Cozy Glow’s Diary Entries of Love

Chapters

Diary Entry #1
Diary Entry #2
Diary Entry #3
Diary Entry #5
Diary Entry #6
Diary Entry #7
Button's Late Reply
Diary Entry #4
Cozy Glow's Letter

Diary Entry #1

Dear Diary,

Firstly, I want to let out how downright stupid I feel writing on a book as if I'm talking to a pony. My parents gave you to me as a present before they sent me off to Princess Twilight's School of Friendship, thinking I should use you to write down everything I learn about friendship. Evidently, they've never heard of notebooks. So, I feel like an idiot for writing a single word on you.

But lately, I've been feeling the need to express things privately. Sure, I have my pen pal, Tirek, who has happily agreed to assist me in my plans, but what I have to say has little to do with them. To clarify, I'm going to steal all magic in Equestria and rule the land as the Empress of Friendship. Many creatures, like Tirek, have tried to take over the country, but Princess Twilight and her friends always defeated them. Based on what I have heard, the bonds from making friendship creates incredible power, and the more I heard about it, the more I began to understand that friendship is the mightiest form of power there is.

Thus, when my parents enrolled me in the School of Friendship, I saw it as my chance to do what others could not. With everything Tirek has been teaching me about draining magic, and with all the friendships I'll create at the school, I will gain more power than any creature can comprehend. It's hilarious how none of these creatures decades, if not centuries older than me, have not thought of creating an army of friends to win. Then again, the fact that no one would suspect an eight-year-old filly to come up with an ingenious plan is the beauty of it. Just thinking about what a surprise it will be fills me with glee.

But I digress. I'm not writing to boast. No, I want to write about something peculiar that happened today. You see, one of my plans is to befriend some of the kids from Ponyville who know about friendship and use them to develop connections and better understand the subject. After all, the teachers may be the Elements of Harmony, but as any adult worth their salt will tell you, there's only so much you can learn by going to school as opposed to building experience in the real world. So, when class was finished for the day, I rushed over to the Ponyville Schoolhouse to spy on the other kids, hoping to find the right pawns for my plan. As luck would have it, three fillies who call themselves the Cutie Mark Crusaders want to go to the School of Friendship because it's more fun than their school. Watching them complain about it as if they were jealous of another kid's new toy, I decided that they were perfect for my plan. After all, they want to go to school, and I want to pass my classes. It's a win-win between future friends.

But while I was walking back to my dorm, I didn't look where I was going, and accidentally bumped into this moderate orange colt with a propeller hat. I quickly got into character and apologized like the sweet, innocent filly I want everypony to see me as, but instead of answering, he started bawling like a baby. I asked him what was wrong, and he pointed at his video game that he dropped. I thought it broke at first, but it turned out it was because he lost the game. He was whining about how he was so close to killing a hydra as some archer named Flaming Arrow to get some shiny stone.

It was the most pitiful thing I ever heard in my life. Crying over a video game? Even at eight-years-old, that is embarrassing. If I didn't need to act nice for the sake of my scheme, I would have told him to grow up, but instead, I apologized again and picked up his game for him. His cries turned into sniffles as he took the game and smiled at me.

He then asked if I was new to town, and I told him that I go to the School of Friendship. He got excited and started asking me a dozen questions about what it was like going to the school and meeting other creatures. There weren't many non-ponies in the school, but I decided to humor him and tell him what I could. He got excited for every single thing I said, and spontaneously started talking about wanting to see them and where they come from. He then went on about how he loves to play video games because he could see different worlds and fight monsters to gain favor from the villages who will help him destroy an evil sorcerer.

The weird thing was I was listening to him, but it wasn't because I was obligated to be polite for the sake of my image. I felt invested in what he was talking about. I dare say I was enjoying it. I don't know why, but I had this feeling that made me want to listen to everything he had to say.

Eventually, he finished, and I thanked him for sharing. He thanked me for listening with a bubbly smile and asked for my name. I gave it to him and then he said his name is Button Mash and that it was nice to meet me. I smiled back and then suddenly asked if we could be friends. He was instantly excited and said yes and that he never really had a friend before. I know. Big shock, right? Then he pulled me into a hug, and somehow, I felt my cheeks feeling warm. I awkwardly hugged him back before he said he needed to head home, and we cheerfully waved goodbye as he left.

To be clear, I only asked to be friends because I thought that was a perfect moment to have one friend already. I planned to be friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders first, but there's nothing wrong with having one friend already for a slight head start. But that whole experience with Button Mash was still very strange to me. Why did I listen to him talking about video games so intently? Why does it feel like I cared about his dreams of adventure? And why in Celestia's name did I get that burning sensation on my cheeks when he hugged me? Nothing about my experience with this pathetic whiny boy makes sense.

Maybe I'm reading too much into it, and I had a spur of the moment. Or perhaps it's the Power of Friendship driving me to care about somepony no matter who they are because that's how strong it is. If it's the latter, then I'll have to be careful. I'm supposed to be controlling the Power of Friendship, not it controlling me. Still, though, I think this was a good learning experience, especially since I've never had a friend before either. Funny how we become each other's first friends, isn't it?

Anyway, I decided to let out what happened because this seemed the best way to do it. After all, if I wrote this to Tirek, he would find it irrelevant as I said, and I have no desire to share this to anypony else even when I make more friends. So, thank you, you lifeless piece of paper and ink for listening to what I have to say, and don't expect me to pick you up ever again.

Cozy Glow

Diary Entry #2

Dear Diary,

I guess I have more need of you than I thought. I hate that I have to use you to express how I'm feeling again, but there is no alternative. I have to let this out before I scream.

It was after I completed my plan with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. While I was unable to have the three of them go to the School of Friendship with me, my confession to Starlight Glimmer led to them becoming friendship tutors, and so the four of us started tutoring other students together. It wasn't how I planned to obtain more friends, but the results have been very productive. It's what happened after we were tutoring that's why I'm writing again.

The Crusaders were walking me back to the school after we had some milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner, talking and laughing as we walked. But along the way, I saw Button Mash playing on an arcade machine. Without thinking about it, I said hi to him, and he turned to me and happily said hi back. Unfortunately, I distracted him so much that the spaceship on the screen blew up, and he lost the game.

Unsurprisingly, he was crying hysterically, and I begrudgingly walked over to comfort him. The Crusaders were baffled at the way Button Mash was acting. Scootaloo asked how I knew him, and I told her the story about how I bumped into him. She thought it was odd how we became friends, but she and Apple Bloom were glad that I have another friend.

But while we were talking, I was glancing at the arcade machine. When Button Mash noticed, he asked if I wanted to try. For the sake of appearing to be a good friend, I said, "Oh, golly, Button Mash, I sure would." The Crusaders were befuddled with my answer, but Button Mash was thrilled and immediately put a bit in both slots on the machine so that we could play together. He instructed me how to play, but he said it so quickly that I missed most of it.

The game started, and Button was shooting down enemies with ease, but I was moving the joystick and pressing the buttons at random. Within seconds, my spaceship blew up, but Button Mash said that I had two more "lives." I tried to be optimistic, but then my spaceship blew up just as quickly as the first time. I stopped pressing buttons and just focused on moving the stick to avoid the red dots coming out of the enemy ships, but more just kept coming until my spaceship blew a final time.

I wanted to scream my head off, but I kept my cool and pretended to be bummed and say "Oh, golly," again. Button Mash patted my back and said that it was okay and that it takes practice. I smiled and thanked him, but at the same time, my cheeks felt warm again just from feeling his hoof patting my back.

But while Button Mash was patting me, I saw Sweetie Belle staring at the arcade machine with a curious look. She had her hoof on her chin and was humming as if she was looking at a painting. She stepped forward and asked if she could give it a try, and Button Mash happily said yes. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were surprised that she wanted to play, and she simply shrugged and said that it looked like fun. Sweetie Belle got on the stool I was standing on while Button Mash put two more bits into the machine. I imagined Sweetie Belle fairing no better than I did while I stood beside our friends.

At first, it looked like I was right because her spaceship blew up as soon as mine did the first time. But she didn't seem bummed about it. She acted more like it was just a practice run before getting serious. When her spaceship appeared again, she started destroying enemies with ease, much to everyone's shock. Button Mash was excited about how well Sweetie Belle was doing. Before I knew it, the two of them were practically in sync while destroying enemy spaceships. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo were baffled with how well Sweetie Belle was doing.

Strangely, I felt a sense of resentment toward Sweetie Belle as I watched her play. Eventually, they lost all of their spaceships, and the game ended, but they didn't mind. Button Mash praised Sweetie Belle for how well she did, and she thanked him. Then he hugged her tightly, and her white cheeks turned red before she smiled and hugged him back. I felt my skin crawl while the other Crusaders and I watched them have their moment.

But why? Why did I get this feeling over how well they did playing a video game? What was it about Sweetie Belle's reaction to him hugging her that I disliked? At first, I thought it was because she figured out how to play by watching me, but the more I thought about it, the more I seemed like I hated how well she worked together with Button Mash. Maybe I wanted to be the only friend who feels the strange urge to blush when he hugs me.

But then again, what do I care if I'm not the only one? Button Mash is just the first of many friends for my plans. I'm sure the Power of Friendship is just trying to force me to have feelings irrelevant to my scheme again. Still, I am curious about what it is about Button Mash that is unique. I think I shall investigate while I make new friends. If I find any discoveries, I might let you know.

Cozy Glow

Diary Entry #3

Dear Diary,

Fantastic news! I have figured out what it is about Button Mash that interests me. It's something I would never have guessed in all of my life, and yet I feel happy that this is the answer.

It happened earlier this evening. Classes finished for the day, and I finished my first day as Headmare Twilight's assistant. I decided to grab a milkshake at Sugarcube Corner to celebrate how I had begun to gain the princess's trust, but on the way back to the school, I found Button Mash playing a video game on a bench. He was grumbling while slamming the buttons with frustration. I decided to look over his shoulder to find out what was going on, having learned by now not to disturb him while he plays.

From what I could tell, he was playing as an earth pony dressed in armor and carrying a sword with his mouth while he and several other ponies on the screen were fighting a giant minotaur carrying a two-handed ax. The pony he was playing seemed to be doing fine with fighting the beast, but the other ponies kept getting hurt. Eventually, two of them were killed, and Button Mash turned off the game in a fit of rage. He resisted the urge to throw the game into the ground before he started whining. That's when I decided to greet him and ask what was the matter, pretending that I wasn't watching.

Button Mash sniffled before he greeted me and started explaining what happened. The best I understood was that the video game was about making your character and his companions strong enough to defeat all sorts of enemies throughout the game's fictional world. But you had to be careful because if any of your companions died, they were gone for good making it harder to complete the game. Poor Button Mash was angry with how his companions were standing around like dolts and letting themselves get killed by the monster. He turned off the game to prevent it from "saving" so that he could have the imbeciles who died back. Button then went on about how he had to work on making them stronger before fighting the minotaur, but he hated that he had to because he wanted to win now. He wants the minotaur and all other creatures in the game to fall before him with the help of his little band

That's when it hit me. This is why I've been thinking about Button Mash so much. The games I've seen him play had something in common; he needs ponies to do his bidding. The ponies had to be strong and smart like him to make his enemies tremble before him for his conquests. That's why he cries or gets angry when he fails and why he was so happy that Sweetie Belle was a competent assistant. He wants to be a warrior that takes down the mightiest of foes, and he knows the power behind others doing his bidding. In other words, he's just like me.

Think of it this way; I am the future Empress of Friendship who will use my friends to do everything I want to rule Equestria, and he wants friends to destroy his enemies. We are the only ponies in the world who understand the might behind friendship and have the ambition to use it to our will. Deep in the heart of this pathetic, whiny colt, there is a mighty stallion who can lead others to battle, and I want him to be the one who will do so however I wish.

It's clear to me now. I'm in love with Button Mash. No. Not Button Mash. Just Button. My Button.

At that moment, I encouraged him not to give up and to keep fighting until the end. His spirits were lifted, and he pulled me into a hug. My heart was leaping while I wrapped my arm around him to tighten the embrace. I wanted to hold him forever, but I knew he needed to continue his campaign. I watched him fight lesser creatures with his minions cheerfully while occasionally glancing at him. I stayed by his side until his mother came to take him home.

As of that moment, it is now clear that Button is meant to be mine. I will develop our relationship whenever I'm not busy carrying out my plans, and when all of the magic is gone, and I am empress, I will share my friends with Button, giving him the army he needs to conquer real enemies. After all, many creatures will want to take over Equestria, so I will need my cunning knight to defend and conquer in my name. When he realizes the extent of my support, he will rightfully love his empress to no end, and we will be together always. Oh, Diary, I can't wait until that day.

Till next time,

Cozy Glow

Diary Entry #5

Dear Diary,

In the couple of months since my last entry, I've been making splendid progress. I have successfully used my lessons in class to gain friends both in and out of school, I have stolen the relics and hidden them in the catacombs under the school library, and Headmare Twilight trusts me as her friendship assistant more and more by the day. Tirek and I have decided to carry out our operation at the end of the school year, where I will have the most knowledge about friendship. That's only a couple of weeks away. Neither of us can wait until the headmare and her friends are trapped in Tartarus, and I harness the magic of the artifacts to steal all magic in Equestria. I can feel my heart racing just thinking about it.

My only setback is that I am unable to drive Sandbar, Yona, Gallus, Smolder, Silverstream, and Ocellus apart. I tried to get them to doubt each other while they were studying so that they would break up as a group, but the Tree of Harmony interfered from under the school library and strengthened their bonds as friends. This was very disappointing, but at the same time, this led me to discover the catacombs that are perfect for using the relics in secret. I feel I should thank that stupid tree, but it's not worth my time - leastways, not when I can use that time to be with Button.

Speaking of my adorable knight, I've been spending more time together with Button than Sweetie Belle. The school year is ending for them too, and Ms. Cheerilee has been giving them lots of homework for the rest of the semester, so the Crusaders are spending their time after school worrying about essays and tests. But not Button. Oh, no. He has more productive things to do than to worry about something like schoolwork that will mean nothing when I rise to power. He has returned his focus to his games of annihilation, and I am there to cheer him on.

It's a relief to see him strengthening his minions and destroying spaceships again. He was spending so much time playing that ridiculous racing game with Sweetie Belle during the first couple of months of the semester that I was afraid that he was going to change into a different boy than the one I fell in love with. He still hasn't killed that repulsive minotaur in that one particular game, but I encourage him to keep trying.

On that note, I'm happy to say that I just had the best day of my life with Button today. I got off early with helping Headmare Twilight after class, and I decided to see if I could spend some extra time with Button. I flew through Ponyville in the direction of Button's house, wondering if we could play games together while Sweetie Belle was wasting her time with schoolwork. But along the way, I found him playing that arcade game, trying to take down a giant spaceship. Button was struggling with fighting the "boss" because it was shooting so many red dots at his spaceship that it was difficult for him to dodge and shoot at the same time. Sadly, I wasn't watching for very long before a dot touched his spaceship's wing, and it blew up.

Poor Button was crying hysterically as the words "game over" appeared on the screen. I was quick to step in and wrap my leg around him, telling him that it was okay. He whined about how he has tried to take down the "mothership" countless times and said he would never destroy it. I tried to encourage him, saying that he would, but my poor knight wouldn't listen. That's when I remembered that I have been practicing with that game and asked if I could help, seeing this as my chance to impress him. He immediately cheered up and accepted my offer before we each put a bit into a slot.

I'm proud to say that playing the game with Button went much better than last time. Together, we mowed down the enemy spacecraft like the insects they were with ease. It wasn't long before we made it past level 3, which was as far I got on my own. The enemies in levels 4 and 5 were much more durable, but Button was there to help me destroy them. Finally, the mothership appeared, and since we still had all of our "lives," we were sure that we would win with ease. Or so I thought.

Button and I started hitting the buttons as though our lives depended on it, but it was hard to focus on firing at the mothership while it was fighting back. We were half a minute into the battle when my first spaceship blew up, and Button told me to focus on the pattern in where our enemy was shooting at us, and his advice helped me stay alive longer. We were doing fine from there until the mothership started glowing red and fired more dots at us than before, making it even harder to dodge. I began to panic before a red dot hit my second spaceship, and Button lost his first one seconds later. He was biting his lip and slamming the fire button faster than before. I stopped firing and just focused on dodging to keep my last spaceship alive while Button attacked, but then his second ship was destroyed, leaving me with no other choice but to keep fighting while we both only had one life left. After another minute, my last spaceship blew up, and my heart sank, but Button kept firing for three more seconds before the mothership was destroyed.

Button and I were cheering at the top of our lungs as the words, "congratulations," appeared on the screen. We laughed and hugged with tears of joy running down his cute face, and then we went to Sugarcube Corner to celebrate with some milkshakes before I walked him back to his house. Before he went inside, he gave me one more hug at the front door before he said that my help was just what he needed to win. My help. Not Sweetie Belle's, mine.

This wonderful day further proves how we are meant to be. I succeeded where Sweetie Belle didn't in making it that far into the game with Button. Sure, I lost my last spaceship before we won, but it was fitting that Button should be the one to finish his archenemy. Either way, we are the perfect team. This was our first major step that will lead to Button falling in love with me. With the friendships I will share with him and our love growing strong, we will be an unstoppable force. Nopony ever has or ever will have the tremendous power we will obtain. We would be a dyad in the powers of friendship and love.

Yes. A dyad. Two that are one. The very idea makes me giggle. How enjoyable it will also be when Sweetie Belle realizes she lost. I can already see her crying as I will probably have her locked up somewhere, tormented that she has no magic, no friends, and no Button. And the best part is I don't have to wait much longer. The next time I write an entry, I will officially be the Empress of Friendship, and Button and I will be starting our new life together.

Until that day,

Cozy Glow

Diary Entry #6

Dear Diary,

I can't stand what has happened in the past few months. I was so close to achieving the ultimate power of friendship with Headmare Twilight and her friends locked away in Tartarus, nearly draining all magic in Equestria from existence and an army of friends under my command. I even trapped Sweetie Belle and her friends in a closet to keep them from disturbing my plans. But just as I was moments away from winning, the Tree of Harmony interfered by giving that group of creatures to power to stop the ritual and ruin everything. If that wasn't bad enough, Twilight Sparkle and her friends somehow escaped Tartarus, and had me locked in there with Tirek. It was going so well before that stupid tree ruined everything. I feel like screaming again just thinking about it.

Now, this no doubt begs the question as to how I can be writing when I'm in Tartarus. Well, over the summer, Tirek and I were suddenly transported out of Tartarus to the underground lair of a ram named Grogar. He's trying to take down Princess Twilight and her friends by having us work together with Chrysalis, the former queen of the changelings. He tried to have King Sombra be a part of our team too, but he decided to conquer on his own and was eradicated into dust. It was disturbing to see it happen in Grogar's magic crystal eyeball thing, but Grogar used Sombra's defeat as a warning for the rest of us to work together. I'm on board as the should-be Empress of Friendship, but Tirek and Chrysalis are as stubborn as a pack of mules.

But I'm getting off-topic. The point is I've been getting lonely in Grogar's lair, and I've needed to write about everything that has happened months before he freed Tirek and me. Fortunately, with Tirek and Chrysalis brooding in different parts of the lair with no interest in seeing me, and Grogar always focused on his crystal eyeball, I was able to sneak away back to Ponyville to retrieve my things from school including you, Diary. And it's a relief I did too because I've been going insane with not being able to express my thoughts privately anymore. I hate being stuck here almost as much as I hated being locked away in Tartarus. I miss having friends that would do anything for me. I miss having the power to steal magic. I miss my plastic tiara. Most of all, I miss Button.

My poor sweet Button. Every waking moment I worry about him. Even when I was trying to be friends with Tirek in Tartarus, my heart ached from being so far away from him. I've often imagined how the princess, her friends, and especially that irritating Sweetie Belle has poisoned his mind with twisted tales about me. Sure, I was stealing all of the magic in Equestria, but that shouldn't worry him. He's an earth pony. Why should he take the word of my unicorn rival and a group of ponies who rely on magic to stop countless threats? If they hadn't stopped me, Button would have learned how I would have given him so much more than magic. I can see him locked in his room, crying his heart out because he thinks he lost his very first friend and one true love forever.

Don't worry, my dearest knight. We won't be apart forever. Grogar has an intimidating presence that even scares Tirek and Chrysalis, but he is right that defeating Princess Twilight and her friends are the key. And when the deed is done, I will dispose of my comrades, and come off a reformed hero to all of Equestria. Every pony will adore me, and you will give your love to me. You won't even care about the next time I lock Sweetie Belle and her friends in a closet again, or better yet, banish them to Tartarus. There is still hope for our dreams to come true.

I love Button so much, Diary. Even if all the magic in the world is against me, it won't stop me from securing his heart any more than it will prevent me from obtaining my kingdom. I waited the whole school year to get what I deserve. I can wait a little longer. This I swear by my future throne.

Sincerely,

Cozy Glow

Diary Entry #7

Dear Diary,

Equestria and Button are within my grasp!

That high and mighty buffoon, Grogar, is not so scary anymore now that I have the means to get rid of him. A few weeks ago, he sent me, Tirek, and Chrysalis to get his all-powerful Bewitching Bell, and through teamwork, we successfully found it. But instead of bringing it back to him, we hid it and claimed that we were unable to retrieve it. The fool bought our little fib, and last night, we found a book in the restricted section in the Canterlot library that tells us how to activate it and take away his magic.

It's all too perfect. The almighty Grogar will fall with his own Bewitching Bell, and then I absorb all of the magic in it and dispose of Tirek and Chrysalis. The best part is the three of us agreed to try to destroy each other after we deal with Grogar, so if I obliterate them before they get a chance to do it to me, well, it's fair game.

I can see it all now. I appear in Canterlot with remains of my enemies and an elaborate story of how I changed my ways and bravely stopped them from taking over Equestria. The princesses might not believe me, but hey, that's why it's a good thing I will absorb Chrysalis' magic, including the ability to brainwash creatures before I get rid of her. After that, there will be a parade in my honor before going back to Ponyville, where Button will have heard the news and will be waiting for me.

Of course, I'll need to get rid of Twilight Sparkle and her friends, but I'll have to wait a few years for that. If they suddenly disappear not too long after I come back, ponies will get suspicious. But that's okay, because my Button will be there with me, and we will have many friends to secure my reign. In a few more years, we will get married, and he will conquer in my name as my husband and the leader of my forces. Mrs. Cozy Mash: Eternal Empress of Friendship. I feel goosebumps all over my body just thinking of that name.

I worry about how Button is doing, though. I'm scared to think of how he's been struggling to live without me. I wish I could turn back time and fix things so that the Tree of Harmony didn't stop me, and I'm there for everything that Button has been up to. Is he still playing that arcade game thinking about when we destroyed the mothership? Have the villagers destroyed the evil sorcerer under his command? Has he and his minions become so powerful that they have vanquished that horrible minotaur as quickly as a cockatrice turning its victims into stone? If the answer is yes to any of those questions, then I hate the Tree of Harmony even more, and I'm glad that Sombra got rid of it. Any pony or other creature who was also responsible for my imprisonment will receive a hundred - no, a thousand times the misery Button and I are going through right now.

But what if his sweet, little heart has been corrupted by the mean things ponies have said about me? Sweetie Belle might be driving him away from his violent interests into more cheerful things. She could have driven him away from video games altogether and be making him go to school. Golly, she could have confessed her love to him, and he would suddenly be into her just because she's so cheerful and pretty.

I have to stop her somehow. I have to confess my feelings as soon as possible. I can't do it in person yet, but maybe I can send him a letter. I could say that I'm being held up in Grogar's Lair against my will, and I want to make up for my mistakes. From there, I will tell him how much he means to me and how I think about him every day. I'll sneak out again at night just to put the letter on his front porch. It's not the same as telling it in person, but the important thing is he knows and that he will be rooting for me while I save Equestria. I'm going to do it. As soon as I am done with this entry, I'm going to write a love letter to my Button, and he will be mine forever.

More than likely, I won't need you again after this happens because I will have my stallion to keep me company, but I want to thank you for being exactly what I've needed all this time, Diary. These entries were the perfect first step in me becoming the Empress of Friendship and Love that I was always meant to be.

Farewell,

Cozy Glow

Button's Late Reply

A light brown unicorn filly with thistle hair and a propeller hat was sitting on a bench playing on her joyboy in the Canterlot Gardens. Beautiful flowers of various colors surrounded the area, the birds were chirping on the tree branches, and the river was flowing down the stream behind the bench, but the filly was too focused on her video game to notice any of those things. She was sticking her tongue out from the side of her mouth as she glared at the screen while rapidly hitting the controls.

"Pixie Belle!"

The filly jumped in alarm and almost dropped her game before turning her head to see Sweetie Belle in her mid-twenties looking at her disapprovingly. Pixie Belle opened her mouth to speak before she heard the sound of her avatar dying in the video game.

"Aw, mom, I was almost done finishing the quest," Pixie Belle whined.

"You shouldn't have brought your joyboy to begin with," Sweetie Belle rebuked. "We're trying to enjoy the sights of the gardens as a family, not find a spot for you to play your game."

"But I just had to kill four more ogres," Pixie Belle protested.

"Ugh. You're just like your father," Sweetie Belle said. "If you don't put away your game, we won't go see the Legion of Doom statue."

The light brown filly gasped before turning off the game and shoving it inside her backpack lying next to her. Sweetie Belle smirked in satisfaction before she gestured her daughter to follow her with her head. They walked to the center of the gardens, where Button Mash was waiting for them beside a fountain.

"Where did you find her?" He asked.

"She was sitting on a bench playing The Art of Legends VII again," Sweetie Belle replied.

"Of course, she was," Button said, rolling his eyes. "You need to listen to your mother when she says you can't bring your game with us, Pixie. The ogres of Zygnicra aren't going anywhere."

"I know, but I can't help it if I want to save that family that lives in that farm out in the Kavish Mountains as soon as possible," Pixel Belle said.

Sweetie Belle shook her head and gave Button a look that said, "She's your daughter." Her husband chuckled and scratched the back of his head before he cleared his throat.

"Okay, now that we've found you, let's go see the Legion of Doom statue," he said.

"Yay!" Pixel Belle cheered.

Button and Sweetie Belle smiled at their daughter's enthusiasm as the three of them walked together down a stone pathway. Pixel Belle was walking ahead while her parents walked side by side. But as they walked down the path, Button's smile faded, and he sighed with his head down, which Sweetie Belle quickly noticed.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She asked. "If you want to talk to her some other time, that's okay. I'm sure she would understand."

"No, I'm ready," Button said. "It's not going to be easy, but I've put this off for too long. She needs to know, and I want to have closure."

Sweetie Belle gave him a sad smile and put her front leg around him. He smiled and stared deeply into his wife's emerald eyes to express his gratitude for her support. They broke their gaze just in time to see that they reached their destination.

Pixie Belle was looking at the statue of the Legion of Doom in awe. Her eyes were on Tirek and Chrysalis, amused with the way the centaur was looking away in fear and the changeling looking like she was about to pounce like a snake. But, while the filly looked at two of the most powerful enemies of Equestria, her parents were looking at the youngest member of the Legion of Doom. Cozy Glow was standing above her companions, her eyes wide open, and her front hooves on her cheeks. If it weren't for the terror in her eyes, she would look like she was about to say "Golly" like she used to whenever she pretended to be innocent and naive. Pixel Belle looked away from the statue to notice her parents having crestfallen looks, and her smile turned into a look of confusion.

"Mom, Dad, what's wrong?" She asked.

Button and Sweetie Belle snapped out of their gaze and chuckled nervously before Sweetie Belle said, "Sorry, Pixel. We were just looking at Cozy Glow."

"Oh, yeah. The so-claimed Empress of Friendship," Pixel Belle said, glancing at the little pegasus. "Ms. Cheerilee mentioned her in class. She said something about how she tried to take away magic before she became a part of the Legion of Doom. I didn't find her to be as interesting as Tirek or Chrysalis, to be honest."

"Well, would it interest you to know that Cozy Glow used to be our friend?" Button asked.

The little unicorn looked at her father, dumbfounded as if he sporadically spoke a different language and asked, "Seriously? How were you friends with a member of the Legion of Doom?"

Button hesitated before he said, "This was before she tried to steal magic. We would play video games and get milkshakes at Sugarcube Corner with her. She used to watch me play the original Art of Legends game too. In fact, the toy sword that's up in the attic was a Hearth's Warming gift from her."

"Wow. So, do you think she was doing those things for her evil plan to get every pony to follow her?" Pixel Belle asked.

Button flinched as though his little daughter slapped him and said, “Honestly, honey, I hope she wasn’t.”

“Huh?” Pixel Belle asked, tilting her head in confusion.

Button took a moment before he said, “You see, Cozy Glow was the very first friend I ever had. Before I met her, I didn’t interact with anypony apart from my family. I wanted to have friends, but too much of my focus was on playing my games.”

“Like a certain filly I know,” Sweetie Belle added with a motherly look that made Pixel Belle chuckle.

“Exactly,” Button said with a cheeky grin. “Anyway, she was the only pony who would listen to me when I talked about games, and she was the one who asked if we could be friends. Even when she tried to steal all magic in Equestria and was sent to Tartarus, I wanted to believe there was a part of her that was still genuinely my friend.”

Pixel Belle looked at her father strangely. She had always perceived the Legion of Doom as pure evil to the core, so the idea of either of them having genuine care for another creature was inconceivable. She then looked at the floor, contemplating the brand new information before she gave her parents a shrug.

“Well, there are a lot of other creatures that were reformed back in those days, so maybe the Magic of Friendship did affect Cozy Glow in a positive way for just a little bit,” she guessed.

Button and Sweetie Belle smiled at Pixie Belle, and the latter said, “Maybe, Pixel. Maybe.”

The family became silent as the filly turned back to look at the statue again, with her eyes focused on Cozy Glow. After another minute, Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and said, "Alright, time for us to go, Pixie."

"Aw, Mom, can't we stay just a little longer?" Pixie Belle begged.

"No, you know we're meeting Twilight for lunch soon, and we need to make sure we see everything before we do," Sweetie Belle answered. "Besides, Dad needs a moment with Cozy Glow."

Pixie Belle turned to Button and asked, "You do?"

Button gave his daughter a nod, and the little filly said, "Oh," before she reluctantly walked over to her mother. Sweetie Belle smiled at Button before she and Pixie Belle walked away. The stallion smiled back, grateful for his wife's support before he frowned and walked closer to the statue. He stared into Cozy Glow's petrified eyes and sighed before he spoke as if he was standing in front of her tombstone.

"Hi, Cozy," he said. "I heard from Discord that creatures turned into stone can still hear everything around them. I hope you can because I've wanted to talk to you ever since the day you tried to take over Equestria with Chrysalis and Tirek. I'm sorry that I took this long, but I've been unsure of what to say."

Button paused for a moment, thinking of the right words before he continued.

"The thing is, I didn't know what to believe between what you said in your letter and what the three of you did," he said. "You said you changed and wanted to save Equestria, and yet you caused ponies to not trust each other and brought the windigos back to Equestria. I want to think that there was a reasonable explanation, that maybe you tried to take down Tirek and Chrysalis and failed, and so had to play the part of being part of the Legion of Doom until you got another chance. I know that's not what happened, because all of our friends have testified that you were eager to rule Equestria, but I wanted to believe that what you said in the letter was true somehow. Then there's the other thing you said in the letter…"

Button looked away from the statue with a hesitant look. Even though Cozy Glow couldn't see, he felt like he was about to dump someone in public after they had just asked to marry him. He took a deep breath and put on a brave face before looking at the petrified pegasus again.

"The thing is, Cozy; I never saw you that way," he said. "You meant a lot to me as my first friend that I could talk to and play with, but I never felt that way about you. I had no idea that you had a crush on me, and I was shocked that you thought I played my video games because I wanted to actually go into the world and kill monsters in real life. I play video games because they're fun and challenging, not because I want to destroy things. Maybe I was too passionate about winning certain video games that you took it that way, and I'm sorry if you did."

Button then turned his head around where he could see Sweetie Belle and Pixie Belle several yards away, waiting for him. He smiled at them before he turned back to face Cozy Glow.

"I imagine that you noticed that Sweetie Belle and I came with our daughter," he said. "Pixie is eight years old just like we were, and she loves her video games. Sweetie Belle and I have been married for almost ten years now. She knows about the letter and that I needed to talk to you, by the way."

The moderate orange stallion was silent again, imagining what Cozy Glow would say about his wife and daughter. His face fell before he finished.

"The truth is I love Sweetie Belle. I think I can say I've loved her ever since we met," he said. "She and Pixie mean more than all the video games in the world. I can't imagine what life would be without them, and I don't ever want to find out. I could never feel the way you did for me, but I would have liked for you to be a part of our happiness. If things were different, you and Sweetie Belle could have been better friends, you would've been an aunt to Pixie Belle, and we would have found somepony special for you. I like to think that's possible. Either way, Cozy, I want to let you know that no matter what you did, you will always be special to me as my first friend and that I'm happy. If you truly love me, I hope knowing that will be enough for you."

Button let out another heavy sigh, feeling as though a weight was taken off his chest. He gave Cozy Glow a sad smile and said, "Goodbye," before he turned around and walked toward his family. Sweetie Belle gave her husband a concerned look, but he smiled and placed his hoof on her cheek to let her know that he's okay. Sweetie Belle smiled back, and the two of them kissed, making Pixie Belle gag in disgust.

"Do you have to do that?" she whined.

"Of course, we do. It's what moms and dads do when they love each other," Button answered.

"But it's gross!" Pixie Belle complained.

"Then consider it payback for disobeying me and bringing your joyboy with you," Sweetie Belle said.

"Ugh, does that mean you're gonna kiss every time I disobey you?" Pixie Belle asked.

"Well, I like kissing your mom, so if that's the case, then you can disobey her as much as you like," Button said.

"Button!" Sweetie Belle shouted.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding," Button chortled.

Sweetie Belle gave Button an unamused look before she rolled her eyes and smirked. Button gave his wife a toothy grin before turning to Pixie Belle and said, "Anyway, it's getting close to lunchtime, so let's head back to the castle. Twilight is probably waiting for us."

"Okay," Pixie Belle said obediently. "Do you think they will be serving hayburgers like last time?"

"With Twilight's love of fried food, I think it's a safe bet, Pixie," Sweetie Belle said.

"Yay!" Pixie Belle cheered.

Button and Sweetie Belle chuckled as their daughter started walking ahead of them again. While they followed Pixie Belle down the stony path, Button wrapped his front leg around Sweetie Belle and pulled her close to him. The white unicorn smiled and rested her head against Button, and he rested his head on top of hers. The moderate orange stallion squeezed his wife as he felt complete after getting the closure he wanted for many moons. Nothing else mattered to him now but to live happily with his precious queen and his video game-hungry princess.

With the family gone, nothing but the soft breeze and the water gently flowing down the stream could be heard around the Legion of Doom statue. A little red bird landed on top of Cozy Glow's statue and started singing without a care. But as the bird sang, a small crack appeared in the corner of Cozy Glow's left eye. The crack grew until it was the size of a jellybean, and after a moment of pause, a single tear came out. It ran to her hoof on her cheek to her foot, and then fell onto the stone floor before evaporating instantly.

Nothing ever came out of the statue again.

The end

Diary Entry #4

Dear Diary,

There has been a concerning development with obtaining my Button. For the rest of the fall semester, I've been spending as much time with him as I can when I'm not at school, helping Headmare Twilight, or making more friends. Every moment I'm by his side feels like a dream. Sometimes I'll play that arcade game and try to improve my skills, hoping that I will impress him by showing how I'm a better partner for him than Sweetie Belle, but that unicorn seems to be getting closer to the knight of my heart too.

The latest example was while I was back home for Hearth's Warming. Button and I exchanged gifts before I left with me giving him a toy sword from one of his games and my sweetheart giving me a plastic tiara. He said he thought it looked cute on me. To think that he doesn't know that I will soon become empress. I've been wearing it wherever no pony is around, imagining myself on my throne and history telling of how amusing fate was when my stallion gave me my crown.

But when I returned to Ponyville, I went to visit Button at home only to find Sweetie Belle playing a video game with him. It turns out that she became so interested in games that she got her own handheld console and started playing together with Button. On Hearth's Warming, Button gave Sweetie Belle a couple of show tune records, which is her favorite kind of music, while she got a new game for him. But instead of a game involving adventure and destruction, this was a kart racing game. What's worse was that he had been playing it with Sweetie Belle ever since.

I can't believe that this happened while I was gone. Button was bonding with another girl, and he is playing a game that diverts from his desire to fight. Sure, he was joyous to see me again, and he let me play with them, but that only brought so little comfort. Clearly, Sweetie Belle planned it so that she had so much experience with this stupid game that I couldn't catch up with her and Button. Between this and when she blushed the day they first met, it's clear that she wants his heart too.

Well, if it's a competition for who gets Button she wants, I accept the challenge. Mark my words, though, Diary, when I become empress, Sweetie Belle will rue the day she thought she could have my knight. To think she was one of the first friends I've had, and now she is my mortal enemy. Oh well. I guess there's bound to be other ponies to get rid of besides Headmare Twilight and her friends. That's just the way it goes when you rule a kingdom. But as long as my Button is with me, I'll be satisfied.

Until next time,

Cozy Glow

Cozy Glow's Letter

My dearest Button,

If you are reading this, I first want to apologize for everything I've done. I can only imagine what you've been through learning that I tried to steal all magic and take over Equestria. It was cruel and selfish, and I know I hurt you by not turning out to be the friend you thought I was. I doubt this will make things better, but I want you to know that I'm so sorry.

I imagine you're wondering how I could send this letter even though I was sent to Tartarus for my crimes. A few months ago, I was taken out of my cell to the lair of this horrible creature named Grogar. He's trying to destroy Twilight and her friends, and he's making me help with Tirek and Queen Chrysalis. He's the reason why King Sombra came back before he was defeated again. I want to warn Twilight, but I'm so scared. Grogar would obliterate me with his dark magic if any of them found out that I even left the hideout much less warned her about what's going to happen.

But I had to write this letter to you. I have found a weakness in Grogar's terrible power, and if I'm careful, I can use it to stop him, Tirek, and Chrysalis before they harm our friends. I doubt this will atone for what I've done, but I have to stop them. Ever since I was imprisoned in Tartarus, I realized how wrong I was. I shouldn't have tried to take away magic; I should have stayed the happy filly that I was, being there with every creature I care about. I miss everyone so much. I miss Twilight and her friends, I miss everyone at the school, I miss everypony in Ponyville, but most of all, I miss you, Button.

I miss seeing you every day with your cute smile and propeller hat. I miss the times we would play on the arcade machine or get milkshakes. I especially miss seeing you strengthening your characters to defeat all sorts of monsters with me at your side, encouraging you.

What I'm trying to say in case I fail is I love you, Button. I've loved you since the day we met. I love you so much that it's unbearable. I want to stay in Ponyville, where I can watch you grow to be a mighty and adventurous stallion like you are in your video games. I want us to travel together when we're older and fight dangerous enemies, go on dates, and get married. You may only see me as your friend even if I succeed and am forgiven for my crimes, but that's okay. We're both very young. I will wait for as long as it takes for it to be you and me for all time.

If I return to Ponyville, you will find me at the arcade machine where I want us to play it together one more time before we start to live happily ever after. Please don't take too long to come. I cannot wait to see you again.

Love now and forever,

Cozy Glow