We’re Here For You, Cozy

Diamond Tiara got out of bed and looked out the back of the caboose for a breath of fresh air. However, when she tried to breathe in, she realized that she couldn’t. At first she started to panic, until she realized that the caboose seemed to be floating in space.

“Uh, girls,” that pink filly asked, a little uncertain of what was going on. “Is it just me, or is the caboose floating in the middle of space?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Scootaloo said without raising an eyebrow. “This is a dream after all.”

“Wait, I’m dreaming?” Diamond asked, looking for confirmation.

“We all are, silly,” Apple Bloom responded, pulling an apple out of thin air and taking a bite out of it.

Diamond Tiara put her hoof up as if to question what had just happened, but put it down when she heard the distant sound of a filly crying. “Is this one of your memories, or is there a fifth pony in here that we don’t know about?”

“That crying,” Sweetie Belle spoke up. “It sounds so familiar. I think it might be Cozy Glow!”

“But the question is, is she a part of our dream, or is she also dreaming?” Scootaloo interjected.

“Only one way to find out,” Apple Bloom said, jumping out of the caboose, landing on the invisible ground. The remaining fillies followed suit with Diamond Tiara taking up the rear.

As the fillies walked towards the crying, Diamond Tiara was trying to piece things together. “So, how exactly are we sharing the same dream? Doesn’t Princess Luna need to do something for that to happen?”

“You know how when we got our cutie marks, there was a big magical anomaly? We think it may have something to do with that,” Sweetie Belle explained. “It usually happens when we’re close together, so the magic may have seen you and decided you needed to be in the dream. Nopony really knows how it works. Now, as for Cozy, if it is her, I really have no idea. That Princess Luna might be behind.”

Diamond Tiara took a little to process Sweetie’s explanation. After a few seconds of silence, she simply said, “Got it,” and continued walking towards Cozy Glow.

When they finally reached the crying filly, they noticed she looked terrible; her coat was filthy, her mane tangled, and her eyes were swollen and bloodshot. The four exchanged glances, trying to figure out how Cozy looked as bad as she did, despite only being in Tartarus for a few days. After a long pause, Scootaloo put a hoof out to get Cozy’s attention, only for it to get swayed away by the disheveled pegasus.

“Get away from me!” Cozy shrieked, only to calmly add on, “I don’t wanna hurt you, Scootaloo. I don’t wanna hurt any of you more than I already have.” The salmon colored filly began to cry again.

Scootaloo took a step back. “H-how did you know it was me?”

“This is a dream, right?” Cozy asked hoarsely. “I can feel all of you here. I just don’t know who the fourth one of you is.” The fourth one of course being Diamond Tiara.

The pink filly stepped forward to introduce herself to Cozy. “Hi, I’m Diamond Tiara. I’m friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I assume you’re Cozy Glow?”

“What about it, have you come here to laugh at my defeat?” Cozy snapped. “Or have you come here to spit in my face?”

“Cozy,” Sweetie Belle said, slightly offended. “We would never do that to you. Even though you did do a lot of nasty things, I believe there’s some good in that heart of yours.”

Cozy’s eyes teared up again. “I- I- I wanna be good, but I c- I c-can’t! He won’t let me!”

Sweetie Belle slowly knelt down and hugged Cozy, who fought at first but gave up after less than a second. Taking a deep breath, Sweetie asked a difficult question. “Who? Who won’t let you?” She summoned a manebrush and started stroking Cozy.

“He won’t say,” Cozy started to respond. “He just whispers things to me. Tells me to do shit I know I shouldn’t do. He’s not my conscience, but he some- he some-” Cozy started to shake violently. “Go, run! He’s taking over again! Save your— Foolish foals,” Cozy started to float and her voice dropped several octaves. “You really think you can save her? Think again, you’re young and weak. You can’t help her, not without your sisters.”

The four fillies looked at each other in confusion and fear. ‘Cozy’ began to laugh.

“What, scared are we? ‘Oh no! How did the big scary voice know?’ I know everything foals. And now that you’re here, I can enter your heads and have five ponies do my bid—”

A large beam of magic exited Sweetie Belle’s horn and hit Cozy. “Leave my friends alone you piece of shit!”

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Diamond Tiara looked at the unicorn in shock. Sweetie Belle was the last pony they expected to use profane language.

“A challenger? Ah, I haven’t had one of these in a couple of days! Give me your best, foal!”

An idea entered Sweetie Belle’s head. “Why not take on all four of us? You said you wanted a challenge, right?”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened. “Sweetie Belle, are you cra—”

Sweetie put a hoof over her friend’s mouth. “Shut up and trust me on this, Scoot.”

“Very well. I shall take on all four of you, but the loss is on you. It will only extend your suffering!”

“I’m not so sure about that, actually,” Sweetie Belle responded. “You see, you’re forgetting one very important piece of information. We’re friends, and we would do anything to protect each other.” The four fillies began to float, orbs of energy circling them. “You made a mistake threatening ponies with friends, and now you must pay.”

“Foolish foal, you don’t possibly think I’ll fall for some light show you dreamed up? Please, I’ve seen better tactics from squirr—”

Before the voice could finish, a beam of magic hit Cozy Glow, causing her to fall to the ground. The other four fillies slowly floated to the ground before running to Cozy to make sure she was alright.

“Cozy!” Apple Bloom shouted on her way. “Are you alright?”

“He-he’s still there,” Cozy said weakly. “Just not as loud. Thanks. How did you do that?”

“It was a big risk,” Sweetie Belle replied. “But, it turns out, no matter how many friends you have, the magic of friendship still works. Just please hang tight. We’re in out way to Tartarus to save you.”

Cozy’s face lit up before a loud rumbling sound echoed through the dreamscape. Cozy’s eyes immediately shrunk with fear, before a hole opened up below her sucking her in. A few seconds later, a bigger hole opened up below them, sucking them in as well.

When the fillies finally came to, they saw Braeburn laying in the bed across from them, smiling. “Well,” he said. “You four are finally awake. You must have had quite the dreams last night. It sounded like you were fighting monsters.”

Diamond Tiara looked him square in the eye and said, “You have no idea.”