking up the entire town square. The draconequues’ breathing became strained as he finally reached the top, and he struggled to calm himself; a panting butterfly wasn’t much of a disguise. He leaned over the balustrade of the balcony and looked at the figure. So close to the bright light, much of the detail was washed out until Discord summoned a pair of sunglasses to cover his eyes.

Immediately, the figure came into focus: an alicorn mare, in appearance, but like some evil version of the others. More sinister in aura and appearance, even, than he’d ever imagined Nightmare Moon to be, certainly. Nightmare Moon could terrify ponies, sure, but there was something about this dark alicorn that truly evoked terror – a genuine, primeval kind of terror.

Unfortunately, as soon as he’d summoned the sunglasses, the terrifying mare turned her head to look directly at him. Discord cursed himself for being dumb enough to use magic so close to an obviously powerful magic-user.

“Come on out of hiding, Discord,” the mare’s voice was somewhat familiar, laced with a malicious amusement. “I sensed your arrival some time ago. I’m pleased you could be here to see my great works.”

Discord teleported closer to the mare, in his true form, applying a coat of sunscreen for comical effect. The amusement in the mare’s face died a little at his antics.

“Try and take this seriously,” she sighed. “Honestly, I never understood how some creatures found you so charismatic.”

“You’re one to talk about charisma,” Discord put his hands on his hips. “Incidentally: who are you?”

“Don’t you recognize me, Discord?” the mare looked hurt, then shifted her voice an octave. “Or should I say, Professor?”

Now that the voice sounded younger, Discord’s eyes widened in recognition and he gasped, taking a step backwards.

“Luster Dawn?” he asked. “So, it was you who stole the Alicorn Amulet!”

“Well, well, well,” the alicorn turned to face him fully, a begrudgingly impressed look on her face. “I’m surprised you deduced that so quickly.”

“Well, you are an alicorn now,” Discord crossed his arms, slightly offended, “and you stink of dark magic. How else would this have happened?”

“I threw the amulet away,” Luster grinned, “I don’t need it anymore.”

“But… I-”

“Still sense the dark magic on me?” the mare was too amused with the situation, too proud. “That’s because I used the amulet to summon my greatest mentor, and together we are more powerful than any magical bauble.”

“Mentor…?” Discord felt a chill run up his spine. He looked around briefly, but could only see Luster Dawn. An older, infinitely more powerful, darker Luster Dawn. The polluting influence of the Alicorn Amulet, and the memory of Nightmare Moon still fresh on his mind, Discord felt a suspicion that something similar was happening here. He wondered what he should do. “I should get going.”

“Going so soon?” Luster raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “I’m actually curious… why are you here? Shouldn’t you be in your little love shack?”

“Twilight had me come and-” the draconequues shut his mouth, unsure how the alicorn would respond. The dangerous narrowing of her eyes told him he’d said too much. “Anyway, I’ll let her know it was nothing to worry about; just her student.”

He felt his powers silenced by a powerful weaving of spells, so thorough and sudden that he almost didn’t believe it. He was one of the most powerful magical creatures in the world; to be made powerless so swiftly was an indication that whatever Luster had become, she was far more powerful than the Spirit of Chaos now.

“No, I don’t think you will,” she said softly. “I think you should wait in one of the guest rooms.”

“Oh, but I live so close,” Discord laughed nervously. “There’s really no reason to go out of your way like this.”

“It wasn’t a request,” Luster’s eyes glowed with the dirty bronze of her corrupt magic as the floor opened up beneath Discord and he fell impossibly through the balcony and into the heart of the corrupted castle, straight into a room of dark walls and dirty candlelight. “I’m sorry if that wasn’t made clear enough.”

The hole he’d fallen into closed shut before he could escape, leaving him in the semi-darkness of the glassy room, staring at warped reflections of himself in every surface. Discord tried his magic again but the silencing spell extended throughout the castle. It was like being in the changeling hive again, only this time he was the prisoner.

Nothing to do but wait around and hope Fluttershy can rescue me, this time, he thought as he sat on the ephemeral cloud-stuff that made up the bedding. It was cold and unpleasant, but still beat standing.

And so he waited, hoping Twilight and Tirek wouldn’t try and do anything foolish without the information he had for them.

Chapter 16

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Twilight oversaw the arrival of refugees with a growing sense of dismay, though she didn’t let it show on her face, cultivating an air of graceful confidence she didn’t feel. She needed to be strong for her subjects, to curb their panic with her serenity. They looked to her for assurance, and she delivered, as was her duty. Still, she was uneasy for many reasons.

First was the fact refugees from Ponyville were arriving in Canterlot. Even during takeovers and the usual attacks on the town in the past, ponies would simply entrench themselves, cower in fear, hide in their homes, or fought back. To see them driven from their homes, and driven towards Canterlot was chilling, especially since Ponyville had grown and improved in the time since Twilight had become Princess. It had a militia – a nominal branch of the Royal Guard made up of locals to help the random (though oddly frequent) dangers that beset Ponyville now that the Elements of Harmony were largely away. That a larger, better defended Ponyville would see its citizens running for the capital of Equestria was disturbing enough.

Second was the fact that Discord, whom Twilight had sent out as soon as she’d sensed the disruption, had yet to return. Canterlot was close to Ponyville, within sight, but still several days’ travel on hoof – which was how most of the refugees were arriving. She hadn’t heard from him since he’d disappeared, and despite the best efforts of her, Tirek, and the most promising magic students of her academy, she couldn’t scry his location. Discord had simply vanished, and the fact she couldn’t sense such an ancient and magical entity within the darkness she saw to the west was terrifying.

Finally, perhaps the most chilling factor eating away at Twilight’s nerves, was how few creatures were arriving. Something had happened that had forced ponies and other creatures to flee Ponyville, but even after several days, only dozens of the hundreds of citizens had arrived. Twilight scanned the refugee camp in the courtyard of her castle, feeling a ball of ice in her stomach at the fact there were so few tents. The citizens of Ponyville hadn’t been able to shed much light on the situation, only that there was a foul star in the center of the city, and a creeping shadow was reforming the buildings and landscape into a sinister realm of black glass. All reported that being in the parts of the city reformed by the shadow filled them all with powerful negative emotions, and that many ponies and other creatures had devolved into bouts of aggression, turning on each other.

It was as if harmony was coming undone.

“Hiya, Twilight!” a shrill voice made the princess go rigid, her wing feathers puffing in shock. She turned to see Pinkie Pie beaming at her.

Pinkie Pie had made it to Canterlot, leading some of the first refugees along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. With them were the Cakes, Big Mac and his family, many of the Wonderbolts, and the largest grouping of creatures. They’d only number two dozen, and every group that followed had been smaller and smaller until there were barely any. Rarity was out of Ponyville, touring her fashion empire, though once word reached her about Ponyville she would no doubt rush to Canterlot. Neither Pinkie Pie nor Applejack had been able to located Fluttershy before they left, and all of them were on edge due to being ignorant of her fate.

“I sent word to the School of Friendship yesterday,” Twilight said, more to remind herself that she was leading her subjects than anything. “We should be getting students soon. They’re far enough ahead of… whatever this is that they can still take the train.”

“It’ll be good to see all those old friends,” Spike noted, never far from Twilight’s side, especially in a crisis. He began counting off names from his claws, “Starlight, Sunburst, Ocellus, Smolder, and Luster Dawn.”

Twilight spared a look at her Captain of the Guard, Gallus, who was overseeing the other Royal Guards on how to distribute supplies amongst the refugees. Mention of the other ‘Student Six’, as newspapers called them back in their youth, reminded the princess that not all of Gallus’ friends had arrived yet.

“Any word about Yona and Sandbar?” she asked, then more quietly, “Or Silverstream?”

Spike was about to deliver the bad news that there wasn’t any news when Pinkie jumped in and pointed towards the gates at a new flux of refugees.

“Ooo! Who’s that?!”

Twilight turned to look and immediately felt a wave of relief wash over her at the appearance of Sandbar, Yona, and Silverstream leading the latest grouping of refugees, which was larger than all except the first delivered by Pinkie, Rainbow and Applejack. Her relief was hindered, slightly, by the realization that Fluttershy was still not among them. Twilight passed on orders to Gallus to see to the latest arrivals which – upon seeing Silverstream was a member – he saw to himself. The princess watched her Captain of the Guard greet the refugees, exchanging embraces with his old friends, and an affectionate beak-nuzzling with the hippogriff. Never one for formality above friendship (or romance), Twilight smiled at the unprofessional display. The rest of her former students should arrive within hours, the train set to leave any minute.

A burst of magic caught everyone off-guard as Starlight Glimmer appeared in their midst, a panicked look on her face. Such was the severity of the expression, the depth of emotion, that Twilight was momentarily speechless. Not that she had a chance to speak, for Starlight spoke immediately.

“I can’t find my daughters!”

A second wave of shock stole the words from her friends as they tried to process that.

“Luster Dawn wasn’t with the other students?” Twilight asked, concerned.

“I asked around, but Flurry Heart hasn’t seen her since all of this began, apparently,” Starlight moaned. “I hope she didn’t sense the magic and immediately try to go study it… she has no sense of danger sometimes.”

“Takes after you, huh Star?” Spike joked to try and lighten the mood, but the mare glared at him. “Sorry.”

“Is Rainbow Dash here?” the Headmare of the School of Friendship changed tact. “I can’t find Cozy Glow, either, so I figured she might be with Rainbow.”

Twilight had a pegasus Royal Guard flag Rainbow Dash down. In moments the Wonderbolts officer joined them.

“No, I didn’t have practice planned,” Rainbow looked similarly distressed, “I let the recruits have Sundays off. I thought Cozy usually spent them working at the school?”

“I heard from Flurry Heart that Cozy Glow left early,” Starlight tried to reign in her panic. “I had hoped that she was hanging out with you, at least… Oh, Twilight, what am I going to do?”

The princess tried to find a positive outlook on the matter, something to give her friend hope.

“Fluttershy hasn’t arrived yet, either,” she said, adding a confident smile that was completely false. “Maybe she and Cozy Glow are traveling together with other refugees. I mean, other fliers could have gotten here sooner, but they stayed with each other to make sure they got here safe. That sounds like the kind of thing Fluttershy and Cozy Glow would do, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Starlight nodded, her tension unwinding visibly as the words uplifted her. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I know you’re going through a lot right now,” Twilight placed a hoof on her former student’s shoulder, “but so are many of those students. I think they could use some of your strong leadership right now, in the face of this crisis.”

Starlight took a calming breath, fixed the princess with a stoic look, and nodded once. She gave her farewells and promises to see them soon, then disappeared in a zap of magic, teleporting back to the train station near the School of Friendship to help guide her students.

“Do you really think Fluttershy and Cozy Glow are guiding more creatures here, Twi?” Applejack asked as she joined the group, having caught the last bit of conversation.

“Honestly, Applejack?” Twilight let out a sigh. “I don’t know, but it’s a hope I’ll cling to.”

…

Cozy Glow wandered the changed streets of Ponyville in horrified fascination. After she’d escaped Shadow Dawn, she’d cried on a cloud until she passed out, then milled around the surrounding area in a sense of loss. Unable to fully process the depth of Luster’s betrayal and corruption, or her own failure to prevent it, Cozy had wound up wandering back into town after it had been mostly deserted. Detached, she had noticed the changes to Ponyville, and the changes to the creatures who had stayed behind. They’d become violent, selfish, and condescending to one another. Something about the black glass of the new city seemed to bring out the worst of them, she noticed in her fugue, but she felt oddly unchanged. Just as empty as before.

She looked at her reflection in the black glass, seeing it warp and flex with conniving, evil grins and sinister looks of malicious ambition. She’d seen it before, on her much younger reflection. It sickened her, made her wonder if she had failed because of some moral flaw in her character, but the promises in the glass and whispers on the wind did nothing to sway her to selfish or hateful action. She’d drunk deep from that well ages ago and found it wanting.

So she moved through the mostly-deserted streets of the only town she’d called home, unchanged. She avoided the other creatures, who were slowly establishing something akin to a hierarchy as the strongest and most ruthless of them beat the others into submission. What had begun as wild street brawls had, over only a few days, developed into roving street gangs fighting each other. Anarchy had turned into warlordism, and soon there’d only be one warlord ruling over the others, though every creature beneath them would be sharpening their teeth and waiting for the slightest sign of weakness so they could seize power for themselves.

Watching the spectacle, Cozy felt a new sensation enter her heart: disgust.

Part of it was from self-loathing, for she had been just as conniving and self-serving in the past, but most of it was from the fact she had learned the folly of such thinking. The whispers on the wind became more insistent, encouraging her to abandon love, loyalty, and kindness in favor of greed and ambition; the reflections in the glass were more vibrant with their visions of her as a warlord supreme, second only to her sister. She was blood with the dark alicorn, and had a sharp mind of guile and wit. She could be a queen beneath a goddess.

In the past, even only a few months ago, such promises may have found purchase. Instead, Cozy spurned them. What was the point of outwitting a mass of selfish creatures with no vision? What was the merit in unifying all the violent and hateful gangs together? What empire could she forge from creatures that only looked after themselves, plotted against each other, and plotted her downfall? To rule over them would be a never-ending game of political and military chess – entertaining, perhaps, but ultimately fruitless.

What Celestia and later Twilight had accomplished, now that was worth replicating, worth fighting for: a better realm of mutual aid and respect, of friendship and compassion, of learning and understanding. Under Twilight, Equestria had advanced technologically and socially. Illiteracy, poverty, hunger, homelessness… all were practically nonexistent. Health and education were high, and ponies and all creatures worked closely together to innovate and improve conditions. It wasn’t a utopia, but it was as close to one as Cozy had ever thought possible.

The whispers grew furious and cursed her for thinking such things. The visions presaged violent retribution against her for her “weakness”. Cozy sneered at them, feeling even greater disgust. But, she also felt pity. She knew these promises for the poison they were, for she had experienced them, but most creatures likely had never felt such strong ambitions and prejudices. Perhaps more than a few harbored some, in some small part of their hearts, but they knew better than to act on them. Something Shadow Dawn had done had unleashed and amplified the taboo feelings, and no creature seemed prepared to deal with the closeted feelings.

But Cozy did.

The realization she knew how to cope with the strong emotions made her ear twitch in contemplation, her sense of uselessness fading away at the idea that, perhaps, her unique life experiences could actually help these creatures. She turned away from the strange glass of the buildings and stopped short at the wolf growling in the street. It looked half-mad, eyes bloodshot, frothing at the mouth. Cozy finally noticed, through the whispers on the wind, that creatures were screaming in panic, the gangs and warlords breaking before this latest invasion of wildlife, turned crazy from the dark magic. Fighting other creatures was one thing, but fighting wolves, bears, and the myriad monstrous creatures of the Everfree Forest was something else. The selfish soldiers abandoned their warlords and the gangs disintegrated. Many creatures who couldn’t escape, surrounded by fangs and claws, submitted in fealty to some approaching figure Cozy couldn’t make out yet.

Slowly the figure approached, quickly resolving as a pony. Creatures who had, only moments before, been fighting for rival gangs kowtowed in the presence of this new power, some forced to do so by the powerful paws of massive wolves and bears. Cozy realized the mare was approaching her directly, likely because she still stood while others fell to their bellies in supplication. Even without unicorn magic, Cozy could taste the dark magic rolling off of the approaching mare – a metallic flavor in the back of her throat. Whoever it was, they had fallen harder than the others, breaking totally and drinking in the dark ambition. It spoke of untold depths of negative emotion that had been repressed for some time.

When the mare resolved as Fluttershy, part of Cozy Glow wasn’t surprised that a mare so kind, who had been exploited most of her life, would have such a wellspring of untapped negative emotion she didn’t know how to handle. The majority of Cozy, however, was shocked senseless at the sight of Fluttershy, dressed in a panoply of wooden armor and war paint, leading her half-crazed animals into the town. With a sinking feeling, Cozy realized Fluttershy would be the warlord to unite the rest. In the absence of the other Elements of Harmony, Discord, or alicorns, she was the most powerful creature in Ponyville: an Element of Harmony with a long list of victories and adventures that honed her skills in strategy, diplomacy, and combat; and with the added benefit that she could communicate with animals and bend them to her will if she wanted to. Cozy realized she must have been in the town when Shadow Dawn had corrupted it, then returned to her cottage to gather her animals as an impromptu army.

“Oh, if it isn’t little Cozy Glow,” the mare held her nose up, looking down at the younger mare with a critical eye. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’d be here. Or that you refuse to kneel to your betters.”

“Fluttershy?” Cozy scanned the mare, horror filling her chest. “What happened to you?”

The question caught the other pegasus off-guard for a second.

“You can’t be serious, surely?” Fluttershy scoffed. “Can you not feel it? Do you not hear the whispers in the wind, or see the visions in the glass?” she stopped to look at a glassy wall, though all Cozy could see was a reflection of Fluttershy looking back at herself. “They show what’s truly in our hearts and give us the strength to express it, to chase our most forbidden fantasies.”

“Your fantasy is to sic wolves on creatures and be a tyrant?” Cozy found herself resorting to a sarcastic smirk, just like she’d done when she was terrified of Shadow Dawn. Starlight was a bad influence, she guessed.

“Tyrant?” something flashed across Fluttershy’s eyes and was gone. “I am no tyrant! I am a liberator! These creatures destroy the forests and pollute waterways, disrespecting nature and all its bounties! I am taking the city back, for nature!”

“Fluttershy, you helped with the layout of the city and have given plenty of support for environmentally friendly advances,” Cozy frowned, “you’ve helped make it so that so many creatures can live in one place without it hurting nature. Hay, you even encourage every creature to explore nature and learn from it.”

Fluttershy’s eyes flashed again – with uncertainty, Cozy was now sure – but the darkness reasserted itself just as quickly. Cozy decided to take a chance and address the issue at the heart of the problem.

“I think you’re scared,” she said before Fluttershy could speak. The shock on the other mare’s face made it seem as if Cozy had just kicked her pet rabbit into a lake.

“Scared?!” Fluttershy flexed to her full height. Even petite as she was, she was taller than Cozy and surprisingly intimidating in her current state. “For the first time, I fear nothing! I don’t care what others think, or how I’ll be perceived! I can act on my dreams!”

“You can act on your impulses, you mean,” Cozy found heat entering her voice. Frustration she felt at herself was bleeding into her words. “You’re not afraid to act cruel and aggressive because you’ve stopped caring, and the fact you don’t care worries you. You’re scared of yourself, that something’s not right. You’re scared that you’re broken or unusual, that because you don’t see a problem with what you’re doing, you’re evil.” Fluttershy twitched, her expression becoming doubtful, her posturing diminishing. Cozy pressed on. “But, you do care. You can recognize how your actions hurt others, and you know it’s wrong, even if you can no longer feel it’s wrong. You don’t want to hurt others, do you?”

“…No… not really,” Fluttershy confessed, looking back at the other creatures she had surrounded by animals, as if seeing them for the first time. “I just want to be heard, for them to understand what I’m afraid of. I want them to agree with me.”

“Sometimes,” Cozy felt a sad smile tug her lips, “sometimes creatures don’t agree. I thought I was the rightful ruler of the world, that ponies were superior to all other creatures. I wanted to be special by making others less than me, and to make ponies special by making others less than them. I was wrong, and creatures disagreed with me, but I didn’t listen. You can’t force others to agree with you, and lying will only trick so many.”

“No one else cares about the animals in the forest,” Fluttershy felt her rage rekindling. “Why shouldn’t I be angry?”

“It’s okay to be angry, especially at injustices,” Cozy noticed other creatures were listening to her now and felt embarrassed. “You’re probably right that nature is suffering as Ponyville expands, but you’ve also overseen solutions that make sure Ponyville’s growth doesn’t hurt the surrounding area. You’ve pushed for more education about nature, and inspired dozens of creatures to become naturalists. I should know, I’ve helped teach a lot of them.”

Cozy turned her attention to the creatures as a whole, not just Fluttershy.

“Just because you have dark thoughts doesn’t mean you have to be that creature,” she said. “Whether you dream of world domination, or are you’re fixated on something or someone you shouldn’t be, or you’re really interested in a taboo subject, that doesn’t mean that you are inherently bad. Recognizing bad behavior means you also recognize you shouldn’t do it.”

The creatures shifted anxiously, casting doubtful looks at one another as Cozy’s words penetrated the buzzing whispers. She could imagine their various follies that had led to their corruption: the pony constable who perceives criminals aren’t being punished enough for disrespecting her; the dragon whose customs get mocked and dismissed; the unicorn who is uncomfortable around griffons; the changeling who is tired of being nice… Dozens of creatures who, before Shadow Dawn, could suppress the darkness inside them through simple daily interactions and lessons imparted from youth. They had never explored the darkness inside them, secretly afraid it was a fault that would come to define them… Cozy made the connection.

“You hid from these thoughts, thinking they were your true thoughts and feelings, but they aren’t,” the pegasus stepped forward, looking stoic in her slightly-ruffled Wonderbolts flightsuit. “I never hid from my dark thoughts or desires; I embraced them fully, just as you are now, and you all know where it led. I was friendless, surrounded by enemies, and I nearly destroyed all of existence with my hate and lust for power. It was only when I explored my darkness, when I reflected on it, when I looked around and saw the world for what it was, only then did I realize that those feelings and thoughts didn’t define me. I don’t have to be friendless and alone, and I’m not better than any other creature. I don’t have to be the villain, and neither do you guys. You just… don’t know how to process these thoughts because you’ve never wanted to acknowledge there was darkness in your hearts. You thought it made you marked for evil, but it doesn’t.”

She smiled invitingly at the creatures as the darkness visibly ebbed from them, almost pleading looks for forgiveness overcoming their features. Cozy held a hoof out in greeting to them, inviting them to follow her out of the city. A few bravely stepped forward, growing more confident as they neared her. The majority were reclaimed by darkness and slunk away into the alleys of the tainted Ponyville.

“Thank you, Cozy Glow,” Fluttershy said when the last of the corrupted creatures had fled to rebuild their gangs and continue fighting for power.

“Most of them left,” Cozy noted, sadly. Out of the dozens of creatures that had been her captive audience while Fluttershy’s animals held them prisoner, only five remained. They looked guilty, but meditative, as if they were finally processing their emotions as Cozy had suggested, rather than ignoring or blindly embracing them. That was a good sign, at least.

“You can’t help every creature at once,” Fluttershy said with a guilty expression, “but you helped us.”

“What happened, Fluttershy?” the Wonderbolt asked. “I know you don’t explore your darker emotions that much, but I didn’t think you would have been corrupted so far.”

“It may surprise you to know I’ve been corrupted by other forces in the past,” the older pegasus blushed. “This time, I was weaker. I came into town looking for my husband because he’s been missing for several days. A lot of things make me mad, but I usually have a better reign on my temper. With Discord missing, though… I lost control.”

Cozy only nodded. The unlikely romance and dedication between Fluttershy and Discord was legendary, a popular one that had already spawned countless fairy tale adaptions with various moral lessons about second chances and seeing the best in creatures. It wasn’t too surprising that Discord’s disappearance would unhinge Fluttershy so much. Cozy wondered where her mythic husband had disappeared to in this time of crisis and hoped he hadn’t become corrupted. That would doom them all, most certainly.

“We should get out of here,” one of the creatures suggested, a griffon that was casting nervous glances around. He had several bruises and scratches, having been one of the warriors in the ongoing street battles before he’d regained his senses.

“I’ve already willed the animals to return to Everfree Forest,” Fluttershy frowned, “though I fear some of them might have fallen under whatever’s causing this.”

“We should probably leave, then,” Cozy agreed, leading the five through the streets and away from the city. She felt relieved that Fluttershy hadn’t asked for opinions of what was causing the crisis, for the Wonderbolt wasn’t sure she could lie to the Element of Kindness, and the truth of the situation wasn’t one she wanted to face just yet.

High, high above in the dark castle tower that had formed in the center of the city, Shadow Dawn watched the event unfold.

…

Shadow Dawn was now independent of her corrupted sun, able to leave the artificial body unattended and enjoy her dark kingdom. She had spotted Cozy Glow a while ago and had watched her walk around aimlessly with mild amusement, savoring her sister’s torment. Fluttershy becoming the preeminent warlord of Ponyville had been a delicious irony, too. However, when Cozy had begun her soapbox preaching, Shadow Dawn’s amusement dwindled. At first, it had been funny – a little, dramatic appeal to basic decency that would fall flat on its face and leave the curly-maned mare in despair. Instead, Cozy’s words had given all the creatures doubt. Even when the whispers had reasserted themselves, rather than attack the weaklings who rejected the darkness, the corrupt creatures slunk off like whipped dogs.

It was, Shadow decided, quite annoying.

Cozy Glow might be a problem, she determined. After all, she had no doubts that Princess Twilight would see her way of thinking when she was exposed to the whispers and the visions, just as every other creature had when they entered the darkness. The reformed villains were a factor she hadn’t considered, though. Discord was out of the way, so she hadn’t had time to experiment and see if he were able to be… enlightened. But now, witnessing Cozy Glow, she was curious if Chrysalis, Tirek, or Sombra were also resistant to being re-corrupted. Could Discord be corrupted now that he was ‘good’?

Shadow looked down at the retreating form of Fluttershy and felt a malicious smile crease her lips. Of course, even if the reformed villains were immune to the whispers and visions, they had other levers that could move them. The beginnings of a contingency plan were forming in her head, but she pushed that aside. It wouldn’t be long until Princess Twilight visited Ponyville, and she needed to be ready to bring her into darkness’ embrace.

…

Flurry Heart was relieved when Starlight Glimmer returned in time for the last train to leave. The School of Friendship had been emptied, every student being rushed to their respective homes – from Griffonstone to Saddle Arabia, the students were returning to the safety of their parents. Only locals were heading to Canterlot. Flurry had stayed behind, unsure if she should go to the Crystal Empire with the crystal ponies, or to Canterlot to see her aunt. The fact her two best friends were both missing gave her the inspiration to stay and help look for them, then to stay and offer emotional support to the grieving Starlight.

“I’m sure they’re fine, Headmare Starlight,” the alicorn consoled. “Cozy is a Wonderbolt, and Luster is the most powerful unicorn I’ve ever seen, even stronger than you. I think they can take care of themselves.”

“I know, I just… ugh, it’s a lot to process,” Starlight allowed herself to be a little unprofessional now that the bulk of her students were gone. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were keeping an eye on the remaining students, leaving her largely undisturbed. Only Sunburst, Trixie, and Flurry Heart stayed close.

“Our daughters are strong,” Sunburst assured the stressed mare, putting on an expression of such warmth and bravery that Starlight and Flurry Heart swooned a bit.

“Trixie can see why you like him,” the magician-turned-guidance counselor quipped as much to the filly as to the mare, earning a scathing look from Flurry. Before the filly could recover, Trixie added her own reassurances. “If there’s one thing you can be sure of, it’s that your daughters are doing fine, Star. Luster’s great and powerful, just like her aunt, and Cozy’s a fighter – also just like her aunt. And both are sharp as tacks, just like-”

“Her aunt?” Starlight guessed in a deadpan.

“I was going to say, just like you.”

“Thank you, all of you,” Starlight offered a smile with a bit more confidence than earlier. “Who knows? They might already be in Canterlot by now.”

The others smiled, too, and moved into embrace Starlight so she couldn’t see any of the doubt in their own eyes. Sunburst hid it well from his wife, but he was just as anxious as her, and none of them truly believed the missing ponies would just magically be waiting in Canterlot, but to point that out was harmful. The embrace ended and Starlight turned her attention to the mountainous city growing steadily closer. At least if her daughters weren’t waiting for her, the Princess of Equestria and all the resources at her disposal were there, and she was certain Twilight would stop at nothing to help find Luster Dawn and Cozy Glow.

A trickle of doubt in the back of her mind amended, Luster Dawn, at least.

Second Chances

by Mediocre Morsov

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

11

Chapter 12

13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16