Komm, Süßer Schein

It was so fun.

She knocked over a frame, Twilight growled. She made fun of the interior, Twilight raged. She fluttered to the ceiling to poke the roots hanging down, Twilight almost screamed. And all throughout it, the alicorn still tried to keep her calm and composure, still tried to act friendly towards her. It was the best. She could go on all day.

And Sunburst. Oh Sunburst. He made everything twice as hilarious. Trotting behind Twilight with a resigned expression, holding her by the shoulders and telling her to let go of the matter. You'd start a civil war and she would become the ruler. That was just hilarious.

"What's there to laugh now?" Twilight half-barked with a cracking voice. Her mane and tail were a swirling maelstrom of bubbling energy, magical lighting crackling through them, and her eyes threatened to burst into flames, despite her attempted mask of politeness.

At her side stood Sunburst. Clearly scared by her, but just as clearly more scared by the potential consequences of his inaction. He tentatively held out a hoof to touch Twilight's back, and occasionally ducked down to avoid a bolt of magic.

"Oh?" Cozy feigned surprise, turning to look down from her position in mid-air. She was lying on her back, fluttering close to the ceiling. She couldn't stay there long, her wings weren't as big and strong as they should have been had she still possessed the powers they'd stolen from her, but she had no intention of coming down soon. It was too funny to mock the two. "I was just laughing at how ugly this ceiling looks. I think I'll have it rebuilt."

The grinding of Twilight's teeth was comparable to an earthquake, and would have potentially been just as strong had she chosen to channel her earth pony magic into it. "Get down here. Immediately." She forced herself to swallow. "Please."

Cozy brought a hoof to her mouth to stop another wave of chuckles. The look on Twilight's face was priceless. But her wings were about to give out. "Oh, fine," she said, slowly moving down in sweeping circles.

Twilight's mane finally ceased to resemble the cosmic equivalent of a thunderstorm. She closed her eyes briefly, and began to take slow and deep breaths, ruffling her feathers back into place.

Cozy landed right on top of the map, and she started to roll around over it. Anyone who didn't know who she was would have found her adorable, and she knew it. But sadly, those two ponies wouldn't, so there was no point in wasting her talents. Lying on her belly, she placed a hoof over the projection of Canterlot and began to repeatedly crush it.

Twilight's low, aggressive growl was music to the pegasus' ears.

The taller Princess walked towards her and circled the map, until she reached her own seat. Without thinking, and glaring at Cozy, she slipped into the chair still bearing her cutie mark, and it wasn't until a moment later that she realised she still fit perfectly in it. Twilight looked back at her old throne, more than a bit surprised. Then she sighed, a low sound full of longing and nostalgia.

Cozy held off the impulse to puke at the sight, and deeply regretted not having blown the palace to shreds when she'd had the chance. The school too. The whole town, actually. She'd make sure to glass the place once she got her powers back.

Twilight turned back to her, while Sunburst reached them. "Are you happy with your new castle, Princess?"

"No, I think it's horribly ugly," Cozy replied with a grin.

If air could shatter it would have around Twilight. "Very well. Don't worry, you may not be spending much time in it." She looked at Sunburst for a moment. "As for the monetary compensation, bits have already been brought into the castle, and you'll be free to examine them later."

There was a pause.

"With this," Twilight began, "you are officially in control of the city." She swallowed, then stuck out her hoof.

Propping her own head up with a leg, Cozy shook Twilight's hoof with the other. "Oh," she said at first. Then she looked over the two. "Golly."

There was a groan, and it didn't come from Twilight.

Both mares in the room turned to Sunburst, the taller with a worried look on her face, the younger with an amused smirk. So it did annoy them. It was Twilight's turn to place a hoof on her friend's back this time.

The stallion took a moment to calm down, then stared at Cozy. "If you so wish, we may move on to the trial now. Whatever you choose to do though, at most you'll be allowed to wait only until tomorrow. And your control over the citizens remains limited by the fact that you are still a criminal, so I suggest you don't do anything crazy in the meantime."

Cozy rolled her eyes. She knew all of that already. For the sake of her plan, she could go directly to the trial, but there was admittedly a certain allure to the idea of seeing how much she could bother the two before then. She rolled around on the table, pretending to think about the offer, and purposefully landed over Canterlot again. "I think we can move on," she said. No point in wasting time, what would come after would be more fun anyway.

"Very well," answered Twilight, with a calm tone that seemed to surprise even herself. "I shall be waiting back in Canterlot then. Sunburst will help you with all the preparations." She looked over the filly for a moment. "Goodbye for now. I hope we'll come to an agreement, I would not be against keeping you out should you prove you have changed. I'm giving you a chance, don't waste it." With a flick of her horn, the Princess disappeared.

Cozy grinned at the stallion, and began to crawl towards him on the table. "Just you and me now, huh?"

"It would seem so," the unicorn replied. "Now, about your trial. It will be held in Canterlot, you may choose to have it kept private if you wish. Given your position, we had to find a set of creatures who wouldn't be biased against you for the jury, you may look over them later. If there's anything else you need to know, ask."

"Keep it open to the public, that's all." Cozy reached the edge of the table-map, and sat up. "You used to take care of Princess Flurry Heart, didn't you?"

Sunburst adjusted his glasses. "I did. Why the question, Princess?"

"Don't I look a bit like her?" Cozy stood up and posed, the paper crown askew on her head.

Sunburst looked over her. "Not in the least. Flurry looks like a much friendlier pony, and one I'd much rather talk to." He tilted his head to the side. "And I can't help but notice a distinct lack of something on your forehead, compared to her."

Cozy sat back down, keeping her smile. That was it then. "You can go now," she told him in dry tones, shooing him away with a hoof.

Pleased with the reaction, Sunburst headed towards the door.

"And one more thing."

The stallion paused, and turned back.

"When I become Empress, I will remember."

"I fear I'll be long gone by the time you get out of your prison again." Sunburst walked away, and let the door close behind him.

Cozy sat there, alone in her castle. She turned back and looked at the map of Equestria. She walked up to Canterlot's projection on it, for the third time, and once again she began to repeatedly bring her hoof down on it. And she laughed.