Of Acts and Masks

by Sparkling blaze

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Starlight Glimmer, Original Character, Tragedy, Cozy Glow, Diamond Tiara, Slice of Life
Length: 4679

What is the story behind Cozy Glow?

What is the story behind Cozy Glow?Why such a young filly would try to manipulate all and destroy the world.Well this is the answer.
Tags not included:Sunset Shimmer
Sunset and Diamond Tiara only appear in an extra chapter.
Written in duet with my awesome fiance,here's the link for his accounts:
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/227351/Anstca
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/322782/Who+you+think+I+am

Published 2020-07-27 21:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2020-08-18 17:09:18 UTC

The arrival of a much wanted foal

It was a sunny sunday morning in Manehattan. Space Glow was at home reading a book, and she couldn't believe how close her little IVF foal was to being born.

It's true it had not been easy. Tho her husband was a sociopath she loved him, and it was really sad to have to leave him. But she knew she needed a better life for her child.

She was already in her 9th month of pregnancy, could enter labor anytime.... She Just didn't thought it would be now.

While she was running her errands she felt her water break, she was so anxious to meet her little foal.

She started packing her stuff to go to the hospital and counting how close together the contractions were.

Alright they weren't really close. She should be able to get to the hospital.

She got an taxi and arrived in Manehattan's local hospital. By then the contractions were closer and stronger.

They gave her the epidural,and made the C- section. Soon her little filly was born, it was an pegasus, she had beautiful huge red eyes, some freckles and a beautiful blue curly mane.

Something felt off about the filly, but Space ignored it.

She decided to name the filly Cozy Glow.

She didn't know the mistake she made ignoring that bad feeling.

Evil isn't born,it's learned

Two years later...

It wasn't easy to raise Cozy Glow,and the challenges of parenting as a single mom wouldn't stop suprising Space.

The worst for Space was seeing Cozy starting to be as manipulative as her dad,she tried to stop it,but somehow Cozy always won her over...That had Space scared of what might be her daughter's special talent.

After awhile Space started to wonder if maybe some friends would help Cozy, that having someone else to spend time with and care about would make her more considerate of others. But not having many friends of her own fewer with children Cozy's age she wasn't sure who to turn to. But one day in town while she was buying flowers she finally got her chance.

She met an mare called Icy Flight,she had a daughter that was the same age as Cozy called Sun Fire,they scheduled a playdate for the kids. The playdate was at the park.

"Hopefully Cozy will make friends with Sun and learn how to care about others before her manipulative ways become a problem."She thought to herself.

Things seemed to be going pretty good at first as the two girls seemed to get along.

"Looks like I was right, she just needed a friend." She thought to herself. But the more she watched them the girls only seemed to be doing what Cozy wanted to do.

"Maybe the other girl just want to be nice." Space thought.

But she saw the same sad look she used with her every time she gave in. "I really need to find a way to make her understand what she's doing isn't right."

Space then tried to intefer:

"Cozy,sweetie,why don't you let Sun decide what you're gonna play now?"

"But we're playing what she wants,I'm just giving her ideas."Cozy said innocently.

Sun even tho seemingly sad nodded in agreement.

Something about that didn't sit right with Space. It seemed that Sun was only saying that to keep Cozy happy. But she wasn't able to prove it.

"Okay girls, but if you need anything let me know." Space went away so the girls could keep playing.

"Maybe I'm wrong."Space thought to herself. "Maybe I'm just not used to Cozy playing with someone else."

Later that day

After the play date Cozy begged Space to ice cream and like every single time Space wasn't able to say no to her,even if this was the 5th time they went there only this week.The big suprise about it this time was that Wave her ex-husband,Cozy's dad was there.

"Oh hi Wave." Space said trying to be nice even tho the last that they saw each other they didn't part on the best terms.

"Hi there, it's been awhile." Wave told her. He sees Cozy. "I see you really kept her."

"Of course I kept her. She's just like you, both good and bad."

"What do you mean, Sure she looks like me..."

"Oh it's a lot more then just looks. She can talk anyone out of anything she wants. I know you didn't want anything to do with her. But I don't know who else to turn to. Do you think you can help me?"

"Help you with her?"Wave laughed."Gosh,you really are pathetic, Space."

Space sighed,scared of what he would ask in payment for his help.

"I'll help you if she manipulate a few ponies for me."He then looked at Cozy enjoying her ice cream."She is a very cute filly,that'll make it easier for her to manipulate everypony."

"No way you're using her for that."Space said.

Cozy then finished her ice cream and looked at Wave, then she turned to Space:

"Who is that,mommy?"

"He's an old friend of mine."

"Don't be like that, I'm more then a friend. I'm your daddy."

"Daddy? I don't have a daddy?"

"Everyone has a daddy. Would you like to help me out? It'll be like a game."

"Ooooh I like games. Can I mommy?"

Space looked at her. "No I don't want you around him."

"What first you ask for my help, now you don't want her around me. Which is it?"Wave asked.

"But mom I want to." Cozy gave her this sad look and sounded like she was about to cry.

Space knew it was a bad idea and she would regret it but she gave in:

"Fine you can play his game."

The game

"I don't know what I was thinking letting Cozy spend time with Wave. And to think I even though it might help." Two weeks have passed sense Cozy had started to spend time with Wave.

And if anything Cozy had gotten worse. She wasn't only manipulating people to get what she wanted but to start fights between others.

Space was really starting to get worried about her daughter.

Then Wave brought Cozy back home apparently praising her for something.

And when she looked at Cozy's flank she couldn't believe her eyes,Cozy got her cutie mark.

It was a tower of chess,but Space knew what it actually meant.

A tower in a game of chess could move anywhere,manipulating the entire game.Her daughter's special talent was manipulating others.

Wave had a big grin on his face as he talked to Space. "You should have seen her, the way she had them all fighting. And it was all over nothing, just a simple misunderstanding."

Space was less then amused by it.

"Cozy tell your dad goodbye, he needs to leave." She said in a voice that gave Wave no choice.

"Bye dad! I had fun today."

After Wave had left Space sat down with Cozy. "You understand what getting your cutie mark means right?"

"What?"Cozy asked.

"You have found your special talent,the thing you're supposed to do for life."Space said.

"That's good right?"

"Well yes.But do you understand what you got that cutie mark for?"

"For making the other ponies fight."

"Yeah,that's right."Space said then sighed."But it's not good to make other ponies fight Cozy."

"But I don't always make them fight. Sometimes I just make them do what I want."

"That's not good either."

"What about the princesses? They make ponies do what they want all the time."

"That's different, they ask ponies to do it for them."

"Sometimes that isn't enough to get them do to what I want."

"Then you shouldn't force ponies to do things your way."

"Dad liked my cutie mark.And said what I did was right."Cozy said.

"Well your dad is wrong."

"I want to go live with my dad."

"But Cozy-"

"I want to go live with my dad."Cozy repeated this time doing the face Space couldn't say no to.

Space had heard stories of an stare being a power capable of mind control.
She knew what was happening, that this she needs to tell her no, but she couldn't find the will to stop her.
"No.." Space tried to tell her. "No... not till you ask your dad." She tells her.
Space went to her room and cried the rest of the night.

In the next week Cozy moved in with Wave and every weekend she would visit Space and every week that went by Cozy only seemed more and more not only manipulative but truly evil.

1,2,3,eventually 4 years went by...

Wave then showed up at Space's door,he almost seemed scared of his daughter.

"What's wrong Wave? I don't think I've ever seen you this scared."Space asked.

"I was wrong, I should have seen this coming. I could have stopped this."

"Stopped what?"

"It's been over a thousand years since there's been a murder in Equestria."

"Murder, what are you talking about?"

"You remember Sun right? The little fily Cozy was friends with. The one who drowned, but we never found her body. Cozy has her skull. She even talks to it."

Space's jaw dropped ,it couldn't be,she couldn't,no,wouldn't believe her little filly murdered someone.

"We need to do something to stop her."Space said.

"Well I heard princess Twilight is opening up a friendship school in Ponyville if she can't help her I don't know who can."Wave said.

Space then turned to Cozy:

"We're sending you to Ponyville."

"Why are you sending me there?" Cozy asked acting innocent.

"Because you need help. What you did is wrong."

"All I did was play with my friend. It's her fault. She didn't want to be my friend anymore. But now we'll be best friends forever."

Space couldn't believe what she was hearing, this was worse then she thought.

She then had an idea,maybe informing the princess of how Cozy was would make it easier for her to help Cozy.She heard about Princess Twilight and her friends helping extremely evil villians so helping Cozy should be easy,right?

She picked up a pen.

"I hope the princess gets this letter."Space thought to herself.

Author's Note

In season 8 Cozy is shown holding a skull:
So,yeah that's the skull mentioned in the chapter.

Bad news

Months went by,Space was surprised all the reports on Cozy only seemed better and better.

But she was intrigued as to why this month's was late.

Space finally got her letter from Twilight. It read:

"Dear Miss Glow,
I am writing you to inform you. That your daughter Cozy for crimes against Equestria has been sent to Tartarus. If you have any questions feel free to write me and I will explain the best I can.

Twilight Sparkle"

Space couldn't believe it this had to be a mistake.

What did Cozy do?And most important of all why?

She was only getting better.

Wait...a few days ago magic was gone from Equestria,that couldn't be her daughter could it?

She was going to Ponyville she needed an personal explanation from Twilight.

Space got to the School of Friendship, and found Twilight.

"Oh Space right? What brings you here?"Twilight asked.

"What do you mean what brings me here? You sent my daughter to Tartarus!"

"I had no choice. She had a part in stealing all the magic in Equestria."

"How?!"Space questioned in the verge of tears,that "how" actually had a meaning only Space understood.

That "how" meant how could she let this happen?How could she let her daughter turn into a monster?

"She was exchaching letters with Tirek,he somehow taught her how to absorb the magic in Equestria."

"And you didn't stop her?!How could you?!"She then started breaking down."She-she still had a chance to change."

"How could I have stopped this?" Space asked in a voice almost to quiet to hear.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"How could I have stopped this? Where did I go wrong? Should I have kept her at home? Should I have kept her away from her dad?"

"I..."Twilight started.

"Tell me."

"I... there's nothing you could have done. It's not your fault."

"Then who's is it? You're not telling me she was born evil. I know she wasn't, she was a normal baby I held in my arms. Something had to have happened."

"Space-"Twilight seemed to not find the right words to say.

"There has to be something I missed..."Space thought outloud,her sweet little filly was a full villian and Space only felt like it was her fault.

Space just broke down,she didn't care about anything anymore.

"I should've stopped this..."She sobbed.

Twilight not knowing what to do pulled Space into a tight hug.

"My fault." Space sobbed.

"No it's not, listen to me. I'm sure you've heard about the villians me and my friends have fought."

Space nodded. "I have, who hasn't?"

"One of them could have made her think this way.Taken over her mind. There's still a lot of magic even me and the other princesses don't fully understand."

Space then sighed.

"Maybe someday when she's older she'll change..."

"Yeah,maybe."Twilight smiled."I'll keep you informed about her."

A few days later Twilight goes and checks on Cozy.

"Hello Cozy."

"Have you come to let me out Miss Twilight? I promise I'll be good."

"You've told us that before. I'd like to let you out, but I don't know if I can."

"Please."

"Cozy you will have to prove you changed so I can get you out."And every month the scene would repeat.

Turned to stone

Time has passed, like she said she would Twilight sent Space updates about Cozy. But then she got a letter that couldn't be true. Twilight told her that Cozy had been turned to stone with other being of pure evil.

"This can't be true." Space thought. "There has to be some mistake even if Cozy was evil how could the princess turn her to stone? Surely there must be a better option."

And so Space finds herself again going to see Twilight.

She went up to the castle,Space knew Twilight was busy packing up to move to Canterlot,but she had to explain her this.
She knocked on the door,Twilight's pupil Starlight Glimmer opened the door.

"Who are you?"She asked.

"I'm Space,Cozy's mom,I wanted to talk to Twilight so she can explain me why they choose to make this decision."Space said in the more controlled tone she could.

"You're Cozy's mom? Come in, I'll get Twilight." Starlight went upstairs and in a couple minutes Twilight came downstairs.

"Space it's good to see you again." Twilight said with a smile.

"Why did you have to turn her to stone?"

"We didn't have a choice."

"So Nightmare Moon can be reformed. Discord can be reformed. But a little pony can't be?"

"Well when you put it like that..."Twilight said.

"When I put it like that what?It seems wrong to have turned my daughter into stone?!"Space said holding down her anger and sadness,doing her max not to cry,she left her husband and was alone,and now her daughter the thing she most loved in the world she being evil or not,was stone and probably wouldn't come back.

She knew the pony that opened the door for her was a dictator that tried to stop the happening that made Twilight become friends with her friends by traveling in time.

How could they reform her,even let her live in the same castle as Twilight and not even give her daughter,an 7 year old a chance.

"I guess we could try reforming her."Twilight said trying to find the right words. "It's just..."

"It's just what? She's not a friend of yours? She's not a princess? Are those the only ponies that get a second chance?"

"No it's not that."Twilight replied.

Space couldn't help but start crying.That pony didn't knew the sacrifice it was to even have Cozy or raise her.

That pony didn't knew how much it hurt that it was all lost.

"I'm just gonna ask you one thing."Space said in the middle of her tears."What would have happened if you and your friends gave up on all the villians you reformed?"

Twilight thought about it. Princess Luna, Discord, Starlight, even her friend Sunset. All of them had helped her and her friends save Equestria. Could they have done it without them?

"Equestria would be..." Twilight started.

"Doomed?" Space finished for Twilight.

"Doomed." Finished Twilight. "We could let her out, but we would have to watch her."

"Thank you,please just give her one last chance."Space said.

Twilight then smiled:

"I will.And you can come with me to let her out."

Twilight and Space then took the train to Canterlot.

They went to where the statue was.

Space saw the statue for the first time.Cozy and the others fused in stone.
Despite telling herself she was ready for it, that she could handle seeing her daughter like this, it was too much and she broke down again.

"Will you have to free all of them?"She asked.

"No I won't have to, I can just free Cozy."Twilight's horn started to glow and a purple glow covered the part of the statue that housed Cozy and in a flash of light the little pony was flesh again.
Cozy looked around scared for a moment.

"What's going on?" Then she sees Space."Mommy?" She runs to Space and hugs her tight.

Space also hugged her daughter tight,after almost 2 years without her little filly Space finally had her in her hooves once again.

"I missed you."Space said."But what you did was very wrong,promise me you'll let Twilight and her friends help you so you don't do that again?"

"I will, I never wanted to hurt anyone. It's just I've always been able to get ponies do do what I want."

Twilight stepped over. "We can find something for you to do around the school,something that can make good use of your talent."

"Like what?"

"What do you like doing? Like for fun? "

"Well I liked it when I was helping you with things."Cozy said.

"Well then you can help other ponies with their things."Twilight said.

"I will."Cozy then turned to her mom."And when I go back home I wanna live with you."

"I'd love to have you live with me." Space told her. "But first you have to show that you've really changed for the better."

"Okay." Cozy told her. She then turned to the statue and put her hoofs on the other two. "I want to help them too."

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Twilight tells her.

"I'm not saying right now. But you don't know them like I do, no one does. Well maybe not no one."

"What do you mean?"

"Ask princess Luna about Chrissy sometime."

Twilight then realized she didn't really know what happened beforehand.

"I will."Twilight said."I know two ponies I think who will understand you a lot,Cozy,someday I'll bring them to meet you."

"I'd like that."Cozy replied.

And with that Cozy really changed,and found that she didn't want to manipulate others anymore but to help them choose what they wanted for themselves.

And maybe someday she could help ponies and creatures that thought like her.

Bonus Chapter:An Similar Ponies Meeting

Ever since getting out of stone a week ago,Twilight had been telling Space and Cozy about two of her friends that shared a similar past with Cozy.

"Actually one more that the other,only one of them really tried to conquer the world."Like she said.

She said tho one of her friends was from really far.So she only could come today.

Cozy was awaiting next to a filly about the CMCs age,that was the other pony Twilight told her she was similar to,she wondered how.

Meanwhile Space was having a conversation with Twilight.

"You think this would work Twilight?"Space asked unsure if bringing three ponies with past of manipulation or evil deeds was the brightest idea.

"I do." Twilight assured her. "Sure they used to be bad, but if we have them together I think the other two can keep Cozy from being like she was."

"I hope you're right. I want Cozy back but I don't want her to hurt anyone."

"Space trust me.They can help her."Twilight said in a calming voice.
Then suddenly an bright light came from one of the castle rooms.

"Oh,Sunset arrived."Twilight said,then proceeded to walk into the room from which said light came.

A yellow unicorn with a red and yellow mane had just showed up. She bowed to Twilight.

"Princess" She said to Twilight. Twilight gave the new mare a umamused look.

"You know how much I hate my friends calling me princess."

"I know but the look on your face is worth it." She said as she hugged Twilight.

With that Twilight turned to me. "Space this is Sunset Shimmer, this is the friend I was telling you about. Sunset this is Space Glow she's the mother of the filly I think you can help."

"Nice to meet you."Space greeted Sunset.

"Nice to meet you too."Sunset responded."So where's she?"

"On one of the rooms with Diamond Tiara."Twilight told her."I think it's for the better they talk first."

In the other room sat two fillies. One was Cozy Glow the other a Pink filly who was once almost as bad as Cozy: Diamond Tiara.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cozy asked. "Being around other ponies I mean."

"Yes Cozy I do this is the next step. Once you are able to be around other ponies we can start figuring out what your cutie mark really means."

"But I know what my cutie mark means."Cozy said sure of herself.

"I understand."Diamond told Cozy."I thought I did too."

"And were you wrong?"Cozy asked.

"I was very wrong. I used to think it meant I was rich and because of that everyone had to do what I said. But what it means is I'm a better leader then most."

"So you were right. Everyone has to listen to the leader, they're the one in charge."

"That's not how it works. You don't have to follow your leader, but you do because you think they're right."

"Diamond Tiara is it?I don't see how this relates to me."

"Well what do you think your cutie mark means?"Diamond asked.

"I think it means I can manipulate everyone without they noticing like a tower in a game of chess."Cozy answered.

"Does that make you happy?"

Cozy thought hard,no,no that didn't make her happy.

Diamond took her silence as an answer.

"How can something you're supposed to do, your destiny be something that doesn't make you happy?"

"What do you think it means?" Cozy needed a answer. "What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, but I'll help you find out."

Cozy hugged the filly.She then murmured an almost inaudible:

"Thank you."

"You're welcome,now Twilight's other friend must want to talk to you."Diamond said as she broke up the hug.

Sunset Shimmer walked in.

Sunset smiled as she walked in. "Hi I'm Sunset Shimmer, you must be Cozy and Diamond."

"Yeah." Cozy answered seeming scared of Sunset at first.

Sunset saw that. "What's wrong?"

"You came from another word?"

"Yeah just to help you."

"Why?"

"Because I was just like you. But with some help and good friends I got better."

"Really?"Cozy asked unsure if she believed her.How can a pony change just because of friends?

"You seem unsure if what I'm said is true."

"Yeah I am.How can only friendship change someone?"Cozy asked."I thought friends only gave me power."

"You see Cozy,you're only half-right with this.Friendship is indeed powerful,but friends are not made to give you power.But I'm sure Twilight already told you that."Sunset said."So I'll tell you how having friends changed me.I used to be really manipulative."

"Really?"

"Really I even made Twilight's friends human counterparts stop being friends.I then tried to steal Twilight's crown back when she still used the elements of harmony,I manipulated everything so she didn't manage to keep me from using it."

"What happened?"Cozy asked.

"I got everything I thought I wanted. I had the crown, but when I put it on. I didn't get the power of a princess. I got something much worse."

"What?"

"All it did was bringing out my darkness. I turned into a demon, and I attacked the school. I almost killed the people who became my best friends."

"But you were able to stop yourself right? You're able to control it right?"

"No it was to much for me to control. And I'm only here right now because of my friends."

"Wow,how your friends stopped you?"
"With the magic of friendship,the elements of harmony and rainbow lasers."Sunset said."But my point is...Friends are to help you become a better person,and you shouldn't mess with what you don't understand."

Cozy looked down,she still felt guilty for killing her only friend back in manehattan.She actually liked Sun's company.

"Look Cozy, if you make some friends and try your best to not repeat the same errors you can become a better pony,alright?"

After listening to all that Cozy realized the path she was following didn't make her happy and was only bringing bad to her.

"Alright."She answered with newfound purpose,putting her old ways behind her.

The meeting

Space wrote and sent the letter to Twilight. A couple days later there was a knock on the door. Space answered and saw two ponies at the door.

"Princess Twilight." Space said as she bowed.

"Please just Twilight is fine. This is my friend Fluttershy. We got your letter, and thought it would be best to come over and meet her in person before we take her to Ponyville."

Fluttershy spoke up. "Can I meet her?"

"Of course."Space said."I'll just call her."

She then went to Cozy's room.

"Cozy,there's someone who would like to meet you."

"Who?"Cozy asked.

"Your new teachers from ponyville."

Both Cozy and Space walked into the living room.

"Twilight,Fluttershy,this is my daughter Cozy Glow."Space said.

"Golly it's so nice to meet you."Space could see her daughter already building up her persona to fool them,hopefully they wouldn't fall for it.

"Nice to meet you too." Twilight told her with a big smile. "You're going to have so much fun at the school. All the learning, and the books, making new friends...the books. Did I mention the books?"

"Twilight." Fluttershy snapped at Twilight. "I mean Twilight." She said in a much softer tone. "Why don't you take Miss Space into the other room and I can get to know Cozy better?"

"What do you wanna talk about,Fluttershy is it?"Cozy said in the most innocent tone.

"Well your mom said you had some problems with your best friend. What happened?"

"She didn't wanna be my friend anymore so I did something so we could be best friends forever and as an bonus nos she lives here with me."Cozy said as if what she did wasn't a problem."Wanna meet her?"

"I'd love to meet her." Fluttershy tells her."I'll tell Twilight her mom had to be exaggerating about how bad she is." She thought to herself. "It must be great living with her best friend."

"Oh it is." Cozy answers as she leads her to her bedroom and pulls out a box.

"Where is she?"

"Right here." Cozy pulls a skull out of the box. "Sun this is Miss Fluttershy, she's going to be my new teacher. Miss Fluttershy, this is Sun my best friend in the whole world."

"Oh nice to meet you Sun."Fluttershy said a little more than scared by Cozy pulling out a skull of that box,but then she rememembered the CMC said an girl with an skeleton cutie mark was an archeologist so maybe Cozy just got that out of excavating.

"So how do you got that cutie mark?"Fluttershy asked.

Fluttershy brought Cozy with her to talk to Twilight. "We're ready to go when you are."

Cozy hugged her mom. "Bye mom, love you. I'll write everyday."

Space hugged Cozy. "Love you too."
Twilight, Fluttershy, and Cozy left.