It was just a nightmare...
Ough! Wait! Am I in a stone? If yes, then how am I able to think, shouldn't I be, like, frozen? But even if it's possible to think while being a statue, then why do I feel a splitting headache? Or...warmth? Or the softness of something?
What...happened?
Cozy Glow's inner thoughts were interrupted by sudden and tender touch and tapping on her forehead and soon something going across her mane. At the beginning, she mumbled drowsily and unwittingly smiled, because whatever was touching her felt so smooth and soft. Then she heard faint sound of calling her name. She let the things be until her mind began to piece together what exactly was touching her. Shortly after that, she realized it was almost certainly a hoof.
Wait a sec, a hoof? She thought
Her eyes started slowly and gradually opening. She could feel her body being oddly numb and also felt this thing to stop touching her.
Her vision, at first, was blurred and all she could see was blinding light, then, when blinding effect lessened, she was able to see colours. Except for white, she saw something purple that was close to her. It was Twilight Sparkle who was looking at her with a small, worried smile.
She noticed one more thing - she was in some huge room, with walls made of crystal. It was Twilight's Castle.
Cozy yelped startled and used her hooves to shield away from Twilight.
"I-I am so so-sorry, headmare Twilight. P-p-please f-forgive me!" - she stammered
"Shhh, Cozy. Everything's fine, don't worry!" - Twilight soothed
"But-but why was i freed from stone?" - Cozy asked, now she noticed that she was lying on the bed.
"Actually - you were never turned into stone. Or thrown into Tartarus. You neither have teamed up with Tirek or Chrysalis after being brought back by Discord in 'Grogar' disguise" - Twilight explained - "you're wondering how do I know about it. Princess Luna wrote me a letter about your nightmare you weren't able to wake up from. She was worried about you too...well, not like me, but it worried her enough to want to have a conversation with you"
Cozy was dumbfounded. It occurred that almost 3 months she thought she was a villain, then teamed up with Tirek and Chrysalis to meet her end in stone prison were just a fiction. She also wasn't sure anymore that it really was 3 months. If so, then she has a huge backlog in assignments and in headmare's assistant work.
"Wait, where am I?" - Cozy asked
"You're at my castle. You know - that giant crystal tree-like castle nearby School" - Twilight explained
"So, what really happened that day when magic was disappearing from Equestria" - she asked
"Well, first of all, let me explain one thing before we move on - I cast a spell I've recently mastered with Starlight and Starswirl the Bearded, so I know what exactly happened when I and my friends were absent. Second - you were right about who was responsible for magic vanishing. Tirek really escaped from Tartarus and when we got to its gate, the seal on it was completely broken and even one door of its gate was broken off the hinges"
"Then what?" - Cozy asked
"Then he began stealing unicorns' and other magical creatures' magic to gain enough power to activate the magic-absorbing device. He built it underneath the school because the power of the Tree of Harmony would help him in this scheme. I sadly can't reveal the way he broke into school unnoticed and entered under it"
"But, what happened to me" - she was curious
"When he got outside the underground after activating the device, he started destruction spree - whatever got in his way got wrecked and whoever was there, would be attacked. Tirek quickly found Headmare Office, and because you were the only one in there, you became his target. He grabbed you and threw you onto the wall with brute force. You're really lucky you only got a concussion and several bruises."
"Twilight, shortly after you and your friends left the school, some students were looking for Starlight, but she was nowhere to be found. What happened to her?" - Cozy was worried
"Tirek lured her to the underground and threw her into the orb all Equestrian magic was stored"
"How long was I like that, you know - not aware of anything?" - Cozy asked
"Almost 2 days, now everything seems to be fine once again. Damages caused by Tirek were repaired and we got back our magic"
"So...you're not angry at me for sending you to Tartarus?" - Cozy continued asking
"Not at all. We had to go there to check up on Tirek. It was just a coincidence that you were right."
"Oh...I see..." - she muttered
Twilight could feel that something's on Cozy's mind. She decided to continue the talk
"Cozy - there's one thing I want to know about you. It somewhat worries me"
"Yes?" - Cozy replied unsure what Twilight is up to
"I've noticed that you're really trying to make others happy, even at your cost. Of course it's good thing to be nice to others, but it seems you're trying your utmost to do it. Also, if something goes wrong and you disappoint someone, even slightly, you break down and cry after school. What does make you like that? Or what made you think the princesses would put you in Tartarus, or turn you into stone?"
Cozy Glow looked down at the ground, struggling to say a word. After 10 seconds, she started explaining, but her eyes were getting watery
"Because...because I don't want to disappoint anyone. I-I am trying so hard to be good and make others happy, so no one would leave m-me..." - she clenched her eyes - "...just like my parents did"
Twilight gasped. She thought she knew almost everything about her assistant, but she was wrong. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Cozy. She snapped from the shock, sat near her assistant, and wrapped her wing around her
"I-I didn't know that, Cozy. Sorry to hear that. But trust me - your friends will not leave you - we'll go through this together." - Twilight tried to lighten her mood
Cozy looked up at her headmare, still sobbing a bit, with tears flowing through her cheeks. But soon she smiled and wiped her tears.
"R-really, you also won't leave me?" - she asked with a hopeful tone
"I won't - I promise. Why would I even leave such a good student and even better friend?" - Twilight said
"And if I make a mistake and disappoint you" - Cozy asked, but her voice was still a bit cracked
"I won't leave you either. If you mess something up, we will go through this together, because that's one of main premises of friendship - forgiveness and helping each other" - Twilight said
Cozy didn't say a word, trying to procees what her headmare has just said.
"So...I'm still a student in your school and your assistant, right?"
"What do you think?" - Twilight murmured at Cozy, who was still looking at her uncertainly - "Of course you are!" - she exclaimed, making the filly jump from being startled. Twilight couldn't help but chuckle at Cozy's reaction. Then, she used her magic to take the watch to check the time.
"I have a plenty of time before I have to go." - she said to herself then turned to Cozy - "Do you feel good enough to go to school, or do you need a day off to recover?"
"I think I can go" - Cozy replied with a bit meek voice
"Alright! Then follow me."
When Cozy Glow was following her headmare, she asked about one more thing
"Do you mind me asking what happened to Tirek?"
Twilight stopped walking and turned her head to the filly - "Do you know Tartarus has special places for most dangerous creatures that look like mountain-islands protruding from the abyss? Deep below the surface, inside each island is a cage that makes escaping even harder than on the surface. He's locked up in one of these cells and he won't escape that easily like then"
Cozy didn't say anything and just walked with Twilight.
**TIME SKIP - School of Friendship**
As soon as Twilight and Cozy Glow entered the school, they met Starlight and 6 students and close friends - Gallus, Silverstream, Yona, Sandbar, Smolder, and Ocellus. They all smiled at Cozy.
After a short moment of greeting, Cozy was called by the guidance counselor - Starlight Glimmer.
"Cozy, I'm glad you're fine. You have no idea how worried we all were" - she said before using her magic to levitate Headmare Assistant's medallion to give it to Cozy
"Nice to see you too" - Cozy replied, putting a medallion on her neck.
"By the way, would you come to my office for a moment? It's urgent - someone wants to see you"
"Um...okay..." - Cozy said unsure what does Starlight want from her
After two minutes, they both walked into the guidance counselor's office. There was another surprise for Cozy Glow. There was somepony that wanted to see her - Princess Luna, who approached her as soon as she entered the room.
"Welcome Cozy Glow." - she greeted
"P-princess Luna?" - Cozy said bowing to the princess - "I-i-it's such an honor"
"We haven't had the opportunity before to meet, but there are some things Twilight and I want to know about you - mostly Twilight, but the nightmares of yours that I've seen in dream realm even shocked me." - Princess Luna explained her visit's reason
Then she resumed speaking - "I would like to talk to you in private, can you go with me? It will not take long"
"I...I cannot. There's a lesson with professor Fluttershy in a moment and I already have backlogs in my studies" - Cozy replied somberly
"Don't worry, Cozy! You can catch up with it later. There aren't important subjects today anyway" - Starlight reassured
"Oh. If so, then I can go with you, princess!" - Cozy said
With that being said, Starlight led Cozy Glow and princess Luna to empty classroom, so the princess can have a talk with Twilight's assistant in private.
After they two entered the classroom, princess Luna used her magic to close the door.
Starlight simply returned to her office.
To be continued...