Glow In The Dark, Shine In The Sun

Chapters

1 - A Better Way
2 - A Place For Us To Start
3 - Learn More Who You Are
4 - Chomping At The Bit
5 - It's About To Blow
6 - Fills My Heart With Sunshine
7 - A Star Fading At Dawn
8 - A Tiny Twist Of Fate
9 - Hush Now, Quiet Now
10 - Everywhere I Go, Everything I Do
11 - All That Grew Inside Me
12 - And The Sound That We Hear In Our Hearts

1 - A Better Way

Dear Sunset Shimmer,
I need to speak with you directly about an important, official matter. Let me know when you're available.
Sincerely,
Princess Twilight Sparkle

Dry red and orange leaves crunched under their boots. The portal had been kind enough to provide Twilight with season-appropriate clothing, and that had led Sunset to taking her for a meandering nature walk through the woods near CHS. A 'Walking Of The Leaves', since Sunset pointedly refused to go running.

It was silent in the current moment, as Twilight let Sunset process the tale she'd just told. One of adventure, danger, heartbreak and victory - the tale of the last few weeks in Equestria that led up to the final battle against the Terrible Trio.

"Kinda angry with you," Sunset noted after taking it all in. "Equestria was in crisis, you desperately needed backup and just forgot to contact me?" She snorted with sarcastic derision. "Some friend you are."

Twilight laughed, throwing an arm around Sunset's shoulders. "I wanted to save Equestria, not scour it with flame."

Sunset fondly rolled her eyes and gave Twilight a gentle shove. "One time. One time I lose control of a spell, get my cutie mark and all of a sudden everypony thinks I'm a pyromaniac."

The two friends laughed together. For a few moments, at least. Twilight had to break it, though. "In all seriousness. Sunset, I do need to talk to you officially. As Princess. There's something I need you to do."

They stopped where the a small bridge took the path over a creek. Sunset sighed, leaning on the railing with her eyes cast out to the water. Her voice quivered as she spoke, tension tight as Octavia's bowstring. "Don't do it, Twilight. I've been expecting for a while you were going to order me back to Equestria, and I'm asking you. Please. As a friend. Don't." Her whole body shivered, waiting for the confrontation. "I know you need all the help you can get right now since you're taking over the throne soon, but--"

Twilight hugged her friend from behind. "I'm not, Sunset. I wouldn't. I do need a lot of help, but I could never ask you to give up your life like that. Never."

The displaced unicorn released a ragged breath. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Twilight gave Sunset another squeeze before pulling away. "The pegasus filly in the story I told you - Cozy Glow. She's... troubled. We all tried to help her, but none of us could get through to her. And she's done such terrible things. But she's still just a filly. I can't bear to leave her imprisoned forever, but I don't know how to help her. All of us have tried, but... " Twilight braced herself for what she feared - a no. "I need you, Sunset. She needs you."

Turning around, Sunset locked eyes with the Princess. "Why me? Why bring a foal to this place and put her in a teenager's care?"

Twilight breathed easier. That response, she'd prepared for. "She's a child who, despite a brilliant mind, decided to turn to evil and used social pressure, blackmail and manipulation to take over a school before stealing magical artifacts of power and was then defeated by a group of six disparate people with the power of friendship."

There was a pause. Sunset frowned. "I feel very attacked right now."

"Is... that a good thing or a bad thing?" Twilight had a pen in hand immediately to record this newest bit of human slang.

Reaching over, Sunset gently took the pen away again. "I mean that I'll do it, Twilight. She deserves a chance, just like I did. And if you think I'm the one that can do it? I'll do my best."

"Then we can't lose." The Princess embraced her friend again. "Thank you, Sunset. I know you can help her. I'm sure of it."

Sunset gently punched Twilight's shoulder. "Worst case, we hit her with the good ol' friendship laser, right? That's always worked before."

Twilight's eyes narrowed.

And Sunset immediately threw her hands up in surrender. "Joking! Joking! No laser-blasting children. Promise."

Sunset paced. She'd chosen to meet them at the statue alone - the entire crowd of Rainbooms would be overwhelming. It was good odds that Cozy didn't even know the mirror portal existed before this, and she would need time to adjust.

The stone plinth rippled in that familiar way, pulling her attention over. The first pony - person - out staggered immediately and landed in a heap. The young salmon-pink girl with baby-blue ringlets struggled to her hands and knees - she stayed there for the moment, shivering at the wave of new sensations. A moment later the portal released a much more familiar person: Luna. The Princess rather than the Vice Principal emerged in a brief halo of magenta magic and blue smoke - she merely stumbled briefly upon being suddenly bipedal. (Sunset silently added why Luna was so comfortable on two legs to the list of questions she really had to ask the Princesses some day.)

Luna simply stood as guardian over the meeting, arms crossed and waiting to ensure no further trouble. She loomed, just as she had when she'd escorted Cozy Glow to Tartarus months before.

Cozy, on the other hand, was nowhere near as placid. She grunted with effort, flexing her back upwards. Then again. And again. Her head whipped around to look at herself. "I can't fly. Why can't I fly?!" The first wave of panic was setting in.

Sunset knew that part of the process well. She'd had a similar reaction about the loss of her magic in the first few minutes. In about thirty seconds, she'd be freaking out about--

"What happened to my hooves?!"

--Huh, she was processing faster than normal. Sunset made a mental note of that.

Crouching down beside Cozy Glow, Sunset put on her best smile. "Hi there." Fearful eyes looked up to her. "You must be Cozy Glow. My name's Sunset Shimmer."

Those pale pink eyes darted around wildly, grabbing every bit of information they could from the environment. Thoughts visibly fired in the child's head as she connected the dots and grasped what was around her. "Are... are you my new jailor?"

"No." Sunset shook her head. "I'm someone who was a lot like you once." She held out her hand to help Cozy up. "And hopefully, I'm going to be your friend."

Another flash of calculation behind those eyes, and Cozy slapped on her widest smile. "Golly gee, Sunset! That sounds just swell!"

Sunset pulled her hand back. "Yeah, not buying it. Twilight told me everything already so you're going to have to do better than that." Cozy's face fell into an angry snarl.

Beside the girl, Princess Luna smirked. "I take it you have this in hoof, Sunset Shimmer?" She waited for the small nod. "Then I wish you luck with your new charge." Sunset bowed to the Princess - and then Luna was gone back through the portal.

By this point Cozy had managed to sit up on her knees and was staring at her hands again. Another common reaction. Once more, Sunset held hers out to help the girl up. "Welcome to your first day of being a human. We're bipedal, like a minotaur, so it's more comfortable if you stand up straight." This time, Cozy took the hand and rose to unsteady feet. "I'll give you the full course on your new body's basics later. The big things are that you walk on two feet now, those weird things on the end of your cannons that you're going to be using a lot are called hands and there's no magic in this world."

The last one made Cozy freeze. There was more panic in her expression than Sunset had expected from a pegasus. "No magic?"

"No magic," Sunset confirmed. "As best I can tell, there's no magic native to this world at all." It was a lie by omission, but given the stories? Sunset didn't want to tip her hand just yet.

Cozy nodded slowly, still visibly trying to wrap her head around the lack of magic. And, if she was anything like Sunset had been told, Cozy was already trying to formulate her first moves to grab for power. After all, it was about at this point Sunset had done the same several years before.

"The first thing on our list, though, is that we need to go see Celestia."

That made Cozy freeze with fear. "Princess Celestia's here?"

Sunset shook her head. "Principal Celestia. The head of this school. This world is an alternate dimension to what you're used to - there's going to be a lot of people who are similar to the ponies you know. But there's going to be differences, and they won't know who you are yet. Consider it a fresh start." She tried to sound hopeful, but Sunset knew the gnawing concern in her gut was there for a reason.

Those words sank in. Sunset turned to guide Cozy into the school - and a slow, dark smile came to Cozy's lips.

Author's Note

I got a lot of requests to elaborate on and give more depth to the story of Cozy Glow and Sunset Shimmer, so I decided to give it a go.

Do note however that this is not in the same continuity as Three Second Chances - the way this one has hashed out, the timeline works better without the large gulf of time and without Discord's interference. As such, reading the other story is not required at all. The overall tale is about the same as it would be in that one, but certain details are smoother without having Cozy wait a thousand years in stone.

2 - A Place For Us To Start

"Come in!" Principal Celestia tucked away the student file she'd been working on and turned to one of her favorite students. "It's such a pleasure to have you come to my office without being summoned for something going wrong, Sunset." She laughed that laugh Sunset knew from two different Celestias. "But I assume it's not just to invite me to a concert."

Sunset held the door open for Cozy, admitting the girl into Celestia's office. Nearly every part of the room grabbed the younger girl's attention - so many elements from the computer to pictures on the wall screamed about how alien they were. Even the writing on the papers seemed off. Cozy could understand it, but even if it was Ponish it seemed all wrong for mouthwriting.

Sunset let her stew in the unfamiliar nature of things and focused on the immediate priority. "Sorry, not this time. Principal Celestia, I wanted to introduce you to Cozy Glow. My cousin." She paused meaningfully. "From back home."

The smile was instantly wiped from Celestia's face. "Just a moment, Sunset." She tapped the intercom button of her phone. "Raven?"
"Yes, miss Celestia?"
"Please ask Vice-Principal Luna to report to my office as soon as she's able. And hold my calls for the next half-hour or so. We have a Rainbooms incident."
"Should I alert the teachers to prepare for evacuation?"
"No, Raven, we should be alright. This seems to be a 'bring it up at the next staff meeting' problem rather than a 'head for the fallout shelter' problem."
"Of course m'am."

Then she turned back to Sunset. "So! We should wait until Luna gets here to go over the details. But it's wonderful to meet your--"

"We are not that bad." Sunset crossed her arms, trying not to feel hurt by her circle of friends being synonymous with catastrophe. (She only partially succeeded.)

Celestia merely shrugged. "You've had nine major incidents in the last year."

Sunset quickly ticked things off on her fingers. "I only remember eight?"

"Are you including the time you were on the school roof and burst into flames while singing about overcoming your past?"

Sunset blushed, shame-faced, as she added another finger to the count.

It took a lot for Celestia to not look smug. It was improper to look smug at one of your students. Particularly when you were right. Fortunately she had another person to look to. "As I was saying, it's wonderful to meet you, Cozy Glow. I'm sure you have a lot of questions."

Being directly addressed snapped Cozy out of her wide-eyed survey of the strange room. And she instantly donned her trademark smile of innocence once again. "Golly, you're right miss Celestia! I just don't know what's going on here at all and I could sure use somepony smart to help me figure everything out."

Sunset rolled her eyes. "By the way, she's a criminal and a con artist."

Cozy exploded. "Is that going to be the FIRST THING you tell everypony we meet?!"

"Probably," Sunset noted with a complete lack of sympathy as she inspected her nails.

Perhaps it was Harmony looking favorably down on Sunset to have Luna enter at that exact moment and pre-empt another Cozy Glow meltdown. The moment her darker sister entered, however, Celestia wrinkled her nose. "Luna, do we have to talk again about you smoking on school property?" She waved her hand in the air, trying to disperse the haze of pale blue smoke that clung around her sister. "Have you started with those awful cloves again?"

"I've done no such thing!" Luna was instantly on the defensive. "You know I quit, and even if I hadn't--"

Celestia held up her hand. "We'll discuss that later. Right now, Sunset has another Equestrian to introduce into our school. Another criminal they've exiled here." Her voice dripped a mixture of exasperation and anger - it made Sunset grimace. Meanwhile, Cozy's eyebrows shot up at the word 'another'.

"Cozy's a little different, I swear." Sunset struggled, trying to allay the two principal's concerns before it got out of hand. "Yes, she's guilty of a number of serious crimes. But that's why--"

Luna cut her off brutally. "And just what crimes would those be?"

Both administrators frowned when Sunset had to pull out a sheet of paper. And then unfold it. Twice. "Her record includes twenty-eight counts of kidnapping and false imprisonment, seven counts of grand theft, two counts of the use of forbidden dark magic, two counts of high treason, and three counts of attempted regicide. In addition to several hundred counts of assault with deadly magic, being an accessory to dozens of other crimes, possible charges of attempted omnicide that the laws don't even exist to account for and enough various libel and slander law violations that the number was just written as 'yes'."

Absolute silence. Stunned was too mild a word. Luna was the one who finally recovered. "Why--"

Sunset was prepared for the question. She'd been waiting for it. Her interruption was a swift and brutal as Luna's had been earlier. "Because she's a child. And for all its other faults, the Equestrian justice system believes in giving everyone a chance to redeem themselves. Particularly those who could still contribute to society." She frowned, looking over to Cozy. The girl was doing her best to not meet anyone else's gaze - she was cunning and mostly shameless, but even she couldn't face down the magnitude of her listed sins presented so bluntly. "I was asked - personally - by Princess Twilight to help Cozy. I want to try, but I need your help to do it. If Cozy proves she's a danger to the school, I promise that I won't hesitate to have them take her back." Sunset stepped forward, leaning over Celestia's desk. "But she deserves the chance that I got. And I'm willing to fight to give it to her."

Again - silence. At least until Luna separated away from her sister and pulled a form from the filing cabinet. "I presume young miss Glow will be sharing your place of residence?"

Sunset craned her neck to see the form. "Um. Yes?" Her fire wavered uncertainly. "Vice-Principal Luna, is that... ?"

"An enrollment form for Canterlot High." Luna turned the page to show it to the pair of Equestrians. "The Princess may have asked you personally, Sunset, but you are right that this is not a fight you can win alone. And you shall not have to."

As Luna filled the form in, Celestia picked up the lead. "We'll help you as best we can. Both of you. But Sunset, this is in your hands primarily and we still have to prioritize all of our students over just one of our students. If Cozy Glow does become as big of a problem again as you suggest she once was, I expect you to follow through and return her to Equestria."

"To be turned to stone again," Cozy added quickly, seeing an opening.

Both humans stared at Sunset in wild disbelief and no small amount of fury.

Sunset shrugged lamely. "They kind of had to? Cozy already escaped from prison once--" She paused as the sisters turned that shocked look back to Cozy. "-- Though to be fair, it was less her escaping and more her being broken out of it. They're already dealing with Discord back home for that."

"Discord?," questioned Luna. "The art teacher?"

Sunset held up her hands in surrender. "Too long to explain! Discord's weird. My point is yes, Principal Celestia, I understand. And thank you both for giving us this chance."

Cozy smiled widely - dangerously - in agreement. "Oh yes! I'm really looking forward to this... opportunity."

The subtext was not missed, and Sunset sighed heavily.

It was lunch by the time all the paperwork had been finished and Cozy's upcoming schedule set. But as Sunset guided her to the cafeteria, Cozy grabbed her arm to stop.

"Alright," she began with a look that mixed desperation and resignation, "I know you don't like me. Or at least that you don't trust me." There was a pause to allow Sunset's sarcastic glare to make very clear that was the case. "But you said you wanted to help me, riiiiight? And teach me friendship?" Angry venom burst to Cozy's surface. "Well I'm never gonna have friends if the first thing you tell them is that I'm a criminal! You ever think about that, huh? Huh?!"

And thus Sunset did think about it. She very obviously didn't like it, but she did. And while she frowned, she also nodded. "I'm still going to make sure my friends know, but you've got a point. I'll try to be more, uh. Gentle about it."

The two shared a look - and a nod of accord.

No amount of Sunset's warnings really prepared Cozy for what was waiting at the lunch table. In addition to food that vaguely resembled the inside of a donkey's toupee, the table also held most of Cozy's greatest enemies. Her former headmare, all the former teachers and even those damnable Crusaders, all gathered in one place and waiting for her. A snarl rose in Cozy's throat.

"Oh she's adorable!" Fluttershy beamed at the young girl as she approached.

Rarity was instead fishing in her bag for a comb. "Once we take care of that awful hair, darling, yes."

Sunset sighed, mostly to herself. "Hey girls. Before you start pouncing on her, at least let me make the introductions. This is my cousin, Cozy Glow." Eyes widened all around the table. Sunset nodded. "Yes." That confirmation was all they needed to understand.

Bravado was first, of course. "Hey kid. Good to meet one of Sunset's relatives. I'm Rainbow--"

"Dash," Cozy completed through lips tight with concern.

There were more frowns. Twilight picked it up next. "I guess you know the other us-es, then." Cozy's nod confirmed that, too. "Well, I just want to make clear that while we share a number of outward aspects of our appearance - accounting for the differences in physical structure between humans and ponies - we are different people from the versions you are probably used to and thus should be approached as unique individuals."

Rarity leaned over slightly, stage-whispering. "Dear Twilight is still a bit put off by the fact that her alternate self is a magical immortal princess." Twilight responded by shoving Rarity back into her seat by the face.

Sunset, meanwhile, was occupied. "No. No, Pinkie. No. No. No! No no NO! No. Pinkie, no!" She kept grabbing at her pink friend, trying to snatch away a spiral-bound notebook. Pinkie merely looked hurt and offended by the attempts. "Cozy hasn't even been walking on two legs for half a day! I'm not saying you can't give her a welcome party, but give her a little time! Let her figure out how hands work first! Then do the party!"

That seemed to grudgingly mollify Pinkie, though she still pouted. And refused to give up her notebook. The words New Friend Notes, Vol. 18 ominously loomed on the page in bright glitterpen.

A part of Cozy Glow's mind attempted to figure out how (versions of) these people managed to defeat her and save Equestria. Twice.

Someone tapped on Cozy's arm. She turned and found an orange face far too close. "Hey. I'm Scootaloo. You're gonna be a freshman here, right?"

It took a moment for Cozy to process the question - and a moment more to push down her deep-fried hatred for any and all Cutie Mark Crusaders. She succeeded enough to beam broadly back. "Yuppers! I'm supposed to start tomorrow!"

"Cool!" Scootaloo smiled right back. "You'll probably be in some classes with me and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. We can show you around and stuff! I mean, for what your cousin doesn't show you."

Leaning a little closer - uncomfortably so - Cozy half-whispered. "She isn't really my cousin."

That just made Scootaloo more cheerful. "It's okay. Rainbow Dash isn't really my sister either, but she is in all the ways that matter."

A second face popped in right beside Scootaloo's - Apple Bloom. "You betcha! An' since you're basically Sunset's family, an' she's so close to our sisters, that means you're basically our family, too!"

"But... I barely know you. We just met." Cozy sniffled loudly. Her eyes darted for a moment over to Sunset - who was currently having a very serious talk with Rarity that involved refusing to let the fashionistia straighten out Cozy's ringlets, no matter how many seasons out of style they were. "Why are you being so nice? It's not like I can do anything to help you."

Her hopes were vindicated as Sweetie Belle's face came into view, plastered with a saccharine smile. "That's how friendship works. When you give from your heart, you don't expect anything back."

Cozy's heart said 'jackpot'. "Wow. Thanks so much! You really are the best!"

The four young girls immediately hugged, which finally attracted Sunset's attention. The broke apart to her frowning. "I see you girls have met Cozy. That's good, because she's going to be sharing a lot of classes with you and I need you to keep an eye on her."

"We will!," came in three-part harmony.

"It won't be easy." Sunset frowned deeper, trying to figure out a way to say it without immediately saying it and destroying Cozy's best first chance at friends. "Cozy's had a really rough life before this, and she's made some mistakes. Some of them pretty bad. But Princess Twilight--" She refused to look over and give Twilight the satisfaction of watching the bookworm make a gagging motion. "-- Asked us to help teach her about friendship. And since the rest of us are in senior's classes, we can't be there as much as you can. This is a big responsibility, you three. Are you sure you can handle it?"

The Crusaders exchanged looks - and nodded to each other. "We will, Sunset." Scootaloo put on her most serious expression (which made Rainbow suppress a snicker). "We won't let you down. Promise."

3 - Learn More Who You Are

"So yeah. Clothes are very not optional here. It's rude and you'll get cold fast." Sunset halted her lecture, considering. "I think that covers the real basics of your new body and how humans work. We'll handle more after you get your feet under you better." She didn't halt her steps, however, as they both walked through Canterlot's leaf-filled streets.

Cozy was quiet as she absorbed it all. A twenty minute crash-course lecture on the human form and critical cultural differences was a lot to take in - particularly when she was still shaken. Her introduction to the automobile had been a bit more... abrupt than Sunset had intended. Flash had apologized afterwards, but the damage had been done with four squealing tires and a single hard stop that was too close for comfort.

On the plus side it confirmed to Sunset that for all the things she had done, Cozy Glow was not immune to fear. And that she wouldn't just blindly walk out into the street again any time soon.

They went half a block more in silence before Cozy finally spoke. "And no magic."

"No native magic," Sunset confirmed with her purposeful phrasing. "It really is amazing how they've come so far without weather pegasii or earth pony agriculture. They don't even control the sun and moon," she noted with a laugh.

Cozy actually shuddered. "They don't have any control over their world? It just... does things? And they don't go crazy?"

"Why would they go crazy?"

"Because!" Cozy threw her hands in the air - she was starting to get human physical expressions, even if she over-exaggerated them. "They don't have control of anything! How do they live like this?" She crossed her arms and fell into a familiar pout. "This dimension's stupid and I hate it already."

It took a lot for Sunset not to laugh. "It has a few upsides. Come on, we're almost to my apartment. I've got something for you once we're there."

'Something', as it turned out, was six large cardboard boxes. Cozy regarded them with more amusement than confusion. "I guess I can understand all the white, but..." She pulled the midnight blue jacket out of the nearest box. "This? I like crimson better."

"Rarity," Sunset said in simple explanation as she pulled extra bedding out of the closet for later. "I've spent enough time around her to understand basic color wheel choices. Dark blue jacket with a cream top should work with your tones." With her free hand, she pulled out her phone and quickly started to thumb something on it. "We might have to get her to adjust some of the stuff later on, since I guessed at your sizes. And she'll pitch a fit because most of this is second-hand and not bespoke enough for her. But it'll do for now. The portal's been pretty good about providing clothing when somepony comes over, but you need more than one shirt."

Cozy cracked open the next-nearest box. "Books?"

"Textbooks. You're gonna need 'em." For a moment Sunset left it at that before deciding to elaborate more. "You're in the same spot I was once - even if you can ace all of the math and stuff, the school expects you to know history. And since it isn't OUR history, you're at a disadvantage. There's a lot of books in there to help get you up to speed."

Cozy stuck out her tongue in disgust and closed the box back up again. "So that's the something you got for me? Hoof-me-down clothes and dusty old books?"

"Not entirely." Job done, Sunset meandered over to the coatrack and fished in her jacket's pocket. "Those are a lot more important than you're giving them credit for, but I actually meant this." She held out a thin black chunk of plastic and glass to the younger girl. "Your first phone."

The phone - a very cut-rate starter one on a fixed plan - turned over in Cozy's hands several times. "Uh, so?"

A smile crept to Sunset's lips. "You're not giving it the respect it deserves. Cozy, what you hold in your hand is something that would be one of the most powerful artifacts in the world back in Equestria. Not only can you talk to anyone anywhere no matter the distance, it can also instantly exchange letters with them, take photographs, act as a light source, play music, be a clock accurate to less than a tenth of a second, solve almost any math problem, create a navigation map between any two places, translate most languages and gives you the ability to read any book in the world." She paused to let that barrage sink in. "In this world, it's considered a standard everyday tool for anyone over the age of ten. What you've got there is almost literally a child's toy, and if something that did half of that existed in Equestria it would be something worth fighting wars over."

Sunset opted not to mention the sheer number of things that she'd locked Cozy's phone out of - there was obviously a location tracking app installed and she wasn't nearly dumb enough to let the little hellion access MyStable - but even without those she knew how wondrous the tool was.

And true to that, Cozy stared at the small black rectangle in her palm with new awe. "It can do all of that? And everypony just.. has one?"

"Yup." Sunset held hers up. "In fact, to demonstrate? While we were talking I used mine to have someone make dinner for us and bring it here, just using my thumb. It should be--"

The doorbell rang.

"--ahead of schedule."

Everything was set out on the table by the time Sunset got done at the door. She'd sent Sandalwood away with a pretty generous tip, hopefully generating some good karma for the days ahead. Almost a dozen containers were scattered over the table to present Cozy with a bounty of Canterlot's finest: take-out Chinese.

It also gave Sunset a chance to laugh as Cozy had reverted to the tightly-fisted 'hoof hands' that marked most newly arrived Equestrians. Laughter gave way to panic as she lunged before Cozy could try and manhandle the container of hot & sour soup and drink straight from the burning hot Styrofoam. "Whoa whoa! Hold on! Careful with that!"

"I'm hungry!" Cozy stomped a foot angrily. "Besides that stuff at lunch, I haven't eaten anything since before I was put in stone!"

Sunset plopped into the only other chair at the crowded dinette table. "And you'll get it, but there's a reason I ordered this. Beside the fact that it's amazing." With a flourish, she lifted up her utensils - a pair of chopsticks. "This is also great for learning to use fingers."

Cozy watched in confusion as Sunset deftly snapped the chopsticks in the air - then snatched a generous helping of vegetable lo mein up in them. Her eyes went to the other pair of chopsticks sitting on the table, then back to her own awkward hands. "I wanted to eat, not keep going to school."

The lesson was there, though, and Sunset wasn't going to budge. Her disinterest as she grabbed another helping gave no illusions of changing her mind. So Cozy picked up the two small sticks and... fumbled them back to the table.

When she did it a second time, Sunset snickered quietly.

The third failure ended with Cozy throwing the chopsticks across the room in anger.

Without a word, Sunset pulled another set out and set them in front of Cozy. She moved her own hand, tipping it so the younger girl could see just how the two sticks sat across the fingers - then snapped them a few times to demonstrate.

At first, Cozy ignored the guidance. She crossed her arms; she pouted; she looked everywhere but at it. She even tried ignoring Sunset despite having her nose pinched by the chopsticks. Hunger eventually won out over ire, and Cozy picked up her set again. Sunset snapped hers once more, showing in action how they sat.

This time, Cozy managed on the wobbling second try and captured a small portion of bok choy in garlic-ginger sauce.

And this time, Sunset smiled.

Cozy Glow wasn't entirely familiar with how humans slept, but she assumed the sound of snoring from the bed meant Sunset was out cold. Or that she was hosting a family of badgers in a burlap sack.

The couch was actually fairly comfortable, even if it wasn't meant as a bed. Something more permanent was supposed to be getting delivered in a few days, but Cozy? She didn't care. She wasn't going to be here that long.

Though the lights were out, the ambient glow of the city around them was far brighter than any night in Equestria. Plenty enough for her to be working in her still-fresh school notebook and start mapping things out.

"So the portal isn't guarded..." Cozy kept her voice low, barely above a whisper to herself. "Which means that they've got to have some way to open and close it. Celestia's in charge here, so she's probably got the tool with her or in her office."

A glance through the darkness to the loft where Sunset was sleeping, just to be sure. "She didn't seem to like me being in stone, so if I use that to get on her good side..." Cozy sketched out the beginnings of a social map of the school. It was painfully rough and most of those on it were descriptions rather than names - but it was a start. "If I work quick, I can get back before Princess Twilight knows I've left. They'll never expect me to escape already."

The pencil tapped her chin in thought. She needed her way in to access the Principal.... There. She drew a darker circle around one of the teachers: Cranky Doodle. Get in good with him, then use his relationships to connect to the rest of the staff. That was her way in to Celestia's good graces - and her way home.

4 - Chomping At The Bit

Morning came too quickly for Sunset, but too slowly for Cozy. She had a lot of work ahead of herself, after all.

Much of the morning was taken up by Sunset introducing Cozy Glow to various aspects of human hygiene - which was uncomfortable for all involved - and what humans considered breakfast. The lack of hay did not go over well.

That debacle transitioned into the dull boredom of the school day ahead, and the two went their separate ways at the main doors. Less than ten feet later, the Crusaders intercepted Cozy.

"Hey!" Scootaloo was in the lead, waving wildly. "Over here!" The trio advanced as a group, swarming Cozy like locusts. They had no hesitation to hug her, either - even while Cozy felt breakfast threatening to come back up.

Sweetie Belle pulled back to give Cozy's new look a once-over. And while she lacked her sister's talents, she still nodded in approval. "So Cozy, I think you've got your first class today with Apple Bloom and me. Then one with Scoots after that."

Cozy extracted a printed sheet from the sheaf of folders in her bag and put on her biggest smile. "Yuppers! Almost all of my classes have one of you in it! Except for Mr. Cranky's in the second-last, um... slot?" She bobbled at the end, honestly unsure of the appropriate term.

"Period," Scootaloo corrected helpfully. "But even when we don't have classes together, we can stay in touch! ..Wait. You're from Equestria so you don't have a phone yet, do you?"

Fumbling, Cozy pulled the little chunk of glass and plastic out of her back. "Actually, Sunset--"

The phone was in Scootaloo's hands before Cozy could get out a third word. "Awesome! Okay, first lemme put in all of our numbers so you can text us. Then I'll-- huh." Scootaloo's fingers tapped something rapidly on the tiny screen. "You're locked out of MyStable?"

"What's MyStable?" For the second time in a row, it was an earnest question. Nobody had mentioned it to Cozy before.

All three Crusaders blinked in confusion. "Uh, it's the biggest social media site?" Apple Bloom said, and then immediately realized the problem. "Oh! Ah betcha don't have those in Equestria, do ya?" She pulled forth her own phone and pulled the site up to show Cozy. "It's sorta like a public diary. Ya can put up whatever you're thinkin', or let everybody know the places you're goin' with your friends, or anything you want to!"

Cozy's heart stopped. "And people... do that? Freely? Put all their thoughts up for anypony to read?"

"Anybody," Scootaloo corrected. "Hold on. Sweetie Belle, could you unlock Cozy's phone so we can get her account set up?"

Sweetie squinted as she took Cozy's phone in hand and got to work. "Sure, that should be easy. Rarity's always trying to lock me out of mine because she's decided I'm too--" She let out an overdramatic gasp, imitating her sister, "--fragile to see or do something."

Apple Bloom cut back in. "But yeah. Ya gotta have a MyStable account if ya wanna make friends! How else are ya gonna know what everybody's up to?" She paged through her feed, showing it to Cozy. "See like, Silver Spoon's real big into the food thing so she's got pictures of every meal she eats an' who she's eatin' it with. Rumble likes to show off all the games his brother takes him to. Stuff like that!"

Their words stabbed into Cozy as she reeled. Sunset was right. This phone was so incredibly powerful. She could just look into everypony's daily life, get their moment-to-moment thoughts and see their social connections? And they just gave that information away? This changed everything. If her first plan didn't work, this opened up so much. She would own this place in a week.

"Done!" Sweetie Belle passed the phone back to Cozy. "For a smart person, Sunset's real bad at picking her passwords. I mean, anybody who knows her would've guessed 'Equestria' almost immediately!" The Crusaders laughed as one. "Anyway, I took off the password lock and set up your MyStable account. I even already sent friend requests to all of ours to get you started! We just need to take a profile picture for you."

Under their direction, Cozy positioned carefully and took her first selfie. She didn't even have to fake the smile.

Scootaloo found Cozy crying when she arrived for last period. First aid hugs were immediately administered, but they just took the Equestrian girl from 'weeping' to 'sniffling'.

"Mr. Doodle took my phone," Cozy admitted. "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to use it during class. You said how important they were, so I thought everypony was supposed to use them all the time!" She loudly blew her runny nose. "Now Sunset's gonna be angry at me for not being responsible. She just gave me that phone, and... and I already lost it!"

Scootaloo's lips set to a firm line. She'd made a promise - she wouldn't let Sunset down. She wouldn't let her friend Cozy down. "Don't worry." Her eyes blazed with Rainbow-Dashian determination. "After class, we'll get your phone back. I promise."

The ringing of the final bell was the signal to begin the operation.

It wasn't the first time the Crusaders had engaged in their own particular brand of mischief, but this time the stakes were higher. All three were on board thanks to a quick group text - and all three had the same goal in mind. They couldn't let Sunset down. What happened last winter had hurt her so badly, and this chance to make up for it? Every Crusader agreed that this was worth the risks.

The first job was getting Mr. Doodle out of his classroom. That would be the hard one - but there they had a secret weapon. Mr. Doodle ran Driver's Ed at CHS, so he had the keys to the student car. Outside, Scootaloo was in position with a lacrosse stick. Once the majority of the students had left and cleared the halls inside, she hurled the ball at the car - it struck the rear passenger side, leaving a dent in the panel and setting off the alarm.

About a minute later, the announcement came over the intercom:
"Would Mr. Cranky Doodle please report to the parking lot with the Driver's Education keys?"

He rose with a sour grumble, stomping out the door.

And that was the chance. Seconds later, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom slipped into his classroom.

"Ah'll get the desk, you keep watch." Nods were exchanged, and Apple Bloom got to work. The first three drawers were easy, but empty. The last... locked. It had to have the phone. And no silly little thing like a lock was going to stop an Apple.

Tense seconds ticked by.

Then a minute.

Then nearly three.

Sweetie Belle glanced back from the doorway. "Apple Bloom!," she hissed. "What are you doing?! We don't have much time!"

The youngest Apple didn't look away. With two bent paperclips as makeshift lockpicks, she worked feverishly at the locked drawer. All that slipped out was her determination - "A Crusader don't give up that easy."

The halls were almost entirely empty, save for the sound of Scootaloo's voice as she loudly talked to the teacher. "It was an accident! Really, Mr. Doodle!" She'd been caught, but she was still trying to help and alert the others of the approaching danger.

Sweetie turned again. "He's coming!" Again, no response. Sweetie Belle broke from the door and grabbed her friend's arm. "We gotta go now!"

Too late. The door opened again - and Cranky Doodle had Scootaloo by the arm. They were caught red-handed. "Trying to steal test answers? I'm very disappointed in you girls."

"What? No! We're not!" Sweetie Belle stepped between Cranky and Apple Bloom. "We're trying to help Cozy Glow! She just wants her phone back, that's all."

Mr. Doodle snorted. "Not likely, since she's the one that told me what you were doing in the first place. And I didn't take her phone, either." He stepped to the side and pointed. "You're all coming with me to the Principal's office. Now."

As he paraded the three Crusaders away, Cozy Glow glanced around the far corner of the hall and smiled. Perfect.

Luna could hear Celestia through her office door. Words were muddled, but she had that tone of hers that was yelling but not yelling. The one where she tried to pretend she was your friend while being Disappointed.

It bothered Luna. Discipline was her bailiwick, not Celestia's. She should be the one out there, not her sister. Instead, Luna was hiding in her office, working a fidget cube in her fingers.

She tried to focus on the little chunk of plastic. It had seemed silly when Celestia got it for her last Hearth's Warming, but Luna couldn't deny it helped. It gave her something to put her mind to when it spiraled out of control. It wasn't the only tool she had for that, of course. A book of sudoku puzzles, a phone full of music - anything that would help push down the bad and bring her mind back on track.

That and the bottle of clozapine in the desk drawer.

There were times when none of it helped, of course. Everyone had bad days. This was just one of them.

The yelling-not-yelling had stopped outside. Luna knew what that meant - Celestia would be coming through the door shortly. Moving from one problem to another. Trading off, just like she always did. Taking everything on her shoulders.

Luna caught herself and re-focused her attention on the cube. Her thumb rolled the tiny ball bearing around, the metal slowly warming up at her touch. She had to focus. Focus.

The door opened, letting light stream into the shadowy office. As predicted, it heralded Celestia's entrance. She at least had the decency to close the door behind her and let Luna's office go dark again.

"Luna? How are you doing?" Celestia knelt beside Luna, placing a soft hand on her knee. "I know you said you were having some problems earlier..."

Defensive walls went up by instinct. Luna shook her head. "I just need rest, sister. Sleep eluded me last night." A little something tickled the back of her head - that was a lie, in part. Did she think she could hide? If she really trusted her sister, why was she afraid?

True to form and to the voice, Celestia saw through the lie of omission. "It isn't just that, Luna, is it." She didn't trust Luna. Why would she?

Luna's thumb worked the bearing faster.

A faint frown crossed Celestia's lips. She pushed it away as she always did, trying to not be a burden. "One bad night's sleep wouldn't rattle you this much, Luna. You're stronger than that."

She couldn't stop the derisive snort. "If I were, we would not be in this situation." Luna fought that sarcasm down again. She had to stay focused. She had to stay on keel. "I have not missed my meds. But I feel like my control is weak, sister. As if I was ..." Luna tried to focus again and put words to things that hated words. "I feel as if I am a house built on the shore, with the tide eating at my foundations. And I fear whispers becoming shouts."

Leaning closer, Celestia put her arms around her sister in the best hug she could. "We'll get through this. Together. Let's call the doctor and get another appointment set up, alright?"

Luna nodded. She felt weak, but she also knew her past sins. The solution wasn't to stand alone. Luna believed in Celestia, and they could handle this together.

Author's Note

Tweaked the overall story rating up to a T - in editing I realized that some of this stuff is a little darker than a true E would have, and no E-rated show would bring up someone's psych meds even peripherally. (Which is a problem with how our society views mental health issues buuuuuuut that's a different ball of wax and this story isn't the place to debate that.)

5 - It's About To Blow

Sugarcube Corner was the designated meetup spot after school, and Cozy got there late. Her instructions were that she was supposed to catch up with Sunset after classes to be introduced to more of the human world. But Cozy wasn't in a rush - there was something to be said for basking in a plan well executed and enjoying the victory. It had been a while since she'd been able to do that. The Rainbooms would be there waiting no matter how long she took.

They were. That all seven greeted her entrance with cold stares and crossed arms was an ill omen.

But this was hardly the toughest crowd Cozy had faced, and her gormless cheerful grin didn't falter. "Hiya there, friends! Golly, what a crazy first day!"

Applejack's eyes bored into Cozy's skull. "Weren't ya supposed ta be comin' here with my sister?"

The first hint of trouble itched at the back of Cozy's mind. "I'm sorry, I couldn't find them after class. I thought maybe they came here first!"

Rarity raised her phone, inspected the screen for a moment, and turned it towards Cozy. "They did not. I expect then that the text from my mother that Sweetie Belle has been given detention for a month because she and her friends were caught stealing test answers is somehow unrelated to you?"

Oh, right. Instant communication across any distance. That was a thing here. Cozy gasped loudly, not giving up even though she knew she was in trouble. "They did what? Oh dear oh my, what ever could have made them do something like that?"

Normally it would have been Rainbow Dash that took up the next part on behalf of Scootaloo, but she didn't seem in much of a mood to talk. Just glare angrily at Cozy, lips curled into a snarl.

Instead, it was Sunset. "You can drop the act, Cozy Glow. I already told them about your past."

The younger girl twitched, almost breaking character as her anger boiled to the top. "Awww, Sunset. I thought you promised you wouldn't ruin my chances at friendship by saying mean things." Cozy frowned extra-wide. She considered some tears, but those might be needed later.

Sunset kept her arms crossed and expression stony. "I said it wouldn't be the first thing I told them about you, but I did say I'd let them know. And now they know everything."

"Eeeeverything?" Cozy batted her eyes playfully, knowing for certain that Sunset didn't know all of what was planned. She couldn't.

With a frustrated sigh, Sunset stood and grabbed Cozy's hand. There was a momentary flash of white in her eyes, followed by a smirk. "Her plan was to trick other students into doing things so she could rat them out. She'd make herself Mr. Doodle's prize stool pigeon, and use him to get into Principal Celestia's good graces. Then she'd have access to Celestia's office so she could open the portal, sneak back to Equestria and disappear into one of the bigger cities to plan her revenge."

The other six shifted uneasily - the raw, smug sarcasm that dripped from Sunset was a worryingly familiar to how she had been before the Formal. "Not bad. Deductions for your plan being so simple - the whole thing's pretty low effort. And you made a rookie mistake by not checking your end goal and just assuming Principal Celestia had control of the portal. Eff-Why-Eye, it only opens from the other side and nobody but me can communicate back to Equestria and ask them to open it." She paused, tapping her chin in mocking thought. "But more complicated isn't always better, and you get bonus points for taking the initiative and launching your first attempt less than twenty-four hours after coming into the dimension. Six out of ten."

Sunset stepped back from Cozy and mimed dropping the mic.

Cozy Glow didn't get that part at all.

Not that it would have mattered if she did - Cozy was too busy being absolutely livid that Sunset somehow knew everything and was condescending enough to actually grade her on her escape plan. "How did you just--"

"Time to put the cards on the table." Sunset gave a little nod to the other girls - they nodded back. "So, you remember how I told you that this dimension's got no native magic? Well, it doesn't. All the magic here leaked in from Equestria. Or it was put here on purpose - that portal's been used as a dump for Equestrian criminals and dangerous artifacts for a long time. Most of it doesn't matter right now, except these." She took the gem on her necklace between her fingers, holding it out slightly. "These geodes are this dimension's versions of the Elements of Harmony. Mine lets me see your memories."

The others knew their cue. Seven girls glowed with a bright light - hair lengthened and pony ears sprouted from their heads. Nobody else in Sugarcube Corner batted an eye.

Until Cozy Glow started screaming.

"NO. NO! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING." She let out a ragged, primal screech. "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'M SMARTER THAN YOU, THIS IS CHEATING! YOU CAN'T BEAT ME! IT ISN'T FAIR!" Cozy's saccharine persona disintegrated as she dropped to the floor and flailed. Now the rest of Sugarcube Corner was paying attention, and decided it was time to finish their coffee elsewhere. It looked like Those Girls were up to something again, and nobody wanted to be too close.

The seven girls waited it out, letting Cozy exhaust herself. It took several minutes, but eventually the energy of her tantrum simply ran out and left her in a panting heap on the floor.

"That was half the reason I was asked to take care of you, Cozy Glow." Sunset crouched beside her charge. "You can't trick me. You can't get a plan past me. Every time something seems off, or I suspect you're up to something, or you just seem too smug? All I have to do is touch you and I'll know everything."

History repeated itself. Cozy looked up at Sunset from a heap on the floor, eyes red and tired. "So you are my jailor."

Once more, Sunset shook her head. But this time, she didn't wait for Cozy to take her hand. She grabbed the smaller girl by the shoulders, lifting her to her feet. Cozy didn't struggle - she'd run out of fury for now. "No. I'm still someone who was a lot like you once."

After placing Cozy in a chair, Sunset took her own seat. "There's one last card for me to put down, and that's the other half of why Princess Twilight asked me. My own past."

"What, you were a pegasus?" Cozy laughed weakly at her own joke. No one else did.

"I was Princess Celestia's star student," Sunset started as she utterly ignored the attempted snark. "Her personal protégé. And that meant I had it all - I was brilliant, more powerful than any unicorn even twice my age, I had direct access to the Princess and spent my time surrounded by luxury." She paused. "Sound at all familiar, Cozy Glow?"

Sunset didn't give her the chance to respond. "But it wasn't enough for me. I wanted power. I wanted control. To rule and have everypony bow to me. To love me. To worship at my hooves. For Celestia to respect me like I was due." Her fists were clenched now, balled tight enough to tremble with the effort. "So I threw it away by betraying the Princess and I fled here to seek power."

Here, Cozy finally cut in. "Gee, how'd you betray her Sunset?" What the words lacked in earnest curiosity they made up for with spite.

The verbal knife jammed into Sunset's ribs, and she winced. "Broke into the Restricted Section and studied dark magic to try and make myself an alicorn."

Smugly Cozy noted, "I was an alicorn."

"You were also a lawn ornament," Sunset snapped. Her own burst of anger was strong enough that Fluttershy put a friendly but firm hand on Sunset's shoulder just to be sure.

Things were quiet for a minute - Cozy squirmed gleefully as Sunset slowly regained her composure. But the story wasn't done.

"Once I came here," Sunset finally continued, "I got to work on getting that power. It was what you did but backwards, Cozy - instead of taking away all the magic in the world, I started with a world that didn't seem to have any. What it did have was friendships and relationships - which I exploited ruthlessly. I lied. I cheated. I stole, bribed, blackmailed, bullied and in one case briefly kidnapped."

There was a momentary pause as she felt the other girls stare incredulously at that tidbit. Sunset diverted from her tale to clarify that. "Micro Chips. Needed him out of the way to adjust the grading curve on a test." The rest nodded in acceptance of the dark logic, so Sunset could continue. "And I won, Cozy. I ruled the school like a queen, and everybody bowed to me. Even most of the teachers did. I had almost absolute power by the time I came back through the portal and stole the Element of Magic from Twilight."

As she spoke, the magic around the girls started to fade. The other six Rainbooms returned to normal as it did - but Sunset didn't. Her ears and hair remained up, with a slight glow around her. "And then it took exactly one student standing up to me to make it all fall down. Less than two days later, everything I built over three years was completely destroyed and I went from total control to my last stand. Which involved me transforming into a creature of dark magic and then being blasted by a friendship laser powerful enough to leave a crater deeper than I am tall." Sunset pointed an accusatory finger at Cozy. "You know what that's like, don't you?"

Cozy shifted uneasily in the chair. She didn't answer.

Sunset leaned forward - it made Cozy lean back in the same measure. "It burns, doesn't it? But not like fire - it's more like frostbite when the power gets ripped out of you. It makes you tired and cold and it hurts down to your bones. You can feel being empty and afterwards? Even though you know you're your normal self again there's that sense of being less. Even if you hated what the power made you, losing it still makes you want to cry for a month because you had so much and then it was gone forever." She leaned back again, expression softening.

"That's why Princess Twilight said I could help you. That's why I want to help you. Because I am you, Cozy Glow. And I know that the aftermath of being blasted into the ground was the best thing to ever happen to me." Sunset turned to her friends with a smile. "Best thing," she repeated.

The others smiled back, though Applejack motioned with a hand over her head to remind Sunset about the ears. A slight blush touched the Equestrian's cheeks.

Cozy continued to pout. "So why should I care?"

"Ignoring that I could send you back to Equestria as a statue, you should care because it's better for your life." Sunset reached back to the table, grabbing her coffee. "You don't believe that any more than I did before I had my laser revelation, but it's the truth. Pretty soon, you're going to realize that and I want to make sure you can turn your life around without the same problems I faced when I did." She paused to sip the now-cool latte and wet her throat. "Trust me, there were a lot of them."

"A lot," Rainbow Dash impulsively added, tone halfway between it being a confirmation of fact and a threat for Cozy's future. Applejack leaned over and gave Rainbow a (mostly) gentle thump upside the head.

Again, Cozy wondered how the alternate versions of these people beat her.

But Sunset didn't have a different version in Equestria, and she was clearly beating Cozy right now. Sunset had the experience to spot most of Cozy's plans, the magic to see through the rest, the ability to punish her and the temper to go through with it. There was no winning path. There didn't even seem to be a delaying path - Sunset could figure out if Cozy was being earnest in less than the beat of a wing. What was there but surrender and hope for an opportunity later?

So Cozy Glow hung her head. "Fine. You win. I give up! Just... just friendship at me or whatever. Get it over with." She braced.

Sunset's hand gently set on Cozy's shoulder. Cozy flinched.

"A wise human once said that the first step to solving a problem is admitting it exists," she counseled. "You told Princess Twilight that friendship is power. But I don't think you understand what friendship or power is. So we'll start there." Sunset looked again to her friends, most of whom nodded. Rainbow Dash's sour frown was a reminder, however. "Well, we'll go there second. After we have a talk with Principal Celestia about what really happened and get the Crusaders out of trouble."

6 - Fills My Heart With Sunshine

The next day at CHS began with a long talk. A bleary-eyed Principal Celestia made her concerns painfully clear: Cozy Glow had become a threat to the other students.

It was only a fiery speech from Sunset and Celestia's tiredness that saved Cozy from a trip back through the portal - a narrow escape, and another chance that Celestia made clear would be the only additional one.

The Crusaders would still have detention for the rest of the week, unfortunately. Even if Cozy had tricked them into it and they hadn't been after test answers, they still damaged the Drivers Ed car and had tried to break into a teacher's desk. But it was two more days rather than thirty, and the talk of a possible suspension was off the table.

For her part, Cozy would have detention as well - though Sunset had talked Celestia into starting it the following week. Putting Cozy in the same room as the Crusaders with the betrayal so fresh would have just caused more problems.

It was a small concession, but it would hopefully allow enough time for apologies to be made.

After a tense school day, Sunset met Cozy outside her last class. Her first act? To touch Cozy's arm and memory-flash through her day.

"Don't trust me to be a good little filly, warden?" Cozy batted her eyelashes.

"Don't trust you in general," countered Sunset. "And we both know that's the right call."

Cozy pouted, but didn't prod further because it was true. The pair marched from the school - but not far. Two blocks, and they came to a stop outside an almost pointedly nondescript storefront in a plaza. "Um. This isn't Sugarcube Corner."

Sunset pushed the door open. "Nope." Her other hand motioned to the business' placard: Accordions & Spatulas. It matched well with the one next door for Quills & Sofas, which perhaps made it weirder. A lanky boy with frizzy brown hair flashed a smile from behind the counter before returning to his work, and Sunset gave him one back. But it wasn't him they were there to see.

Inside was a plethora of knickknacks that ranged from rubber chickens to novelty sombreros. Cozy briefly tried to investigate the goods, but Sunset hustled them past quickly.

No, it was the rear area where a small stage was perpetually set up that they were bound. And waiting there was one of Cozy Glow's least favorite ponies-who-were-people: Pinkie Pie.

And while Cozy cringed, Sunset rushed the stage with urgency. "Pinkie!" The two hugged - mostly because if Sunset didn't initiate it, Pinkie was coming for her. "Thanks for helping out on short notice."

"Pffffft." The Pink One waved it off. "You know I'm always glad to help, Sunset! Plus it had to be today because Zipporwhill's birthday is this weekend and I gotta be at the center on Fridays."

That earned an extra squeeze from Sunset. "I know. And you know I'd never get in the way of you helping Dr. Resolve*."

The two separated, with Sunset fading back to one of the handful of audience chairs. Cozy tried to sit there as well, but Pinkie pulled her up to a special chair the stage. "No escaping now, Cozy Glow!"

Cozy recoiled.

"Noooooooo escaaaaaaaaaape," Pinkie echoed, leaning in closer.

Cozy tried to back away further and almost tipped the chair backwards off the stage.

"Oopsie." In the blink of an eye, Pinkie pulled her charge back onto the stage and righted her. "Okay! Sooooo Cozy! It's really great to be able to teach you again and--"

Sunset cut off Cozy before she could question that. "Pinkie Pie has a bad habit of switching places with Pinkie Pie and pretends the rest of us don't know about it even after we've asked her several times to stop doing it."

Pinkie simply smiled wider. "I haven't lately!"

"And if I ask you to define 'lately'?," asked Sunset, unamused.

"I would continue on with my script heedless of the question." And Pinkie did so. "Besides, that's how I knew to come to this store!"

Sunset paused. She glanced back towards the counter where the frizzy-haired young man was. Then back to Pinkie. Something Princess Twilight had written pinged in Sunset's memory. "Have you been using your alternate self to try and scout your dating options? That's painfully Rarity of you."

The smile said it all. "I totally would have given Cheesey a chance before, this just made it easier to find him in the first place!" Pinkie bounced a little - and waved wildly at the guy at the register. He waved back with equal enthusiasm.

Sunset groaned in resignation to the madness that was her life.

"Anyhoo! Cozy, Sunset asked me to help you with friendship in my way. Which means having fun!" Pinkie's eyes darted side to side, wild and on the edge of madness. "You do know what fun is, right?"

Cheerfully and sarcastically, Cozy nodded. "Yup yup! It's when you crush someone under your hoof and they cry!"

Without even the slightest pause, Pinkie nodded emphatically. "Exactly!"

"Wait, what?" "Huh?"

Both members of the audience were thrown off the rails, but Pinkie remained absolutely certain. "Of course! As long as you're enjoying yourself and they're enjoying themselves, it's fine! It's like playing pranks on each other! Friends having fun together is the important part, so why worry about the details?"

Cozy rather pointedly didn't get it. "If I'm crushing someone underhoof and they're crying, why would they be having fun?"

"Pft, I dunno, people are weird." Pinkie rolled her eyes.

Very quietly, Sunset facepalmed.

"Well I don't care if they're having fun!," Cozy declared with rising frustration.

Taking a few steps away, Pinkie hopped up to sit atop a nearby table. This, critically (to her), let her kick her feet back and forth freely, because that was fun. "Why?"

"Because then I'm not crushing them, duh!" Cozy was up out of her seat now, pacing around the edges of the stage. "And if I'm not, then I'm not having fun!"

Pinkie's swinging legs sped up, lashing back and forth. "So you're saying you can't have fun without someone else being hurt?"

"Yes! It's funny when they get hurt." Cozy's eyes stayed on Pinkie, even as she circled back and forth. "Let me guess, you're gonna ask me why can't I find fun in something they like too? Well I don't care! It doesn't matter, and I don't care what someone else feels!"

"If you don't care how they feel, then why's it important that they feel bad?" From anyone else it would have been an accusation. But Pinkie Pie's cheerful lilt made it a simple factual inquiry without judgment.

Sunset knew that tone - she was prepared for it. Cozy wasn't. The question hit her hard enough to miss a step, one foot slipping off the side of the stage and making her wobble. "Well I-- it's that-- What I mean is that I don't need anypony!" Cozy stomped her foot as punctuation. "I'm just fine all on my own!"

Gormlessly, Pinkie continued to smile. "Then why didn't you stay in the stone? You wouldn't have to deal with anybody else and you'd live forever." Her kicking feet sped up more, becoming a blur. There was an undercurrent to the conversation of shwiff-shwiff-shwiff as her leggings rubbed against themselves. "'Cuz right now you're kinda getting the worst of both ways. You don't get anybody, and you don't get the whole immortality thing. Because nobody's gonna be your friend if the only thing you do is be mean."

There was a desperation in Cozy's voice as she retorted. "Okay, well, maybe I do need others but not friends. Not like you mean! Friendship is just a way to get things easier."

"And then never again after," Pinkie pointed out. "If you use a friend like that, they'll stop being your friend. And they'll tell others, and they won't be your friends either. You'll run out of people." Her legs stopped - Pinkie leaned forward. "Unless you learn how to keep a friend, at least for a little while. So far you keep hurting everybody preeeetty much the first chance you get."

It was a punch to the gut, and Cozy didn't have a response. She tried - Sunset could see the gears turning in her head - but no counter-attack came. Instead, Cozy simply plopped back into her chair with arms crossed. "Let me guess. You think the way to do that is laughing."

Somehow Pinkie Pie's smile got wider. "Well duh! If you can laugh together, you can do anything together!" She jumped off the table and immediately started bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Alright, we'll start simple! I'll tell a few jokes, and you see how you like them. That way, we can find what kind of humor you like!"

For a moment, it looked like Cozy was going to try and flee. She certainly considered it - but without wings, she'd never make it to to the door. So she waited, stony-faced and ready to resist the party girl's best attempts.

The floor lights dimmed and a spotlight snapped on to Pinkie holding a microphone that hadn't been there a moment before. "Thank you, thank you, you're a wonderful audience! It's always good to be out here in Canterlot - and I'm not just saying that because I can't drive to reach another town and have to do every show here." She paused for a laugh track that didn't exist. "But seriously, I had a crazy day yesterday. Two of my friends - Rainbow Dash and Applejack - were arguing. They couldn't agree on what kind of music to have at the party. Applejack said that she wanted country, and she was in charge since she was hosting and we were in her barn. Dashie wanted some rock, because she really likes guitars. They went back and forth for a while, until Applejack had enough. And she said that she'd put on the music she wanted, and if Rainbow Dash didn't like it, Applejack would throw her out of the barn!"

Pinkie gasped, both in mock horror of the situation and because even she needed to breathe occasionally. "Dash didn't think she'd do it and dared her to. So Applejack grabbed Rainbow Dash by the belt, dragged her to the barn door and threw her like a hundred yards! And do you know what Applejack said when she threw her, hmmmmm?"

There was silence as the audience of two waited for the punchline.

"Yeet Haw!" Pinkie paused again for laughter.

There was silence as the audience of two processed it.

With some hesitation, Sunset raised her hand. "Um, Pinkie? I don't think that one's going to work." She pointed at Cozy Glow. "From Equestria. Only been here about two and a half days. I don't think she knows that word yet."

"Oh. Yeah." Pinkie Pie pouted for approximately seventeen seconds before rolling on with her set. "So Sunset's gotten better at singing lately. She claims that she was a lot worse when she was young and back in Equestria. She used to get a sore throat every time she did, because she was a little hoarse."

Sunset groaned in pain.

Cozy didn't react at all.

Pinkie frowned deeper. "Okay, let's try absurdism instead!" She shook her head vigorously, causing her hair to fall into the same style as her sister Maud's. "How do you get down from a tree?" She paused for a beat. "You don't, you get down from a duck." Another pause. "So how do you get down from a duck?" And another. "It's easy. A duck isn't as tall as a tree." She stopped for laughter again.

It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. One did, and it was deafening.

"Wow. Tough crowd." Pinkie rolled up her sleeves as her hair poofed back into place. "Hey, Cozy Glow!" Silence followed. "I said HEY COZY GLOW."

Cozy sighed with the resignation of the condemned. "What is it, Pinkie Pie."

"What starts with E, ends with E and only has one letter in it?"

Caution warned Cozy that this was a trap. But there was no way out. "E?"

Pinkie shook her head wildly. "No, silly! Envelope!"

There was no laughter. Crickets chirped.

Pinkie Pie loudly whistled. "HEY CHEESE! Thanks for the sound effects but I think I got this with the next one!"

At the front of the store, Cheese Sandwich flashed Pinkie a thumbs up, cleaned up his pins and turned off the cricket recording.

One more try. Pinkie cracked her knuckles - then her neck. "So a monocle walks into a bar. He's been having a really bad day - he got laid off from work, his wife was leaving him and his favorite cereal had been discontinued. So he sits down at the bar and orders a drink. He chats with the bartender here and there, but it's a busy night so he spends most of it sitting there, drinking and stewing in his own thoughts."

"As the night goes on," Pinkie continued, "The poor monocle just gets sadder and angrier. Finally, the bartender cuts him off because it's getting late. So the monocle hops down off the stool and tries to get to the door - except he isn't looking where he's going and he walks into another, equally drunk monocle. The two start fighting with each other, shouting and taking awkward swings. Neither one's very good at it, so they end up tangled on the floor. The bartender has enough, jumps the bar and grabs both of the monocles."

"He's furious and shouts, 'Stop it, both of you! You're making spectacles of yourselves!'"

Silence. Tension. Anticipation.

And then - a snicker. Just a quiet slip of noise that cut through it all. It turned into a little laugh that leaked out of Cozy's closed mouth.

Instantly, Pinkie Pie was up in her face without crossing the space between. Cozy's chair rocked back, threatening to tip before Pinkie grabbed the arms.

"There it is."

Cozy's flight reaction was screaming to run from the massive pink face that was nearly pressed against hers. The scent of blueberry-lavender cupcakes wafted with each word that assaulted her. "W--what?"

"Your laugh." Pinkie's smile grew three sizes. "I knew it was in there somewhere." With a gentle nudge, she pushed back away from Cozy and let the chair settle again. "Sunset had the same problem when we made friends with her. She thought she had to be strong. In charge. In control - all the time!"

Pinkie walked backwards before hopping up on the table again. Her eyes never left Cozy Glow's. "And after the Sirens and the, um." Pinkie faltered for a moment. Her expression - all of her - went dark. "Something really bad happened at the holidays when the rest of us made a big mistake, and we took away her laugh. So she tried even harder to be strong and in control and... and she wasn't our Sunset anymore. She was so busy trying to be all those things, she forgot how to be her. She didn't want to be herself."

"But after a really really long time, Sunset remembered!" The brief tone of sadness in Pinkie's voice vanished again in a burst of sunlight. "And part of it is that she finally let her guard down and smiled again."

"That's your first step, Cozy. You have to give yourself permission to laugh. You need to let yourself relax and have fun. Start being Cozy Glow instead of a pricky, icky mess that uses her name."

Slowly, Cozy Glow blinked. "I don't get it. Why would me having fun have anything to do with making friends?"

And under the spotlight, Pinkie Pie crossed her legs in a double lotus pose and smiled. "Because you need to be friends with yourself, first. You're hurting everybody the first chance you get, and that includes you."

Author's Note

* - a small reference to Monochromatic's The Choices We Make, which as far as I'm concerned is canon if the show hadn't been restricted by rating.

Pinkie Pie has always struck me as that one friend who's amazingly good at turning your own words against you and every conversation is six layers deep. She's smart as hell and exceptionally wise - just in her own way and tempered by her carefree attitude.

Also, I owe a thanks to my real life friends and co-workers, whom I told the worst jokes I could find for two weeks to pick the ones used here. They suffered for your enjoyment.

7 - A Star Fading At Dawn

Friday made Pinkie Pie's prophesy true - no student was willing to even talk to Cozy. The Crusaders had gotten their tale out, and Cozy overnight had become persona non grata among her new classmates. She avoided vengeance and bullying at least, since it was widely known she was under Sunset Shimmer's protection. But her day was one of quiet isolation in the crowd.

It showed the power of this world's communication - and the spirit of the Wondercolts. Any more plans Cozy had would require a lot more time, finesse and skill than even what she had done in Equestria. And with Sunset looking over her shoulder...

They met outside Cozy's last class, and Sunset immediately used her magic to look through Cozy's memory in what was fast becoming a daily ritual.

After being deemed innocent enough, Cozy let out a sigh. "So what's my sentence today?"

"Darling, your sentence would be as a statue in Equestria. This is hardly so arduous." Rarity slipped out from behind Sunset, all teeth and coy laughter.

Cozy froze for just a moment - the dressmaker's predatory smile touched a primal herd animal fear. But she rallied, falling back to her bastion of cheery sarcasm. "Oh yay! I get to stand still for hours and model pretty dresses!"

Rarity's eyes glimmered with cruel cheer. "Not quite, dearie."

"What IS this place?" Cozy glared at the stonework building, willing it to be something sensible.

Rarity gave her hair a toss. "Well, I do suppose that churches look different in Equestria. The iconography is certainly going to be--"

Sunset interrupted, sensing a lecture in art history coming. Not that she minded one, but Cozy would start complaining pretty quickly. "I think she means why are we here, Rarity."

"Oh." Rarity took a moment to recompose herself, masquerading it under guiding their trio around to the church's side entrance. "Since you know my counterpart, Cozy Glow, I'm certain you're quite familiar with our shared love of fashion. But I also expect you don't have the same. As such, you likely have never thought about the flotsam of the craft - clothing goes out of style. It gets worn down. It stops fitting more than can be adjusted for. Sometimes it simply isn't to a person's tastes any longer. And when one has passion for something, there are times when you just feel like knitting a scarf or two to keep your hands busy."

She pulled the door open, ushering both Cozy and Sunset inside. "In those moments, I am privileged to bring my works here."

Ahead was a room not too far off from the CHS cafeteria in layout and contents, though the occupants were very different. There were a few school-age kids scattered around the long tables, but the majority were adults. Ragged, tired - Canterlot's homeless.

Cozy froze, mind blank on how to react. She knew Rarity. (Well, a Rarity.) She'd studied Rarity. That Rarity would willingly place herself in a room with people like this was a ball so curved it would have made Twilight Sparkle do new calculations on how orbits worked.

Neither of the other two so much as paused. Sunset was immediately down among the crowd, hugging several people and striking up conversations. Rarity marched to one of the room's corners with purpose, taking up place by a stack of cardboard boxes. Lacking a better idea, Cozy followed the fashionista.

By the time she reached there, Rarity had already pulled the first box open. Inside was a jumbled mess of clothing - all of it threadbare, painfully out of fashion or ill-sized in some measure or another. But each piece was pulled out by pale hands, inspected and sorted into a number of plastic bins on a table beside them.

A red plaid coat that stank of smoke into a bin marked COATS - HEAVY - LARGE. A pair of jeans with a long tear in it into REPAIR. An old t-shirt with a logo that proclaimed the Carolina Panthers the winners of Superbowl 50 went into SHIRTS - MEDIUM.

Rarity was a machine as she sorted - half the time her inspection was done so fast Cozy barely could tell she'd done it. The process seemed straight-forward enough, though, and Cozy wordlessly sorted a few pieces as well.

A good five minutes cycled past before Rarity spoke. "Just to make things perfectly clear, darling, I am quite unhappy about what you did to my Sweetie Belle."

"You mean that I--"

Cozy didn't get another syllable before Rarity cut her off. "I don't know how well you know the other me, but I assure you that Sweetie is quite important in my life. She is my sister after all, and despite our occasional disagreements I love her dearly." She halted for a moment, looking over what had been a beautiful blouse before someone had spilled a hefty amount of tomato sauce on it. It was tossed into REPAIR. "But I do understand that you may not quite grasp what a relationship like that means, so I shan't be as wearying as Rainbow Dash is certain to be and get straight to the point." Rarity next inspected a windbreaker for holes and spoke with smooth, sharp words. "If you ever cause harm to my Sweetie Belle again, they will never find enough pieces of you to identify who you were." The windbreaker was placed into COATS - LIGHT - EXTRA LARGE before Rarity turned to lock cool eyes with Cozy Glow. "I trust we are on the same page?"

In her handful of years, Cozy Glow had heard a lot of things from those she had wronged. 'You won't get away with this' and 'how could you' were the most common. But not once had Cozy been simply threatened. Not with such quiet, calm assurance. And Rarity was right - if it had come from Rainbow Dash, it would have been different. A bombastic and boastful threat that held no force (much like the threats Chrysalis made often made), versus... that. And Rarity's bland expression made the malice in those words terrifying.

Cozy nodded slowly.

"Wonderful." Rarity opened up another box of donated clothing.

There was silence again for a few minutes, broken up only by Rarity helping one of the needy in finding a proper coat - one not only that was heavy enough and fit properly, but also looked passably good. She was as free with the compliments as the critique, letting the man leave with both a warm coat and a warm smile.

After he had gone, Cozy plucked up the courage to start again. "Did you bring me here just to threaten me?"

"Oh heavens no!" Rarity had the gall to laugh at that. "But if we are to associate with one another, we must clear the air. Otherwise every word would be undercut! The tension would be unbearable." She waved a hand in the air, shooing off the very concept. "Better to handle the lingering issues before starting anew. And now that we have, we can focus on far brighter things than that dreary business."

Cozy stared at Rarity for a long moment, unable to quite believe that this girl was for real. "Then why--"

Rarity slashed through the conversation again. "A dual lesson, darling. Can you guess in what?"

The first part was obvious - Cozy might not have taken the lessons of the School of Friendship to heart, but she at least remembered the subjects. "Generosity?"

"Quite." Rarity picked up one of the coats, stretching out an arm to her critical eye. "I shan't pretend to know how these things work where you're from, but here there are always those in need. And we're doing our little part here today to help them."

Cozy picked up another of the coats, testing the alien feel of the nylon windbreaker. "But you said these were things nopony wanted anymore. They're just trash."

"Nobody," Rarity corrected perfunctorily. "And just because I don't want them doesn't mean someone else won't value them instead. Generosity isn't about taking from yourself, Cozy. If you had a dress that you didn't like anymore, would you donate it to a place like this?"

Instantly, Cozy shook her head. "Pft, no. It's mine! And even if I don't want it, why should I just give it away?"

"You're certain back in your home you're not a dragon? You sound as gluttonous as one on their hoard." Rarity paused. "Then again, I'm told that Spikey-Wikey is a dragon so that isn't terribly appropriate of me." She laughed, tittering to herself. "Look at me, worrying if I'm being racist to fantastical creatures in another world. Life is certainly odd."

With a little snort, Cozy turned away and grabbed an excessively ugly skirt to pretend to care about. "Yeah, well, ask Sunset. I'm sure she could tell you if you were. It doesn't matter to me."

Rarity was quiet for a few seconds before renewing her attack. "You know, that does make me consider. For all Sunset speaks about how similar the two of you are, there's at least one obvious difference. She had to work for her conquests."

"What?!" Cozy spun to glare daggers at Rarity.

Whom didn't care in the slightest, not even bothering to look at the younger girl as they continued. "From what I've been told, your contest of wills was rather easy. Through it all you lived -- well, I suppose that a boarding school dormitory was hardly the lap of luxury but it was no hardship. And you were given the benefit of the doubt at nearly every turn, knowing the Princess. To say nothing of that you did not a whit of it by yourself." Finally, she glanced back to Cozy. "Every step of the way, guided by the older, wiser and more experienced? Hm?" Rarity batted her eyelashes. "Am I incorrect, darling?"

Cozy fired back without thinking, taking a wild shot. "Yeah, and Sunset was Princess Celestia's pet! She had way more than I ever did!"

"Which she gave up the moment the touched that mirror," Rarity pointed out, voice cool as stone. "Though this now reminds me of another difference between you - you, Cozy Glow, lack observational skills."

Setting another coat into the REPAIR bin, Rarity made a cursory motion across the room without looking to where Sunset was sitting and laughing with three of the homeless over a bowl of stew. "Didn't you question why Sunset knows these transients so well? That when we entered she came right over and began to speak with them like old friends?"

Cozy's eyes flickered - to Sunset, to the vagrants, to Rarity, to Sunset.

"She gave up everything when she came here. Initially because she started from nothing, but even as time went on? Sunset didn't place herself into riches." Rarity clicked her tongue, as if scolding the new box of donations she opened. "She said that it was because she prioritized strength and security over creature comforts - after all, no one can search out your home and track down your past if there's nothing to find. Being mobile and secretive was a way to defend herself from prying eyes."

Conspiracy crept into her voice as she continued. "Personally I suspect she was subconsciously trying to punish herself, but Sunset reacts so defensively when I bring it up that I dare not press."

"So she...." Cozy squinted at Sunset again, trying to picture her in the ragged clothes they were sorting. "Wait, why was she doing it then? That doesn't make sense."

Rarity picked up the REPAIR bin and transferred it to one of the back tables. Beside it was a sewing machine - nothing nearly as prestigious as hers at home, but functional enough. "No, it doesn't. But no matter the reasons, Sunset lived like that for quite a long time. She fought for all her gains - even if I can't approve of her actions I can appreciate how hard she worked to destroy our lives. She didn't have a support network. She didn't have a mentor walking her through every step. Sunset carved out every bloody inch with her own unfamiliar fingers."

A pause. Rarity looked away from the clothes that had held her attention for so much of the conversation - over to the flame-haired girl that was laughing. "Then we blasted her into the ground and she was forced to allow us in. In defeat, salvation." Her gaze drifted to Cozy's once more. "That is why she says you don't understand power. Because she fought for every scrap she had, sacrificed everything to get just a little more and it did nothing but prolong her pain. If she had stayed with Celestia, if she had banded with friends as soon as she came here, if she had taken advantage of the many opportunities to improve her life instead of raging against imagined enemies..."

Rarity sighed heavily. "And as soon as she lost that power, she gained it again in greater amounts and with ease. You're fighting to take something that would be freely given, Cozy Glow. And Sunset knows that you're struggling ten times as hard for a quarter of what you could be getting. Because you're a blind fool - just like she was."

The sewing machine started up with a rattle, and Rarity brought a torn jacket around to begin her work. "And there is the second half of your dual lesson, Cozy Glow. Perhaps that is the generosity I can show you - the hope you shall learn something despite all the other life lessons you've ignored."

Almost nobody would even consider spending their Friday night anywhere near the school. But the garden there was Wallflower's favorite place, and she had spent many, many nights (Friday and otherwise) in it.

Not tonight, though.

Tonight she was waiting there only for the moment - because she was meeting her date.

Even thinking the word made Wallflower's spine tingle and her stomach flip as she sat on one of the large rocks that served as a makeshift bench. She was going on a date. With a real human being. It was all so wildly unbelievable... well, it was bad enough that she hadn't even slept the night before! (Granted, some of that was because she kept thinking about how this date could go wrong but it didn't stop her from being excited.)

That she - Canterlot High's most infamous recluse - could finally be noticed was such a change of pace that Wallflower could barely wrap her head around it. A few months ago and no one remembered her name. So much had changed in so little time.

Quietly, Wallflower wondered if it was inappropriate to dedicate this milestone to the ones who got her here. That gave her a chance at redemption from her sins.

Not that she wouldn't be telling Sunset all about this on Monday - the unicorn-turned-girl would be overjoyed.

She just had to make sure not to screw up tonight.

Like she always did.

Wallflower frowned. Wait, why did she think that? Yes, she had problems but she was improving! Life was improving! Everything in her life was getting better, which was more than she deserved.

"W--what?" Her voice slipped out, quiet as the grave. She could feel her panic rising rapidly. Something wasn't right. Why was she feeling this way? Wallflower knew she'd been given another chance for what happened with the Memory Stone. That she had turned herself around with the help of a good, growing circle of friends. They'd been nothing but supportive, so why would she think that she could never be forgiven for what she did.

Clutching her head, Wallflower pinched her eyes closed. But that didn't block out the memory of what she had done. Of those she had hurt.

The thoughts slammed into Wallflower like a sledgehammer to the back of the head, toppling her off the rock. Her fingers dug into the dirt, gripping handfuls to anchor herself down.

But it didn't help. Nothing could. She didn't deserve help, anyway. After what she did with the Stone, Wallflower knew any pain she was feeling was what she deserved. And she had earned it, no matter what those around her said. They were probably just keeping an eye on her in case she went crazy again.

After all, Wallflower had lucked out. Most of what she had destroyed had only hurt her. Made her forgotten like she deserved to be. It was a good thing she had been beaten when she had. After all, with all she had stolen from Sunset Shimmer.. well. That was the kind of situation nobody wanted to live in.

Letting out a pained scream, Wallflower curled herself up into a ball in her garden and cried. As she let the grief and darkness overtake her, the last thing Wallflower could hear was her date shouting her name - a name spoken in panic.

Author's Note

For those a touch unclear on what just happened with Wallflower, I suggest checking back on Chapter 4 and switching between day and night modes. It may cast things into a different perspective.

8 - A Tiny Twist Of Fate

The rest of the evening was surprisingly calm - Rarity spent most of it leaning over the sewing machine and repairing cast-off clothing.

Cozy, meanwhile, stood by the tables and handed out what was needed. Dangerously, it left her alone with her thoughts for much of the time.

Rarity's accusation had just enough traction to slip into her doubts - she had fought and struggled hard. But not only had she been beaten by the Forces of Friendship at every turn, but even at her best she hadn't been that much stronger than them.

Those thoughts and a variety of scruffy but thankful homeless filled the rest of her evening, and Cozy's dreams beyond that.

The next morning was a treat: Sunset introduced Cozy to some of the gadgets that were laying around her apartment. In particular, Cozy was given the chance to release a little tension with Tirek's Revenge.

In turn, this became a dual lecture. Half Sunset scolding Cozy Glow for using so many slurs and swear words, and half Sunset reminding Cozy that no human would understand being called a rutting mud-pony.

After lunch, Sunset hauled Cozy along to their next destination. While the trip over didn't ring any bells for the once-pegasus, their arrival made it much clearer.

"The farmer?" Cozy looked at the orchard that stretched ahead. "So I get a lecture on blah blah blah honesty blah blah family blah--"

Sunset put her hand over Cozy's mouth. "I get it. And no." She pointed with her other hand to a rough wooded treehouse not far from the main Apple home. "You're going to go in there and deal with your problems head-on. I'm going to go see Applejack and keep her away from you. She's pretty angry right now, so.. yeah."

"I don't--"

Again, Sunset pointed at the treehouse.

Gloomily, Cozy Glow obeyed and stomped away in as pouty a way she could manage.

At the top of the ramp she paused, glaring at the door. The treehouse was certainly Apple family work - solidly built, surprisingly large for something in a tree and painted with tiny apples at the accents. There were muffled voices inside, and Cozy had a sinking feeling she knew whose.

She didn't bother to knock and simply walked in to the sudden stop of conversation and three angry Crusader glares. Even though Cozy knew it was pointless, she pulled her best smile on. "Well hi there! I'm really sorry about what happened to you at school."

Sweetie Belle disdainfully looked at Cozy from her seat off to the right. "I wonder if she's apologizing because Sunset made her or if it's because she thinks we're dumb."

From behind the lectern at the front of the room, Apple Bloom scoffed. "It sure as sugar ain't because she means it."

A small growl escaped Cozy's lips. "Alright, yes, I know. You're still mad and you don't trust me and I'm only here because Sunset made me. But she's not going to let me leave, so deal with it!"

"She's not going to let you leave, but we can." Scootaloo's voice was low and dark. "We could just walk out of here and spend our time doing something we want instead of around you."

"I can't," Sweetie Belle noted gloomily. "Rarity said I should try and mend things with Cozy. Because if we really wanted to make up for past mistakes with Sunset, we would do this for her." She paused. "Also Rarity said to keep an eye on Cozy because she's a nasty little so-and-so."

Scootaloo snorted. "She's right."

This was going nowhere - for any of them. Cozy could see that much, at least. "Look, can't we just... put all of that aside? Pleeeeease?" She batted her eyes again. All three Crusaders glared right back, and Cozy took it as her cue to dial it down. "We can't get away from each other, you know that right? We're going to be in the same classes for the rest of the year, and Sunset's going to drag me everywhere she goes."

The trio looked at each other, considering that. "She's right," Apple Bloom reluctantly said. "Ah don't like it, but she is. We're gonna have t'deal with that." Her gaze went to Cozy. "But the real question is, can we trust ya."

Cozy Glow burst out laughing. In a moment of ironic honestly, she didn't hold back her words. "Of course you can't trust me! Why would you even ask that question? And if I told you that you could, why would you ever believe me?" Pouting, Cozy crossed her arms and slumped against the doorframe. "There's no way you're this stupid compared to your pony selves."

"We ain't stupid! We just wanna help Sunset is all." Apple Bloom's burst of rage at the insult flamed out as quickly as it came. "No matter how much trouble you may be--"

"And you totally are," Scootaloo interjected.

Apple Bloom sighed at the interruption. "She cares what happens to you. So we gotta care. And you ain't the worst person who's turned themselves around."

That raised one of Cozy's eyebrows. The Crusaders were downright eager to answer.

"Twilight nearly destroyed reality," Scootaloo offered up.

"And Wallflower Blush stole everyone's memories," Sweetie Belle added.

Apple Bloom made her own addition. "Oh! And there were the Sirens, an' how they mind-controlled everyone."

Swiftly, Sweetie Belle cut back in. "Yeah, but they just ran away afterwards. They didn't turn out to be good."

Cozy held up both hands. "Wait, wait! All that just happened at this school? Is this world that dangerous or is it just their little club that's doing it?"

"Well first of all the Rainbooms are a band, not a club." Scootaloo was quite firm on that point. "And second.. just here? I mean the crazy nature spirit was at camp and the phone that kidnapped people and replaced them with holograms was at the park but stuff like the rampaging toast-robot was."

Sweetie Belle sighed. "But that's all probably boring to you. I mean, Sunset said you went to school with dragons and griffons and shapechangers. For you, a greenhouse full of singing plants is, like, Tuesday."

A spark of an idea rattled through Cozy's mind, and she smiled. "I think maybe I've got somewhere we can start?" The Crusaders leaned forward, curious. "We can trade stories. You tell me about things that have happened here, and I can tell you things about Equestria."

Three hours later, Cozy Glow was internally thanking Professor Rockhoof for demonstrating the proper way to tell a story.

She had spent most of the time regurgitating bits and pieces out of Princess Twilight's Friendship Journal - old, trite tales that were somehow new and fascinating to the three humans. In turn, they had told her stories about different things that had happened around Canterlot High over the last year.

It was a treasure trove beyond her wildest dreams and somehow also the worst news.

On one hoof, they had happily told Cozy about dozens of incidents around the school. There was dirt on so many of them! But on the other, it showed how little leverage Cozy had to work with. All of the dirt was publicly known, and how do you blackmail Twilight Sparkle when her classmates casually refer to her as 'the girl who almost ended reality'? And then there was that whole Anon-A-Miss thing which... well, Cozy wasn't entirely sure how to take it, but it gave a glimpse into how her own schemes were likely to unfold.

In all, her normal tactics seemed problematic. The human world was more resilient than the pony one, with better communication and just enough less blind trust to shut down Cozy's usual paths. Her first attempt had relied on the fact that ponies shared an inherent trust and gave a little filly the benefit of the doubt. That wasn't quite so true anymore. On the plus side it sounded like she would have to wait a month at worst before something magic happened and sent everything into complete chaos for her. Then it was just a matter of harnessing that magic and--

Scootaloo whistled. "Hey! Earth to Cozy Glow!" She waved an orange hand in front of the Equestria's face. "You zoned out there! Everything okay?"

That broke her out of the reverie. "Oh, um, yuppers! Just thinking about all the stuff you told me. Wow!"

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed. "So, Cozy Glow. How much of the stuff ya told us was true? An' remember, we can just ask Princess Twilight an' Sunset if it is."

Instinctively, the lie lept to Cozy's lips. Of course she'd lied! Why were they even asking her? Then she stopped. She... hadn't actually lied. Everything she had said was true. "Yeah," she admitted with confused hesitation. "All of it was true. You can ask them."

The three Crusaders glanced between one another, considering. Sweetie Belle was the one to speak first. "Well, it's a start." She caught Cozy's quizzical look and elaborated. "It shows that you can tell the truth. If we have to be around each other, knowing that sometimes you're maybe not lying is better than nothing."

"We still don't trust ya," Apple Bloom noted.

"But," continued Scootaloo, "We didn't trust Sunset, either, when she started to turn herself around. We got suspicious. And jealous. So we promised we'd never do that again."

Sweetie Belle picked up again. "We can't just forget what you did, Cozy. But if you're willing to try again, maybe we can move past it?"

The offer was stupid - it was stupid for them to make it, and it was stupid to think that Cozy would legitimately accept it.

"Deal," Cozy swiftly replied without entirely understanding why. "If you agree to tell everyp--everyone else that I apologized and you accepted it so they'll talk to me again."

Apple Bloom's eyes narrowed. "Ah don't think yer in a position to barg--"

"Deal," Scootaloo replied, cutting Apple Bloom off. The other two shot her a look, and the orange girl just shrugged. "We gotta start somewhere. She'll never be able to prove she's changed if we don't give her the chance to show it."

That they didn't immediately leap to arguing was a good enough sign for Cozy. It was a start - or at least a way to stop the damage from her first attempt.

The trip back from Sweet Apple Acres was quiet. It wasn't until they reached the apartment again that Sunset spoke up.

She did cheat by taking Cozy's arm and reviewing the day first, however.

"Not a bad deal," she admitted. "It's about as close to a clean start as you're going to get."

Internally, Cozy froze. Something was wrong - she had been plotting on how to take control and get out. But Sunset hadn't noticed somehow. Was there a limitation on what she could see, or was she just not saying anything? It was a possible chink in the armor, and one Cozy would have to try and test to see if it could be exploited.

In the meanwhile, Cozy scoffed defensively to cover her brief shock. "I have to reposition myself somehow. Friendship is power, and being an outcast is dumb and useless."

Sunset just shook her head as she thumbed a pizza order into her phone.

Silence for a few more moments - then Cozy swung her sledgehammer. "Soooo this Anon-A-Miss thing...."

She couldn't have missed how the name made Sunset flinch - nor the long sigh. "I knew this was coming sooner or later." She dropped down to the couch and beckoned Cozy to join her. Cozy declined, instead meandering to the kitchenette. "What the Crusaders told you was the truth. It's missing a few small things from my perspective, but it's close enough. In all honesty? The worst part was that I was two months off from total domination and I'd lost so many steps that a trio of kids destroyed me." She laughed a bitter little laugh to herself. "Peak evil Sunset Shimmer would have been so disappointed."

Cozy Glow snort-laughed with surprise. "You lost everything you reformed for, got driven to the edge and the worst part was that your past self would have been disappointed?"

"Yeah, because the rest was all my own fault." Sunset curved away from Cozy's expectations. "I spent years making their lives miserable and constantly lying. I earned Anon-A-Miss. If I hadn't been the Crusaders it would have been Trixie or someone else who took the shot at me." She paused for a thoughtful breath. "And if nobody had, it would have eventually been Wallflower with the stone. And I'm not sure I'd have handled that as well as I did if Anon-A-Miss hadn't prepared me."

The fridge rattled open as Cozy pulled out a bag of baby carrots. "I don't get it. They zapped you and you turned good. That's what the Elements do, right?"

A derisive snort came from the couch. "You got blasted and didn't."

"I was full of super magic and an alicorn." Cozy puffed her chest out proudly. "I was too tough for it to work."

Sunset's eyes rolled at the empty bravado. "That's not how the Elements work. Rainbow lasers aside, people don't just change instantly. Watching everything I built up get destroyed? That made me want to try changing. It opened the door, but I had to pull myself through it. Slowly." She sighed. "I still have that little voice in the back of my head that whispers sometimes that the easier way is just to manipulate them into doing what I want or that I should crush them down to show everyone I'm better than them."

Draping herself over the back of the couch with the carrots in hand, Cozy grinned. "So why don't you?"

"Because it's wrong." The words were on Sunset's lips without thinking. "Because you don't do that to friends. And if you're gonna be pragmatic about it, because they kicked my butt for doing it once and they'll kick it again." She reached over and gave Cozy a light, playful shove. "Are you really going to tell me that after the last few days you still think the best plan is to try and manipulate everyone? Even if you succeeded, would it really be a win?"

"Of course it would be!" That response was as quick for Cozy as Sunset's had been for her. But what followed lacked the same confidence. "Not that I will. Your friends know who I am. They're not that stupid - they're not going to fall for it so easily."

Sunset shook her head. "No, it's because they understand. Redemption is a journey, Cozy. And we make mistakes and mis-steps along the way. You'll always have a little bit of it in you, and my friends understand that better than anybody. The first steps are frustrating but... I believe in you. And they will too."

9 - Hush Now, Quiet Now

Author's Note

As a notice - while I didn't feel comfortable putting the tag on the fic as a whole (since it's just one-off and not indicative of the overall narrative), this chapter does need a red-tag Death warning. Some may have trouble reading - lord knows it wasn't easy to write.

The chapter ahead involves the injury and death of an animal and while not overly graphic, reader discretion is advised.

9 - Hush Now, Quiet Now

It was an early morning the next day - breakfast, then right out into the rainy Sunday. The journey's destination was once more obvious upon arrival: an animal shelter really could only be one person.

The moment they entered, Fluttershy was beside them with towels. "Oh dear! I thought it was just going to be a little sprinkle today. I'm so sorry!"

"Fluttershy, it's fine. We had umbrellas and it's just rain." Sunset still took the towel and wiped away the mud on her boots.

Cozy, on the other hand, was practically frothing. "That was miserable! That's what wild rain is like? I knew not having a Weather Bureau around was bad but this is terrible!"

Fluttershy and Sunset exchanged surprisingly dry glances that were bereft of sympathy.

Heedless of their pitiless stares, Cozy went about wiping herself down with every towel she could grab. "And clothes just.. ugh! It's like I'm wearing sponges!"

A giggle slipped out from Fluttershy. Cozy crushed it with a devastating glare that made the pale girl shrink back behind her pink hair. "Well," she squeak-whispered, "I thought it was a funny picture."

Sunset grabbed Cozy's arm and gave her a yank. "That's enough. We've got work to do here and we're supposed to be helping Fluttershy, not scaring her."

"Uuuuuuugh." Cozy rolled her eyes. "I got soaked just so we could play with some dumb puppies? Or am I supposed to clean up poop all day?"

For a moment, Fluttershy's expression turned to stone. "Um. You can just stay at the front desk for now, Cozy. And, um, let me know if anyone comes in with questions about adoptions?"

Cozy Glow grunted, grabbing three more towels and dropping into the chair.

Two hours passed. Two extremely boring hours, interrupted only once by the mailman arriving. Beyond that, the only thinking creatures Cozy saw were Fluttershy, Sunset and Dr. Fauna.

The dull haze was broken by Fluttershy calling out - despite her nature, her voice was clarion-clear when needed. "Sunset! Could you please make a trip to the store for some litter? And, um, maybe a few extra packages of hamster bedding?" Sunset's response was muffled by the intervening walls, but a few minutes later she passed by with Fluttershy's keys - the large butterfly on them was a give-away.

As she left Sunset simply pointed two fingers at her eyes, then at Cozy. With that, she was gone.

A few more silent minutes passed before Fluttershy came out into the front area carrying a kitten. She peered out the front window, nodding as she confirmed her car had left.

Then she turned to Cozy. "Okay. She's gone." Fluttershy put a soft hand on Cozy's arm. "You can relax now. It's just us."

Cozy Glow looked at Fluttershy as if she claimed humans could fly. (They could, but Cozy could be forgiven for not realizing that.) Then the ex-pegasus burst out laughing.

Non-plussed, Fluttershy frowned.

"I am relaxed, Professor," Cozy sneered. "Why would I be afraid of a scaredy-pegasus like you?"

Fluttershy winced at the barb. "I'm not her."

Cozy felt power coming back - she had Fluttershy verbally pinned to the wall already and it felt good. "You're her without wings! Just as scared and just as weak! You don't even have Discord here to save you!"

An odd thing happened to Fluttershy's face in that moment. If Cozy hadn't known better, she would have probably called it anger. But Fluttershy didn't get angry. That wasn't who she was.

Admittedly, her storming out of the room was a little convincing. But it did let Cozy be smug at her back, which was satisfying.

For roughly two and a half minutes, Cozy thought she had won. Then Fluttershy stormed back in with eyes ablaze.

First, she put a little white and brown bi-color puppy on the desk. "This," she introduced, "Is Isaac."

Then there was a pronounced clunk as she dropped a hammer on the desk. "Hurt him."

"W--what." Cozy's eyes flicked between the two objects and a stone-serious Fluttershy.

"Hurt him," she repeated with greater force. And when Cozy hesitated, Fluttershy grabbed the girl's hand and dragged it to the hammer.

Cozy tried to jerk back, struggling to pull free of Fluttershy's surprising grip. "No!"

Eyes narrow and glaring, Fluttershy hissed. "I thought you liked when others got hurt. That it's funny."

The words clicked in Cozy Glow's memory. "You've been talking to Pinkie Pie."

As abruptly as it came, the burning fury went out. Fluttershy transformed from righteous warrior to meek caretaker with a speed that surprised even the mood-swingy Cozy Glow. She released the Equestrian girl in favor of pouncing the confused puppy and holding him tightly.

Cozy recoiled to the wall, putting her back tight against it. Fluttershy didn't pursue and instead continued to hold Isaac close. She spoke to the dog quietly, and even with such little distance Cozy couldn't make out any words beyond a constant litany of "I'm sorry".

The tension in the room receded slowly. And just as slowly, Cozy peeled herself away from the wall and inched closer to Fluttershy. The older girl still held the dog with tearful eyes and whispered apologies. Blue ringlets crept up over the edge of the desk, waiting for another snap. It didn't come.

Finally, Fluttershy satisfied herself that she'd apologized enough. That didn't mean she'd stop giving Isaac chin scritches or let him go - but it did bring her to finally respond. "Yes. We're friends, we talk." She didn't look away from the dog. "They said you liked to hurt others, but I had to be sure. I couldn't let you get near any of the animals here until I was. I had to know if you were a pit bull or not."

And that confused Cozy Glow more than anything. "A what?"

"A pit bull, like Isaac," Fluttershy elaborated. She flipped the dog over, scratching his belly. The squirmy puppy writhed in her lap, oblivious to what had gone on just minutes before. "They're a very common breed of dog - well, um, actually more of a category than a breed. But the important part is that they've got a terrible reputation."

Isaac yipped happily, trying to direct Fluttershy's scritches to everywhere at once. "They're supposed to be aggressive, vicious and uncontrollable. The funny thing is that they aren't inherently any of those. They're actually quite smart and kind, but because of the reputation people who adopt them usually do it because they want a dog that behaves like that. So the poor thing acts dangerous for approval, which reinforces the stereotype and it starts all over again."

Fluttershy finally looked up from Isaac to Cozy. "They want their owners to love them, so they act aggressive because that's what makes their human happy. They think they're supposed to be that way. It's learned, not bred. ...I, um. What I'm saying is that I think that's you, Cozy Glow."

In a more reasonable state of mind, Cozy Glow would have pointed out that she thought Fluttershy was a complete lunatic. She was not, however, in a reasonable state of mind and thus her response was much simpler. "....what."

"You're only mean because you think you have to be mean to be loved."

Words lept to Cozy's lips immediately to refute it. Of course she wasn't! And the words died without being spoken, because they were empty. Yes, she could deny it. And she could mean it. But she couldn't prove it. And Fluttershy had been right - Cozy didn't want to hurt that puppy.

She sank down, back against the laminated particleboard of the front desk. "I... hurting anypony wasn't part of the plan," she admitted. "Not the first time. I didn't really care if anypony was, but I didn't try to. Even Councilor Starlight would have been okay... in a different dimension. Sacrifices had to be made but I didn't seek them out. The second time, it was all just so...."

"Out of control?," Fluttershy gently offered.

"Exhilarating," Cozy instead chose. "Giving the Princess a few lumps was fun, but looking back I was caught up in the moment. It all made sense then, but..."

Shuffling a little closer, Fluttershy moved into a position so Cozy could also pet Isaac. She didn't force the subject, but she made sure that the opportunity was there. Cozy didn't take it, though. "I understand. Rainbow Dash does a lot of things in the heat of the moment that she knows were dumb later on. And Sunset tried to, um, murder all of us with a fireball. She apologized for that a lot afterwards. She said the same thing as you."

Weakly, Cozy laughed. And she paused before asking the question on her mind. "Would you have actually let me hurt the dog?"

A slight smile touched Fluttershy's lips. "No. But I had to see if you would try."

Cozy hesitantly smiled back.

The tender moment was interrupted by the sound of brakes squealing. Both girls were on their feet immediately, Isaac barking loudly as he lept to the ground. Fluttershy peeked out the window and paled before pulling the doors open.

Seconds later Sunset Shimmer entered carrying something in a blanket. The red and white checker design was painfully stereotypical - and there was something dark and liquid seeping into it. "Get Doctor Fauna! NOW!"

Fluttershy took just a moment to jab the intercom button on the front desk's phone. "Doctor Fauna to the front - emergency!" Not daring to stray far from the crisis, she abandoned the desk to keep at Sunset's side. "What happened?"

"Found him by the side of the road," Sunset outlined as she carried the wrapped figure in, guided by Fluttershy to one of the rooms with a table. "I don't know how long he was there, but it looked fresh. I'm pretty sure it was another car."

Craning her neck, Cozy tried to see what was being carried and talked about. Two things jumped out immediately - the fuzzy face of a golden retriever on one end of the blanket, and two legs sticking out the other end at an angle that didn't match up with the head.

Cozy's mind connected the pieces together and she froze. Ancient pony instincts cried out to flee.

The others didn't notice. The bundled dog was laid on one of the grooming tables as Dr. Fauna rushed in. While Sunset recapped for the vet, Fluttershy crouched down by the dog's head. "Hi there." In contrast to Cozy's shock and even Sunset's shaky speech, Fluttershy's remained even-keeled and soft. "I'm Fluttershy - what's your name?" There was a pause, presumably as the dog responded. "That's a very respectable name, Beauregard. It's nice to meet you." Her eyes flickered to the vet for just a moment. "We're going to try to help you so let me know how you're feeling, alright?"

Dr. Fauna lifted the blanket aside with gloved hands, gingerly touching to try and get an initial diagnosis on the damage. The worst of the scene was shielded from Cozy by the doctor's body. "Sunset, I may need you to run and get some more supplies. I only came here to do check-ups and booster vaccines so I'm not prepared for this."

A green-faced Sunset nodded, fists balled tight to keep the trembles down.

"Do you have a family, Beauregard? Why don't you tell me about them." Fluttershy barely blinked. She maintained a flawless smile and calm demeanor, even as Dr. Fauna scrambled about at the dog's other end.

Her voice - soothing, gentle - slowly pulled Cozy back from the edge of panic just by being nearby. She inched forward.. and then back again, her stomach turning at just what little she could see.

A fourth minute passed according to the clock's mechanical ticking. Dr. Fauna exchanged looks with Fluttershy, a deep frown on the veterinarian's face. "Stomach rupture," is all she said to clarify. Fluttershy only gave the smallest of nods in reply before continuing her soft conversation with the dog.

Dr. Fauna turned to Sunset, voice dropping to a half-whisper. "I don't have what I really need, so we'll have to make due. Get to my kit and bring me the four vials labeled propofol. It won't be enough, but it should at least keep him comfortable while nature does the rest."

Sunset's green turned ash-grey, but she still nodded and sprinted off.

Fluttershy's pale yellow hand ran through Beauregard's golden fur and came away bloody. She barely seemed to notice. "Beauregard, I'm sorry. There isn't much that Doctor Fauna can do to help you. She's going to make it stop hurting but that's all she's able to. I'm so, so sorry." A bit of emotion slipped out as her voice hitched - Fluttershy clamped down on it again as quickly as it came. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

She was silent, nodding occasionally to the dog. At the other end of the table, Sunset returned and handed over the first of the vials. Dr. Fauna used it to load a small syringe and--

Cozy turned away, feeling her stomach churn. Moments ticked past.

"About a minute," noted the vet. "Fluttershy, let me know if he can still feel anything after that. I've still got one more, but it's..." She looked down at the partially hidden pet. "It isn't going to be long either way."

The only reply was a nod - Fluttershy looked to be intensely listening to something the others couldn't really hear. She kept gently petting the dog as the clock ticked. Sunset moved away from the table and hugged Cozy - there was no resistance or protest this time.

The room's silence smothered everything until Dr. Fauna finally cut through it. "...Gone," she pronounced.

It was only then that Fluttershy's calm broke into violent, sobbing tears.

Cozy Glow wasn't entirely sure how, but Fluttershy was pulled into Sunset's embrace - and by proxy, Cozy's as well. The youngest Equestrian didn't cry like the pink-haired girl did - hers was more the quiet shock of the room.

The tears and tension faded slowly as Dr. Fauna folded up the blanket around their lost patient in the background. In time, she put a hand on Sunset's shoulder. "I just wanted to say thank you, Miss Shimmer." Sunset turned, breaking the hug - leaving the still tearful Fluttershy holding a now uncomfortable Cozy Glow. "You could have left that dog where he was or you could have missed seeing him. Maybe we couldn't save him but you at least made sure he wasn't alone or in pain."

Sunset nodded at the thanks, expression numb and neutral.

Dr. Fauna turned back - and Fluttershy straightened up again. "I.... I need to go and see Beauregard's family. He asked me to." She forced down another sob. "You should take Cozy home, Sunset. You've both had enough today."

A bit of Rainbow Dash flared in Sunset. "I'll come with you, Fluttershy. You shouldn't have to be alone and--"

"Take her home." The steel in Fluttershy momentarily unsheathed.

Sunset Shimmer didn't argue again.

When they got home, Sunset tried to return them to something resembling normal. Dinner was take-out Indian and it was now that Sunset decided to introduce Cozy to the music of the Rainbooms. The studio apartment was flooded most of the evening with cheerful songs about friendship and fun, interrupted only for Sunset to pick up her guitar and do a few live renditions.

It didn't help. Neither of them felt the joy in the music, and Sunset's impromptu jams kept dissolving into dirge-like chords.

That night, Cozy discovered something else about the human world in her sleep: there was no Princess of Dreams to ward away a filly's nightmares.

Thankfully, most faded into the morning fog - only two still haunted Cozy's memory.

One was the look of terror in Starlight Glimmer's eyes as she and the sphere of Equestria's magic lowered into the dimensional portal.

The other, paradoxically, was Fluttershy sitting on the grooming table and gently stroking the rolled-up blanket. She Fluttershy in the dream had smiled and spoken a singular statement: "You didn't find this fun."

And when she woke up, Cozy couldn't figure out why that was a nightmare.

10 - Everywhere I Go, Everything I Do

Monday began ominous. The rain from Sunday had stopped but left the autumn sky slate-grey - a color which seeped into everyone under it. Cozy's poor sleep the night before didn't help any.

Sunset seemed upbeat despite it all. Perhaps her life's trials bouyed her... or maybe it was the extra-large coffee.

Whatever the reason, Sunset was bright where everyone else was grey. And Cozy Glow had no choice but to be dragged along with her.

There was a brief pause on the way in as Sunset waved to Wallflower Blush - the gardener was sitting with several others in a sleepy-eyed cluster near the base of the broken statue. There was no wave back, but that wasn't terribly unusual. It was Monday, after all.

But the fire-haired girl was the only bright spot in the whole school. The rest of Cozy's day reflected the weather - quiet, almost sullen. Thankfully the Crusaders' work also had taken root, which raised the younger Equestrian's spirits. When her classmates weren't talking to her it was because they were caught in the Monday blues rather than because she was an outcast. There was still hesitation but tentative acceptance was far better than shunning exile.

After classes ended, Cozy Glow headed to the detention room. A very unsubtle Mr. Doodle followed from a distance, badly faking that he was reading something on a clipboard rather than watching to ensure the troublesome student went where she was supposed to.

With the Crusaders having served theirs out the week before, Cozy Glow was the only student in the rather silent classroom. Miss Cheerilee glanced up from the novel she was reading, made a check-mark on the attendance pad and went back to her book. The blackboard made the situation clear:

No Talking
No Electronic Devices
Complete Any Reading/Assignments
No Leaving FOR ANY REASON Without Permission/Escort

Sighing, Cozy pulled out her History textbook to get started. (Grudgingly, she internally admitted that Sunset was right and History was the hardest subject. Who knew humans had so many nations?)

Twenty minutes later, the silence was interrupted by Sunset Shimmer's entrance. Cozy couldn't quite hear what she and Cheerilee whispered to each other, but it seemed to satisfy the teacher enough that Cheerilee slipped in a pair of earbuds.

A moment later, Sunset and Cozy were sitting next to each other again. A snarky sneer crossed Cozy's lips. "You got sent here too, huh," she whispered so as not to invoke the wrath of Rule #1.

"Actually," Sunset noted at a perfectly normal volume, "I stopped in for you. Since I'm in charge of you, the staff are giving me a lot of leeway and they want to keep as far from magical incidents as possible." That surprise fact sent Cozy looking around, instinctively suspecting some kind of trap. Sunset didn't seem to care. "Twilight was supposed to be here with me but she wasn't in school today for some reason."

"Is she sick?" Cozy's tone sat squarely in the land of plausible deniability between heartfelt concern and spiteful hope.

Sunset just shrugged. "Dunno. Twilight's not answering her texts. Rainbow said she'd go check on her after practice, so we'll know then. But since she's not available, I'm gonna do something I've wanted to for a long time..." She grinned with predatory intent.

As Sunset reached down to fish in her backpack, Cozy braced. She'd finally gone too far, hadn't she? It was time for the inevitable betrayal. This was all just to get her guard down so Princess Twilight's enforcer could finish the job. Get her to consider the future and get her hopes up, only to be--

The checkered cardboard slapped on the desk between them. "...Play chess against someone who's got their Mark in it." Sunset Shimmer's other hand lifted a small box full of plastic chess pieces, giving it a little shake.

Cozy Glow's heart restarted.

Author's Note: As a visual aid, you can step-by-step view the chess match here.

Completely failing to notice any of the worry, Sunset set up the board - herself as black, Cozy as white. Once it was all in place she gave a small wave to Cozy. "Sun before the moon."

After a moment's thought, Cozy made her first move - king's pawn ahead two. "And here I thought you would want the sun, miss Celestia's Prize Pupil."

Sunset countered with near-instant speed and mirrored Cozy's move. "I may be reformed but I still look damn good in black."

"Ugh." Cozy faked gagging as she moved another pawn forward to stand next to the one already out. "Reformed but not reformed all the way? You good guy types always do things halfway."

Plastic clinked as Sunset took the offered pawn with her own. "Sort of? It's a process. I like to think I'm pretty far along my path. Yours, though..."

Sliding her bishop across the board, Cozy smarmily smiled. "So your whole plan is to subject me to your friends and assume that's enough to 'it's a process' me? Well," she appended, "Your friends, their music and Tirek's Revenge."

Sunset's queen rocketed out to the right edge of the board through the gap her pawn made. "Check. And... kinda? But a lot of it's more to get you used to living on this side of the mirror." She paused, glancing up from the board to Cozy. "You do realize you're not going to go back, right? Even if you completely turn yourself around tomorrow, it's going to be years before they'll let you through the mirror. This world's your home now, Cozy Glow. Just like it's mine."

The words knifed into Cozy. Her eyes stayed on the board, a tight frown on her lips. Her king inched to the side, edging just out of the queen's path.

Sunset brought her queen's knight's pawn forward to threaten the bishop. "It was easier for me to accept, since originally the portal only opened every thirty moons. I didn't have the temptation that you do. You can't get out of this, though. This is the consequence of your actions, Cozy. Think about that."

Cozy did. She took the pawn without statement or expression.

The black king's knight jumped out into the fray. "What do you miss the most about Equestria?" Sunset tried to ask the question gently, though she knew it could easily come across accusatory. It certainly had when Princess Twilight had asked her the same thing the previous winter.

On the opposite side of the board, Cozy mirrored the move. "Flying," she answered gloomily. "I never was a really good flier, but I always liked being up in the air. Humans are so... two-dimensional. They don't even bother to look up most of the time! I don't think there's anypony I'll miss that wasn't already not speaking to me after...." She waved vaguely in the air. "You know. But being stuck walking everywhere like a dirt-stomper? Forever?" Cozy shivered with revulsion.

Sunset, in turn, retreated her queen from the knight's threat as she did her best to ignore the Equestrian slur. "I get that. We might be human in body but we're still pony in soul, after all. I know I miss my magic. Hands are nice, but levitating things is just so much more satisfying." She tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe later on I'll see what we can do. Humans have ways to fly, but they're nothing like pegasus flight. Unless you find the Magic of Friendship and pony up like we do."

The white queen's pawn advanced a space. "Oh, that's gonna happen real soon," Cozy sneered. "I'm sure I'll get infected by friendship any day now."

Looping her knight around, Sunset put it in front of her queen to protect her pawn. "You say that like you haven't already. Pinkie Pie found your laugh. And Fluttershy--"

Cozy interrupted Sunset as her own knight advanced similarly, setting it as bait. "Can we not talk about yesterday?" She hesitated for a moment before meekly adding, "Please?"

Sunset was quiet - then nodded in agreement. "My point is that if you think friendship's a disease - which it isn't - you've already caught it, Cozy. You're starting to see the best parts of it and understand why it's a good thing." She took the bait and slipped her queen out, threatening the knight.

In turn, Cozy jumped her knight to the other side, protecting it with a pawn. "Maybe I'm just biding my time and looking for a chance to strike."

Moves paused as Sunset planned her next attack. She finally settled on moving her queen's bishop pawn forward, opening an offensive on the other side of the board and endangering Cozy's bishop. "It can be both, you know."

Cozy slid another pawn forward to in front of Sunset's queen, positioning it to grab her knight. "But it doesn't have to be both. I say it's just one. And sooner or later I'm going to win, Sunset. Because you're making all the same mistakes that Princess Twilight did."

Predictably, Sunset retreated the knight again. "Not really. But even if I was there's the important difference that I know you're up to something and I'm ready for it."

A giggle slipped from Cozy. "Are you? Are you reeeeeally?" Her rook moved to cover the pawn. "Because if you're wrong? After I'm done with Equestria I'm going to come back for you and your friends."

Sunset finally got around to taking the stray bishop on the other side of the board. "For someone who doesn't want me to bring up yesterday, you're really begging me to point out the lesson Fluttershy taught you."

Cozy Glow shut up fast enough to make her jaw click.

The next few moves were made in silence.

King's rook's pawn to h4.
Black queen to g6.
Pawn to h5.
Black queen to g5.
White queen to f3.
King's knight to g8.

Cozy sprang her trap, shooting her remaining bishop out to grab Sunset's most forward pawn.

"Oof." Sunset pulled her queen back, abandoning that side of the board. "Good move, but that was a lot to commit just for one pawn."

"You know me. I like to play the long game." Cozy finally mobilized her other knight, staggering it forward.

In return, Sunset moved up her bishop to force open the other side of the board. "You do have that. Which is why I'm wondering what your back-up plan is."

Cozy paused. "My what?"

"Your back-up plan," Sunset reiterated. "Like I said - even if we're not successful in teaching you the true meaning of Friendship, you're not going back to Equestria. No matter how any of this goes, this is where you're staying."

The thought punched past Cozy's stubbornness - she mulled it over as she moved her knight up to beside Sunset's bishop.

With the opening, Sunset's queen darted down to pick off a vulnerable pawn. "And even if you managed to sneak back through the mirror, you wouldn't go anywhere. You'd just be in the middle of Canterlot Castle and without the power of the Bell this time I can't see you getting very far."

Cozy's bishop retreated to threaten Sunset's. But after? She closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. "I... I didn't actually plan for that long game," she admitted. And it was true - if her current plan worked, whatever unpredictable upcoming magical disaster happened could give the chance to return. But Sunset also had a point in that it wouldn't guarantee her enough to escape the castle or evade the Royal Guard. Returning to Equestria could just put her back in the stone - or worse.

Smugly, Sunset moved her bishop out of danger by grabbing Cozy's rook beside the king. "Maybe you should." There was visible regret as soon as the words were said, however. Sunset reined her tone in from victorious to counseling. "Really, Cozy. This is home now. There's plenty to miss from Equestria but you'll find - like I did - that it isn't so bad. Especially if you've got friends to help you."

Cozy didn't hear her. Instead her eyes had popped wide once she looked at the board again, darting back and forth across it to take in the setup. Then she tapped her pawn one space closer to Sunset's king. "Um, sure! Yuppers, Sunset! I get it!"

Sunset's eyes narrowed. "You're up to something." She looked to the board. "...But is it in the game or not?"

A cheerfully smiling Cozy Glow noted, "It can be both, you know."

Her concerns were entirely un-assuaged by that, but Sunset couldn't do much about it but grumble to herself. "It's unsportsman-like to read your opponent's mind while still playing, Sunset. Remember that. Don't give in to the temptation." Her queen grabbed Cozy's rook. "Check."

Almost off-handedly, Cozy nudged her king diagonally to safety. "Checkmate in three."

Sunset recoiled from the verbal slap. The banter paused as she searched the board in front of her, trying first to find what Cozy was seeing - and then how to stop her. A good minute later, the older girl sagged. "Mate in three," she agreed... and moved her queen's knight forward.

Cozy looked between the knight and Sunset in confusion. "...Checkmate in three," she repeated.

"In three," came the agreement. "But let's play out the rest." A tiny smirk tugged at the corners of Sunset's lips. "You might still make a mistake."

With an angry huff, Cozy had her knight take one of Sunset's pawns. "Check."

Sunset moved her king to the side, pinning it in a corner.

Cozy's queen moved forward. "Check."

With only one legal move available, Sunset took the queen with her nearby knight.

And then Cozy's bishop slid into place, sealing it. "Checkmate."

With a tap of her finger, Sunset knocked her king over. "Checkmate. Good game, Cozy."

Rather than taking her victory gracefully, Cozy frowned. Without the game taking up her thoughts, what they'd discussed wedged itself back into her mind. "Yeah. Good game."

Sunset glanced to the wall clock. "Well, you're still here for another forty-five minutes. Get that history textbook out - I'll help you with some of the dumber parts of what humans have done."

As the night wore on, it got worse.

Rainbow Dash didn't text Sunset back. At first that was dismissed as just Dash being busy - but dinner came and went without word from either of the two silent students. Sunset spent the evening on her phone, texting the others back and forth with growing concern.

In the end it was agreed to not panic until the next morning. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that Twilight Sparkle got so caught up in things she forgot to charge her phone or Rainbow Dash broke hers by forgetting that not everything was as indestructible as her (or as much as she thought she was).

Cozy did her best to ignore it. But the apartment's growing aura of dread crept in. Throughout the day Sunset had been a fiery beacon against the Monday blues, and now that brightness was dimming with the daylight.

Night fell, and Cozy Glow's sleep reminded her once more that Princess Luna was far, far away.

Author's Note

Before anyone critiques my chess skills, I will point out that the moves Sunset and Cozy perform are actually from a famous chess match and aren't my own.

This chapter was also very hard to write. Not because it was emotionally difficult like the last one, but because I got to the end and realized I'd done it backwards and the wrong character had won the match. So I had to go back and rewrite the entire thing with their positions reversed. Then I finished it, re-read it for the first editing patch and absolutely hated the end results. But it's too late in the process and too close to publish time to replot and rewrite from scratch so

WE'LL DO IT LIVE

11 - All That Grew Inside Me

Tuesday's sky was the color of ash. There was no rain, but neither was there sun - Celestia's or otherwise.

There was no bright aura around Sunset today, either. Despite having the biggest coffee she could grab from Sugarcube Corner in her hand, it wasn't enough to crack through her tired eyes.

A slow, silent trudge to Canterlot High was brought to an abrupt halt as both Equestrians froze before the school. Outside was a gathering around the stone plinth - dozens of students and a few teachers. Some milled about, many sat in little clusters. They were as grey as the sky, most seeming to talk quietly to themselves rather than the others around.

Sunset's eyes narrowed, scanning the crowd before picking out a drape of purple and magenta hair. "...Twilight," she half-muttered. Then - a turn and a crouch to be eye-level with Cozy Glow. "Go inside. Get to class."

"But--"

"Go," Sunset repeated. "I just..." Her eyes flitted for a moment back to the crowd. "I just need to catch up with Twilight real quick, okay? I'll see you at lunch." She hesitated before adding a plaintive "Please."

Cozy's stomach churned with dread. Maybe she had been evil - maybe she still was - but there were some things a pony's soul could pick out as Wrong. Something here was Wrong. And in the moment, her tentative plan was forgotten. She nodded and fled inside.

Unlike the courtyard, the halls of Canterlot were empty. The wall clocks declared that classes would start in under five minutes, but Cozy's run didn't take her past another soul. Her classroom was more populated but barely so - no Miss Cheerilee teaching, and both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom were missing. By the time the bell rang, the class of twenty-four was only seven and still lacked a teacher. The few that were there watched one another nervously, each hoping someone else would take the first step and figure out what to do.

Then out of the corner of her eye, movement caught Cozy Glow's attention. Instinctively her gaze flicked to the window - to the courtyard - to the mass of people there - to the smoke. Blue smoke that seemed to hold the coherent shape of a tall, long-limbed unicorn.

Cozy's soul shuddered and screamed again that this was Wrong. The thin window was enough to let her fight it down this time - at least enough for her to remember her plans. She had been waiting for another magical crisis to give her an opening. This was certainly a magical crisis and...

She leaned forward, getting a better angle on the scene. There - by the base of the statue - was a shock of red and gold hair. Sunset Shimmer, curled up in a ball with her arms clutching her knees tight.

This was the opening.

A gentle breeze blew over the courtyard, carrying with it the chill of approaching winter. It cut into Cozy, held back only by her thin second-hand windbreaker. The students and teachers around her huddled and shivered rather than seek shelter.

"I know you're here," she said to the air. "Come out." Cozy hoped the tremble in her bones didn't carry in her voice.

She called, and it came. From behind the plinth, the creature walked. Closer now, Cozy could see it better. The shape was undeniably unicorn, tall and lean like a Princess but without the wings. It was weirdly two-dimensional, as if pressed flat against a surface that Cozy couldn't see. The outer edges were defined by the blue smoke that swirled and flowed behind as it walked, but inside that border was different. It seemed a nothing at first - a void with only the hints of stars. But as the thing moved closer it brushed its barrel against a numb-faced Wallflower Blush. The interior of the thing lit up like Sunset's television.

Sunset Shimmer was curled up on the edge of the school's roof, crying. Below and across the parking lot, her friends chatted among themselves. Sunset looked down to them, trying to find words that wouldn't immediately fail again. Rarity, in turn, looked up and caught sight of the amber girl. With a haughty snort of disdain, the fashinista turned away as soon as their eyes met. It was just another icy knife into Sunset's heart. With nothing left, she stood.

At the edge of the trees beside the parking lot, Wallflower screamed.

In a heap amidst the students, Wallflower screamed.

The creature strode away from the gardener, leaving a thin tendril of smoke behind. The lack of eyes turned on Cozy Glow and stared through her. It didn't speak but she understood none the less - she knew it was the Tantabus. It had once been a part of Princess Luna, built from dreamstuff to torture herself. Fed off of regret of past acts and guilt of possible ones, it had grown powerful and fat in her psyche. But on the verge of breaking out, she had forgiven herself and re-absorbed the Tantabus.

Cozy reeled as the smoke--the Tantabus simply looked at her and made her know things. Her head felt as if she'd just woken up seconds before and was still full of dream-fog. "But if she absorbed you, how are you here?"

An echo of a thought was Cozy's reply in a skin-crawlingly wrong version of Sunset Shimmer's voice. "Redemption is a journey, Cozy."

Pale scarlet eyes looked to where Sunset was still balled up on the ground. Another shiver ran up Cozy's spine - and then she scolded herself for being so weak. She had faced down Chrysalis and Tirek and Sombra and Grogar. She was stronger than this!

But she also knew it was the truth. It took a moment to say you forgive yourself but actually doing so took a long time. And she knew that the Tantabus had suffered in that time, starving as Luna's guilt fed it less and less.

Until the portal.

Until it had sensed something that was Luna but not Luna.

Something that the Tantabus had latched onto, escaping the Princess.

"...The Vice-Principal," Cozy surmised quietly. "You lept from one Luna to the other."

And so Cozy understood. She was smart enough to fill in the blanks for the rest.

Cozy paused. "Um, actually? No I'm not. I don't understand why you're telling me this." Another pause. "Thinking this at me." And another, with rising anger. "Why is this happening?!"

The Tantabus meandered as Cozy's frustration rose, touching a leg against Twilight Sparkle and--

Twilight cackled. But it wasn't quite her - the raven wings and glasses of iridescent flame gave that much away. Reaching down, she slipped a lithe finger under Princess Twilight Sparkle's chin and forced the pony-turned-girl to look up at her. "I should have done this in the first place. If I wanted to understand magic, why not take it directly from the source?"

The Princess looked up at her mirror self. "Please. Don't do this."

"The march of knowledge requires some sacrifices," Twilight noted with chill detachment. Then her hand shoved into the other Twilight's chest, grabbing hold of the Equestrian's very essence and yanking to rip it from her thrashing body.

Twilight Sparkle started to cry anew.

Another thin wisp of blue smoke trailed behind the Tantabus as it leisurely walked away from the girl-who-was-not-a-princess. It slowly meandered towards Sunset Shimmer, because it wanted to go home. Just like Cozy Glow did, the Tantabus needed to return to Equestria. It could grow strong off the fears of a people that had no Princess to defend them and finally manifest outside - but at the same time it also could not survive in this magic-less world. It was a bonfire, burning strong but fast. Only by returning to Equestria before its flame was quenched could the Tantabus live outside of dreams. But it could not cross the portal on its own - that required a physical body to carry it. Sunset Shimmer had been the first choice, but she was too stubborn.

The Tantabus grazed Sunset with its mane. Within the smoke the stars gave way to--

The lanky red demon hovered over the burning wreck of Canterlot High's front doors. A horde of glowing-eyed students staggered about, slowly obeying the demon's will and forming battle lines. The only ones present who did not were Twilight Sparkle and her friends - their own defensive cluster stood strong, facing down the demon.

Flames formed in the demon's hands, crackling with the dark magic that summoned them. "Twilight has interfered with my plans one too many times. She needs to be dealt with!" A fireball the size of a pony hurled towards Twilight and--

Dissipated.

A single mote of light gleamed from a crystal in the center of the demon's chest. Tiny, transparent and flickering. Inside it was a miniature Sunset Shimmer. And she sang.

"You're never gonna bring me down./You're never gonna break this part of me." Her song was quiet and weak, but Sunset's true voice cut through the nightmare and pierced out of what the Tantabus created.

Above her, the Tantabus managed a snarl on a face that didn't exist. It lifted a hoof and slammed it against Sunset's forehead with enough force to push her over.

Sunset Shimmer glared daggers at Princess Celestia as the guards surrounded her. "This is the biggest mistake you'll make in your entire life," she snarled as they started to drag her away.

But while Sunset's eyes were full of hate, Princess Celestia's look was far more complex. Disappointment. Fear. Self-doubt. Sorrow. Regrets that stretched across centuries.

Sunset Shimmer whimpered, even as she struggled.

The deepest pony part of Cozy Glow wrenched against her again, crying out to flee. She forced herself to stand strong - this was it. Her opportunity. It was freedom. Her jailor was disabled, the portal would soon be available, and she had access to something that would clear her escape route. All she had to do was use the book to contact Equestria and have them open the portal. Then carry the Tantabus through and all would be complete. She would be home again, and it could turn all of Equestria into a living nightmare!

A smoky tendril of mane reached out to Cozy, stroking her cheek. Now they could--

"Every step of the way, guided by the older, wiser and more experienced? Hm?" Rarity batted her eyelashes.

The Tantabus recoiled.

Rarity's words echoed in Cozy's memory just as the moment flashed across the Tantabus' form. She was right. If Cozy took this chance, it wouldn't be her doing. It would just be riding along with someone else's victory and picking up the scraps for herself. Again.

Her hesitation didn't stop the Tantabus. It reached out again, this time with more force. After all, did it matter how she got it? Cozy would have her revenge on those who had dared to--

A playful wind blasted across the courtyard, dispersing the smoke of the Tantabus for a heartbeat moment.

And... Pinkie Pie was right. Cozy knew it. Revenge might feel nice for a moment, but was it really worth it? She had briefly felt it against Princess Twilight - and the joy had faded as quickly as it came. This was a lot for such a small high.. and then what would she have?

She would have a land of nightmares, all under the Tantabus as it grew strong off the fears of ponies. This time the Tantabus grabbed hold of Cozy with both hooves, pulling her in. There was no other way, after all. They would bow to it, and in turn to her. All would suffer for what had--

"You're only mean because you think you have to be mean to be loved."

The phantasmal Fluttershy's voice cut into the Tantabus like a blade, nearly slicing it in half.

The Tantabus was using her, Cozy understood that. In a land of living nightmare, there was no room for a filly. It would betray her the moment they crossed the portal and no longer needed her.

Her heart rallied. The pony soul within Cozy remembered lessons long lost - tales of Hearth's Warming and of ancient Cloudsdale and of Princesses who--

The Tantabus tackled Cozy to the ground with a weight that was not smoke. For if she was not an accomplice, then she was fuel for the fire.

Down on the ground, Cozy Glow struggled as much mentally as she did physically. She could feel it as the thing plucked at her mind, as if trying to find loose threads on a sweater that could be pulled to unravel it. Each pinch yanked a little more free - a moment of hesitation here; a second thought there; the slight regret of watching the consequences of her actions.

Then the Tantabus found something tangible and Cozy's mind flooded with the memory of the seconds it took to be enveloped in stone. The terror of feeling her body petrify. The knowledge of how her actions had led to that moment. The--

A few feet away, Sunset Shimmer rallied herself. Her voice feebly took up defiant song again and at a whisper sang a tune that was purely her.

"I may not know what the future holds,/but hear me when I say/that my past does not define me--"

The last stanza slipped from Sunset and Cozy's lips at the same time.

"'Cause my past is not today."

Perhaps it was strength of will or the power of a heartsong or the tiny bit of pegasus magic still in her Equestrian soul - but Cozy Glow's hands touched the smoke like it was cloud and she pushed.

As the Tantabus stumbled backwards there was an audible snap.

It was followed in nearly the same instant by a loud gasp just to Cozy's side. The thin tendril of smoke between the Tantabus and Sunset Shimmer had broken, and the other Equestrian was struggling to her feet and free of the dream.

Not that it would help. It was useless to resist something so powerful. But Cozy still reached out and steadied Sunset. Even if her acts were meaningless. One could not fight something as ephemeral as a dream, after all.

Then Cozy Glow whipped around and punched the Tantabus anyway.

It stumbled sideways from the blow, wobbling. A smoky stretch of mane grabbed hold of the nearest students to stabilize and gain strength back from the dream that--

The MyStable profile page sat in front of them. Apple Bloom looked to Sweetie Belle looked to Scootaloo looked to Apple Bloom. This was it. This was the moment.

On the screen was the first post of Anon-A-Miss, composed and ready to go. They just had to hit the button and make it happen.

Then there would be no going back.

"We gotta," Apple Bloom noted. "For our sisters."

The other two nodded solemnly.

"For our sisters," they repeated.

Cozy Glow grabbed Sunset by the arm. "Your phone! I've got an idea!"

The device came out in an instant. Cozy snapped a selfie of Sunset and herself together, and Sunset's fingers flew with the speed of a teenager used to texting.

Three Crusader phones pinged aloud.

The cursor swept down to the Post button. But before it could be clicked, all three of their phones went off.

The three girls looked at their phones.

Staring back at them was a MyStable friend invite from Sunset Shimmer, complete with a picture of her and Cozy Glow together. Under it was a simple message - 'Our Past Is Not Today, And Neither Is Yours'.

snapsnapsnap

Three Crusaders blinked in shock, and the Tantabus howled as its connections to them broke.

Sunset turned to grab Twilight Sparkle while Cozy ran to the trio. She offered her hand to Scootaloo, helping her up. Sweetie Belle opened her mouth to ask a question - but was headed off. "No time," Cozy hurriedly commanded. "Go help your sisters!" That was enough of a rallying cry, and the crusade was launched.

The creature tried to right itself under Cozy Glow's fierce glare. Unsteady hooves of smoke found purchase just moments before the next blow hit.

One snap after another cascaded through the air, coming faster and faster as more students were freed to free others in turn.

Lyra kissed Bon-Bon deeply before whispering that who she was before didn't matter. snap

Whiz Kid hugged Curly Winds tightly. "Of course I love you, you big lug." snap

The Tantabus grasped wildly, trying to take hold of anyone it could reach. Its strength was falling away each time someone was pulled from the nightmare - at this rate it would lose the ability to manifest soon and then--

A rock flew through the Tantabus, affecting it almost exactly as one would expect a rock would affect a cloud of smoke. It was more the principle of the thing for Wallflower Blush as she grabbed another. "How DARE YOU!" Trixie grabbed the gardener to hold her back. She didn't manage much. "If I still had the Memory Stone, I would ERASE YOU FROM EXISTENCE!" The second rock did just as little as the first, but the green girl's rage was searingly potent to the dream-creature. It hissed angrily.

Nearby there were seven flashes of light - pony ears growing from the tops of heads.

The Tantabus ran. It galloped and weaved through the awakening students in full retreat. It had lost the battle, and the magic-less human world couldn't sustain the creature for much longer. There was only one safe haven.

The Tantabus lept at Vice-Principal Luna, blue smoke splashing across her face, disappearing into her and burying into the deep recesses of her psyche.

It was only then the dark woman finally opened her bloodshot and pained eyes.

Author's Note

The first moment I outlined in this story was Sunset at the portal, holding a hand out to help Cozy Glow up and saying "I'm not your jailor, I'm you." The second moment was Cozy defiantly staring down the Tantabus and stating "My past is not today." Everything else in the story was written to connect those two moments and have it make sense.

I will also say I didn't originally intend to use color so much. But having a dream-based meta-narrative character take control of the narration to 'speak' just made sense in a lot of ways. And it certainly made it fun to play with.

12 - And The Sound That We Hear In Our Hearts

A zephyr of warmth blew over the two Equestrians as they walked down the familiar path. Just as they had six months before, they stopped at a little wooden bridge over a creek.

This time it was Princess Twilight who leaned on the railing and looked out over the water. "Vice-Principal Luna said to say hello, by the way. She's due to come back from Equestria tomorrow."

Sunset laughed and shook her head. "Yeah Twi, I know. When someone says they're taking a week's vacation it usually lasts a week." She leaned beside Twilight, facing the other way.

Twilight coughed into her fist with embarrassment and blushed a little. "Well, you never know for sure. Ever since the two Lunas started communicating about the Tantabus, they've been getting closer. I think Princess Luna enjoys talking with somepony who has a perspective so similar to her own."

"Speaking of the Tantabus," Sunset ventured, "Any change?"

There, Twilight shook her head. "No change. It's still hiding in the recesses of the Vice-Principal's mind, slowly dwindling as the two work through her issues. The last idea they tried was for Princess Luna to feel as bad as possible about it being inside Vice-Principal Luna to lure it out, but it seems it's smarter than that."

Sunset nodded and shifted, hugging her friend from behind. "I'd think your guilt would be bigger bait right now." They both laughed - uneasily. "It wasn't your fault, Twilight. You couldn't possibly have known it was still there, let alone that it would jump between Lunas to escape."

"I should have," insisted the Princess. "And now because of my oversight a second Luna is dealing with the pains of the first."

Another squeeze, and then Sunset released her. "Vice-Principal Luna is stronger than you think, just like Princess Luna is. Plus without this the two of them wouldn't have had the chance to meet and form the weirdest support group ever." The displaced Equestrian paused for a moment. "Speaking of, how are you and your counterpart getting along?"

For a moment, Twilight was silent. Only for a moment, though, for fear Sunset would press. Instead it was time to obviously change the subject. "What about our other project? How is she doing?"

"Uuuuuuuuugh."

Twilight giggled. "That good, huh."

"It's a process," Sunset said for the seventy-third time that week and for the first time where she wasn't trying to convince herself.

The two stepped away from the bridge and started to walk up the path again. Fresh green tulip shoots just a few steps off the trail promised that flowers would soon be in bloom with spring - the shape of the little garden and the red and yellow of the few petals that peeked out hinted at a very familiar symbol.

Sunset winked with a grin. "Wallflower's way of saying thank you for everything. Or maybe sorry - she's still feeling guilty. The whole Tantabus thing dredged up a lot of bad memories for people."

They walked on a bit further, pausing again at a turn in the path. "Cozy's been hanging around with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon lately," Sunset noted as she picked up the conversation thread again. "Which, I mean, awesome that she's making new friends. But it's got some issues."

Twilight raised a questioning eyebrow.

"On one hand, she voluntarily chose a few weeks ago to start going with Silver Spoon and help out at the food pantry. On the other, Diamond Tiara's been teaching her about politics and that might mean we're doomed." Sunset tried to sound ominous, but the barely restrained snickering refused to let it work.

Tongue firmly in cheek, Twilight pressed. "Any evil cackling? Or did she start salivating at the prospect of running for office?"

The snickering stopped being restrained. "No, no, it's probably fine. I mean," Sunset amended, "Cozy Glow's still a pain in the butt. I understand that it's a--"

"It's a process," Twilight parroted.

Sunset glared and pouted at the Princess. "...That it's a process, but there's days I wonder if Cozy is psychologically compelled to create over-complicated plans and schemes. The good side is that lately she's been manipulating people into positive things, like tricking Bulk Biceps into finally asking Ditzy out. That got her points with Rarity, who's been trying for months to get those two together. Of course she also had a group project in biology and manipulated the teams to give herself the strongest possible partners and saddle the others with dead weight so she could have an advantage."

Twilight tried very hard to stay serious and not laugh. "Sounds like Cozy Glow. So you're saying she's still evil."

"Oh, absolutely." Sunset shook her head - then cracked a grin. "But she's on the right path. Cozy's not quite as easy to sway as Starlight or me. I'm proud of her, though."

"Proud?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.

Before she could answer, Sunset's phone dinged. She held up a finger to hold back Twilight's questions as she looked at it, scrolled, and smiled. "I'm proud," she finally answered, "Because Cozy fell further than I did but she's staying strong all the way back up. I made my redemption look easy. That she's still sticking with it and making progress is a big deal." She waved her phone at Twilight. "Which is why I arranged a little reward."

Cozy Glow took a deep breath. Sunset had assured her this would work and all the instruction she'd received made sense. But after months of getting used to her human body and forgetting how her pony one had worked? This seemed more than a little insane.

Like so much else in life, though, the risk was worth it.

Ignoring the sweat of her palms, Cozy tightened her grip on the aluminum bar. The straps on her body were tight, the mechanisms were in place and the wind was right.

A deep breath.

Cozy Glow ran full speed towards the edge of the cliff. Just as the ground fell away, the fabric of the glider she was strapped into caught an updraft. For a moment her feet dangled over nothingness before she tucked them into place.

Behind her, Sunset Shimmer positioned her hang glider to be the next one to take off and the Crusaders lined up behind her. But that didn't matter to Cozy Glow. In the bright noon sun of late spring, she felt the wind on her face again. For the first time since Equestria...

She flew.

Author's Note

Thank you all for hanging through this tale.

While a little bumpy in parts and I'm not entirely happy with a few sections, overall I'd say it went pretty well. Hopefully it was a satisfactory expansion for those who wanted more of this part after Three Second Chances.

If you care to, hit up the comments for a bit of Special Edition Director's Commentary as well.

Aside from that?

Thank you for reading. Until next story.