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Chaos Aglow

By Glimbrain
Created: 2024-04-19 20:59:01
Updated: 2024-04-21 20:12:43
Expiry: Never
anonscootalooapple bloomsweetie bellestarlight glimmerslice of lifesafechrysaliscozy glowchaos cozycorn

  1. Synopsis: Anon's delinquent daughter now has access to limitless chaos magic.
  2.  
  3. >"AHAHAHA! How do you like me NOW?!"
  4. "You've certainly gotten, um, big."
  5. >Cozy Glow is standing on the front lawn of your house.
  6. >And she *is* big.
  7. >She's as tall as a building.
  8. >You've heard of growth spurts, but jeez…
  9. >But instead of looking like a filly hit with a growth ray: she bears the proportions of a fierce alicorn—horn included.
  10. >She's clad in crimson battle armour, while her flowing baby blue mane and tail are adorned with charming cream-coloured ribbons—a curious contrast of cute and commanding.
  11. >"BIG is only the BEGINNING! With all of this POWER at MY command—NOPONY can stop ME! AHAHAHA!"
  12. >Her booming voice resounds throughout the local area and makes your ears ring.
  13. >It also makes your house slowly rise up into the air behind you, and the coniferous trees around your home start sprouting pineapples.
  14. >She has come to your house to gloat over her new-found power before she leaves to do what every power-mad alicorn dreams of doing—complete and total subjugation of the Equestrian nation.
  15. >From what she's told you—this chaotic changeover of hers is all thanks to some kind of Groggy Boy's Bell, apparently.
  16. >As her legal caretaker: you're happy that she's happy—
  17. >But you also know that ruling over Equestria with an iron hoof is way too much responsibility for a little filly to handle—alicorn or otherwise.
  18. >She still needs to finish school!
  19. >Her eyes may be some kind of ungodly mix of red and yellow; her wings may have morphed into those of a demon's; and she may be sporting a long, sharp horn now…
  20. >But deep down, she's still your adorable little Cozy Glow.
  21. >So you grab a stepladder that was conveniently floating in the air close by, and you make your way over to her side.
  22. >She doesn't notice you walk up to her, lost in her own victorious cackling as she is.
  23. >You set your stepladder down, and climb up it; despite her height, you're able to reach up to her torso, which should be high enough for your needs.
  24. >Carefully, you rub around the side of her barrel.
  25. >"HUH?"
  26. >Aaand there it is.
  27.  
  28. >You feel yourself being lifted upwards, held within a crimson aura.
  29. >Floating higher and higher, you find yourself being glared at by a pair of cross-eyed crimson pupils as she holds you right in front of her face.
  30. >"WHAT are you DOING?"
  31. "This—"
  32. >Her magical grip on you is thankfully slack, allowing you to lean forward, reaching up to her forehead…
  33. >And you touch cold metal.
  34. >Oh right—her metal headpiece.
  35. >Well, this won't do.
  36. >You cross your arms.
  37. "Cozy, take off your helmet for me, please."
  38. >She blinks at you a couple of times, her gaze softening.
  39. >"Oh, okay."
  40. >She telekinetically slides her headpiece over her horn and sets it down on the ground.
  41. >After doing so, she furrows her brows.
  42. >"Wait, why did I—"
  43. >Before she can continue, you reach forward and rest your hand on her forehead.
  44. >And you gently give this godly giant some headpats.
  45. "There we go…"
  46. >"H-hey!"
  47. >You ruffle through her fur while she lets out a series of surprised squeaks that are most unbecoming for a would-be chaos empress.
  48. >You know that your Cozy loves headpats above all else, and you'd wager that she loves them all the same whether she's a little pegasus filly or a giant demon alicorn.
  49. >Your hypothesis is proven correct, as her squeaks soon turn into giggles.
  50. >And then giggle-snorts.
  51. >Her eyes suddenly shoot open.
  52. >"N-no! Stop it!"
  53. >She drops you.
  54. >"Urk!"
  55. >Horn aglow, she makes sure that you fall onto a soft pile of pillowy pineapples.
  56. >Why pineapples? Who knows; at least they are indeed soft, despite appearances.
  57. >Cozy looks down at you with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.
  58. >She then takes a few steps back, looking away.
  59. >"Um, anyway, I-I need to go and…and take over Equestria! BYE—"
  60. "Oh no you're not, missy."
  61. >You stand up off of your chaotic cushion and place your hands on your hips.
  62. >She glares directly at you in response to your disallowance.
  63. >"WHAT did you SAY?!"
  64. "No filly of mine is overthrowing the monarchy under *my* watch."
  65. >She fiercely glowers at you, but you stand your ground.
  66. >It feels like she's burning holes in you with those crimson eyes of hers.
  67. >If it was anyone else but you—she probably *would* be burning holes in them.
  68. >Eventually, her glare falters, and her mouthline quivers.
  69. >"B-but…"
  70. >Her face contorts into a pout.
  71. >"But I waaannaaa."
  72. >You shake your head.
  73. "But I want never gets. You skipped breakfast today, didn't you?"
  74. >"W-well yes but there's a good reason for that—"
  75. "And you can tell me that reason *after* you've had your brekkies, alright?"
  76. >She squints at you.
  77. >You squint back.
  78. >This squinty silence continues for a good few seconds.
  79. >Then, her belly grumbles.
  80. >She sighs and hangs her head.
  81. >"Okay…"
  82.  
  83. >…
  84. >"A-a-and then—and then that big meanie pants Grogar said that I had to work together with those two supervillains o-or else I'd be blown up like Sombra!"
  85. "Wow, and Grogar was Discord, right? He really said that?"
  86. >"Y-yeah! It was so scary! I-I only did what he asked b-because I didn't wanna get blown up! All I ever wanted was to make some friends…"
  87. >You give her an understanding nod.
  88. "I know. And you're an incredibly brave filly for managing to get through all of that, Cozy."
  89. >"R-really? You really mean that?" She asks you through teary eyes and a sniffle.
  90. "Without a doubt. I'm proud of you."
  91. >"G-golly…"
  92. >Cozy Glow had patiently sat on your front lawn while you went back in your house (which she had kindly set back down) to pour her a bowl of cereal with some milk.
  93. >When you came back outside, you quickly realised something in your folly:
  94. >She was still *really* big—and you had just poured her a bowl of regular-filly–sized cereal.
  95. >But then she used chaos magic to make her portion chaos-alicorn–sized.
  96. >It's as simple as that, you suppose.
  97. >Still on your front lawn and now sitting on her haunches, she scoops her oversized spoon into her oversized bowl full of oversized cereal and takes an oversized bite.
  98. >You turn your head to the side, looking towards the outskirts of your lawn.
  99. >As is usually the case when a building-sized alicorn stops by your house for an extended length of time: several ponies have come by to gawk at their would-be conqueror—at a *very* safe distance, of course.
  100. >Among those onlookers is Twilight Sparkle, who holds both notepad and pencil within her magic; she bears a pensive frown on her face as she records Cozy's confession.
  101. >"Discord…" she quietly grumbles to herself.
  102. >You look back to Cozy as she finishes her oversized gulp.
  103. "So what happened next?"
  104. >"Well, then he sent us to this really cold mountain…"
  105.  
  106. ***
  107.  
  108. >Rays of sunshine jitter in through the window, the punctual particles of light pounding your eyelids and forcing you awake.
  109. "Ugh…" you groan.
  110. >You turn your head to the side, checking the clock:
  111. >Six in the morning, on the dot.
  112. >Celestia truly hath no mercy—
  113. >Oh, wait, Celestia isn't working the Sun any more.
  114. >Princess Purplesmart truly hath no mercy?
  115. >You've still got to get used to that.
  116. >After a yawn and a stretch, you begrudgingly get out of bed, ready to start the day.
  117. >You dress yourself and exit your bedroom, heading into the bathroom to carry out your morning rituals.
  118. >As you do so, you reminisce on past events:
  119. >It has been a few long months since the last time that the very fate of Equestria had been placed in turmoil.
  120. >You, Anonymous the Brave, had gallantly saved the day through undertaking the momentous task of talking to a little filly who had a bit too much power on her hooves.
  121. >And in doing so, you ended up uncovering a conspiracy involving some of the greatest evils that Equestria had ever known.
  122. >It turned out that Discord—resident troublemaker and chaos advocate—had disguised himself as perhaps the greatest evil of all: the "Father of Monsters," Grogar.
  123. >He forcefully enlisted four of Equestria's greatest villains and went about commanding them to do his bidding.
  124. >One of those supervillains quickly drew away from the flock and set about his own ambitions—he quickly met a gruesome end for his trouble.
  125. >His demise sparked obedience within the remaining three—at least on the surface—and they dutifully followed "Grogar"'s will.
  126. >Together, they disrupted Equestria from the shadows, sowing distrust among the three pony races, all while slowly amassing the power they needed to set about their ploy for world domination.
  127. >The building resentment that they sparked among the populace could have easily been quelled—had it been noticed by those who kept the peace.
  128. >Unfortunately, such animosity quietly slipped under the radar, because those who had the power to do something about it were pre-occupied with another event that would rattle Equestria's very foundations—
  129. >Namely, the changing of hooves within the monarchy; Princess Twilight was due to be coronated as the sole leader of Equestria—while the previous rulers were to retire.
  130. >Equestria's disgruntled populace and Twilight's impending coronation—this all provided the perfect opportunity for those supervillains to swoop in and conquer the realm while it was at its most vulnerable.
  131. >With Equestria's greatest threats all wielding the terrifying power held by an ancient artefact known as Grogar's Bell: no-one in Equestria would've been able to stop them, not even the Elements of Harmony themselves.
  132.  
  133. >At least, that was what was *supposed* to happen, apparently.
  134. >As it turns out: backstabbing villains will be backstabbing villains—one of them stole all of the bell's power for her own ends and set out to conquer Equestria for herself and herself alone.
  135. >It all came to a head when that very same supervillain showed up at your front door to gloat about her imminent victory.
  136. >In her hubris, she failed to account for Equestria's last line of defense—
  137. >You, and the stern talking to that you gave her.
  138. >…To be honest, you didn't expect that it'd actually work; you must have been running on pure parental instinct at that point.
  139. >Still, what matters is that—somehow—you *did* manage to talk down the megalomaniacal chaos alicorn from making a move on Equestria's throne.
  140. >The world was saved, but the true trials were yet to come; Equestria had to both heal and move forward, paving the way to a brand new age.
  141. >Princesses Celestia and Luna abdicated the throne, leaving the reigns solely to their protege—Twilight Sparkle.
  142. >Discord was held accountable for his crimes (for once) and was promptly put in the naughty corner—said naughty corner happens to reside within the deepest pits of Tartarus.
  143. >And the three supervillains that he enlisted are currently in the process of being rehabilitated.
  144. >It's been a long journey, but Equestria is finally at peace once more.
  145. >And you—you have now finished showering.
  146. >Putting your clothes back on and stepping out of the bathroom, you walk down the second-floor hallway of your house.
  147. >Past your bedroom door—
  148. >And stopping in front of another.
  149. >Well, since the Sun is as punctual as ever, you might as well wake *her* up.
  150. >You knock on the door and call out to the room's inhabitant.
  151. "Cozy? Time to wake up."
  152. >Predictably, there's no immediate response; you know that she prefers to sleep in if she can help it.
  153. >There are no disgruntled groggy groans or shuffling of sheets coming from the other side, so she's either in a deep sleep or has mastered the art of ignoring you—knowing her, it could be either.
  154. >You raise your fist up to the door again for a second try—but, hm…
  155. >It's faint, but you can hear a curious noise on the other side of the door—a low hum of sorts.
  156. >It sounds otherworldly to your ears, like a spell being cast.
  157. >And you have a very strict, very specific policy in your household—absolutely no spells are to be cast in any bedrooms during the early hours of the morning.
  158. >Incidentally, waking up just moments before your bed tries to swallow you whole is an experience that sticks with you for life.
  159. >Taking no chances, you quickly open the door and peer inside.
  160. "Cozy? Are you—oh."
  161.  
  162. >You gaze inside her bedroom and…well, it's a bedroom alright.
  163. >The wallpaper is a garishly bright pink; it's decorated with many smiling faces of cartoon animals.
  164. >The carpet is a charming creamy yellow, with a few pink heart-shaped rugs dotted about.
  165. >The shelves and drawers are stacked with all kinds of kid's memorabilia: toy sets, dolls, giant stuffed teddy bears—with only the occasional boxed chess set standing out.
  166. >There's no doubt about it—this is definitely a little filly's room.
  167. >Except, there's just one oddity about this place…
  168. >Everything is upside down.
  169. >The floor is the ceiling, and the ceiling is the floor.
  170. >All of the furniture has been flipped to match; the desks are fixed on the ceiling while the pendant light is hanging from the floor.
  171. >Some fixtures did not seem to get the memo, though, as you see some books and bobs lazily floating about in the air, as if in zero gravity; the light holding them emits a low hum, so they are likely the source of that magical sound.
  172. >You dare not step inside of the room for fear of your own gravitational well being.
  173. >Looking to the left, you see that the floral-patterned curtains covering the windows are wide open, yet the morning light shining through the pane has no chance of reaching the room's occupant—
  174. >As they're sleeping on the ceiling.
  175. >Being that the room is flipped—so is the king-size bed at the far end of the room, which seemingly ignores conventional gravity and sticks to the ceiling like it was glued on there.
  176. >You can't clearly see the occupant in full, but you *can* see a large lump completely covered under the pink heart-patterned bed covers—and faint sounds of slumber that it emits.
  177. >Time's a wasting, so you call out to said lump.
  178. "Cozy!" you shout.
  179. >The lump slowly shuffles, beginning to wake.
  180. >"Wha…huh—AUGH—!"
  181. >With a yelp, the lump suddenly falls to the ground, as if your rousing voice caused gravity to take hold of them; luckily, the bed stays where it is.
  182. >The bed-covers-and-pony combo hit the floor with a loud thud; clumps of messy blue mane burst out of the blankets at various angles, almost giving the lump the appearance of a blue shrub.
  183. >As you continue to gaze at the blue-maned blanket, an opening forms in the fabric, and two glowing pupils of purest crimson peer out of the darkness within.
  184. >They make eye contact with you, and the two of you stare each other down in an awkward silence.
  185. >You didn't come here for a stare down, though, so you soon speak up.
  186. "…I'll be in the kitchen, making breakfast. Come down when you're ready."
  187. >"Okay. Thanks," the lump quickly responds.
  188. >You close the door and head down the stairs to the first floor.
  189.  
  190. >Soon, you enter the kitchen and quickly set the dining table.
  191. >First, you fill up the coffee machine—a "Prench press," as the ponies call it—for your own needs.
  192. >Then, you get to work preparing some pancakes—the meal of the morning.
  193. >Setting the ingredients in a bowl, you whisk through the batter while you whisk through your thoughts.
  194. >That woefully unprepared pony up in that room is a filly known as Cozy Glow.
  195. >And she's your daughter—your adopted one, at any rate.
  196. >She's…not your average foal, to put it bluntly.
  197. >Not many fillies out there have the claim to fame of almost overthrowing Equestria by attempting to expel all traces of magic from the realm.
  198. >And she would have gotten away with it too, had it not been for those meddling ponies.
  199. >Needless to say, her near-calamitous actions put her under extreme scrutiny by the populace.
  200. >She was considered an enemy of Harmony itself, and if there's one thing that you've learned through living among these ponies—it's that they take their Harmony very, *very* seriously.
  201. >Even though she was just a little filly, some ponies were even planning to send her to Tartarus for her crimes.
  202. >That was when you stepped in at her defence, believing there to still be some good in her, despite her actions.
  203. >You vouched for her, and put forward the idea of giving her a second chance.
  204. >Not only that, but you offered to look after her yourself—to give her another opportunity to learn about friendship.
  205. >…In all of your years in Equestria, you had never felt more alone than you did in that moment when you suggested such a thing—but you would not let that deter you.
  206. >Amidst all of the cold glares, it was Twilight Sparkle who agreed with your notion, also believing that Cozy deserved another chance to understand what friendship means.
  207. >Having the Princess of Friendship herself on your side turned out be quite the tide turner when it came to swaying public opinion.
  208. >And so, that was that; you officially adopted Cozy Glow, and the two of you lived happily ever after…
  209. >…is what you wish you could say, but things are never that simple when dealing with ex-supervillains in the realm of magical talking ponies.
  210. >Pancake batter's ready.
  211. >You ladle a few circles out onto a pan and set it over a lit stove, keeping an eye on the pancakes-to-be so you can flip them when needed.
  212. >While you wait, you hear weighty, yet precise hoofsteps coming down the stairs.
  213. >Considering you and Cozy are the only ones who live here: there's only one explanation as to who that is—
  214. >Your coffee machine suddenly stands up, balancing itself on two thin, vaguely two-dimensional-looking legs.
  215. "Oh."
  216. >Using its two thin, vaguely two-dimensional-looking arms: it pulls a trumpet out from…somewhere behind its back.
  217. "Oh no—"
  218. >And using the spout at its top, the spirited Prench press sounds out a mighty tantara from its instrument.
  219.  
  220. >As the fanfare fills the room, you see various cookware beginning to grow crude limbs of their own as they become more mobile by the second—
  221. >—including the pan which currently holds your pancakes; you quickly jostle it in your hand, which thankfully calms it down.
  222. >Your other cookware are not so compliant, however; they all ceremoniously leap off of your counter—coffee machine included—and gracefully land on the tiled floor.
  223. >Then, they all walk over to the kitchen's doorway, positioning themselves adjacent to its opening and standing at attention.
  224. >And with that, a lengthy roll of red carpet suddenly bursts forth from the kitchen's doorway, paving the way for a grandiose entrance.
  225. >A full-grown alicorn soon strides through the doorway.
  226. >Her coat is coloured pink, while her ever-flowing, meticulously curled mane is coloured blue.
  227. >She's clad in armoured crimson regalia—helmet included—that bears the motif of an elongated chess rook—the very same rook that adorns her flanks as her cutie mark.
  228. >A few oversized cream-coloured bows and ribbons adorn her body, from the bow atop her mane to the ribbon tied around the base of her tail.
  229. >She strikes a majestic pose by the doorway, allowing her "subjects" to bask in her magnificence.
  230. >Several sentient pots and pans throw celebratory confetti at her entrance, while the coffee machine continues to play its trumpet.
  231. >Your largest saucepan makes a loud throat clearing sound as it pulls out a scroll; it begins to speak:
  232. >"Citizens of Anonymous's Household, may I present to you: the illustrious Empress of Friendship herself—our most esteemed Cozy Glow! May her triumphs eclipse those of her disbelievers! May her enemies rot within the deepest depths of Tartarus! And may her glorious reign be ever-long and ever-fruitful!"
  233. >"Hear, hear!" the rest of your cookware join in resounding chorus.
  234. >One of those voices is coming from right next to you and—oh God the pancakes are talking.
  235. >You quickly flip them over, ignoring the discomforting screams that they make in response.
  236. >And then you loudly clear your own throat, catching the alicorn's attention.
  237. "If you are all quite finished. I'd much prefer the return of my cookware."
  238. >The alicorn snickers into her hoof, and then claps her forehooves together twice.
  239. >Obediently following her commands, all of your sentient cookware makes their way back their initial positions; then, they "unalive" themselves as their unnatural limbs fade away into nothing.
  240. >Your coffee machine follows the same fate, and thankfully, by the time it clambers back onto the counter—the coffee inside has been well mixed.
  241. >Grateful that you won't have to pick up rogue cookware off of the floor, you address the alicorn in the room.
  242. "Good morning, Cozy."
  243. >"Good morning, oh Daddy dearest!" she greets you as she prances over to the dining table and seats herself.
  244. "'Dad' is fine."
  245. >"Daddy Dad dearest? Golly, if you say so!"
  246.  
  247. >You reflexively roll your eyes, but don't comment any further; you've learned to pick your battles wisely when it comes to this one.
  248. >Her currently folded wings aren't like those of a traditional alicorn's; instead, they resemble that of a large bat's featherless patagia—but perhaps it may be more accurate to say they resemble a demon's wings.
  249. >Her sclera is coloured an ominous yellow, while her irises glow an intimidating crimson; her fierce eyes are contrasted by the cutesy freckles on her cheeks.
  250. >This satanic-looking alicorn is your adopted daughter—Cozy Glow.
  251. >No longer building-sized, she stands high enough to be at eye-level with you—though her long horn ensures that she still towers above you to a degree.
  252. >After having gained some basic competency over the art of shapeshifting, she had come to understand that bigger isn't always better—particularly when it comes to actually getting inside of the house.
  253. >But despite having once been a little pegasus filly before all this had happened, she refuses to shrink any lower than how she is now; perhaps there's a deeper insecurity to be discerned from that stance.
  254. >As well for *how* she obtained all of this godly alicorn power, well—
  255. >"Daaad, are the pancakes ready yet?" Cozy whines.
  256. "In a little bit. They're still cooking."
  257. >You turn to the pancakes—but then you quickly turn back to Cozy, raising a finger.
  258. "And absolutely no temporal magic to try and 'speed things up.' I'm still recovering from the last time."
  259. >She very briefly glances to the side, pursing her lips in a show of guilt.
  260. >"Aw, okay…"
  261. >While she waits, she rests the knees of her forelegs on the table, propping up her chin with both forehooves; her hindlegs absent-mindedly kick about in the space beneath the table.
  262. >Despite appearances—she's still a little filly at heart.
  263. >The first batch of pancakes are done, but you've prepared enough batter for more of the fried foodstuff.
  264. >You set the finished pancakes on a plate and get to work on another batch.
  265. >Cozy's a growing pony—and you want to have some for yourself, too.
  266. >Now where were you…ah—that's right, the origin of her godly power.
  267. >As it turns out, Cozy Glow was one of the three supervillains that had been enlisted by Discord to cause turmoil in Equestria.
  268. >He kidnapped her right from under your nose, and spirited her away to some dark, dank cave where she was forced to co-operate with some other unsavoury sorts.
  269. >This "Legion of Doom" wasn't too far from Ponyville, so Cozy was able to quickly and quietly sneak between that lair and your home, leaving you and everyone else none the wiser to her return to villainy.
  270. >Which meant that while she was working with her two "frenemies," she never told you about what she was doing—she never had to.
  271.  
  272. >Her own justification for keeping you in the dark was to protect you from what "Grogar" might have done to you had he found out, but…
  273. >Well, more than anything, you're disappointed in yourself for never noticing her errant behaviour.
  274. >You were supposed to look after her—you were supposed to be her second chance.
  275. >And now you've been granted the dubious honour of being her third chance.
  276. >As it turns out, Cozy was the one who betrayed Discord and the rest, stealing every last morsel of the draconequus's chaotic energies through the extremely powerful artefact known as "Grogar's Bell" and taking all of the power for her own sake.
  277. >Said chaotic power is known to be extremely volatile; Discord himself had frequently struggled to keep him and his magics completely in line, but nothing could be as volatile as what Cozy did next—
  278. >She swallowed the bell.
  279. >Whether she did that out of some desperate sense of self-preservation, or out of a twisted desire to keep all of that power within her for good—only Cozy herself knows the answer.
  280. >Instead of simply passing through her body one way or the other, the bell dispersed inside her, quickly fusing with her very being—and she became one with the unstable energies that she harnessed.
  281. >She retained both the godly form of an alicorn—and all of the awe-inspiring power that came with it.
  282. >In a sense—she herself is an artefact, now.
  283. >You're no expert on ancient Equestrian artefacts; perhaps there *is* a way to safely extract the bell—and all of the power it contains—from her body.
  284. >But as the way she is now: no-one has dared to try; you're one of the few individuals out there that not only has the stones to be around her—but you're also one of the few that she tolerates enough to get close to her.
  285. >And so, that was that; you officially became the caretaker of a demonic alicorn, and the two of you lived happily ever after…
  286. >…well, happily everer than the first time you had adopted her, at least.
  287. >Cozy Glow is still learning how to handle her chaos magic.
  288. >She can *cast* magic, but she can't fully control it; overextending herself tends to result in her magic literally biting her in the butt.
  289. >Her chaotic presence also appears to manifest itself unconsciously on her part—such as in rotated rooms and overly grandiose fanfare.
  290. >Given her villainous past, there's a part of you that wonders if that's the reason why she has been so placid despite her tremendous power—why she hasn't set her sights on the total domination of Equestria.
  291. >She's a pragmatic little filly, unwilling to follow through on her plans unless she's absolutely certain they'll succeed.
  292. >You still believe there to be good within her—you've never lost that faith.
  293. >But you also know what she's capable of if left unchecked.
  294.  
  295. >The pancakes are ready.
  296. >Setting aside two plates, you set a stack of pancakes on each plate, both topped with maple syrup and butter; one for you and one for her.
  297. >You also fill up a glass of fresh orange juice for Cozy—her favourite—and you bring both the glass and her plate to the table, setting it on her side.
  298. "Here you go."
  299. >"Thanks!" Cozy gives you a toothy grin.
  300. >As she flashes you her pearly whites, you can't help but notice those prominent canines among her chompers.
  301. >You're pretty sure ponies don't eat meat—but does the same courtesy extend to demonic alicorns?
  302. >It's a brief question you ponder on while you bring your breakfast over to your side of the table.
  303. >By the time you seat yourself, you have yet to come up with a satisfactory answer.
  304. >But that's okay—because it's time to eat.
  305. >You've got your own stack of pancakes to contend with, and a nice cup of joe to help you start the day in style.
  306. >The syrupy pancakes are both sweet and savoury—a scrumptious blend for your palate.
  307. >While the measured sips of your homebrewed coffee are providing your still-weary brain cells with an invigorating boost—which is exactly the kind of energy that you'll need to face the rest of the day.
  308. >You chance a look at Cozy to see how she's taking her breakfast.
  309. >And you see her setting the entire stack of pancakes to one side; she eyes the plate, licking her lips.
  310. "Cozy…"
  311. >She levitates the plate up to her lips.
  312. "Cozy no—"
  313. >And she bites down into it.
  314. >Her teeth sink into the porcelain, tearing a chunk out of your china as if it were…a pancake.
  315. >You wordlessly watch as she chews on it for a bit; she soon gulps, easily swallowing the solid shard of ceramic.
  316. >"Mm-hmm~!" She hums in delight, clearly enjoying the taste of tableware.
  317. >Great for her—not-so-great for your poor piece of pottery.
  318. >She rotates the plate to an unchomped side and moves in to take another bite—
  319. "Cozy!" you raise your voice.
  320. >She stops what she's doing, and her eyes nonchalantly drift over to look at you.
  321. >"Hm? What is it?"
  322. "You're doing it again."
  323. >"Doing what?" She tilts her head, as if taking chunks out of fine china is the most normal thing in the world.
  324. "The pancakes." You point at said pancakes.
  325. >"What about them?"
  326. "Those are the things you're supposed to eat."
  327. >You rest a hand on the table and tap a finger on your own plate.
  328. "Not the plate."
  329. >She blinks at you silently.
  330. >Then eyes the pancakes.
  331. >Then eyes the chunked plate.
  332. >Then eyes the pancakes again.
  333. >Her eyes widen slightly.
  334. >"Oooh. Right."
  335. >She leans and in sniffs the pancakes, taking a tentative lick.
  336. >Her eyes widen even more.
  337. >"These are good!"
  338. "Thank you."
  339. >There's no point further chastising her on the matter; it's not her fault.
  340. >After all, this is just another one of the eccentricities you have to deal with when it comes to raising a chaos alicorn; chaotic beings tend to interact with the world differently compared to you mortal folk.
  341. >You've gotten used to it.
  342.  
  343. >There's still one more issue that needs to be resolved.
  344. >You take a deep breath as you ask what needs to be asked.
  345. "I'm gonna need the rest of that plate back, by the way."
  346. >She stops her pancake licking to purse her lips.
  347. >"Oh. Um, yeah."
  348. >She gives you a nervous smile.
  349. >"Could you look away, please?"
  350. >You nod and look to the side, resting a palm over your eyes and closing them for good measure.
  351. >What follows is a series of unsettling sounds from Cozy; you hear gagging, retching, and the sickly sound of something moist being thrown up onto the table.
  352. >You try your best to ignore it.
  353. >"All done!" she happily states.
  354. >You look back, seeing a fully-formed plate sitting on the table in front of Cozy.
  355. >Despite the earlier sounds and actions: the plate looks brand new with no cracks to be seen—if a little wet.
  356. >Yeah, you're definitely gonna give it a good rinsing later.
  357. >But for now, it's her plate; she can retch on it all she likes.
  358. >…Preferably out of sight, and out of mind; you want to enjoy your own food while you still have the stomach for it.
  359. >Cozy sets her pancakes back on her plate, and the two of your resume your breakfast.
  360. >You're gonna need to build up your energy to tackle the rest of the day.
  361. >Because the rest of the day is…even more Cozy Glow.
  362. >As her caretaker, you're in charge of teaching this Machiavellian filly what it means to be a functional, non-villainous member of society.
  363. >And that means friendship lessons—lots and lots of friendship lessons.
  364.  
  365. >Given Cozy's *unique* situation, she isn't allowed to go to conventional schools, or even non-conventional ones; she has to take her friendship lessons at home—and around town, when the situation calls for it.
  366. >Taking care of a little pegasus is one thing—but taking care of a chaotic alicorn is a full-time job.
  367. >To that end, you had to quit your old job so you could keep a closer eye on Cozy.
  368. >In return, you receive a sizeable stipend from the crown for your troubles.
  369. >That—and peace of mind; you really don't want to screw this up again.
  370. >And that brings you to today's friendship lesson; it's going to be a doozy.
  371. >After taking another bite of your pancakes, you speak up.
  372. "Excited for today?"
  373. >Cozy hums in thought.
  374. >"It depends…"
  375. >She shakes her glass of orange juice in between her forehooves in a manner not unlike that of how a bartender mixes a cocktail; she then sets the glass back on the table before continuing.
  376. >"What *are* we doing?"
  377. "We're going to reconnect with an old friend."
  378. >She raises an inquisitive eyebrow.
  379. >"'We?'"
  380. "It's someone we both know, yes. You'll see."
  381. >"Hm…old friend…"
  382. >She lifts the glass of OJ with her crimson magic.
  383. >Then, she tips the glass over her plate, and a solid block of orange juice falls out of the glass and onto a spot next to her pancakes.
  384. >The orange block wobbles like gelatin.
  385. >Seemingly satisfied with her solidified drink, she turns to you with a smile on her face.
  386. >"Sounds fun!"
  387. "Great." You nod. "Once we're done here, we'll be heading out, alright?"
  388. >She takes a bite out of her orange jelly before answering.
  389. >"Okie dokie!"
  390. >Not much longer after that, the two of you finish your breakfast and put your used cookware away.
  391. >After slinging a bag over your shoulder, the two of you head out into Ponyville.
  392.  
  393. ***
  394.  
  395. >Ponyville is a peaceful village, idyllic in its presentation.
  396. >The fields are lush, the citizens are friendly, the homes are…homey.
  397. >The sounds of idle chatter and the smell of the countryside never fail to put both your heart and mind at ease.
  398. >Looking at it now, you wouldn't believe that it has been the centre of so many monster attacks and ploys for world domination.
  399. >Yet underneath this tranquil surface, there are scars that are still healing—old wounds that still react when a ex-supervillain strides through the streets.
  400. >You walk through a path going through the markets—it's the quickest route to the giant purple castle standing proud over in the horizon.
  401. >The markets are bustling, with peddlers and perusers alike mingling with one another along the various stalls on display.
  402. >Most ponies quickly avert their eyes when they see you and your companion; though you can still feel some judgemental looks against your back.
  403. >Cozy Glow lazily walks by your right side, caring little for the distrustful gazes that some dare to throw at her; she's seen it all, at this point.
  404. >A stallion pulling a wagon filled with fruity foodstuffs intersects your path, causing you and Cozy to stop in your tracks and wait for him to pass.
  405. >Said stallion appears to be lost in his own trance of manual labouring as he leisurely strolls on by, but his eyes soon catch sight of you and Cozy, causing him to gulp and pick up his pace.
  406. >You feel a light tug on your left pant leg.
  407. >"Top of the mornin' to you, my good stallion!" you hear a squeaky southern drawl coming from your left side. "Can Ah interest you in an apple? It's today's lucky fruit!"
  408. >You look down to your left, seeing a yellow-coated filly with a bright red mane and brighter pink bow beaming up at you with those cheery orange eyes of hers; she holds an apple out to you in one of her forehooves.
  409. >Crouching down to meet her, you cup your chin as you inspect the produce.
  410. "Lucky fruit? Go on then."
  411. >"That'll be one bit!" She holds out her other forehoof.
  412. >You reach into your bag and procure exactly one bit; you give it to her.
  413. "Here you go, miss."
  414. >"Thank you kindly!"
  415. >You take the apple from her and stand back up.
  416. "But hold on—weren't apples *yesterday's* lucky fruit, as well? Something sounds fishy."
  417. >The filly gasps.
  418. >"Now who's sayin' that apples can't be lucky multiple days in a row?"
  419. >She leans in and whispers.
  420. >"It wasn't one of them Strawberries, was it?"
  421. "Nothing like that." You shake your head. "I just can't help but notice how shrewd you've become when it comes to selling apples, Apple Bloom."
  422. >"Ah ain't no shrew—Ah'm a pony!" She proudly states.
  423. >The two of you share a good-natured chuckle.
  424. >This apple-selling earth pony is a filly by the name of Apple Bloom—and where she roams, two others are certain to follow…
  425.  
  426. >With a wide smile on her face, Bloom looks past you and enthusiastically waves at Cozy.
  427. >"Howdy, Cozy!"
  428. >Cozy regards Bloom with a quick glance before looking to the side.
  429. >"…Hi."
  430. >"How've you been?"
  431. >"Good, I guess."
  432. >"Just guessin'? That doesn't sound too convincin'. Do we need another friendship lesson about smilin' 'til our mouths fall off?"
  433. >"No thanks."
  434. >Bloom circles around you and walks up to Cozy's front.
  435. >"Hm, let's see it then; give us a nice, big, honest smile! Like this!"
  436. >Bloom beams up at Cozy.
  437. >"Ugh, fine…" Cozy groans. "How about—"
  438. >Cozy Glow forces the corners of her mouth upwards as she smiles down at Apple Bloom.
  439. >"—this?"
  440. >As a little filly, Cozy was an expert on putting on the most disarming, fake smiles.
  441. >But as an unholy alicorn, her "cutesy" factor has…suffered somewhat.
  442. >Her lips may be upturned, but her narrowed eyes betray her clear irritation at being held up in the middle of town.
  443. >To a bystander, one could easily mistake it as a look of contempt.
  444. >"It, uh…" Bloom sucks in the corners of her mouth. "…it could use some work."
  445. >"What?!"
  446. >"But what do you think, Anon?" Bloom quickly deflects. "Think Cozy could use a few pointers in good, honest smilin'?"
  447. "Uh…"
  448. >You gaze upon Cozy's demonic visage, whose "smile" has abated after Bloom's scathing criticism.
  449. "I think Cozy's come a long way in these past couple of months. I'd say she's doing well in the smile department for now."
  450. >You do truly feel that way. While her smile *could* use some work, it's a definite improvement over the first month she spent living with you; back then, she always wore an intimidating scowl on her face whenever she was forced into public situations.
  451. >Also, knowing Cozy—it'd worry you more if she was able to pull off picture-perfect smiles after only a few months of a satanic switch-over.
  452. >But for the most part, you mainly want to avoid getting roped into another unscheduled friendship lesson with Apple Bloom and co.
  453. >They tend to eat up time which goes into your *scheduled* lessons.
  454. >You catch the briefest of smiles on Cozy's face before Bloom speaks up.
  455. >"Sounds like it's my word against yours, an' y'all know what that means…"
  456. >The upper body of another filly suddenly pops out of Cozy's oversized mane, forelegs outstretched.
  457. >"Tie breaker!" the newcomer shouts.
  458. >The newcomer leaps out of Cozy's mane and lands next to Apple Bloom, striking a pose.
  459. >This filly has a white coat, and a curly two-tone mane with a mix of purple and pink; she also bears a horn on her forehead.
  460. >And she's none other than—
  461. >"Sweetie Belle!" Cozy sputters. "What—how long were you in there?"
  462. >"Oh, I hopped in when you two passed by the furniture store."
  463. "Wasn't that like ten minutes ago?"
  464. >Sweetie looks at you with knit brows; she then raises one of her forehooves and examines it, appearing to count something.
  465. >Finally, she looks back up at you.
  466. >"Um, maybe?" She nervously grins.
  467.  
  468. >Cozy's eyes widen, and she frantically ruffles a forehoof through her flowing mane.
  469. >"Don't worry, I didn't touch anything!" Sweetie reassures her.
  470. >You raise an eyebrow.
  471. "Wasn't aware there was an 'anything' in there."
  472. >"Yeah!" Apple Bloom adds. "You're tellin' me that there's *stuff* in her mane? What's in there?"
  473. >"Oh, you guys have *no* idea," Sweetie responds with a proud nod. "Cozy's mane is like a—"
  474. >"Where's the other one?" Cozy raises her voice.
  475. >"Oh, she's comin'" Bloom speaks with a self-assured tone. "In fact, what's that over there in the distance?"
  476. >Bloom points towards the far end of the marketplace.
  477. >Sure enough—there's another little filly speeding towards you on a scooter; she wears a purple safety helmet.
  478. >You swear that you can hear faint metal music in the background as she approaches.
  479. >Once she gets close enough, she makes a skidding stop in front of the four of you, and she takes off her helmet.
  480. >She's a pegasus filly with an orange coat and a messy purple mane; she's Scootaloo—the third and final member of the energetic trio that's often seen around town.
  481. >"Hey Cozy—and Anon, too." She steps off her scooter and poses next to it.
  482. >She then takes a much-needed deep breath after her athletic exertions.
  483. >"Sorry I'm late; nopony told me that we'd be meeting in the middle of the markets!"
  484. >"A true Crusader is prepared for any occasion!" Sweetie proudly states.
  485. >"Did the 'occasion' *have* to be here?" Cozy huffs.
  486. >"Darn tootin' it had to be here!" Bloom responds. "Listen girls, Ah think Cozy's in real danger of losin' her smile, and Ah need your help…"
  487. >The four continue to chatter among themselves over the fate of Cozy's smile.
  488. >Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo—these three fillies make up the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
  489. >It should be fairly obvious at this point—but these three are one of Cozy's few friends out here in Equestria.
  490. >They're a rambunctious lot, but they're good kids.
  491. >Despite her aloof front—you know that Cozy cares about them too; there aren't many out there who are willing to reach out to a known supervillain who nearly doomed Equestria in a power-mad gambit.
  492. >They've been a great boon to you and Cozy when it comes to helping the alicorn with her friendship lessons.
  493. >They're a forward, friendly, and forgiving bunch—which is a blessing whenever Cozy inevitably endangers all five of you with a spontaneous blast of chaos magic during one of your lessons, and you can all just laugh it off afterwards.
  494. >At the moment, the four of them are having a heated debate on the authenticity of Cozy's smile.
  495. >"—what Ah'm sayin' is: what if Cozy meets a new pony in town, an' she flashes 'em those fearsome fangs of hers? That's why she needs to practise her smile more!"
  496. >"Pfft, come on, Apple Bloom; with awesome wings like those: Cozy doesn't even need to look at a pony to win them over! All she needs to do is take off into the sky and—"
  497.  
  498. >Their argument is meandering and circular in nature, so you can't bring yourself to pay attention to it for too long.
  499. >More importantly, you catch something interesting out from the corner of your eye—
  500. >It's movement—movement of someone quite familiar to you.
  501. >Breaking away from the crowd, you look over to a stall a small distance away.
  502. >You see a yellow pegasus purchasing some carrots at an appropriately themed stall.
  503. >She has a curled pink mane, and wears a stuffed saddlebag on each side of her barrel.
  504. >She quietly places some bits on the stall counter; the stallkeep regards her with a wary look, but nonetheless accepts the bits, soon placing a bundle of carrots onto the counter for her to take.
  505. >That shy-looking pegasus is a mare known as Fluttershy—one of the Elements of Harmony.
  506. >She's a curious case, not because of who she is—but because of what she's chosen to do.
  507. >After Discord's latest scheme to disrupt Equestria had failed, pretty much everyone chose to let him rot in Tartarus.
  508. >Everyone, that is, except Fluttershy—who was one of the first genuine friends that he had made in this world.
  509. >Even when he was sentenced to imprisonment within those monster-filled depths—Fluttershy still wanted to have the opportunity to visit him down there to make sure that he wasn't truly alone.
  510. >And thanks to being close friends with the now-ruler of Equestria—she was able to do just that.
  511. >Unfortunately, her decision to stand by Discord in her own way has left her as somewhat of a pariah among Ponyville's resident.
  512. >Not only that, but ever since the coronation of Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy has had less chances to hang out with her long-time friends, given that they've all begun to focus on their own careers.
  513. >Yet still, she trudges on, determined to live life according to her own values, content to support her friends when and where she can—regardless of the harsh gazes that she may receive from others.
  514. >And despite everything that Discord has done…
  515. >Fluttershy's sentiment is one you can empathise with; it rings familiar to you in many ways.
  516. >After placing the carrots into a bag, Fluttershy turns away from the stall and makes eye contact with you, her teal eyes peering into yours.
  517. >You give her a small nod.
  518. >She gives you a small nod back.
  519.  
  520. >Her eyes then flit to your side, and her ears suddenly flatten; she quickly turns around and hurries away, continuing her journey.
  521. >You look to your side and see Cozy Glow standing next to you; her face is contorted into a fierce scowl as she continues to glare at the retreating Fluttershy.
  522. "Cozy…" You sigh.
  523. >She turns her head to you and scoffs.
  524. >"What? You can't expect me to feel any measure of sympathy towards that doormat of a mare. If I were you, I'd watch out for her; I wouldn't be surprised if Discord was still using her just to keep an eye on Equestria."
  525. >You keep quiet; you feel for Fluttershy, but arguing with Cozy on the matter is likely to prove fruitless—considering the alicorn's distrust towards Harmony and Discord alike.
  526. >Instead, you look around the area where Cozy Glow was, noticing a suspicious absence of three individuals…
  527. "By the way, where are the—"
  528. >A yellow filly's head suddenly pops out of Cozy's mane.
  529. >"Apple Bloom!"
  530. >Followed by an orange one.
  531. >"Scootaloo!"
  532. >Followed by a white one.
  533. >"Sweetie Belle!"
  534. >"And together we are—!"
  535. >They all shout.
  536. >"Cutie Mark Crusaders Mane Explorers!"
  537. >"Yay," Cozy states with near-boundless enthusiasm.
  538. >Cozy whips her mane through the air, tossing the Crusaders out and upwards.
  539. >The three fillies harmlessly land back on the ground, giggling all the while; they form a pile not unlike that of a stack of pancakes.
  540. >"See? What did I tell you girls?" Sweetie cheers. "Cozy's mane is so…cozy!"
  541. >"Yeah, I'll say!" Scootaloo agrees. "Hey, Cozy—think you could let us go in there again sometime?"
  542. >"No."
  543. >"Aw…"
  544. >As the Crusaders unstack themselves, you do wonder how they even managed to convince Cozy to let them in her mane in the first place…
  545.  
  546. >"But hey, Cozy," Bloom begins, "Did you really mean what you said a few moments ago? About Fluttershy, Ah mean."
  547. >Cozy turns her head away from the Crusaders and simply lets out a "hmph" in response.
  548. >"'Cause, gosh," Bloom continues, "Ah don't think Fluttershy's a bad pony or anything like that…"
  549. >"She's not mad at Fluttershy, Apple Bloom; she's mad at Discord!" Scootaloo exclaims. "That guy's like—the evilest evil there ever was to evil!"
  550. >"I mean, he's a bad guy, sure," Sweetie chimes in, "but is he really the 'evilest' one?"
  551. >"What are you saying, Sweetie? Of course he is! He's tried to mess up Equestria sooo many times now!"
  552. >"Ah think Sweetie's got a point, Scootaloo. If you ask me—Ah think Chrysalis was a lot meaner."
  553. >"Well, meaner, sure, but—okay look—let's break it down here; we'll use a point system."
  554. >Scootaloo clears her throat.
  555. >"So there was his reign one thousand years ago, obviously, and then his return—so that's two world domination attempts right away."
  556. >"Alright, fine."
  557. >"And then there was the time he betrayed all of us to Tirek. Oh—and before that, there were the seeds that made the Everfree Forest nearly take over Ponyville."
  558. >"Yeah, but he helped us get rid of them."
  559. >"But he was the one who planted them in the first place!"
  560. >"Okay, but what about the time he saved us all from the changelings; that's a point in his favour, right?"
  561. >"Sure, but he had three others with him then, so it's only a quarter of a point."
  562. >"Quarter point?!"
  563. >"Can we count the time he crashed the Gala?"
  564. >"Yeah, let's count that."
  565. >"No! He didn't even endanger anypony back there!"
  566. >"Apple Bloom, you nearly drowned in that green gunk he brought along."
  567. >"That was just the Smooze's way of sayin' hello!"
  568. >The fillies continue to bicker among themselves regarding the semantics of Discord's deviancy.
  569. >They're clearly lost in their own little world of debate; meanwhile, you turn to Cozy.
  570. "Think we should keep going."
  571. >"Finally. Those three were giving me a headache."
  572. "By the way, do you want this apple?"
  573. >"No thanks. Apples are obnoxious."
  574. "Hah, suit yourself."
  575. >"—okay, so Cozy Glow's just a filly, so bringin' her back into villainy is only like a half-point against him, right?"
  576. >"No! No way! She almost took over Equestria *twice!* So that makes her *two* points against him!"
  577. >"Wait, we're adding her total crimes to Discord's now?"
  578. >"Y'know what? Hey, Cozy! Would you say you're a half-pointer or a two-pointer—maybe somethin' in between?"
  579. >"…Hey, where'd they go?"
  580.  
  581. ***
  582.  
  583. >After trekking through Ponyville, you and Cozy find yourself on the dirt path leading straight to the Castle of Friendship; it's an impressive tree-shaped castle covered in sparkling crystal.
  584. >On the right, you can see the School of Friendship sitting adjacent to the castle; the school is a marvellous-looking castle in its own right—but that's not what you're here for.
  585. >When you reach the front steps leading up to the castle, you turn to look back at Cozy, having stopped hearing her hoofsteps.
  586. >She stands still on the dirt path a metre away from you, staring in the direction of the school.
  587. >After a second or so, she turns her head to you.
  588. >"We're going in the castle?" Cozy raises an eyebrow.
  589. "Yeah."
  590. >"…Hm."
  591. "But we can visit the school afterwards, if you want."
  592. >She regards the school with a brief second glance, before letting out an indignant snort.
  593. >"Pass."
  594. >With no other words to be said, you push open the front doors and the both of you head inside the castle foyer.
  595. >The foyer is suitably grandiose for such an extravagant castle; it's wide enough that you could probably fit all of Ponyville's population in here with room to spare.
  596. >With just the footsteps and hoofsteps of you and Cozy echoing throughout the halls—the place feels empty and lonely.
  597. >Which isn't too far from the truth, considering how the original owner has long since relinquished this place.
  598. >"Starlight Glimmer, right?" Cozy speaks up.
  599. "Hm?"
  600. >"The 'old friend.' She runs this place now that Twilight moved to Canterlot, doesn't she? That's why you're taking me up to see her."
  601. >The two of you make your way to the bifurcated stairs at the end of the foyer; you rest one foot on the first step before turning to Cozy.
  602. "You're right on Starlight now owning this place. But she isn't the one we've come here to see."
  603. >Cozy briefly tilts her head, but leaves it at that, following you up the stairs and up to the second-floor mezzanine.
  604. >Along the wall to your left are a row of green glass doors; you're looking for the…fifth one, you believe.
  605. >Soon enough, you reach the door that you're looking for; you pull it open, heading inside.
  606. >The room you enter is one of medium size; it's set out like a comfy lounge, with a few bookshelves on one side and a lit marble fireplace on the other.
  607. >In the middle, there's a low wooden table with a few books stacked on it; it's surrounded by a few cushy looking purple couches.
  608. >There's a unicorn sitting on one of them, reading a book; she almost blends into the furniture on account of her lilac coat.
  609. "Starlight!" you call out to her.
  610. >She lowers her book, noticing the both of you.
  611. >"Oh, Anon!" She waves to you; you wave back.
  612. >She looks to the alicorn at your side.
  613. >"And Cozy, too! It's been too long!"
  614. >She gives a friendly wave to Cozy, but Cozy merely gives a bored blink back.
  615. >Undeterred by Cozy's unsociable behaviour, Starlight lays the book down on the table and hops off her couch, trotting towards the two of you.
  616.  
  617. >"How have you two been?" Starlight asks.
  618. "Great. We've been going two weeks strong now on not spontaneously flooding the house."
  619. >"Oh, that's wonderful!"
  620. "How about you?"
  621. >"Same old, same old; the exam period is closing in, and we've got no shortage of panicking students falling behind on deadlines."
  622. >She chuckles.
  623. >"But we'll be alright, I think. They're all bright kids."
  624. >In the corner of your vision, you see Cozy glaring off to the side; she looks like she'd rather be anywhere else but here whenever the school is mentioned.
  625. "Right…"
  626. >You lean forwards slightly towards Starlight, ready to press the all-important question.
  627. "So, is 'she' in?"
  628. >"Yep! She's always in." Starlight nods. "This place is…basically her stomping grounds right now."
  629. >Starlight trots away from you, stopping only to give you a brief glance from behind her withers.
  630. >"You two make yourselves comfortable; I'll go and bring her in."
  631. "Gotcha."
  632. >Starlight heads out of a different door to the one you used, heading deeper within the castle…you think.
  633. >You couldn't imagine living here; this place is like a labyrinth.
  634. >…Which is probably the perfect environment for "her," thinking about it.
  635. >Cozy quickly heads over to the widest couch she can find and lies across it; you head to a nearby water dispenser and fill up two disposable cups, before heading to the table and setting them down for you and her.
  636. >Sitting down on an adjacent couch, you pick up a random book from the stack on the table, its title reads:
  637. "'From Blue to Bolt—An Awesome Autobiography of Rainbow Dash.' Hm."
  638. >"Anything useful?" Cozy asks, ears perked up.
  639. >You open the book, turning to a random page.
  640. >A few lines on the page tell you all you need to know.
  641. "…Unless you count a whole books-worth of Dash verbally preening herself as 'useful,' I doubt it."
  642. >"Hmph. That figures."
  643. >Interest lost, Cozy takes a bite from her cup of water; she grinds the material in between her teeth before looking around the room.
  644. >For you, the book provides a convenient enough distraction while you wait for Starlight to return, so you keep reading.
  645. >Your thoughts aren't really fixated on the book itself, though—but rather on the castle around you.
  646. >When Princess Twilight Sparkle left for Canterlot, she entrusted this castle to Starlight Glimmer—her protege.
  647. >Starlight, in turn, quickly made most of this place available to the public, seeing no need in having such a large castle all to herself.
  648. >Despite this building being a shared communal space, not many ponies brave this place nowadays, hence the empty hallways.
  649. >Considering who roams it, you have a pretty good idea as to why…
  650. >"Okay guys—I'm back! And I brought somepony with me!" you hear a familiar voice say as a nearby door opens.
  651. >Both you and Cozy raise your heads to see Starlight trot back into the room.
  652. >And with her—another individual soon follows.
  653.  
  654. >She's shaped like an equine and is as tall as Princess Celestia—but the comforting resemblances end there.
  655. >Her ebony form is emancipated and unworldly, with many disquieting holes perforating her body in places where they shouldn't—from her spindly legs; to her wiry green mane; to her translucent and tattered wings; and even her crooked horn.
  656. >She emits a low bug-like buzz as she intently scans the room; her eyes are like sharp jades.
  657. >She looks at you.
  658. >Then she looks at Cozy Glow.
  659. >And then she turns around and walks out of the room.
  660. >Starlight frowns at the sight; her horn lights up, and the unsociable newcomer is dragged back into the room by her tattered tail.
  661. >Walking further into the room, Starlight drags the bug-horse with her, shutting the door behind her.
  662. >The bug-horse has an irritated scowl on her face as she glares at the closed door; this bug-horse also has a name, and it's—
  663. >"Chryssie!" Cozy exclaims, hopping off the couch and trotting over to the 'Chryssie' in question.
  664. >"It's *Queen* Chrysalis, you simpleton! You—urgh."
  665. >The individual known as Chrysalis turns around and has to crane her neck upwards to glare at Cozy.
  666. >Despite being as tall as an alicorn, Chrysalis stands a few heads shorter than Cozy.
  667. >Cozy herself is also usually alicorn-sized, which means that she must have altered her own height just for this occasion.
  668. >"Queen of what?" Cozy inquires with a smirk.
  669. >"You…" Chrysalis emits a high-pitched buzz.
  670. >"Me? Golly, I don't know about that!"
  671. >Chrysalis's face contorts into a snarl; then, her eyes quickly flit to Starlight, who has a stern expression on her face.
  672. >Shutting her eyes, Chrysalis turns away from Cozy with her head held high.
  673. >"Queen of maintaining my temper; I do not rise to the jests of my lowers."
  674. >Despite the slight to her status, Cozy maintains her smirk.
  675. >That holey horse with a holistic sense of pride is none other than Chrysalis: *Former* Queen of the Changelings.
  676. >She has made moves to conquer Equestria several times, and has come dangerously close to succeeding—several times.
  677. >And she would have gotten away with it too, had it not been for those meddling ponies, and *especially* Starlight Glimmer—
  678. >—the very same Starlight Glimmer who is now her effective parole officer.
  679. >In the past, Starlight and Chrysalis have enjoyed a bitter rivalry together.
  680. >And with Starlight being a recovering ex-villain in her own right, she took it upon herself to help Chrysalis rehabilitate into society after the events that took place a few months ago.
  681. >Chrysalis and Cozy were both conscripted by Discord during the "Grogar incident," which meant that they worked together for a time.
  682. >Which also meant that they were "friends"—in a sense.
  683. >Although, looking at them now—you'd be hard-pressed to find any camaraderie between them.
  684. >This will be the first time that the two have seen each other since that day when Cozy had stolen all of the bell's power for herself.
  685.  
  686. >Chrysalis sighs, then turns back to Cozy, looking the chaos alicorn over.
  687. >"So you still bear that form, I see."
  688. >"Mm-hmm, that's right!" Cozy unfurls her wings, fluttering them about in the air. "Aren't I just the cutest?"
  689. >Chrysalis's snout wrinkles.
  690. >"Hmph. Well, I must say—your outside certainly matches your inside, now."
  691. >Cozy folds her wings and tilts her head.
  692. >"Now, what do you mean by that? Are you saying that I'm even more adorable than ever?"
  693. >Chrysalis rolls her eyes, turning her head towards Starlight.
  694. >"Are we done here, Starlight? There are other things I'd rather be doing."
  695. >"Like what?" Cozy asks.
  696. >Chrysalis side-eyes Cozy.
  697. >"Anything."
  698. >"Golly, that's not very friendly…" Cozy pouts.
  699. >"L-let's not call it just yet, you two!" Starlight speaks up. "Surely there's something you can bond over; like, um…"
  700. "Favourite hobbies?" you chime in.
  701. >"Yeah!" Starlight nods. "Favourite hobbies, food, um, magic spells?"
  702. >"Favourite magic spells?" Chrysalis scoffs. "Such meandering discussion rings hollow to my ears, especially with this *thing* affixed to me…"
  703. >Chrysalis raises a forehoof up to her chest, where she prods a collar around her neck; the collar bears an amulet on the front with the symbol of a pink six-pointed star on it—Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark.
  704. >"Gosh, what's that?" Cozy inquires.
  705. >"It's something that you…"
  706. >Chrysalis squints at Cozy's neck, finding nothing covering it.
  707. >"…why do you not bear such a device?"
  708. "That's because it doesn't work on chaotic beings."
  709. >Chrysalis regards you with a brief glance, then turns up her snout.
  710. >"Tch."
  711. >"Aw, don't be like that, Chryssie," Cozy remarks. "I think it looks great on you! You look almost as adorable as me!"
  712. >The collar that Chrysalis wears is one of Twilight Sparkle's design; it inhibits the wielder's magical powers so they aren't able to fall back into their villainous ways.
  713. >In Chrysalis's case, this means that she can't shapeshift or cast any powerful magic; it also places an upper limit to how much love she can feed on.
  714. >As you had mentioned earlier—Cozy's chaotic nature means the collar has no effect on her; early on in her "reformation" and at Twilight's behest, you had tried to place a similar collar on Cozy while she was asleep—
  715. >—it quickly short-circuited and fell apart after only a few seconds around her neck.
  716. >But you're not too worried about her lack of neckwear; Cozy's inability to fully control her magic has proven to work as an excellent inhibitor in its own right.
  717.  
  718. >You're no expert on these collars, but Twilight had apparently designed these accessories as a way to help reform these recovering ex-villains.
  719. >Supposedly, they restore the wielder's original might as they learn to become more virtuous.
  720. >Although you're not sure what metric is used to decide exactly how "reformed" a villain needs to be before they fully regain their powers.
  721. >In any case, it's clear that Chrysalis still has a ways to go before she can think of making any world-conquering gambits.
  722. >"As if slaving under Starlight Glimmer wasn't bad enough," Chrysalis huffs, "now I have to deal with *you.*"
  723. >The recipient of said scathing remark—Cozy Glow—merely giggles in response, playfully batting her hoof in Chrysalis's direction.
  724. >Chrysalis sighs in exhaustion.
  725. >"And next month I'll have to interact with, ugh,"—she shudders in revulsion—"Thorax and his traitorous sect."
  726. >"Wow. You have sooo many friends!"
  727. >Chrysalis scowls.
  728. >"Don't you *dare* call those atrocious eyeblights my friends."
  729. >"Aw, but they're your family, aren't they? That makes them kinda like your super-special friends!"
  730. >"They're not friends, they're not family—they are *traitors!* Each and every one of them! After everything that I've done for those ungrateful grubs…"
  731. >Against all odds, Chrysalis and Cozy have managed to strike up a conversation between one another—even if it comes in the form of a one-sided rant from Chrysalis regarding the state of her former hive.
  732. >While the two not-quite-alicorns continue to chatter among themselves, you get up off the couch and walk up to Starlight.
  733. "Hey, Starlight; did you get the new lesson plans for me?"
  734. >"Yep! They're actually right around here…"
  735. >She levitates a book out from a nearby bookshelf and floats it over to you; it bears Starlight's starry cutie mark on the cover.
  736. >"This one should last you a few months. The whole school's following it."
  737. >You grab the book out of the air.
  738. "Thanks. We were just about to reach the end of the last one."
  739. >"Glad to hear that Cozy's been such a model student."
  740. "Heh, she always has been, hasn't she?"
  741. >"Yeah…" Starlight makes a solemn nod before continuing.
  742. >"I only hope that this time she's able to learn that friendship isn't some tool to be abused for power or magic or anything of the sort."
  743. "Mm." You nod in agreement.
  744. >You store the book in your bag before readdressing Starlight.
  745. "So, how's Chrysalis been for you?"
  746. >She shakes her head with a sigh.
  747. >"If Cozy is the model student, then Chrysalis is the troublemaker who stays to copy line upon line on the chalkboard after class.
  748. "Pfft. That bad, huh?"
  749. >"Oh, you have no idea." Starlight throws out another sigh. "Turns out that a former despotic queen has a lot to learn when it comes to speaking to others as equals."
  750.  
  751. >You chuckle.
  752. "I can imagine that being a fun time."
  753. >"It's one thing to imagine; try being the pony who actually has to teach this ex-royal how to play nice."
  754. >Starlight's lips curl into a frown and her ears flatten.
  755. >"Try being the pony who has to clean up all the green gunk that she leaves around the castle."
  756. "…Oof." You wince.
  757. >The conversation between you and Starlight hits a pause as the goop of silence creeps in.
  758. >Chrysalis, on the other hand, has not ceased in her ranting and raving to Cozy.
  759. >"—all those fools had to do was keep that infernal Twilight Sparkle trapped within that cave, but they couldn't even manage that! Completely useless!"
  760. >It sounds like Chrysalis's rant has switched gears to how her wedding crash from all those years ago fell flat on its face.
  761. >The defeat she suffered back then must have really struck a blow to her ego—you can tell.
  762. >There's a name within her tirade that sticks out to you, though.
  763. >And so you strike up another conversation with Starlight.
  764. "How's Twilight doing these days?"
  765. >"She's doing great! In last week's letter, she was telling me how she finally got the hang of raising the sun every morning!"
  766. >Starlight giggles.
  767. >"She said it was just like flying a kite—those lessons paid off!"
  768. "Oh, you two send letters?"
  769. >Her giggling stops as she gives you a curious glance.
  770. >"Well, yes, we do, but…"
  771. >She narrows her eyes in suspicion.
  772. >"Is this to say that you don't?"
  773. >Her judging tone catches you off guard.
  774. "Oh, I…"
  775. >You don't.
  776. >After Twilight's coronation, the two of you haven't communicated once.
  777. >Because you never tried.
  778. "I guess I've just been so wrapped up in raising Cozy that I never considered it."
  779. >"Is that so…"
  780. >Her judging look is quickly replaced with a smile.
  781. >"Well, now you've considered it—now you can do it." She nods with assurance.
  782. "I suppose…"
  783. >As the admittedly pleasant thoughts of reconnecting with Twilight after these past few months enter your mind—so too do the creeping notions of uncertainty.
  784. "But…I won't be bothering her, will I? She's the leader of an entire kingdom, now. I'm just…you know, that human."
  785. >She snerks.
  786. >"Come on, Anon. I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. You're one of her closest friends!"
  787. "'Closest?' I don't know about that."
  788. >She gives you a reassuring smile.
  789. >"Oh really? Because I distinctly remember how the both of you would stay up long into the night, discussing everything about your old world together."
  790. "W-well, uh, that's just 'cause she was so interested and, um…"
  791. >"'Interested,' huh? Doesn't get much friendlier than that."
  792. >She taps her cheek.
  793. >"Although…I suppose it *could* get friendlier—"
  794. "Okay, okay. I get your point. I'll send her a letter at some point."
  795. >"Some point…?" She raises an eyebrow.
  796. "Tomorrow. I'll send her one tomorrow."
  797.  
  798. >"Great! Should I send her a letter today to let her know about yours tomorrow?"
  799. "N-no, that won't be necessary."
  800. >"Okay…but if I don't hear Twilight squee with delight from all the way over in Canterlot within the week—I *will* send her at least five complaints about your flippancy."
  801. "Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow."
  802. >"I'll hold you to that!"
  803. >Starlight gives you a grin that's a potent blend of playfulness and dead seriousness.
  804. >This mare…she's certainly lives up to her role as the headmare of a school, alright.
  805. >That, and the caretaker of a certain big-headed bug—
  806. >"—to think that greatness of *my* calibre is being constrained within these walls, this is beyond an injustice."
  807. >"Golly, you don't like this fancy castle? It's so pretty! I want one just like it!"
  808. >"This is no castle—it's a prison."
  809. >Chrysalis is *still* going at it; her bitter bluster stems from an endless well of words.
  810. >It's at this point that you realise that it is precisely this tendency to talk her own head off that has likely lead to her crushing defeat again and again.
  811. >So perhaps you shouldn't bring it up.
  812. >"However, if you truly desire this crystal cage, then you can have it." Chrysalis says to Cozy Glow.
  813. >"Wowie, really?"
  814. >"But only if you can take this wretched—" She fruitlessly pulls at her amulet. "—THING off of me while you're at it."
  815. >Cozy glances at Chrysalis's collar, then nods.
  816. >"Okie dokie!"
  817. >Cozy's horn lights up, and a crimson aura envelops Chrysalis; the changeling instinctively shuts her eyes.
  818. >You and Starlight stand speechless as you watch Chrysalis…shrink.
  819. >And shrink.
  820. >Until a small creature remains—one the size and shape of a filly.
  821. >It resembles Chrysalis in colouration but…no, she didn't, did she?
  822. >Chrysalis opens her eyes.
  823. >"Hm? Did it work?"
  824. >The voice that comes out of her is disturbingly high pitched, startling everyone in the room—Chrysalis included.
  825. >Chrysalis then feels around her neck; the collar is still tightly wrapped around her throat, having changed size to fit her diminutive form.
  826. >"What…?" she whispers in a low tone.
  827. >Chrysalis looks straight forward, seeing one of Cozy's pasterns.
  828. >She then looks up.
  829. >And up.
  830. >…And up.
  831. >And sees Cozy's smiling face beaming down at her.
  832. >By now, you're pretty sure Chrysalis knows exactly what has happened to her.
  833. >The childlike changeling takes a long, drawn-out breath.
  834. >And she addresses Cozy in the sternest tone she can—which is still very squeaky.
  835. >"You. Change me back. Now."
  836. >Cozy rubs her chin in thought.
  837. >"Hm…"
  838. >Then, she shakes her head.
  839. >"Nope!"
  840.  
  841. >Chrysalis doesn't react at first.
  842. >But you can hear it—the rising buzz that her body is emitting;
  843. >The way her body vibrates in place—like a tuning fork about to enter another dimension.
  844. >And then the words flow.
  845. >"I will END you! Eliminate you! Eradicate you! Eviscerate you!"
  846. >"Golly! You're using so many big words for such a small buggy wuggy! Don't strain yourself, now!"
  847. >Chrysalis emits a high-pitched screech and rushes Cozy, biting down on one of her forelegs.
  848. >Cozy's smirk doesn't falter for a second; with how tiny Chrysalis is, you doubt Cozy even feels—
  849. >Your thoughts are cut short as Starlight gives you a gentle but firm nudge in the side with her forehoof.
  850. >"Anon…" She gives you an expectant look.
  851. "Oh, um, yeah, right."
  852. >You walk over to Cozy, feeling a little fearful for your own ankles the closer you get.
  853. "Alright, Cozy, you've had your fun. Change her back."
  854. >Cozy gives you a playful smile.
  855. >"Aw, but doesn't she look a lot better like this, Dad? Isn't she sooo much cuter~?"
  856. >She slightly lifts the foreleg that Chrysalis has latched onto, bending her knee.
  857. >"After all…"
  858. >Cozy fixes down upon Chrysalis with a sneer.
  859. >"…I'd say her outside matches her inside now~"
  860. >Chrysalis momentarily takes her tiny fangs out of Cozy's flesh to screech at the alicorn.
  861. >"You. Are. Dead! Do you hear me?! DEAD!"
  862. >Chrysalis immediately goes back on the attack, rapidly biting at several different spots on Cozy's leg.
  863. >But Cozy's minor wounds regenerate near-instantaneously, making it so that the only thing Chrysalis manages to chunk out of Cozy is a low, mocking chuckle.
  864. >Alright, enough of this.
  865. >You cross your arms.
  866. "Cozy. Now."
  867. >Cozy jerks her head to in your direction, her eyes narrowing.
  868. >You can feel Cozy's stubborn, vindictive pride emanating from behind her stare—but you don't falter.
  869. >After a tense stare down, Cozy looks to the side with a frown.
  870. >"…Fine. I'll make her older—"
  871. "You'll change her back to how she was."
  872. >Her nose scrunches slightly.
  873. >"I'll change her back to how she was," she grumbles.
  874.  
  875. >Cozy lifts a screeching Chrysalis with her magic and suspends her in the air a short distance away.
  876. >With another pulse from her horn, Cozy returns Chrysalis to her former glory and sets her back down on the floor.
  877. >Chrysalis quiets down upon having her age restored, while Cozy is also dead silent.
  878. >The two glare at each other.
  879. >A tense silence fills the room, and you see a turquoise aura holding onto Chrysalis's tail—a cautionary measure from Starlight, you realise.
  880. >Chrysalis closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before addressing Cozy.
  881. >"I will not forget this insult."
  882. >She turns around and walks right up to Starlight, glaring down at her.
  883. >"This lesson is over."
  884. >After opening the same door that she came out from, Chrysalis stomps out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
  885. >The moment she leaves, most of the tension leaves the room, but Cozy stares down at the floor, silent.
  886. >You walk up to Starlight, the guilt of the situation ever-present on your face.
  887. "Sorry about that, Starlight."
  888. >"It's fine." She gives you a gentle smile. "Reformation doesn't happen in a day, right?"
  889. >Starlight turns her head toward the door that Chrysalis left through.
  890. >"I should go and check up on her—make sure she doesn't break anything, but we should catch up again soon, alright?"
  891. "Yeah."
  892. >"And don't forget…"
  893. >She looks back at you and narrows her eyes.
  894. >"The letter."
  895. >A smile returns to your face.
  896. "You got it."
  897. >Starlight soon leaves the room, leaving just you and Cozy.
  898. >Cozy is sitting on her haunches, still staring at the floor, so you call out to her.
  899. "Cozy?"
  900. >She lifts her head to meet your gaze; you notice that she has slightly shrunk herself to be at eye-level with you once more.
  901. >She stands up and makes her way over to the door from which you two entered, stopping to look back at you.
  902. >"This castle is boring me. Let's go."
  903. >And with that, the two of you head out of the castle, leaving the way you came.
  904. >…
  905. >It was kind of funny.
  906. >But you'll never tell anyone that.
  907.  
  908. ***
  909.  
  910. >After leaving the castle, it wasn't much longer until the Cutie Mark Crusaders had accosted you yet again.
  911. >They strong-hooved both you and Cozy into taking part in a "Smiling Competition"—likely owing to the conversation that you had with Apple Bloom back at the marketplace.
  912. >Cozy put on an irritated front the entire time, but you can tell that hanging out with her friends has done wonders for her mood since her unfortunate reunion in the castle.
  913. >Now, she has a light trot to her step while the two of you take a more scenic route across Ponyville.
  914. >There are less cottages about—and less prying eyes to give you that uncomfortable sensation of being judged.
  915. >Since it has only been a few months since Cozy's chaotic ascension, you can't blame the townsfolk for still being wary of her—and of you, too, by association.
  916. >But you can only hope that they'll eventually learn to treat your daughter with the warm kindness that every creature on this world deserves.
  917. >There's just one nagging feeling clawing at the back of your mind, though.
  918. >…Does Cozy feel the same way?
  919. >The Sun sets in the distance, giving the sky a pleasant orange glow.
  920. >Actually, it's been sitting there for a good half hour.
  921. >The diurnal cycle in Equestria is a peculiar one; it's manually managed through magic instead of being left to a gravitational orbit.
  922. >In this case, the Sun must have been left there by Princess Twilight Sparkle—current wielder of the cosmic bodies.
  923. >You wonder how long she's gonna leave it there before she finishes the job.
  924. >She's always been a punctual one; you could see her scheduling the night to the exact minute.
  925. >…There you go, thinking about her again.
  926. >You still need to decide what you're gonna write on that letter.
  927. >Just as the letters start forming in your mind—you hear Cozy gasp out loud.
  928. >"Oh, Dad! Can we eat at the Hay Burger today? Pleeeaaase?"
  929. >She points to a building in the distance—the "Hay Burger" in question.
  930. >It looks much like the other cottages around you—straw roof and all—but there's a billboard placed on top that illustrates some of their menu items: a burger and soda.
  931. >Cozy gazes at you, those crimson eyes of hers taking on a hopeful sparkle—with a wide smile to match.
  932. >After what happened back in the castle, you should really be more strict with her…
  933. >But…ugh…
  934. >Even as an alicorn from hell—she's too cute, damn it.
  935. "Okay, fine." you sigh.
  936. >Cozy excitedly taps both forehooves on the ground, giggling to herself.
  937. >She then trots ahead of you, quickly entering the fast food joint.
  938. >You soon enter the building yourself, stepping onto the wooden floorboards—and you are immediately greeted with the scent of fast food pervading the air.
  939. >There are several bistro tables with chairs arranged throughout the room; a few of the tables are occupied—and they're all stealing awkward glances at the chaos alicorn proudly standing in the middle of the room.
  940.  
  941. >Said chaos alicorn smiles back at you, obviously unbothered about the looks she's receiving.
  942. >At this point—you wonder if she revels in it.
  943. >Wasting no more time, you walk up to the counter—and the unfortunate cashier who'll have to put up with you for today.
  944. >The cashier is a mare; she regards you with a look that appears to be sleep deprivation mixed in with jolts of anxiety.
  945. >"W-welcome to the Hay Burger. May I take your order?"
  946. "Yeah, I'll have a hayless hay burger—and a soda."
  947. >"Um, okay."
  948. >Cozy trots up to your side.
  949. >"And I'll have the adorable little filly's meal!" She beams.
  950. >"O-okay. Filly's meal. Got—got it." The cashier rapidly nods.
  951. >After placing the requisite bits down on the counter, you and Cozy seat yourself at a table near one of the windows.
  952. >Soon, the two of you are served your orders with minimal fuss.
  953. >The moment the trays hit the table, you find yourself breathing a sigh of relief; at least *one* thing is going well today.
  954. >Before you dig in, you find yourself looking out the window—
  955. >The Sun's going down.
  956. >You watch as the vibrant orange hue in the sky is slowly overtaken by the calm dark blue.
  957. >Day slowly turns to night, and although it's not quite there yet—you can see the stars beginning to sparkle.
  958. >That ephemeral period of beauty between sunset and night—
  959. >What was it called again…?
  960. >"Golly, is somepony thinking about a certain princess~?"
  961. >You look back to Cozy just in time to see her dump the contents of her hay shake onto her hay burger.
  962. >She takes a straw within her magic and bends it around her hoof, turning it into a springy looking silly straw.
  963. >Then, she sticks her straw into the burger and sips from it; the burger's very pigmentation slowly begins to drain.
  964. >You snap out of your observation to answer her.
  965. "That obvious, huh?"
  966. >"Hm~ just a teensy bit~!"
  967. >You turn back to the window, seeing the night sky in its entirety.
  968. >Sparkling stars decorate the deep blue, each one a fond memory of times long gone.
  969. "I hope she's doing well."
  970. >"Oh, I'm sure she's doing just fine."
  971. >She takes another sip from her burger before continuing.
  972. >"After all, she's only taking on the responsibility that was forced upon her by the two princesses who had ruled the kingdom for over a thousand years—how hard can it be?"
  973. >She giggles to herself.
  974. "…Right."
  975. >There's not much more you can add to that, so you start working on your own meal.
  976. >Ah, the hayless hay burger, a staple necessity for your hayless human diet when it comes to dining in these kinds of establishments.
  977. >It used to be that you'd get more than your fair share of queer looks when you'd order such a thing.
  978. >But with the rise of fellow non–hay-devouring species visiting Equestria on the regular—such curiosities on the menu are becoming commonplace.
  979. >Equestria is ever-changing; the march of time is unceasing.
  980. >Students become princesses—fillies become demons…
  981. >And you…what will you become?
  982.  
  983. ***
  984.  
  985. >Fast food devoured (and a tip paid for the trouble), you and Cozy head home.
  986. >Once the two of you enter through the front doors, Cozy quickly prances ahead of you and heads up the stairs.
  987. >"I'm gonna be using the bath!" she shouts from the top.
  988. "Got it!" you shout back.
  989. >There are many golden rules when it comes to raising a chaos alicorn—and one has just now come into effect:
  990. >Never interrupt bath time.
  991. >So you leisurely stroll over to the couch and sit down; then, you unpack the bag that you've been lugging around all day.
  992. >One key item of note is the book of friendship lessons that Starlight had given you.
  993. >You skim through a few topics:
  994. "Raising Your Very Own Potted Plant."
  995. >That sounds like a fun time.
  996. "Charity Drive for a Good Cause?"
  997. >Sounds like you'll have to pick the cause yourself, *and* you'll have to get Cozy on board for such an altruistic endeavour; you'll cross that bridge when you come to it.
  998. "Super Duper Party Planning?"
  999. >Whatever "super duper" entails—you think you're gonna have to enlist the Crusaders for assistance with this one…
  1000. "Hm."
  1001. >You close the book.
  1002. >There's plenty of good material in there…
  1003. >But will it stick?
  1004. >After the incident back at the castle, there has been a growing concern in the back of your mind—have you actually made *any* progress at all in reforming Cozy?
  1005. >You *could* just chalk it up to two villains antagonising one another, but…
  1006. >You sigh.
  1007. "Maybe it *is* just that."
  1008. >Starlight said that reforming isn't done in a day—and she's right.
  1009. >It likely takes longer than a few months, too.
  1010. >It's just…there's still a lot about Cozy you don't know about; she's very good at keeping her inner thoughts under wraps.
  1011. >If she was to gain complete control over her chaotic might right now—what would she do?
  1012. >You don't know the answer to that—and that worries you.
  1013. >But worrying in a circle isn't going to do you any good; it's best to take action in situations like this.
  1014. >And it just so happens that there's an action that's been long overdue, so you stand up and walk over to a nearby drawer and open it.
  1015. >After retrieving a piece of paper and a pencil from said drawer, you sit back on the couch and set the paper on the coffee table.
  1016. >Then, you begin to put word to parchment.
  1017. "Dear Princess Twilight…"
  1018. >No, that's way too formal.
  1019. >Scribble it out—try again.
  1020. "Hey, Twiggy…"
  1021. >God, no; you've got a long way to go before you earn back your "Twiggy" privileges.
  1022. >Scribble it out—try again.
  1023. "Twilight. Hi."
  1024. >…Yeah, this isn't working; your mind is too clogged up.
  1025. >You'll try again tomorrow.
  1026. >For now—you can see what else is in that book…
  1027.  
  1028. >Eventually, you hear a door open and shut from upstairs; Cozy must have finished her bath.
  1029. >This is followed by the sound of another door opening and shutting; that's her heading to her bedroom, most likely.
  1030. >You glance down at the book of friendship lessons held in your hands.
  1031. >Hm…
  1032. >It couldn't hurt to ask, right?
  1033. >You head up the stairs and knock on the door to Cozy's bedroom, book still in hand.
  1034. >"Come in!" you hear Cozy shout.
  1035. >You open the bedroom door and step inside.
  1036. "Hey, Cozy, I…"
  1037. >Well, the bedroom's the right side up this time—which is an promising sign.
  1038. >Cozy is seated at a vanity over to the left side of the room; she brushes through her mane with a magically held manebrush.
  1039. >Contrary to the continuously flowing curls that she has been flaunting all day, her baby blue mane is currently straightened and magically inert.
  1040. >Off to the side: you see her helmet, horseshoes, and ribbons carefully set down on the floor.
  1041. >Which means that the alicorn herself is bare—as bare as a pony can be, anyway.
  1042. >This is the first time today that you've seen her without her crimson regalia.
  1043. >Which is why you've been staring at her in silence for the past several seconds.
  1044. >Cozy turns her head to look at you.
  1045. >"What's up?"
  1046. "Oh, uh…"
  1047. >You feel a bit awkward for springing this on her so suddenly, but…
  1048. "Hey Cozy, I've got a pop quiz for you."
  1049. >She blinks at you a few times, then groans.
  1050. >"Really? Right at bedtime?"
  1051. "It won't take long, and don't worry—there are no wrong answers."
  1052. >She raises an eyebrow when you say "no wrong answers," but doesn't say anything.
  1053. >After humming a little in thought, she sets her manebrush down on the vanity and swivels around on her chair to face you.
  1054. >"Well…okay. But you better read me a bedtime story after this."
  1055. >You chuckle, making your way over to the side of her bed that's adjacent her vanity.
  1056. "Sure thing."
  1057.  
  1058. >After sitting down on her bed, you glance at the book in your hand for a few seconds before questioning Cozy.
  1059. "Tell me about the Elements of Harmony; what do they represent?"
  1060. >"The Elements of Harmony, huh…"
  1061. >You give her a nod, and wait for her answer.
  1062. >"Well, first, there's Kindness."
  1063. >She rubs her chin with a forehoof before continuing.
  1064. >"And Kindness is all about showing mercy."
  1065. >After a little more humming, she comes up with her second answer.
  1066. >"Laughter is that bubbly feeling you get when you succeed in your goals!"
  1067. >Perhaps to accentuate her answer, she lightly titters.
  1068. >"And Generosity…Generosity is all about giving your subjects what they deserve."
  1069. >Her eyes flit to her regalia on the floor, before flitting back to you.
  1070. >"There's Honesty, which is for how *honestly* adorable I am, right?"
  1071. >She gives you a wide smile; you smile back.
  1072. >"Oh, and Loyalty…"
  1073. >Her smile morphs into a flat line and she closes her eyes.
  1074. >"Loyalty is about remembering the debts that you owe, and paying them back when you are able."
  1075. >Her eyes suddenly shoot open as her final answer comes faster than the others.
  1076. >"And Magic is what ties it all together!"
  1077. >She claps both forehooves together.
  1078. >"That's all six! How did I do?"
  1079. >You give her another nod.
  1080. "Good work, Cozy."
  1081. >She rests her chin on her forehoof, gazing at you intently for a few moments.
  1082. >Then, her horn lights up, and she floats a familiar book over to you.
  1083. >"I want you to read this one."
  1084.  
  1085. >…
  1086. >Cozy has been tucked into bed, and you now sit on a wooden stool by her bedside, reading a book to her.
  1087. >It's a story about a little filly—one who had spent all of her life locked away at the top of a lone tower.
  1088. >The ones who locked her away were her three evil aunts who were intensely jealous of her innocence.
  1089. >Every day, the filly longingly stares out of the barred window in her cold room, yearning to be free.
  1090. >One fateful day, she finally gets that chance; various pieces of furniture within her room suddenly spring to life and befriend the lone filly.
  1091. >Together, they hatch a plan to escape the tower, and through a series of misdirected mishaps and fortuitous flukes—they eventually succeed.
  1092. >Once the filly outsmarts her cruel aunts, she locks them away in the same room that she's lived in for all of those lonely years, leaving them to rot.
  1093. >And together with her furniture friends, she trots off into the sunset, ready to experience freedom for the first time…
  1094. "…and they all lived happily ever after."
  1095. >"Yay!"
  1096. >This story is a curious one; it reads like an amalgamate of various fairy tales from your old home—
  1097. >But it's also a particular favourite of Cozy's; it's one she never gets tired of, despite you having read it to her countless times.
  1098. >You close the book and set it on your lap, and you look back at the alicorn in her bed.
  1099. >She yawns.
  1100. "Think it's time to call it a night, eh?"
  1101. >"Oh, I suppose so…"
  1102. >You lean forward and pat around her horn and through her mane; she giggles in response.
  1103. "Goodnight, Cozy."
  1104. >"Goodnight…Dad." She smiles at you.
  1105. >She slowly flutters her eyelids shut while you take your hand away from her forehead.
  1106. >It isn't much longer until you start to hear the soft sounds of her slumber.
  1107. >You stand up, returning the book back to the shelf, and you examine the area.
  1108. >Surprisingly, the room hasn't undergone any kind of nocturnal entropy while she slumbers.
  1109. >Perhaps she's slowly getting a better grasp on her tremendous power.
  1110. >Or perhaps it's just a fortuitous fluke.
  1111. >After retrieving your book of friendship lessons and putting your wooden stool away, you leave Cozy's bedroom.
  1112.  
  1113. >A few nightly rituals later, and you're ready to turn into your own bed.
  1114. >Decked in sleepwear and lying under the bed covers, you gaze out of the near window and ponder the night sky.
  1115. >Truth be told, the answers that Cozy gave you regarding the Elements of Harmony didn't inspire the greatest confidence in her current state.
  1116. >And yet…
  1117. >And yet you're optimistic for the future, strangely enough.
  1118. >There's no doubt that Cozy Glow still has a ways to go when it comes to understanding what friendship really is.
  1119. >But what's important to you is that she *has* a way—you believe in her redemption.
  1120. >Your daughter may be a filly who is host to unworldly powers—powers that can tear apart the very fabric of reality…
  1121. >But perhaps one day, she'll use those very powers to protect the very kingdom that she sought to conquer.
  1122. >Hah.
  1123. >Well, whatever the future holds—
  1124. >Everything's going to be just fine.
  1125. >Probably.

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