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Complications of the Chaotic and Cozy Kind

By Glimbrain
Created: 2023-11-26 19:31:49
Expiry: Never
anonfluttershysafe/flutterrape/cozy glowdiscordyanderechaos cozycorn

  1. Synopsis: Chaos Cozycorn comes for the cock.
  2.  
  3. >You are Anonymous, and you are fucked.
  4. >You've been on the run for five days and eleven nights, or was it eleven days and five nights?
  5. >It had all started when you were taking a nice, comfy bath after a long, hard day of apple counting (it's like apple bucking, but without the bucking).
  6. >Then, without warning, you were transported—bathtub and all—to a decidedly uncomfy, dark, cold cave.
  7. >But that wasn't what startled you; no, what *really* shook you up was the imposing figure that stood before you.
  8. >She was an alicorn, and a very large one at that; towering up far above you, she was about the size of an ursa minor.
  9. >Her coat was coloured salmon pink, while her mane was a messy mash-up of long, baby-blue ringlets and curls.
  10. >You recognised her—Cozy Glow: a filly who you had helped out with her homework that one time.
  11. >You had heard she got sent to some kind of pony juvie for some kind of magic-related incident; you tried looking into it, but the arrival of some vague-yet-very-threatening letters, and the appearance of strangely-dressed ponies following you late at night convinced you to cut your investigation short.
  12. >The idea of ending up in a ditch somewhere was not how you wanted to go.
  13. >But…well, you remembered that Cozy was a pegasus, not an alicorn; where did the horn come from?
  14. >And not just the horn, this Cozy…she was clearly no filly any more; size aside, her proportions were that of an adult alicorn—like Celestia.
  15. >Just what the hell went on in pony juvie?
  16. >The other thing that stuck out to you was her eyes; as a filly, her irises had a soft scarlet to them, but at that moment? They were absolutely awash with cruel, calculating crimson, with an ambitious amber spilling out into her sclera.
  17. >They were eyes that you were in real danger of getting lost in, and they were eyes that soon settled upon you.
  18. >Her voice reverberated throughout the cave.
  19. >"Anon? Oh! My magic, it's stabilising!"
  20. >Pulling yourself from her gaze, you noticed that she was being assaulted by flying…fruit? Looked like pineapples.
  21. >But soon after, her horn enveloped itself in a crimson glow, dispatching the pugnacious produce.
  22. >"Ah, that's much better."
  23. >She let out a mirthful laugh.
  24. >"T-Tirek, help me seal her magic, now!"
  25. >"I'm trying! The bell isn't responding!"
  26. >There were two other bozos there, Chrysalid and Tire Wrecked, you think their names were?
  27. >They weren't important, and clearly Cozy didn't think so either, as within moments she callously configured them into cabbages with a cast of chaos magic.
  28. >After which, you saw a flow of magic from the vegetative vegetation directed into a cracked-looking bell.
  29. >Cozy turned to you, beaming with besottedness.
  30. >"I'd always knew you'd come to save me, Nonny! We're meant to be together, after all!"
  31. >You nervously laughed.
  32. "Yeah, that's me—the Bathtub Avenger, a-aha…"
  33. >She gave a light giggle in response.
  34.  
  35. >"Now let's get you out of that tub."
  36. "W-wait, I'm not decent—"
  37. >But it was too late; with another spark of magic from her, your tub was unfolded like a cardboard box, spilling both the fluids and you onto the cold cavern floor.
  38. >As you stood up, you realised that the rapidly dissipating bubbles were your only remaining veil of virtue.
  39. >"Much better! Now—"
  40. >She took a step forward, her giant hoof sending a small tremor reverberating through the cavern.
  41. >As she became acutely aware of her size, she let out a nervous laugh of her own.
  42. >"Oh! One moment!"
  43. >Shrinking herself to something more akin to Celestia's size, she struck a pose.
  44. >"There we go! Now we can make up for lost time! And with this new body of mine…"
  45. >She strode up to you with a grin, exuding confidence—dominance, and as she unfurled her demonic wings, her voluminous mane flowed freely through the air, seemingly prehensile—
  46. >Down boy, down.
  47. "Y-you've certainly…changed, Cozy. What happened?"
  48. >"Twilight Sparkle happened, Tartarus happened, and then…the Bewitching Bell happened."
  49. >Levitating the bell from the position of the unlucky leafage, she telekinetically twirled it around a few times.
  50. >"The power contained within this artefact is really something. It contains the full magical might of the long-forgotten tyrant, Grogar. He was a warlock without equal. And now, it's mixed in with the chaotic spellcraft of a certain meddling draconequus."
  51. "Chaos magic? That explains the fruit."
  52. >With a glow from her horn, she conjured up another one of the sentient pineapples.
  53. >She held out a forehoof towards it, and the pineapple perched on it and started chirping.
  54. >"I'm not sure how, but it seems that your presence helps me control the magic in this bell."
  55. >She recalled the familiar, smiling at you softly.
  56. >"Not that I'm complaining, you were always there for me when nopony else was. You saw me for who I really was, and accepted me with those big, strong arms of yours."
  57. >Jesus, all you did was help her with basic math.
  58. >"This power—it's all ours, Anon!"
  59. "That's uh…great, Cozy."
  60. >You paused as a stark realisation hit you.
  61. "But wait—Tartarus, they really sent you there?"
  62. >She nodded.
  63. >"It just goes to show you what those feeble-minded ponies will do when you try to change the status quo, huh?"
  64. "I did try to find out what happened to you but…well, seems some ponies were rather tight-lipped about the whole thing."
  65. >"I know, Nonny, but that's all in the past now."
  66. >She reached out a forehoof, caressing your face; the metal of her horseshoe felt cold, yet comforting.
  67. >"What matters is the present, and our future together."
  68. >She circled around to your back and wrapped you up in her wings and mane both, sending shivers up your spine and…down there.
  69. >"We can take our time making those ponies pay, and then…"
  70. >While running a forehoof up your chest, she whispered into your ear.
  71. >"Tell me, Anon: how does 'Emperor of Friendship' sound to you?"
  72.  
  73. >If you were some kind of impressionable insurgent or—God forbid—an evil mare enjoyer, you might had just rolled with the punches here.
  74. >But God, in his infinite wisdom and grace, deigned you be born a moralfaggot, and the deaths and/or enslavement of countless ponies were not something you wanted weighing on your conscience.
  75. >With great effort—both mental and physical—you pulled yourself away from your snug sanctuary.
  76. "I…I'd love to, Cozy, but I think I left my refrigerator running."
  77. >"Oh, that's okay! Let me get it for you!"
  78. >She teleported in your refrigerator.
  79. "T-thanks."
  80. >The refrigerator soon sprouted legs and ran off deeper into the cave.
  81. >"Oops! I'm still getting used to this whole chaos-magic-dealy!"
  82. >She turned to the direction of the escapee.
  83. >"Wait here. I'll go get it for you!"
  84. >And with that, she cantered off.
  85. >That wasn't the opening you expected, but you took it nonetheless.
  86. >You made your way over in the opposite direction—towards the entrance of the cave.
  87. >Gazing outwards to the swampy expanse, you foresaw freedom—freedom of conscience, at least.
  88. >You took one last look towards the interior.
  89. >And then, you ran—you ran outwards in no particular direction but "away," armed with the hope that you could find someone—or pony, to fix this mess.
  90. >You were still naked, by the way; probably should've asked Cozy to magic you in some clothes.
  91. >Then again, she just as well could've left you bare, or fashioned you a robe made of fire ants.
  92. >She would soon notice your absence, and set off to bring you back where you belong.
  93.  
  94. >"Anon? Where aaaareeee yooouuu?"
  95. >It became a chaotic game of sabre-toothed tiger and mouse.
  96. >The world warped as it went on; trees became bees, roads became toads, and mountains became fountains.
  97. >"I can smell you, Nonny."
  98. >Her senses were heightened, far surpassing any pony—any living creature in Equestria.
  99. >Her physique was altered to match: wingbeats that could kick up supercells, hooves that could destroy pure diamond, and a gallop that could cross the Badlands and back in mere seconds.
  100. >Uncontested, she stood at the apex of all living things.
  101. >You had learned to mask your scent.
  102. >"I can hear you, Nonny."
  103. >She had quickly mastered control over chaos, your panicked pilgrimage proving to be a potent motivator.
  104. >One of her favourite spells was the conjuration of familiars; they could take any form—monsters, inanimate objects, ponies that you knew, and they were all capable of relaying your position right back to her.
  105. >You had learned to silence your steps.
  106. >"I can SEE you, Nonny!"
  107. >The dreamscape was another domain that she could manipulate to her will, something you had the misfortune to experience the first time you dared to rest your eyes.
  108. >You had learned to stay awake, no matter the cost, but you were running out of time.
  109. >What were the other two senses again? Touch and taste? Yeah, you were not letting it get to that point.
  110. >Deep down, you knew she was just toying with you, partaking in the thrill of the hunt, but you were willing to take all the leeway you could get.
  111. >Your sense of direction was skewed and your journey was perilous, but you eventually made your way to your destination: a location that plagues your deepest nightmares, yet in this topsy-turvy world may hold the key to your salvation.
  112. >So now, here you stand, in front of the one place you never thought you'd come willingly.
  113. >Fluttershy's cottage.
  114.  
  115. ***
  116.  
  117. >Cautiously, you make your way up the winding path, one step at a time
  118. >The trek is unnervingly silent, as you don't hear the usual chirps and chitters of the animals that have come to call this place home, nor do you see them.
  119. >Standing in front of the door, you give it some equally cautious raps on the wood.
  120. >It opens slightly—just enough to reveal a couple of cyan irises peeking outwards from within.
  121. >The eyes spot you, and the door soon opens the rest of the way.
  122. >Standing before you is a pegasus with a yellow coat and a pink mane, one you know all too well.
  123. >She looks up at you.
  124. >"Anon?"
  125. "Hey, I'm here to pick up some of the boxers you stole."
  126. >That stuns her enough for you to push past her and enter the house proper.
  127. >The cottage's interior can best be described as a miniature zoo; everywhere you look there are birdhouses, small beds, mouseholes—homes for every kind of critter.
  128. >Curiously, you don't see any animals inhabiting a single one of these fixtures, much like the outside.
  129. >Could it be an ill omen? Or could it simply be due to the presence of the other individual in the room with you right now?
  130. >You look to the far edge of the room, there's a table with a tea set, flanked by a chair and couch.
  131. >And sitting down on the couch, sipping on a cup of tea, is the one you know has all the answers.
  132. >You stare him down, he stares back.
  133. "Discord."
  134. >"Anonymous…
  135. >"It's great to see you! How have you been, old boy? We haven't hung out together since Fluttershy's 'Seven Pies from Tartarus' challenge!"
  136. >You hold in your bile that reflexively surges up upon the mention of that 'incident.'
  137. "I thought we both agreed to never speak of that again."
  138. >"Did we now? My memory's a bit fuzzy on that part, but I do remember it being a *writhing* good time!"
  139. "W-writhing? Ugh—"
  140. >Hold it in…hold it in…!
  141. >"Anon, you're alright! Thank goodness!"
  142. >The yellow pegasus from before circles around to your front and hugs your chest.
  143. >For a moment, you forget who the mare in front of you is and you almost return the hug.
  144. >Almost.
  145. "Good to see you too…"
  146. >You push her back.
  147. "Fluttershy."
  148. >You and her go way back; what had started out as a innocent, one-sided crush on her end quickly escalated into a building obsession.
  149. >She would stalk you, she would steal from you, and she would show up on your doorstep every day in some harebrained scheme to find out your fetish.
  150. >Between her and Cozy, you briefly wonder if you have some kind of maddening effect on pegasi mares.
  151.  
  152. >Fluttershy's eyes drift downwards; soon after, she flashes you a look of concern.
  153. >"What are you wearing?"
  154. >She is, of course, referring to your extremely chic skirt held together by an assortment of sticks and leaves, fashioned during your daring escape from Cozy.
  155. "Oh, you like my new undergarments? I'm going for a 'rugged outdoorsman' look with this one. Don't tell Rarity."
  156. >"Those leaves are from a poisonous plant."
  157. "Ah."
  158. >You absent-mindedly scratch your groin.
  159. "That explains the itching, and the rashes."
  160. >"You'll be okay. They're not lethal, but you should really take them off just to be safe."
  161. "And expose myself to you? Nice try, Butterflutter."
  162. >"Are you sure? I have some spare boxers upstairs."
  163. >You shudder; you know where they've been, what they'll smell like.
  164. "No. Keep them. I don't actually care about the boxers."
  165. >She breathes a small sigh of relief.
  166. >"Well in that case, would you like some tea, Anon? You look like you could use something to calm your nerves."
  167. >You probably do look like shit, all things considered.
  168. >Without waiting for your answer, she hovers to the table and begins pouring the contents of the tea kettle into an empty cup.
  169. >You look to Discord, who gives you a thumbs up.
  170. >"It's jolly good tea, Anon!"
  171. "As long as you don't lace it with anything, sure."
  172. >Looking back at her, you see that she's about to pour the contents of some unknown tube into the cup.
  173. >Noticing your glare, she quickly retracts her hoof and hides the tube behind her body, nervously grinning.
  174. "Fluttershy…"
  175. >Discord chuckles.
  176. >"Oh, don't be so hard on the poor mare. It's been aeons since Fluttershy last had a good chat with her human paramour."
  177. "Aeons? Oh shit, right."
  178. >You straighten your stance as you prepare to address the two.
  179. "Guys, we've got a problem, a *huge* fucking problem."
  180. >Discord takes a huge gulp of the rest of his tea.
  181. >"Three of the greatest villains ever known throughout the land had been released from their respective prisons and gathered together by a bygone tyrant known as Grogar and they were forced to work together to recover a powerful artefact from the peaks of Mount Everhoof known as the Bewitching Bell and hopefully discover the true meaning of friendship along the way but it turns out they were actually plotting together in secret by sowing distrust among the three races of ponykind and when Grogar who was actually me the entire time came along to check up on their progress the three then betrayed him thus stealing my magic with the Bewitching Bell and setting the stage for their ploy to take over Equestria! Does that sound about right?"
  182. "Yes—wait, what?! You fucking knew?!"
  183.  
  184. >"Yes, well, I may have…orchestrated the entire thing, but it was for a good cause, you know!"
  185. >Fluttershy nods, having sit down on her chair during Discord's explanation.
  186. >"Discord was only doing it to help Twilight. His heart was in the right place."
  187. "I swear to God, Fluttershy."
  188. >Discord sets his cup down.
  189. >"We had a last line of defence prepared and everything, but none of them bothered to show. We had all just assumed they'd given up!"
  190. "You…you gave up?"
  191. >"No, *they* gave up. *We* headed back home for some much needed R and R, and tea, of course!"
  192. >Discord clasps his hands together.
  193. >"Twilight did say she'd call on us if anything came up."
  194. "Really? You didn't hear anything at all about the bullshit I had to go through to get here?"
  195. >You point out the window.
  196. "For God's sake, the sky is green! You never noticed that?!"
  197. >"Mmm, well I might have tuned out after the first hour or so of waiting."
  198. "And Fluttershy?"
  199. >"I needed to make sure my animals were fed."
  200. >Discord looks out the window.
  201. >"Green is a positively peppy colour though. Props to the decorator!"
  202. >You sigh.
  203. "Well, you don't have to worry about two of them. God knows they're probably snail food by now."
  204. >Discord claps.
  205. >"I say, good show, Anon! Maybe we should've made *you* the Princess of Equestria instead!"
  206. "Hold your horses."
  207. >"Horse, held."
  208. >"Please let me go."
  209. >Discord releases his grip on Fluttershy.
  210. >"But he said to—"
  211. "Cozy Glow is back."
  212. >Discord sticks a talon in his ear for a few moments, digging around to clear out earwax.
  213. >"You meant Chrysalis, right?"
  214. "No."
  215. >"Tirek?"
  216. "No!"
  217. >"But Cozy Glow's just a little filly. Adorably deadly, maybe, or was it deadly adorable? Either way, I doubt she'd pose much of a threat by herself."
  218. "See, this is why you keep getting your ass kicked, Discord."
  219. >You cross your arms and shake your head.
  220. "And weren't you the one who recruited her, anyway?"
  221. >"Well, yes, but it was more under the idea that she'd hold the other two together, really."
  222. "I guess she did do that. She held them six feet under."
  223. >"Oh! Gallows humour! A classic!"
  224. "Besides, I know she's using your chaos magic. That's why I came here."
  225. >"Hm, that *does* complicate things, just a tad."
  226. "Just a tad?! Just a *fucking* tad!? I've been on the run for…I don't even know any more! I've had to swim through seas of spiders! I've had to climb cliffs of cotton candy! And do you know what it's like to have your very body warped into some kind of rubber hose abomination? Well I fucking do! I-I couldn't even trust anyone I saw out there. She had agents everywhere! All I had to go on was that one of you guys would know how to fix things, and all you have to say is that it's 'just a tad' complicated!?"
  227. >You stop to catch your breath.
  228. >"Golly! It sounds like you're all in a real pickle here!"
  229. "I'll say, it—oh shit!"
  230.  
  231. >Cozy Glow is right next to you; she's magically hovering in the air, resting her head on her forehooves and giving you a playful smirk. The bell floats behind her.
  232. >You reactively stumble towards Fluttershy and Discord, instincts guiding you to create as much distance as possible from the alicorn.
  233. >Clicking sounds echo all around you as Cozy magically locks every possible means of exit.
  234. >She touches down on the floor, flaring out her wings.
  235. >"Now, here's how this is going to work."
  236. >With a spark of magic, Fluttershy and Discord have their entire body suddenly wrapped up in crimson chains, binding them to their seats.
  237. >Mercifully, she leaves you unchained, but you know better than to try any sudden moves right now.
  238. >She paces around the room, glaring at the duo.
  239. >"I'm going to seal the both of you in this hut and hurl it into some long-forgotten dimension."
  240. >She cackles to herself at the thought.
  241. >"It's all thanks to your generously donated power that I was able to spend so much quality time with my Nonny, so I'm willing to showcase some *kindness* and let you two lovebirds perish together."
  242. >"Um, Discord and I aren't—"
  243. >"QUIET, whelp!"
  244. >Fluttershy whimpers.
  245. >"You can live your sad little lives together in eternity, or however long it takes for one of you to croak. I won't be keeping track."
  246. >She turns her gaze to you.
  247. >"And Anon…oh, Nonny~"
  248. >You are lifted towards her, carried in a red aura.
  249. >"We're gonna march over to Canterlot Castle, *eviscerate* the princesses, and I'll claim you right then and there over their cold corpses."
  250. "That's uh…metal."
  251. >"And don't try to resist. I wouldn't want to have to hurt that pretty little face of yours."
  252. >She props your chin up with one of her forehooves.
  253. >"Then again, with my magic, I could always rearrange it back if it comes to that."
  254. >She ends her threat on a menacing giggle.
  255. >"But you know, the longer I look at you, Nonny, the more riled up you make me. I've been waiting *so* long to touch you, to taste you. Maybe I'll just take you right now."
  256. >She exhales in amorous anticipation, blasting you directly in the face with an extra-large dose of horse breath.
  257. >You hold back your reflex that wants you to cough in her face; she's probably into that, anyway.
  258. "D-discord, if you have any chaos bullshit of your own, now would be a *great* time."
  259. >"I'd love to, Anonymous, I so dearly would, but as I had mentioned earlier, I'm afraid that the bell has already sapped all of my entropic excrement. My poop has been thoroughly plundered, my friend."
  260. >Is this it, then? Game over?
  261. >"That being said…"
  262. >He pauses, and it's almost like you can *hear* him breaking out a small smile.
  263.  
  264. >Your vision is nothing but a close-up of Cozy's face right now, but you nonetheless catch a glimpse of a small powdery substance flung directly into her eyes.
  265. >"Ugh—what!"
  266. >Her concentration broken, Cozy staggers backwards towards the other side of the room, dropping you and releasing the chains binding Fluttershy and Discord.
  267. >You see Discord's tail retract behind him; quick on his feet, he grabs an opened jar hidden under the couch and empties its powdered contents in a wide arc in front of him.
  268. >You notice a pair of yellow hooves wrap around your midsection and pull you backwards.
  269. >Cozy recovers in record pace, staring daggers at Discord.
  270. >"You!"
  271. >She suddenly explodes in a light show that is as loud as it is epileptic.
  272. >The three of you avert your eyes and cover your ears.
  273. >It lasts a good thirty seconds, and about thirty seconds more for the smoke to clear so you can survey the damage.
  274. >Half of Fluttershy's house looks completely wrecked; the side that Cozy occupies is charred completely black, yet the walls and ceiling are miraculously left intact.
  275. >You notice on the floor that the two sides of the room are separated by a line of powder—the same kind that Discord threw earlier.
  276. >Discord walks up to the line and fist pumps in victory.
  277. >"There! The proverbial line has been drawn!"
  278. >Cozy herself is completely unharmed, of course, but she bears a bewildered expression.
  279. >"What?! But that spell should've obliterated everything that wasn't my precious Nonny! Why are you two *still* standing!?"
  280. >She attempts to walk forward over the line but recoils as if hitting an invisible wall; she staggers back, grunting in frustration.
  281. >"What is the meaning of this?!"
  282. >Discord takes a pinch of powder into his talon.
  283. >"This, my chaotic cohort, is Pumpkin Pumice Powder! PPP for short. Don't let the delightfully whimsical name fool you—the PPP is pure kryptonite for us creatures of chaos. When properly set up—like so, it generates a defensive ward that serves to stymie screwy spells of all kinds!"
  284. >Cozy snorts indignantly as her horn charges up.
  285. >"Then I'll just destroy you. I don't need chaos to do that."
  286. >"Oh! But there's the rub, you are a being of *pure chaos* now! Everything—from your Tartaric fork of a cutie mark to your fashion disaster of a mane is equal measures hectic and haywire!"
  287. >She fires bolts of pure energy directly at Discord, but the spells fizzle out as they cross the threshold.
  288. >Discord shrugs.
  289. >"If you knew how the bell worked, perhaps you could seal *just* the chaos away and have at us, but ah—let me guess, you don't, do you?"
  290.  
  291. >She scowls in response and immediately teleports—or at least, she tries to; she quickly reforms in the same spot.
  292. >After blinking her eyes a few times, Cozy's horn lights up and she glowers at Discord; if looks could kill…
  293. >She continues to stare at him for several seconds, but nothing happens.
  294. >Discord cups his chin with his paw.
  295. >"I *do* feel a slight tingling sensation in my stomach, if that's what you were going for, but that may have just been the breakfast I ate earlier."
  296. >Furiously flapping her wings, she generates a miniature storm in her section of the room, but the powder remains still.
  297. >"Breezy! On your side, I mean."
  298. >Going for the physical option, she runs up and tries to buck through the ward; it doesn't work, as she's sent flying backwards in response.
  299. >"Ooh, so close! Maybe you should cut back on your diet of sugary sweets? You do look a bit out of shape!"
  300. >"ARGH!"
  301. >She explodes once again; this time, the spectacle runs a lot shorter, and you see her again after about fifteen seconds.
  302. >"So, as you can plainly see, our side of the room shall be decidedly filly-free for the time being. That is, unless you want to give up the bell…?"
  303. >Cozy is silent, so you take the opportunity to address a point burning in your head.
  304. "I'm surprised you kept something like this around, Discord. I figured anti-chaos powder would get in the way of your routine."
  305. >"I do so enjoy my rampant randomness, dear Anon, but even I have to admit that having a few fail-safes in place is useful for certain sticky situations…such as this one!"
  306. >"Tch. Great job, Discord. You want a medal?"
  307. >"Yes! Preferably bell-shaped, if you don't mind!"
  308. >She conjures up a bell-shaped discus and flings it at him; it disintegrates mid-flight.
  309. "And you managed to get the area behind her, too?"
  310. >"Oh, I didn't. We chaos-proofed the exterior of this house ages ago. We had one too many parading pandas burst through the walls, you see. But the house itself isn't enough to completely curb chaos. Hence, the powder."
  311. >Noticing how much of a wreck half the house is, Discord walks over to Fluttershy with an apologetic look.
  312. >"Terribly sorry about the shelves and such, Fluttershy."
  313. >"Oh, it's okay. At least the animals aren't hurt."
  314. "Where are your animals anyway, Fluttershy?"
  315. >"I sent them all to the sanctuary. They were getting antsy."
  316. >Discord taps the side of his forehead.
  317. >"In hindsight, our furry friends probably foresaw something like this happening."
  318. >Sighing to yourself, you walk across the room.
  319. "Great plan and all, Discord, but…"
  320. >You stop at the halfway mark.
  321. "You gave her half the room."
  322. >"It has to be a certain size to work."
  323. "You also gave her the side with the exit."
  324. >"Next time, remind us to have our tea parties interrupted on the *right* side of the house, Non-Nons."
  325. >You roll your eyes.
  326.  
  327. "Pumpkin Pumice Powder, huh…"
  328. >You pick up a pinch, rubbing it in-between your fingers as you turn back to the duo.
  329. "I'm pretty sure Fluttershy tried to use this as lube one time."
  330. >Discord places his hands on his hips, striking a pose as he smirks at Fluttershy.
  331. >"Oh you, Fluttershy!"
  332. >"Can't blame a mare for trying, right?"
  333. >You hear a rimshot in the background as they chuckle among themselves.
  334. >These two will be the death of you; that is, if Cozy doesn't kill you first.
  335. "Any idea how long it'll take for someone to figure out we're trapped here?"
  336. >Cozy cackles.
  337. >"You'll be waiting a long time for that, Anon. I've already sent some 'friends' of mine to keep everypony of note occupied."
  338. >She briefly glances through one of the windows and closes her eyes in thought.
  339. >"With any luck, their numbers will have already thinned out."
  340. >Opening her eyes, she smiles at you.
  341. >"But we can mop up the rest later."
  342. >She presses her hoof against the edge of the ward, holding it out to you.
  343. >"Together."
  344. "Oh. Wonderful."
  345. >Discord sits down next to you.
  346. >"I say, she's quite good at this whole 'planning ahead' thing, isn't she? I don't know how she manages it with all that chaos cantering around in her head. The best I could do was plant some seeds!"
  347. >He pauses.
  348. >"Oh, and the whole Grogar thing, but we're all seeing how that turned out."
  349. >"Hmph, we all know you're terrible at thinking things through. This half-baked *plan* is just another example of that. I can't leave, but neither can any of you."
  350. >Cozy prods the invisible barrier a few times with her hoof.
  351. >"Tell us, Discord, how long does this convenient ward of yours last?"
  352. >Discord coughs.
  353. >"An…exceptionally volatile amount of time? Enough time for you to consider changing your ways, perhaps?"
  354. >"Is that so? I think you'll find that I can be *very* patient, and I know you've already used up the last of your little trick."
  355. >With a sinister sneer building on her face, she sits down on her haunches.
  356. >"This ward will eventually run out, and when it does…"
  357. >Cozy glowers at Discord.
  358. >"You can forget about my earlier mercy. I'm going to take my time with you."
  359. >You make your way to a far-off wall in the room and sit down against it; Fluttershy walks up and sits down next to you, giving you a few gentle pats on the back with her wings.
  360. >"How are you feeling?"
  361. "Itchy, tired, and doomed."
  362. >"If it helps you feel any better, there's nopony I'd rather be trapped in my house with than you."
  363. "Thanks, that means a lot."
  364. >She smiles at you with sincerity, so you assume your biting sarcasm flew over her head just like your hopes for survival did.
  365. >"Hey, Anon?"
  366. "Yeah?"
  367. >"I don't suppose villainous fillies turning into nigh-unstoppable alicorns that attempt to destroy the world and your pelvis are your fetish, are they?"
  368. >You give her your best 'far too tired for this shit' stare.
  369. "No, Fluttershy, no they're not."
  370. >"Oh, good. I can cross that one off the list."
  371.  
  372. ***
  373.  
  374. >The three of you have been staring Cozy Glow down for an hour.
  375. >Or more specifically, *you* have been staring Cozy Glow down for an hour. Fluttershy and Discord are sitting in the corner, playing some kind of card game.
  376. >"…So I was thinking, for our honeymoon—Canterlot Castle is the obvious choice. Once we take it over, we could spend some time together redecorating the place. I'm thinking some giant chess pieces would really liven the place up, but—oh! Twilight's Castle is another good one. I'd love to see the look on the Headmare's face when we stain that stupid table of hers.
  377. >"Once we establish our Cozynon Empire, we can begin bringing the other races under our heel, crushing those who resist, and maybe those who don't, depending on how we feel. We'll start with the yaks. I never liked them.
  378. >"And after that, we could go travel the world! Mount Everhoof is really chilly this time of year, but I think you'd like it. Plus, that means we can snuggle together to stay warm. Not that we'd need an excuse to snuggle together, because I'm not keeping my hooves off you for one second once I get out of here!
  379. >"Also, you don't mind if I call you Daddy, right?"
  380. "Mmm…huh?"
  381. >You let out a yawn.
  382. "Getting…getting tired yet?"
  383. >"Oh, I could never get tired of staring into your eyes, Nonny."
  384. >Cozy flutters her eyelashes at you.
  385. >"But if you're tired, why don't you come over here? I know you haven't been sleeping well, and I can give you some really nice dreams if you'll let me!"
  386. >She flicks her head to the side, letting her massive mane drop to the floor.
  387. >With a mind of its own, it shifts about in place, forming a concave couch of sorts; she props it up with one of her wings.
  388. >It…it looks so comfy.
  389. >So inviting.
  390. >The perfect pillow.
  391. "Ah! N-no!"
  392. >Fluttershy can never know.
  393. "I'm not sure how safe I'd be over on your side of the room. You've got an…aura about you."
  394. >"Don't be like that. Why, if you come over here right now, I promise I'll be gentle~"
  395. "And what's 'gentle' in chaos alicorn terms?"
  396. >"Nothing a bit of chaos magic can't fix."
  397. >You massage your pelvic region to sooth the building phantom pain.
  398. >"But if you get rid of this awful dust trapping me in here, I'll be 'human' gentle, just for you, Nonny!"
  399. "Very tempting offer, but I'll pass."
  400. >"Aw, okay. I'll be waiting here if you change your mind, though!"
  401. "And I'll be waiting here if you ever decide to…not destroy the world, I guess."
  402. >She giggles.
  403. >"Oh Nonny, I don't want to destroy the world. I just want to completely crush it, and then build my Utopia of Friendship over the remains."
  404. >She gives you a wink.
  405. >"With my hunky human at my side, of course!"
  406.  
  407. >You stand up and head over to the dynamic duo to see how they're faring.
  408. >"Go fish!"
  409. >"Discord, this is blackjack."
  410. >"Oh I know, but this would have been the part where I'd conjure up a giant fish and we'd watch it helplessly splish and splash around. Ah, I miss my magic."
  411. >Discord perks up once he sees you approach.
  412. >"Oh, Nonny-poo!"
  413. "Don't ever call me that again."
  414. >"Sorry, Nonny-nums. But how did it go? Did you manage to convince our monarch of mayhem to turn over a new leaf?"
  415. "Nope. Still evil."
  416. >"That's a shame. I knew I shouldn't have left my discordant dice at home. You could really use some high dialogue rolls right about now."
  417. "What?"
  418. >"You've never played Ogres and Oubliettes?"
  419. >Ignoring him, you turn to Fluttershy.
  420. "Fluttershy, why don't you try The Stare?"
  421. >Discord waggles his finger.
  422. >"That might work if we were in Season One, but everypony knows that The Stare decreased in power over the seasons."
  423. "Season what now?"
  424. >"We'll have to think of something else, chap."
  425. >You turn to the nearby window.
  426. "We could try and smash the windows, run and get some help."
  427. >"A *smashing* good idea, Nonsy, but who's help do you suggest we get?"
  428. "The Sisters? Twilight? Starlight? The Pillars? They can't *all* be occupied, right?"
  429. >You chance a look back to Cozy; she's nodding at you with a smirk.
  430. "God damn it."
  431. >"Um, I'd like to leave my windows unsmashed, if possible."
  432. >Fluttershy looks up at you with a hopeful smile.
  433. >"But if you want to smash something else…"
  434. "Just couldn't resist, could you."
  435. >You watch the two of them play blackjack for a little longer; just as your eyelids start to droop, Fluttershy speaks up.
  436. >"I think you should appeal to her better nature."
  437. "That's what I've been doing."
  438. >"No, all you've been doing is asking her to stop. You never considered how *she* feels. She loves you, Anon, but if all you're trying to do is take, then she won't have anything left to give."
  439. "Well that's—"
  440. >"Cozy may have tried to seal away all the magic in Equestria, and she may be trying to destroy us now, but I'm sure she has very good reasons for both. Feelings like that don't come from nowhere.
  441. >"I think that deep down, all she wants is a friend who understands her. And I know you can help her, Anon, just like I helped Discord."
  442. "But what about the bell?"
  443. >"If that bell is the only thing she has that can keep you around, well, it's no wonder she doesn't want to give it up.
  444. >"So if you *truly* want to be Cozy's friend, you need to show her trust. You need to show her that you trust in her to do the right thing."
  445. "Even when I know she isn't?"
  446. >"Especially then."
  447. >Out of all the crazy things to happen recently, being lectured by Fluttershy is the one that surprises you the most.
  448. >A sniffling sound directs you to Discord, who is wiping away a tear.
  449. >"Oh, I'm not crying. It's the chaotically humid air in here, you see. It's doing untold horrors to my complexion!"
  450. "Sure."
  451.  
  452. >Turning back to the other side of the room, you see that Cozy has been staring directly at you the entire time.
  453. "I…"
  454. >You take a deep breath.
  455. "Alright, fine. I'll give it a shot."
  456. >You walk to the edge of the ward; naturally, Cozy's eyes track your every move.
  457. >"Nonny! Ready to join the winning team?"
  458. "Hey, Cozy? We're…friends, right?"
  459. >"Of coursey-worsey, Nonny!"
  460. "So how about we just put all this behind us, eh? Just…give me the bell and we can forget all this happened."
  461. >"Sure thing! Come over here so I can give it to you!"
  462. >Smiling, she holds out the bell to you in her forehoof.
  463. >Mama 'Non didn't raise no fool.
  464. >"But Dada Discord did raise an excellent distraction!"
  465. "How—"
  466. >A sudden force launches you forward into Cozy's domain.
  467. >Looking back, you see Discord's tail swishing back and forth.
  468. >"Oops! Slip of the old tail, as it were!"
  469. "Discord you fuck—!"
  470. >The air is forced out of you as a giant furry trapdoor spider lunges at you, snatching you in its hooves and dragging you several metres across the room—no wait, that's just Cozy Glow.
  471. >"Aw, did Discord betray you too, Anon? That's okay. Cozy's here now, and she forgives you!"
  472. >You hear ragged breathing as Cozy immediately cocoons her demonic wings around you, covering most of your vision in pink patagia.
  473. >"Technically, I didn't betray you. If you four had all just gone along with my plan as I set it, we'd all be the best of friends sipping tea together with Twilight in her lovely castle."
  474. "Wait, four?"
  475. >"UGH! Take your 'tea' and stuff it! I never needed those losers! All I need is this *power!* And Anon, of course!"
  476. >"Ooh, the penny drops! Wouldn't the 'Empress of Friendship' want as many friends as possible? Seems rather counterproductive to toss such useful allies aside if you ask me."
  477. >"Don't worry, once I've disposed of you and everypony else who stands in my way, I'll have all the time in the world to make friends!"
  478. >"But you can't dispose of me right now, can you? You're stuck in there, screeching and screaming like the powerless little filly you are."
  479. >Cozy's horn lights up as she grinds her teeth.
  480. >But the aura soon fades, as she chuckles to herself.
  481. >"Oh, I get it. You're just trying to tick me off."
  482. >"Foiled again! Drat!"
  483. >"Hmph, I've got Anon now, so you can spend your last moments however you want. You, and the…other…"
  484. >Fluttershy is gone.
  485. >"Um, how does this thing work again?"
  486. >Cozy quickly swivels around; Fluttershy is there, holding the bell.
  487. >"What?! When did you—"
  488. >"Set it to 'Wumbo,' Fluttershy!"
  489. >"Oh, I think I got it!"
  490. >"Not if I have anything to say about it—!"
  491. >But it's too late for Cozy Glow; Fluttershy manages to activate the bell, generating a turbulent typhoon that appears to suck up all the magic from Cozy, drawing it back into the bell.
  492. >Said typhoon also displaces all of the powder strewn across the room, breaking the ward; there's no going back now.
  493.  
  494. ***
  495.  
  496. (Original Ending)
  497. >All of the magic is drained from Cozy, reverting her back to her fillyhood form; you are released from her embrace and the both of you hit the floor.
  498. >The typhoon soon dissipates, giving you the reprieve you need to slowly steady yourself back onto your feet and survey your surroundings.
  499. >Cozy Glow is on the floor next to you; she's unconscious, but you take a few steps backwards to be safe.
  500. "I can't believe that worked."
  501. >Discord walks up behind you, resting a paw on your shoulder.
  502. >"Terribly sorry about the whole hind lashing, dear boy, but it had to be done."
  503. "Yeah, sure, whatever."
  504. >You look to Fluttershy—she's sitting down a few metres away, facing away from you; she's still holding the bell, but is otherwise unharmed, thankfully.
  505. "Gotta hand it to Fluttershy, she can be real nimble when she wants to be."
  506. >"And she was even able to activate the bell, too! I must admit, I did get a bit of the jitters when she didn't simply return with it as planned. But it all worked out in the end!"
  507. "Wait, you mean she shouldn't have been able to use it?"
  508. >"Indeed, although I'm not too sure on the particulars myself. The bell's power can usually only be relinquished by the wielder of its magics, but if somepony else wields the bell with stronger desires than the other, than perhaps the wielder can be…superseded?"
  509. "So you're saying Fluttershy's desires were stronger than Cozy's?"
  510. >"That's the working theory, anyway. Worked on by yours truly!"
  511. >An uncomfortable chill begins to run down your spine.
  512. "Actually I…I don't know if I like the sound of that."
  513. >You look back to Fluttershy; she hasn't moved a muscle or said anything.
  514. >Walking up to her side, you notice that she stares into the instrument with empty, unblinking eyes.
  515. >You reach out your hand towards the bell—
  516. >Discord stops you, pulling your hand back.
  517. >"I…wouldn't if I were you, touching the bell at this point would be a bit like sticking your tongue into a magic circuit—very painful for those involved and even those watching from home."
  518. "Is…is she gonna be okay?"
  519. >"Depending on your definition of okay…maybe? Anyway, we just saved the world, Anonymous! This is cause for celebration!"
  520. "Did we, though?"
  521.  
  522. >You hear a light shuffling from behind you; you turn to see Cozy starting to wake up.
  523. >"Urgh…"
  524. >She staggers to a standing position; her eyes lock onto yours and her eyes widen in shock as she examines her hooves, then the surrounding area.
  525. >"No! Give me my Anon back! Give me my bell back!"
  526. >She attempts to fly over to you, only to be intercepted by Discord flicking her away with his talon, sending her back to the floor.
  527. >"Now, we should probably see about sending this tiny troublemaker back to Tartarus."
  528. >Fluttershy steps in front of you two, having regained her sentience, and holds the bell aloft.
  529. >"Like this?"
  530. >The bell pulses with pandemoniac energy, summoning a portal below Cozy's position.
  531. >Still recovering from the deflection, Cozy looks downwards in a confused daze while slowly hovering upwards.
  532. >"H-huh? What—"
  533. >Suddenly, inky-black limbs of all kinds lunge out from the portal, wrapping around Cozy's body and pulling her inwards.
  534. >She yells as the appendages drag her into the rift.
  535. >"Discord! You fucking traitor! You fucking snake! I'll kill you! I'll kill you if it's the last thing I—"
  536. >Her screams are silenced as the last of her is pulled into the void.
  537. >You catch Discord taking a slight step away from Fluttershy.
  538. >"I—yes, that'll do it, more or less."
  539. >Fluttershy slowly turns to face you two; her rotation is robotic in its movement, and her head snaps to face yours as soon as it is able.
  540. >Her eyes bore into yours, just as empty as before.
  541. >Discord clears his throat.
  542. >"Fluttershy, my lovely lover of animals who do so love love, why don't you pass me the bell back so I can recover my lovely chaos?"
  543. >He reaches out a paw to the bell, but Fluttershy responds by tightening her grip around it, frowning, yet not breaking eye contact with you for a second.
  544. >"No."
  545. >He briefly recoils at this reaction, quickly retracting his paw.
  546. >"I see. Hm. Well! That's that, I suppose!"
  547. >He strolls over to the front door, opening it.
  548. "What? You're leaving? Just like that?"
  549. >"Just like that. Toodles!"
  550. >He saunters out of the hut, decidedly magic-less; you hear him break into a sprint as he exits your line of sight.
  551. "Eh, screw him, I guess."
  552. >"Screw?"
  553. >You turn back to Fluttershy.
  554. "So, Fluttershy, you're gonna seal Grogar's Bell away so no-one else can use that magic for nefarious means, right?"
  555. >She smiles at you.
  556. "Right?"
  557. >…
  558. >You are Anonymous, and you are *truly* fucked.
  559.  
  560. ***
  561.  
  562. (Bonus Ending)
  563. >All of the magic is drained from Cozy, reverting her back to her fillyhood form; you are released from her embrace and the both of you hit the floor.
  564. >Not skipping a beat, you quickly get back on your feet and rush over to Fluttershy to retrieve the bell from her.
  565. >You are *not* leaving something like that in her hooves.
  566. >The typhoon still rages on, daring to throw you off balance, but you muster up the last your strength to reach out—
  567. >And touch the bell.
  568. >Reality stills.
  569. >You are transported to a endless void.
  570. >Standing in front of you is…yourself.
  571. >Between the two of you is the Bewitching Bell.
  572. >He speaks with a voice that reverberates through your very soul.
  573. 'Take the bell, Anon. Take it.'
  574. >I reach out for it, grasping it within my hands.
  575. >Grasping it. Grasped it. To grasp it. GRASP IT.
  576. >It feels…
  577. >So very, very…
  578. "Soft?"
  579. >Such bliss.
  580. >The world unravels; Anonymous unravels with it.
  581. >Coming to, he stands in an open field.
  582. >A field of hair.
  583. >A field of mane.
  584. >Luscious locks as far as he can see.
  585. >All for me to love.
  586. >All you need to do is…
  587. 'Use it.'
  588. >Such power.
  589. >You could make everything right.
  590. >You could make everything comfy.
  591. >But…
  592. >What about Equestria? What about your friends?
  593. >…What about Cozy Glow?
  594. >Images flash by—images of the life you have lead and images of lives you haven't.
  595. >And then you remember.
  596. >You are Anonymous: Moralfaggot Supreme.
  597. "I refuse."
  598. >You turn and walk away.
  599. >You feel like a badass.
  600. >Until you walk face first into a wall.
  601. "Ow!"
  602. >Checking your bearings, you realise you're back in Fluttershy's Cottage, holding the Bewitching Bell, standing in front of said wall.
  603. >You hear snickering behind you; you turn to face Discord.
  604. >"That wall certainly didn't seem very 'soft.'"
  605. "Brave words for someone in bell-slinging range."
  606. >Discord cowers in an exaggerated fashion.
  607. >"Oh no! Have mercy on my withered soul! I—the utterly powerless and humble draconequus, kneel before the Lord of Softness—Anonymous!"
  608. "My front stings *almost* as much as my back now, wonder why that is."
  609. >"Oh, right. Yes—my deepest apologies for that whole rear rumbling I gave you, but it all worked out in the end, didn't it?"
  610. >You look over the room, seeing the unconscious forms of both Fluttershy and Cozy Glow.
  611. "More or less."
  612. >"Now that the world is saved once more, could I perhaps persuade you to present me the bell? Pretty please? Cherry on top?"
  613. >He's giving you puppy dog eyes. Eugh.
  614.  
  615. "I'll give it back to you, on one condition."
  616. >You glance at Cozy.
  617. "Cozy Glow. I want her sentence to be rescinded."
  618. >Discord cups his chin with his talon, raising an eyebrow.
  619. >"Now this is a surprising development. Hasn't she made your life a living—pardon my Prench—Tartarus these past several cycles of chaos?"
  620. "Well…it's just what Fluttershy said back there, you know? I think Cozy deserves another shot."
  621. >"Oh, that speech? That was just a big melodramatic spiel to convince you to be bait."
  622. "Was it, though? You know what Fluttershy is like. She'd forgive someone who's endangered and betrayed Equestria several times over if he said he was sorry."
  623. >"Now that's just playing dirty! But you do raise a good point."
  624. >He waves his talon around, imploring you to continue.
  625. >"Go on then. Let's hear your defence for the little one!"
  626. "It hasn't been an easy past few…whatevers, that's for sure. But Fluttershy had a point, there must have been a reason Cozy did what she did."
  627. >"I can think up a few good reasons why a demonic alicorn hopped up on a bell's bedlam would chase the subject of her affections across Equestria."
  628. "The chaos from the bell was probably messing with her mind, right? I'll 'trust' Cozy on that one. Maybe all she needed was a friend who understands her, or at least someone to talk to.
  629. "And I haven't exactly tried to be a model friend for her. I want to fix that. I want to make things right this time."
  630. >"Hmm, so if I'm hearing this right, you're…forgiving her for all of the fun times and the not-so-fun times?"
  631. >You reflect on recent events: sure, there were a ton of close calls back there, and the world almost ended up at the whims of a power-crazed filly, but what's life without a little spice to shake things up?
  632. >And hey, it could have been worse.
  633. >You could have been…
  634. >Fucking Fluttershy.
  635. "…Yeah."
  636. >Discord gazes at you an uncharacteristically contemplative expression; he holds this gaze for an uncomfortably long time.
  637. >You break the silence.
  638. "Well?"
  639. >"Oh, sorry. I was just waiting for the Elements of Harmony to flow into you after your delightfully grandiose speech about forgiveness and friendship."
  640. >He clasps his hands.
  641. >"I'm absolutely on board though! Having this little munchkin on deck might be just the pinch of excitement that our upcoming purple princess needs!"
  642. >He gives you a salute.
  643. >"Very well, Anon! I'll pull what strings I can to smooth things over with our good friends C, L, and T!"
  644. "And you? You're cool with it?"
  645. >"Oh, this is hardly the first time my entire existence has been threatened. You wouldn't believe the rants old Smoozie-poo bubbles up when he's losing on game night!"
  646. >Discord tucks his arms behind his back, scuffing his goat hoof across the floor in a guilty fashion.
  647. >"Moreover, this whole situation with the bell may have been…partially…or perhaps completely…my entire fault, so I'm willing to accept the teeniest smidgen of responsibility for this."
  648.  
  649. "Alright, well, here."
  650. >You toss the bell over to him and he eagerly snaps it out of the air.
  651. >He stares at it blankly for a few moments.
  652. >"Soft?"
  653. "Oi."
  654. >You walk over to Cozy and pick her up, cradling her body against your chest.
  655. "Guess I got a little filly to take care of, now."
  656. >"Now when you say 'take care of,' are you taking care of *those needs* as well?"
  657. "Discord."
  658. >"Hey, I'm not judging! I've lived long enough to see it all, myself."
  659. >Discord taps the bell with his talon and a thin orange vapour forms around his finger.
  660. >He twirls his finger around continuously, drawing out more and more of the orange thread.
  661. >After he's accumulated what you assume to be enough, he then flexes his hand, gathering the magic together.
  662. >It coalescences into an amber sphere; Discord tosses it into the air where it falls down into his open mouth and is swallowed.
  663. >"Mmm, yummy! Although it's a bit too…'ponish' for my refined palate."
  664. >He doesn't look any different, but you can tell that he's got his magic back—mainly because he's standing on the ceiling now.
  665. >"And now, for my first order of spontaneity…"
  666. >He snaps his fingers.
  667. >Your fashionable-but-very-itchy leaf skirt vanishes into thin air.
  668. "Uh—"
  669. >And is replaced with a full ensemble of a shirt, pants, shoes, and jacket combo, topped off with a comfy knit cap for your head.
  670. >"Thank the stars! I've had to stare at your birthday suit for far too long!"
  671. "I wasn't forcing you to stare. You could've just looked away."
  672. >"In a room this small? I'd have better luck trying to convince dear Celestia to cut down on her cake consumption!"
  673. "Yeah—well, thanks. Guess I kinda forgot about my clothing—or lack of it, anyway."
  674. >He snaps his fingers again.
  675. >Fluttershy's unconscious body is levitated over to the couch, and a floating quilt is draped over her.
  676. >"Good thinking on snatching the bell up, by the by. Had you been a second too late, you and Fluttershy could have been wrapped in yet another chaotic conundrum!"
  677. "Yeah, yeah…"
  678. >You look over her sleeping form.
  679. "Might as well enjoy the peace while I can, 'cause soon it's gonna be back to daily guesses from here on out."
  680. >"Oh, don't be like that, Nonny-kun. I think that deep down, you must be quite fond of her. You're—what's the word: 'sun-deh-ray?'"
  681. "Hell no. Stockholm Syndrome at best."
  682. >"So you *do* admit there's something there."
  683. "You—"
  684. >He bursts into laughter.
  685.  
  686. >You're about to come up with a retort that will end this draconequus's whole career, but you feel a stirring around your chest; Cozy is waking up.
  687. >Those scarlet eyes of hers settle on yours.
  688. >"Mmm, Anon?"
  689. "Morning, Sleepyhead."
  690. >"I was having the most wonderful dream… You were in it."
  691. >"He does give some rather restful sleeps, doesn't he?"
  692. >"Wha—?" Cozy's eyes shoot open.
  693. >She turns her head, noticing Discord.
  694. >"Wait, you—then that means the bell—!"
  695. >Discord dangles the instrument tauntingly.
  696. >"Right over here!"
  697. >"A-anon, get it! Quick!"
  698. "I…can't do that, Cozy."
  699. >"Huh? Why not?! Ugh, fine! I'll get it myself!"
  700. >Cozy leaps out of your arms and attempts to snatch the bell, but both Discord and his instrument vanish into smoke before she reach them.
  701. >"Where did he—"
  702. >"Ooover here!"
  703. >Discord reforms on the other side of the room, dancing a little jig.
  704. >"That bell is MINE!"
  705. >Cozy speeds over to him again, and he disappears, again.
  706. >"Oh, so close!"
  707. >He teleports in front of you, wait—
  708. >As he warps away once more, you are greeted with the force of a furiously flying filly.
  709. >"Ah!"
  710. "Whoa!"
  711. >The both of you collide to the floor.
  712. "Cozy, are you alright?"
  713. >"I'm fine…wait—no, I'm not! He's still got the bell!"
  714. >You see Discord leaning against a wall, twirling the bell around his talon.
  715. >"As much as I'd love to continue playing assistant foalsitter, I'm afraid there's a bit of errant chaos that needs cleaning up. Ta-ta for now, you two!"
  716. >"Grr, get back here!"
  717. >Discord snaps his fingers as Cozy rushes at him once more, and by the time she reaches him, he's already been replaced with empty air.
  718. >She angrily flitters around, checking under the chairs and table, and opening any shelves that still remain.
  719. "Think he's gone. You know how he is."
  720. >She turns back to you, crossing her forelegs and sulking.
  721. >"Hmph."
  722. >You stand up.
  723. "Come on, let's go home."
  724. >"Home?"
  725. >Her eyes widen for a brief moment, but she quickly looks away with a scrunch.
  726. >"I mean—fine, whatever."
  727. >With the world saved for the time being, you head out of Fluttershy's cottage; you hear the light fluttering of wings behind you.
  728.  
  729. >The two of you make your way down the winding path; the silence which once felt oppressively ominous now feels somewhat serene as you leave.
  730. >Cozy flies up to your side, staring straight ahead as you continue on.
  731. >Not another word is spoken between you two, until—
  732. >"I can't believe you let Discord have the bell, dummy."
  733. >Oof, "dummy." Now you know she's mad.
  734. "The bell was a bargaining chip to get the higher powers off our back. We'll get another shot."
  735. >"We wouldn't have needed a 'bargaining chip' if you had just came with me back in the lair. All of Equestria could've been ours by now."
  736. "Yeah…well, I needed some time to sort things out. I'm on your side now, Cozy."
  737. >"Really? Because it looked to me like you were on Discord's side back there."
  738. "For the time being, that guy's our best bet at staying under the radar. Let him have the bell. That just means he'll put in a good word for us when we need it."
  739. >"And by 'good word,' you mean sell us out when it's most convenient to him?"
  740. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, alright?"
  741. >"'We' better, Anon. I can't afford to have any more slip-ups from you, not when the princesses are already so wary."
  742. "No more mistakes, I promise."
  743. >She scrutinises you for a few moments.
  744. >"Good. But this means we'll have to lay low for a while."
  745. >She sighs.
  746. >"There's going to be so much to do when we get home—so many plans to make, so many magical artefacts to research."
  747. "What happened to 'laying low?'"
  748. >"We're laying low, not laying flat. I'm an ambitious filly, Anon. There's always work to be done."
  749. >You feel a few light prods on your shoulder.
  750. >"And *you* are gonna have to put in a lot of hours as my henchhuman."
  751. "Henchhuman? And here I thought was the Emperor of Friendship."
  752. >"Nope! You've been demoted!"
  753. "Aw man."
  754. >She giggles; you're glad she seems to be feeling a little better.
  755. "Any chance I can earn that title back? I was actually beginning to like it."
  756. >"A lifetime of servitude oughta do it."
  757. "Oh?"
  758. >"That includes styling my mane every morning, hoof massages, wing massages, b-belly rubs…"
  759. >Cozy clears her throat, blushing.
  760. >"So yeah, you better be ready, mister!"
  761. "You drive a hard bargain, Cozy, but alright."
  762. >You see her perform a twirl through the air.
  763. >The two of you continue to travel down the path for a bit longer.
  764. >Eventually, Cozy flies up to your front, hooves on her hips.
  765. >"Hey, carry me. It's cold."
  766. >You hold out your arms towards her, giving her room to land on them.
  767. >Once she does, you bring your arms in close; she crawls through the opening in your jacket, resting against your shirt.
  768. >Checking your surroundings, you know it won't be too much longer until you get back home.
  769. >You hear her begin to softly snore against your chest.
  770. >It's been a long day, after all.
  771. >You could use some sleep yourself when you get home.
  772. >You look up at the sky.
  773. >It's lit up with a green light; you weren't fond of it before, but looking upon it now…
  774. >You think it's quite a cozy glow.

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