One Thousand Years Ago

Chapters

Chapter 2: My Counterpart
Chapter 4: Who I Am
Chapter 5: A Dark Little Place
Chapter 6: Crystal Stasis
Chapter 7: The Plot Thickens
Chapter 8: Pitch Meeting
Chapter 9: Eternal Night
Chapter 10: Reflection
Chapter 11: The Council of Friendship
Chapter 12: A New Direction
Chapter 13: A Mare's Concern
Chapter 14: Journey to Sire's Hollow
Chapter 15: One Last Time
Chapter 16: Saying Goodbye
Chapter 17: The Culprit
Chapter 18: Shadow of the Past
Chapter 20: History Repeats
Chapter 21: Cold Comforts
Chapter 22: What Lies Beneath
Chapter 23: Slumber 101
Chapter 24: Return to One's Self
Chapter 25: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 1, Cozy's Resolve
Chapter 26: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 2, The Madness of Queen Chrysalis
Chapter 27: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 3, Tirek's Last Command
Chapter 28: Fanfare of the Flying Carpet
Chapter 29: Touring the Carpet, Part 1
Chapter 30: Touring the Carpet, Part 2
Chapter 31: Touring the Carpet, Part 3
Chapter 32: Jack of All Trades
Chapter 33: Removing the Mask
Chapter 35: Hard to Say Goodbye
Chapter 1: Return to Earth
Chapter 3: On Our Way Out ...
Chapter 19: Unexpected Arrival
Chapter 34: Mother and Daughter

Chapter 2: My Counterpart

Sunset opens a door leading into a smaller room with a whole bunch of chairs in it. There are a few windows in the back, but they are shut by shutters. There is also another window within this room but it leads to another room within this building. In that room, there is a bunch of humans in there dressed in white, apparently the uniforms for those who work here.

There are others within the room they step into. Cozy grows startled to realize she recognizes every single one of them in two different ways. Not only has she met their Equestrian counterparts, but she has some of her human counterpart's memories of interacting with most of them. Along with those memories are rich emotions that made Cozy feel all too familiar with them.

She especially has some intense feelings for the human version of Diamond Tiara sitting in this room. Cozy recalls that that older teenager has become her human counterpart's sort-of adopted sister after Diamond's mother abused and disowned her. Cozy recalls that her counterpart used to have intense but hidden feelings of hostility towards Diamond for a grave slight in the past, but it turns out Diamond was more innocent than human Cozy realized. Ever since then, their relationship proceeded far more positively.

Aside from Diamond, Cozy also recognized Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Silver Spoon in here.

Cozy blinks for a moment when it dawns on her that absolutely everyone in the waiting room is female.

Also, where is Pinkie Pie? If all the others are gathered here like this, why is Pinkie the only exception that is missing?

When they look back at Cozy, many are taken aback for a moment, probably because they thought their Cozy suddenly recovered, but then they notice that this Cozy is noticeably younger . . . for now.

“Oh,” Sweetie Belle speaks up with a crestfallen expression. “For a second there, I thought . . .” she trails off sadly, then shakes her head as she focuses on Cozy while a bright smile spreads across her face. “You must be our Cozy's Equestrian counterpart. Hi! My name is-”

“-Sweetie Belle,” Cozy interrupts her with a bit of a narrow stare at the human girl. “Yes. I recognize you.” She looks across the others. “All of you, in fact.”

“Yes. I'm quite sure that you do,” Rarity agrees from her seat as she fluffs her hair with one hand while holding a compact makeup kit in front of her face with the other hand. “Your Twilight has told us about some of your escapades as well. You've had quite the colorful little history, my dear.”

“You haven't told me,” Sweetie reminds her sister with a probing and prompting expression in her voice.

“It's nothing you need to know, My Sweet,” Rarity replies to her younger sister while carefully examining her face in her compact mirror from side to side. “Although,” Rarity gives Cozy a firm warning look, “if it does become necessary to inform you,” she says to Sweetie Belle while looking at Cozy, “then I shall do as I must.”

“I'm guessing that your past is pretty checkered and complicated as well?” Diamond guesses as she looks at Cozy. “Well, regardless of that, it's still great to finally meet you. I heard, back in Equestria, that you are a pegasus, right?”

“Yeah,” Cozy says as she crosses her arms and gives Diamond a bit of a narrow-eyed look. “What of it?”

“Oh, nothing personal,” Diamond assures as she waves Cozy off. “I actually think it sounds pretty cool. What is it like to fly up there in Equestria?”

Cozy's expression softens as she considers how to respond, then she answers, “Liberating.”

“That makes sense,” Scootaloo figures. “I heard my Equestrian counterpart is a pegasus too, but she can't fly? What gives?”

In response, Cozy just shrugs. She does not know the answer to that question, and she could care less.

“Well, regardless of all of that, we're all here,” Sunset says somewhat tiredly with an announcing tone.

“Pinkie isn't here,” Cozy observes. “I thought all of you were inseparable, especially over an issue this serious.”

“Ah yes. About that,” Applejack spoke up as she used her left thumb to push up the edge of her cowboy hat, “Pinkie stepped out for a bit ta grab us all a bite ta eat. She'll be back pronto after that.”

Looking from her older sister to Cozy, Apple Bloom adds, “We've been waitin’n in here fer like . . . forever, it feels like, and we can use ah bite ta eat ever once in a while.” She shrugs. “We humans do that on oh’casion.”

“You don't say,” Cozy replies with a slightly snide expression.

“Do you want to wait till she gets back then explain this to everyone?” human Twilight asks Sunset.

Sunset shakes her head as she says, “Nah. Most of you are here, and any one of you can pass on what I'm about to say to Pinkie whenever she shows up, but this situation is urgent so I feel I can't afford to wait too long.”

Sunset takes a moment to take a deep breath, holds it, then releases it.

“Okay,” Sunset begins. “I think I have some idea what's going on with our Cozy, but it's not something I wanted to admit earlier because, well . . .” she places a hand to her face for a moment, then drops it to the level of her neck as she goes on while looking across everyone in the room. “. . . it was kind of private, but our Cozy has come across Equestrian magic not just once, but twice. The second time, as you know, is her magic little geode crystal like this one.” Sunset pulls a necklace from under her shirt which reveals a small red crystal tied to it. “As most of you are aware, these geodes house magic from Equestria. We,” she gestures across the adults in the room, “got ours from Camp Everfree some years back, but Cozy got hers from Discord on her birthday last year.”

“Discord?” Cozy echoed with recognition. “What's that little troll up to this time?”

“Delivering on a promise, or so he claimed,” Sunset answers as she looks at Cozy. “He said that the crystal was not created by himself, but someone else from a long time ago. Someone who apparently came into contact with another crystal just like it, only that crystal housed another soul within it. A soul who came from King Sombra.” As Sunset adds that last part, she gives a meaningful look to Princess Twilight.

Princess Twilight's eyes do light up in recognition. “Oh, so you know about that,” Twilight realizes. “But that crystal housed his original soul. The one he used to have before he got corrupted by dark magic. His mind split in two, and the bad one devastated Equestrian history, but the good one . . . he was sealed in a small crystal for almost a thousand years, waiting for a chance to make amends for all that his counterpart had done.”

Sunset nods in agreement towards Princess Twilight, then goes on to say, “Exactly. Somepony from his family got a hold of that crystal then proceeded to make a duplicate of it using the magic within the gem and what Sombra taught her about crystal science.”

“I got a letter about this a few years back,” Princess Twilight informs the group, but mostly directs her attention at Sunset. “The letter claims, among many other things, that he called himself Crystal Sage by then out of shame for what his counterpart did. I've also been informed that Crystal Sage's efforts, along with everypony that wielded the crystal since then, were working to accumulate enough positive energy to help bring back the Crystal Empire, which they eventually succeeded in doing.”

Sunset nods again, then adds, “One of those wielders created another crystal for our Cozy in particular because, apparently, she had the means to travel throughout time and space. During that journey, she apparently met either a future version of our Cozy, or some splintered reality, or Celestia knows what else. She created a crystal for that Cozy then either made another or sent that one into the past to be delivered to our Cozy via Discord.”

“But what does any of this have to do with what is going on with Cozy now?” Rainbow askes with impatience.

Sunset’s eyes shift to her left sharply as she says, “I'm not sure. Maybe nothing, but I can't help but suspect that what is going through Cozy's mind right now has something to do with King Sombra.”

“The good one or the bad one?” Princess Twilight asks in sudden alarm.

“I'm not sure,” Sunset replies to the transformed alicorn. “Maybe both.

“I have a few other things I need to lay out on the table. I told you all that Cozy came into contact with Equestrian magic twice, right?” In response, most of those in the room nod at her. “Well, the first time she came into contact with it was when she stole this crystal,” she shook the one on her neck, “but our Cozy didn't know that at the time because it was hidden in a flash drive, which was needed to access my magical laptop computer, which was linked to another machine in Equestria.” She nods to Princess Twilight. “Both Twilights built that for me as a means to communicate with my Equestrian friends.”

“Which is better than creating another magical book over and over again,” human Twilight adds proudly as she adjusts her glasses. “With computers, we can transfer a lot more data back and forth as well as store a whole lot more.”

Sunset nods in agreement, then says, “Which is why you both set up that system. It's worked wonders ever since until our Cozy wrecked the portal and planted a virus on my computer which framed me for a crime that later got me arrested.” She pauses a moment to release an irritated breath, then goes on. “Anyway, moving on, Cozy unwittingly got enchanted by Equestrian magic twice during this process. Best I can figure, it allowed her to access the unconscious minds of all of Equestria. This included the past and the present. Maybe even the future.” She pauses another moment to take another deep breath, then goes on. “Well, anyway, long story short, she unwittingly pulled in the mind of a certain Dark King named King Sombra. From there, he hounded her mind for several months.”

“What?!” human Twilight asks in alarm. “Why didn't you tell me any of this if you knew?”

Sunset's right hand that was held at her neck area made a flicking motion to her right as she says, “Well, while I was in jail, I did not have much of a chance to tell you.” Her balled up hand settled on her neck area again. “Then, later on, when I did find out, the issue had already settled. That consciousness of Sombra is the real reason she went into a coma last time aside from her stroke, but a part of me that was . . . Um.” She looks down for a second, then looks across the group again. “That one is complicated to explain, but when I found out, our Cozy's consciousness had already merged with Sombra. However, he was not fueled by any emotion whatsoever. He seemed to be, but there was no true drive behind him. That was why, when his consciousness merged with her, his personality did not overwrite her despite being so, so much older than her.

“Then, as the weeks went by, Cozy's memories of Sombra's life began to deteriorate. She admitted to getting occasional flashes of his memories here and there. Every once in a while she'd see something, hear something, taste or smell something that reminded her of one of his memories. Whenever that happens, it flashes in her mind with almost perfect clarity for a moment before fading away again.”

Sunset looks at human Twilight squarely as she says, “Cozy asked me to keep this to myself. She made me promise, and I did not want to lie to her. She asked me to promise this because she felt she was going through enough complications as it was without adding this little detail, and she also didn't want to worry her friends and family.” Sunset gestures across them all. “I had to respect her wishes as long as the situation matched one condition; it had to be settled. I swore to her that I would keep this to myself as long as it did not seem to be a danger. That is why I kept my silence until now, because now it does seem like it has become a danger to her.”

“You can read minds with your magic crystal, right?” Sweetie Belle asks. “Couldn't you use it to verify your claims on Cozy?”

“I already did,” informs Sunset to Sweetie Belle before looking at Princess Twilight. “That is why I called you here. I have absolutely confirmed that Sombra's consciousness is once again responsible for her current condition, but there is a difference this time.”

“Which is?” Princess Twilight prompts.

Sunset shakes her head a bit as she says, “I don't think he's doing this on purpose, and I don't think he means to hurt Cozy. The reason why I say this is because his thoughts seem very unfocused. There is no plan or agenda whatsoever. I don't even think he's aware of his current predicament, or Cozy's for that matter. His thoughts are very disjointed. I sensed anger, sadness, duty, honor, betrayal, hope. Above all, it seems like he's searching for something, but I don't think even he knows what he's searching for.”

Leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, Applejack says, “Well, I'll certainly say this for our lil' ol' Cozy; when the courts pleaded for the insanity defense, they weren't kidding. That girl just ain't right in the head.”

“Not all of it is her fault,” Sunset insists. “Some of it had to do with the time she got touched by Equestrian magic. When that happened, that allowed her mind to contact foreign entities.”

“Why would Cozy's mind reach out to Sombra, of all ponies?” Princess Twilight wonders.

Sunset looks at pony Twilight as she shrugs and says, “I'm not totally sure, but they did have some similarities in their goals, ambitions, and tactics at one time. However, when Sombra's consciousness drew into this world, it wasn't complete, and it also got mixed with some of Cozy's memories which, in turn, modified his behavior without him even realizing it.”

“Oh my god!” human Twilight gasps as she covers her mouth with a start.

“What?” Twilight's pony self asks her in alarm.

Human Twilight hangs her head for a moment, shakes it, then looks forward as she admits, “Long ago, sometime last year, my daughter once confessed to me about having recurring nightmares about some dark entity that called himself, 'The Dark King'. She asked me if I had any knowledge about him, and I honestly replied to her no. I don't think it really occurred to me that she may have been talking about an actual entity that was hounding her.” She starts to cry which fogs up her glasses. “Oh, my darling Cozy! Please forgive me!”

“No, don't blame yourself,” pony Twilight begs her human counterpart. “You had no way of knowing what was going on with her at the time, and you certainly had no idea who Sombra was.” She looks at Sunset. “Right? He has no presence here in this world as his human counterpart?”

Sunset shakes her head. “I haven't heard of him before. Even if I did, his human self should lack magic.”

“Well, there is that, and the fact that he was born over a thousand years ago in my world,” Princess Twilight adds. “But Celestia is here, and she couldn’t have lived for over a thousand years in this world, could she?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Sunset says with a little uncertainty. “Seems a little rude, too, to just walk up and ask her how old she is.”

A fond look creeps into pony Twilight's eyes as she asks, “Oh, how is she doing here in this world? All I know about her is the fact she stepped down as principal of Canterlot.”

“I paid her a visit a little over six months ago,” Fluttershy quietly says. “Last I checked, she was enjoying her retirement along with her sister, Luna.” Fluttershy brushes a lock of pink hair off of her face and tucks it behind her left ear, then adds, “At the time, she was learning how to crochet.”

“Celestia and Luna are retired in my world as well,” Princess Twilight muses. “It's funny how closely our two worlds are different yet so substantially mirror each other at the same time.”

“In that case,” Scootaloo begins to say then looks at Cozy as she goes on, “any psychopathic demon stallions messing with your head lately?”

“What makes you think I'd need one to cause trouble?” Cozy replies darkly. Noticing some alarm pick up in the room, Cozy amends, “No. Nothing like that has happened to me.” She looks at her mother. “That said, I have met King Sombra once before.”

“You have?!” Princess Twilight asks her daughter with surprise. “When was this?”

Cozy opens her mouth in an attempt to reply until she feels this weird pulsing sensation ripple through her body. A second later all the lights in the room start flickering.

“What the . . .” Scootaloo gasps in shock as she leans forward while looking at everyone.

“What's going on?!” Sweetie Belle asks in fright. As soon as she asks, Diamond Tiara, to her left, reaches a hand to grasp Sweetie Belle's right hand with Diamond's left to comfort the other girl, and perhaps herself as well.

Blaring noise starts in the upper corner of the room. Cozy looks to that corner and notices, for the first time, some weird flat rectangular thing hanging up on the wall that displays moving pictures. Sound seems to be coming from whatever that thing is as well. In it, it issues a cacophony of noises. It sounds like many voices speaking at once. Various texts also scroll across the flat thing. What is especially curious about it is the text is in Equestrian script. Too many words are scrolling across the flat thing to read them all, and the text is also scrolling across in weird angles. Some of them are backwards. Others scroll across from down to up, up to down, or diagonally across. Some words scroll behind other words as if further in the background.

Some of the words she did happen to catch were, “I cannot forget,” “I swear I'll have my revenge!” “I need to rescue her as soon as possible,” and “She is our final hope.”

“Oh my gosh!” Silver Spoon exclaims while widening her eyes at the small rectangular thing in her hands that Cozy could not identify, but it is projecting some kind of light on Silver’s face. “Guys, whatever is wreaking havoc with all the electricity in the building is also doing something to our phones!”

“Really?” human Twilight asks, then touches the side of her glasses for a moment. She widens her eyes a moment later, then scrambles to pull out her own flat rectangular thing from her purse. She fiddles with it for a moment before popping off the back case and taking something out of it. She looks back at the light side of the flat thing, widens her eyes even further, then says, “Pulling out the batteries to our phones does not shut them off!”

“This is Cozy Glow's magic!” Sunset realizes. “Her crystal allows her to control and empower electronic devices.”

“If things keep up like this, something awful is going to happen here in the hospital!” Fluttershy declares with fright. “Like someone's life support being turned off or something.”

“We have to find that crystal, now!” human Twilight exclaims then looks at Sunset. “Do you know where it is?”

Sunset replies, “I don't.” She looks at Cozy. “But I think she does.”

“Me?!” Cozy asks in surprise. “How would I know where it is? I just got into your world, which is something I hope to keep as brief as possible.”

“You reacted to something just before all of this happened,” Sunset observes. “Admit it, you felt a magical pulse back then.”

“Is that true, Honey?” Princess Twilight asks her daughter.

“I . . . I don't know what I felt!” Cozy responds honestly. “I don't have much experience with magic.”

“You were an alicorn once before!” Princess Twilight reminds her daughter. “Did it feel anything like it did back then?”

The sound of explosions starts to emanate beyond the room. Seconds later, some of the lights above start bursting with a shower of sparks. Not only does that cause some startled screams from within this room, but several screams of panic start to pick up out of this room.

During that time, the strange noises from the flat rectangle pick up. Even more voices project from it. Some of them are screaming as well.

Princess Twilight grasps her daughter's shoulders and forces Cozy to look at her, then cries out, “Cozy, this is important! Do you think you can follow that magical pulse to its source?”

“Why would that help?” Scootaloo asks while trying to keep calm.

“Because that crystal was made to be attuned to Cozy,” Princess Twilight explains, “and this is Cozy Glow too! She might not only be able to find the crystal, but use it as well.”

Cozy's fists shake to her side as she closes her eyes and concentrates. It's so hard to concentrate with all that noise going on around her and a feeling of panic rising within her.

Until Sunset touches Cozy. Then, for some reason, the distracting noise grows far more distant. She opens her eyes and notices time seem to slow down. Colors are more muted, and so is the sound. Everything is slowed down except for herself and Sunset.

“I withdrew us partially within your mind,” Sunset explains. “From here, it's easier to focus. Now, do as your mother says and concentrate. Try to find out where the magical pulses are coming from.”

“Logic might be able to narrow it down, too,” Cozy realizes. “Take me to my other self's room. I think the crystal is in there.”

Sunset looks skeptical as she says, “I could, but Cozy is definitely not wearing the crystal within there. She is wearing a hospital gown at this moment. Her crystal can't be on her person right now.”

“Then where do these humans keep their stuff while they are in here?” Cozy asks Sunset.

A thoughtful look crosses over Sunset's face, then she says, “Follow me.”

The moment Sunset removes her hand from Cozy's shoulder, time resumes its normal pace. Colors and sounds also return to normal.

The journey across the hospital hallway is far more terrifying than it was earlier due to exploding devices, people running around in panic as well as scary and weird noises coming from various devices. Sometimes Cozy saw the image of a monstrous creature made of black smoke in the reflection of some of the devices. The shadows of other creatures mill about in the background. Their motion indicates an attitude of panic as well.

Cozy feels like she is in constant danger as she tries to roam across the hospital hallways. If it isn’t for the fact that Sunset currently leads Cozy by the hand, Sunset could have ended up swept up along with the others in their panic.

Doors open and shut by themselves. Lights flicker and sometimes explode. Scary images are in everything that can cause a reflection. People rush in panic. Someone is pushed over and falls to the floor from a wheelchair.

Not even Cozy can believe she is doing this, but she rips her hand away from Sunset's grasp to help that person back into the wheelchair.

“Thank you!” the elderly gentleman says to Cozy Glow in appreciation.

“Yer . . . you're welcome,” Cozy says back to the man as she blinks, feeling stunned at her own action as well as his reaction. For the life of her, she can't figure out why she did that, especially in this scary situation.

“Cozy, you've got to come with me!” Sunset urges as she pats Cozy on the shoulder. Looking up at her, Cozy notices a proud smile lighting Sunset's lips, but she also says, “If we can get to the source of all of these disturbances, we can save everyone! Now come on! Let's go!”

“This can't be happening!” a male voice crackles from a weird box thing on the upper corner of the hallway that has many tiny holes in it. The voice sounds like he's roaring in anger. “Those earth ponies will PAY for what they have done!”

“You were the only one who didn't panic when things got tough,” the same voice spoke from another device elsewhere in the hallway. Probably some portable device these humans tend to carry in their hands, Cozy figures. The voice seems far more calm during that declaration, but it is also filled with gratitude and awe. “I, meanwhile, was useless. Please . . . teach me what you know!” the voice pleaded.

Cozy can feel her heartbeat flutter with panic. So much is going around her. So much in this strange and alien world. It was bad enough when all of this was assaulting her while things worked normally, but seeing this world fall into chaos because of this magic made it feel so much worse!

Also, that voice feels strangely familiar to her. She does not know why.

“You've been more than just my loyal servant in all these years,” the same voice spoke from some other device. “You've been my loyal friend, and I can't well imagine my life without you. Wherever the sun, moon, and the stars take you . . . please be well, my friend.”

Cozy shudders. It feels like she's hearing a haunting ghost speak up from the grave.

“In here!” Sunset cries out urgently before opening up a door in the hallway. She drags Cozy into the new room right after her.

Cozy's attention lingers with all the panic in the hallway behind her, but time seems to stop again when she gazes forward and sees her counterpart lying on the hospital bed with a bunch of tubes sticking in her and a clear mask with a tube on it clinging to her face.

All at once, a vivid memory suddenly assails pony Cozy Glow.

She remembers once approaching that statue that herself, Chrysalis, and Tirek while they were trapped in stone. In the memory, she gazed upon the statue with stunned horror rising from her system.

Pony Cozy Glow . . . she's still just a little filly! Still just a child! How unbelievably cruel! Cozy's human self once thought back then.

Fifty-fifty, the inner dialog went on back then. That is the odds that this could have happened to me. Standing there, helpless. Frozen for all time. Frozen and rejected and unloved. If I was born in this world instead of my own, if fate had been just a hair off, then this would have been me instead.

But, in a way, it did happen to me. She is me, and I am her.

We are both cursed . . . together.

Cozy Glow's eyes water at the sight of this as well as the haunting memory she gained from her counterpart.

Looking at this memory from the opposite perspective, she had no idea her human counterpart ever approached that scene because, while Cozy's mind was awake and aware, she could not sense anything beyond her stone prison.

Cozy did not want to admit to anyone else how much those years inwardly broke her. She tries to act tough on the outside (or cute if she's trying to curry a favor), but inwardly . . . she knew she could never be the same pony again. Those years spent in a stone prison ensured some inner core of fear is firmly planted within her. Fear that this fate could be hers again.

Back then, she feared she'd never be free of it.

But, thanks to the antics of her counterpart, it persuaded Princess Twilight not only to give her a chance, but Tirek and Chrysalis as well, for all three had to be freed to free any of them.

Of course, after freeing them, no doubt all three of them realized that they could be trapped in stone again individually if it became necessary.

This curse was not like the curse of stone from the cockatrice. Unlike that, the victims are absolutely aware of the passage of time.

Cozy's counterpart had feared that might have been her pony self’s fate.

And now here her human self is, trapped within her own mind, just like Cozy was herself all those years ago.

“Cozy?” Sunset prompts as she touches Cozy Glow's left shoulder which, in turn, draws the transformed filly's attention up to Sunset. Upon looking at Sunset, Cozy realizes that there is a sympathetic look to Sunset's eyes, but urgency too.

“Right. The crystal,” Cozy recalls.

“Close your eyes and draw upon your inner senses,” Sunset encourages. “If it is here, you should feel the pulse getting stronger now.”

Once Cozy cooperates, she quickly realizes that Sunset is right. The magical pulse feels much stronger at this current location, and the pulses are coming more frequently too.

However, it is not coming from the direction of her human self on the bed, but it is in this room. Somewhere nearby. Somewhere . . .

She pops her eyes open then proceeds to point at a small closet tucked in one corner of the room as she confidently declares, “The magical pulses are coming from somewhere in there.”

“You sure?” Sunset checks.

Cozy nods confidently as she says, “I am sure.”

“Alright, then.” Sunset moves to investigate the closet.

As she does so, Cozy's eyes drift back to her other, slightly older, self on the bed.

“Golly . . . she really is me!” Cozy exclaims in quiet awe. “I really feel like I am her, as if that's me on the bed right now.”

“I'm sure it must feel very strange,” Sunset says as she continues her investigation of the contents in the closet which, as it turns out, is the stuff human Cozy wore before she was put into the hospital gown.

“Do you think she can hear me?” Cozy asks Sunset hopefully.

“You can try,” Sunset invites. “I checked her mind earlier. Because of the terrifying images I saw and the horrible feelings I felt, I dare not try that again. Sombra was infamous for his Fear Curse and I know, by now, that reputation is well deserved. This is partially why I haven't had a good night’s sleep in two and a half days.

“But you . . . you have a special connection with her. If anyone can get through to her, it certainly would be you.”

Cozy moves herself beside the bed of her counterpart. Once there, she clasps the left hand of her unconscious alternate self.

Memories flash through Cozy's mind again, but this time it is more simple. All those memories are about is simply having hands. It's about being born with them and never knowing anything else but them except for a couple of visits her human self made to Equestria, although one of those instances wasn't real. During that time, her human self had been annoyed at how limiting her hooves were. Human Cozy could never wrap her head around the concept of how ponies with hooves could open rounded doorknobs. It was actually one of her greatest nemeses at the time.

That first visit is what started the chain reaction that ended up getting Cozy Glow free from stone.

Tears rise to her eyes. She can hear Sunset Shimmer pause behind her when Sunset hears Cozy sniffle.

“Thank you!” Cozy says to her human counterpart with desperate gratitude. “Thank you for being brave and visiting my world. Thank you for helping my new mother change her mind about me and decide to give me another chance. I do not wish to fail you, but part of me is even afraid of myself.

“It was so awful in there in that stone prison. You have no idea . . . or perhaps you do, somehow. I remember how you felt when you gazed upon that statue. That memory you gave me is the only reason I know what I looked like back then from an outside perspective. I would have been trapped in that stone forever if you hadn't come. So few in my life honestly gave me a chance.”

Based on the lack of creaking from Sunset Shimmer's leather jacket, it sounds like the older woman still isn't moving yet. Probably listening in.

“I . . . I can't tell you how much I . . .” Cozy said with a wavy voice full of overwhelming emotion. It forces her to pause for a second in an attempt to collect her wits and steady herself. Then she tries again. “I put on so many masks in my life, but you understood me. You saw beneath it all . . . for deep down, you are the same.”

From the sounds of it, Sunset resumes her search in the small closet.

“And now, it seems, it is my turn to help you out,” Cozy finishes with as much courage and resolve as she can muster.

“Got it!” Sunset cries out triumphantly. She wheels about then heads back to Cozy Glow. She reveals, in the palm of her hand, some tiny black thing that has a bit of shiny metal at one end.

“What is that?” Cozy asks.

“In my world, it's called a flash drive,” Sunset answers which wins a confused cock of Cozy's head at Sunset. To that, Sunset replies by shaking her head. “That doesn't matter. What does matter is her magic geode crystal is hidden within this. With this magic, she is able to control and recharge machines.”

“How does it work?” Cozy asks curiously.

“Here.” Sunset takes Cozy's other free hand and slaps the flash drive on Cozy's palm. Once that is done, Sunset closes her fingers around Cozy's hand to close it. “Twilight tells me you had a brief foray as an alicorn, right?”

“Yeah,” Cozy confirms.

“Do you remember how channeling that energy felt when you did it?” Sunset checks.

“A little,” Cozy says lamely. “But that was years ago . . . and I went through several traumatic experiences since then. In a way, I don't like to think about it.”

“Today you must try!” Sunset encourages. “Close your eyes and focus your mind on the energy within your hand.”

Cozy feels a bit reluctant to cooperate. Channeling magic, after all, led to her downfall last time.

But this magic is already active for some reason and it's wreaking havoc on everything within this building. She may not feel totally comfortable admitting this, but she does care about that fact.

So, accordingly, she cooperates.

“Do you feel the magic pulses coming from the geode?” Sunset checks, to which Cozy silently nods. “Good. That's a good girl. Now, what I want you to do is focus on your positive feelings. This is important, for this is required to tap into light magic.”

Cozy Glow squints at Sunset as she asks her, “You seriously want me to focus on happy thoughts?”

“Magic comes from within, Cozy!” Sunset assures as she bends over a little to be closer to eye level with the petite little teenager. “Your emotions are everything. It is fuel for the fire of magic.”

Cozy maintains her suspicious look as she counters, “I didn't need to do that when I used alicorn magic.”

“Didn't you?” Sunset counters evenly. “Are you seriously telling me you felt absolutely nothing when you used her power back then?”

Cozy's expression softens as she admits, “No, but I wasn't drawing upon happy feelings back then.” She looks corner-wise up. “Well, I take that back. I was happy.” She looks back at Sunset. “I was happy to destroy my enemies and anything standing in my way.”

Sunset droops her eyes as she theorizes, “Lord Tirek's influence in you, no doubt.”

To that, Cozy just shrugs.

“Trust me when I tell you this, Cozy!” Sunset urges. “I know what I'm talking about. I know how magic works, or at least I have a pretty good idea. There is a lot of things different about this world and its interaction with magic, but the core principles are much the same. You have to draw upon your positive feelings. Let it envelop you.”

Cozy sighs. She does not think she has this in her, but she tries. After all, there is no time to argue.

Cozy tries to focus on her positive feelings, but finds she does not know where to start. In fact, it is rather her fears that are far more available to access. The pressure she feels at this moment, the idea that people might get hurt, including the ones she needs to get back to Equestria . . .

A hand on her shoulder returns her attention back to Sunset.

“You do have some of this Cozy's memories, do you not?” Sunset checks. “Did she offer any memories which show her love of friends and family?”

Cozy doesn't say anything, but quickly realizes Sunset has a point. There are a lot of memories the other Cozy offered which reveals how and why she cared for others. Those memories are especially intense around the human version of Cozy's mother, ironically enough.

Cozy closes her eyes and focuses on those feelings. For now, she does the exact opposite of what she tried to do over all these years since receiving those memories, and that is to embrace them. Until now, Cozy had tried to reject them and push them to a distance because she was afraid it would overwhelm her. There are many in her life that had tried to get her to accept the fact that those memories are a part of her now whether she wants them to be or not. Learning to embrace them was a way to integrate and move beyond them.

But this time, since it is an emergency, she throws herself into those memories.

Vivid memories of the first time her human self got adopted, being shown her new room, being taken to the fair, having extravagant birthday parties, performing at music recitals to make her beloved mother proud . . . those memories come rushing in and filling her inner being with warmth and love.

She notices, inwardly, a glowing feeling rises from the depths of her heart. It calms her as much as it also elevates her, making her feel as if she could fly on her emotions alone.

This train of thoughts and feelings is partially disrupted with a squeeze on her shoulder. She looks up at the woman beside her that she hardly knows yet knows all too well, Sunset Shimmer, looking down at her proudly.

“You did it, Cozy Glow!” Sunset announces proudly then waves a pointing finger about to indicate the once again steady lights of the hospital, at least the lights that have not blown up by now.

Cozy smiles at them softly for about eight seconds before passing that same look back at her human counterpart.

I guess that's another one I owe you, she thinks to herself.

Chapter 4: Who I Am

Chapter 4

Who I Am

Cozy Glow slowly opens her eyes as she rouses from sleep. As she does so, it starts to register in her mind that she has returned to her world and her bedroom in Twilight's castle. A room that formerly belonged to the Princess of the Night: Luna.

But, over the course of the years she ha been here, the décor has slowly been personalized over time, but considerably slower than most would suspect due to the potential accessible resources of the occupant and who the occupant is.

Cozy nestles herself in her bed made of clouds and squeezes the blankets tiredly over her. She recalls that she dismissed some other servants in the castle to join her mother for breakfast because she was still sleepy and did not want to get up. Now she is no longer tired, but she still does not want to get up.

Cozy Glow has been pretty depressed over these years since being freed from stone. She tried her best to keep it to herself by showcasing her old ego, but the truth was she felt broken inwardly, and some of those who knew her well, knew that about her. Some ponies now know that her mind was awake and aware inside her stone prison; a fact that continues to have a profound and lasting psychological impact on her.

Then, on top of that, she gains many of the memories from her sister in the human dimension which effectively more than doubled her memories and experiences.

Back then, when she first met her sister, she put on an act to try to hide her pain from her human self, but the act she put on apparently concerned her sister enough to do something about it. In this case, infusing her with her sister’s memories in the hopes that would affect Cozy’s behavior by offering a new perspective.

Ever since then, the deep funk that Cozy Glow felt from within grew more firm. She tried to ignore the reasons why, but her recent excursion to the human world made some of the sources of her depression all too clear; the heartfelt farewell to her alternate self's friends and family made it harder to ignore that she feels something missing from her life. Whatever it is, it is something she might not ever be able to claim.

There is a knock on Cozy's door which disrupts her from her train of thought.

“Go away!” Cozy cries out irritably.

She hears the jingle of magic. Feeling surprised, she looks at the door to see her doorknob glow with a very light teal magical aura color. Cozy knew at once that color did not belong to her mother, or the servants, or the guards that regularly patrol this place. This is somepony new.

“Didn't you hear me?” Cozy cried out to the one at the door. “I said . . .” Cozy trails off when the door flings open, revealing the short hallway that leads to her mother's room, or the rest of the castle through another door midway through that hallway. Standing at the door is none other than Sunset Shimmer, in pony form, who enters Cozy’s room without permission while yawning tiredly.

“Yeah, I heard what you said,” Sunset says dismissively amidst a few more yawns. “and I don't care. I'm coming in whether you like it or not.”

“Sunset Shimmer!” Cozy Glow exclaims with fond surprise. “I, ah . . . I didn't know it was you. Frankly, I'm quite surprised that you're up so soon. With how tired you seemed to be last night, I thought you'd sleep for days.”

Sunset shrugs a bit as she says, “Yeah, well . . . that's adult life for ya. One has to get used to sleeping for five or less hours a day.” She looked at a chair in front of a study desk. She surrounds it in her light teal aura from her horn and magicks it over to her beside Cozy's bed. The backrest of the chair faces Cozy. Sunset sits on the chair backwards, draping her hooves dangling over the backrest of the chair.

“How long has it been since you were last in Equestria?” Cozy asks curiously while continuing to bundle up in her soft and cozy blankets. During that time, she sits up and looks at her uninvited but also very much welcome guest.

“Probably less than you think,” Sunset answers while she looks like she is still waking up. Her tired eyes continue to droop halfway. “I think my last visit was only a few moons ago, but I didn't stay too long back then. I just swung in, picked up some parts I needed, then returned to the human world.”

“This is the world you were born and raised in,” Cozy reminds Sunset. “Don't you miss this place?”

Sunset shakes her head a bit as she says, “Not really, although . . .” she magics over one of Cozy's pillows to her. She has it hover and spin over her right hoof. “. . . I do miss my magic that I have in this world. I used to be quite good at it, too. Before I left for my new world, I used to be one of Princess Celestia's prize pupils.”

“Golly, Sunset, magic is part of who you are,” Cozy brought up. “I know I felt quite empty with my lack of ability to fly in your new world. Plus there is that tall and lanky human form.”

Sunset shrugs again while continuing to eye the spinning pillow about her right hoof in a bit of fascination. “I get by with a little help from my friends. Besides, magic will always be part of who I am regardless which world I am in, and I found a way to channel some of it even in a world that mostly lacks it. If you think about it, that's kind of amazing!

“Of course,” she shoots the pillow back on Cozy's bed then looks over to the teenager, “my exposure to magic in my new world hasn't always been a good thing. I had to challenge dark magic with extremely uncanny frequency for a world that supposedly lacks magic almost entirely.”

“What about your family in Equestria?” Cozy probes. “Don't you miss them?”

Sunset looks taken aback a bit, then looks down in depression. During that time, it looks like she's waking up quite a bit more. “My, um . . . family and I have a complex history together. I . . . don't really want to talk about it.”

Cozy frowns as she looks down, then admits, “Well . . . I certainly know what that's like.”

Sunset’s eyes focus up at Cozy while her face remains directed down. She says, “The Cozy in our world had a complex history with her family, too. For quite a long time, almost half of her memories of her birth parents were buried until I helped her to uncover them.”

“I know. I possess some of those memories,” Cozy informs. “The other Cozy was very fond of you, and deeply regrets how much she betrayed you.”

Sunset waves Cozy off as she says, “Well, I'm not going to lie to you and say that was no big deal, but all of that is in the past. I've made mistakes in my history as well, and I know how much forgiveness and friendship can transform one's life for the better.”

Cozy frowns as she looks down.

“You haven't forgiven yourself for your own past either, have you?” Sunset strongly suspects as she looks at Cozy fully.

Cozy shakes her head.

“You and your counterpart really are very much alike,” Sunset realizes. “That's so uncanny. You really are two sides of the same coin, including all the bad ways.”

“Remind me why you followed us back to our world again?” Cozy requests.

“Because,” Sunset floats her magic geode, “I have a unique power here that may come of use with contacting the mind of your counterpart.”

“But the last time you tried that, you were ejected with a psychic attack from King Sombra,” Cozy reminds. “Do you really want to risk going through that again?”

“That's what heroes do, Cozy,” Sunset says firmly. “She is in trouble and I'm going to help, even if there is some risk involved. I promised her mother that I would return with her safe and sound, and that is precisely what I'm going to do.”

“Why?” Cozy asks. “What's in it for you?”

Once again, Sunset looks taken aback, but this time she seems more insulted by that question. She answers with, “Why, the return of my friend, of course! I love your counterpart dearly. If you have any of her memories, you should know that about me.”

“Well,” Cozy looks down and to her right, “where I grew up in, no creature ever does anyone a favor without expecting something in return, and even then . . . it's probably all a set up for betrayal.”

“Jeez!” Sunset exclaims with wide, stunned eyes. “I'm sorry to hear that, Cozy. I really am.”

Cozy shrugs as she says, “It's okay. It made me who I am today.”

“Well, we can make anything work, I suppose,” Sunset decides with a bit of a sad tone. “But the important thing to remember is we are more than just our past. It is our present and future that also determines who we are. A tragic past can make you weak or strong, Cozy. It all depends on how you choose to view it. You can let it break you, or you can use it as a lesson on what to avoid in the future. Making mistakes can help refine future actions so that you don't repeat them if you don't want to.”

Cozy is quiet as she looks sad and thoughtful.

“I came back to this world in order to help your alternate self, Cozy, but I'm here for you too, if you need me,” Sunset offers.

“Thank you!” Cozy says in a tiny and timid voice which is also full of gratitude.

“Aw!” Sunset smiles brightly at Cozy while water shines in her light teal eyes. “Come here, Cozy. Please.”

Obediently, Cozy Glow crawls forward on her bed next to Sunset Shimmer. Sunset, in turn, stands up, magics the chair out of the way, then steps forward to embrace Cozy Glow in a warm hug.

Sunset feels bemused to observe Cozy Glow trot down the hallways of Canterlot Castle while dressed in such puffy and frilly blue dress attire truly worthy of the Canterlot elite. Most likely the dress was made by none other than Rarity herself. To go along with the look, Cozy's mane and tail are tied up with a multitude of different colored ribbons to help secure her curly hair.

Sunset reminds herself that, although clothing seems more optional in this dimension, royalty and nobility tend to make it standard practice, but it still seems a little weird to her for a pegasus to wear such things because it looks cumbersome and restrictive to movement. That, in turn, is something that normally bothers a typical pegasus. Sunset even brought that up while Cozy was putting it on, and she recalled the fact that Cozy agreed with the fact that the attire was somewhat restrictive, but she also thought it looked cute and she very much cared about public image.

When Cozy said that, Sunset recalled the fact that she almost always wears clothes in her dimension, and this Cozy has some of the other Cozy's memories so Sunset not wearing clothes may come off as odd to her.

Following the guidance of the other palace guards, Cozy and Sunset locate Princess Twilight and her Number One Assistant, Spike, on the first floor meeting up with Zecora who is pulling a wagon full of potions, herbs, and the means to make more potions.

“Twilight, Spike, Zecora, hi,” Sunset greets as she and Cozy both approach the trio, “and good morning.”

“Ah, Sunset Shimmer, what good, it is, to greet thee upon this morning rise,” Zecora announces to her. “A treat, it is, for this old mare's eyes. As well, I see, you have brought dear Cozy Glow; whose counterpart I came to see, I know. Matters of urgency have brought me here. With haste we must address this issue, I fear.” Zecora looks back at the wagon she brought with her. “Potions and herbs I brought aplenty. Not a single jar will you find empty.” She looks at Spike. “Upon receiving your letter, I came with all due haste. Not a single moment did I dare waste.”

Spike, the buff teenage dragon, gestures to himself with a claw and announces with a proud smile, “Oh, that was nothing for the Princess's Number One Assistant.” Spike's proud look shifts to a fond one at Zecora. “I am glad you proceeded here as soon as possible, and it's good to see you, too.”

“Yes, thank you, Zecora,” Princess Twilight agrees with Spike. “I fear this issue may be quite dire.” She grins at Zecora as she adds a bit playfully, “But, with confidence, your presence does inspire. Eventually, I think, my fears I can retire. With all the experience and resources that you have acquired, I'm confident that this threat will soon be expired.”

Zecora chuckles mirthfully at the Princess's kind words before replying, “So glad, I am, that I can inspire such courage. With all my power, I will dispel this damage. But with respect to Your Majesty's own image, request, I do, for you to return to your native language.”

“I concur,” Spike agrees while rubbing the back of his neck with a claw and giving Twilight a strange look. “Hearing you talk like that is kind of freaky.”

The Princes giggles a bit, then explains, “I just wanted to show you equal courtesy, Zecora.”

Spike rolls his eyes as he says, “Well, that and to show off.”

“I'm also eager to help,” Cozy puts in earnestly. “So, when do we begin?”

The Princess narrows her eyes slightly at Cozy while putting on a coy smile, then says, “Zecora and I will head over to the other Cozy right away. You, however, shall be delayed until you have finished your breakfast.” Before Cozy can object, Twilight quickly adds while raising a wing in Cozy’s direction with objection, “I will brook no excuses! You missed breakfast today at your normal schedule, and you are a growing girl. I will not permit such negligence to the health of my daughter while under my rule.”

Cozy Glow can see, from her mother's firm look, that she will not yield on that point, so she looks down with a sigh as she says in depression and defeat, “Yes, Mother.”

Sunset Shimmer frowns at Cozy's reaction, then quickly adds while looking at Princess Twilight, “I just got up myself, and I could use a bite to eat as well.” She bows to the Princess. “With your permission, Your Majesty, may I join your daughter as we eat breakfast together?”

“Of course!” Twilight says brightly to Sunset then waves her off with the same wing that originally was held up in an objecting way. “But please, no 'Your Majesty' stuff. I can tolerate that from my subjects, but not my friends.”

Sunset sighs slightly as she lifts her head from a bow. “Which is something you told me earlier. Forgive me. I forgot. It's been a trying year for me.”

No thanks to me! Cozy thought to herself with a guilty frown. Well, the other me, that is.

A fond look shifts into Twilight's eyes at Sunset. “All is forgiven, and it's very understandable.” She looks at her daughter with a more relaxed expression. “Sunset has been in this castle before, many years ago, but a lot has changed since then. Please escort her to the royal banquet hall. Upon your arrival, the chefs and servants have been instructed to immediately provide you with your breakfast meal.” Her look turns a bit firm again. “They've also been instructed not to let you depart until you are finished.”

“Yes, Mother,” Cozy says submissively. “But . . . won't the three of you need us to help heal my other self?”

“In order to lift the affliction of the one who is cursed, a careful inspection must be done first,” Zecora announces wisely. “For this situation, we must look before we leap. Such tactics will be necessary if victory we intend to keep. So relax now, dear filly, your concerns you may rest; for all of us, together, will be needed for this quest. In the meantime, we should be a humble guest. Preparation is required for us to pass this test.”

“Preparation which includes a healthy breakfast,” Twilight adds sharply and emphatically to her daughter.

“Okay, okay!” Cozy exclaims irritably. “I'm going.” She wheels about and trots the way she came. “Come on, Sunset.”

Sunset follows Cozy first with a dry look, then says over her shoulder at Twilight. “I see we have our work cut out for us on another front, too.”

“Nothing seems to come easy with either one of them,” Twilight agrees with Sunset as the other mare departs. “But we are determined. Our love and guidance will see them through.”

“You can count on it!” Sunset agrees with determination then looks forward as she proceeds to follow Cozy.

It has been a long time since Sunset Shimmer faced a situation like this. A situation where she has to float up a series of silverware that is placed in a very neat and organized fashion. This used to be commonplace for her back when she was one of Celestia's gifted students. Now it's just nostalgic for her.

What is not so familiar to her, however, is sitting across to an elder filly who is wearing two bracelets with a bunch of silverware on them. The silverware can rotate around the bracelet and flip each item forward or back like a switchblade. It looks like a clever invention. Sunset suspects that Twilight might have been involved in its creation. Sunset kept flinching slightly whenever Cozy used her mouth to rotate the device or flip it, especially if the item in question happens to be something sharp.

“I must say, that is an interesting invention you got there,” Sunset begins with a grin, trying to break the ice in this room.

“Hmm?” Cozy asks while looking up at Sunset listlessly.

“Those . . . things on your hooves,” Sunset points out while shaking one of her own hooves for emphasis. “It's neat. I never saw anything like it.”

“Hmm?” Cozy repeats as she looks at the devices. “What? These things?” she asks while shaking each of them one by one.

Sunset nods as she floats her cup to her lips and drinks a few sips of apple juice. She speaks again only when she returns the cup to the table. “Indeed. Those look really handy. I dare say,” Sunset snickers a bit, “such things would be really useful in Equestria considering, well . . . you know. These stubby hooves we got.”

Cozy narrows her eyes at the devices as she says a bit bitterly, “Thanks. I'm sure my new 'mother' will be glad to hear of your approval.”

“Um,” Sunset's eyes grow a bit smaller, looking spooked. “is something the matter?”

“Oh, nothing!” Cozy continues bitterly as she aggressively saws at one of her pancakes with a fork and knife. “Why would there be? I got freed from stone, and now I'm the adopted daughter of one of the most powerful mares in all of Equestria! I sleep in a castle, I got a royal bed made of clouds. Everything is great!” Cozy concludes aggressively.

“Honey, what's wrong?” Sunset presses.

“Nothing, that's what!” Cozy spat back. “It's none of your business.”

Sunset droops her ears on her head as she said, “Well, you have the other Cozy's memories, so you know you can trust me. I told her that she could come to me if anything bothers her, and now-”

“So what if I'm the only pegasus in the whole room at mother's dining meetings!” Cozy interrupts with annoyance as if she did not hear Sunset a moment ago. “So what if I'm the only one who needs to use these things? So what if the other snooty unicorns regard me with disdain as if I were a common barbarian? These things I wear are like a badge of honor! It is proof, to me, that I am not like them. I'm smarter than all of them! I actually worked and earned everything I have received!” Cozy suddenly looks depressed and deflated. “Including the bad things.”

Sunset did not move. Even the fork with a bite of pancake on it floats off to the side near her face. She just continues to regard Cozy numbly.

“Unicorns always had it easy!” Cozy continues bitterly. “They can just float the silverware they want to them.”

With small eyes, Sunset regards the floating fork beside her, then floats it gently back to the plate with a sheepish grin as she looks back at Cozy.

“That's why the unicorns tend to be the most educated,” Cozy declares in anger as she pounds the table on the word “that’s”, then goes on to say, “They can float the quills. They can write elegantly while the rest of us are forced to use our bucking mouths or some device attached to our hooves, like this.” She shakes the utensils on her hooves for emphasis. “The rest of us ponies need such things because we're hoofycapped! We're lesser than unicorns are! We have to struggle without magic.”

“Hey, that's not true!” Sunset objects. “All the breeds of ponies have their own advantages. You can fly, for example! That's amazing!”

“And King Sombra can take over the minds of everypony he meets with his Fear Curse!” Cozy adds bitterly as she looks across the long table at Sunset. “Do you really want to challenge me on this, Sunset Shimmer? Do you want to compare notes?”

“Um,” Sunset pauses as she looks spooked, then asks, “is that why you tried to get rid of all magic in Equestria long ago?”

“YES!” Cozy cries back in outrage. “I HATED the unicorns, and I still feel jealous of them! I can fly, Sunset Shimmer, and yet they still look down on me!”

“Who looks down on you?” Sunset questions. “The other Canterlot elite? They look down on everypony, Honey. Not just you.”

Cozy squints one eye at Sunset bitterly as she theorizes, “I bet you were just like them, too, back in the day, weren't you?”

Sunset almost denies it. She opens her mouth to do so, but then pauses. She looks down as she thinks back, then looks back at Cozy as she admits, “Yes. You're right. I did feel a strong sense of entitlement back in the day, and why not? I was chosen by Princess Celestia herself as her most prized and gifted student. Everything was handed to me back then, and it did go to my head. Because of that, I made a lot of mistakes later on down the road.” She looks off to the side with regret. “But I can't blame everything on my upbringing. I was, and still am, responsible for all the choices I made in life. I made some pretty awful ones sometimes, and I paid the price for it.” She looks back at Cozy earnestly. “And I will work every single day for the rest of my life to make up for that because that is who I am now! That is the woman I have chosen to become!

“And what about you?” Sunset reflects. “Are you happy with the choices you made?”

That shut Cozy up. She looks down at the table with renewed depression.

“Looks like the answer is no,” Sunset observes. “So how about we make a deal? Let us both acknowledge that we're not perfect and made a lot of mistakes. Let us both learn to see past those weaknesses and move forward with our lives as we work towards something more positive. I,” she places a hoof to her chest, “am the last pony who is going to judge you for your mistakes, Cozy. I hope you can do the same for me.

“Besides, it's not my fault. I was born a unicorn! It's just who I am. Magic will always be a part of me, no matter what world I choose to live in.”

Sunset Shimmer smiles a bit as she looks down and to the right. “It was a humbling experience to live in a world that mostly lacked magic. Using magic became my core identity at one time thanks to my training here in Canterlot, but,” she looks back at Cozy, “I had to adapt when my situation changed, and I think I'm all the better for it. I'm better for it because the experience forced me to realize who I am and what magic really is at its core. It's fueled by our emotions, Cozy, so on a very deep and important level, magic is formed and shaped from our very souls . . . and Cozy, since you cannot deny that you have one of those as well, then you should conclude that you also have magic. We all have that very special spark in the universe that makes us who we are. We are all unique and very special individuals.”

After a long pause between them both, Cozy sighs, takes off her utensil bracelet, then pushes her plate away with a hoof.

“I'm, ah . . . not hungry anymore,” Cozy says in depression. Sunset is startled to notice some tears creeping into Cozy's eyes. “Unique and special individuals, you say?” Cozy smirks with a look of bitter emptiness in her eyes. “I was born into slavery. My life was filled with pain and torture from day one, but I had enough ambition to help make up for it. I swore to myself that I would never be that powerless again!”

Sunset swallows hard. Her spooked expression returns to her face.

“But . . . all my plans availed me not,” Cozy goes on with a tighter squint to her eyes while her tears continue to rise. “First I get trapped in Tartarus, and then . . .”

Cozy's face wrinkles with pain.

“Oh Sunset, it was so horrible!” Cozy's voice cracks up at the end of that sentence. Her emotions start to cloud her speech. “I thought I'd be trapped that way forever!” she wails on. Her voice continues to be scratchy. “Never moving. Never blinking. No company. All alone. Still for all eternity.

“Now I am free outwardly, but I am broken inside. I'm afraid to do anything because it might offend somepony like my mother, and if that happens . . . that awful fate could be mine again. It does not matter how often she swears she'll never do that to me again. She did it before, so I can't believe her. I can’t afford to give her the benefit of the doubt. That fate was just too horrible to take any chances.”

Cozy pulls all of her legs on her seat and curls into a little ball.

“At first I tried to act tough because I was determined not to show any weaknesses, for anypony who did so where I grew up was sure to be preyed upon. I even did that to my counterpart, but then she showed me her life, and I . . . I couldn't deny it anymore. We are both cursed. I'm free from stone as a broken mess, and she is trapped in a perpetual nightmare.”

Cozy lays her head down on her gathered legs and bawls.

“Maybe it would have been better if the two of us were never born!” Cozy wails. “Our true talent and destiny appears to be sah-fer-er-er-ing!” Cozy stutters as she breaks down.

“Oh Cozy!” Sunset cries sympathetically, tears in her own eyes. “Just . . . just stay there, Honey! I'll be right there!”

Sunset magics her seat back, gets on all four of her hooves, then gallops around the very long table. Midway through, she is actually panting, then complains, “Wow! This is an annoyingly long table!”

When Sunset finally arrives next to Cozy, she immediately pulls Cozy into a hug. Cozy is too broken and desperate to give any sort of resistance. She just continues to bawl over Sunset's shoulders while squeezing Sunset with feeble but otherwise desperate strength.

“Cozy, I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make you better!” Sunset vows. “You and your counterpart both. I do this because I love you both. You're a part of my life, and I will not let you down! Things will get better. I promise.”

Cozy just shivers in pain and continues to cry.

Chapter 5: A Dark Little Place

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 6: Crystal Stasis

Cozy did not know what to expect, but rising back to consciousness turns out to be the opposite of how she lost it. In this case, instead of gaining a sensation of falling, she experiences a floating feeling instead.

But, at that last moment, a presence floats past her.

What happens next is very weird for Cozy. She notices her eyes steadily opening and a hoof lowering from her face, but she has no direct control over it. Reflexively she actually tries to regain control by doing something simple like blinking her eyes. When that fails, a sharp and sudden flare of panic pops up within her.

“Calm yourself, little filly,” the internal voice of Sombra soothes her. “This will be over shortly. I only need to borrow your body long enough to secure the health of your counterpart. We discussed this earlier.

“But . . . I do understand and sympathize with your reaction. Sensing everything around your body but not being able to control it is a very disorienting and distressing sensation.”

“I'm not a filly anymore! I'm a grown mare!” Cozy inwardly argues back.

“My apologies. I did not mean to offend you. How about the term young mare?” Sombra counteroffers.

“Better,” Cozy accepts. “Let's just get this over with.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Sombra replies.

“Cozy, are you alright?” Cozy hears her mother ask with concern in her voice. When Cozy notices that she looks directly at her mother, she becomes aware of herself narrowing her eyes a bit. She also feels sharp interest from Sombra towards her mother, and she notices her mother look taken aback for some reason. “Ya . . . you're not Cozy!” her mother realizes suspiciously quickly, then Cozy sees her mother widen her eyes. “Oh my goodness! Are you Sombra?”

“Calm down, Twilight,” Sunset urges beside Cozy. “I know the situation may look bad, but it's not as bad as it seems.”

“Hello . . . Princess!” Cozy hears her own voice say, but there is something dark and menacing about it. Anypony who knew her would immediately distinguish this personality and vocal tone as separate from Cozy right away. “We meet again under the most unusual of circumstances, but that honestly is starting to seem rather typical of our encounters together.”

“Twilight, calm down,” Sunset urges again. “I can explain.”

“What are YOU doing in possession of my daughter, you fiend!” Cozy's mother cries in outrage. “I demand you release her this instant!”

“Twilight, stop!” Sunset cries out urgently as she gallops between Cozy and Twilight, interposing herself between them to halt any potential magical crossfire. “This isn't what it looks like!”

“Really?” Twilight asks skeptically. “Because what it looks like is a demon pony in possession and control of my daughter's body. Is that an accurate assessment of our current situation?”

“My mother is actually concerned about me?” Cozy mentally asks with amazed disbelief.

“Of course she does,” Sombra inwardly replies. “Obviously you aren't a mother yet. When and if you ever are, remember your skepticism and surprise on this day. I think, by then, you'll understand why your mother panicked.”

“Well,” Sunset rubs a hoof behind her neck for a moment, “yeah. There is that, but the reason for this isn't as bad as you think.”

Twilight narrows her eyes sharply and critically at Sunset as she says, “I'm listening.”

“Despite her panic, let it not be said that she is unreasonable,” Sombra muses with an impressed tone. “At least she's willing to listen to an explanation. Given the circumstances, I can well appreciate why she feels the way she does.”

“I think my mother would also say that she trusts her friends,” Cozy adds. “I would even call her too trusting most of the time.”

“He's here because we need his help,” Sunset begins to explain. “I think we figured out why human Cozy's condition is not stable in this world.”

Twilight's sharp and judgmental expression softens to concern as she asks, “Oh? And what do you think it is?”

“Life support system,” Sunset explains. “Or rather, the lack of it.”

“Ah!” Zecora says with realization. “Technology native to her world, I see. Understanding that may be the key.”

Twilight widens her eyes in startling realization then quickly shifts that look to the still unconscious young mare in the room. As she does so, she says, “That would help to explain the irregular breathing and heart rate patterns I am detecting.” Twilight looks back at Sunset. “It's not that she can't breathe or perform some of her vital functions on her own, but the systems in her world helped to steady it further.”

“Exactly,” Sunset agrees. “Those machines helped her to breathe for her or give her body fluids and get rid of excess fluids. All of which was terminated the moment we unplugged her back in her world. The doctors and nurses there are also unaccustomed to our standards, so it didn't occur to them that we had no adequate replacement.”

“Or they might have assumed we had some magical equivalent,” Twilight surmises, then looks at her daughter. “But what does any of this have to do with him?”

As Princess Twilight asks that, Cozy Glow notices the fact that Sombra makes Cozy sit on her tushie then lifts up her forehooves. He seems to examine them, but Cozy senses that he's actually exploring something else more carefully. Something inward, but she can’t put her hoof on it.

“Well, he claims he has a solution that will arrest her vitals safely,” Sunset explains. “A way to put her in a magical state of suspended animation. As he puts it, it will be complete suspension, as if her body is frozen in time. He calls it Crystal Stasis.”

“And why should we trust him? King Sombra wasn't the nicest pony in Equestria,” Twilight reminds sharply.

Meanwhile, Sombra continues to examine Cozy's hooves for some reason with a deeply contemplative look.

“That's . . . complicated to explain,” Sunset admits a bit sheepishly. “But suffice it to say, his mind is fractured. He does have the memories of King Sombra, but somepony else as well. Somepony who wasn't so evil.”

“Really?” Twilight asks with wonder, then addresses her next question directly at the entity within her daughter. “Hey, Sombra . . . does the name Crystal Sage ring a bell to you?”

That finally draws Sombra's attention. He makes Cozy look back at her mother as he says, “Indeed. That is the name I have adopted within the Red Crystal for many centuries ever since my other self tainted my original name. In shame, I decided to instead adopt the name of my original profession in life, Crystal Sage.”

Twilight widens her eyes at her daughter. “So . . . it's true. It really is you, too. I had hoped to see you one day, but I didn't think I ever would.”

Sombra causes a coy smile to spread on Cozy's lips, then says, “Indeed. As I said before, we meet under strange circumstances. As Sunset has proclaimed to you, I'm not the same stallion I was before, good or bad. I am neither the Dark King or Crystal Sage for the moment, so I suppose my original name Sombra will do for now.”

He causes Cozy to rise back on all four of her hooves, then says something with a very serious tone and narrowed eyes at Twilight. “Let me get something straight with you. I do not intend to remain in possession of your daughter's body for any longer than I have to. The only reason I came this time is because I deem our present circumstances as quite serious, and only I know how to cast the spell that could save the other Cozy's life. Sunset or Cozy can explain the details to you later, but for the moment, I need your permission to get to work.

“Also,” he lifts Cozy's right hoof and examines it. After a short pause, he adds, “I will need time to adjust to this young mare's magical energy as well as store a little extra energy in her crystal.” He looks at the other Cozy. “Energy that I'll later need to use to fortify my attempt to cast the Crystal Stasis spell.” He looks at Twilight. “Normally I would not call this spell dangerous because I am so proficient with it. I've cast and perfected it over a thousand years ago, but that said . . . I am working with a different body here who isn't a unicorn or a fully developed mare. Such circumstances will require some . . . preparation on my part.”

“It's probably like learning to drive a new car,” Sunset figures while looking at Sombra/Cozy at first, then shifts that look to Twilight. “You have seen those four-wheeled, horseless drawn carriages in my world, right?”

“I know what a car is,” Twilight replies with a roll of her eyes. “I'm not that dumb.”

“Yeah, well . . . most of those vehicles are designed differently,” Sunset went on to explain. “Because of that, the controls can be in different places for each vehicle, although they are generally in the same area roughly. Because of all that, there is a learning curve to master each one.” With a shrug of a single shoulder, Sunset gestures to Sombra/Cozy. “I'm guessing learning to 'drive' a new body is something similar, and it is true that we can all have our own unique magical aura colors and signatures. If he needs time to adjust to this in order to reduce the risk with the other Cozy later, I say we let him.”

Twilight narrows her eyes at Sunset slightly, then shifts the same look to Sombra/Cozy as she asks, “What exactly do you want, Sombra?”

“For now, just time to meditate,” Sombra answers while continuing to use Cozy's voice, albeit with a chilling undertone. “Once her energy is at one-hundred percent capacity again, and along with the extra energy I channeled into this crystal, that should be enough to secure the Crystal Stasis spell.”

“Should be?” Twilight asks critically as she raises an eyebrow at the body of her daughter.

“As the Element of Magic, you should know better than anypony that there are no guarantees when it comes to the practice of spellcasting, Princess. Extensive training merely reduces the risks. I am an expert at this spell and with crystal science, but I'm working with new tools here, so I feel extra precautions are warranted in order to secure a reasonable chance at success.”

“What happens if you fail the spell?” Twilight checks with a nervous edge to her voice.

“Then human Cozy Glow could die,” Sombra answers with a dire edge to Cozy's voice. “That is because the magic has to be very carefully calibrated and stabilized for all vital functions to be safely arrested. If they are not, vital organs might be crystallized, or she could suffocate, or be crushed by the crystallization process.” Sombra waves Cozy's right hoof from left to right. “That is why I am not trusting this spell to another. I won't risk teaching this spell to another if we only get one shot at this and the target is such a high priority.” He gestures to the other Cozy. “And I'm afraid we don't have the time to ensure another masters this spell sufficiently enough to save her life. If she is dying right now, then time is of the essence.

“So what is it going to be, Your Majesty?!” he asks with a hint of a disgusted sneer. While he asks, he forces Cozy to bow to her. “We eagerly await thy decision.”

“If you have Crystal Sage's memories, then why do you resent me?” Twilight checks.

“Because I have King Sombra's memories as well,” Sombra answers as he raises Cozy from her bow. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I don't really mean to snap at you, but the Dark King's formidable ego is difficult for me to control for the moment, and you and he have a . . . shall we say . . . complex history together.”

“For what it's worth, he possesses all of human Cozy's memories as well,” Sunset puts in. “It may be that her personality isn’t currently dominant within him, but I do believe this means he can speak for her.” Sunset looks at the ponified, unconscious human Cozy in the room. “So, in a way, this sort of does mean we have her permission to pursue this risk.” Sunset looks at Twilight. “So if he thinks this is the best option while augmented by Cozy's memories, I think that should be taken into consideration.”

Twilight sighs as she looks down for a moment while she thinks about this carefully, then looks over at Sombra/Cozy as she says, “I'll agree to this on two conditions, and I warn you that this is not negotiable.

“Number one, I want to talk to my daughter. Put her in control of her body again.”

Sombra makes Cozy's eyes look up for a moment as he thought about it, then looks back at Twilight with a nod. “This can be done, but I'll have to resume control again to focus on her energy, imbue the crystal, and cast the spell.” He squints one of Cozy's eyes at Twilight. “And the second condition?”

“While you meditate and cast the spell, I want to be here to monitor you,” Twilight told him. “I want to stay here to make sure that you don't harm either one of these Cozys.”

Sombra nods to Twilight with a brief blink. “Once again, that is reasonable and understandable. I have no qualms about that condition as long as you don't distract me. If you disturb me during the meditation, you'll delay the process. If you disturb me during the casting of the spell, then you risk the health and safety of the other Cozy. I'm pretty sure none of us wants that.”

“Well, I'm not sure about your motives and intentions,” Twilight reflects. “That's why I want to remain.” Her expression softens. “Besides, I might be able to help you. As the Element of Magic, I might be able to spot you and cover for your mistakes, or perhaps provide a boost of magical energy.”

“Such is necessary for powering artifacts like the Crystal Heart,” Sombra acknowledges, “but spellcasting is awfully tricky, and this is a delicate procedure. If you intervene, do so only to provide a magical boost. I'll weave the spell into its proper format.”

“That's a reasonable precaution, is it not?” Twilight asks while raising an eyebrow for a second. “I can be useful, too. If we're really all on the same side here, you should agree with me.”

He nods while waving a hoof at Twilight as he assures, “I do, and in accordance with that, I'll acquiesce to your request. After all, you have provided some reasonable counterarguments. I also wish to put your mind at ease in order to better ensure your future cooperation during the duration of a delicate procedure.” He looks forward for a second, then closes his eyes. “Spare me a moment.”

“This may feel a little weird, but I'll do my best to ease the transition,” Sombra assures Cozy. “When you take over, you're going to feel dizzy for a second because your brain is reorienting itself to the control of the new thought process. Namely, your consciousness. I'm going to leave a tiny splinter of my mind in control to ease the transition back so I can take over later, for I'm afraid you won't know how to give that control back. I can teach you that later, but for now . . . we'll work with what we got.

“Are you ready, young mare?” he checks with her.

“As ready as I'll ever be, I guess,” Cozy mentally replies.

“Very well. Let us begin.”

Cozy feels herself blank out for a moment, almost as if getting close to losing consciousness. As she starts to emerge from that, she feels herself growing dizzy and waving about unsteadily.

As if in direct response to that, she feels a magical aura on her body a moment later. That magic aura helps to steady her, but in exchange, it also tingles, stings, and tickles.

In a way, that is helpful too, because feeling that physical sensation helps her to adjust and reorient her mind and body to become one again.

After that, she opens her eyes again and discovers, to her relief, she is indeed in control of her body.

“Not entirely,” Sombra inwardly corrects. “However, you are in far greater control than you were before, and greater control than I have right now. Use this moment to reassure your mother that I don't mean anypony any harm. She'll be more inclined to listen to you rather than me.”

“I've had a spotty history with her, too,” Cozy points out to Sombra.

“Yes, but you've had several years since then to patch things up with her. That trust may not be perfect, but it's more than I have with her. When in pursuit of a mission, it is important to utilize all available resources to maximum advantage in order to better ensure success.

“Now, get to it! Time is of the essence.”

Cozy looks over to her mother then blushes shyly.

Upon seeing that, Twilight realizes that that is indeed the spirit and mind of her true daughter in charge of her body again. For Twilight, seeing that just feels right.

“Hello, Mother,” Cozy brings up. “I heard every word that you and Sombra exchanged. Rest assured that he had my blessings to pursue this . . . sort of.”

“Sort of?” Twilight asks with concern returning in her voice.

“I advise you to be more firm and confident with your words, little mare,” Sombra puts in. “It takes a lot to alleviate the concerns of a nervous parent.”

“Huh. Do you speak from experience?” Cozy asks curiously.

Sombra is silent for a moment, then replies with a somewhat empty mental tone, “That . . . is a tale for another time. For now, concentrate on your mission, for I do not wish to brooke much unnecessary distractions considering the important objective at hoof and the time limit involved.”

“Well, this is weird for me, too,” Cozy replies to her mother. “It's really disturbing to see, smell, hear, taste, and feel my body but not be able to control any of it.” She looks down and to her right. “Besides, in that kind of position, I feel unnervingly vulnerable.” She snaps her gaze firmly at her mother. “But I'm willing to take this risk to help save the life of my sister. She went through extraordinary risk to help save me. Why should I do any less?”

There is a quiet pause for everypony, and zebra, in the room, broken first by Twilight.

“Honey, I need to ask you something very important,” Twilight says in a very serious tone. “Do you trust him enough to save your sister here,” she nods over to her unconscious counterpart, “and trust him to give you your body back once this deed is done?”

“Trust?” Cozy squints an eye. “Trust comes very difficult for me, Mother. I grew up in a town where every creature always betrayed each other for personal gain. It was always a struggle to maintain every advantage I ever had.”

“That said,” Cozy goes on as she looks back at her mother, “I think I trust him to be more prepared to hoofle this situation, and he did offer my body back right now so I can take this opportunity to reassure you.”

Twilight sighs nervously, then says, “But his mind seems . . . mixed. He's not nearly as bad this time as the last couple of times I've encountered him, but I see strong hints of that dark edge in the glint in your eyes while he was in control. He sounded like he was struggling with himself to not tear me apart or unleash his dreaded Fear Curse on me.”

“What's going through Sombra's mind is precisely what got us into this mess in the first place,” Sunset puts in, thus winning Twilight's attention back to Sunset. “Allowing him to freeze human Cozy in crystal only buys us time. For a true solution, we have to solve certain mysteries in his past.”

Sunset sighs for a moment as she tries to figure out how to explain this, then says, “When his consciousness merged between Crystal Sage and the Dark King, he noticed certain incongruities in his memories. Some of those memories are conflicting with each other, and it is tearing his mind apart and human Cozy along with him because her consciousness merged with his over a year ago, at least back in my world.” After a moment, she realizes what she just said. She face-hoofs for a moment, then corrects herself. “Uh, I mean, the other world. The human world.”

Twilight grins affectionately as she tells Sunset, “That's okay, Sunset. You've lived in the human world for so long that I'm not surprised you've come to think of it as your true home now, but as I have told you before, you're always welcome to return here whenever you like, and when you do . . . I'd love for you to visit if I'm not too busy. I always love a visit from friends.”

“Yeah,” Sunset agrees as her gaze shifts down. “At this point, I actually consider myself more human than pony. Being here and becoming a pony again does feel nostalgic, but also a bit . . . weird.”

Twilight rolls her eyes at Sunset as she says, “I know what you mean. That's how I feel whenever I step into that other world.”

“Let's store this conversation for future reference,” Zecora advises. “For now, time is of the essence.”

Zecora smiles proudly at Cozy as she says to her, “It is a brave thing you do, little mare, but be sure to hoofle the situation with care. Far has your moral integrity come; considering where you came from. Difficult, it may be, for you to trust; but patience and experience is a must. Trusting the right ponies takes a lot of skill, but opening your heart is more important still.”

Cozy grins a bit even though she personally considers Zecora's word a touch naive, then she looks at her mother while saying to her, “I'd be lying if I ever told you that I'll be comfortable with the way things must proceed, but proceed they must. I say we get this over with then work on our larger problem. Once my 'sister’s' physical situation is stabilized, we can work on sorting out her mind. If that requires me to loan my body to a stranger to ensure success, then I will do it as long as there is a firm understanding that this condition is temporary. If he does otherwise, not only do I give you permission to rescue me, but I downright demand it!”

“You and me both, Cozy,” Twilight agrees. “We think alike in this regard.”

“And I as well,” Sombra also agrees inwardly to Cozy. “This is your life, Cozy. I will return it as soon as this crisis is done. If it weren't for the necessity, I wouldn't consider this option at all. Alas for us all, necessity compels us into uncomfortable action.”

“What did he say?” Twilight inquires when she notices a distant look from her daughter for a brief moment.

“Oh . . . only that he agrees with us and wishes this wasn't necessary either,” Cozy answers.

Looking from Cozy to Twilight, Sunset says, “You know, he just might be telling the truth. I've only known King Sombra from the depths of human Cozy's mind. It is enough to assure you that this stallion is different. He may share a resemblance to a certain dark and scary pony, but I can say with confidence that I have never met this version of him before. The darkness certainly is in him, but he's the first I’ve met who seems to be struggling against it. He actually seems especially reluctant to harm mares in particular.”

“Really?” Twilight asks Sunset skeptically.

Sunset shrugs as she says, “Hey, I'm not complaining! If he wants to protect and serve us, I don't see that as a problem. On the contrary, I consider it especially fortuitous that the source of our woes is also cooperative. I say we count our blessings and move forward as best we can.

“By the way, according to him, he claimed that mares were scarce and often victimized in his time period. Accordingly, he felt it was his moral duty to protect them.”

“Huh.” Twilight looks corner-wise up. “Over a thousand years ago? Yeah. Equestria was very different back then. Considering the severity of the situation during those harsh times, it actually lends a little credit to his words now.” She looks back at Sunset. “In other words, I can see why he'd make that claim.”

“What he says may not be true,” Zecora cautions, “but the logic of his claims does follow through. Perhaps our current dilemma is not his fault, but his words should be taken with a grain of salt.”

While Zecora waits outside of the room to prepare her potions in peace, Sunset Shimmer waits with Twilight in the same room with both Cozy Glows. One of which is unconscious on an operating bed while hooked to a bunch of things, and the other meditating while floating a few inches off the ground while surrounded by a dark red-ish magical aura with a black outline over it. If viewed carefully, one could also see that the black line is flickering a bit like flame, except it makes the room darker instead of brighter. That younger mare also has her magic crystal hovering between her two hooves.

“I don't like this,” Princess Twilight says aloud within a magical bubble of silence she is creating. Accordingly, when either of them speak within it, their voice echoes a bit, but they cannot be heard outside of it. “I don't like this one bit. I know what my daughter is supposed to look and act like. For the past several years, she has been depressed and empty, but never this . . . calm and chilling.”

“She does seem a lot more intimidating whenever Sombra takes her over, huh?” Sunset somewhat agrees while looking at the meditating young mare, then looks at Twilight to her side. “But with this bubble of silence and this necessary wait, perhaps we should use this time to compare notes.

“Twilight, just how many times did you encounter King Sombra before, and what was he like back then?”

“It was a long time ago for both times,” Twilight says as her gaze lowers a bit. “I've only encountered him twice. Once when the Crystal Empire first appeared, and the other several moons before my coronation as Princess of Equestria.”

“And what sort of impressions did you get from him at the time?” Sunset presses.

Twilight smirks at Sunset as she asks, “Can't you just touch me and use your magic crystal to scan my memories of him?”

Sunset flashes Twilight a sheepish grin as she admits, “I prefer not to unless I have to. I don't think you'd lie to me, so you can just tell me openly what you remember. I think it's more polite this way.”

“Well,” Twilight's face is still directed at Sunset, but her eyes shift to her floating daughter. “The first time I met Sombra, he was a floating black cloud surrounding the Crystal Empire. Back then, he didn't say much. Besides, even if he did speak, I was quite distant from him. Regardless, I heard him a few times, for his voice echoed across the sky.”

Twilight's face scrunches up with puzzlement.

“The second time I met him, however, he seemed . . . different. I didn't notice at the time. I was too busy freaking out, but in hindsight . . . his attitude changed. He had a more boisterous flare, and he monologued so much. He was so annoying.”

“Are you sure it was the same pony?” Sunset checks.

“Actually,” Twilight looks back at Sunset. “No, I'm not. I found out later that it was Discord that brought all four of them back and gathered them together. Part of me thinks, now, that he also altered Sombra's attitude, when he brought him back to life, in order to make a mockery of him, for he cast a very different vibe the second time. The first time he had a menacing presence, and the second time he had menacing actions, but that was it.”

“Huh.” Sunset rubs her bottom jaw as she looks over at Cozy's floating body. “I take it this one seems more like the first version, correct?”

“Correct,” Twilight confirms. “Although, not exactly. This one is a little different from either of them.”

“Probably because Crystal Sage is in him as well, attempting to keep his monstrous instincts in check,” Sunset figures.

“And what about you?” Twilight checks while still looking at her daughter. “Do you trust him?”

Sunset sighs before answering, “Yes and no. I trust that he does not want to harm us, but he may not be able to stop himself from doing so because he can't control himself.” Sunset's eyes shift up to the taller mare beside her. “The very first thing he said to us was to demand that we leave for our own protection. I told him that we couldn't in order to save Cozy Glow from my new world.”

“How do you think we should proceed to unravel the mystery of Sombra and sort out his memories?” Twilight checks.

“With this,” Sunset floats up her crystal again, “except I have my doubts that this will be enough on its own. I suspect that, when I read other people's memories, I can only discover what they remember themselves. If, however, their memories are fragmented or forgotten, that might pose a problem for me as well.”

“Can you recall anything about them that might help us now? Anything at all?” Twilight wonders.

“Huh. Let me think.” Sunset pauses for a while as she concentrates hard on those flash memories she received when she first contacted Sombra within human Cozy’s mind, then pops her eyes open as she recalls something. “Ooo! I know!” Sunset focuses on her friend. “The Pillars . . . Sombra used to work with them. In fact, I have reason to suspect that Sombra himself was trained by none other than Star Swirl the Bearded.”

“Really?!” Twilight exclaims in amazement. “That is poignant information.” Then she looks confused. “Also . . . that's strange. If Sombra used to work with the Pillars, why did none of them ever say anything about that?”

“Maybe the subject never came up?” Sunset suggests with a shrug. “Perhaps it's time to start. Write them a letter and have Spike send it to them. They might be able to shed some light on this mystery and either verify or refute this.”

Twilight sighs as she looks down, then says, “I can do that, but Star Swirl is very weak these days, for he is very old.” She gives Sunset a sad look. “Also, Mistmane has passed away completely, so there is no point in me writing her a letter.”

“Oh.” Sunset's ears droop down. “What happened to her?”

Twilight looks really pained to admit this, but she says, “The same thing that is about to happen to Star Swirl is my guess. The only difference is Mistmane was much younger, but it turns out she didn't just trade away her beauty when she restored her village . . . she traded away most of her youth and vitality as well. So, despite being approximately middle-aged, Mistmane actually passed away of natural causes . . . sort of.”

“Oh,” Sunset looks down sadly. “That's too bad.”

“It happens to most of us eventually, Sunset,” Twilight says with sad acceptance. Twilight puts a sympathetic wing onto Sunset's back as she adds, “For what it's worth, I've been told she passed away very peacefully. She returned to her home village. From there, they played her soothing music on a stringed instrument until her passing. When it happened, there was a very peaceful smile on her face. After that, all of the sudden, every flower in the village bloomed despite being the wrong season for it, and cherry blossoms seemed to rain from the very heavens themselves.”

Sunset's eyes water as she sniffles.

“We carry the Pillar of Beauty in our minds and hearts, now,” Twilight assures with a soft voice. “And in deeds for those who choose to follow her heroic example.” She looks at her daughter. “Now let's make sure that both Cozys fare better.”

“I swear I will, Twilight!” Sunset cries in sadness but also determination.

As instructed, Cozy tries to concentrate on the feeling of the magical flow of energy humming throughout her body. It isn't enough to cast anything yet, but it is enough to help train her mind in recognizing that flow of energy.

It is a bit familiar. She once felt something like this when she was an alicorn for a brief amount of time when she absorbed the energy from Grogar's Bell. Back then, she had no training in it. Only raw, overwhelming power.

But, when she senses a similar type of energy again, albeit much weaker this time, this experience partially scares her because it reminds her of the same type of feeling which triggered her downfall earlier. Part of her mind panics, as if afraid that channeling magic again might somehow lead her back into a stoned state. It does not matter how irrational that fear is. It's just too strong to entirely ignore.

But, when she focuses on the inward presence of Sombra, it calms her mind somewhat because at least he is very focused. He centers himself as if he has practiced this for ages. It feels comforting and inspiring to sense what that feels like from within. It almost seems to her like she could absorb some of his strength through osmosis.

I wonder what it's like . . . to be that strong, Cozy privately wonders to herself. He has the kind of magic that I once did as an alicorn, but unlike me . . . he also has the training and experience to back it up.

I wonder . . . does being that strong make one feel secure, or jaded? Is he so powerful that he feels bored with life due to a lack of a challenge?

Based on my memories of my sister, the Dark King Sombra was so confident that he was downright arrogant. I suppose that could be considered a weakness, but when one has that much power . . . it isn't much of a vulnerability.

I wish I could experience that again. I'm so sick and tired of feeling scared and vulnerable all the time. I've had enough of those lessons. I want to move on to something different.

Maybe . . . just maybe . . . he can show me how.

When Cozy finally senses Sombra's mind stir from within, part of her grows excited.

“Well . . . that was productive . . . at least for me,” Sombra mentally says to Cozy. After that, she feels his attention shift to focus on her. “How about you? Are you, at least, becoming familiar with your magical energy pattern? If you wish to learn to cast magic, recognizing the flow of energy is crucial to later influencing it.”

“Sombra, Sir,” Cozy begins a bit meekly, which captures his interest, “I was wondering something. Um . . . do you . . . perhaps . . . remember me?”

“Huh?” Sombra wonders. “I . . . am familiar with your counterpart. Part of me has shared her existence for quite some time,” Sombra informs Cozy with a voice so smooth it partially makes her little heart melt. “Why do you ask?”

“Well golly! Gee, Mister . . . I asked because we actually have met before,” Cozy brings up. “I was there along with Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek when he summoned us. Tirek and I were summoned from Tartarus, Chrysalis from who knows where, and you . . . I think he brought you back to life.”

“Really? Huh.” He seems to mentally shrug. “Well, if you say so. I don't recall meeting you before now personally.” He seems to sigh. “Then again . . . my memories have been suspect lately. Perhaps that would explain my lack of knowledge of our earlier encounter together.”

Cozy inwardly mopes, then says, “Actually, I think it's because I was beneath your notice. Back then, I was just a little pegasus filly.”

“Hmm.” He seems to think on that, then replies, “I hate to admit it, but you might be right. I do recall meeting Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek very briefly, but most of my focus, and ire, was directed at Grogar. The Father of Monsters was the only one in the room I actually respected and partially feared, but I did not want to reveal that. It also annoyed me that he would dare to order me around, a KING! Such impudence could not be forgotten or forgiven, no matter how powerful he otherwise was.

“In the midst of all of that, I probably did overlook you, for I likely did not regard you as threatening enough to notice. If you really were just a pegasus filly, I regret to inform you that you probably were dismissed.”

“Oh,” Cozy acknowledges sadly.

“But . . . you have my undivided attention now, young mare,” Sombra informs her as consolation. “It seems, to me, that we have both grown up since then in various ways. From the challenges we have suffered through, it is my hope that we can use these experiences to forge our souls into something mighty! To be, ever onward, worthy of notice and admiration.

“Heed my advice, young mare; do not let your experiences bring you to despair. You may be broken, but from that broken state, you are being reforged. Like raw ore under the pelting of a smith's hammer, you'll have to be smelted down to a form that can be shaped. Once that is done . . . what is left shall be forged into the mightiest steel. Mistakes only teach us what to avoid next time. Through our failures, we learn. We grow. We thrive!”

“Yes, Sir,” Cozy replies meekly but otherwise enthusiastically. “Please teach me to be strong! I'm so tired of being weak.”

“There is enlightenment in that experience as well,” Sombra wisely informs her. “I wasn't always the powerful stallion you see before you. The challenges that I suffered through to get this strong . . . if you only knew . . . then I doubt you'd continue to envy me.”

“I don't envy you!” Cozy denies. “I just want to learn how to get stronger.”

When Sombra grows quiet for a moment, it actually scares her enough to ask, “Sombra?”

“If you dare to lie to me again, there will be consequences!” Sombra menaces. His voice taking on that frightening multi-tone at the end of that sentence.

But, a moment later, he seems to struggle within himself. This continues until he eventually calms down, then says, “Forgive me, young mare. I did not mean to frighten you again. I am a creature composed of dark magic. I have learned to thrive and feed off of fear that I evoke in others. I have done this since time immemorial, but I no longer wish to be that awful tyrant. Ancient habits are extremely hard to break, but please believe me when I tell you that I don't really wish to frighten you, nor cause you to suffer . . . unless you invite it for the sake of getting stronger. If that is your wish, I can oblige.”

“Mmm . . . well, for the moment, how about we secure the health of my sister?” Cozy reminds him. “Do you think you mastered my magic well enough to use it confidently?”

“I believe so,” Sombra acknowledges with only moderate confidence as he finally opens Cozy's eyes with a look of focus and determination at her sister. “It should be enough to secure this spell. I have also stored some energy into your sister's crystal and even modified it a little bit. That should enhance my connection to it later.

“Also, it is fortuitous that I have the Element of Magic on hoof. I might not need her, but it is comforting to know I have that backup.”

“Also Sunset,” Cozy is quick to remind. “She's a gifted and well-trained unicorn, too.”

“Yes, but also one who has been out of practice for decades. I don't mind the extra help, but I'm skeptical about how much she can provide.

“If we continue our journey together, I may be able to help her catch up then eventually surpass her previous potential, but for now . . . I'm afraid there is little she can do to help us except to levitate ordinary objects for us.”

“Careful,” Cozy cautions. “You wouldn't be the first to underestimate Sunset Shimmer. Even Princess Twilight did that at one time, and you underestimated Princess Twilight . . . twice. I think your past experience has proven that your judgment about the potential capabilities of others is somewhat in need of fine-tuning.”

“Hmm. Well,” Sombra makes Cozy's shoulders shrug, then mentally admits, “As you say.”

“Are you ready, Sombra?” Princess Twilight asks after she pops her bubble of silence.

Sombra makes Cozy's head nod while still remaining focused on her sister, and says in Cozy's voice, “I am.”

After that, he makes Cozy stand up and trot over to her sister. He props her forehooves on the table as he examines Cozy's sister from head to tail and back to head.

“I will brook no distractions during this delicate process,” Sombra warns then gives Twilight a sharp look. “Nevertheless, do indeed pay careful attention, for there are factors to our present situation that diminish the odds of success. If I tell you to intervene or you see me unduly struggling, it may be necessary to project extra energy at me, but that is the only thing I may require from you. I'll keep the spell in it's proper form. For your part, just make sure I don't run out of energy.”

Twilight nods in understanding, then says, “I can do that.”

“Me too!” Sunset volunteers. When Sombra causes Cozy's face to pass a skeptical look to Sunset, she argues, “Hey, I may be rusty with my use of magic, but providing another with raw magical energy is certainly not beyond my capabilities. Just think of me as an extra backup.”

Sombra softens Cozy's facial expression at Sunset and gives a casual shrug, then says, “I suppose that wouldn't hurt.”

He looks at the other Cozy as he says, “There is one more potential source of energy I can tap into, and that is her energy. She's currently in a pony form; therefore, she has magic within her as well, and it's well attuned to this particular crystal that I am utilizing for this process.

“In fact, I may have to use some of her energy, and come to think of it,” he looks up, “there may be another advantage to this situation.”

He pauses in a moment of thought with a calculating look to Cozy's eyes, then he seems to realize something. “Ah, yes! That could work!”

“What could work?” Twilight asks cautiously.

Sombra shifts Cozy's eyes to look at her mother off to Cozy's left side for a second, then looks back to Cozy's sister while absently waving Twilight off with a hoof, then says, “I'll inform you later, for I do not wish to get your hopes up yet. For now, just know that the odds of completing this spell safely are better odds than I initially calculated, for there are other factors at hoof that I forgot to account for earlier. It may also provide some advantages in the long gallop. At least, until such a time when we're ready to release her from this state.”

Twilight and Sunset glance at each other with an equally perplexed look, then they look back at Sombra.

“Sombra, I really don't appreciate being kept in the dark about a dangerous procedure,” Twilight warns firmly.

“Well,” Sombra says as he raises Cozy's hooves high, pauses there for a second, then says, “so be it,” before slamming both hooves down into the other Cozy and starting to initiate the spell.

Twilight grunts in frustration, but holds her tongue because she does not dare to interrupt this spell during its process. Instead, she concentrates hard on the results.

“Just what are you doing?” Cozy queries Sombra from within.

“Shh! Patience, young mare,” Sombra replies to her. “And behold my power!”

Starting with her sister's hind legs, red crystal grows over her body and makes a cracking sound as it spreads across her body. During the process, Sombra causes the crystal he is using to channel this energy to float off of Cozy's neck and settle onto her sister. The others in the room gasp when they see the magic crystal getting absorbed into the other red crystal growing across the unconscious mare’s body, which takes only five seconds to complete.

Once that is done, Sombra focuses and channels the energy of both the unconscious mare's body as well as the magic crystal trapped within. Once he secures a hold of that energy, the crystal and body trapped within begin to shrink.

“YOU'RE KILLING-” Twilight cries out, startled, but Sunset uses her magic to pull Twilight back.

“Wait!” Sunset cries in a loud whisper. “I think he knows what he is doing.”

The shrinking process takes only four seconds. When it is done, it shrinks to the size that could fit on a single hoof. He then hovers Cozy's left hoof an inch away from the crystal then lifts up. The red shrunken crystal continues to follow that hoof, hovering an inch from it.

“I still got it!” Sombra notes smugly. “I practiced that spell for many years. Even with my hoofycaps, I still got it.” He steers that hoof towards Twilight and Sunset. “Behold . . . human Cozy's ponified form safely trapped in Crystal Stasis, but with a twist. When it occurred to me that her magical energy is well attuned to this particular crystal, I realized it was a valuable resource to tap into. Ergo, it now powers the crystal itself. Because of that, it no longer requires being fed magical energy by any of us to sustain itself. The one trapped within will provide that energy for us, but that is not all. She'll have an abundant enough magical energy supply for other purposes too.”

He focuses on Sunset then waves the crystal in her direction while it continues to hover an inch from Cozy's hoof.

“In other words, this crystal is a battery that recharges itself, and the excess energy can be tapped into for other things. This is especially true for those who are attuned to this crystal.” He points at Cozy's own body. “Such as this little one here.”

Twilight is too stunned to speak for several moments, but when she recovers, she asks, “Are you sure her condition is stable?”

“I'm positive,” Sombra confirms. “But if you don't believe me,” he tosses the crystal at Twilight. In response, Twilight momentarily panics until she catches the crystal in a purple magical aura and drags it back to her own hoof. When that happens, Sombra finally finishes his sentence, “check it yourself.”

He lowers himself from the bed and places all four of Cozy's hooves back on the floor, then says, “Now, before you complain to me any further, I shall return this vessel to its proper host.”

“Wah . . . wait, Sombra!” Twilight cries out.

Sombra sighs in irritation, then says in a voice that matches his mood, “Fine, but make it quick! This is her life, not mine, so I shall detain her from it no further than I have to.”

“Um, Sunset, here.” Twilight holds the crystal to Sunset with a hoof, who accepts it the same way. After that, she looks back at Sombra as she says, “Before you leave, I just wanted to thank you for helping us. I had my doubts about you, but you delivered on your promise, so,” she bows her head deeply, “thank you.”

“Your gratitude is not required,” Sombra replies coldly. “That's not why I did it.” His expression then softens. “Except I did wish to reassure you. I know how stressful it can feel for a parent to worry about a foal.”

“You do?” Twilight asks in surprise as she lifts her head and looks back at her possessed daughter.

Sombra simply nods before saying, “But that is a story for another time. For now, I've used a great deal of both Cozys magical energies. I advise you to give them some time to recover.”

“Sure!” Twilight exclaims brightly. “Oh, and Sombra . . . before you go, can I get your assurance we can talk again sometime later? As a resident of this world from over a thousand years ago, I'd be fascinated to learn more about how our world used to be.” She brightens nearly to the point of being ecstatic. “I'm sure it would make a great research paper!”

For the first time, Sombra smiles softly at Twilight via Cozy's face, but he also starts to look tired, so he waves her off with a hoof.

“Perhaps later,” he compromises. “In fact, I would wager that is our next quest objective anyway. I can share what I know, or rather let Cozy Glow share it for me while I remain within the crystal. Barring an emergency, I have no intention to possess her body again.

“But, in the future, hopefully we'll also recover the memories that I don't know, or at least don't have a firm hoof on for the moment, for it is, it seems, the reason why I have returned.” He waves a hoof in an arc. “Once those questions are settled . . . I can finally, and hopefully, this time permanently, rest in peace.” He focuses harder on Twilight. “But I will say this, however. Compared to the time period I grew up in, this world is a paradise! Much of it, I am sure, is thanks to your efforts as well as that of your friends.

“Furthermore, it was through your efforts, as well as your friends, peace and prosperity was returned to the Crystal Empire. You have no idea how much I appreciate you for that.”

“You didn't seem to value my contribution back then,” Twilight notes as she looks taken aback.

Sombra closes Cozy's eyes, shakes her head, then opens her eyes again as he goes on to say, “You only know half of the story. King Sombra was only the remnants of corrupted dark magic. His larger, truer self, was encased in crystal preparing for the return of the Crystal Empire, until that was done. He paved the way for its return, and you paved the way for its continued prosperity ever since. I'm well aware that you didn't do it on your own so extend my thanks to your friends, siblings, and former mentor as well. I just wanted you to know that before I go.

“You have no idea how hard I worked to establish that Empire in the first place. The sacrifices, the work, the searching, the heartache . . . all of it. Anything that great rests on the foundation of enormous effort. I, too, did not work alone. Nothing that grand could be secured by the efforts of one pony.”

He looks off to the side with a distant and nostalgic way.

“Maybe . . . I just need to see it in its present glory one last time. I doubt it's that simple, but one can hope.”

There is silence between them all for several moments, broken by Sombra after he looks back at the other mares.

“Well . . . time to go.” He makes Cozy bow to the Princess deeply. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Truly you are a worthy successor to those who once ruled in the past. Through your tireless efforts and those under your command, Equestria, and the world at large, continue to have a brighter present than the past ever did.”

“Rest well,” Twilight bids, then gives a soft smile, “my new friend.”

Sombra lifts Cozy's left eyebrow as he focuses back at Twilight with a critical look before saying with amusement, “You tout yourself as the Princess of Friendship, do you not? Well then, Your Majesty, wear that title with pride . . . for you do great honor to it.

“Fare thee well.” He bows to her once again before withdrawing back into the crystal, leaving Cozy dizzy as she reclaims control of her body, except she's exhausted to boot.

Chapter 7: The Plot Thickens

Princess Twilight is sitting with all four of her hooves on her chair as she levitates a cup of walnut coffee to her lips to help her wake up this morning. The chair she is sitting on, as well as the table beside her, is on a balcony overlooking the city of Canterlot and, beyond that, the wider Equestria valley as seen from this high vantage point.

Even with her purple mane with lighter purple streak flowing forward with tiny magical sparkles in it, it still did not obstruct her view enough to hinder her enjoyment of the scenery. It is her way to relax and unwind in preparation for her day.

As she sips on her cup, Spike proceeds to the next item on his checklist of royal decisions he could not make whenever Twilight is absent or indisposed for whatever reason.

“The next item on the agenda is . . .” Spike rolls up the scroll a bit until he can read the next item, then winces at the scroll before looking at his friend with a squint. “Uh . . . you're not going to like it,” Spike warns.

“Just get to the next item on the checklist, please,” Twilight requests calmly. “I'll reserve my judgment until I've heard it through.”

Spike sighs as he looks back at the scroll. Taking a moment to gather his courage, he then went on. “Several delegates from Maneapolis came by yesterday and requested more funding to build six more schools in the Horseshoe district.”

Princess Twilight gives a confused squint, then looks back at her Number One Assistant with the same expression. “More funding to open up six more schools? Spike, you know how I feel about education. Why would you think this would bother me?”

“Because,” he lowers the scroll to look back at her with an uncomfortable wince, “the reason why they want to open up the new schools is in order to dedicate them to the some of the non-pony races that have been moving into Maneapolis over the years.”

“Oh.” Twilight looks down sadly. “I see. This again.”

“Yeeeeeah, I'm afraid so,” Spike says apologetically. “Some of the citizens of the city are still concerned by all the new races moving in and want to enforce more racial segregation. This,” he shook the scroll at her, “isn't the first of their proposed policies about this issue, and I doubt it will be the last.”

“I suppose it has been getting more populated there ever since the flood of immigrants,” Twilight realizes as she looks forward again and gazes off the balcony across the wide valley. “I don't blame them for wanting more facilities to hoofle all the extra families coming in, but to enforce even more racial segregation . . . it just feels wrong, Spike. Instead, the pony citizens of the city should be celebrating their newly found diversity.”

Spike shrugs lightly as he says, “Ponies like Chancellor Neighsay aren't the only ones who are xenophobic. You have to remember, Twilight, that, for the longest time, it was mostly just ponies in places like Maneapolis. Now the citizens are being forced to adapt to all these new changes that they didn't ask for. If you ask me, I think they will adapt eventually, but for now, it's too much and too soon.” He glances at his checklist again, then looks back at Twilight. “I do have one idea.”

“Yeah?” Twilight brings up as her eyes shift over to look back at Spike again.

“It is true that they need more schools to facilitate the extra families coming into that city. I say we give them the funding they need to build the schools and even endorse their wish to dedicate these new schools to each of the new races.”

Twilight looks aghast.

“Whoa! Hear me out!” Spike encourages. “It's just for now. With some of the pressure taken off of the ponies there, they'll have more time to get used to the idea of their non-pony neighbors. When they eventually adjust, the new school buildings will still be there. After that, they can open their doors to all races, including ponies.” He points the feather end of his quill behind him. “The ponies who grew up there under the old system may need the most time to adjust, but the new foals growing up now will be surrounded by all these new races. When they become an adult, they'll be so accustomed to diversity that they won't even care which race attends what school.” Spike whirls his quill in a circle. “I think this problem will solve itself over time. We've just got to be patient.”

Twilight still looks uncomfortable, so she compromises. “Well . . . okay, but on one condition: We'll give them the funds they need to build the schools, but make it clear that absolutely any race can attend those new schools if they want to. Some of the citizens of the city might be xenophobic, but I can't believe that they all are. Some ponies might want to attend those new schools even if, or perhaps even because of the fact that it is mostly populated by some other race. I say we don't restrict their options. That way the choice is available for them either way at any time.”

“Huh.” Spike taps his lips with his black feather quill, then nods after a moment. “That might actually work.

“Okay, I'll go ahead and write a note here specifying that we do approve of this proposal on the condition that there be no strict racial restrictions. With that out of the way, I can put a checkmark in the box beside this item.”

Twilight floats her coffee near her lips again but asks just before she takes another sip, “After this, how many items do we have left on our checklist?”

“Um . . . let's see. Let me just finish writing this new note here.”

“Okay. Take your time, Spike.”

Twilight's eyes focus on the latch of her sliding glass door when it ignites with a teal-colored aura and issues a tiny jingling sound indicative of unicorn magic. A moment later, the sliding glass door opens. After that, Sunset Shimmer steps out onto the balcony. Sunset looks quite tired this early morning. There are even some bags under her eyes due to her exhaustion.

“Morning, Twilight,” Sunset greets tiredly, followed by a yawn. When that is done, she asks, “Mind if I join you?”

“Please,” Twilight says invitingly as she floats back another chair from the table beside her, “pull up a chair.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”

Sunset accepts the offer from her friend and sits in the chair in a way ponies seldom do, with her hind legs bent over the edge of the seat and her back sitting up straight on the backrest of the chair. Twilight realizes this pose is common for humans considering their posture, but it is rare for ponies to adopt.

“I take it you are still not having much luck with Cozy's new guest?” Twilight figures.

Sunset sighs tiredly while she pours herself a cup of coffee then floats it between both of her hooves. From there, she squashes the cup between her hooves to secure a grip on it.

“It's as I feared,” Sunset confirms. “My magic crystal is having trouble bringing up memories that Sombra himself has forgotten. I'm getting a random jumble of memories every time I attempt to scan him, but most of them are just indistinct feelings. Most of them aren't good. I don't think the majority of his life was necessarily bad, but the bad moments of his seem to have evoked overwhelming negative feelings, and that runs the whole gamut. Insecurity, jealousy, hatred, bigotry, loathing, regret . . . but, above all, fear. That seems to be a pervasive theme in his life.”

“So the pony who is infamous for controlling others through fear has often been afraid himself?” Twilight wonders. “That . . . actually makes a lot of sense.” Twilight focuses her gaze on her tired friend. “What is your impression of him now?”

Sunset sips her coffee before she answers. “Well, if you ask me, he's very polite and civil to me, most of the time, whenever I talk to him directly, but this is just the surface of his personality. Underneath, he is gravely tortured and struggling not to lash out at anypony, especially girls. I am strongly convinced he is not doing any of this on purpose. Instead, in weariness and a sense of guilt, he wants to rest and return Cozy Glow to her regular life.”

“But you've made no progress on that front?” Twilight asks with worry.

Spike clears his throat to gather attention. Once he has it, he says, “To answer your earlier question, there are six more items on the agenda to discuss, but do you wish to delay them until after this new meeting?”

“Yes, Spike,” Twilight confirms.

“Alright.” Spike secures the scroll somewhere behind his back. “We'll go over the rest later, then.”

“Why don't you go get some breakfast while you wait?” Twilight suggests.

“Now that is a good idea! I'm starving!” He turns around, pulls open the sliding glass door, then waves behind him at Sunset as he says, “Nice to see you again, Sunset. I hope you have more luck with Cozy and Sombra soon.”

“Yeah. Me too, Spike,” Sunset agrees wearily while looking at her steaming cup of coffee between her hooves.

Both mares are quiet for about a minute after Spike leaves, then Sunset rants, “I'm telling you, Twilight, I've tried everything at this point. I tried using my crystal. I tried hypno-therapy. I even contacted Princess Luna to help pull me into a shared dream between me, Cozy Glow, and Sombra. All of these strategies only partially work, and there is no consistency. Any images I get once, I can't gain again.

“I have, however, narrowed down the scope of the problem to sometime during the earlier part of his life. Sometime between his foalhood and his rise as Chancellor to the Crystal Empire. We can't seem to pin it exactly, but the missing memories are around that time period. It makes no sense why only King Sombra has extra memories of this time and not Crystal Sage, for King Sombra was created later after he started to get corrupted by crystals which, themselves, were corrupted by dark magic.”

“How did that happen?” Twilight wonders.

Sunset looks off to her side. “He wasn't too forthcoming about those answers, but he said that there is a malevolent force out there that is the original source of all dark magic. That force attempts to infect Equestria in order to empower itself.” She looks back at Twilight. “He claims it is drawn to extinguish any force that opposes its own, such as the light and love of the Crystal Heart.”

“Were you able to glean more information from him around that time period?” Twilight checks.

Sunset nods. “A few times, but there seems to be little point in pursuing it. Those memories are coming in too clearly, thus we have no doubt that the source of his problem comes somewhen before that.”

Sunset sips her coffee, then asks, “About those letters you sent to the surviving Pillars, did any of them respond back?”

“Flash Magnus was the first to respond since he lives right here in Canterlot,” Twilight replies. “Mage Meadowbrook and Somnambula came later. So far, they are all saying the same thing. They each have no recollection of ever working with Sombra.”

“Huh.” Sunset looks at her coffee. “Maybe we're just chasing our tails here. Maybe those extra memories within him from King Sombra are fake. Maybe they are just corruption and distortion caused by how human Cozy retrieved Sombra's mind. After all, we know it was incomplete in the first place and the gaps were replaced with some of Cozy's memories. For all we know, the same thing happened with Crystal Sage.” Sunset looks up at Twilight. “What about Star Swirl and Rockhoof?”

“I've heard nothing at all from Star Swirl yet,” Twilight says with a frown. “Last I heard about him from some of his nurses and assistants, his mind and health are deteriorating. He spends most of his time in bed these days while staring off into space.

“I haven’t gotten a response from Rockhoof yet. As for Stygian, he said he’s coming here to discuss this issue personally.”

“Really?” Sunset says with interest. “Huh. I wonder what has him so interested.” Sunset tilts her head. “Sombra's memories make it fairly clear that he worked with each of the Pillars and there is a reason for it, but what that reason is . . . he can't recall. All he knows it was something important, but now three out of six of them claim they never heard of him or worked with him in the past, yet Stygian is coming here to discuss the matter further?”

“Well, the good news is, you probably won't have to wait long. He is due to arrive today,” Twilight informs her friend.

Sunset set the coffee on the table and kept her hooves on it. She smiles faintly but genuinely at Twilight for a moment as she says, “That's great, Twilight. Hopefully he can provide some answers.”

“Are you okay, Sunset?” Twilight asks in concern.

The faint smile fades from Sunset's lips as she looks back at her dark reflection in the coffee. Eventually she says, “No I'm not, Twilight. Instead, I'm tired and worried. Sombra is too. We're both growing afraid that we won't be able to crack this one, no matter how much we are determined. If we don't solve this, Cozy's mind is never going to return to her, or at least we don't think so. Not only would that be a personal loss for me, but everyone else waiting for me back home that is counting on me.”

Both mares pause for a moment in silence, broken first by Sunset.

“With everything that's been happening, it's also got me thinking very deeply about how we are the sum of our memories and experiences. Everything that makes us who we are and guides our decisions is based on the experiences of our past. There are plenty of other factors too, like our genetics, the culture we're raised in, and our cutie marks . . . but the biggest factor is our memories.” Sunset's eyes look up at Twilight while her face remains directed downward at the table. “What are we without them, Twilight? Sombra doesn't know who he is because of all this conflicting information. While he struggles through this challenge, I can't help but wonder how bravely I would have endured this in his place.

“You know, several years back, I did go through something like this. Do you remember when I wrote to you about the memory stone and how it forced all of my friends to forget every good memory about me? Back then it made me wonder if . . .”

When Sunset trails off, both mares suddenly regard each other with a startling realization.

“The memory stone!” Sunset pounds both of her hooves on the table which ends up knocking over her cup and the remains of her coffee. “That's got to be it! That's why nopony remembers their association with Sombra!”

“You may be on to something!” Twilight agrees in realization. “The last written record I've ever discovered about the memory stone was in the restricted section of a hidden library here in Canterlot. Clover the Clever was the last pony known to try to chase down the previous user of the stone. The record on what he did with it later has been lost, but obviously it ended up in your new world for some reason.”

While Twilight rubs the bottom of her chin with a hoof, her horn also glows purple as she uses her magic to straighten Sunset's cup and dry up the remains of the spilled coffee.

“But if the memory stone was used to erase some of the memories of Sombra, why would his dark half partially remember this?” Twilight wonders aloud. “That doesn't make any sense. The memory stone can erase very selective memories from a wide radius of ponies, but exactly how wide that radius is is anypony's guess.”

“It affected everyone at Canterlot High about me some years back,” Sunset reminds, “and that happened overnight. That means the students and faculty were not consolidated in one place while it happened. It affected everyone while they were in their homes. To accomplish that, that stone must be able to affect a very wide radius. For all we know, its reach could potentially be global.”

“We don't know that for sure,” Twilight cautions. “But, if it's true, that explains why there are virtually no exceptions. Everypony involved with him could have been affected, including Sombra himself. Even the user of the stone could have been affected.”

Sunset settles in her seat as she mentions, “One limitation I do know about the memory stone, however, is that it does not affect objects. Pictures, videos, and written records are immune to the memory stone's grasp.”

“Exactly,” Twilight agrees. “That is how Clover the Clever managed to track down the last user of the memory stone. He left himself little clues to help remind him of his mission.”

Twilight widens her eyes further as she realizes something else. “Wait a second. What if King Sombra's mind was imbued in an object, like maybe a crystal, during the moment everypony else's memories of associating with Sombra was erased?”

“But King Sombra was formed way after this event took place,” Sunset points out. “The timing doesn't add up.”

“Unless the memories of when King Sombra was first formed got erased,” Twilight counters. “If the true origin of King Sombra was erased from everypony's mind, then of course Crystal Sage would have thought that King Sombra was formed later. What if that wasn't true? What if he existed earlier in some form? We already know that Crystal Sage's mind was preserved for many centuries in the Red Crystal. What if something similar happened to Sombra earlier?”

“Do you realize how wide that time gap is?” Sunset asks back. “Back when he was alive, Sombra was way older than any normal pony could have been because he had ways to extend his lifespan. Weknow he was far older than any normal pony before King Sombra took over his body. He lived peacefully within the Crystal Empire for more than a century before that. If the Dark King was actually created earlier, then why did the Crystal Empire have peace for so much time before its fall?”

“Maybe that was the reason the memory stone was used,” Twilight theorizes. “If everypony forgot his earlier history, it would include the fact that a dark splinter of his mind was created. Forgetting that might have helped avoid certain dark temptations? In that case, it could explain why the peace was preserved for so long, but then something went wrong.” Twilight looks down at her table. “We may be on to something, but I think we're still missing too many vital clues here. All we really have is a theory why and how things came to be as they are now.”

“If we assume, for a moment, that the memory stone was used to erase everyone's mind of their association with the Dark King,” Sunset figures, “then it is possible that many might have associated with him before and simply forgot about it. The fact that he once associated with the Pillars might be very important, for they marked a very significant role in Equestria's history.”

“Not just Equestria,” Twilight adds. “The history of the Pillars extends further back than that. Some of the important things that they've done extend back before The Great Pony Migration to Equestria. If we're right, the repercussions of what is lost to history has far greater reach than just Equestria's history.”`

An orange hide pegasus guard in royal guard regalia flew up above the balcony line nearby and bowed to his princess.

“Your Majesty, a pony named Stygian the Scholar is here to see you. He claims that he has come with your invitation and presented a letter accordingly. Shall I let him in?”

“Um,” Twilight gives the guard a carefully discerning look, then asks, “you're Cloud Obliterator, correct?”

The guard rose from his bow and gave his princess an affectionate smile as he confirmed, “Yes, Your Majesty. I am flattered that you took the time to learn my name.”

“Of course!” Twilight says brightly. “All of you are not just my servants, but also my friends! As friends, learning all of your names is the least I can do.” Her expression turns more serious. “Yes. Stygian is here at my invitation. Please escort him to the study room.”

Cloud Obliterator bows to his princess again as he says, “At once, Your Majesty. It shall be done as you ordered.”

The royal guard is about to leave, but hesitates a moment longer when his majesty adds some additional instructions.

“While you do that, find another guard and tell that pony to escort my daughter, Cozy Glow, to the study as well.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. All shall be done as you wish.”

Cloud Obliterator flies off to do as instructed.

“Whatever Stygian has to say,” Twilight explains as she looks across at her friend, “I have a feeling it will involve my daughter . . . and the entity that shares her company in the crystal.”

“That's not how you focus. Try again!” Sombra instructs. “Your mind wavers too much. Wait, no!” He pauses for a moment, then amends, “Actually, it's your emotions that waver too much.”

Cozy releases a long breath then glares at the apparent image of Sombra standing beside her bed. An image that nopony else can see.

“What's the difference?” Cozy asks with irritation in her voice. “Thought and emotion are the same thing, aren't they?”

“No,” Sombra answers with a shake of his head. “You can have thought without emotion, and you can have emotion without thought. Thought gives spells direction and structure, and emotion is fuel for the fire of magic. If either of these are out of balance, magic will not function, but for different reasons in each case.” He pointed a hoof at her. “If you cannot learn to control your emotions, then you won't be in control of the source of your powers.”

“What?” Cozy looks skeptical at Sombra. “I've seen plenty of examples of unicorns cast magic while raging with emotions.”

“Because they had more practice,” Sombra counters. “Most unicorns grow up practicing all their lives with the most basic of spells. You have not.” He looks at her squarely. “You once briefly had an existence as an alicorn, and you cast your spells with your emotions back then. Tell me . . . did you control the power, or did the power control you?”

“Uh . . . I'm not sure what you mean,” Cozy admits lamely.

Sombra gives an exasperated sigh, then says, “Perhaps, for the moment, you should take a break and clear your head.”

“But I want to master this!” Cozy expresses as she looks at her red crystal between her hooves. “Until I do, it feels like some part of me is missing.”

Sombra grins at her slightly as he says, “I appreciate the sentiment, but it is clear to me you will make no progress if you proceed forward in your current state of mind. Relax,” Sombra insists, “and unwind.” He looks around at her room. “Just what do you do for fun around here, anyway?” He looks back at her. “As the adopted daughter of the Princess of Equestria, I imagine your potential resources should be quite extensive.”

Cozy gains a dour expression as she shrugs and says, “Yes and no. My mother is the one with access to all of those resources, but my influence is quite limited since I am somepony she does not yet fully trust. I did try to conquer Equestria before . . . twice, so you can imagine how cautious somepony like my mother would react to somepony like me.”

“I see,” Sombra says flatly. “Still, my question stands. What do you do for fun?” He looks around the room again. “I see you have lots of books here.” He gives a slightly hopeful expression to Cozy. “I practically lived my life in a library. What books do you like to read?”

“Oh, these?” Cozy gestures to the bookshelves in her room. “Most of those are my mother's recommendations. She is the one who wants me to read them, but me . . . I tend to avoid them out of pure spite and defiance.”

Sombra squints his eyes at Cozy as he asks, “So . . . to spite your mother . . . you wish to limit your access to power? That is what knowledge is, you know.”

“Don't you start lecturing me, too!” Cozy spat at Sombra. “Especially if you do it to agree with my mother.”

Sombra closes his eyes and bows to Cozy while saying, “Very well. So be it. Do as thou wilt.”

Right after saying that, he fades away from her sight, most likely retreating back into the crystal.

“Oh, no! I didn't mean to dismiss you!” Cozy complains aloud. “Come back!”

“I have nothing further to say to you for the moment,” Sombra mentally tells Cozy from within the crystal. “Until you obey and complete my new instructions, we are done for the day.”

Cozy growls, then exclaims, “Fine! Be that way!”

No reply.

Cozy flops back into her cloud bed with wings spread widely. Because of that, the tip of her right wing collides with a nightstand she has on the right side of her bed. This causes her to look in that direction and notice a magazine on top of her nightstand. Cozy's eyes widen with delight as she realizes she hasn't read this one yet.

“Oh, golly!” Cozy cries out excitedly. “I completely forgot about that one with everything that's been going on.”

After she said that, it occurs to her to ask herself, why talk aloud? Who is she talking to?

For a moment, she mentally checks within the crystal. Instead of sensing Sombra, she senses something more akin to a barrier. It seems the mental equivalent of shutting the door on her.

Upon noticing that, Cozy growls in irritation again.

Insolent whelp! She mentally complains to herself but about him. If I were Empress of these lands, so help me, I'd . . .

Bah! Fine! Whatever. You're not worth being upset over.

As soon as she thinks that, an empty feeling clouds her heart. An empty feeling that came from an anxious wish being unfulfilled. For years, Cozy has existed free from her stone prison but inwardly felt very insecure. Mastering magic made her feel like she could equalize the playing field. It might not make her all-powerful, but it would give her a leg up to catch up to others who have this advantage.

Her hope is, if she masters this new power, new confidence might arise along with it. It does not necessarily come with a renewed ambition to take over the world, but she wants to at least feel like she is mastering her own destiny instead of feeling like a prisoner all the time.

“You brooded in a crystal and dark crystal cave for more than a thousand years,” she thought at Sombra. “You should know how I feel, and why. Due to that sympathy, you should be helping me!”

Again, no response.

Cozy frowns, then swipes her magazine off the nightstand with her right wing then uses that to deliver her prize to her hooves. While still lying on her back on her cloud bed, she holds her magazine above her and admires her prize, especially when she notices which pony is on the front cover again.

Grasping the magazine with one hoof, she uses her other hoof to trace the front cover image of Equestria's currently most eligible and desirable bachelor, a gray pegasus with two shades of gray mane swept back smoothly to reveal gray eyes. A pegasus who is a talented prodigy at literally everything! A bachelor who has a legendarily rare jackknife cutie mark, which basically means a jack of all trades.

“Oh, Rumble!” Cozy coos softly to herself. “You will be mine someday! Oh yes! You will be mine! I don't care how many other mares are clamoring for you! Your destiny is with Cozy!”

Cozy closes her eyes and hugs the magazine to her chest. As she does so, she imagines that the magazine itself is Rumble. Maybe he is struggling to free himself a bit from her grasp. After all, she's probably squeezing him so tight that he can't breathe, but in time . . . he'll surrender to his fate. He has to, for he'll have no choice. It is his destiny! Cozy wills it so!

While she hugs her magazine to her chest tightly, her rear legs squirm a bit in sheer giddy delight.

Cozy continues this activity until she hears a pop and magical jingling sound indicative of a unicorn teleportation spell.

Or, in this case, an alicorn, as it were.

“Flurry!” Cozy whines as she frantically tries to hide her magazine by stuffing it under one of her pillows. “How many times do I have to say this!? Knock on my door before barging in with your teleportation spell.”

The very light purple mare, with dark purple streaks of light blue mane which is curled at the tips into several almost ball-shape ends, grins somewhat shyly as she peers at Cozy with light teal eyes.

“Well, I only have a few minutes to talk between my lessons, and other things,” Flurry explains in a tone of apology, “and I've got to make the most of it.”

Suddenly, Flurry Heart's expression shifts to intrigue and curiosity as she asks, “Oh, what's this?”

Annoyingly, Cozy's magazine teleports away from under her pillows then hovers in front of Flurry within a swirl of pink and yellow magic aura. Once Cozy sees who is on the front cover, she floats the magazine off to the side as she gives a snide and sly smile to Cozy while saying, “Ohhhhh! Now I see!”

Cozy sits up in a huff as she complains, “You are, by far, the rudest and most insensitive princess I have ever seen!”

“Don't forget best friend!” Flurry teases as she rolls up the magazine with her magic and bops Cozy lightly on the snout with it. Since it is within reach, Cozy uses that opportunity to quickly snatch back her magazine.

“Plus,” Flurry goes on as she closes her eyes and gestures to herself with her long light purple wings which shift to darker purple near the tips, “you know me. I'm always a flutter of emotions.”

When she said that, Flurry sounded like she was bragging.

Cozy sighs as she looks down, then looks back at Flurry with her eyes only while her face remains directed downward. “What do you want with me?” Cozy asks with a slight bit of misery in her tone.

“I'm in a whimsical mood to see you right now!” Flurry Heart cries out cheerfully. “Also,” she focuses on Cozy more seriously, “I heard you are in possession of an interesting magical crystal. One which might allow you to cast spells someday? Furthermore, is it true that your alternate self from the human world is here at this castle, but having some kind of problem?”

Her last question is tinged with concern.

“To answer both questions, right here.” Cozy lifts up her new magic crystal. “The ponified body of my alternate self is shrunken and in magical stasis within this crystal.” Cozy tilts her head at her friend. “Also, how did you hear about all of this?”

“Oh,” Flurry folds her wings to her side as she brags, “I have my ways.”

“Namely, Twilight?” Cozy guesses as she squints one eye. “She is family, after all.”

“I repeat, I have my ways!” Flurry reiterates with a mysterious inflection to her tone, then goes on in a more normal tone, “Besides, you are family too, Cozy.”

Cozy rolls her eyes as she says listlessly, “Lucky me.”

“Uh oh! Somepony is in a grumpy mood today!” Flurry expresses brightly.

“What do you expect? You popped into my room again without permission,” Cozy complains.

Flurry narrows her eyes at Cozy as she wears another sly expression. “Well, in that case, you know what that means!”

Cozy widens her eyes at Flurry as she cries out, “Oh no! You wouldn't dare!”

Flurry nods as she says, “Yep! I'm afraid so! Grumpy mares get another visit from the Snuggle Monster!”

In an instant, Flurry pops behind Cozy and glomps her from behind with a tight hug.

“Pony feathers, Flurry!” Cozy complains. “You really need to be taught the value of personal space.”

“Ah, what fun is there in that?” Flurry teases then nips Cozy's left ear which provokes it to wiggle and flutter.

“Also,” Flurry floats Cozy's magazine in front of Cozy's face again, “he is something to look at, isn't he? I bet you that you were hugging this magazine a moment ago while inwardly promising that he'll be all yours!”

“How did you . . .” Cozy began in shock before she caught herself, then expressed in pure denial, “No!”

“Come on! Don't lie to me!” Flurry coaxes. “Or, if you really mean what you say, maybe I should start chasing after him.”

“Don't you dare!” Cozy barks insistently.

“Aw! I knew it!” Flurry declares triumphantly, then chants in a teasing way, “Cozy has a crush! Cozy has a crush! Cozy has a crush!”

“Well,” Cozy swallows hard as she can feel her face flush beet red.

Curses! Why does she always have to push my buttons like this?

“Is that Flurry Heart?” Sombra mentally asks within with such sudden and startling interest that it momentarily takes Cozy aback.

“Um . . . yes,” Cozy inwardly replies. “I thought you weren't speaking to me. Now who can't control his emotions? Huh, Mister Tough Guy?”

In an instant, Sombra appears on the right side of the bed then looks back fondly at Flurry Heart.

This draws Cozy's attention. As she mentally asks a moment later in curiosity, “Why is Flurry Heart such an interest to you? It's not like you met the mare before.”

“Um, well . . . I have, sort of,” Sombra expresses with a mixture of a fond and pained look at Flurry. “But . . . we don't need to go into that. The truth is, I don't really know her . . . but she reminds me a lot of somepony I once knew.” He looks down sadly. “And deeply cared for.”

Intrigue, as well as a haunting feeling, sinks deep into Cozy's eyes as she looks at Sombra.

“Why the sudden shift in mood?” Flurry asks considerably more calmly. In fact, she now sounds a little spooked. “Cozy?” Flurry pokes Cozy's spine between her wings. “Hello! Equestria to Cozy! Come in, Cozy! Are you there?”

“Um, sorry?” Cozy replies in bewilderment after she briefly shakes her head then looks back at Flurry.

“You spaced out there for a second,” Flurry replies with concern. “Are you okay?”

“She's empathic, isn't she?” Sombra guesses as his eyes shift to his left at Flurry. “Yet another mark of similarity. I think she is the same pony . . . reborn by the stored love and magic of the Crystal Heart.”

“Huh?” Flurry wonders as she looks off to the right side of the bed. She sees nothing there, but she suddenly realizes she feels a presence there. “Is somepony there?”

“You can sense him?!” Cozy asks Flurry with awe and wonder.

“Sense who?” Flurry asks Cozy innocently with a twinge of fear deep in her eyes.

“She does sense me.” Sombra realizes as he closes his eyes. “I knew it.”

“Cozy, what's going on?” Flurry asks with worry. “Talk to me, and be honest. I'll know if you're lying.”

“You might as well tell her,” Sombra invites with a depressed tone. “You can't keep a secret like this from a mare like that for long.”

“You sure?” Cozy mentally double checks with the disembodied spirit of Sombra.

In response, Sombra just nods with sad acceptance.

Which draws Flurry's attention back in that direction. Her eyes do not focus on anypony, but her instincts insist that somepony is there.

Cozy sighs, then explains to Flurry, “There is a disembodied spirit that dwells within this crystal. One who has the memories of my alternate self but the personality and consciousness of an ancient spirit . . . and a powerful unicorn.”

“You're serious, aren't you?” Flurry asks in a spooked tone to Cozy, but the question almost sounds like a statement. Before Cozy can reply, Flurry closes her eyes and says, “This entity . . . feels familiar, but I don't know from where or when. Possibly from a dream I had a long time ago?”

“I did briefly visit her and foalnap her in the Crystal Empire when she was still a yearling,” Sombra notes aloud. “At least, King Sombra did. She might be referring to that.”

Flurry suddenly opens her eyes and whips her head to look off the right side of the bed, then looks back at Cozy as she asks, “What did he just say?”

“Ah . . . you can hear him? Or . . .” Cozy leaves that thought hanging.

Flurry shakes her head as she says, “No, I can't see or hear him . . . but I sense him, and he just said something. Probably about me.”

Cozy nods while feeling a little amazed. “Uh . . . yes, he did. He said a part of him foalnapped you while you were still a baby.” Cozy turns about on her bed then waves at Flurry reassuringly. “But he's good now! Sort of. He's . . .” Cozy sighs, then says, “it's a long story, and kind of complicated, but rest assured that he means you no harm anymore. He was just . . . sort of incomplete before.”

Flurry Heart widens her eyes in realization, then looks off to the side where she senses the ghostly stallion still standing, and she asks, “You're King Sombra . . . aren't you?”

Cozy widens her eyes in astonishment as she exclaims, “Wait! How did you know?!”

“I'm not surprised,” Sombra assures mysteriously in a bittersweet tone, “At least . . . not anymore. Not after I realized whom we're dealing with here.”

“Um . . . Cozy, may I see that crystal?” Flurry requests while gesturing to the magic crystal with a hoof.

Cozy's astonishment vanishes, replaced by a listless expression and drooped eyes as she notes, “You pop into my room, steal my magazine, then glomp me without permission . . . and now you're suddenly asking permission? Why the sudden change of heart?”

In reply, Flurry grins at Cozy as she says, “Oh, you know me, my heart always flutters in many directions.” Her expression instantly returns to serious and anxious as she requests, “Please, Cozy?”

“Well, just be careful,” Cozy says as she offers the crystal with a hoof. “My other self is encased in there as well.”

Flurry's magic glows around the crystal for just a moment, but before she levitates it up, there is a knock on Cozy's door.

“Shoot!” Flurry complains. “I got to go,” she suddenly declares. “I'm not supposed to be here, but we'll talk more about this later!” Flurry promises before popping out of the room with a small explosion of yellow and pink twinkling sparks.

Geez! How many more surprises are determined to catch me off guard today? Cozy wonders to herself.

“Are you going to answer it?” Sombra inquires of Cozy.

“Um, well . . . you're a ghost, right? Can you give me a little recon by floating through that door and reporting to me whom it is?” Cozy asks hopefully.

“I could, but I have better things to do with my eternal time,” Sombra says with a dismissive wave of his left forehoof at Cozy but without looking her in the eyes. “You're in no danger here, so check it yourself.”

With that, Sombra fades away.

Cozy pouts at the spot he once stood on, then blows a raspberry at that spot before calling aloud, “Yes? Who is it?”

“Um . . . it's Rock Steady, Your Highness,” the male stallion beyond the door reports. “Your mother bids me to summon you to the study room. Some guests are reportedly here to see you.”

Annoyance shifts to intrigue as Cozy asks through the still shut door while sitting on her cloud bed, “Do you know who they are?”

Information is power, after all. Sombra said that himself not long ago. If she could gather some intel right now, so much, the better.

“Alas, I am not equipped with those details,” Rock Steady reports. “Even if I was, I have not been ordered to tell you.

“So . . . are you coming, Your Highness?”

“Sure,” Cozy expresses with a sigh. “Just . . . give me a moment to get dressed.”

“As you wish,” the stallion returns with acceptance.

Chapter 8: Pitch Meeting

“And we’re here,” Rock Steady, the gray earth pony stallion, says as he gestures to the door to the study room. “Your mother and the others await you inside.”

I know my way around the castle, Cozy is tempted to complain, but instead says, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he says back as he knocks on the door. A moment later, a magenta glow envelopes the doorknob and proceeds to open it.

Cozy trots past the guard into the very familiar study room. Within, she sees that the walls of the room are practically made of bookshelves full of books. Cozy navigates her way to the center of the room which has several pieces of brown leather furniture arranged in a roughly circular pattern. Along the way, Cozy notes that her mother is already here along with Sunset Shimmer. Within the center of the room is somepony she is much less familiar with, at least on a personal basis, but somepony she has read about and seen in some newspapers: Professor Stygian.

“Have a seat, Cozy,” Princess Twilight bids with a brief wave of a wing to her left. “We’re just about to get started.”

While Cozy makes her way to sit down as her mother bade, she notices something else interesting. She notes how Professor Stygian’s eyes follow her and regard her with an unusual level of satisfaction considering the fact that this is the first time they met, at least as she can recall.

“First, let me just express my gratitude to you all for taking the time to meet with me here. I can tell you right now that this makes everypony’s life much simpler, as no one will have to hear anything I have to say secondhoof.

“Now then,” he continues as his magic envelopes a blackboard stored in a satchel at his side. Of course, that blackboard seems entirely too large for so small a container, but it came out and is, sure enough, large enough for a classroom setting. “Princess Twilight Sparkle, you sent me a letter asking whether I recalled the history of King Sombra, to which I of course replied that I had no memories. This answer did not sit well with me - not because it was not honest, it was - because I am virtually certain that I should be remembering King Sombra. Now, I have spent quite a lot of time detailing timelines and studying history, both for my own sake and, at one time, the sake of other ponies’ lives.

“Now, I bring this up because it means that I am rather thorough in keeping notes, charts, and collecting information. I decided, after sending the letter off, that I should take some time to examine my records for anything that does not align with my own memory. I was quite startled to find as much as I did which did not agree with my own memory, including records that tell me I studied alongside King Sombra a long time ago,” Stygian remarks with a touch of enthusiasm as his magic envelopes something else within his satchel. He withdraws the acquired item, a large oil painting depicting Sombra in his younger days, a student at Golden Horn Academy, long-defunct but not lost to history.

“As you can see, King Sombra clearly did exist. He was studious, too, according to my records. Above average in grade and performance, though perhaps this was the result of nepotism. You see, he was an Earl of the nearby dominion, Saddle Chase, I think, which was inherited from an Uncle. I speak less certainly now because this is not found in my records, but having read the words and seen this painting, I did feel a striking recall regarding certain details… Though they are still faint, very much a fog at the edge of my internal perception, as it were,” Stygian said.

For a brief moment, Sunset and Twilight glance at each other with startled recognition, for what Stygian is saying so far seems to go along with their earlier hypothesis.

“Now, I wonder if anypony here is familiar with an ancient artifact called the Memory Stone?” he asks, then looks around the room, noting some recognition in the faces of his audience.

“Ah, yeah,” Sunset confirms with a roll of her eyes. “I’ve encountered something like that.”

“Pardon me? You have encountered the stone?!” he asks in bewilderment and awe.

“Yeah, several years back,” Sunset confirms. “A girl named Wallflower Blush found it and once used it against me to erase all the good memories my friends had of me.

“Actually, it was not just them. Nobody at my entire school recognized me for any of my good deeds, thereby proving that the stone had a substantially wide radius of effect.”

“Plus, the notes I found in the hidden library, written by Clover the Clever, indicated that the stone was able to erase very specific memories,” added Twilight.

Cozy blinks at the two other mares. As usual, she feels left behind somewhat while other intellectuals in the room practically speak another language.

Despite that, Cozy already started to get an idea why she had been invited here. If there was a magical artifact that has the capacity to erase very specific memories, yet it could not affect objects like this painting, then it indicates that Sombra did indeed play a role in history and it simply got forgotten.

“Sombra, you might want to pay attention to this,” Cozy internally advises.

“I already am, young mare,” Sombra reports back. “Just because I’m not talking to you does not mean I am not paying attention. On the contrary, gathering information can serve as a tactical edge. Rest assured, I do find these new discoveries quite intriguing and relevant.”

“...a girl? How do you mean, Miss…?” He realizes then that he never introduced himself or asked anypony else’s name.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Twilight apologizes. “I haven’t introduced everypony. Let me take care of that for you right now.” She gestures to herself with a wing. “Now me you know.” She waves a wing over to indicate Sunset. “This is Sunset Shimmer.” Next, she gestures to her daughter. “And this is my daughter, Cozy Glow.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s heard of me,” Cozy figures aloud as her ears droop and she gives a listless expression. “Most ponies I meet can’t wait to harp on this fact.” Her expression turns sharper. “But I’m guessing that you are actually more interested in someone else I’m wearing on my neck. Isn’t that right?”

Stygian stares at Cozy for a moment, “Ah, your reputation does precede you. I must say, if I understand correctly, you have a most impressive aptitude for strategy and deception. I should think you’re rather skilled at chess, as well. Well, someone you’re wearing on your neck, you say?”

“Chess?” Cozy chirps happily. “Oh, I’d love to take you on in a game if you’re any good at it. I’m, ah . . . something of an expert.

“As for what I mean when I say whom I’m wearing on my neck, I assume . . .” Cozy trails off with a blink, then blinks at her mother as she asks her, “He doesn’t know? You didn’t tell him about our new guest?”

Twilight shakes her head at her daughter as she explains, “I saw no need to include that particular detail, for it can be quite alarming for many in my country. However, you have my permission to explain this to him.”

“Ah . . . sure.” Cozy’s eyes shift back to look at Stygian. “The consciousness of your old, forgotten friend, apparently, lingers within this crystal.” Cozy lifts it with a hoof. “Along with the ponified version of my alternate self who is now locked in crystal stasis within this crystal. She’s currently, um . . . not all there in the head right now. She’s sort of unconscious and dreaming about Sombra.” Cozy waves Stygian off. “It’s a long story.”

“Um,” Sunset brings up to gather Stygian’s attention to add one other critical detail, “I should also add that this is a more complete version of Sombra.

“You see, originally, his mind was split into two. The one we know as King Sombra who took over the Crystal Empire and usurped its previous queen was the bad half of him. His good half lingered in a red crystal for centuries until the rise of the Crystal Empire again. It . . .” Sunset trails off when she grows distracted with the sight of Stygian frantically levitating several scrolls and inked quills around him from his satchel in order to frantically jot down a lot of notes.

“I know exactly how you feel!” Twilight tells Stygian cheerfully.

“I have no doubt of that, Princess, as your reputation precedes you as well. . . I believe the term is ‘Twilighting’, correct?” Stygian hadn’t lost focus on his parchment and quills. Each of which began to write notes as he spoke.

“Uh, well. King Sombra… well, I’m not entirely sure he was a friend, to be perfectly frank,” Stygian admitted, “Though I am certain he was very close to being my intellectual equal on campus. I… that sounds far more pretentious than I intend it to.”

“Do you recall him?” Cozy asks Sombra inwardly.

“No,” Sombra replies the same way. “But if a magic memory erasing stone was indeed involved, that would explain why. The question is . . . why was I erased specifically? Also, were other memories erased as well, and for what purpose?

“The sheer idea that it happened to a prestigious student of the Golden Horn Academy is more than mildly disturbing because that Academy produced some of the most talented wizards of our previous age. If any one of them was the target of the user of this stone, what memories were erased specifically? For what purpose? Also, what if I’m not the only one who was affected by this? What if some other pony was erased from everypony’s memories as well?”

Cozy widens her eyes as she realizes, “Golly, that’s a good point! If somepony was targeting you for erasure, then you might not be the only victim.”

“Pardon me, Miss Glow?” Stygian quarries upon noticing that the girl has lost focus.

“Um . . . yes?” Cozy replies.

“You seem to have stepped away, mentally, for a moment. Why was that?” Stygian asked.

“Oh, um . . . I was just talking with him.” Cozy points to her head with her right hoof. “Mentally, that is. This stone was attuned and created for my counterpart, but apparently I have a close enough magical signature to attune to it as well. Since he also dwells within it, I can communicate with him.”

“I see. And, may I ask, is he aware of his surroundings? Can he hear our conversation?” Stygian asked.

In reply, Cozy just nods.

“Ah. Perhaps it would have been more polite to point that out before all conversation began?” Stygian offered.

Cozy shrugs casually as she says, “Well, I’m not always in the habit of volunteering information, at least true information, unless I stand to benefit. At least you know now, so we can all move forward armed with this knowledge.” She tilted her head at him. “Is there anything you want me to ask him? He can hear you, but only I can tell you what he said.”

Cozy made sure to add that last part in order to explain why she has some leverage in this situation.

“No, that’s quite alright. I doubt very much he has useful information for the task at hoof. I do hope you understand why I asked what I did?” Stygian presses.

“This Sombra is not our enemy,” Sunset puts in. “We do, however, need to solve the mystery of his past so that he can rest in peace. If he does, then the other Cozy can come back. That’s actually why I’m here.”

“Um… Thank you?” Stygian supplies, confusion written on his features.

Sunset waves a hoof in a circle as she explains, “You seemed to not trust him, and to an extent, believe me, I know. I just thought you would benefit from more knowledge about our situation. He partially does remember a historical connection to the Pillars and other things, but the memories are jumbled and . . . inconsistent?” She pauses a moment with a confused expression, then shakes her head. “We really don’t know exactly what’s going on. Some Equestrian magic is apparently involved. Magic that her alternate self contacted which, in turn, reached some residual version of Sombra. Later still, the issue was temporarily put to rest but, when he returned, the other Cozy went into a coma.”

Stygian sighs, turning from Cozy to look at Sunset, “Right, well, thank you for all of that. However, I did not say that I don’t trust him. I said I did not feel he would have anything useful to share, and if his memories are as you say, jumbled and inconsistent, then I’m not sure I’m wrong about that, either.

“Of course, that is why I am here now. As you said that Equestrian magic is apparently involved. I may be able to investigate the reasons for this. I believe there is a great deal of history we must understand before we have our answers. This painting, for instance, demonstrates that physically present evidence of memories and history are not affected by the Memory Stone, thus it stands to reason that other such clues remain out there for us to find in order to better understand Sombra’s significance to Equestria history.”

“Of course. That’s how Clover the Clever managed to track down the last user of the stone before Wallflower,” Twilight notes.

“Also, there were other forms of physical evidence in my new world that were not affected by the stone,” Sunset adds. “Pictures and videos, for example.”

“What exactly is it you are proposing, Professor?” Twilight asks Stygian. “Why call this meeting?”

“Please, Princess Twilight, you may address me as simply Stygian… and I called this meeting to propose a journey. If we were to charter an airship, the journey would be made simpler, that we may travel to areas beyond Equestria’s natural borders. We might try first in the Crystal Empire, but after that? We should find our way to my old home, near Saddle Chase. I think our clues await us there.

“Which… might require a Royal stipend, or loan, to be within range of my humble budget anytime soon,” Stygian added.

“That might not be a bad idea,” Sunset agrees with a look to Twilight. “We wanted to unravel the mystery of Sombra’s past anyway in order to free Cozy, and Stygian was personally there in the past. His knowledge and experience may give us a reference point for this mission. He may not remember his relationship with Sombra, if any, but he probably does remember much else. That will give us our measuring stick.” Sunset pointed at Twilight briefly when she adds, “You did say you’d do whatever you can to support this goal.”

Stygian clears his throat before he says, “Actually, we stand to benefit a great deal more than that. And my memories alone aren’t attached to this journey. I have been in touch with an old friend, and he feels it is time he moved on from his current career and joined us. Now, the more we explore our own history… our own past, the more we stand to learn of things we didn’t know, things which might prove useful or critical to improving our understanding of things today. I have personally always wondered just how Ponhenge came to be, where the Elements of Harmony originated from… The Pillars are often credited with planting the tree that resulted in the Elements as we know them, but I am not convinced the history is that simple. Why would Sombra so easily able to destroy it? I think there is more than we know in those pages of history.”

“You bring up some very good points, Profess- . . . ah, I mean Stygian,” Twilight amends mid-sentence. “Not only does this sound exciting, but it sounds important. Were I not busy with my own duties as Princess of Equestria, I would join in on this mission personally. This sounds like the perfect opportunity for a full-scale research paper!” Twilight cries out excitedly. “Besides, human Cozy’s health and Sombra’s sanity are on the line, and you just proposed a plan that might help to solve this problem in addition to a slew of other benefits. Right now, my only question to you is how much funding do you think you’ll need?”

“Well, to hire a vessel of appropriate size and integrity will cost no less than forty thousand bits. That accounts for travel, supplies, crew, and any additional folks that somehow find their way on-board. I imagine it will serve, also, to secure privacy for us. The same price covers any loss to an airship from loss of regular business practice. The question, after that, becomes about finding a suitable crew.”

“Forty thousand bits,” Twilight gawks a bit. “Wow. Um . . . I might have to pause and consider all the options here. Rest assured that I am committed to this project for a multitude of reasons, but that money has to come from the funding devoted to my people. I just want to make sure we consider every possible angle here.” She looks to her left. “Yet I don’t want to wait too long. With human Cozy in crystal stasis and supported by her own magic, I suppose we do have time, but the longer we wait, the longer it takes for us to return her to her family.” She looks over at Sunset. “And you from your friends.”

“I have friends here too,” Sunset reminds, “but it is true I don’t wish to delay too long. Forty thousand is a lot, but I’d commit to fundraising myself if I had to. Nothing is going to stop me from helping out my friends,” Sunset vows.

“Now, setting the issue of funding aside, I wonder if I can discuss something else? It might be the trickier question, particularly for you Princess Twilight,” he says with a slight bow.

Twilight gives Stygian her undivided attention.

“It’s about me and Sombra, isn’t it?” Cozy guesses.

“A credit to your intellect, Miss Glow,” Stygian says with a nod at Cozy before returning his attention to Twilight, “It is about Cozy Glow. It would seem she can communicate with yet another possessor of memories of the past, and while that alone makes her an asset worth considering as an addition to the journey, her own intellect and skill for strategy, as well as her wits for solving puzzles, might also be of use. Of course, there is the benefit of traveling and making new friends as well.”

Twilight stares at Stygian for a moment of silence as she thinks this over, then she asks him, “Forgive me for asking, Stygian, but are you proposing something that might bring a moderate amount of risk to the health and safety of my daughter?”

“Oh no, Princess. I wouldn’t call the amount of risk related to this moderate by any stretch. We’re delving into uncharted territory here, you understand. There are parts of history currently unknown to us. We also do not have an accurate picture of the dangers represented,” Stygian admits plainly and honestly. “Of course, having said that, that funding also goes toward providing a proper protective detail for our party, as well as any appropriate precautions which you, yourself, may provide.”

“Well, I am certainly going!” Sunset says in determination. “I have to look after both Cozys, and I’m the only other one who can communicate with Sombra as long as I use my magic, mind-reading geode.”

“I… I’m sorry, are you saying you have something that allows you to read minds?” Stygian asks in disbelief.

“It used to be just something that could read memories, actually,” Sunset puts in. “With it, if I touch someone in an attempt to answer a question, the stone helps me to read all the relevant memories of the subject about my question.

“I did try to use it on the crystal Sombra’s mind resides in, but apparently my magic has some limitations when it comes to memories that the subject himself seems to have forgotten. If those memories were extracted by artificial means, it’s no wonder what is left is such a jumbled blur.”

“Are you suggesting that your artifact might also be able to read the memories of objects?” Stygian asks.

At first, Sunset looks confused, but then she asks, “Are you referring to the mind of Sombra within the crystal? If so, then yes. I can somewhat read it.”

“No, I am not. I am referring to seeing the inanimate object’s specific history,” Stygian clarified.

“Oh!” Sunset blinks. “Um . . . I suppose I never really tried that.”

“It might be worth a shot,” Twilight encourages. “I have heard of some research that objects can also absorb the emotional and magical impressions of their owners or former owners. If some trace of it is left, it might afford us an opportunity to glimpse into the past and reveal a new angle to this mystery. Plus, if this works, we’ve already established that the memory stone can’t affect objects. That might also include the imprinted memories of objects.”

Sunset looks thoughtful for a moment, then shrugs, “Well, I suppose it’s worth a try.” She looks over at Cozy. “If this painting that Stygian has brought over is indeed genuine, it might provide extra insight into Sombra’s history, and this time . . . there is less of a chance it got corrupted. If we do this, however, I want to do it with Sombra’s guidance, which means I should touch his crystal as well, and I’ll need you to act as the focus between us.”

“I’m not sure if I quite follow,” Cozy says back with uncertainty.

“I do,” Sombra said to Cozy. “You’re the only living vessel that Sunset can directly contact, and you have an attunement to this crystal. You can act as the bridge between us, which means we will require your cooperation as well.”

“Okay,” Cozy says with a blank look on her face. “So . . . what do I have to do?”

“Just be a willing channel,” Sunset instructs. “Just be open. I’ll do the rest.”

“If this works, this gives the expedition more focus,” Twilight reasons aloud. “Since we know that objects couldn’t have been affected by the memory erasure, then we’ll also know that, to uncover more hidden history behind Sombra, all we have to do is find other objects directly connected with his history. In other words, it will give us another resource we can work with, and one that should be reliable.”

“We’re not forcing you into anything, Cozy,” Sunset assures, “but this is related to what we’ve promised. This is why we’re here.”

“What are the risks?” Cozy asks cautiously.

Sunset shrugs as she says, “We won’t know until we try, but to you . . . it is unlikely the risks will be very serious. Honestly, the greatest risk here is nothing at all happening. That, in turn, would leave us close to square one. So, in other words, we stand to gain a lot at very minimal risk. Little to lose, and much to gain.”

Cozy looks down as she thinks about it, then looks back up at Sunset and says, “Okay. Let’s give this a try.”

“Alright. Sit next to me,” Sunset bids. Complying, Cozy gets out of her seat then sits directly adjacent to Sunset. Sunset then nods at Stygian and says, “Okay. Float the painting over to me . . . carefully.”

Stygian nods, and his light blue aura ignites around the frame of the painting and carrying it carefully to Sunset. “As you wish, Miss Shimmer.”

Once it is close, Sunset ignites her own teal aura in order to support half the weight of the painting to secure it in place. Once that is done, she looks to her side and widens her eyes slightly when she notices Cozy’s eyes are small, her ears are down, and she’s literally shivering with fright. Sunset gives Cozy a warm smile as she gently applies a hoof to Cozy’s right shoulder blade. In response, Cozy flinches in such a way that sharply reminds Sunset of human Cozy. Human Cozy was afraid to have her mind scanned, and this one is afraid of magic being used on her.

After being touched, Cozy looks at Sunset and notices Sunset’s soothing, warm smile. This relaxes Cozy’s nerves slightly. She even returns Sunset’s smile a bit then nods to indicate Sunset should proceed.

Sunset nods in return before closing her eyes and reaching up to touch her geode with her other free hoof. She focuses to channel her magic. When she does, she feels the sensation of her magic exploding from her geode and filling her from within. Sunset opens her eyes as they are engulfed with white. A similar shine overcomes Cozy’s eyes before both of their consciousnesses fade away.

Chapter 9: Eternal Night

The rocking of the carriage stirred me awake. I slowly opened my eyes.

I noticed that sitting directly across from me was a mare with a white coat, three shades of purple in her mane and tail which were long and straight, her eyes were light violet and the tips of her hooves were light purple.

I groan a sigh then look out of a window to my left, though there was little point in doing so. The outside environment was pitch black other than some white flakes of snow and ice on the window. Because it was so dark outside, the magic light and heated crystals within the carriage caused me to see my own reflection in the window.

I studied that image for a moment. That young stallion with gray hide and pitch-black mane that did not contrast well against an utterly black background. At least my red eyes stood out. Thanks to that, I could see the misery within them. That and annoyance.

I took a moment to breathe hot air on the window. Doing so fogged up the window for just a moment. Because it was so cold outside and warm inside, the effects of the foggy breath linger for quite a while.

It was at that moment that my beloved traveling companion chose to break the ice of our silence together.

“If brooding had a noise, you'd be shouting right now,” the mare observed.

“You'd know, wouldn't you?” I asked her as my narrow red eyes pierced at her sharply. “I told you that the summit would be a waste of time.”

She shrugged as she said, “We had to do something. All this hatred and fighting between the three tribes is not sustainable, especially with the winter blizzard across the lands. Now, more than ever, is when we should be working together.”

“And your elder sister made that point very clear,” I said with a sarcastic sneer. “Platinum couldn't wait to hark all the blame upon the other leaders. If it wasn't so utterly annoying, I could have sold tickets to that farce of a meeting.”

My companion hung her head with a sigh, then said, “You're not wrong there. My eldest sister did not seem to make any effort to appease or even listen to the other tribes, but Chancellor Puddinghead and Commander Hurricane fared no better. It was as if all three of them were too busy pointing hooves at each other rather than actually talk and listen.”

I narrowed my eyes at the princess as I asked, “Did you really expect any different results?”

“Expect?” she asked as her eyes looked up at me. “No, but hope . . . yes.”

“We can't feed on hope, Trinity,” I sharply reminded her as I continued to glare at her with narrow red eyes. “We can't keep warm with hope. We can't bury our dead with hope, although, to be fair, the snow is doing a perfectly good job of that for us.”

“What hope can do is continue to motivate us to do as we must,” Trinity replied. “Everypony knows our current system is unsustainable. Important changes must be made.”

“Our system is considerably less stable than you think,” I warned her as my gaze shifted back outside in depression. “I fear that the damage is too severe to amend at this point, so there is no point in hope.”

“What do you mean?” Trinity asked me with a slightly spooked tone.

“A word of advice . . . do not have any foals.”

“Huh?” The princess looked taken aback. “But . . . why?”

“Because it would be cruel to bring up a foal into this world, and I know you are not a cruel pony.” I looked back at her. “Besides, there is no point to it anyway. Such a foal would have no future.”

“And how do you know that? You can't see into the future,” the princess pointed out.

“I don't have to. I can just look at the present and past to know where we are going, and why we are doomed.”

I leaned forward slightly as I collected my hooves under my chin.

“It was only sixty moons ago when we had enough unicorns to sustain the cycle of day and night. There used to be thousands of us dedicated to that most crucial pillars of the world. We organized whole teams into a six shift cycle. One team, composed of hundreds of unicorns with only moderate skill, would raise and lower the sun and moon one day, then the next of six teams would do it the next day. The reason we rotated through each of the teams was so that each team would not be overburdened with the task. They each had enough time to relax and recover before resuming their duty again. In this manner, we sustained the cycle safely.”

I looked out into the black night.

“But lately . . . with the ongoing blizzard storm and the crops killed . . . not to mention the freezing cold, the sickness, and the plague of monsters running rampant these days because of the food shortage . . . our supply of unicorn wizards is decreasing.”

I looked back at her.

“First we were reduced to a five-team shift, then four, then three, then two, and finally . . . only one. Star Swirl himself has to join in the duty now, along with the most powerful and talented wizards of our age. Even then, without a break, their magic is breaking. One by one, unless something else kills them off, the mana burn from overtaxing their magic is destroying their ability to channel magic. For some, their channel is damaged enough that they can only perform the simplest of tasks. Others are not so lucky and have lost their connection to magic completely as their horns literally fry. There is even a few who got killed in the attempt to perform their duty.”

I pound the side of my seat with a hoof in frustration.

“Every day and night they have to do this, Trinity. Day in and night out . . . without end . . . with no break. With all the deaths, starvation, sickness, and mana burns we have been suffering, eventually we're going to have no unicorns who can perform this most sacred duty. Do you know what will happen then?”

The princess just stared at me somberly.

“It means the cycle will end,” I drive my point home. “When that comes to pass, half the world will be incinerated, and the other half will freeze to death, even more than this.” I gesture outside with a hoof. “So these blizzard storms and lack of harvest is only the beginning. We are standing at the precipice of the end of the world, Trinity Star.”

I settle back into my seat with a defeated sigh as I reach up with my right hoof and massage my forehead just below my gray horn.

“At this rate, not even one generation will go by before the total extinction of every creature, not just ponies,” I informed her grimly, “so that is why I suggest you don't give birth to any new foals. What's the point if they truly have no future?”

She closed her eyes as she sighed, then opened them again with a look of resolve sinking deep into her eyes.

“No!” Trinity declared firmly. “Until that actually comes to pass, I will not give up. Right now, I think the only point in living is to find out how to continue living, and not just living, but actually thrive!”

I sighed again as I sink my head into my left hoof, the elbow of which was propped up on the arm of the door.

“You're so naive, Trinity,” I told her with a groan. “You don't seem to comprehend the severity of our reality.”

“And why should I?” Trinity asked me sharply. “Giving up is the same as accepting death, and I shall not do that! I sincerely believe, with all my heart, that we are going to pull through this winter darkness. Not only do I believe that, but I shall make it so!” she said with determination, then smiled at me softly as she adds, “Admit it . . . that's why you love me. You see me as a warm light in a bitter winter chill.”

I returned her soft smile as I do indeed admit, “I really don't see what the world has done to deserve somepony as good as you. I look out there,” I shifted my gaze back out the black window, “and all I see is darkness, hatred, and despair.”

“It's not about what the world deserves, Sombra,” Trinity returned. “It's about what the world needs. Right now I think it needs hope and guidance more than ever, and if our current leaders are not up to the challenge . . . then I say it is up to us.”

“Us?” I echoed questioningly.

Trinity closed her light violet eyes as she shook her head and said, “You'd never be able to live with yourself if I ventured out into the wide world without any protection and you know it. You'd be so determined to make sure of it that you'd perform that duty personally.” Her smile brightened. “You'd even do that proudly.”

I stared at her in silence as my gaze softened at her, for I could not deny her claim. There was no point in trying anyway. Trinity was empathic, so she'd know I'm lying if I attempted to deceive her or anypony else, including myself.

I don't think I ever told her how much I've grown to depend upon her for that, but I sincerely doubt such was necessary. A pony that perceptive would realize that anyway. With somepony like her, words don't need to be spoken.

I often envied her for that and many other reasons. She might not be much in a fight other than her protective barrier and healing magic, but there was just something about her that kept others, like me, strong in her presence. A kind of inner courage and strength that encourages others to press on when all other hope seemed lost.

She never gave up. She really did feel like a warm light in the chilling darkness of our world.

I gazed out the window again as I contemplated the fact that I had never seen the sun even once in my life. I had seen paintings of it, and some of the older ponies, of the few that were left, told me what it was like. That it was this giant ball in the sky that radiated light and warmth so powerful that it could shine and warm the entire landscape all at once across the entire horizon, especially at high noon.

But, these days, the closest thing I had ever seen the sun was the brightest gray spot in the bitter wintry clouds above.

That . . . and the pony sitting across from me. For some reason . . . I kept imagining that her spirit was what the sun might feel like.

When the carriage came to a stop, I clasped the front end of my regal cape that had spotted white fur inner trimming and crimson exterior. My companion, meanwhile, bundled up in a thick pink winter coat.

Both of us waited for that familiar golden-brown aura color to envelop the door of our carriage. When that happened, the door got pulled open for us.

“Greetings Lord and your Majesty,” greeted tan hide unicorn stallion draped with a green wool cloak a separate hood secured over his head. Yellow rope helped to secure that hood to his head at the neckline.

“Greetings, Clover,” I returned as I slipped out of the carriage then spun about to offer a hoof to the princess in order to help her exit. She daintily accepted then pulled out.

Once Princess Trinity was safely out, I ignited my horn and looked about, but as usual, the light of my horn barely pierces the black night. Only objects or creatures in very close proximity to my horn light was bathed in crimson light.

“Welcome home, my lord,” Clover bade as he used his magic to tuck his clock in close.

“Thank you,” I said back. “It is good to finally be home.”

“Will you be staying with us for the night, Your Majesty?” Clover asked the princess kindly.

“If you wouldn't mind,” Trinity replied while giving me a questioning glance.

“You are always welcome in our castle, Your Majesty,” I replied to her. “My home is your home for as long as you choose to grace us with your presence.”

“I would recommend it,” Clover advised to the princess. “We would not be able to reach your castle for at least a few more hours, but it would most likely be much longer than that.” He looked skyward. “I don't like the looks of this weather. It looks like it will be another hard blizzard tonight.”

“So what else is new?” I asked dourly with a role of my eyes.

“Please, Your Majesty, for your safety and-”

“. . . yours as well,” Trinity interrupted Clover with kindness in her voice. “I think you've magicked the wheels of the carriage enough for tonight. For your own health, you need to rest as well.”

“My primary concern is you right now,” Clover said back, then admitted, “though, I will admit, I am feeling quite drained. I don't think I'd have the strength to magic the carriage through all of this ice and snow all the way to your castle before the end of the night.”

“Then it's a good thing we're here instead,” I put in. “Enough of this pointless debate. We're obviously all settled on the idea of staying here, so let’s just go inside and seek refuge from the harsh blizzard.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Clover called more loudly as the severe winter winds picked up and attempted to sweep our voices away. He used his magic to lower the edge of his hood to shield his eyes from the freezing storm. “This way. Follow me.”

The three of us had to push our way against the winter winds in the black night. Princess Trinity even conjured a hemisphere of a force barrier, but she was still being pushed back. I moved in close and put a supportive leg around her barrel. She glanced at me then nodded in appreciation before we pushed ourselves ever onward.

As we made our way to the front door of my castle, my heart sank somewhat as I gazed around at what used to be hedge bushes, but the chill of endless winter and lack of sunlight shriveled them up years ago, not to mention being additionally mostly buried under white, powdery snow. The glow of my horn glistened off the small powdery hills which only served to remind me what was concealed beneath. That, and some of my favorite statues.

Cold.

Endless winter.

That was all our bitter, bleak world was anymore, and it was so depressing to realize that things were about to get so much worse. Wealth, magic, and status mattered little on a sinking ship.

Shadows shifted all around us as the light of my horn collided with any object along our way to the front of the castle until, at last, we made it to the front door and met up with the two guards posted there.

“Open the doors,” I commanded when we met up with the castle guards.

Only one of them responded by coughing a hacking fit within this thick furred armor made of fur and leather. His companion, however, didn't move at all.

“At once, my lord,” said the one alert guard to my right. His horn glowed cerulean as he attempted to open the castle doors, but his companion did not budge at all.

“HEY! Did you hear me?” I asked the other still guard. “I gave you an order.”

I immediately looked at Trinity when she applied a soft hoof on my shoulder. Once she had my attention, she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head no.

At once I realized what she meant. There was only one type of creature she could not sense any emotion from, and that was from a corpse.

Clover bent down and hovered a hoof near the muzzle of the other still guard. After five seconds of checking, he looked back at me and reported, “He's gone.”

I feel stunned for a moment, but eventually close my eyes and bow my head. This happened so many times in my life that I grew somewhat numb to it, except it always caused an ever-deepening bleak feeling in my soul.

“Clover,” I said after twelve seconds of heavy silence other than the sounds of the whistling winter winds. When I spoke, I opened my eyes and looked at my indentured servant slowly. “You know what to do.”

“Yes, my lord,” Clover said with sad acceptance. After that, he magicked up the entire corpse and floated it away.

“Going to bury him in the snow?” Princess Trinity predicted in a sad and weary voice.

I ignored her question because I knew she wouldn't want to know the grim truth. Instead of answering her question, I magicked open the door myself.

“You,” I pointed my hoof at the last remaining guard, “step inside the castle. I don't want you freezing to death out here too.”

“B-b-b-but, m-m-my l-l-lord, h-how c-can I k-k-keep an eye f-f-for intruders w-w-while inside?” the remaining guard stammered.

“By keeping an eye on the entrance from within the castle,” I answered somewhat irritably. “If your brain wasn't so frozen solid out here, you would have easily thought of that.”

I looked back the way we came.

“Besides, there isn't much left alive in our world anymore to threaten us,” I went on in an empty voice. I looked back at the guard. “For you to remain with us in the land of the living, reasonable precautions must be made.”

“I couldn't agree more,” the princess concurred to my side. “Step inside at once. I'll heal you as much as I can.” She looked to me. “Can we get this stallion some hot soup and a warm blanket?”

“I'll see what I can do,” I replied. “Step inside, everypony.”

When they complied, I magicked the door shut, for we couldn't afford to lose any more heat in this castle than we already had during the duration I had this door open.

“My lord! At last you came,” called a red-braided maid who trotted down the stairs.

“At ease, Missus Cucumber,” I bade her. “What seems to be the trouble?”

“It's your father, my lord,” Missus Cucumber answered when she reached the base floor. “He's been ill for the past moon now, and I'm afraid he recently took a turn for the worse.”

I widened my eyes in shock to my maid, then looked at the princess when she spoke.

“I'm going to attend to this one right now,” Princess Trinity informed me. “I'll join you as soon as I get this one settled.” She then looked at the maid. “Can you prepare a bowl of hot soup and a warm blanket?”

“I'll try,” Missus Cucumber replied with a little bit of doubt. “But there's not much food left. I'm afraid the soup might be quite simple.”

“That's fine,” Trinity accepted. “Just get started on this at once.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Missus Cucumber replied with a gracious bow. “Will you be staying the night as well?”

“I don't think I have much of a choice,” Trinity answered as she glanced back at the front entrance. “I'm afraid I wouldn't make it back to my own castle in this winter storm.”

“Indeed. The weather out there is quite dreadful,” the maid agreed.

While they spoke, I trotted on to my father's room on the second story of the castle.

I burst into my father's room after I turned the knob using my magic.

“Father!” I called aloud as soon as I entered, more loudly than I really intended to. I almost winced at my own volume, but then I saw him.

That gray, emaciated stallion on my father's bed kind of resembled my father, but something was off. My father had always been poised, firm, commanding, and dignified. He was one of the most powerful and educated stallions of our age. He even once commanded legions of ponies into battle. He was a stallion I looked up to and hoped that I would one day aspire to and surpass.

But one thing I knew my father wasn't is a shriveled up husk lying on his back in bed. This impostor was a mockery of everything I had once respected about this stallion.

“Just be with him,” said Madam Matron who put a hoof on my shoulder before she left the room. I did not glance at her or make any noticeable response. Instead, I stood transfixed at the door while I struggled to reconcile the mere idea that such a powerful stallion I once respected could be reduced to this.

For a moment, all I could think about was how long would be before this became my fate as well?

Then I noticed his horn, particularly the tip of it and how it became all burned out. When I saw that, my heart sank as I recognized what had caused his current condition. No doubt he had been on celestial cycle duty for quite some time without a break. Clearly he pushed himself so hard that he burned out all of his magic, including the amount required to sustain a pony's life.

For a pony lives magic. Breathes magic. Was magic. Without that, there was no life. Not in the case of a complete burnout.

I sighed as I looked down and turned my gaze from him, for I did not want to acknowledge this situation.

Until I heard my father groan something, but I could not understand him at this distance. I did not really want to, but I had to get much closer to him if I was to have a chance to understand anything that he said.

So, reluctantly, I pulled in close and floated a chair beside his bed, but I still could not look at him. A weak father was the antithesis of everything I knew about the stallion.

The Lord of this Castle.

“I'm here, Father,” I told him patiently when I sat beside him. “What do you want?”

“You . . . are about to come of age,” my father wheezed in a faint voice. “You . . . are a powerful stallion.” His eyes shifted to look at me, but hardly any other muscle in his body moved, almost as if it couldn't. “Fulfill . . . your . . . duty.”

For some reason, cold rage filled inside me, and I glared up at my father as I asked, “You think I wouldn't? You are well aware that you drilled into me my sense of duty to our ponies.”

“Your . . . ponies,” my father corrected. “I cannot continue with my duties now. It's now all up to you.”

“You think I wouldn't know that?” I snapped at him bitterly. “I won't fail in my duties.”

“Heavy . . . is the brow . . . that wears the crown,” my father warned me firmly. “Your ponies . . . are your strength. You . . . are the head . . . of the family now. That is what all that education was for. That was what all that training was for.”

He winced his eyes as he coughed painfully, then struggled to look back at me with pain-filled eyes.

“From now on . . . you . . . are not just you. You are also all the ponies that you lead. Be . . . strong!” he urged as strongly as he could. “Be brave,” he went on. “Be just.”

I narrowed my eyes at him a bit, then said with a low growl, “You haven't eaten since the burnout, have you?”

My father simply directed his gaze above him then closed his eyes with a pained wince.

“You dare to lecture me about being strong?!” I went on with anger. “Don't be a hypocrite. If you want me to remain strong, then remain here to make sure I am. You don't need your magic to live. At least, not all of it. You do, however, need nourishment.”

The only thing that changed was my father wincing tighter.

“Don't LEAVE ME, FATHER!” I cried out at him. “You can fight this! You do have a choice, so choose to live! Eat something!”

My father unleashed his last gasp of air, ending in a stuttering mess.

“No!” My ears droop, then I scowl. “You COWARD! YOU COULD HAVE FOUGHT HARDER! WHY DIDN'T YOU?!”

My father makes no movement or sound, including breathing. He was clearly dead now. I had seen this enough times before to recognize the signs.

However, emotionally, this was another story. I was so accustomed to death but only from a distance. Sometimes it almost became a casual thing, but it never quite came to that level.

“How many did we lose this week?” I once inquired of one of my servants in the castle.

“Good news, my lord,” the servant replied. “We only lost thirteen souls this week.”

Instead of cheering, I frowned instead. A loss was still a loss. The only good news about it was it's simply unusually low loss that week.

“Be sure to reallocate their food supplies among their surviving families,” I replied almost automatically, for such words had become quite routine under these circumstances.

“Of course, my lord,” the servant replied with a bow.

The only other good news I could see from news like that was that it meant one less mouth to feed, and that much greater odds of survival for all the others.

I hated being that callous, but I was forced to look at all the facts. If our race was to survive to the next age, we'd need to do as we must.

But this . . . this was different. This was my father! A crucial pillar of strength in my life. I did not need him directly. I have learned to be strong and independent a long time ago, as if in anticipation of ever harsher times to come.

But he was the one I had always looked up to. He was the one who inspired me, the example I looked up to.

The strong were not the dead! Instead, that was the epitome of disgusting mortal weakness!

And my father was not like that! He could rise above such standards! He should!

But he didn't. It was a choice. He was conserving the remaining food reserves for those he led because they had a greater chance to live.

I made decisions like that many times in my life by that point, but buck all that!

This was my father!

My mind snapped. I cried out in the room while a raging storm churned inside me.

At the same time, I channeled my magic wildly. I had never done that before, especially not to this extent. I was raised with too much discipline, but this time . . . I could not contain myself.

The roar that filled the room had a monstrous echo. My vision clouded in darkness as my magic changed from red to popping black for the first time in my life. I did not even know that was happening at the time, nor did I care.

All I knew was that I had to DESTROY!

Those earth ponies will PAY for what they have done! If they don't have the courtesy to share their remaining food, then the least they can do is be the food!

Death is too good for them! I will make sure of that! Someday, I swear, I'll torture them with a never-ending nightmare!

I hate them! I hate them!

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HAAAAAAAAATE THEEEEEEEEEEM!

Objects telekinetically flew all around me in a whirlwind. I glared at my father's dresser with bloodshot eyes since it was one of the few objects that didn't fly through the room too easily, so I focused my magic on it to vibrate it at an accelerated rate. That weakened its structural integrity over time then eventually shattered. I had the splintered pieces spread out throughout the room then whirl in a cycle.

While that happened, I punched at the wall over and over again. The effort cracked my hooves a bit, but I did not care, and the wall fared much worse. Cracks spread on it as well, and more so with successive punches.

Until a gentle hoof touched my back. Still enraged, I flung my attention back to the pony, but was instantly stunned when I noticed that it was Princess Trinity Star.

And . . . she looked wounded! She actually trotted through the whirling telekinetic cycle storm in the room, and for some reason she did it without her barrier magic. It was as if she allowed herself to get hurt as she approached me.

Noticing that greatly startled me, but the look of pain in her eyes downright horrified me, for that was pain in her very soul.

Tears flooded down her eyes. Her lips quivered with pain.

I knew, from the look in her eyes, she felt everything I felt. She experienced all of it, and she cared to the depth of her being.

I hurt her . . . just by being wounded myself.

This would not stand!

She clasped me in a hug. Standing against me like that, I could feel her body shiver.

My stars! She seemed more wounded than even I was!

I pressed my back against the cracked wall I had been punching and slowly slid my way to the floor.

No! No, no, no, no, no, NO, Trinity! Not you! Anything but this!

You cannot be hurt. I won't let you! You don't deserve that.

We . . . don't deserve you . . . this bitter, cold, bleak, and empty world!

You . . . the brilliantly twinkling star beset in an endless void of hungry darkness!

I wrapped my hooves across her back. Despite all of my pain, I felt like it was my sacred duty, even privilege, to comfort her.

Author's Note

Neat thing about this post is it is done on my birthday. 🎂

Chapter 10: Reflection

Rising from the visions she had just seen, Cozy Glow leans back in her seat with wide, stunned eyes.

“Uh . . . Cozy? Are you alright?” Twilight asks in concern. “Or you, Sunset, for that matter.”

Since she had more experience with this kind of phenomenon, Sunset recovers faster. She shook her head and struggles to focus, but this time it is harder than she is used to.

“Yeah, Twilight. We’ll be fine soon . . . I think,” Sunset assures with shaky confidence.

“Alright, well that was fascinating… And what did you find, or is it too soon to ask? Do you need rest first?” Stygian asks.

“Oh, we got results, alright,” Sunset answers as she looks at Cozy. Doing so causes Sunset to notice that Cozy is still staring forward with wide, blank eyes. Sunset frowns at this, but it does not surprise her because she is perfectly aware of what Cozy saw and felt.

“Ah, Twilight,” Sunset looks over to her friend, “I do recommend giving your daughter some time to recover after this vision.” She sighs. “Truth be told, I think I could use a little break myself.” She focuses on Stygian next. “But we did get results. I do not yet know if this vision was anything Sombra couldn’t recall before, but it is worth noting that this strategy actually worked.”

“Yes, of course. How can we be sure this is something Sombra didn’t know? And, are there specific conditions needed for this to work?” Stygian wonders aloud.

“I’ll interview Sombra later and get a debriefing. At that time, we’ll establish if any of the things we learned is . . .” Sunset trails off for a moment as she realizes something startling, then sinks back into her own seat. “Actually, I just realized something. There is one bit of news we learned that is inconsistent with the rest of his memories, and that has to do with the first time he accessed dark magic.” Sunset shakes her head with a bewildered expression. “I don’t even have to ask him that question. The previous version of this story I got from him was that he hadn’t accessed dark magic until way later, and that was only when the Dark King split apart from his normal pony self. According to that story, that was when dark magic was accessed first. But, according to this new vision, he used it way earlier.” Sunset gives Twilight a spooked look. “He used it on the day his father died.”

“Hmmm… Necromantic practice then?” Stygian posits.

Sunset shakes her head as she replied, “No, it wasn’t that. It was more like a magical temper tantrum.” She looks at Stygian. “At that point, he just lost his father. Any pony would be upset, but I get the feeling that this outburst came as a result of other reasons as well.” She shifts her look to Twilight. “It’s not just about his father, but many other forms of pressure on him as well.” Sunset looks down in depression. “The world back then . . . it was bad, Twilight. None of us can imagine how grim and dark it was.”

“I have some idea,” Twilight says a little sadly. “The anger and hatred ponies had for each other invited the windigos, but none of the ponies of that era knew that yet. They just saw the winter itself and blamed each other.”

“There are other layers to this conflict, but you are essentially correct.” Sunset looks back at Stygian. “You know. You lived through those awful times as well.”

“Yes. Our history does remind us how conflict can cause maladies in our magic and environment. And, yes, I saw some disturbing things. I united the Pillars to face The Sirens in Galloping Shores, a small town besieged by their particular magic… They thrived on hostility and conflict. They caused it and stirred up heated emotions.

“Yes, Ms. Shimmer, I do recall the darkness of those times… Including my own,” Stygian said softly.

“We should probably compare notes with you too, Stygian, at some time. Those who have actually lived in the world over a thousand years ago are quite rare in this time period,” says Sunset.

“We can do all of that later,” Twilight decides. “Sunset, can you escort my daughter to her room? Unless you think you’re not up to it considering you shared the same experience.”

“Nah. I can handle it, but I do want to take a break after that,” Sunset says as she gets up. “Here, Cozy. Take my hoof.”

Cozy Glow barely looks coherent, but she does cooperate. Taking a hoof, Sunset leads the younger girl out of the room.

“As for you, Stygian, I need a little time to consider your offer,” Twilight tells Stygian, which Sunset overhears since she did not leave the room yet with Cozy Glow. “Rest assured I am well motivated to acquiesce to your request, but the issue is figuring out exactly how and where that funding will be drawn from. There are also logistical issues to discuss like exactly which ship to send and what crew will be sent with it. That, in turn, affects the price.

“Speaking of which, I assume you’ll be going too?”

Stygian nods, “Of course, I would not miss an archeological expedition of this scope for anything. Plus, I am a rather vital reference to the day and age in question.”

“In fact, since you have personal experience in this affair, you’d be going back to your own hometown, or at least in the rough area,” Twilight notes. “I imagine this could be quite a personal experience for you. Plus, you’ll get to find out what happened to it since then.”

“Yes… I wonder what feelings this will stir? I will not return to the Shadows, I assure you.” Stygian replies, then a moment of hesitation. “And… who knows? I might just have enough material for my new book!”

Twilight smiles at Stygian brightly as she says, “I’ll look forward to reading it.”

By that point, Sunset leaves the room with Cozy Glow.

Cozy Glow shut the door to the sliding glass window on the balcony. She was about to turn around, but her eye catches sight of her own reflection on the window. The moment it does, her mind flashes back to the image of her reflection in Sombra's carriage which happened over a thousand years ago, but for her . . . it feels as recent as a few minutes ago. More than that, she was utterly convinced, during the flashback, that his reflection was hers. Cozy Glow completely saw herself as Sombra during that moment. She forgot that she was anything else.

This isn't the first time something like this happened to her. The other time was when her counterpart gave her a large share of human Cozy's memories. Ever since, pony Cozy has lived in an existential crisis, and now it's happening again . . . only, this time, with Sombra's memories.

This is just a glimpse into his past, but it already has an intense emotional impact for her.

For a moment, Cozy tries harder to focus on her reflection. She notices that the face of a mare stares back at her. Her face moves as she wills it to, and she sees such a haunted look in those rust-red eyes. In this life she is a girl, but in the other . . .

Pony Feathers! I hardly know who I am anymore.

Is that all I am? Is that all I ever will be? Just a pony who is constantly questioning her own identity?

Mother might tell me that asking questions is a sign of progress, for the pursuit of answers always leads to growth, regardless if those answers are found or not. I hope she's right . . . because I'm tired of feeling lost.

I'm tired of feeling weak.

She turns her head to look over her shoulder. In doing so, she notices the white rail surrounding this balcony and the view of the wide valley beyond.

Cozy does not know why she came out here, but somehow being out in the open air usually helps to clear her mind. Hopefully, this time will be no exception.

Turning about, Cozy trots over to the rails. Along the way, she absently hears her hooves clomp on the smooth stone balcony until she reaches the rail. Once there, she folds and drapes her forelegs over the edge of the rail. Beyond the rail, her eyes slowly scan the colorful valley all the way up to the horizon.

Colorful . . . except for one spot in the distance. One area blotted in shadow due to a storm cloud above it. Judging from the surroundings of that area, Cozy deduces that it must be the farmlands of Ponyville. Obviously this is a scheduled storm to help water the plants.

But as Cozy looks upon it, she can't help but consider it symbolic to the experience she just recently suffered. Here, the whole landscape is filled with vibrant and bright colors, except for one spot. Sombra's flashback memory, on the other hoof, might have been the other way around.

Cozy's pointy little ears flicker when she hears the sound of thunder rolling across the sky which obviously originated from that one area of storm clouds over the farms of Ponyville. That thunder seems to be the exception rather than the rule in this era.

Cozy frowns as she looks at that one dark spot in the sky while thinking back to Sombra's time when something like that covered all of the sky. Indeed, covered it for so long that he never knew, back then, what the sun looked like.

Hardly anypony in the modern era looks directly at the sun, but she still has a pretty good idea what it looks like.

That flashback in Sombra's memories was too vivid to be just a memory. It was more like an experience. It feels like something she just went through.

The thunder continues to roll inside her mind. It reminded her of the endless night storms in ancient times.

Looking out the window in that flashback, there was nothing at all. Just pitch black. Just an endless, empty void. It made her feel like the carriage itself was the whole universe. One tiny, compact, claustrophobic universe. The crystal light within the carriage felt like it might be the only light in all of existence.

Cozy closes her eyes as she starts to cry. While that continues, she nestles her head onto her forelegs, turning her head a bit to her left to do so. In doing so, she smells the fur on her forelegs, but it feels meaningless to her for some reason. It feels as if this reality is the illusion when she compares it to the sheer intensity of the other.

“It's a lot to take in. I know,” Sombra agrees. His voice and proximity are somewhere close by. “Maybe now you don't have to imagine what it was like for me. Just the sheer idea and almost utter certainty that this world had no future.”

“I couldn't have imagined it,” Cozy replies somberly. “In a way . . . I'm still having trouble accepting it.”

“I grew up in that reality. I'm not sure if I can tell you if that made it easier for me.”

“Why didn't you . . . just kill yourself? If you thought the future was that bleak, then what's the point of going on living?”

Sombra is silent for a moment before eventually replying, “For my people.”

“Huh?” Cozy lifts her head and looks back at the apparent image of Sombra. He looks slightly translucent, yet his black mane waves slightly in the light breeze around them.

“I was the heir to a Duke, Cozy,” Sombra explains as he stares blankly out into space, quite likely thinking back. “An intensive sense of duty was drilled into me for as long as I could remember.” He looks to the distant mountains on the horizon. “I looked upon that lesson not with a sense of thrill or ambition, but with fear . . . because those pony lives were important. I knew we could only thrive together . . . or die together. By knowing my strength and influence depended on the strength and well-being of others, I had no choice but to take that duty utterly seriously.”

He looks to the lower valley.

“But before I ever got that official duty . . . the blizzard storms rolled in and they never stopped.

“Endless winter.

“Endless darkness.

“Endless loss.

“All of that . . . was my inheritance. I felt like I failed them before I had a chance to lead them.”

He looks up.

“As you are well aware, my father said, just before he died, 'Heavy is the brow that wears the crown.'”

He looks at Cozy seriously.

“Your mother knows the meaning of those words very well,” Sombra assures. “And someday . . . you may come to know it too, just like I once did.” He cuts a hoof across the air. “A good leader will never feel prepared for that, for the weight of all of those lives crush our shoulders.

“One day, Cozy, the burden of that responsibility may lie on your shoulders. Your mother is an alicorn. She may never know the ravages of old age, or the blessings of resting in peace, but that doesn't mean she is invincible. As the adopted daughter of the most powerful and influential mare in all of Equestria, it is possible you may one day know her burdens.”

Cozy swallows hard, for she had not thought of that in a very long time. It used to be something she once looked forward to, but now she looked upon her mother as if she was a dam protecting her from being crushed by an overwhelming amount of water. If that dam breaks . . . it would be Cozy's turn to hold that water back from washing away all of Equestria.

“Look upon this valley,” Sombra bids as he sweeps a gaze across it. “All that you see . . . all that the light touches and far beyond . . . may one day be your responsibility. The success or failure of this entire country could be yours someday.” He flashes her a sharp look. During that moment, his red eyes flash for a brief second. “So be prepared!”

“How am I supposed to do that?” Cozy whines. “I thought I was ready . . . once. I wanted to be the Empress of all these lands, but now . . .” She trails off.

“Now you are afraid,” Sombra figures. He nods at her in satisfaction before looking across the valley again. “Good. The core virtues of a good leader are now instilled within you.”

“Why would my fear make me a good leader?” Cozy questions.

“Because it means you care about your people enough to feel the pressure of your responsibility,” Sombra answers immediately. “It means you would take the duty seriously. This bodes well for your people. Only a fool would believe they are completely detached from the source of a leader's strength. A selfish leader is a fool. A cruel leader is a fool, for the only way a leader can be strong is if his or her followers are strong. When you are a leader, you can't afford to consider yourself solitary anymore. You don't have the luxury of only focusing on your own life. A leader can and must look at the big picture, for such a pony does not only absorb the strengths of those he leads, but their burdens and weaknesses as well. There is much to juggle. Much that must come to pass.”

“But, back then, you didn't think the world itself had any future, so what's the point of caring?”

Sombra is silent for a little while, then shrugs as he says, “I don't know, but I couldn't force myself not to care. The idea of that responsibility had been drilled into me for too long.”

Cozy frowns as her ears fall flat, then says, “Funny . . . I thought you were going to tell me it was because of Princess Trinity.”

Sombra passes Cozy a look with such emotional depth in his eyes that it almost makes Cozy swoon.

“There are times I hated Princess Trinity,” he informs her. “Mainly because of what she represented. Trinity represented hope . . . and I hated hope back then because it meant gaining something important and, in my mind, gaining something important was only a recipe for greater loss down the line. Tragedy and loss felt inevitable to me back then, and for very good reason, I might add. To gain something was to gain an attachment to a thing that I was very likely to lose one day, so the attachment itself was something I feared. Something I resented. I thought that remaining empty was the only way to prevent further loss, but she kept pushing.” His eyes shift to his right at the valley beyond. “She never quit.

“This,” he waves a hoof across the whole valley, “was the vision of the future she had in her heart. It's not perfect by any means, but infinitely better than what we had.”

He faces the outward environment fully.

“This was the vision many in my time once regarded as a pipe dream, but I personally witnessed how one pony's hopes and dreams can become a miracle. She didn't just wish for a better future, she actively fought for it. She became the miracle.

“Trinity.” He looks up. “The brilliantly guiding star in the darkness.” He shakes his head. “You cannot imagine how far such light could carry when contrasted by such darkness.”

For a moment, Cozy reaches to try to touch one of his hooves to comfort him and gather his attention, but her hoof ends up passing right through him, which reminds her that he is just a ghost. Nevertheless, she successfully gathers his attention.

“You claim you tried to hate her . . . but you loved her too, didn't you?” Cozy figures. “I saw through your eyes. I felt through your heart. You cannot lie to me about this.”

“I won't deny it,” Sombra acknowledges. “Trinity was an amazing pony. More so than most I had ever met, and considering my long span of existence in this world . . . that's a bold claim.”

A wise look sinks deep in his eyes as he regards Cozy, then says, “Maybe someday you'll learn how close the borders of hatred and love really are, for they are each two sides of the same coin. Sometimes the edge of that coin is especially thin.”

Cozy frowns as she looks off the balcony.

“I suffered loss before,” Cozy informs with a voice of emptiness. “For most of my life, all I had ever known was suffering. Suffering through enslavement, betrayal, and imprisonment. My life was also additionally complicated by accumulating the memories of another. For most of these years I have spent with my mother, I have been depressed.” She looks at him. “But when I compare the reasons for all of my pain, I feel like an immature child next to you. I'm crying over spilt milk, and you are crying over the permanent loss of all milk. I cried over my years of being in a stone prison and fearing I'd never be free, and you cried over the feeling of utter certainty that the entire world would be doomed.

“I'm with you. I don't see the value of hope in a situation that is hopeless. It's a testament to your courage and strength that you didn't just immediately off yourself back then. You may have felt weak back then, but you are the strongest pony I have ever met.”

Sombra smiles faintly at her, then tells her, “Some can and will say that about you, for you are positioned in the same nexus of destiny like I was. It's easy to feel weak while under so much pressure, but therein lies the catalyst for future strength. I didn't see that back then. I didn't see that for a long time. I imagine your life will follow a very similar trail.

“You know, I'll admit that it is eerie how closely our lives follow in some aspects. In that case, I don't envy the challenges you are sure to face, but there is a silver lining to it. Challenges facilitate growth, and that growth will come in hoofy many times to come. When you face a great challenge that you are prepared for but most other ponies are not, you will finally recognize the value of your journey. When you save the lives of others who would have perished if it were not for your strength that you gained across the journey, then you will know your worth.” He pointed at Cozy. “It is the burden of the strong to defend the weak, but count your blessings on the fact that at least somepony was prepared to face that which is to come. Also remember . . . the strength of a leader does not lie from within alone. You could be the fastest, strongest, most maneuverable flier and most powerful caster. Eventually all the greatest strengths of one pony, regardless of what kind of strength it is, will fail. No pony can hold up a rock forever. That is an inescapable fact about mortality.

“But where one fails, many can triumph. A leader's job is to inspire others to find strength within themselves, and only together can you remain prepared to face any burden or challenge in life. Life is not a challenge meant to be faced and conquered by one pony alone. It requires us all to endure, rise, and thrive on this journey we share.”

“Cozy,” her mother's voice picks up in the air. Sombra and Cozy look to the sliding glass door of the balcony and witness Twilight Sparkle moving to join them, though she can't see the ghost. “Mind if I join you?” Twilight requests kindly.

“I'll leave you two alone to share your thoughts together,” Sombra decides then takes a few steps away. As he does so, he fades away even to Cozy's eyes.

“Uh . . . sure, Mother,” Cozy accepts as she shifts her eyes from where Sombra was to where her mother is. “What can I do for you?”

“Actually, I've come to ask you that same question,” Twilight answers as she moves next to Cozy. “It is my understanding that you've had one doozy of an experience. One of many if you continue to remain on this course.”

“Yeah,” Cozy expresses in a “What's your point?” kind of vocal inflection.

Twilight sighs as she looks off the balcony. Cozy can see her mother seem to take a moment to process what she is about to say, then looks at Cozy as she says, “I know this journey could be a very good thing for you. I certainly see a lot of potential within it, and I'm not just talking about the obvious. Freeing your counterpart's mind and setting Sombra to rest are very noble goals, but there is a lot that lies between the journey and the destination. I just want to make sure you are prepared to face that.”

“What do you mean?” Cozy asks with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Twilight places one of her wings on her chest as she says, “When Princess Celestia sent me to Ponyville, I could not imagine the kind of journey I would undergo with that course, but it has been worth it. The things I've done there and the bonds I've formed made me the pony I am today.”

“Your point?” Cozy asks sharply.

“My point is the same thing could happen to you,” Twilight points out.

“Oh.” Cozy looks down off the balcony.

“This could be a very positive experience for you if you let it,” Twilight goes on. “All I'm saying is I encourage you to be open to the full experience.”

Silence hangs between them for a moment, broken again by Twilight.

“For years I have tried to encourage you and raise you as my own daughter,” Twilight says as she lifts Cozy's gaze back up to Twilight with the tip of a wing. “In most of that time, you've resisted me as if I were your prison warden. A warden that you fear. Both me and my friends have tried many times to assure you that we'd never lock you in stone again. No more than we would do to Starlight who had once done similar things as you. You are our friend and you are my daughter, Cozy. I wish you could accept that.”

Cozy frowns up at her mother in pain, but otherwise stares at her in silence.

Twilight folds her wing back on her back as she goes on to say, “But it seems like that's asking too much of you. Too much bad blood and emotional trauma exists between us. You don't know how much that pains me to know. I am your mother now, but I wanted to be accepted as one in your heart as well. Maybe that will never be, but I won't stop fighting to make your future better than your past ever was. No pony deserves the burdens that you have suffered, Cozy.”

Cozy looks off the edge of the balcony again in silence.

“I will never give up that we can achieve some level of happiness between us,” Twilight assures, “but until then . . . I'll settle for you forming friendships with others. Any creature will do. Just someone, Cozy. You need to open your heart to someone.”

“Yes, Mother,” Cozy sneers under her breath bitterly.

“Cozy, look at me,” Twilight orders.

Cozy shifts her slightly narrow stare up at Twilight.

“I think we both know what's at stake with this mission,” Twilight says. “Chances are strong that it's a good deal more than either of us realize, but in all this time . . . I have never once heard anypony give you the choice. I don't want this to feel like a burden or obligation to you, so despite us knowing everything that is at stake, I want to ask you . . . do you want to go on this mission?”

Cozy narrows her right eye at Twilight with a skeptical expression as she asks, “What happens if I say no?”

“Then you don't have to go,” Twilight answers. “We'll find another way.”

Cozy widens her eyes in surprise at Twilight as she asks, “Are you serious?!”

“Absolutely,” Twilight assures. “It's your life, Cozy. I want to make sure that you have a chance to feel empowered. Contrary to what you might think, I have never intended this life to be a prison sentence for you. Rather than that, it has merely been an offered path. I'm trying to show you a better way to live. To show you that being a better pony leads to a better life.”

Cozy looks down in shock.

“You really didn't know that?” Twilight asks in surprise, then looks hurt. “Cozy . . . I really don't want you to be unhappy.”

Cozy sighs, then looks back up at her mother with a calmer expression and tone to her voice as she says, “Be that as it may, I do choose to go on this journey. I will admit that I am very afraid of it, but it also feels important. I have a debt to repay.”

Twilight smiles at Cozy, but also tilts her head as she regards her daughter with a little bit of confusion before asking, “Why is that debt so important to you?”

“Because the fate I suffered before was really bad,” Cozy answers as she narrows her eyes accusingly at Twilight, deliberately driving a verbal dagger into her mother's heart. Since her mother is such a bleeding heart, Cozy finds her mark perfectly. “The excruciating mental pain I suffered was more than I could endure, but I was forced to face the prospect that I would have to endure that endlessly, and I really thought I would.” Cozy tilts her head slightly. “That's why my mood has been out of sorts since then, and no matter how many times you try to reassure me, that experience was so bad that I can't help but eternally fear that fate again. I'll do anything it takes to avoid it!” Cozy swears as she pounds the rail beside her with her left forehoof. “Anything,” she assures again which drifts into a sad and empty tone.

Twilight shifts a miserable expression outwardly off the balcony. “I don't know if it would be any consolation, but I am-”

“SAVE YOUR PATHETIC APOLOGIES!” Cozy screeches so loudly that she closes her eyes for a second. “I don't want to hear it. I don't forgive you, Mother.” She says her final word like a mocking sneer. “You can never make that up to me! It was too horrible!

“Now I will obey you, of course. I'll do anything you say like a good little slave, but in my heart . . . I will always see you as the one who deeply hurt me. To me, you will always be my enemy!”

Twilight closes her eyes and winces tightly in pain.

YES! Cozy thinks viciously. Twist in agony, Mother! Writhe in pain!

“Not that I don't appreciate all that you've given me since,” Cozy goes on to say in a lighter tone. “Just because I hate you, doesn't mean I'm not willing to exploit you. Giving me a whole bunch of books? Sure! I'll take it. Giving me my own bed and room? Sure! Why not? I'll need every advantage I can get to overthrow you someday, and it takes time to accumulate enough resources for that. Until then, you'll have my cooperation, but nothing else. Not my loyalty, and certainly not my love.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear to you. I have only one true mother, and she died a long time ago. You're just the impostor that took her place, and gave me no choice about that. The reason I'm surprised that you're allowing me the chance to back off from this mission is because this is the first time you've ever given me such a choice.”

“I never claimed to be perfect,” Twilight says as she looks back at her daughter with tears in her eyes. “But I always strive to improve myself. When I notice the fact that I made a mistake, I work my tail off to try to make up for it.

“You may hate me, Cozy, and for good reason . . . but I love you, and that means I will never stop working to improve your life. I will never stop working to try to make you happier and stronger. I would even give you my throne if that is what it takes. In fact, you'd be doing me a favor by doing so, but I care for my citizens too, and I will not surrender my throne until I know you're ready to receive it.”

“You're bluffing,” Cozy suspects suspiciously.

“You think this job is fun?” Twilight reflects. “Honestly, sometimes it is, but I'd far rather hang out with my friends. I miss them. That's why I mandated our meetings once a moon.”

“You're serious?!” Cozy asks in amazement.

“As your mother, it's my job to prepare you for whatever future you want,” Twilight assures. “If being Princess of Equestria, or Empress or whatever, is what you want . . . then I will do my best to prepare you for that role . . . but I will not just hoof it over to you willy-nilly. If you want this job, then I will give you opportunities to prepare for it.”

Twilight wipes her tears from her eyes with a hoof as she looks off the edge of the balcony. As she does, her sparkling purple mane flows behind her.

“This journey may provide you some opportunities to practice and prepare for this role, if that is what you really want.” Twilight looks at Cozy. “You want the throne? Then prove you are ready for it. I'll keep the seat warm until then.”

“You are serious!” Cozy realizes in amazement.

“I am,” Twilight promises.

“Okay. I'll hold you to that,” Cozy warns.

“You don't have to,” Twilight assures. “But about this mission . . . is this your final verdict? You are going?”

“Um,” Cozy assumes a far more relaxed face as she says, “Yes.”

“Well, alright then!” Twilight says brightly. “Then we have got a lot to do to prepare you for this journey. You'll need food, blankets, books, your toothbrush, and . . .” Twilight trails off for a moment as she mulls this over, then declares. “First thing is first. We'll need a very organized checklist.”

“Of course,” Cozy says with a roll of her eyes.

Chapter 11: The Council of Friendship

In a deep trance, Cozy Glow can feel the energy within her crystal ripple through her. In doing so, she notices her own magical energy within herself as well. It is like putting dye in a river then visibly seeing the path of the river’s flow.

The feeling is much akin to being in the water for a long time, getting used to the rippling motion of the water, then getting out. Even as she dries, she can still feel the dizzying motion of the ripple continue through her body, except magic has extra sensations attached to it. It feels like warmth mixed with a tingling that makes her body itch slightly. Sometimes it also feels like tiny ice pricks, especially if the energy is shaped and defined.

But, in keeping with her teacher’s instructions, Cozy simply felt the flow of energy. She uses it to train her brain to recognize the presence of her own internal magic in order to help her better tap into it later.

Except it feels like the third time she's felt something like this. One was her own brief experience as an alicorn, another is through the memories of Sombra she recently gained, and now.

“Okay. That's enough. You can open your eyes now,” the ghost of Sombra instructs within her room.

Cozy slowly does so, then takes a deep breath.

“Very good, my pupil,” Sombra commends her. “You are learning.” He tilts his head at her slightly. “Odd that you seem to be able to focus more after a traumatizing experience. That's not how concentration normally works, but I think there is more going on here than meets the eye.”

“You can say that again,” Cozy agrees with a calm and somewhat empty sounding voice. “The experience I gained through living a piece of your memories was eye-opening. I found it very depressing, but I also remember what it felt like for you to channel your magic within those memories. You were very good at it by then. Maybe that's what helpes me now.”

Her gaze shifts down to look at the floor as she frowns, then asks aloud, “Master . . . what if I lose myself in this experience? What if . . . in pursuit of this magic business, I become another emotional and mental copy of you?”

Sombra frowns at her a bit, then says, “I'd like to tell you that is ridiculous because plenty of other ponies have channeled their magic before, and doing so didn't force them to become some other pony. Magic is part of who you are, young mare, just as it would be for anypony. I've even helped to train other non-unicorns to channel and cast their magic from sources like this before. I won't say they didn't have their own problems, but it ultimately worked.

“That said, your experiences are rather unique here. First you gain memories and experiences of your human counterpart, and now you're starting to get it from me.”

He looks out the window in this room to the bright blue sky beyond while wearing a wistful, thoughtful, and reminiscent expression.

“I have her memories too, quite possibly to a greater degree than you,” Sombra mentions. “It is enough to know she had a very different mode of thinking than I am accustomed to. Almost all of her thought process was compared to chess piece movements.

“If I concentrate real hard, I can even catch a glimmer of her feelings and motivations. She certainly did not lack that. For all of her really structured thought process, she was also dominated by her emotions far more than she realized. Love and hate were especially strong factors for her.”

“Do you feel like you are losing yourself to her memories?” Cozy checks with a look to him and an edge of anxious hope in her voice.

“Not really,” Sombra admits as he looks back at her. “The feelings I get from her are mostly cold.” He waves a hoof at her. “They do influence me, but in much the same way a book or stage play influences me. She feels like a distant fictional character that I've somewhat lived through and can understand her perspective, but without those experiences dominating me.

“And that is the way you need to process this experience. I won't deny that it may feel like an intense experience for you, but in no way does it make you less you. Instead, it only adds to you. You are the one who needs to figure out who you are as a direct result of these experiences. Take it as it is. These memories will change you, I won't deny that, but it is the same as any other experience. All of us are constantly changing as a result of the experiences we gain and the choices we make.”

Cozy's look slowly drifts away from him as she processes and internalizes his words. She realizes there is a depth to this experience that deeply frightens her. It not only has the chance to change her, but change her profoundly. She can't even tell if it will be a good thing or a bad thing. Likely it will be both.

There is a knock on her door.

“Who is it?” Cozy asks as her gaze shifts to her door.

“It's Gallus, Your Majesty,” announces the nasally sound of the male griffin guard beyond her door. “I was sent here to inform you that The Gathering is about to take place soon. Do you wish to attend?”

“The Gathering?” Sombra echoes to Cozy questioningly.

Cozy looks at Sombra as she mentally answers, “Mother's first royal decree as Princess of Equestria is for her friends to gather with her once a moon in order to socialize and reconnect. Ever since I was adopted, I've chosen to be part of this ritual occasionally.”

“Oh.” He blinks at her. “I see.”

“At first, I wasn't really interested in their social connection, though I did pretend to be,” Cozy continues. “But, in truth, I was interested in reconnaissance. I wanted inside information on the most influential ponies to the ruler of this land, but over the years . . . I mostly found their discussion to be boring prattle.

“However, there are now a few ponies who attend the meeting that are, more or less, there for specifically me. Flurry Heart is one of them.”

“Ah.” He nods at her calmly. “In that case, you should probably go. You should not disappoint her.”

Cozy grins at him as she thinks to him, “You really care about her a lot, don't you?”

“Your Majesty?” Gallus presses after a period of silence to him.

“Yeah, I'm coming,” Cozy informs Gallus. “Hold on. Let me get dressed.”

“Sure,” the palace guard accepts. “I'll be right out here if you need me.”

“To keep an eye on you, I take it?” Sombra assumes. “Your mother may indeed love you, but that doesn't automatically mean she trusts you, and given your past . . . I can understand that.”

“I know my way around the castle,” Cozy assures as she hops out of her bed with a brief flap of her wings to assist her jump from a sitting position. From there, she makes her way to her trot-in closet. “The escort isn't necessary on that level, so you're right. My mother doesn't trust me. She's smart like that.”

Sombra notices how Cozy alludes to the fact that she is, indeed, untrustworthy, but he decides to let that subject slip. Instead, he focuses on completing a previously mentioned idea.

“Anyway, to answer your question earlier, I don't consider it important what my personal feelings to Flurry Heart are or not. Instead, what I consider important is the fact she is a royal princess, and it is therefore my duty to be loyal and polite to her. Royal monarchs have a lot on their shoulders. The fate of their land and all who live there is at stake, so it is important for me to ease their burden as much as possible. Nothing more, and nothing less. Anything else is an irrelevant indulgence.”

“Huh,” Cozy notes while within her closet. “Since you put it that way, is that how you feel about me?”

“I do see the potential for royal duties burdening your shoulders, yes,” Sombra answers. “As a result, I consider it important to help train you to become stronger, even if it exceeds your comfort level. In my eyes, that is necessary to prepare you for what is to come.”

“You keep mentioning that ruling will become a burden, but I'm sure there is room for fun stuff, too,” Cozy suspects. “With that much power, there is extra potential for other things, too. Power makes what is otherwise unlikely to be quite plausible. Why do you think I want it so much?”

Sombra passes a coy smile in Cozy's direction as he says, “Be careful what you wish for, young mare. It is likely that your wish will be granted, but I warn you . . . power in any form has a price. Power always has a source, and a source will always have a cost.”

“I dare you to try to convince Discord of that,” Cozy thought with a bitter sneer. “That entity is accustomed to instant gratification of every wish.”

“Are you so sure about that?” Sombra asks cautiously. “If what you say is true and if you believe that his power has no cost, does that mean he is constantly happy? Have you ever noticed even the slightest bit of stress from him?”

“Of course I have!” Cozy assures. “I was the source of his woes at one time,” Cozy seems to note proudly.

“Then you see my point,” Sombra replies evenly. “If his power didn't have a cost, he'd be incapable of misery. As it stands, power of his kind can serve as a disconnect to others, and that is very isolating. As the spirit of Disharmony, I think he used to be proud of that disconnection, but now . . . I think his new friends have taught him to regret the source of his own power. Likely that kept him from getting as close as he wished to be. Trust me, I've seen his type before. In some ways, I'm one of them.

“Heed this lesson, young mare; if you are going to be a ruler, you need to carefully measure your thoughts, words, and actions, for a lot is riding upon it. You can't afford to focus only on the small picture anymore, such as your life alone. Much else must be taken into account.

“Foals long for power because they lack it, but once they have it . . . they learn it is a burden to maintain. Having bits to spend on what you want is nice, but it requires a pony to go to work in order to earn it, and there are also bills to maintain which therefore shifts the focus of some of their power from fun to daily necessity. Power without burden is a pleasant fantasy of the young, but such foalish whimsy does not match the rigors of reality.

“Let that sink into you as well, Your Majesty. For as long as you believe that power does not have a cost, it reveals that you still have some growing up to do, but that will come whether you like it or not, just as it comes for us all eventually.

“Anyway, I bid you to enjoy your evening. Process and internalize all of your experiences. Emotion is the fuel for magic, and the kindling for emotion is the memories you gain. Respect it accordingly.”

He fades away.

Arriving at the throne room, Cozy Glow is greeted by the familiar sight of The Gathering of her mother's friends, also known as the Council of Friendship. Surveying those who are here, Cozy notices that the only adult mare missing from this group so far is Pinkie Pie. The rest are here.

Upon meeting eyes, Cozy's mother pauses for a brief moment with her conversation with Rarity in order to wave a hoof to her daughter and bid, “Welcome, Cozy Glow. I'm glad you decided to come!”

Cozy can tell that her mother really is happy to see her here. She noticed, over these years, that The Gathering is a period of time her mother seems especially lively and animated. In meetings like this, she is in her element. Her Element of Harmony.

“Hello Mother,” Cozy greets back.

Shifting her focus from Cozy to Gallus, Twilight says to him, “Glad to see you as well. Care to mingle with us?”

Cozy knew that offer had been made many times before, and he usually accepted. He is an official guard here, but he is also a close friend.

Looking at Gallus, Cozy pays especially close attention to the golden helmet that he is wearing which Cozy thinks of as his “duty helmet” because, whenever he wears it, his personality shifts from open and friendly to stoic and dutiful, and vice versa. Right now he is wearing his helmet, but as Cozy continues to regard him, she notices him reach up, take off his helmet, and tuck it under his left forward limb. Casually, he also brushes back some of his blue with yellow tip feathers on his head but it is a useless gesture. The feathers go right back to sticking off the forward of his head again.

“With pleasure,” Gallus says to his friend happily.

“Thank you!” Twilight beams at him happily which is the most likely explanation why he decided to accept her invitation. He loves seeing her happy.

“Why Cozy! What a lovely little chiffon you are wearing!” commends Rarity.

Looking back at Rarity, Cozy notices Rarity's own outfit of a purple, silky dress. She also notices the fashionista bouncing her purple mane with an aging gray streak through it as she says, “I'm glad I'm not the only pony in here who appreciates the beauty of elegance and style.”

After receiving the complement, Cozy glances at her own multi-layer blue dress with lace trimmings and nods with satisfaction.

“It may be elegant, but it must be a nightmare to fly in,” Rainbow Dash's raspy voice complains. “Seriously, Cozy, you're a pegasus, for crying out loud! Doesn't all that extra weight bother you?”

“Not everypony thinks lahk ya, Rainbow Dash,” says Applejack who is standing right beside Rainbow. “Some ponies have very different priorities, I reckon.”

Rainbow winces in disgust as she says, “It's just so hard to wrap my head around. All that extra weight is just . . . ugh!”

“She's the daughter of our friend Twilight, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity reminds her rainbow-maned friend sharply. “She's royalty, so of course she should dress the part. Besides, how much flying does she really need to do in this old castle anyway?”

“Look, all I'm saying is that it doesn't seem natural,” Rainbow returns to Rarity.

“The Wonderbolts wear their own uniform as they fly,” Rarity reminds Rainbow.

“Yes, but that outfit is tight and aerodynamic,” Rainbow argues.

“It wasn't always so aerodynamic,” Rarity reminds again, this time with a slightly taunting edge to her tone.

Rainbow narrows her eyes and sneers at Rarity as she says, “Yeah, and their outfits weren't always so nice to look at either.”

“Styles come and go all the time, darling,” Rarity returns with a wave of a hoof and keeps her eyes closed during the sentence. “Yesterday's fashion rarely belongs to tomorrow.”

“Just let it go, Rainbow Dash,” Applejack advises. “None of this here stuff’s important ‘nough tah argue about. Just let it go.”

“Fine!” Rainbow agrees with an angry groan.

“Cozy, over here!” happily greets and waves Flurry Heart.

Upon noticing her, Cozy moves to join the nude alicorn mare.

“Something is different about you,” Flurry notes when Cozy arrives. “Still mostly lost and empty, but something else as well. Fear, I think? Maybe twinged with a bit of excitement?”

Flurry lowers her hoof from the bottom of her chin to the floor, formerly in a discerning pose.

“Either way, that means you have news,” Flurry figures. “So out with it. Spill the beans.”

“I, ah . . . am starting to connect with magic again,” Cozy reports a little lamely. “That is to say, I'm learning how to feel it again.”

“That's wonderful!” Flurry cheers brightly.

Cozy's facial expression becomes sheepish as she goes on to say, “Yeah, well . . . in order to do that, I had to learn to channel the energy that is within this crystal.”

“So?” Flurry inquires with a blink.

“So . . . it means also communing with the entity that is within the stone. Also, I recently experienced a flash of his memories. During that time, I totally forgot about myself. I was him at that moment.”

“What?” Flurry tilts her head. “How?”

“Sunset Shimmer has a magic crystal that allows her to . . . to . . .” Cozy's train of thought drifts away as she notices the fact that Sunset Shimmer isn't here. She knows for a fact that Sunset was invited to this meeting, and yet she didn't show?

“Ah . . . speaking of which, Mother.” Cozy calls to her mom. “Isn't Sunset Shimmer going to attend this gathering?”

“I think so,” Cozy's mother replies with an edge of uncertainty. “I know she's invited, and I know that she knows the way here. She must be a bit busy with something. Reading is my guess. I know she's borrowing some books to study up on magic again. She wants to get back into the swing of things in order to help her prepare for the journey.”

“Journey?” Flurry echoes questioningly. “What journey?”

“That's kind of a long story,” Cozy replies to Flurry. “Suffice it to say, I need to go on a journey to distant lands to find old relics from King Sombra. With them, Sunset Shimmer can use them to spark old memories in the entity residing within this crystal that he has forgotten. The hope is that, by doing so, his confusion can be set to rest, then he will be set to rest. As soon as that happens, my human counterpart from another dimension will rise from her coma again.”

“O . . . kaaaaay,” Flurry expresses with an astonished and confused blink. “Well . . . that sounds interesting, at the very least.” She tilts her head. “When you say distant lands, how distant are we talking about here?”

Cozy opens her mouth to respond, but hesitates when she hears the giant doors to the throne room open again. First Cozy swivels her ears in that direction, then her head to gaze back at who is entering. Upon doing so, she notices Pinkie Pie bounce her way into the throne room, followed by her considerably less energetic daughter Cheese Pie who trots in a more normal way.

Cheese Pie immediately makes her way to Cozy, wearing a warm, subdued smile as she extends a hoof by way of greeting. “Cozy! My good buddy! Just how the hay are you doing this fine day, may I ask?”

“It sounds like she’s having a complicated day,” Flurry answers in Cozy’s stead. “She’s starting to connect with magic thanks to that crystal she’s wearing on her neck, but that crystal also has a sentient entity within it that is apparently Sombra? Furthermore, Aunty Twily said that Cozy may be going on a journey soon. She was about to tell me where until you showed up.”

Cheese looks at Flurry for a moment, then returns her gaze to Cozy, “Care to explain that one to me, Cozy?”

“Ah . . . which subject? The crystal, or the journey?” Cozy queries back to Cheese.

Cheese nods, with a smile, “Yes.”

“I usually find it best to begin at the beginning,” Flurry recommends to Cozy.

“Um, well . . . okay, but I’m warning you both, this may take a while, and I don’t like to repeat myself, so listen up.”

Cozy Glow spends the next several minutes explaining to her friends most of the details that happened to her and her counterpart recently. A counterpart that they were already somewhat familiar with because Cozy discussed this before, especially the part about gaining some of her memories. This time Cozy updated them what happened to her human self since and explains why they think this is happening to her. She also goes on to specify how they plan to rectify this. Finally, Cozy explains what happened to her recently with the memories she gained from Sombra and her magic training since before coming here to The Gathering.

“Okay. Wow!” Flurry expresses with a stunned blink.

“Um… that’s quite something,” Fluttershy said quietly as she makes her way closer to the other mares, “Are you certain you want to go on it?”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Cheese asks, “It’s a chance to learn more stuff and maybe make a play for power without having to impress mommy Twilight, right?”

“Uh . . . something like that,” Cozy admits lamely. “But that isn’t the whole story. My counterpart is basically the reason I got freed from stone, so I owe her.” She looks to and speaks to Fluttershy next. “I will admit that this journey does make me nervous, but I am also determined. Part of me is also glad that I have this chance to even the score, plus . . . the magic! That part does excite me, at least.” She looks off to her side. “Or at least it used to.” She looks across her friends, including Fluttershy. “I used to be abused by magic which is why I hated it, but I was also jealous of it. I figure that if I can master it somehow, I might not resent it as much. Any of us can see how it can come in hoofy.”

Cheese nods, “Uh huh! That’s true! Nevermind how much more secure you’ll feel with a way to fight back, right?”

“It probably helps,” Cozy acknowledges. “My wits and charm used to be my greatest weapon. To use it properly, I have to convince others to defend me, but what if I could use a power like this to defend myself? Well, in that case, I just have another layer of defense because I’m still smart and adorable. Right?”

“Sure, we’ll go with that,” Cheese giggles as she pats Cozy on the shoulder.

“Of course you do!” Flurry agrees cheerfully. “That’s why you are our little friend. Cozy Glow, our friend.”

“Um… so… how do you intend to go on this trip, exactly?” Fluttershy asks seriously.

“Stygian came to discuss that earlier,” Cozy informs them. “He’s trying to gather funding to go on an expedition to the lands beyond Equestria, quite literally in uncharted territory. Right now, we’re thinking of going to the community Stygian himself grew up in because, apparently, that is where Sombra came from as well. If we can find that place, we might also find old artifacts that he, that is to say Sombra, used to own. With it, Sunset Shimmer may use them to help unlock more of his memories.

“As for how we intend to get there, we were thinking of using a giant airship as soon as we gather the funding and the crew for it, of which I intend to be on. Me and Sunset both.”

“You’re… talking about exploring ancient civilizations?!” Cheese asked, “And, we’re bringing along a relic of that civilization too?”

Cozy grins at Cheese because she knows that Cheese Pie is interested in anthropology. Cheese is even pursuing a doctorate in that field which is quite remarkable for a mare of her age. A mare about as old as Cozy herself, not counting her years frozen in stone.

“Yes,” Cozy answers with a slightly taunting sneer and narrowing of her eyes. “We are planning something along those lines.” Cozy continues in a more casual, informative way. “We don’t know for certain what civilizations, if any, we will encounter out there, but we are definitely pursuing an area that used to have some. In fact, this place predates the founding of Equestria, and some of its founders came from there like Princess Platinum, Chancellor Puddinghead, and Commander Hurricane. Basically, we’re going to the place before they came here, because Sombra was there as well.”

“Okay, I’m so going with you!” Cheese squeaked.

“Really?!” Cozy exclaims in surprise and even hope, for it would be nice to have a friend to come along. Notably, a friend that could actually be useful to this journey, too.

“Oh… my,” Fluttershy gasps.

“Yes, really, of course. Why would I pass up a chance to explore ancient civilizations and talk to a pony who was actually there?! Of course, why would I want that much time away from you?”

“I wish I could go,” Flurry laments as her ears droop. “But I’m getting bogged down with training for royal duties. Mom and Dad expect me to succeed them in ruling the Crystal Empire. It’s likely so that they can go on vacation or retirement or something or another.” Flurry sighs.

“You’re serious?” Cozy double checks with Cheese with rising hope in her voice.

“Are you just going to ignore me?” Flurry asks with sudden irritation.

Cozy glances at Flurry with a teasing wink and sticks her tongue out at her tauntingly for a moment, but then looks back at Cheese with sharp interest as she says, “Because, if you’re serious, that would be great! I love to hang out with my friends!”

Cheese snickers, “I mean, as serious as I ever am, I guess? But, yes, I’m going. Whether you like it or not.”

“Oh, believe me, I like it!” Cozy cheers, then amends, “Well, as long as you’re happy with it. I don’t want you to go if you consider it a burden, but if you do want to go then I’d love to have you.”

Cozy suddenly whips her head in the direction of her mother and asks aloud, “Mother . . . is it alright if Cheese Pie joins me on my mission? She wants a chance to study ancient civilizations, you see, and probably also to keep me company and give me moral support. Plus, if she goes, she can keep an eye on me. She knows when I’m lying and all that because she can sense emotions too, just like Flurry Heart here.”

“Journey?” Rarity queries, “What journey?”

“What are all of you gabbing on about?” questions Applejack.

“Um,” Twilight pauses a moment to see if anypony else will speak next, then looks at her daughter as she expresses, “Of course! I’d love for her to go as long as she’s fine with it.” She addresses her next question directly at Cheese. “You are interested?”

Cheese blinks, then looks at Pinkie, “Mom, just what do I have to do to get my point across?”

“I dunno, Hon. Maybe you should use one of your dad’s neon signs to light up and flash the message across the room?” Pinkie replied as she stuffed a hoof into her mane, and withdrew a large flashing neon sign with the words “I’m going!” written across it, flashing bright pink, then orange, then pink again. “It’s lucky for you I keep one around just in case of neon sign emergency!”

“Ah! Thank you Mom! I know I can always count on you!” Cheese cheers.

Pinkie waves a hoof in dismissal at her daughter as she expresses, “It was nothing, Baby! I always like to be prepared. You know that!”

“Well, I both see and acknowledge your sign,” Twilight says after a small giggle. “Since you are that interested, I’d love to see you go. That way you can help keep up my daughter’s friendship training.”

“Mom!” Cozy cries out in embarrassment and irritation.

“You still haven’t graduated from friendship school,” Twilight reminds. “Friendship is very important.”

“Are ya serious, Twilight?” Applejack asks in surprise. “You’re sending Cozy Glow on a distant journey?”

“Why do you ask?” Cozy asks Applejack then bats her eyes at the apple farmer rapidly. “Don’t you trust me?”

“No,” the Element of Honesty bluntly replies.

“It’s okay, Applejack,” Twilight assures her orange-hide friend. “Cozy has a very good reason for this. She’s actually trying to help out another.”

“Oh yeah?” Applejack inquires with sudden interest. “Do tell, Twilight.”

Twilight sighs, then says, “It’s kind of a long story, but do you remember Cozy’s human counterpart?”

“Oh yeah!” Rainbow recalls. “We even saw her in your magic mirror a few years back.” She rubs a hoof behind her neck. “It’s so weird seeing us as alien beings from another dimension.” She lowers her hoof back to the ground. “Anyway, what’s your point?”

“Human Cozy is in trouble now,” Twilight informs. “She’s gone into a coma again, but she’s not rising from it this time. Apparently . . .” Twilight trails off as her eyes look over to her daughter again while Twilight thinks about it, then decides to say, “Well, anyway, Cozy wants to do something to help her alternate self.”

“Ah!” Applejack smiles proudly at Cozy. “That’s mighty tall of ya. Good on you for think’en on helping another besides ya self.”

In response, Cozy rolls her eyes.

“Oh don’t be like that, Cozy! You know she doesn’t mean any harm, don’t you?” Cheese asks, nudging Cozy in her ribs.

“Yeah, and I suppose it’s understandable,” Cozy acknowledges. “Trying to destroy the world a couple of times probably does put a damper on trust.”

“Oh big time! I’m surprised they’ve forgiven you, honestly!” Cheese says.

“Um… It’s important that we acknowledge that you’re trying to help out now,” Fluttershy says.

“Ooo!” Rainbow cries out excitedly as she looks back and forth between Twilight and Cozy as she asks, “When she goes on this journey . . . is she going to fight a bunch of cool and epic monsters?”

“Maybe! That’d be pretty cool!” Cheese chirps.

“Oh! Goodness, I hope not!” Fluttershy says with a shake of her head.

Pinkie looks at her daughter, a small smile on her features, “Now now, Baby, you’d be surprised how often a party is a better solution than a fight. Don’t go looking for trouble, avoid it if you can help it! Remember. a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!”

“Well said, Pinkie,” Twilight agrees proudly.

Pinkie nods, “Thank you, Twilight,” she takes a small bow, “I’ll be here until nine!”

“Now I really wish I could go!” Flurry laments. “Not only does this sound exciting, it also seems important. I can hoofle myself in a pinch, and I can defend my friends as well.”

In demonstration, Flurry Heart raises a magic bubble around herself for a moment before dropping the yellow, spherical barrier.

“How soon is she going on this here journey?” Applejack inquires.

“As soon as we can figure out how to gather funding for the journey,” Twilight answers. “If necessary, I can fork over the bits, but that would mean diverting funding from other projects.”

“Ooo! Then I have the perfect solution for you!” Flurry pops in excitedly, happy to finally contribute something useful to this conversation. “I actually know somepony who might be helpful with this project.”

“Who?” Twilight inquires to her niece with interest. “Please tell us,” she eagerly invites.

Flurry grins as she says, “I know somepony who is not only extremely rich, but who is also eager to go on a journey in order to expand his merchant contacts, and that pony is none other than Prince Salizar Alabaster of Saddle Arabia.”

“Prince Salizar?” Twilight echoes as she thinks about it, then admits, “I haven’t thought of him, but he honestly might be perfect.”

“Who is Prince Salizar?” Rainbow wonders aloud.

Twilight looks at Rainbow as she answers, “As the name implies, he is the crown prince of Saddle Arabia. Furthermore, I know that the royal family used to be merchant lords. That’s still a benchmark for them, so it makes sense they’d be interested in any venture that would expand upon their country’s prosperity. It is how they primarily lead their nation.”

“Benchmark?” Rainbow asks with a confused squint.

To answer Rainbow’s question, Twilight places a hoof on her purple chest, closes her eyes, and declares in a lecturing voice, “Benchmark . . . a standard of excellence or achievement against which similar things are measured or judged.”

Rainbow rolls her eyes as she says, “You really are a living dictionary, Twilight.”

“Why thank you!” Twilight cheers in a giddy way.

“That wasn’t a . . .” Rainbow began in a tone of objection, but then waves a hoof off as she says, “Oh, nevermind.”

Sitting near the throne, Spike pauses a moment from writing his paperwork to laugh at what Rainbow Dash just said. He, more than anyone, is accustomed to Twilight’s scholastic ways, but it sometimes amuses him to be reminded that not everyone else is used to it. Even some of Twilight’s closest friends.

After he recovers, he offers, “You know, Twilight, if you’re interested to contact Prince Salizar, I could write him a letter right now and send it.”

“That’s probably not a bad idea, Spike,” Twilight figures. “In any case, there is no harm in asking.

“Sure, send him a letter. In it, tell him to contact Professor Stygian here in Canterlot. Let the prince know that the professor can fill him in on the noteworthy details of this journey.”

“You got it,” Spike acknowledges before pulling out another scroll, seemingly from his posterior area.

“It actually does sound like this journey might be dangerous,” Gallus notes aloud. “Do you want me to accompany your daughter and help keep her safe, Your Majesty?” When he asks that, there is also a subtle look on his beaked face which seems to add, “Also, to keep an eye on her?”

“Maybe,” Twilight replies to Gallus. “I think we can wait on making any official decisions on who else will be going on the airship. It can only support so much crew, after all, and we know Cozy and Sunset have to go.”

“Don’t forget me!” Cheese chimes, “Oh, and also, Gallus, I actually had another stallion in mind to accompany and protect our dear Princess Cozy Glow!”

“Really? Who?” Gallus inquires to Cheese curiously.

Cheese turns to look at Cozy. A knowing, devilish grin crossing her features. “I think Rumble would make a great addition to this crew!”

“Really?!” Cozy asks with sudden, sharp interest. “You can arrange that?”

Cheese winks, “I think I can arrange that… He owes me a few favors by now. Time to call one in. Besides, he likes to try new things, and it doesn’t get much newer than this!”

“Oh! That would be dreamy!” Cozy expresses as she places a hoof to her forehead and swoons. “If you can indeed arrange that, Cheese, then I would owe you a favor. Great deal, right? Exchange one favor and cause another to owe you? That’s economical!”

Cheese giggles, “Oh you and your silly crush! No, I don’t mind. No favor needed in return or anything!”

“Okay! I’ll take it!” Cozy agrees enthusiastically. “You got a deal!”

Then, under her breath, Cozy adds to herself, “Soon, my love. Soon . . . you will be mine!”

Chapter 12: A New Direction

Sunset Shimmer stirs awake. She raises her head off the books her face was collapsed on. She yawns, then looks at the books with sudden concern. The ink of the books do not seem smeared as a result of her face resting on top of it. Quickly, she levitates a mirror to her face and examines the side of her cheeks carefully to see if any ink is smeared on her face. She does not see any, then recalls the fact that having more fur on her face might have something to do with it. Since there is no direct oily skin contact to the surface of the page, it may explain this.

Sunset sighs in relief to notice that there does not appear to be any damage as a result of her actions, but then it dawns on her that she fell asleep while trying to study these arcane texts.

Whoa! That takes me back, Sunset thinks to herself. That reminds me of my good old days while studying under Celestia.

She frowns at the books in front of her as her thoughts continue.

However, what doesn't remind me of the good old days is how much I am struggling to even read this text now. Equestrian script is one thing. I kept up my practice with that over the years, but these texts . . . it's just blurring in my mind.

Still, Sunset feels determined. By being in this world again and exposed to the dangers therein, she feels it is important to catch up on this stuff again. She lost count of how many times the human world got plagued by magical threats on occasion, but this world is the source of those woes. It is the source of good things too, but she feels she really needs to remain prepared for the bad stuff because, if those things take her out or those she is in charge of protecting, nothing else will matter after that.

What's wrong with me? She asks herself as she rubs her face with both forward hooves. I used to actually be good at this stuff. Other students used to envy me.

She sighs as she looks back at the books.

Maybe I have been out of the game for too long. I don't even think of my pony body as me anymore.

Then, unexpectedly, there is a knock on her bedroom door.

Who could that be? Sunset wonders to herself as she looks towards the door. Well, I suppose there is one way to find out.

“Sunset?” inquires Sunburst. He notices her puffy eyes and somewhat messy, drool moistened, mane.

“Sunburst!” Sunset exclaims. “Oh, um . . . I didn’t expect you. Come in, come in,” she bids.

Sunburst nods and trots past her at her invitation, “Thank you. I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“Wake me? Oh no. No, no,” she assures him. “I recently woke up, in fact.” She looks off blankly at a wall with a dry look on her face. “Although . . . it might not be enough sleep.” She looks back at him brightly. “It’s great to see you again, even if the visit is unexpected.” She tilts her head at him slightly as she asks. “Who tipped you off that I’m back here in Equestria, at least for the moment? Was it Spike, or Twilight?”

“Mom,” he answered simply. “Though I don’t know how she knew. Maybe she heard something from the Princess? You know how they get,” Sunburst replies.

Sunset sighs as she looks down, then admits irritably, “I suppose I wouldn’t put it past either one of them. Honestly, I can’t write off the princess tipping either one of them off, even though I kind of implied for her to stay out of our family business. I don’t want to dredge up bad memories again.” She looks at him more brightly. “Still, it’s wonderful to see you again.”

“And I could say the same, except you didn’t tell me you had come back.” He sighs. “And you’re already packing up to leave so soon, too.”

“I know. Sorry.” Sunset smiles at her cousin sheepishly. “To be honest, I don’t know how long I’m staying in Equestria. I’ve been so busy focusing on why I’ve come and trying to take care of that.”

“Typical Sunset Shimmer,” Sunburst chuckles. “I haven’t seen you in moons, and the last letter you sent to me was almost as long ago. Seeing how busy you are now, sort of, shows how busy you could have been before.

“So where are you going anyway? And why are you here? Nopony was very clear on that.” His eyes scan over the books she’d been reading. He raises an eyebrow.

“Core Casting Concepts?” Sunburst remarks. “That’s . . . practically elementary level, and you’re so far past that!” His look shifts back to her. “What has you going through a refresher course?”

“Frankly, I’ve been out of practice with it for so many years. Right now I’m struggling with spells that I used to consider elementary aside from basic telekinesis.” She sighs as she shakes her head. “I used to know teleportation and all of that, but right now I fear I’d fuse into the floor if I dared to cast it now. I just want to be prepared.

“As for where we’re going, I’m not exactly sure, but I get a strong feeling you’d be interested in the answer. You see, we’re bound for the lands beyond Equestria. More specifically, to the area of some of the founders of Equestria like where Stygian, Star Swirl, Princess Platinum, and Clover are from.”

“You’ll get your talent for spells back in no time. You were always the star of the family, Sunset. Always super talented. I’m confident you’ll pick it all up very quickly.

“So, why are you heading out past Equestria borders, exactly?” Sunburst prods.

Sunset sighs again as she rubs her left shoulder with her right hoof in a gesture of discomfort, then replies, “You know Cozy Glow from this world, right?”

Sunburst blinks. “That would be a hard pony not to know,” he replies.

“It’s a little hard to explain,” Sunset decides, “so maybe I should just share my memories with you and allow that to explain my situation.”

Starburst blinks. His glasses slide down his muzzle until he catches them with magic and readjusts them. “I… I’m sorry. What was that?”

“I’ve come into contact with Equestrian magic in the human world as well. Notably, the primary way to use it there is when it enchants various objects like this.” She floats her crystal up on her neck, then explains, “I found this in Camp Everfree some years back in the human world. I believe the magic imbued within them has a tiny sliver of the Elements of Harmony, and the function of each one seems to depend upon the one who uses it. In my case, my crystal allows me to access mind magic. At first, it only allowed me to read the memories of those I touch, particularly in relation to the answer to some question of mine . . . sort of . . . but I’ve since learned to refine this magic, so now I’m able to also give some of my memories in addition to taking them. If you will allow me, I’ll touch you and give you all of my memories that are relevant to this issue.

“So . . . do I have your permission?” She waves a hoof back and forth between them. “That would smooth out this conversation quite a bit, although I should also warn you that the memories you’re about to inherit will be from my perspective so that might seem a little disorienting to ‘remember’.”

“Interesting!” Sunburst explains with bright fascination. “Yes, you have my permission. I’m excited to dissect this magic!”

“Well then, hold on to your socks,” Sunset advises as she reaches forward to touch him.

“My… my what now?” Sunburst asks in total confusion just before Sunset touches him and activates her magic. Then, from his perspective, his eyes are engulfed in white magic. After that, he experiences what he would later describe as almost a “life flashing before his eyes” experience, except it is not his memories that flashes in his mind and it is not Sunset’s entire memories. Instead, he only receives a select few. More specifically, he receives the memories that are relevant to the current situation such as why she came, where she is going, and why she is going there.

“Oh my,” he says, staggering back and slumping to his haunches, “That was… quite something.”

“Oh! I’m sorry! I should have warned you that it can be quite dizzying the first time.

“Here. Sit down,” Sunset bids as she guides Sunburst to the seat at her desk, to which he does not struggle.

“I see,” he says as he takes a seat. “That’s… quite complicated.”

“I’ve gotten so accustomed to those side effects a long time ago that I hardly think of or feel it anymore. That’s why I forgot to warn you. Also, it’s been a while since I did this with anyone else, so I forgot what it’s like for them.”

“Just… May I have a moment to process everything?” Sunburst requests politely, rubbing a temple with a forehoof.

“Oh, sure. Take your time,” Sunset invites before falling silent and waiting for Sunburst to recover. He needs a few minutes to do so before speaking.

“Okay… so Cozy is carrying around Sombra’s memories, but they’re missing chunks?” he asks first.

“Yeah. In fact, human Cozy is actually assailed by two sets of Sombra’s memories. One of them being his good side that was trapped in crystal for over a thousand years, and the other one being the one you know, King Sombra, whom I believe you have met a couple of times.”

“Actually, I only met him once, which was too many times,” Sunburst replied flatly, “And we’re helping him?”

“Actually, I’m not really here to help him out. That’s only a means to an end. I actually promised her mother that I’d help Cozy. That is, human Cozy,” Sunset explains, then points out, “I just gave you my memories explaining this . . . but I guess you asked because it’s hard to believe, huh?”

“Yes, it is,” Sunburst says with a groan. “Just… I know I’m not going to talk you out of this, so all I can really do is say: Be careful trusting him.”

Sunset grins at Sunburst as she says, “Funny. He said the same thing.”

“So, are you wondering at all how our family is doing back in Sire’s Hollow?” Sunburst asks.

Sunset frowns a bit, but replies, “I guess so. Lay it on me, then. I’ll try my best not to fall asleep because . . . Well, you know. I’m a bit tired after all that stud-” She cut herself off with a shake of her head, then waved at him. “Proceed. I am eager to hear what happened to our family.”

Sunburst sigh sadly as he says, “Well, there is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.” He focuses on Sunset. “Your mother, Eventide, is very ill. Many of her servants are attempting to tend to her, but most of them don’t think she’ll make it that long.”

Sunset looks crestfallen, then says, “I know Mom and I had our differences, but . . . that isn’t the sort of news I wanted to return to Equestria to hear. I hope she’ll be alright.” She looks back at Sunburst with a faint smile. “But I appreciate you being honest with me. I wouldn’t want you to sugar coat this if there actually was a problem.”

“I hope you can find some time to visit with her before you leave to go back to . . . whatever you call that world through the mirror. I’m sure she would appreciate it,” Sunburst says.

“Do you have any idea how much time I have?” Sunset checks with concern.

“No,” Sunburst replies grimly. “The doctor isn’t even sure what’s wrong with her. It seems as if she doesn’t have long to live.”

Sunset looks down and her ears droop as she says, “For several reasons, this isn’t easy for me.” She looks back at him more firmly. “But I can’t ignore this.” Her eyes shift to her right at the exit to her bedroom. “Maybe I should also talk to Twilight about this. She has access to resources beyond what I have.”

Sunset glances down with a sigh, then looks back at Sunburst as she requests earnestly, “If I go . . . would you be willing to accompany me there? At least to the town? I haven’t been there in a very long time.”

“Yes, I’d be willing to do that. Heck, I need company when I go back there too,” Sunburst admits. “I don’t think any of us got out of that town fast enough. I didn’t get along the best with my mother either, but she’s the only mother I’ve got. I wouldn’t want to miss my chance to say goodbye, or spend a little time with her before it was too late.”

Her face still directed at the desk, she closes her eyes and sighs, then says, “Over a decade ago, I would have told her that I ran to that world to avoid her, although I had my issues with Celestia as well, but now . . . if I were honest, I’m staying there because of the friends I’ve made there.”

Sunburst smiles awkwardly. “And um… on that topic… I have to ask if I may borrow your geode? I think it will help me immensely in gaining a greater understanding of memory magic.”

“Oh, sure!” Sunset gladly welcomes as she floats the necklace off of her and over to him. “There is no other pony I trust more to uncover useful information like this, especially if it relates to magic. Just make sure to return the necklace before either you or I part.”

“I promise I will. Even if my work keeps me rather busy, I know I can manage,” Sunburst replies. He stands from his seat.

“Well, this has been a nice, if also depressing, visit,” Sunburst announces. “I’m going to go ahead and get started on that now. I have a lot of ideas brewing in my head.”

“Then I’ll leave you to it. I know how you get when it comes to you and research,” Sunset notes with a giggle. “You taught me a thing or two that helped me when I was Celestia’s student.”

“Glad to be of help! I hope I prove that I am, honestly,” Sunburst says with a chuckle as he trots for the door.

At first Cozy Glow was following along with all the discussion in the room about the detailed logistics of the trip she is about to embark upon but, after a while, she realizes that most of this is speculation and meaningless dribble. It does not hold her interest as much as these things used to. Gathering information used to be her bread and butter, but now . . .

Cozy's ears perk up, however, when the guards of the castle open the door to the throne room to admit a new occupant. She knew those guards knew that this Gathering has a very specific guest list so, whoever this is, it is either an emergency, or it's somepony on the guest list.

When the door draws her attention, Cozy brightens for a moment to notice that it is Sunset Shimmer. The mare finally decides to grace them with her presence.

But Cozy's expression shifts to concern when she notices Sunset's look on her face. Cozy isn't as good at this as she used to be, but if she has to put her hoof on this, her guess is that Sunset looks depressed and guilty. Very likely this means she has come to deliver bad news.

“Hey there, everyone,” Sunset greets upon her approach. “Sorry I'm late.”

“Sunset Shimmer!” Twilight greets brightly. “I'm so glad that you finally joined us.”

“Hey there yourself, Sunset,” Pinkie Pie greets as she bounces next to Sunset. Then, unexpectedly, Pinkie touches Sunset's face and proceeds to drag it forward. In doing so, Sunset's face stretches to an impossible degree. While Pinkie is pulling, she asks, “Why the loooooooooooong face, Sunset?”

“Ow! Pinkie, quit it!” Sunset sharply requests as she pushes Pinkie a few feet away with her magic. In doing so, Pinkie can no longer reach Sunset. When that happens, Sunset's face snaps back to normal after a brief jiggle.

“Yeah, Sunset, what's bothering you?” Flurry Heart prompts. “I can feel that you're upset.”

“Perceptive as always, I guess,” Sunset notes with a brief smile. “Your human counterpart is like that too, although she's much younger right now.” Sunset focuses on Cozy as she says, “I'm sorry, Cozy, but I need to make a short detour. Something important has come up.”

“What is it, Sunset?” Twilight asks in concern.

Sunset looks at and tells Twilight, “It has recently come to my attention that my mother here in Equestria is gravely ill. I need to see her before she passes away. Maybe I can even do something to help.”

Upon hearing this news, most of the occupants within room gasp in astonishment. Shortly later, Rarity reaches a hoof up to her forehead and faints dramatically onto a couch that she floats behind her from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Oh no!” Twilight gasps with a hoof in front of her mouth. “That's terrible news, Sunset!”

“And surprising,” Spike adds near the throne in the room. “No pony ever sent us a letter about this grim news.”

Sunset glances cornerwise down for a moment, then looks at Spike as she says, “I think it's because no pony there saw a point in sending such a letter here. They didn't know I am back in Equestria, and if I know my mother . . . she would keep her weaknesses a private affair. The image of the family has ever been her top priority.”

“You haven't seen her in a very long time,” Twilight notes as she returns her hoof from her mouth back to the floor. “She might have changed since you last saw her.”

“Wait a second.” Spike reaches up to scratch his right cheek as he asks, “If no pony would think to send a letter here about this news, then how did you find out?”

“I recently spoke to Sunburst when he paid me a visit in my room. He filled me in on the details,” Sunset explains.

“That makes sense,” Applejack figures. “Ya two are kinfolk, right?”

“Confirmed,” Sunset reports as she looks at Applejack. “Sunburst and I are related. More specifically, he's my cousin.”

“Why must this be?!” Rarity wails from her couch sadly when she recovers from her faint. “Why? Of all the things that could have happened, this is one of thee . . . worst . . . possible . . . things!”

“Oh my!” Fluttershy gasps, then asks Sunset, “Does anypony know what she is sick of?”

“Sunburst didn't fill me in on those details,” Sunset answers Fluttershy. “But he did tell me the doctors are looking at her, and he tells me their prognosis isn't good.”

Fluttershy gently lays a wing on Sunset in sympathy as she encourages, “In that case, you need to see your mother right away! There may not be time for anything else.”

“I know,” Sunset says to Fluttershy then regards Twilight earnestly. “That's why I've come to you.” She places a hoof on her chest. “I haven't been to Equestria in a very long time, so I have no savings to speak of other than my family’s fortune, but I haven't had access to that in a very long time. I -”

Twilight raises a hoof and spreads her wings as she interrupts, “Say no more, Sunset Shimmer. If you need to see your family now, then I'll do everything in my power to secure a method.” She folds her wings back onto her back as she asks, “Do you have any objections to a pegasus chariot? That's one thing I can secure on such short notice.”

Sunset breathes a sigh of relief, then says, “A pegasus chariot will do fine, Twilight. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Twilight returns with a bittersweet smile.

“Do note, however, that Sunburst also plans to come along,” Sunset warns. “He's family too, and he's the one that tipped me off to this crisis.”

“Of course he can come along,” Twilight says matter of factly. “He can share a pegasus chariot with you.”

“In that case,” Gallus brings up as he looks from Sunset to Twilight, “I request permission to be one of those to pull the chariot. This family are also my friends, and I'd like to do everything in my power to-”

“Permission granted,” Twilight cut Gallus off with approval.

Gallus bows to Twilight as he says, “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Weren't you supposed to keep an eye on Cozy, though?” Cheese brings up. “You promised Cozy's human mother in the other world.”

“How did you . . .?” Sunset wonders while regarding Cheese with confusion, then shakes her head before saying, “Um . . . nevermind. I make it a policy not to question a member of the Pie family.” She points at Cheese briefly. “Yes, I have said something like that, but this will just be a short detour. I'm sure this Cozy will be well looked after here in this castle.”

“But if you take her along, you can accomplish both goals,” Cheese suggests before placing a hoof on her chest. “And I, of course, can tag along to give you both moral support.”

Cozy passes Cheese a, “What are you doing?” kind of look, but Cheese seems to ignore it.

“You just want to come along, don't you?” Sunset realizes, then shakes her head. “Normally I wouldn't hesitate, but this is a private, family affair. Issues like this have always been sensitive to my mother.”

“We don't have to come along with her into her room,” Cheese points out. “Maybe just outside of the room, or at least in the town itself.

“Look,” Cheese takes an emphatic, single step forward. “it sounds to me like you don't know what exactly is going on here, so it's hard to predict what preparations need to be made, but I do know that having friends along can help with big obstacles. The way I see it, the more friends you have available, the more prepared you might be.”

“You have to admit, my darling baby has a point!” Pinkie chips in.

Cozy raises a hoof and opens her mouth in objection, but Cheese cuts her off before she even gets a word in.

“You care about Sunset,” Cheese quickly reminds as she sensed the incoming objection from Cozy and headed it off. “You also like gathering information. Are you telling me you don't want to find out how this turns out?”

Cozy closes her mouth and lowers her hoof back to the floor slowly. She looks thoughtful and remorseful, then passes her mother a, “What do you think?” kind of look.

“I think you should go with her,” Twilight tells her daughter, then adds with a glance to Cheese, “both of you. I honestly wish I could go as well, but I have royal duties here. However, just because I can't personally go, doesn't mean I won't do everything in my power to help secure Sunset's moral support.” She focuses on her daughter. “Besides, you still need to make progress on your friendship lessons, so you need this.”

“Don't worry, Twilight,” Cheese says brightly while her left foreleg stretches an impossible distance to grasp Cozy then use that grip to pull Cozy in close next to Cheese. “I'll make sure she completes her friendship homework.”

Cozy rolls her eyes with a droll look, but her expression considerably softens to sympathy when she regards Sunset. She did not appreciate being volunteered for this mission without being asked, but this particular objective is dear to her heart. Sunset really does mean a lot to Cozy, especially considering all the affectionate feelings and memories she inherited from her counterpart. If Cozy does not go, she'd probably spend every waking moment stressing over the lack of knowledge on how Sunset is doing.

“While all of you do this,” Twilight puts in, “I'll make arrangements for your transportation beyond the lands of Equestria.”

“Do you want me to send your mother, or her caretakers, a letter to let them know you're coming?” Spike offers to Sunset.

Sunset sighs, then replies, “I thought about it along the way to this room. I realized that if I was in front of a blank letter and had to tackle the challenge of thinking what to say to my potentially dying mother, I think I'd be unable to put a word on the page.” She waves a hoof through the air. “Instead of that, I think I'd rather speak to her in person. Likely I'd not know what to say to her until I'm right in front of her. You might be surprised how often my life works like that.”

“I believe it,” Spike accepts as he looks down with a sad sigh. “I still don't know who my parents are, but after this long . . . I'm not sure what I'd say to them either.” He looks back at Sunset. “What I do know is that I have my true family right here in Equestria, and I wouldn't give that up for anything. I may have questions, but I don't have regrets.”

“Oh, Spiky-Wiky!” Rarity says in a gushy way as she presses both of her hooves into her cheeks. “That's so sweet of you to say.”

“It's the truth,” Spike assures. “And stop calling me that like I'm still some little kid. I'm a grown dragon now, Rarity.”

“Oh, yes, I know,” Rarity assures with a wave of a hoof to him. “But to me, you'll always be my little Spiky-Poo.”

Spike grins at Rarity with a touch of fondness for that comment despite being slightly insulted. After that, he focuses his attention on Fluttershy when she speaks up.

“Do you know how long you'll be staying at . . . um . . .” Fluttershy brings up questioningly but then realizes mid-sentence that she does not know where Sunset is going. She passes Sunset a look which admits that she is stuck and needs help with that answer.

“Sire's Hallow,” Sunset answers Fluttershy's silent question. “The same town where Sunburst and Starlight are from. In fact, my family actually funded the town originally, and they still own it.”

“Own it?” Applejack questions. “You mean the town does not have an elected mayor like Ponyville?”

Sunset shook her head as she answers, “No. Ownership of the town has always been passed down the family. My mother is the Duchess of Sire's Hallow, Eventide Radiance.”

“Well, no matter what her status is,” Applejack says sympathetically as she pulls her hat to her chest, “she's still family, and ain't nothin' more 'portent than family, 'cept friends, of course.” She replaces her cowboy hat on her head as she goes on to say, “Believe me, I know from personal experience that family will not always last forever, so it's important to cherish 'em while ya still can.”

Rainbow frowns at Applejack sadly, then looks over to Sunset as she adds, “I know you might have your differences with your mother. Trust me, I know what it’s like to have family issues, but I’m with Applejack. When your family needs you, you just be there for them. Simple as that.”

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Sunset says with a bittersweet smile, then grins slightly as she adds, “What a loyal thing to say.”

“Don't mention it,” Rainbow says back with a dismissive wave of a hoof and a roll of her eyes as if embarrassed by this sappy moment, but Cozy figures there is more to it than that. Maybe a lot more.

Glancing between Flurry and Cheese, Cozy recalls that these two have a gift for reading the emotions of others, including deep, hidden feelings. Cozy herself was never that good, but she used to have some talent for this based on observation. Being couped up this castle for so many years may have dulled her senses and wits some, and there are likely other reasons for it as well.

“There definitely is,” Sombra inwardly assures.

Cozy blinks, then thinks to him, “I didn't know you were even following along in this conversation.”

Startlingly, Flurry whips her head in Cozy's direction as if she realizes that Cozy is telepathically communicating with another.

“Just because I don't say anything does not mean I'm not gathering information,” Sombra assures. “You are definitely past your prime here, and you need to be whipped back into shape.

“And yes, it does seem like Flurry can sense me when I make myself known. Please, quietly assure her that all is well.”

Cozy opens her mouth for a moment to do as he requested, but shifts her attention to Sunset when she spoke.

“By the way, to answer your earlier question, Fluttershy,” Sunset says as she regards the pink-maned pegasus, “I'm honestly not sure. I'm playing this one by ear for now, but I don't want to take too long.”

“But the condition of my counterpart is stable in the crystal,” Cozy brought up, then widens her eyes as she realizes something. “Come to think of it . . . couldn't we do the same for your mom?” Cozy focuses sharply on Sunset as she asks, “The doctors don't know what is wrong with your mother or how to treat her, right?”

“That's what Sunburst told me,” Sunset replies.

“Then why don't we just freeze her in crystal stasis too?” Cozy proposes. “That would buy us more time to come up with a solution!” Cozy adds brightly.

“You know, that might not be such a bad idea,” Twilight agrees. “But, in order to do it . . .” Twilight trails off as she gives her daughter a hesitant look which reminds Cozy that Sombra would have to take over Cozy's body again to pull off that spell.

“Our options may be thinning by the second,” Cozy puts in. “At least this way it puts a stop on the clock.” She shrugs. “If I'm going anyway, we might as well at least consider that option since I have it with me.”

“What in the apple pick'n core are you going on about?” Applejack asks in confusion.

“Oh, nothing!” Pinkie Pie assures with a wave of a hoof. “Only the fact that Cozy's human counterpart got possessed by the ancient spirit of King Sombra, except he's combined with his original personality this time. Upon his return, her human counterpart fell unconscious and their doctors didn't know what to do, so Sunset decided to bring her to Equestria because she suspected it might be a magical curse. Once here, human Cozy's condition grew unstable again because she wasn't plugged up to the human world's life support thingamajigs, so Sombra decided to possess pony Cozy's body for a moment in order to cast a Crystal Stasis spell on her ponified human self in order to buy them more time to solve the problem which they'll use to unravel the mystery of his mysterious past.”

Once Pinkie finished that startling and unexpectedly accurate recap in one breath without any reasonable explanation as to how she knew, she gasps for breath as she pulls out a cupcake from her mane. Once that is down, she flips it into her mouth. After chewing then swallowing it, Pinkie adds with a casual shrug, “You know . . . the usual.”

Chapter 13: A Mare's Concern

“Come in,” Sunset Shimmer invites following a knock on her door. Right after she says that, she pauses for a brief moment to admire how calm she was able to keep her voice despite feeling very flustered.

But her eyes focus on her door when the doorknob starts to glow. Based on the magenta aura color she sees, she figures that this must be Twilight.

Sure enough, it is the tall Princess of Equestria that enters into her room. That is to be expected, but Sunset is more surprised to see Twilight float in two cups of something. Whatever they are, they are steaming.

“I had a feeling you'd still be up,” Twilight figures while passing her friend a wise look. “Mind if I join you?”

“Please do,” Sunset welcomes as she floats a stool out from under the desk in order to offer it to her friend. A desk upon which she was trying in vain to study up on her arcane spells.

“I brought you something,” Twilight notes as she floats the cup in front of Sunset who proceeds to grasp it between both hooves. Looking down upon it, she notices that it is brown liquid with a swirl of white at the top. It smells like chocolate, but Sunset still looks at Twilight for an explanation, to which she shortly supplies one. “It's hot coco made with warm milk. I figured you'd need something to help you sleep tonight, else you'd probably be up, stressing the night away.”

A coy smile sinks into Sunset's expression as she says, “You know me only too well, Twilight.”

Twilight's expression melts into concern as she says, “Well, it wasn't hard to guess given your current circumstances. I know you have a lot of issues with your mother. I begged you to patch things up with her for years, but now that you finally are . . . it's being done under one of the worst circumstances. For that, I am sorry.”

Sunset sighs as she looks down at her steaming cup, then says, “Well, we know that all of us are not immortal. Even the few of us immune to aging can still die of other causes.” Her look shifts to her side but her face remains directed downward. “That's true in the human world too. The concept is something I've long grown accustomed to, but . . .”

There is silence between them for a moment, broken first by Twilight.

“It's one thing to be aware of the concept, and quite another to face it,” Twilight figures. She looks to the desk sadly as she goes on to say, “That's something I've been dreading to face with my friends, and it already started several years ago. Some of the older ponies I've known passed away.”

Sunset regards Twilight with a shake of her head, then asks, “How are you going to cope? You're not like your mentor. She'll probably still be around at least. She, her sister, any other alicorn, and Spike will be around for a very long time . . . but you are the Princess of Friendship. You're more dependent on your friends than any other princess who came before you. I worry for you, Twilight, when the source of your strength fades away little by little.”

Twilight passes Sunset a soft look along with a bittersweet smile as she says, “I've thought about that a lot, and the conclusion I've come to is the same that several of my other friends said to me, most especially Starlight. My bonds are not just limited to my fellow Elements of Harmony. I have plenty of other friends. It may not feel like a worthy substitute, but I'll cope by reminding myself of that. For every friend I lose by whatever means, ten more will take their place.

“Plus, it's become clear to me that the mantle of Elements of Harmony will find new champions in every generation to follow. That, in itself, doesn't mean I stop being the Element of Magic, it simply means there will be others ready and willing to champion whatever cause is necessary.

“I've gradually come to realize that the spirit and magic of the Elements of Harmony is like a plant that was first seeded by the Pillars. The Tree of Harmony is both literal and symbolic of that; a plant. Even as crystal, that is the form it took. Well, plants have one other special property. They grow seeds of their own, and eventually it spreads into yet another tree.

“As the message of friendship spreads across our great land, more and more creatures of all kinds will rise to the call. As that occurs, our land becomes more and more secure and prosperous, for such powers bring Harmony to us all.” Twilight places a hoof on her chest as she goes on to say, “I'll still be around to nurture and guide that new strength, but over time, I'll be less and less necessary because there will be others to teach the cause when they pass on the mantle to the next generation, and so on.

“I think this power and responsibility will bear some resemblance to a cutie mark, for the champions that are chosen in each era will depend upon the needs during that time. Onward the cycle will spiral.”

Sunset tilts her head as she looks at her desk thoughtfully, then says, “Princess Celestia believed that was my destiny as well.” Her eyes shift to look at Twilight. “She thought that I would become the Element of Magic. Eventually I've come to realize that I actually have taken up that mantle, but not in the form that she expected.” Sunset floats up her geode on her neck for emphasis as she goes on to explain, “In my world . . . Um, excuse me. I mean in the human world, I found this magic crystal in a place that's the human-world counterpart of the Everfree forest. Using this, both my friends and I have channeled this magic and became champions of the human world. If you are right about what happened in this world, then . . .” Sunset pauses for a short moment as she regards her crystal, then goes on to say, “. . . eventually these crystals will be reborn in the hands of new champions since my friends and I cannot hold up the torch forever.” She looks back at Twilight. “As long as there is a need for these, it shall be passed along to whoever is worthy.”

“Does that bother you?” Twilight checks with a slight tilt of her head. “The idea that you may one day be replaced?”

“No. Not at all,” Sunset assures as her crystal floats down and hangs on her neck again. “Rather than that, I feel comforted by the fact that my new world will remain secure even if my friends and I can no longer be around to protect it. In the meantime, I am proud of my role to serve and protect that land.”

“My counterpart and I worked hard to limit access between our two worlds,” Twilight reminds. “In the long gallop, your duties might not be as necessary in future generations.”

Sunset shakes her head as she says, “I'm not so sure about that, because we keep finding more portals over time. We even found some in places that we know we already checked. They weren't there the first time, but they popped up later when we checked again. It's almost as if the attempt to close some of the portals is causing them to open someplace else.”

Sunset pauses for a brief moment as she collects her thoughts, then goes on to say, “I believe that both of our worlds are inexplicably tied. The magic between our worlds might operate like a river. Damming up the river may simply divert the flow somewhere else.”

“If you're right, it may be better to simply monitor those portals instead of shutting them down,” Twilight figures. “Because at least then we'll know where they are at. If closing one portal opens another, we'd have to keep finding the new one each time. In the long gallop, the effort is pointless. Better to increase security over the ones we do know of rather than chancing it opening someplace less convenient.”

“Like in the middle of a highway,” Sunset proposes. “If a portal opened there with no warning, quite a number of cars may drive through at high speeds before the government finally puts a safe barricade around that portal. By then, quite a number of residents might have crashed on this side of the portal quite violently.”

“I think we'll need to runs some further tests on your hypothesis,” Twilight figures. “That, and carefully examine the data we've already collected and compare it on both sides of our worlds. Based on that, we might be able to decipher a pattern.”

“Worth a shot,” Sunset agrees with a shrug.

Twilight sighs as she looks down at her steaming cup of coco.

“What's wrong?” Sunset querries in concern. “Something else is on your mind.”

Twilight lifts the cup to her lips to blow on it for a moment. After that, she sips it before floating it to the desk.

“It's about my daughter,” Twilight brings up. “I've known for a while, ever since our talk with Sombra, that it is necessary for my daughter to go on a journey.” Twilight focuses on Sunset as she goes on to say, “But, honestly, the necessity doesn't just stem from the needs of the moment. Cozy needed a change for a long time now, for you see,” she looks down sadly, “Cozy is stuck in the past. She just can't get around the trauma of her time of being stuck in stone. She honestly did think she'd be trapped that way forever, and now . . .” Twilight trails off for a moment as tears rise in her eyes. She proceeds to speak again eight seconds later, but with a less steady voice.

“She doesn't trust joy,” Twilight goes on to say. “Not happiness, not friendship. All of it. Instead, she clings to hatred, bitterness, and misery because, for many years, that's all she had. She may acknowledge the existence of positive emotions and experiences, but she doesn't embrace them because she fears growing attached to them.”

“If she grows attached to something, that would simply be another thing to lose in the long run. At this point she’s so pessimistic that she always expects that,” Sunset realizes. She sips her drink, then goes on to say, “I see what you mean.”

“This is a foal, Sunset,” Twilight wails a bit as she looks at Sunset with tears starting to stream down her eyes. “She grew up a slave in captivity and surrounded by so much misery. When she got locked in Tartarus and then in stone, it compounded the problem of her already damaged mind and heart.” Twilight lifts her hooves to her eyes. “I feel so ashamed for contributing to that. The longer she's been with me as my daughter, the more I've grown to love her . . . but that love has been very painful to me. I see, in her eyes, some twisted sense of satisfaction over that fact but, for the most part, all I see in her is emptiness.”

“Oh, Twilight,” Sunset says sympathetically. She floats her drink to the desk as well then crawls forward to hug her friend. While doing that and patting Twilight's back affectionately, she says, “I'll do everything in my power to help her. You know that, right?”

“I know,” Twilight says sadly. “I just wish it could be me. Many of my friends, counselors, and I have tried to get through to her, but it's like her heart is encased in a hard shell of ice. I really wanted to be the one to get through to her, but she keeps holding me at a distance. She spends every moment she can reminding me that she's just a pet on a leash with me. Not a friend . . . and certainly not her mother.”

Twilight is silent for a moment, then continues with a slightly more steady voice.

“Many times I have seen a distant gleam of love for me in her eyes, but every time that happens, I think she just sees my human counterpart in me. She has her counterpart's memories, after all, and they have become a lot closer.”

The two mares pull away from each other. Sunset regards Twilight's face while the alicorn princess continues to look down.

“It feels so awkward to feel jealousy over my counterpart for that, especially considering the fact that she's essentially me who was born from another world, but she has something with her daughter that I dearly want, yet cannot have because of our history together in this world, and there is another problem.” Twilight looks to her side in shame. “I can't be with my daughter as often as I like because I have many other royal duties to perform. I can delegate, but in the end, I end up needing to do that far more than I care to admit. I hate the feeling of having to choose between my daughter and my country. I hate having to compare what's more important to me all the time . . . because they are both vital to me! They are both things I need to have in my life.

“Whenever I look into her eyes, I see the distance between us. Not much progress has been made to close that gap. Because of that, I feel like I've failed her. That I really have chosen my citizens over her. I hope you'll never have to know such agony, my dear friend.”

Sunset looks down as she thinks on this carefully. There are many who had come to her for advice, but it never was her official duty.

Not yet, at any rate.

“I have spoken with children with traumatic pasts before,” Sunset brings up. “I've spoken to full-grown adults who had their issues too. I can add myself to that category in multiple ways.” She focuses on Twilight. “Pain, fear, and rage rarely remains focused. Instead, it branches and lashes out all over the place. It tends to target things that are even similar to what caused their distress. Cozy Glow, from what I can tell, grew accustomed to seeing you as an obstacle keeping her from greater power at one time. Since then, she saw you as the jailer who condemned her to an unbearable fate.”

Sunset pauses for a moment when she witnesses the chin of her friend wrinkle in pain at that declaration. Seeing Twilight hurt by those words almost made Sunset lose her train of thought. In an effort to reclaim it, she closes her eyes for a second and shakes her head, then opens her eyes again as she continues.

“My point is, it seems to me that you've been trying to get through to her by repeating the same tactics. Extending your hoof in friendship, being patient with her, presenting many opportunities to her, having her experience many positive things as an incentive to learn further. You have done all of this for years, and she has resisted you for just as long. Now, I'm not claiming that this tactic might not work eventually. You might wear her down, but I think it is time for a different strategy. Cozy herself is a strategist. It's just in her nature to seek every advantage at every opportunity, but being locked in the same situation for so long . . . it sounds like she's given up trying to assert her destiny.”

“But I've been doing that all along!” Twilight objects. “I’ve been encouraging her to come out of her shell so that she could claim her destiny.”

“I know,” Sunset agrees with a lift of a hoof. “The trouble here is she sees you as an insurmountable obstacle. One which she fears the mere attempt to surpass you might result in the unbearable fate she suffered from before. Instead, I think she needs to spend some time apart from you where she can face her own choices on her own. That includes her own rewards and consequences. At the same time, the journey may broaden her perspective. It may help to teach her why harmony is preferable by showing her the other places that have it, and the places that don't! I know she came from such a place. There may be others, too. Facing those things may help to give her a balanced perspective.

“I think she needs some time of her own to practice just being a regular pony again, and eventually maybe even a princess. Both of these things have their layered challenges. Facing them on her own and with those she considers a friend will help guide her on her journey.

“She faced pain before, so she'll recognize it when she sees others going through the same thing. Gradually she'll realize she's not alone in this process, and that the burden is eased by sharing it together,” Sunset says as she presses both of her forehooves together. “The more she shares her experiences with others as friends rather than tools, the more her heart will open up naturally on its own. In time, she may even see herself in you. She may understand why you are not her enemy anymore, but rather a friend, a mentor, and a mother.”

Twilight smiles with happy tears in her eyes this time, then asks, “When did you become so wise? This is the kind of stuff I used to teach you.”

“You still do all the time, which is also the answer to your question,” Sunset returns. “I got this wise by having great teachers. That includes you, but also all of my other friends. No pony is perfect, not even the Princess of Friendship.”

For a moment, Sunset reaches forward to playfully nudge Twilight's shoulder, then goes on to say, “The truth is, both of us is ever the teacher and student. Life itself is the classroom. That won't stop us from making mistakes, but we get a little better each time.”

“Ooo!” Twilight leans forward to hug her friend again, this time in pride and gratitude. “Thank you, Sunset! Thank you for everything you have taught me tonight.”

“Don't worry about Cozy, either,” Sunset advises. “I'll do my best to guide her. I promise.”

Twilight gives Sunset one last squeeze before pulling back, after which she passes her friend a coy smile as she says, “That's going to be harder if you don't get some sleep tonight. Believe me, I know what it's like to pull an all-nighter. It can sometimes be very difficult to avoid the necessity, but I also know it's not fun or optimal. Tonight, there is little else you can usefully do, so take this time to sleep while you can. You are very likely to need it tomorrow.”

Twilight stands up from the stool. In doing so, she now towers over Sunset, especially since Sunset is still sitting down.

“Since time is of the essence, and delaying things any further will simply give you more time to stress yourself, I'm going to arrange the pegasus chariot very early in the morning. You,” she points at Sunset, “are to join me for breakfast before setting off, and that's an order. I'll let the others who are going know the same thing.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Sunset says gratefully but also tiredly. It is now a struggle to keep her eyelids open. That warm coco seems to be doing the trick. “I look forward to joining you in the morning.”

Chapter 14: Journey to Sire's Hollow

Cozy Glow is still yawning when she gets to the royal banquet hall, but the food that is placed in front of her helps to stir her awake. When she regards it, she attempts to give it an indifferent look, but the truth is that, even after all these years of being Princess Twilight's daughter, she still can't get used to how good this food looks and tastes. She wants to be like the snooty elite that can look upon such things and tastes with indifference or even disdain, but that distant past of slavery and poverty just won't let her go. Back then, all she was usually fed was some cheap gruel. Next to that, she just can't get used to quality this high. To go from one extreme quality to another in the course of one very short lifetime (so far), the comparison offers a very clear difference in perspective.

Cheese wolfs her meal down pretty quickly, but it took Cozy a while to notice that Cheese is not nearly as fast about it as her mother. If Pinkie Pie was still here, the pancakes would likely be flipped high into the air then gulped down in one giant bite upon landing.

There is much the pink mare can do which most are afraid to question. Cheese, in contrast, can do some of the things her mother can do, but Cheese is normally much more mellow. Given her background, Cozy feels uncertain why, but she is glad that her friend is normally not that over the top.

Cozy feels more focused when she watches Sunset Shimmer move to join them. She also notices her mother try to start a conversation, but she's typically met with short answers. One-word answers is pretty typical. Clearly, Sunset is not in the mood to talk considering the weight of the task on her chest, and she additionally still looks pretty tired.

Cheese had volunteered for Cozy to join Sunset on this mission. While part of her wanted to, she can't think of a way to contribute usefully. That alone almost kept her up all night until she closed her eyes for a second. After that, it was suddenly morning. For a brief moment, she thought her mother played a trick on her and rose the sun early.

But, no. Her mother doesn't actually turn the dial on a device that raises and lowers the sun anymore. Instead, she keeps the device in a clock that turns it for her. One she keeps well guarded. Cozy suspects her mother layered additional hidden precautions over the device to keep it from falling into the wrong hooves. If so, she has to admit that is a sensible precaution considering that the device governs the fate of the whole world on a daily and nightly basis.

Cozy grins as she pokes at her meal, thinking that maybe she had something to do with her mother's stepped up security around certain things. Cozy's previous experience with her mother alone was enough to convince the normally too trusting monarch to leave some room for doubt about the motivations of other creatures, at least when it comes to very sensitive and important things. Be that as it may, at least this means Equestria is that much harder to conquer again. It might serve as an obstacle for Cozy personally, but it's nice to know that some other tyrant won't grab the throne while she is busy scheming and gathering resources in the shadows.

“Are you going to eat that, or keep poking at it?” Cozy's adjacent friend playfully asks her. “We are going to have to leave soon, so if you don't want it . . .” Cheese trails off as she deliberately leaves that thought hanging. In response, Cozy growls at Cheese like an angry dog. But, as she considers that action from an outsider’s perspective, she has to wonder how ridiculous a mare as adorable as herself looks when she tries to be intimidating. She knew she can be intimidating, but it's often a much more subtle kind.

Cozy's expression softens from angry to concern as she passes her look from Cheese to Sunset. Part of her expected that Sunset had barely touched her food as well, but direct observation reveals to Cozy that Sunset has been proceeding with her meal at a moderate pace.

Cozy looks back at Cheese. When their eyes meet, Cozy subtly tilts her head in Sunset's direction while wearing a questioning and concerned look on her face, silently asking if Sunset is, or will be, okay.

In response, Cheese looks at Sunset for a little while. Their eyes met for a brief moment. During that time, Sunset flashes Cheese a thin, mostly empty smile but still a sincere effort to reveal that she will be fine.

“As well as to be expected,” Cheese whispers to Cozy softly to answer the pegasus's silent question. “Family can be a complex issue, but I suppose you would know about that.”

Cozy frowns as she looks at her plate. It just occurs to her that Sunset is a mind reader, Flurry can sense other’s emotions, and Cheese can feel other’s emotions physically. Why is she surrounded on all fronts by those who can so easily decipher through her lies? With uncanny accuracy, too. Ponies with that much of an advantage in sensing deception is normally very spread apart, but she already knows three of them in her personal life. This feels like unfair cheating. It also feels like some kind of scheme from her mother, but Cozy knows for a fact that her mother could not control the talents somepony like Cheese or Flurry was born with. As for Sunset, she inherited that gift with her magic crystal.

Cozy is pretty good at deciphering through lies and deception, but this is a skill refined through years of practice. Can't con a con, as many say, but even then, her defenses are not perfect. Conversely, ponies like Cheese, Flurry, and Sunset don't even have to guess. Their talents and/or magic can unerringly lead them straight to the perfect answer without fail. It feels so frustrating to be that exposed from so many angles.

For a moment, Cozy envies them for their gifts, but then she recalls how Cheese admits that bad vibes physically makes her sick, almost as if she is truly allergic to it. Because she is so sensitive, she either has to put in some effort to fix the situation by cheering others up, or leave. Typical fight or flight response. If Cozy had that same “gift”, then her getting sick around other creatures might be a problem if she wants to work with them. While it might give her some insight into the feeling of others, it also makes it difficult to hide her knowledge if certain reactions are too overwhelming.

Besides, Cozy's schemes require a certain level of cold detachment. That's hard to do if she has a condition that literally forces her to care for other's feelings.

She may envy some of her friends for their gifts, but in a way, she pities them as well.

Her mother sighing draws Cozy out of her revere and onto her mother quick enough to notice her saying, “Look, Sunset, I know this is going to be a hard day for you, but you'll get through this.”

“I know I will!” Sunset snaps bitterly for a brief moment, but quickly forces herself to calm down. “I know I will,” she repeats more calmly. “And thank you, Twilight, for your concern. I'm a strong woman now. I'll be fine.”

“All the same, I'm glad the two of you are going with her,” Twilight says as she directs her attention to Cozy and Cheese. “In this difficult time, it is important for friends to stick together.”

“Not just difficult times,” Cheese corrects. “Whether it is celebrating with joy or remorse in sorrow, friends make any situation better.”

Twilight smiles softly at Cheese as she commends, “Well put, Cheese Pie.”

After Twilight says that, she focuses her look on her daughter for a moment, but Cozy can't meet that look for long. Not under these circumstances. She wishes her reaction is a ploy, but no. When Cozy's genuine feelings get in the way, she feels much more vulnerable, and she hates that feeling!

Cozy squints a bit in minor irritation as Cheese Pie gives a shrill screech in excitement as soon as the pegasus chariot takes off. Although the space is limited, Cheese goes back and forth within the chariot to soak the view around them, even in this early morning when light is quite limited.

In contrast, Cozy rolls her eyes and sighs in annoyance. She folds her forelegs over the rail of the chariot and looks down. When she does, however, she starts to smile a bit when she beholds the beautiful sight of Equestria. Being a pegasus, it’s easy to take these sights for granted, but there were several times in her life when her freedom was quite limited. All three times, she was restricted in her flight. Aside from that, the sight itself would not have been as beautiful. The first time she was in a desert and a dirty city, the second time she was in Tartarus, and the third time she was locked in a statue, unable to see at all.

But Equestria is magically idealistic. The kind of place the young foal she was could only fantasize about without really believing such a place exists. When she got here, she soon realized that this place is significantly better than she could have ever imagined, for there are colors here she never saw before. The lakes are crystal clear, the sky rich azure blue, the rainbow waterfalls filled with bright, vibrant colors. It is picturesque.

Aside from all that, Cheese's joy and exuberance is a little infectious. At first, she thought it was sickening and pathetic, but there is something fulfilling about witnessing pure and innocent joy, and it's over something easy to cheer about. Equestria does have a lot of sweet and innocent charm, even compared to the human world, which feels stale in comparison.

“I'm so jealous that you get to see a gorgeous sight like this whenever you want!” Cheese cries to her friend excitedly when they cross beyond the boundaries of Canterlot. As the minutes go by, the spires and castles of Canterlot gradually get obscured behind tall mountain peaks.

“I have seen such sights before,” Cheese goes on to say, “but only with considerably more effort. Typically it requires bunches and bunches of balloons. You wouldn't believe how many my mother has.”

“Your mother has three balloons for a cutie mark,” Cozy remarks dryly while continuing to stare over the chariot. Her head continues to rest on top of her forelegs. “I doubt I'd be too surprised by the quantity she has. Aside from that, sometimes I think she is a balloon considering how easily she can stretch or inflate herself off the ground just by taking a deep breath.”

Cheese grins at her friend and says, “Yeah, my mother is the Element of Laughter, so she can laugh at anything, including the laws of physics.”

Cozy lightly shrugs as she says, “She doesn't just laugh at it. She should be indited as a criminal considering how many times she's broken the laws of physics.”

Cheese snickers mirthfully, then says, “Now that's funny, Cozy. You're funny!”

Once again, Cozy lightly shrugs, but this time she has no follow up comment.

“You know what else is kind of funny? The fact that you're riding with me in a pegasus chariot considering the fact that you are also a pegasus. These things were designed for every kind of pony except you.”

Having overheard that, one of the normally silent pegasus guards pulling the chariot clears his throat to gather attention. Once he has it, he says, “Begging your pardon, Miss Pie, but Cozy is the adopted daughter of the Princess of Equestria. She could be the ruler someday if Princess Twilight is unable to attend to her duties, so we're only too happy to serve her in this capacity. What’s more, Princess Celestia has often availed herself to such services even though she could fly herself.”

“Spike is the one who’s supposed to take over royal duties if my mother can't do so,” Cozy argues. “Realistically, by the time I become in charge of Equestria, I kind of doubt there would be anypony to rule over considering how much ponies trust me with authority.” Cozy turns her head enough to look back at Cheese, but continues to rest her head on her forelegs. “Besides, flight can be quite the chore with all these heavy layers of clothing on.”

Cheese takes a moment to examine Cozy's red and gold outfit that has a bunch of bows tied into it, the largest one is at the mid-back section, then she says, “Yeah, but you can just take off that outfit and fly because you are naturally equipped to do so. If I wore an outfit like yours, it wouldn't matter if I took it off. I'd still be unable to fly.

“Speaking of which, I almost do wish I had an outfit like yours right now. If I did, I'd be much warmer.”

“You and your mother seem to have an uncanny amount of stuff stuffed in your bouncy and tangled manes,” Cozy remarks. “Are you sure you don't have an outfit like this in there?”

Cheese rolls her eyes with a playful smirk as she says, “If Rarity had her way, I might, but as it stands, no. I wasn't prepared for this.”

Cozy squints at Cheese with a doubtful look as she points out, “I sincerely doubt Rarity, of all ponies, would encourage ensembles to be stuffed in your tangled and probably dirty mane, of all places. Instead, I'm pretty sure she'd want you to wear it.”

Cheese gives an innocent shrug as she says, “Well, none of that matters right now because I don't have such an outfit.”

Cozy frowns as she says, “I wish I remembered to warn you that high altitudes can get pretty chilly.”

“Oh, I knew that,” Cheese assures with a wave of a hoof. “I knew that, but also forgot that in my excitement.”

“Well,” Cozy says as she looks off the chariot again, “we're going to be up here for a while. Even by pegasus chariot, getting to Sire's Hollow is still going to take some time.”

“Have you been there before?” Cheese asks curiously.

Cozy lifts her head off her forelegs just a bit as she realizes with a blink, “You know, now that you mention it, no. I haven't been there.” She looks at Cheese. “I know Starlight and Sunburst came from there, but that's all I know about it. I hardly see those two, and I get the impression they don't like to talk about it either.”

“Sunset apparently came from there too,” Cheese reminds while tapping her lips with a hoof. “We know that as well.”

“I didn't know that before,” Cozy partially corrects. “Though it seems to me she's also uncomfortable talking about her past. My memories of my human self confirm the fact that she doesn't talk about her experiences in Equestria too much, and that's too bad. My human counterpart used to be very curious about this place until she came here.”

“What is she like?” Cheese asks her friend curiously with a tilt of her head. “Your human self, I mean. Since you have some of her memories, you must know what it's like to be that species and live in that world.”

“Well, um . . . she's a lot like me, I guess, though our histories seem to be different. She had a troubling past too, but it's not like mine. For the longest time, she was unaware of our world entirely, and I get the impression that is normal in her world. When she did become aware of it, though, she was strongly fascinated by the concept of exploring another world. The tales she heard of our world also made her feel giddy, for, in her opinion, we sounded adorable to her.”

“Don't they have horses in their world too?” Cheese checked.

“Yes, but they don't talk,” Cozy informs.

“Aw! Why not?” Cheese complains questioningly.

In response, Cozy just shrugs, then says, “From what I recall, horses in her world used to be considered beasts of burden and creatures to ride until machines took over that duty.”

Cheese widens one eye and narrows the other as she says, “That is weird.”

Cozy shrugs again as she says, “I don't make up these rules or determine their history. Things are the way they are. I don't know why they are and were so. I suspect she didn't know either.”

“If this other Cozy was like you, does that mean she tried to take over the world too?” Cheese asks curiously.

“Um . . . she thought about it,” Cozy admits. “Even took some steps towards that goal, but she had other agendas, too. Most notably, revenge schemes.”

“So she was a sourpuss as well?” Cheese figures. “I bet the solution for her is the same as you; you both just needed some friends!” Cheese cheers while throwing apart her forelegs. Inexplicably, a small toot sound and an explosion of confetti followed that action.

You are your mother's daughter, Cozy realizes firmly. You weren't prepared with a warm outfit for the high altitude, but Celestia forbid you leave your home without being equipped with many barrels of confetti . . . in case of 'confetti emergency'.

Funny thing is, the confetti she used quickly got swept away considering the wind and their motion across the air, so it was barely there for more than a few seconds. Cozy wondered if it was really worth using it just to emphasize a certain point.

Before Cozy and Cheese arrives at Sire's Hollow, Cozy pauses a moment to ask herself internally how the pegasus guards knew where they were going. The most likely answer is memorizing landmarks and having a good deal of travel experience, but then she thought about the systems the human world has. When she does, she has to admit to herself that, while it lacks the same level of charm, it is more organized. Over there, they have these magic windows that display different information depending on which picture is tapped on it. They come in various sizes too, but most of them are the size of a human hand. Cozy has no idea how they work, but she has an impression that her counterpart does know how they work, or at least a very good idea, likely because her adopted mother is kind of an expert and making things like that.

But, out here in Equestria, most creatures don't bother with such extraneous details. Instead, they do the best they can with what they got. They won't complain about a technology that doesn't exist because they are never aware of the idea in the first place. To compensate, an average creature may rely more on instinct or skill. If that skill happens to be their cutie mark, then it becomes so good for them that it kind of defines everything about them as a pony. The Apple family, for example, compares everything else in life to apples and they do it so often and automatically that Cozy suspects they are not even aware of it anymore. It's just part of “normal” for them.

Since Cozy is aware of another world with more organized systems, however, it causes her to question how ponies do everything in their own world so efficiently and proficiently. When she thinks about it, there are a dozen theories that come to mind for most things, but the answer does not jump at her face. More likely there are multiple answers, and they are different ones for each situation. It just works, and most ponies just simply shrug and leave it at that.

“There it is! There it is!” Cheese cries out excitedly while continually tapping Cozy on the shoulder until she lifts up her head off the edge of the chariot to look. When she does, Cozy widens her eyes slightly. She soon realizes that she did not know exactly what to expect, but most pony communities are pretty small. However, this one stands out quite the distance, primarily because of the height of some of the buildings. There are also tiny creatures flying about all over the city, or at least tiny relative to this distance.

What is not so tiny, even from a distance, is multiple airships flying about the town. After examining them for a while, they just seem to hover in the air or circulate around the town as if they are waiting for something to happen.

“Wow! I didn't know it was so big!” Cheese expresses with mystified excitement.

“Neither did I,” Cozy admits. “I suppose I did not know what to expect. This is my first time here, but for some reason, this place is catching me off-guard.”

“Sire's Hollow used to be much smaller until the flood of immigrants came in,” one of the white pegasus guards reports back to them.

“Immigrants?” Cheese asks with rising excitement.

“Immigrants?” Cozy repeats with rising caution to her voice.

Some of the pegasus guards glance at each other, then the one who spoke earlier goes on to say, “You'll see soon enough.”

When they fly above the town, they circle it enough to get an overview of it. At first Cozy wonders why they don't just land on the streets until she looks down and sees how busy the streets are. She grows much more alarmed when she notices that most of the species there walk upright, and there are many, many species roaming the streets.

Since Cozy has seen something like this before, dread sinks into her heart.

Her trepidation, however, is obviously not shared by her companion.

“Can-you-bel-ieve-this?!” Cheese asks Cozy enthusiastically as she grabs then yanks and propels Cozy back and forth with each word of that last sentence.

“Ah . . . no. I honestly can't,” Cozy admits with growing dread.

“A new and unique culture right here in Equestria!” Cheese expresses excitedly as she peers over the edge of the chariot. She races back and forth across the chariot like an excited puppy in order to take in all the sights as rapidly as she can.

Cozy had observed that Cheese usually has a keen instinct for other’s emotions, but there was an exception. If her own gets too strong, it can blind her from noticing others.

So there is a blind spot to her abilities, Cozy realizes again. Noteworthy, but ultimately unreliable detail. Not unless I manipulate her emotions just to hide my own. It can be done, but she usually catches on too fast to permit my schemes to develop serious momentum.

Since the chariot Sunset and Sunburst is on is ahead of them, their chariot lands first. Cozy notices how they do so in a place dedicated for that purpose. There is actually a runway for it, and it is the same area the airships are landing in. On closer inspection, she realizes why the other airships around the town are just floating up there or circulating. It's because this airport ran out of space to land in. Besides passengers, those other airships are loading and unloading a great deal of cargo.

Which makes Cozy recall that she saw several train tracks running through the town. It seems to her that those tracks converge at some point. She wishes she spotted it earlier, but she has a feeling it's not far from this airport. Very likely, the cargo that is getting unloaded from one of these airships will likely be delivered to the nearby train station so that it can be loaded into one of its cars for further delivery elsewhere.

Cozy secures herself to the chariot tightly when the vehicle nearly lands. When it does, the vehicle shakes back and forth for a moment as the stallions who are pulling the chariot try to slow the whole thing to a stop. Looking over at Cheese during this process, Cozy notices that her companion has no trouble holding her balance for some reason despite the jolting landing.

“Thank you, Sirs, for delivering us here. You're the best!” Cheese expresses gratefully as she hops out of the chariot and hugs each guard one by one.

“Just doing our job, Ma'am,” one of them says back as casually as he can, but his cheeks glow a bit crimson with the blush he feels for her attitude.

“No reason for me not to feel grateful,” Cheese says back before pulling down the edge of her mane for a second. When she lets it go, her fluffy pink mane bounces up again. When that happens, a cupcake shoots out of her mane which she catches when it lands. “Here!” She offers the cupcake to the one who spoke first. “An extra token of my appreciation.”

“You sure?” the guard double checks while eyeing the treat with temptation.

“Sure!” Cheese expresses so happily that she closes her eyes for a second. “I have one for each of you.”

“Thank you!” the guard expresses happily as he accepts the treat. “Don't mind if I do.”

Cheese Pie proceeds to produce more cupcakes from her mane, to which she offers one to each of the six guards who flew her here. None of them refuses her gift.

Which Cozy privately thought is a breach of security. If those cupcakes happened to be poisoned, then this is all it would take to take each of them down. Perhaps trust could be a factor here, and maybe it is also because they are not guarding a high-security place.

Ever since Flash Magnus took over as Captain of the Royal Guards, the palace guards have been more vigilant in the castle. Cozy remembered when she, and her partners in crime Chrysalis and Lord Tirek, were taken aback by all the extra security measures at the castle when they tried to infiltrate it years ago. Even the streets of Canterlot were more patrolled.

When I take over Equestria, I'll have to make sure I leave him in charge of security, Cozy thought to herself privately. After all, Flash Magnus is accustomed to a military experience during a time when Equestria wasn't tamed by a thousand years of peace.

When her mind flashes back to the snippet of information she gained from Sombra, she shudders. Considering what a pony like Flash went through to get that vigilant, maybe it wasn't worth it.

Although distracted for a moment, Cozy's ears shift to listen to Sunset and Sunburst as they approach, shortly followed by her direct attention towards them.

“I can't believe how much has changed!” Sunset explains to Sunburst as they approach Cozy and Cheese. “This town hardly bears any resemblance to the sleepy little town I remember before I left to Canterlot.”

“I agree,” Sunburst says back as he floats his ever sliding glasses back up his white top muzzle. “Believe it or not, this is actually the second time I've been caught off guard with how much this place has changed.”

“Really?” Sunset asks when she stops in front of Cozy and Cheese but continues to regard Sunburst. “What happened last time?”

Sunburst sighs in annoyance as his expression grows droll, then says, “Something ridiculous. My mother was trying to modernize everything, and Starlight's father, Firelight, was trying to preserve everything as if the town was some ancient relic.”

Sunbursts annoyed expression melts away into amazement as he looks around.

“Judging by the state of affairs here since the last time I visited this place, it seems as if my mother ultimately won that struggle,” Sunburst says with a mystified and slightly spooked tone and expression. “I wonder if anything of this town is preserved from the good old days.”

“Firelight is exactly the pony who has caused some buildings and traditions to be preserved in this town,” informs a stranger who apparently overheard them and decided to add.

The group regards the newcomer and grows startled to realize that the individual who spoke resembles an eight-foot tall arachnid, complete with multiple eyes on his head. The thing that sets him apart from a typical spider, aside from being that large and able to talk, is the outfit this stranger wore which looks like a tuxedo on the upper part of his body and a black tall hat on his head.

“Most of those buildings you'll find in the center of town square,” the arachnid stranger continues to inform while reaching up with one of his eight spider legs and using it to tip his hat at them. “Progress could not be stopped, so Firelight has since decided to compartmentalize his efforts towards more specific priorities. Many of the old buildings you'll find in the center of town. The new stuff that you don't recognize is built around them, mostly to accommodate for the immigrants. As you can see,” he gestures around at the various species that roam about them, “the needs of the newcomers are wide and varied. Some species have specific physiological needs that must be met which are not shared by every species. Accordingly, the needs of the town have adapted over time.”

The group shares a stunned silence for a moment, broken first by Sunset Shimmer, who extends a hoof.

“Hello. My name is Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset greets politely. “And you are?”

One of the giant spider’s eight legs reaches forward to shake Sunset Shimmer's hoof, during which time Cozy privately suspects she might have used that opportunity to scan this stranger’s mind and determine if he can be trustworthy. Still another leg reaches up to lift his top hat off his head entirely for two seconds before putting it back on his head in greeting.

“Chester Coppertop is the name,” the spider greets with civil words that serve as a sharp contrast to the menacing sound of his garbled throat that has just a hint of a multi-tone to it. “Tour guide is my game. As one can easily imagine, I find plenty of marks for business here at this air station.

“Sunset Shimmer, you say?” Chester reflects while tapping his sidewards lips which has two pincer claws on the side of his mouth. “Now that is interesting. You wouldn't happen to be related to the Duchess of Sire's Hollow, are you?”

“Indeed she is,” Sunburst confirms as he takes a few steps forward in order to stand beside his cousin. “In fact, that is basically why she has come to this town. We heard that her mother has recently become deathly ill. Sunset has come to pay her a visit before it's too late.”

The tour guide looks regretful as he says, “Yeah. Honestly, a lot of the new citizens of the town are really remorseful and worried about that. The Duchess is the primary reason most of us are able to come here. If she passes away, a lot of us are concerned what the new policy will be moving forward. Many of us owe her a great debt. We'll be sad if she passes away.”

“You really mean that!” Sunset says in a stunned voice. “Your motivations are obvious, but still . . . it's hard for me to reconcile any creature being grateful to her that isn't snobbish nobles.”

“Well, it's been a long time,” Sunburst notes to his adjacent cousin. “You've changed a lot since last you've been here. Maybe she has too.”

“That's hard for me to believe,” Sunset admits as she sweeps a gaze across the air station in amazement. “My mother's personality seemed very firmly entrenched before.”

“Ponies can change for all sorts of reasons,” Sunburst expresses with a simple shrug. “Especially over this much time.”

“Not for her,” Cozy reminds aloud while feeling slightly concerned that she's crossing her social bounds. “Time does not advance as fast in the other world.”

“Other world?” Chester asks while he scratches his slightly furry black head.

“She's right,” Sunset realizes. “Time hasn't passed as much for me where I came from, but it sure feels like it did. For me, it feels like I've been there for decades. About as long as I have actually been gone in this world.”

“Ah . . . right,” Sunburst agrees after a short pause and floating his stubbornly sliding glasses back up his muzzle again. “A great deal of time has passed since last you been here. Even my daughter is almost an adult mare now.

“Oh, speaking of which, she's been sent here to Sire's Hollow about a week ago. She's among the reasons I've been so well informed during the interim, at least when it came to our family.”

“Yet another thing I'll need to add to my, 'things to do' list,” Sunset expresses to Sunburst. “But this time, the issue is almost a pleasant one. I do look forward to seeing your daughter again. It has been a while. The last time I saw her, I think she stood up to my neck level.”

“Yeah,” Sunburst agrees as he looks up with a reminiscent look. “If I recall correctly, she was attending Princess Twilight's magic school for Gifted Unicorns back then.”

“Yeah, she was,” Sunset confirms. “I forget exactly why I came back then. Probably something to do with visiting friends and working on shutting more of the portals down. It was probably multiple issues at the time. Seeing your daughter was a very pleasant bonus.”

Sunset grins as she looks off to her side while thinking back before saying, “I have to give her credit. She wasn't too obvious in bragging about her magical exploits, but I have to hand it to her . . . for her age at the time, she was quite impressive.”

“Probably a rub off from her mother,” Sunburst figures. “She always did have a flair for showmanship. As for our daughter’s magical exploits . . .” He trails off for a moment to wipe a tear of pride from his eyes, then says, “I'm so proud of her! My daughter could already cast spells that neither I, nor her mother, ever could when she was still just a young foal. Clearly, she has inherited all the magical talent.” Sunburst focuses on and grins at Sunset. “I can't say she's the only one with such magical talent in our family, however. It's really uncanny how close she's followed in your hoofsteps, Sunset. I'm just hoping that she does not follow them so closely that she, too, gallops off into another world.”

“Let's just hope that she does not inherit my earlier rebellious nature either,” Sunset says with a sheepish grin.

“How long has all this been going on?” Cheese asks Chester with excitement in her voice. “Also, where do all these creatures hail from?”

Sixty percent of Chester's many eyes shift to look at Cheese as he returns her question with another question, “Do you mean before they came here?”

“Yeah!” Cheese confirms excitedly.

Chester's eyes look up as he thinks back, then answers, “The answer to that question is complicated. The new residents came from all over the place before, and ultimately, I don't know. As for how long they've been here, most of them filtered in across the past seven years.”

“Seven years? Really?!” Cheese asks in amazement, then regards Sunburst. “But you said that even you don't recognize a lot of the buildings here. Does that mean that all of them were built over the last seven years?”

“We've had some very skilled carpenters,” Chester informes. “Plus, a lot of the building materials were imported from other lands along with the immigrants, and they were certainly willing to work for a substantial discount if it meant having new territory to build their homes on. Many of these new citizens either didn't have a home before, or lived clustered in a smaller home.

“Many ponies here in Equestria have been very kind and hospitable to us, and for that . . . we owe you ponies a lot. Now,” he lifts one of his legs, “I won't say all ponies have welcomed us with open hooves, but compared to where we came from, this place is pure paradise.”

“Obviously a lot has changed since I was last here,” Sunset figures, “but I'm pretty sure I don't need a tour guide to find my own home, for the mansion stands out even from a distance. I spotted it while we circled the town before landing, so I'm sure I can find it on my own.”

“What do you mean?” Sunburst asks Sunset, feeling perplexed. “Why would you need to go there on your own?”

“Because I want to be alone, at least at first,” Sunset admits to her cousin. “Look, I love company and friends, and I know you all came here to support me, but this is a really personal and sensitive issue for me, so I want to simplify things upfront.”

Sunset takes a deep breath. As she does so, a look of resolve gathers in her eyes as if she is visibly summoning her courage.

“It's time I faced my mother once and for all, and I'll do it on my terms.” Sunset sweeps a look of soft gratitude to her present company. “At first that will be enough, but after that . . . I could use all of your help to recover. If you wish to support me, you can do it then.”

“What?!” Cozy asks with an astonished blink. “But . . . we came here to support you. I definitely didn't foresee that entailing you ditching us as soon as we landed. What are we supposed to do instead?”

“Wellllll,” Cheese expresses with a roll of her eyes while wearing a playful smile, “we do have a tour guide right here. I've never been to Sire's Hollow, and even Sunburst doesn't recognize a lot of the sights. He needs updating, and I want to learn about this brand new culture.” She focuses on Sunset. “We can see you afterwards, right?”

“I'd even be willing to do it for free!” Chester remarks happily which immediately draws Cozy's suspicious ire. “Us newcomers really do owe a lot to you ponies, and your family in particular.” He nods to Sunset. “To repay that debt, I'm more than willing to show your friends about the town. Seriously, it would be my honor. It would give me a chance to brag about our progress.”

“And I always believed that you get what you pay for,” Sunburst says back. “I don't skimp when it comes to information. You wouldn't believe how much money I've invested into my books, but then again, with a family like mine, I had a lot to start with. You will take our money for your services, Sir. As a gentlepony,” he places a hoof to his chest, “I must make sure that the spread of knowledge is rewarded, and you need to put food on your table.”

“If you insist,” Chester says to Sunburst. “But remember . . . I did offer, and I meant every word.”

“Are you sure about this, Sunset?” Sunburst asks Sunset with worry. “Believe me, I know what it's like to deal with difficult family. The last time I did it, I had a friend to help me through it. Thinking back, I have to admit that it helped a lot. To imagine you facing an even greater challenge without support . . .”

Sunburst trails off when his cousin places a comforting hoof on his shoulder before saying, “I am sure, Sunburst. Thanks to my friends, I know my strengths and weaknesses very well. Not only is this something I can face on my own, but it is something I must face on my own. After that, I'll be more than grateful for your emotional support.”

Sunburst looks at the hoof touching his shoulder for a moment, then proceeds to give Sunset a lopsided grin as he says, “Well, in that case, keep one thing in mind. I think my daughter is at the mansion to settle affairs there. If you change your mind, I'm sure she'll be around to help support you, and we won't be far behind.”

He looks at Chester.

“That said, my information on this town is badly out of date. I'd like to correct that oversight as soon as possible. I may not live here anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't care about this place. This was my home, so I'd like to see what has become of it.”

Chester bows to the ponies before him. Although his gesture is technically polite, ancient prey instincts makes it hard to escape the impression that the gesture also looks slightly sinister.

“It would be my pleasure to welcome you home,” Chester tells Sunburst. “I'll be more than happy to show you all around, especially considering the fact that this is my primary job.” He rises from his bow. “Besides, when I get a chance to brag to the others that I helped to give a tour to the family that are the original founders of the town, that reputation alone would help ensure success in my business. You want to help me keep food on my table? Your presence alone could help to ensure that.”

“Great!” Sunburst expresses in a chipper way. “I'm happy to help.”

“We've noticed that you ponies usually are,” Chester says back.

“If my mother wasn't so well-traveled, her mane would have been frizzed to hear that right away,” Cheese points out with a happy smile. “Fortunately for her, the wisdom she inherited in her travels permitted her to also be open-minded. That includes me.” Cheese cuts a hoof across the air. “Don't get me started on some of the traditions of Yakyakistan. When it comes to being fun, they really are the best at certain things.”

“I take it those 'certain things' aren't that constructive, right?” Cozy figures with one eye narrowing and the other eye lifting her eyebrow high.

“Some of them are,” Cheese points out. “The only things they have to smash is that which they first create.” Cheese waves a hoof through the air. “I think there is a certain lesson in enlightenment there about the cycle of life, such as how creation can lead to destruction and vice versa. Studying other cultures is very interesting to me because it helps me grow as a pony and broadens my eyes to wider horizons.”

Next, she points at Sunset as she says, “Go. We'll be fine and catch up with you later, and when we do,” she flashes Sunset an almost startlingly serious look for a brief second as she says, “we'll be ready to help you with whatever comforts that you require.”

Chapter 15: One Last Time

I never wanted to be back here, Sunset Shimmer thinks to herself as she gazes forward at her family mansion. I basically left this world just to avoid this place. There were other reasons. There were other problems, but this is at the heart of it. This is where it all started.

How much can one's birthright, and one's family, shape the destiny of the pony born from it?

I suppose Diamond Tiara knows the answer to that question very well. That's why I sympathized with her so much.

Sunset Shimmer closes her eyes and places a hoof on her face as she groans. She struggles to remind herself why she is standing there, and the fact that later may be too late. This might be her last chance. In fact, it amazes her how close she came to losing even this opportunity. She came to this world for someone else's sake, but that gave her cousin a chance to inform her about a bigger picture going on.

Same old Sunburst, Sunset thinks with a fond smile. As usual, he's the source of new information to me. Like his human counterpart, and like a certain purple alicorn I know.

She takes a deep breath, holds it for two seconds, then slowly releases it as she attempts to harden her resolve. After that, she advances forward enough to reach the front double doors of her family's mansion and knocks on it.

It takes a while for anyone to answer the front door. When someone does, Sunset hears the tell-tale sound of the jingle of magic. Glancing down, she notices that the doorknob is encased within a dark purple aura. Shortly later, the doors are pulled open. When that happens, Sunset is face to face with a very tall, elderly unicorn who has a sharp, angular face and bright red eyes. Her mane, which only has small hints of black strands left in it, is done up in a neat bun between her pointy ears, both of which are currently directed towards Sunset. This lady is wearing a pristine and neat Victorian-style dress which is dark red with hints of brown. The dress is open in the front area with a V formation, an opening that reveals a fluffy white blouse beneath.

“You are late,” the Headmaid of the estate accuses coldly.

Or, at least, she was the Headmaid last time Sunset was here. If this lady still is, she pretty much has worked at this estate for the vast majority of her life.

“I honestly didn't know I was expected,” Sunset admits sheepishly. “Unless someone wrote a letter declaring that I would be coming, but even then . . . it couldn't have been sent any earlier than yesterday. All things considered, I think I came rather quickly.”

“I mean you are late in returning to Equestria,” the lady says sharply while maintaining an accusing, narrow eye stare at Sunset.

“Ah . . . again, I'm surprised you are aware that I ever left it,” Sunset says while rubbing the back of her neck in discomfort. “Can I, ah . . . can I come in?”

“There is no 'ah' in a lady's speech,” the Headmaid reminds. “You are a high lady of this estate. Time to resume acting like it.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend,” Sunset replies sheepishly. “I haven't been back in a very long time.”

“That much is obvious,” the Headmaid replies curtly. “If you were here recently, you wouldn't be adopting this sheepish attitude. There will be none of that in this estate. Keep your nose in the air like a proper lady.”

Sunset's expression sinks to a droll one as she starts to lose patience, then she asks, “May I come in or not? I'm here to see Mother, and it is my understanding that I don't have much time.”

The Headmaid widens one eye and lifts her other eyebrow as she asks, “You don't even remember my name, do you, Miss Shimmer?”

“Ah . . .” Sunset begins which immediately causes the Headmaid to narrow her eyes accusingly at Sunset. Meanwhile, Sunset pauses in consideration of that answer, then admits, “You know what? You got me. It's been so long that I have forgotten your name, but I do recognize you personally. You're not as young as I remember, but neither am I. After all these years, I still am not taller than the bottom of your neck. I remember when I could barely stand above your kneecaps.”

This reply causes the Headmaid to roll her eyes drolly for a second, but her expression shifts to a small hint of fondness as she says, “My name is Missus Karmichael Bellwether, and it's good to see you too, Miss Shimmer.” She finally steps aside and gestures inside with a grand wave of a hoof. “Please, do come in, Miss Shimmer, and welcome home.”

“Karmichael! Yes! Now I recall!” Sunset declares triumphantly as she steps inside. “I knew I'd recognize it once I heard it again. That was the name of your late husband, yes? You're still a widow?”

“I have not remarried, if that's what you mean,” Missus Karmichael says stiffly as she uses her magic to close the front doors. “Your niece is currently upstairs in the second guest room.” She gives Sunset a sharp, questioning look as she raises an eyebrow. “I trust you still recall where your mother's master bedroom is?”

“I don't think it will take me too long to get my bearings again,” Sunset declares with a slightly uncertain tone as her eyes scan about the place. “I believe I can find my way about this place.”

“Oh, please!” Missus Karmichael says in annoyed dismissal. “Even as a foal, you could hardly find our way around this place. I expect even less from you after all these years of absence.

“A moment, if you please,” the Headmare requests before trotting up next to the door. There, she stands in front of a series of bronze pipes. She uses her magic to turn a valve on one of the tubes. Doing so opens up that particular pipe. After that, the Headmaid leans forward and speaks into the pipe. “Fluffy Muffin, you are needed at the front door of this estate at once.”

“Oh, really?!” Sunset asks brightly. “Fluffy still works here?”

Missus Karmichael lifts her head from the bronze tube as she ceases her magic. Gravity causes the lid of that pipe to shut itself. She looks back at Sunset and gives a mostly curt nod, but again there is a faint hint of fondness in her bright red eyes.

“How is she doing?” Sunset asks with an affectionate smile. “I haven't seen her in so long.”

“Do you mean Miss Fluffy?” Karmichael checks with a slightly raised right eyebrow.

In reply, Sunset just nods.

“As well as to be expected,” the Headmaid answers. “Adjusting, I'd say. Considering all the changes that have happened inside and out of this estate, I have to say she's been holding together pretty well. Her smile and jolly laughter seem about as bright as it always was.”

“That's good to hear,” Sunset says with happiness mixed with relief. “I've counted on her a lot to cheer me up whenever I've been depressed.” She narrows her eyes at the Headmaid while growing a playful grin before saying, “Unlike you. No offense.”

“I maintain a strict policy when it comes to tidiness in this estate,” Miss Karmichael replies sharply, and she does indeed appear offended. “I might be more militant than most ponies are accustomed to, but I make sure that the job is done and done right. I don't need your approval to know that I'm good at my job. I should know. I've been doing this for fifty-five years.”

A reminder of the length of time that has gone by gives Sunset a sharp wake-up call for a moment. After that, she glances off to her side as she asks, “Has it been that long?” She looks back at the Headmaid. “Time sure flies by. I, for instance, have not stood here in decades, yet I vividly remember every corner of these rooms. Even the smell is nostalgic.”

“I don't smell nostalgia whenever I trot into this place,” Karmichael informs with a slightly distant look to her eyes. “Instead, I simply see this place as home. Nothing more, and nothing less.”

“I hear ya,” Sunset agrees.

For using shortened slang word in her sentence, Missus Karmichael silently scolds Sunset with an annoyed look before saying, “I see you are as rebellious as ever, Miss Shimmer.”

“I'm just being me!” Sunset informs back sharply. “Same as I ever was.”

“Not when you lived here, as I recall,” Karmichael corrects.

Sunset thinks back, then gives a droll look as she says, “True. Back when I lived here, I was still attempting the futile effort of impressing my mother and to be accepted.”

“Your mother has always accepted you,” Karmichael argues. “She just isn't obvious about it. She follows the same strict rules of conduct that she tried to impress upon you.”

“Which is why I can't imagine raising my own foals in this place,” Sunset growls in annoyance. “I can't stand any environment where showing genuine emotion is strictly forbidden.”

Sunset's wording caught Miss Karmichael off guard, which is why, for a brief moment, she actually gasps before asking with high interest, “Do you have foals of your own, Miss Shimmer?”

“Ah . . . no,” Sunset replies. “I suppose I should have said 'if' I had foals of my own.”

“Any plans to?” Missus Karmichael continues to ask in interest.

“Not at the moment,” Sunset admits more calmly while rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “I mean, I thought about it a lot, even when I was a foal, but what mare doesn't consider that at least a few times as soon as she learns where babies come from? My curiosity on what it's like still hangs in the back of my mind, especially considering where I went to, but it's not a priority, and I'm not just going to force it.” She replaces her hoof back to the ground as she shrugs. “If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I plan to accept it either way.”

Sunset tilts her head at the Headmaid as she asks, “What about you? Ever thought of having kids? Or have you?”

Missus Karmichael shakes her head a bit, then says, “I've thought about it, of course, but sadly discovered that I'm not blessed with that ability.”

“Oh!” Sunset looks surprised, then her expression sinks into sympathy. “I'm sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Karmichael says mostly stiffly, but there was a hint of regret in her voice. “Come to think of it, I believe I only found out after you left.”

“There are other options,” Sunset proposes in an attempt to inject some hope into this conversation.

“I know,” Missus Karmichael replies curtly then nods to indicate something behind Sunset. “And your friend is here. With that, I'll take my leave.” Missus Karmichael starts trotting off. She says as she proceeds away, “Good day to you, Miss Shimmer. Please be sure to visit your mother one last time while you can.”

Sunset Shimmer did not even manage to turn her head before already being glomped with a hug with enough momentum to nearly knock her over. That, and the fact that the mare who did this has quite a bit of weight to her.

“Ooo!” the mare expresses while squeezing Sunset in a tight hug. “It's so good to see you again, Sunset Shimmer! I missed you most dearly.”

“It's good to see you too, Fluffy Muffin,” Sunset replies fondly as she finally manages to turn her head about to gaze over the head of the dark purple mixed with lime green wavy mane which is attached to the light purple hide of the chubby earth pony mare who is wearing the traditional black and white maid outfit. Since the skirt is short enough, it does not hide Fluffy's fat brown muffin cutie mark. “You are one of the few things about this place I actually do miss.” She sighs sadly. “I only wish we could catch up under better circumstances.”

“Yeah,” Fluffy agrees sadly as she pulls back from her hug. As she does so, she wipes a tear from her left eye. Whether it is from happiness or sadness, Sunset isn't sure yet. Probably both. “A lot has changed in this town. Multiple times, in fact.”

“Agreed,” Sunset concurs with an upraised eyebrow glance at the exit of the mansion. “From the air, I hardly recognized this place.” She quickly looks back at Fluffy as she adds, “The town, I mean. The mansion itself doesn't seem to be all that different.”

“Not from the outside,” Fluffy partially agrees. “I wouldn't say there is much different architecturally, either, but the spirit of this place has changed quite a bit. A lot of it stems from the differences in your mother, actually. I mean, before she got ill. That's a change too. Yet another change.

“On top of that, some of the staff of the mansion has changed as well. A lot of ponies have quit, got fired, or retired. Gradually, a lot of them have been replaced with non-pony races.” Fluffy nods to the exit as she says, “You may have noticed that some of the population of the town isn't as uniform as you may once recall.”

“Believe me, I've noticed,” Sunset assures.

“That's your mother's doing,” Fluffy informs. “She has a big heart, or maybe just a devious scheme. It is true that there are a lot of talents and materials beyond Equestria that we have never seen, and vice versa. Whenever two or more cultures meet and each has too much of something and not enough of another, economic opportunity ensues for those cunning enough to capitalize on it, or at least that is what I suspect your mother has been up to.”

“That wouldn't surprise me,” Sunset says a bit emptily.

“However, she's been unusually generous to the newcomers,” Fluffy says more brightly. “She's built a lot of new homes for them and gave them a job to help pay for it. Often those jobs are devoted to helping the next wave of incomers. It's kind of ingenious.”

“Now that does surprise me,” says Sunset with some skepticism. “Mother has always been a strict traditionalist as far as I recall. It's not like her to be an entrepreneur and philanthropist.”

“Well, whatever her reasons are, it's working,” Fluffy informs. “The economy of Sire's Hollow, maybe even Equestria at large, has boomed like never before, though I do have some concerns about the changes. For instance, I see lots of fights break out on the streets. They're not too bad to ponies, at least not yet, but many of the new immigrants are bullying the newer incomers.”

“Something like that once happened in the history of the country I went to,” Sunset informs. “I guess it is a mode of thinking that if a quantity of a cake is static, then the more people that come, the smaller slice each person gets.”

Fluffy Muffin bows to Sunset slightly as she says, “I was thinking the same thing, hence my concern.” She rises from her bow. “I'm especially concerned with the pace of all these changes. Nopony is given time to adjust, or any of the new races, for that matter. There is a lot of tension boiling over because of it.”

Fluffy Muffin’s look shifts from concern to hope as she asks, “How long are you planning on staying in Sire's Hollow anyway?”

“Not long, I'm afraid,” Sunset admittes with regret. “I actually came back to Equestria for the sake of another. While I was here, Sunburst happened to catch me and informed me of my mother's sad state of affairs.”

“Yes,” Fluffy agrees as tears rise to her eyes and she starts to sniffle. “Many of us are concerned about our Lady.” Fluffy's look shifts to a questioning one. “Speaking of which, do you wish to see her now? Or perhaps you'd care to visit your niece first. For her part, at least she'd be able to respond to you better. Right now, I'm not even sure if your mother can hear you at all even if you tried to talk to her. Plus, I hope we can spend some time to catch up before you leave.”

“Oh, that is definitely on my to-do list,” Sunset promises. “But, for now, take me to my niece.”

“Come in,” calls the mare in the room in reply to Sunset Shimmer's knock. Oddly, a weird part of Sunset had hoped for refusal or that the mare wouldn't be in the room. All so she could have an excuse to avoid this nervous encounter, but that is not what happened. She's there, and she just gave Sunset permission to enter.

In an attempt to gather her courage, Sunset places a hoof to her chest as she breathes in deep. When she exhales, she throws the hoof on her chest in a forward direction. After that, she adopts an overly happy, fake, and nervous smile on her face before igniting her horn and using the magic to open the door ahead of her.

Inside, Sunset can see her niece sitting across the room. She is sitting on a stool while pouring over a desk ahead of her. The mare's dull pink and slightly purple back faces Sunset's direction, along with a good view of her golden brown and bright yellow mane. A quill, that is ignited within a golden aura, lifts up high enough on occasion so that Sunset can see, only to return back to the desk moments later while she writes something.

“Just leave the documents on the edge of the desk,” Sunset's niece requests while she is busy working. As she spoke, she sounds a bit flustered and tired. “I'll get to them as soon as I can.”

“Documents?” Sunset reflects questioningly with a confused look on her face for a brief moment, then she shakes her head in order to clear it before speaking again. “Luster, it's me . . . your Aunt Sunset Shimmer.”

“Aunt Shimmer?” Luster Dawn asks as she lifts her head off of a hoof which helped to prop it up, the elbow of that hoof resting on the desk. After that, she turns her head enough behind her to see Sunset Shimmer with her left eye as she gazes back over her left shoulder. “Oh my goodness!” Luster gasps. “It is you!” Luster pushes on the edge of the desk to spin her direction on the turning stool until she fully faces Sunset. “Please, come in! Come in! Make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you,” Sunset says happily mixed with a bit of relief. After all, she wasn't certain how this encounter would turn out. Part of her mind played out several possible darker scenarios because of her long, frequent absence from this world mixed with the recent stress of losing a family member soon.

Sunset steps inside then looks over her left shoulder at the door. She ignites her teal-colored horn and uses that to close the door behind her. When she looks forward again, she notices that Luster had already floated another wooden stool in front of her. Upon looking, Sunset also notices Luster lean forward and pat the stool ahead of her invitingly.

Sunset adopts her fake smile again as a nervous defense mechanism, but it isn't as bright this time because she's honestly starting to relax already. If Luster had yelled at her or been colder instead, Sunset realized she might have cringed, shriveled, and possibly retreated instead.

Sunset trots up to the stool she was invited to then crawls up to sit upon it. This time she sits upon it with all four of her hooves beneath her. While sitting there, she gazes forward at the very much adult niece. While gazing upon her, it quickly occurs to Sunset how much the age gap between them had closed due to the time differentials between both worlds. Sunset is still clearly older, but the gap between them is much thinner than it should be. If others had to judge their relationship from the outside looking in, they are more likely to guess that they are sisters rather than aunt and niece. It is mind-boggling for Sunset to realize that, in another twenty years or so, Luster might actually appear and be older than her own aunt!

It's as if I've been in frozen sleep, Sunset thought to herself. I feel like a living time capsule. How wild!

“It's so good to see you!” Luster says with cheer as she claps her forward hooves together three times which makes a sound akin to two empty coconut shells being clapped together. Her attitude catches Sunset by surprise considering their recent circumstances. “How are you?”

“To tell you the truth . . . surprised, and relieved,” Sunset reports honestly. “I feared you'd be more upset at me or something.”

“Why?” Luster asks with a curious tilt of her head.

Sunset rubs the back of her neck as she adopts her thinner nervous smile again as she says, “Because I've been absent from your life for so long.” She lowers her hoof back to the stool beneath her. “On top of that, there is the stress of soon losing a family member.”

Luster straightens her head again as she says, “You've known my grandaunt longer than I have. It seems to me that this would affect you far more profoundly.”

“Well, yeah,” Sunset admits as she gives a troubled expression in a downward direction. “I've certainly been in better mental states before. Honestly,” she looks back at Luster, “just being in this mansion is causing me some stress. I have a lot of bad memories here.”

“I'm sure this recent situation is not helping either,” Luster acknowledges as she looks to the wall to her left in her grandaunt's direction. “But,” she looks back at Sunset more brightly, “on the bright side, at least this means I get to see you again. It's been a long time. I didn't expect this encounter despite our present circumstances. I figured it would be my teacher, Twilight, who would inform you of what happened, and probably too late to do anything about it. Although she tends to be punctual, I'm also aware that there is a time difference between our two worlds.”

Luster seems to realize something that gives her a start, then she lifts a hoof to her lips and giggles as she squints her eyes a bit. “Listen to me! I'm speaking as if this isn't your native world anymore.”

“It will always be the place I came from,” Sunset assures.

“So what brings you here?” Luster inquires. “I realize that might sound like a stupid question, but I've been known to leap to conclusions before so I want to give you this opportunity to explain yourself.”

“I came here to see Mother,” Sunset reports honestly. “I came to this room to see you because your father told me you were in town.” Sunset waves a hoof outwardly. “He's also the one who originally tipped me off to my mother's deteriorating condition.”

Luster looks down with a crestfallen expression. After that, she warns, “It won't be much longer now. It's lucky you came as soon as you did.” Her eyes return to Sunset. “She might not even make it through this night.”

“Luck has much to do with it,” Sunset agrees. “I originally came back to this world in order to help another who is in trouble. While here, I ran into your father who used that opportunity to update me about this situation.”

“Trouble?” Luster asks while looking at Sunset fully in alarm. “What trouble? Who else is in trouble? How can I help?”

Sunset smiles softly at her niece as she says, “I'm touched that you offered to help, but I can take care of this. As for the trouble itself, it has to do with the human counterpart of Cozy Glow in my world. The Twilight of that world also adopted her there. In fact, she did it first. That's what probably gave your teacher the idea to do the same to the Cozy in this world.”

“I'm aware of their relationship in the other world,” Luster assures, “but I wasn't aware of her recent problem. What is it?”

Sunset cuts a hoof across the air between them as she says, “Like I said, I'm taking care of it. Currently, that problem is under investigation. We do know that the human Cozy is under some kind of magically induced coma and that it has to do with the memories and reawakened spirit of King Sombra.”

“King Sombra?!” Luster gasps while looking greatly aghast. “That's . . . very alarming and unexpected.”

“He's not as bad this time,” Sunset quickly assures, then sighs. “It's . . . complicated. I shouldn't go into details. You have enough to worry about on your hands as it is.”

Luster snickers, then comments, “Hands?”

“Uh . . . yeah.” Sunset rubs the back of her neck again while wearing a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

Luster waves a hoof as she says, “Oh, that's okay. I understand. I'd probably make the same mistake if I lived in your new world for as long as you have.”

Luster realizes something that makes her excited, then clomps her hooves together three times as she asks, “Ooo-ooo, how is my younger human counterpart doing?”

“Young,” Sunset reports. “She's brilliant . . . and she's deeply fascinated about this world, too, but I think that's an extension of her interest in ponies in general, including horses in her native world. She has all kinds of drawn pictures of our kind hanging in her room. She asked me to promise her to take her to this world someday. I told her I eventually would, but I wanted her to be more grounded in her own world first.

“She also claims she'll be the world's first ambassador between our worlds someday when she grows up. Who knows? Maybe she will someday.

“Compared to your own youth, I think she socializes more than you did when you were young, but she mostly does it online.”

“Oh!” Luster looks fascinated. “Is that that magic information thing you told me about earlier? You said there was all kinds of machines with windows that could access that information. Father says that it has the ultimate library, and it kills him with envy to realize that. If I was there, I'd probably never stop reading them myself.”

“There is that, but the internet can be used for so much more,” Sunset assures.

“The internet,” Luster says with strong, almost hypnotic fascination.

“She has an interest in astronomy as well,” Sunset adds. “Her ability to name distant stars and systems far exceeds my capacity.”

“Great minds think alike!” Luster brags smugly.

Sunset glances behind Luster at the desk for a moment, then focuses back on her niece as she asks, “By the way, what were you doing before I came in here?”

“Oh, this?” Luster floats one of the scrolls off the desk and hovers it between them for a moment as she looks up and down at it. “I was signing a bunch of legal documents.” She floats the scroll a bit off to the side to give her easier line of sight to Sunset again. “Very unexpectedly, Grandaunt Eventide left everything to me. The whole town and family estate.”

“WHAT?!” Sunset gasps in extreme shock.

“I know, right?” Luster agrees. “That was my reaction too.” She looks at the document. “I would have expected her to leave all of this to my gradmare, Stellar Flare. Not only that, but she actually wanted the job.”

“And you don't?” Sunset guesses.

“Uh-uh,” Luster answers as she floats the document back on the desk. “Because that would mean I would have to leave Ponyville and the friends I made there.” She sighs as she looks down. “Although, to be honest, some of them already moved away before for other reasons.” She looks back at Sunset with more hope in her eyes. “But they promised to write to me often. I gladly told them that I would return the favor. We've done so over these past few years.”

“Well,” Sunset rubs a hoof under her chin, “I suggest you still take this place because, once it's yours, you are legally free to give it to whomever you want after that.” Sunset drops her hoof back to the stool. “At that point, you could give it to Stellar Flare as she wanted, and you kind of wanted.”

“I know. That's why I'm signing these documents right now,” informs Luster. “For the moment, I figured it would keep my options open, but in the long gallop . . . I'm honestly not certain what I'll do. I admit, I want to stay in Ponyville and Stellar wants to become the new Duchess of Sire's Hollow, but I’m not altogether certain things really are that simple.”

“You're concerned about the reasons why my mother gave you these titles instead of Stellar, aren’t you?” Sunset figures wisely.

“Yes,” Luster bluntly agrees. “I wish I could ask her why, but she's in no condition to talk to anypony. As it stands,” she looks out the window in the room, “I suspect it has something to do with the new policies she's recently enacted over these years.” She looks back at Sunset. “Perhaps she feared that Stellar would be an obstacle to that path.”

Luster closes her eyes as she sighs, then says while her eyes remain closed, “I didn't have the nerve to ask my grandmare if that is so.” She opens her eyes again and resumes gazing at Sunset. “Even if I did, I'm not sure she'd tell me the truth. Normally I wouldn't peg her to be the dishonest type, but a great deal of money is riding on this decision. More important are the lives that are riding on this town. Both those who came and those who plan to come. This decision could even have a major impact on all of Equestria, especially in the long gallop. As more and more non-pony races continue to flood in, it could have a major impact on our entire society moving forward.”

Luster places a hoof to her chest as she assures, “I don't have a problem with non-pony races. Really, I don't. Most of my friends are members of other races. I've learned to look past that so frequently that I sometimes forget that they aren't ponies. I've even included them in my terminology, such as 'everypony' just out of sheer habit. For their part, they are long past rolling their eyes at that.”

Luster looks worried as she looks down.

“Maybe Eventide knew that I got along with other races and also knew about my training with Princess Twilight,” Luster went on. “Perhaps she figured that a mare who got along with other races frequently and had superior connections would make the ideal next Duchess of this community.”

“My information about my mother may be grossly out of date, but I seriously can't reject that possibility,” says Sunset. “That honestly sounds quite plausible.”

“Not everypony is as tolerant about other races,” adds Luster. “Perhaps Stellar Flare isn't actually like that, but all it would take is for Eventide to fear that. That alone might have shaped her decision to pass on the family fortune, and all of the political power thereof, to me.” Luster looks to her side with regret.” I really wish I could just ask her.”

“You can,” Sunset promises. “Or, more specifically, I can.”

“Really?!” Luster asks brightly. “How?” Then she realizes something. “Oh! You're talking about your magic crystal, aren't you?

“However, that crystal only allows you to scan memories. That strategy might be enough to answer my question, but not enough to communicate to her.”

“Your information is out of date,” Sunset corrects. “I've learned some new tricks with my magic geode.”

“Do you even have . . .” Luster began to ask but then focuses her eyes on the geode worn on Sunset's neck right now. “Oh. That's it, isn't it? Wow! I wish I had a chance to study it.”

Luster looks cornerwise up as she recalls something as she says, “Actually, I can.” She focuses back on Sunset. “May I have your permission to borrow that for a moment?”

“Ah . . . sure, but what are you going to do with it?” asks Sunset.

“You'll see,” Luster assures as she ignites her horn. As a result, one of the drawers to the desk opens. Out of that levitates an apparently blank scroll. At the same time, Sunset's geode teleports and hovers above Luster's right hoof. Shortly later, she closes her eyes slowly as she concentrates. As a result, many layers of star-shaped symbols appear around the geode. Each layer of stars then proceeds to rotate around it in different directions for each layer. This goes on for eight seconds. During that time, the blank scroll Luster levitated out of the desk starts to shine. At first it is only the upper region that shines but the glow gradually spreads to the bottom of the document. After that, the light gradually fades across the whole scroll.

A moment later, Luster pops her eyes open and teleports the necklace back onto Sunset's neck. After that, she floats the scroll that recently glowed in front of her.

“All done,” Luster reports simply.

“What did you do?” Sunset asks with strong curiosity.

“I used a scanning spell that a friendly librarian, Scripted Scroll, had once taught me,” Luster answers. “With it, I am able to analyze the magical properties of that which I scanned and transfer that information to a spell scroll. Now I can just read the information I gained at my leisure, and I also have a record for reference later.”

“That . . . is . . . awesome!” Sunset cheers with the enthusiasm of a fangirl. “You have got to teach me that spell!

“Also, I want a copy of the information you just gained,” Sunset adds in a more serious tone. “I've been trying to study this geode for years. I want access to that information just in case it has something I didn't come up with before.”

“Sure thing, Aunty,” Luster says happily as she rolls up the scroll then floats it back to the desk. “Give me a little time for that, though. There are a few details I need to work out first. After that, I'll magic you a copy of the scroll.”

“My goodness, it boggles my mind how often a spell like that would have come in handy in the past,” Sunset realizes in awe. “That seems like the kind of spell Star Swirl the Bearded would have invented and direly needed.”

Luster shrugs as she says, “Maybe it was. Scripted didn’t tell me how she got a hold of a spell like that, but she seemed to imply it’s been passed down her family for several generations,” Luster informs.

Luster's expression grows worried as she asks, “Do you really think that crystal will help you communicate with your mother?”

“If she really is in a coma, then I doubt it,” Sunset answers. “I've already tried that with the unconscious form of human Cozy. It didn't work at first. Eventually I was able to get something, but it was Sombra's memories instead.

“However, it's recently come to my attention that I can also scan the memories of sentimental objects. As an extension of that practice, perhaps I can learn to gather information from my mother’s body, regardless of whether it is living or dead. However, if she really is in a coma, then I strongly doubt I'd be able to communicate with her.”

“Coma might be too strong of a word,” Luster corrects herself. “Sometimes Eventide seems to weave in and out of it. It might not be something as deep as a coma, but she definitely can't hold her consciousness.”

“It's the best shot I’ve got right now,” Sunset says with a grim expression.

Chapter 16: Saying Goodbye

Sunset Shimmer starts to reach a hoof up to knock on her mother's master bedroom, but then it occurs to her to ask herself, what's the point? Even if her mother is awake, she would not be able to answer.

So, instead, she reaches for the doorknob to turn it by hand out of habit, but her stubby hoof fails to turn the doorknob. In response, Sunset glowers at the doorknob, followed by the same expression towards her own hoof. She does recall being able to open these things with her hooves before, just as she used to be able to pick up anything with her hoof. It worked so easily when she did not question how that worked. But, ever since she lived in the human world for a while, it somehow caused her to lose that ability, at least for the moment.

Thinking back, Sunset realizes that is often true when it comes to magic. Not structured arcane magic. That has a system that is reliable and repeatable, but everyday things like picking up a book or turning a doorknob tends to work when she does not think about it. That often seems true when it comes to non-structured magic. It simply works as long as it isn't questioned.

Which makes her think of Pinkie Pie. In either world, she's the furthest thing from a scientist except, perhaps, when it comes to parties. Even then, however, it often seems as if Pinkie acts on a pure whim. She relies on her feelings all the time and very rarely ever stops to question how she did something unusual.

Sunset loves magic, but she also has a drive to truly understand it. The practice of arcane magic proves to her it isn't fruitless to try to understand the nature of magic. It's not enough to merely bask in the wonder of it all, but she does that too. She thinks it and she feels it. For Sunset, magic is both logical and emotional.

Turning a doorknob as a pony is a pure mental reflex. That is what she recalls. It's like punching in an all too familiar pin number to a credit card. If done often enough, it can be done without thought. But, for now, she can't help but question how long that will take.

Without a doubt, Sunset knew for sure that her magic has far more flexibility, range, and potential precision compared to manipulating things with her human hands, but it does tend to take much more focus and concentration. Very simple tasks can almost be done without much thought, but the challenge escalates quickly after that. Locking her mind on the precise spot she wishes to manipulate then imagining the direction she wishes to pull, twist, pinch, or push it . . . telekinesis is certainly much more cerebral in practice. Certainly it is much harder if she has a physical handicap, such as a headache.

After a moment, Sunset realizes that all of these thoughts help to distract her mind from a subject she desperately wants to subconsciously avoid. This is her mother's room, after all. The pony who has been the bane of Sunset's younger existence which catapulted her into some of the worst years of her life. Now she faces this challenge again with the added twist that this might be the very last time. After this, her mother really might die. That is so hard to imagine.

With regret, Sunset recalls there were times in the past when she wished that this outcome would occur much sooner, but now that it's actually happening . . . she does not know what to feel except she's keenly aware that there is a sting to this situation. For whatever reason, this feels hard to fathom. About the only thing she knows for sure is this feels far from pleasant. Some of the reasons for that she can grasp, but she also senses there are others that are far more elusive.

Sunset takes a deep breath then releases it slowly as she struggles to harden her resolve. She convinces herself that this isn't going to get easier, so she might as well get this over with.

Finally, using her magic, she opens the door. During the effort, she notices that it is not locked, but that does not surprise her for the moment.

What does surprise her, however, is to discover her old friend Fluffy Muffin is already inside. Apparently she is applying a moist towelette to Eventide's feverish forehead. Until she sees her old friend, it did not occur to Sunset that someone else might have been in the room. Maybe she should have knocked after all.

Noticing the light spill into the room, Fluffy glances back with a startled expression to the one standing at the doorway. At that point, Sunset realizes she definitely should have knocked first. She also notices that Fluffy's chubby cheeks are stained red with tears. Although Sunset did not expect it, primarily because she wasn't thinking of this before, Fluffy's reaction to her mother's deteriorating condition isn't surprising in the least. That's just the kind of pony her old friend is. She cares.

“Oh! I'm sorry,” Fluffy apologizes as she quickly attempts to wipe tears from her eyes. “I didn't see you there.”

“I wouldn't expect you to through a closed door,” Sunset returns then adopts a shameful expression. “No, I'm sorry. I should have knocked first, but it didn't occur to me anyone would be in here capable of answering that hail.”

“Nor would I expect you considering this situation,” Fluffy laments. “It . . . it probably won't be long now. Your mother might not even make it through the night. Something feels oddly appropriate about that, almost as if she was waiting for you.”

A very dim grin grows on Sunset's face as she says, “I can imagine doing that for my loved ones too. Under those circumstances, I'd want to see them as soon as possible just so that I would not have to linger and suffer much longer.”

“I'll take my leave, then,” Fluffy decides as she gathers up her things and tosses them to her mid-back. After that, she trots out of the room. She pauses for a brief moment as she starts to pass Sunset Shimmer. She uses that time to apply a supportive and deeply sympathetic hoof to Sunset's shoulder in silence for a few moments, then she departs.

There is a smell to the air that Sunset does not like. She is not entirely familiar with it, but her mind immediately associates it with death. It is so easy to imagine that this is what a hospital morgue smells like.

Aside from that, it severely contradicts her memories. This room should be bright and tidy. It should smell nice at all times with fragrances most ponies rarely can afford, let alone do so regularly. Sire's Hollow isn't exactly a wealthy community, but when it comes to certain things, her mother always seemed to be able to get her hooves on it with uncanny frequency.

Until now. That's part of what simply feels wrong about this situation. It feels as if she stepped into the wrong reality by accident. Her mind vehemently rejects this and insists she isn't supposed to be here and that this isn't happening. Over and over again, a strong part of her mind insists she must be dreaming, and that she needs to wake up from this nightmare.

Steeling her resolve, Sunset trots closer to her mother's side, but every step she takes confirms a reality her mind is desperately fighting to reject. Her mother isn't supposed to be this quiet, nor is she supposed to look this shriveled. Instead, she is supposed to be a powerful mare. Not in stature, but in attitude and spirit. The kind that often made Sunset shrivel inside.

Sunset fights to moisturize her throat, then struggles to say, “Hello, Mother.”

No response. Eventide doesn't even seem to be breathing. She's just there, lying on her back and facing upward while looking like a shriveled husk. Before now, Sunset had no idea that ponies could look that unhealthy and still be alive. One especially common symptom of poor health among ponies is a drain to their color. The more black and white they appear, the closer to death they are. Either that, or they are depressed and/or drained of magic.

It's too painful to imagine any of her other friends and loved ones like this. A body definitely looks different when the spirit within it is bright and alive.

“I'm pretty sure you can't hear me, but if you can . . . I imagine you'd be very much surprised to notice my return,” Sunset says sadly. “But regardless . . . I am here.”

Still no response, not even the slightest sign. No flutter of her breath. No flick to her ears. No sparks off her horn. No twitch in the eyes.

Nothing!

Sunset's face sinks into a grimace as she realizes this isn't going to work. She tries to choke back her fear that even her magical approach is unlikely to work. Even a common object might have more spirit than this withered husk. That was certainly true of the painting of Sombra that Sunset touched earlier. That painting was embedded with loads of sentimental emotion, but with this . . . there is a ninety percent chance that her magic will fail when there is nothing to contact on the other end. It's just like electricity. No matter how much energy one end has, electricity will not flow without a positive and negative charge. If that which she touches has no energy at all, no magical flow should occur.

But she came all this way, and a strong part of her spirit feels certain that fate wouldn't push her in this direction so heavily just to end her quest in failure. She needs closure on this chapter of her life. Very likely her mother needs that as well.

The greatest forms of magic come from emotions like friendship, hope, and faith. Empowered by these emotions, it can accomplish miracles. It seems she's due for one, so to hell with the logical odds! She's here on a mission, so it's time to do what she came here to do.

Sunset closes her eyes and sinks her mind into a familiar trance. She focuses her mind to channel her magic through her crystal. It responds readily enough. After that, she reaches forward and touches her mother's body.

And . . .

. . .

Nothing!

Sunset's eyes flare open as she starts to panic.

“Mother?!” she cries out with rising panic.

Quickly, she lowers herself to apply an ear directly next to her mother's mouth. She listens for several long moments.

And . . .

. . .

Nothing!

In desperation, she applies a hoof to her mother's neck and concentrates for any sensation indicative of a heart beating.

But, again, nothing. There are no life signs at all.

“Oh my Celestia!” Sunset gasps as she places that same hoof to her lips.

She's too late! Her mother is already dead.

Why would fate lead her all this way just to slap her in the face at the last second? There is a lot that she did wrong in her life, but she's paid for that over and over before.

Well no more! At this point, she felt certain that she does not deserve this. This can't be happening!

But then it occurs to her that, if this is true, it does not mean her mother still can't hear her. A disembodied ghost is still sentient. Sentient enough to understand any words she speaks.

“Is this my punishment, Mother?” Sunset wonders aloud as tears start to streak down her face. “I left you, so you left me. Just when I came back . . . just when I stood at the door . . . you pass away. Why would Fluffy be here to apply a moist towelette to a corpse? That doesn't make sense, which means she was fully convinced you were alive at the time.

“Maybe you were. Maybe you slipped away in the few seconds of my journey between the door and the bed. That's oddly apropos of you. Dying just when I arrive? Whatever it takes to spite me, eh Mother? One last slap in the face.”

Silence.

Sunset floats a chair next to the bed then sits upon it upright with her back against the backrest and her rear legs bent over the edge. From there, she looks across her mother's body, then sighs in sorrow.

“Honestly, I never really did want us to be on opposite sides. You brought me into this world, Mother, and in many ways . . . I'm grateful for that. I know it does not seem that way since I so eagerly left it, but there were extenuating circumstances. For what it's worth . . . I found a good home and good friends elsewhere. It took some time, a lot of effort and soul-searching, but I finally made it. I achieved happiness.”

Sunset softly applies a hoof to her mother's chest as she says, “Wherever you are and where you are going, I cannot follow. At least . . . not for a while. But hang in there. I will come . . . and I will finish what I had to say. There is a lot I need to get off my chest, and I think you do too. Arguments might be all we have left between us, but that is still communication. Right now, for once, I'd rather have that than silence.”

Without warning, her mother's body suddenly gets engulfed within a cyan magical aura. Feeling startled, Sunset takes a moment to assess the company she has in this room, for some other unicorn must be responsible for this magic.

But, upon checking, she notices that no other pony seems to be in the room.

And come to think of it, wasn't a cyan color magical aura her mother's horn magic? Such magical aura colors are very rarely unique. There is no reason to assume no other pony could be casting with the same type of color magic, but that would be one major coincidence given these circumstances.

Then Sunset notices her own magic geode is starting to glow too, and that pulse has the same rhythm as the glow around her mother's body. It’s as if to suggest there is a correlation between both of these facts.

Speaking with the dead certainly isn't an everyday occurrence, even in a magical world like this, but her mother just passed away, and it's not every day a pony walks into a room with a magic crystal like hers. This might be providing a unique opportunity.

A strong instinct rises within her which suggests that that is exactly what this is; a chance. Moreover, it is a temporary opportunity, and it will close soon.

Nothing is compelling Sunset to take this opportunity. She takes note of that because that is a sign that this isn't dark magic at work here. That said, she is feeling heavily encouraged. Regardless of how this is happening, she can feel that someone wants to talk to her, and it seems pretty obvious who it might be.

Sunset knows that telepathic communication can be stretched out once the power is initiated. When it takes place, they can have as long as they want to talk to each other. However, before that, she is operating within the rules of the physical plane, and on this end, time is running out.

Considering this limited opportunity and the fact it is very unlikely to be offered again, Sunset takes the plunge and touches her mother's body while concentrating to initiate her crystal’s power.

White engulfs her eyes, then suddenly she seems to be somewhere else.

One thing that Sunset already understands before she arrives is the fact that the destination will be a cognitive world. As such, it can take any form. Whatever form it takes, it is noteworthy to consider that her mother, Eventide, is the one that initially set the form of this “dream” like world, even if it's only on an unconscious level. That could offer her important psychological clues to her mother's state of mind, so Sunset vows to pay attention to her surroundings as soon as she arrives.

But when the white clears from her eyes, the sight of a very tall forest around her isn't what she expected to see. She notes that her surroundings appear to be a clear sunny day. In fact, her surroundings are actually too bright considering all the tree cover above. It's as if the area is brighter at this altitude but there does not seem to be a logical source for it.

Exploring further, the trees themselves are the most awe-inspiring sight. Many of them are thick enough to be converted into a home in their own right, except most of the trees are hundreds of feet tall. Sunset doesn't even feel certain of that fact. She can't see the tops of the trees from the base. It's too far, and besides, there is too much shimmering light above.

At the base level, the earth seems rich and healthy. There is no hint of corruption here. The air smells nice and . . . old. Perhaps even ancient. There is a pervading feeling of life in the local area, yet she does not see any aside from the plants. There is also a calming feeling to the atmosphere. Over time, she hears the sizzling sound of tree leaves being rustled by the wind above, and she also hears the wind's quiet sigh.

Her mother appeared to be in a very bleak condition in the physical plane, so these surroundings really catches Sunset off guard. The area rather seems to suggest somepony that already crossed over into the afterlife a long time ago and found peace there.

Another rustling sound catches and focuses Sunset's attention because this occurs at the base level. Shifting her pony ears and looking about, she eventually catches sight of her mother from behind who is wearing a white, translucent dress that almost appears to be made of light itself, yet it isn't blinding in the slightest to gaze upon it. The glow of her mother’s dress does not bother Sunset’s eyes, probably because she isn’t using her physical eyes in this dimension and is therefore immune to physical limitations such as blindness.

“Mother . . . I'm here,” Sunset calls out to her.

At first there is no response from her mother, but then she trots off to her right which conceals her face from Sunset's perspective.

“Mother!” Sunset calls out before galloping to catch up to her mother's former position. She rounds the base of the huge tree which originally concealed her mother. However, as she rounds the tree, she notices that she appears to have lost sight of her mother again.

Searching about carefully, she eventually spots her in the distance trotting behind yet another tree. Considering her mother's casual, relaxed pace, there is simply no logical way she could have gotten that far ahead with a normal trot. She has to be teleporting.

Well, Sunset thinks inwardly, two can play at that game.

Sunset may not be able to pull this off on the physical plane anymore, but teleporting about in the cognitive universe is as simple as a mere thought.

Doing so, she wills herself to the spot she saw her mother trot behind ahead. As a reflex, Sunset takes a few steps forward, but from her perspective, the environment blurs for a second. After that, she is suddenly where she wants to be.

But, upon rounding that tree, her mother is nowhere to be found yet again.

After a while of searching, she eventually spots her mother trotting along one of the thick tree branches above and disappears out of sight above the branch itself, thereby concealing her due to the angle of Sunset's perspective.

Sunset warps to that position she spotted her mother, only to eventually locate her at the base level of the forest again, and once again disappearing in the distance.

What gives? Sunset's mother never played such tricks before during life. She was way too precise and serious to entertain such games like this. In thinking of that, Sunset starts to doubt that this entity may be her mother after all. From the backside, it may look like her mother, but any entity can look like whatever they want in a cognitive universe. There are no physical limitations to prevent them from doing so in a place like this because everyone is just thought and energy here.

But why would anyone want to impersonate her mother? Moreover, the fact that the invitation to come here came from a glow around her mother's body, which had the same aura color as her mother did in life, lends credit to the fact that it may be her mother after all, but this entity certainly isn't acting like her.

Sunset repeats her earlier strategy for three more warp jumps before realizing there is one thing that is changing as her journey continued, and that is the environment itself. It's still bright daylight, and it is still an old forest, but Sunset is passing a few mostly buried giant statues or a cliff with a rainbow waterfall. The area is gorgeous, and it eventually occurs to Sunset that the journey might be more important than the destination. Besides, performing her previous strategy doesn't appear to be working. Her mother just keeps on warping ahead.

So, instead of that, Sunset floats off the ground then flies off to where she last saw her mother. Being a dream-like world, she can do anything one can do in a dream, especially if one is aware one is dreaming.

However, along the way, Sunset pays more attention to her surroundings this time because, whatever condition this place is in, it may offer vital clues to her mother's state of mind.

Because of that, Sunset notices a running theme here. There seems to be a strong emphasis on a quiet but also vibrant natural setting. Everything here is beautiful and peaceful, as if to convey the message, “I am, and will continue to be, far better than fine.”

Oddly enough, as soon as Sunset realizes that, she finally catches up with her mother because, this time, her mother stands her ground next to a mirror-like lake.

“I'm here, Mother,” Sunset repeats when she lands next to her mother. “I came at your invitation, but you kept spending that time moving away from me.”

“And what have you learned while chasing me?” Sunset's mother queries while still not regarding her daughter. Instead, she stares forward and a bit downward at the mirror lake.

“I learned that, despite my expectations, you seem to be at peace,” Sunset replies. “Also, there seems to be something appropriate about the fact you kept running away from me considering the fact I once did the same to you. In fact, I was so determined to avoid you that I ran into another world entirely.”

“I know,” Eventide says back. “I have seen it, and I also know why you did it.”

Eventide finally turns her head towards her daughter enough for Sunset to see her mother's face. In doing so, Sunset notices the familiar-looking golden hide and lighter stripe along her mother's muzzle, but one thing that would be quite odd in the physical realm is how young her mother looks. At this point, she actually looks younger than her own daughter.

“My life review is not the only thing I saw upon my passing,” Eventide explains. “My life has touched others, and I am very connected and invested in you. As I went through my life, I followed yours as well. That, in turn, revealed to me your adventures in the human world. I used to blame you for running away there, but now I understand what drove you away, and what keeps you there as well.

“I used to think that everything you do reflects upon me, positively or negatively, because it was my responsibility to raise you as your mother. The ways of Sire's Hollow is steeped in deep tradition, after all, and according to those traditions, I am to take credit or fault for whatever you do.

“But, in time, I've come to realize that isn't true. I brought you into this world and I helped to raise you, but your destiny was always your own, as it ever will be. You were always meant to trot your own path. I found peace when I finally realized that.”

At that moment, it dawns on Sunset that her mother already crossed over into the afterlife long enough to get settled there. She is communicating with her from a higher dimension. This is definitely her mother, but something more as well. Something significantly more.

Sunset feels both in awe and unsettled because she read that those who have crossed over to the other side can be significantly smarter and wiser. This isn't always the case, but there exists a chance because they now dwell in a place that is completely free of mortal restrictions of any kind, and this version of her mother has dwelled there long enough to start to get used to that fact. This means she is encountering a spirit who now exists on a higher evolutionary level. As a result, it puts Sunset back into that headspace of being a child again. Just like when she was a foal and felt forced to trust absolutely all adults because they knew more stuff than she did, Sunset feels that way again with this entity. Now she's an adult, but is encountering another entity that is far beyond an adult. Entities like this could potentially figure out the secrets of the universe in an instant, and/or have the wisdom of the ages.

“You envy and fear me?” Eventide spontaneously says as if reading her daughter's mind. “Now that is ironic.

“Yes, I am ahead of you for the moment, but that is only because of the place I have gone to. Let me assure you that, when you pass on and exist within a dimension with the same advantages, you'll be so much further ahead than I am.”

“Really? Why?” Sunset queries. She feels curious to know but also still on edge.

“Because you are so much braver than I,” Eventide answers. “You didn't forsake your destiny or changed who you are to conform to some other artificial system. I did.

“You remember how I used to act, right? Rigid, disciplined, and intolerant of flaws of any kind. I acted that way because I was raised that way. That is the family tradition that was passed down to each generation. Mother to daughter, and so on. An endless cycle.

“But, believe it or not, there was a time I used to be a free spirit, too. I wanted to wander and gallop in the open nature. I wanted to roam about the forests and smell pretty flowers. I wanted to be free . . . but in the end, I chose to sacrifice that important aspect of myself because I was convinced that our family cause is an important one. We are the Duchesses of Sire's Hollow. As such, we are their leader and can affect the lives of our citizens profoundly, positively, or negatively. They look to us for leadership, so it is important to provide it in order to support stability and prosperity. I care for my little ponies. I always have . . . or at least I used to.

“Now, however, I've grown more detached from the physical plane’s matters. I now consider it trivial compared to the challenges of the higher planes, but at the time . . . you need to understand why I did it.

“I should clarify what I mean by detachment because, in a way, I still do care about them. By now my existence has grown far beyond caring. I downright love them, but that is the nature of higher planes and their faster vibrational energy. Love is the core nature of us all. It is the outright language where I now dwell.

“However, despite that love, I've also grown wise enough to realize why direct attachments are no longer necessary, and why direct involvement could actually be harmful. Life will continue to be as it may regardless how much I want to get involved or not, and I've found far more peace in my willingness to let these things go. We are not compelled into such acceptance, but it is in the nature and circumstances of higher dimensions. It just comes with the territory, as it were.”

Eventide tilts her head to the side with a smirk of amusement on her face as she asks, “Isn't it interesting the roles we play in life? By forgetting our higher selves temporarily, we adopt many roles during life. Between us, for example, I played the role of your mother and pretended to perform all the labels attached to that title. A little of this and a little of that, all the while hiding our true nature.

“But, as spirits, we are so much more than the masks we temporarily wear. When it comes time for us to return to our true home, we'll be reminded of all that we have forgotten. In doing so, we'll see how silly and small this mortal world is compared to the greater realities beyond.

“What impresses me about you, however, is how much you managed to accomplish despite the limitations of this world. I'm not the only one to think this. Many others look upon you in awe. Even the greatest entities of light admit that they might not have been as strong as you given the same limitations and circumstances. This is partially the point and meaning behind life; to find out how far you can go when there are limitations. Exercising while suppressed with greater weight can make one stronger. When those limitations are finally lifted, that spirit can propel so much further when it is accustomed to acting under stress.

“Even in your darkest moments, you learned from your mistakes, and you used it to reinforce your spirit. As a result, it becomes that much harder to suppress you again.”

Eventide nods at something behind Sunset. When she looks, she sees part of reality peeled away like a curtain revealing a window into the past. Through that window, she sees herself while she was in jail. At that time, Sunset was wearing an orange jumpsuit with a long number printed in front of her heart area and a larger version of those numbers printed across her back. Sunset was crying while alone in her cell. The injustice and the horrors that she suffered by that point cracked her spirit for a moment.

But then she noticed the luminescent shadow of herself on the ground. This stilled her tears. She looks back over her shoulder through the barred window at the brilliant full moon hanging in the sky. For a brief moment, while gazing upon the moon, she thought she saw a phantom image of Nightmare Moon's shadow splayed across it, but she did not know why that was so back in Equestria. Back then it was simply something she accepted as normal, but at that moment in the jail cell, she felt nostalgic for her Equestrian home.

Even there, in that dark place and moment, there was a glimmer of beauty to be found.

For a moment, she had dwelled on her past and everything she ran from. There were a lot of things that filled her with regret and sorrow, but she could not forget that the place she ended up had many advantages. Important advantages. She found friends here in this world, and that friendship filled her with strength.

No, Sunset decided as she stood up, faced the window, and clenched a fist in front of her chest with determination.

I am not going to let these circumstances bring me down! I am not going to let this place conceal from me who and what I truly am!

I am Sunset Shimmer, and I am strong! Stronger than this, for I have friends to enlighten my life. For their sake as well as my own, I shall not only endure . . . I shall thrive!

“And that is exactly what you did,” Eventide says as if responding to the thoughts of her daughter's past. “That promise wasn't just empty words to you. It was a vow, and one you have carried ever since.

“The greatest challenge in physical life is the illusion of separation, but more so than most . . . you found your strength by uniting with others. In them, you saw a piece of yourself. I doubt you fully realize how enlightened you became because of that, but you felt it. In your heart, you sensed the truth.

“You kept your vow. Not only did you endure during this trial, but you thrived by not forsaking yourself and who you are. By embracing your destiny as bravely as you always have, you found strength not just in yourself, but also in others.”

The vision ahead of them shifts to another moment, this time ahead of the last instance.

In that moment, Sunset Shimmer had shared a cell with another cellmate, a woman with bright blue skin and short dark blue hair.

“In a way, I feel like I've always been destined for this,” the woman laments beside Sunset Shimmer. “The cruelty I suffered is why I spread it to others. I don't really want to do these things, but I can't help it! I'm just so angry all the time! I'm a poison that sickens everyone I've ever associated with in life. You should back off too, or I'll infect you as well.”

“I'm not going anywhere!” Sunset promised the tortured woman beside her. “You need me at this moment, so I am precisely where I want to be right now.”

“You wouldn't be saying that if you knew how many people I've hurt,” the woman warns. “Or the ways I've hurt them.”

“I've hurt people too,” Sunset counters. “My regret over that fact is exactly why I work so hard to redeem myself, but I also know how hard it is to dig one's self out of that pit of despair by one's self. You need a friend to help you through this, so that is what you're going to get.”

The woman's yellow eyes regarded Sunset Shimmer with a glimmer of hope as she asks, “Really? Even after all that I've done, you'd still be willing to consider being my friend?”

“There is nothing to consider,” Sunset assures as she clasps the woman's right hand with her own left. “Like it or not, you already are my friend.”

“Look at the hope and joy that filled her eyes back then,” Eventide encourages as they watch this scene play out. “She couldn't believe she stumbled upon something so fortunate. She was so unfamiliar with it and so certain that she didn't deserve it that it also stung her, and yet she could not resist it's lure because, deep down, that is what we all want. To feel that connection with each other. To feel something so much greater than ourselves.

“You filled her soul with love, hope, and light at that moment: All of which she was starving for until you came around. Lacking what she needed was precisely why she lashed out at others so often and so vehemently. Losing hope to receive that which the soul needs to feel nourished is among the most horrible feelings in the world. After searching for so long for what she needed, even if she did not consciously realize it, how could she not be your friend after that day?

“You may not have been aware of this, but your connection to your friends has raised your energy level. What that means is it vibrates faster. It is a sign of a stronger and more advanced soul. Strong enough that it can even empower others. On that day, you raised her vibrational levels too. Ever since then, she has also become stronger.

“That is the gift that you are, my beloved daughter. You're here to guide other lost souls back into the light. Having trotted through their hardships and wallowed in that same darkness, you therefore understand it. Others picked you up in their moment of compassion, and you've been a force of strength and healing ever since. More so than most, in fact, even compared to your other friends because, unlike them, you are a leader . . . just like the legacy you were born from. As a result, you have the capacity to inspire others more so than most. When a true leader serves as a force for good, their contributions can be immeasurable because a leader does not stand alone. Their strength is combined and multiplied by those who choose to follow them.”

The scene ahead of them shifts again, this time to a moment when her friends were blasted off their feet by the power of the astral Sirens that hovered above them. At that moment, they did not finish off their opponents because they were too busy gloating and savoring the taste of their impending victory.

When Princess Twilight noticed Sunset standing nearby (who was disguised as a human during this time), she reached a pleading hand out to her and called out desperately, “Sunset Shimmer . . . we need you!”

“It took so much courage to pick up the microphone at that moment,” Sunset's present self recalls as she witnesses this past scene play out. “At the time, I struggled with inner doubt. I wasn't certain I could help because I was so new to this 'friendship' thing, but my friends needed me. The audience below needed me. Maybe the fate of both worlds needed me.

“Urgency alone does not make one automatically brave. Instead, it can encourage it by necessity, but there is another way to react to an emergency.

“Fight or flight . . . that is the two most common reactions to fear. If I fled, I could have maybe saved myself, but most likely it would only delay the inevitable. The Sirens would have continued gathering power. If that continued, their influence would have spread. Eventually, there would be nowhere to hide.

“But fleeing meant I'd have to abandon my new friends. I wasn't even certain that they were my friends yet. Not once did they hug me when I desperately needed it at the time, but that didn't matter. How they thought of me didn't matter . . . because I considered them to be my friends . . . and I couldn't abandon them in their moment of need.”

“You made another vow to yourself on that day,” Eventide notes as they witness Sunset bravely pick up the microphone, throw off her jacket, then sing up to the imposing astral versions of the Sirens. “You vowed not to let anyone suppress you any longer, not even yourself. That's why you fled from me, Celestia, and all of Equestria. You didn't want anypony telling you what to do and bring you down. It did not matter if that was their intention or not. If you perceived it to be suppression, you rebelled.

“It's not the first time you fought to defend your own destiny. It's not the first time you fled either. However, this was the moment when you stopped trying to defend your destiny alone. This was the first time you fought for others as well, and in doing so . . . you discovered a greater portion of your destiny. If you still had your cutie mark in that world, I guarantee it would have been shining and shimmering brightly at that moment.”

“In a way, it did,” Sunset says with a grin as she witnesses her past self “pony-up” in a magical girl transformed state. Since this is the first time she is witnessing this moment from an outside perspective, however, she pauses to admire the new outfit she had gained. After witnessing this, part of her wants to immediately go back to Rarity and encourage her to make Sunset a duplicate of that outfit.

“Watch this carefully,” Eventide encourages, “because something important happened to you after this moment.”

The scene does play out. Her friends also “pony-up”. They also start floating above the hill as they continue to sing more passionately and with greater harmony.

Sunset does not need a reminder of how important this moment was. Witnessing it now from an outside perspective pales in comparison to being in that moment. She remembered how much her heart and soul filled with light as she sang alongside her friends. Never, before that moment, had she known such joy.

However, as the scene plays out, she finally notices something she overlooked at the time. Down below, she notices how others in the crowd in front of the stage swayed and lifted their hands in joy as well. They also sang. As they raised their own voices, they, too, joined in harmony with her friends.

“That's it!” Eventide commends. “Now you see it. Now you see what a leader can do.

“Certain things in life will always have a greater impact on others if it resonates with their hearts and souls, and what you've done on that day reflects a greater truth most have forgotten when they are born. On that day, the illusion of separation was stripped away somewhat, revealing the greater truth behind it for one glorious moment.

“Behold.” Eventide gestures above with a wave of a hoof. Sunset looks and witnesses a giant alicorn astral horse form in the sky. Eventually it shoots a giant rainbow beam down below which shatters the astral images of the Sirens’ ghost as well as the dark magic gems that empowered them.

After that, the scene before them fades away, once again replaced by the uninterrupted image of the ancient forest around them.

“Do you now realize why that magic was so powerful back then?” Eventide checks with her daughter.

“I believe I do,” Sunset answers. “I already knew it to some extent. I felt the magic rise from within me as I bonded with my friends, but I didn't realize I made such an impact on the audience as well. They must have added the strength of their spirit to the spell also.”

“Exactly!” Eventide agrees with a curious emphasis on the middle syllable of that word. “Now you are catching on . . . and also realizing the contribution you offer to a greater degree. Your strength comes from others. You, in turn, empower them.” Eventide waves a hove from left to right then back to left as she says, “Back and forth. Ever growing. Ever evolving. Ever changing.”

Sunset widens her eyes as she recalls something, then brings up a new subject by saying, “Speaking of changing, I noticed all the changes you made to Sire's Hollow. Why did you do that? Also, why did you leave all your land, money, and title to Luster Dawn? She told me she didn't want the job, and she also said that Stellar Flare did. I want to understand your reasoning so I can explain it to them later.”

Eventide sighs as she looks off to her right side while saying, “As I said, mortal affairs don't interest me as much as they used to. I've moved on to far greater things and challenges since then.” She looks back at her daughter. “But, if it helps, I'll explain my motives at the time.

“The thing about my past that was the major catalyst for this decision started when you left and I realized you probably wouldn't come back. I spent so much of my hopes and investment in you because I was convinced that the duties I upheld, on behalf of my citizens, is a legacy that is important to continue, but when you left . . . my options became largely uncertain. That confusion is on top of the pain of losing you.”

“I'm so sorry for that, Mother,” Sunset conveys emotionally. “I didn't mean to hurt you.”

“Yes, you did,” Eventide immediately retorts. “I've seen into your heart during my life review. You absolutely did want to hurt me at the time, but I now understand why you did it. I have forgiven you and since moved on to higher pursuits.”

Sunset looks down with a frown, realizing her mother has a point. There was a time in her life when she felt vindictive enough to hope that her mother got hurt by leaving Equestria.

This is definitely a secret Sunset would not have chosen to reveal on her own. It feels so unfair that her mother has such an advantage over her now.

“But I also know that you are being sincere now,” Eventide went on. “Know that I've already forgiven you and have since moved on, and know that I'm aware of and acknowledge your apology now.”

“It's from the heart,” Sunset assures honestly.

Eventide nods as she says, “I know.

“Anyway, dealing with the loss of my daughter was quite a shock for me on multiple levels. It meant I lost some face in the eyes of my peers, but more importantly . . . it meant I lost somepony I loved. It also put a lot of my plans in chaos. For the longest time, there was no resolution to this inner conflict. It just sat . . . unresolved . . . for so many years.

“But then the events of the rest of Equestria continued to unfold, and I took notice of some of them. I read and heard rumors about the heroics of Princess Twilight and her friends, but for the longest time . . . this was information I became acquainted with only distantly. Tirek, for example, never invaded my lands yet, nor stole our magic. Since he had Discord's help at the time, I imagine he eventually would have gotten to my citizens if Tirek wasn't stopped, but as it stood . . . my lands stood immune to that particular conflict. Some of my ponies weren't even aware of that fiasco at all until a few moons later. We do live in a pretty isolated community. There was a time in our history when that was the entire point of our community.

“However, after the invasion of the Storm King, I realized something very important, for you see . . . the Storm King and his army hail from lands beyond known Equestria at the time, and within them . . . there are many races we were not familiar with. Now, I realized that ignorance had a significant impact on both sides at one time because that ignorance was mutual. They didn't know about us and we didn't know about them. Both sides left each other alone . . . until the Storm King's invasion. That invasion proved to me that whatever is out there beyond known Equestria . . . they are aware of us now. What's more, they became aware of us first, it seems. As a result, they had more time to prepare for that encounter. We, on the other hoof, reeled from the culture shock for quite a long time. In fact, I am convinced that social impact continues to linger to this day, for it is yet not fully resolved.”

“But that's why you did it, isn't it?” Sunset realizes. “You were attempting to acclimate our society to the lands beyond.”

“Acclimate and mutually influence,” Eventide clarifies. “I realized that, now that they are aware of us and they have airships, they are coming one way or another. It's too late to stop that inflow, so I figured that, by inviting them myself, I could channel that flow. I heard rumors of some aggressive trends from some of those races. They are coming too. However, by inviting them to the one place that I had power and influence over, I sought to educate both the immigrants and my pony citizens to get used to each other. I also hoped to help quell some of the newcomer’s more aggressive tendencies. Many of them are meat-eaters, don't forget. I had to find a way to peacefully coexist with them or we'd find ourselves on their next dinner plate over and over again.

“By inviting them to my town under controlled conditions, that also permitted me a chance to study them more closely. That information could help govern future decisions. I knew many hard choices had to be made, and I also knew that a bad choice not only had the potential to doom my citizens, but all of Equestria at large, for I knew the pattern that starts here will reflect all across Equestria and many generations that follow. If we made a poor impression now, we may not live to regret our doom later.

“One frightening thing I soon learned about them is that they significantly outnumber us in the lands beyond Equestria. Mind you, not each individual race. If I were to measure that aspect alone, then it is we who outnumber them, and that typically by a wide margin. However, with all of their many varied races combined, they can easily overwhelm our pony population. In the long gallop, they hold a significant advantage over us.

“There are some important advantages in our favor too. The ability to influence the environment, for example, but that largely only applies within Equestria. I didn't know why during life, but I understand the reason for that now. I'll just say we had a powerful ally for quite some time which attempted to support harmony in our lands while simultaneously suppressed itself.

“They are coming, Sunset Shimmer. They are coming and they are not going to stop coming. Trust me on this. I didn't need the ability to see or travel through time, like I can now, to know this. I foresaw this pattern a long time ago, but inviting them in on positive terms leaves a positive impression. It is important to gather as many allies as we can right now while we can, or we could find ourselves too surrounded by enemies later. The entire point of our ancestors fleeing to these lands in the first place was in the hopes of promoting prosperity and harmony. In a way, they want the same thing. We just need to gently encourage them to realize that.

“As for why I gave my land, money, and title to Luster Dawn, I felt she was the better pony to support my vision, hopes, and dreams. Originally, I would not have said that because she was too cloistered with her books, just like her father before her. However, ever since becoming Princess Twilight's student, she was encouraged to find more friendship. Given her moniker of 'Princess of Friendship', that is not altogether too surprising.

“Luster found that friendship, too, but perhaps more importantly is the fact that I happen to know that some of her new friends are non-pony races. As a result, I became aware that she already grew accustomed to the idea of having non-pony friends. I can't say the same for many of my citizens, however, including Stellar Flare. I wouldn't call her too much of a racist either, but it's clear to me that Stellar would have been more interested in the business and financial front of my Duchy. That's valuable too. Luster would be a wise pony if she relied upon Stellar on the financial front as well as organization, but within my family alone, Luster is the best choice for the future of Sire's Hollow on a social front. That, in turn, could have a profound impact on the rest of Equestria moving forward.”

“Wow, Mother! I'm impressed!” Sunset exclaims. “I certainly can't blame you for a lack of foresight.”

Eventide shrugs as she says, “That's part of my job. I have to protect my little ponies. To do that, I have to remain aware of what could endanger them.

“Events are unfolding and changing all around us, my daughter. I sense it's gathering momentum as well. Old traditions can shield us for a time, but eventually, that defense will collapse. It is like the ocean waves eroding the rocky shores. One could resist change for a time, but change will inevitably occur eventually. To best ensure the most prosperous future for my citizens and, indeed, our entire race . . . adaptation will be required.”

“I'll be sure to pass on that message to those who may be concerned,” Sunset promises. “Unless, of course, you don't want me to.”

Eventide passes her daughter a scolding but also amused smirk as she says, “Since when are you in the habit of listening to me?”

When she said that, Sunset heard the distant echo of the old mother Eventide once was. But, for once, instead of irritating her, the nod to nostalgia instead made her heart fonder.

“I follow my own destiny, Mother,” Sunset assures. “Whether that is against or in support of your advice is up to me to decide, and for my part . . . it depends what you say. For now, your advice is making a whole lot of sense to me.”

“It resonates with your heart, doesn't it?” Eventide asks with a knowing grin. “Since you've known me last, I have learned how to communicate on a much deeper level. That ability extends to perception as well.”

Sunset pauses a moment to check with herself if she has anything else important to say. After a moment of inner debate, she looks at her mother and says, “Earlier, you said you now have the ability to see and travel across time. Because of that, do you happen to know what the problem is with the one I've been sent back here to heal?”

A wise look sinks into her mother as she answers that question with a question of her own. “Why ask that question when you already know what my answer will be?”

Sunset sighs, then asks, “You're not going to tell me, are you? Because you either don't want or not allowed to interfere with free will, and knowledge of the future can do that.”

“There is a reason free will exists,” Eventide assures, “else it wouldn't exist. Growth would not occur in an existence where change isn't possible, and change in a stagnant reality without free will is meaningless.

“However, I will follow up that declaration with some advice. Do as you have always done, my daughter. Follow your heart. It hasn't led you too far astray, and I believe it will continue to lead you to the right answers eventually. Expect some challenges and detours along the way, like this one. Challenges are also very much a part of the deliberate design of the physical plane. The obstacles are meant to encourage growth, and not just for you alone. Many others will join you on your journey as well, at least for a time.

“Your destiny is like a road. You choose your course whenever you encounter a fork in the road. Others travel the road too, and it can diverge in an infinite number of other possible paths. Some may trot with you for a short while and others significantly longer. Either way, the important thing is the growth that occurs during the journey.”

A moment of silence passes between them. During that time, Sunset does not know what else to say. She feels so overwhelmed by so many options and questions that it paralyzes her from any action or question. Above all, her greatest fear is that the most important question will occur to her only when it's too late to ask.

In response, Eventide applies a hoof to her daughter's cognitive perception of a shoulder as she says, “Do not fret, little one. You are well equipped to deal with your questions and challenges on your own. You've proven a long time ago how independent you can be, and yet your greatest source of strength comes to you when you inspire and share the company of others. Remember your own vows and who you are. Whatever may come, you can deal with this. Even if you can't, you'll have plenty of others who will be willing to lend a hoof, and you earned that right. You earned it by being their friend.

“As for us, we'll see each other again, of course. For those like us who no longer bound by mortal restraints, time is meaningless. It's simply another direction we can choose to persue, just like choosing a physical direction to travel. I can meet you again at the end of your life upon my very next encounter, and that's fine. I'm content with that.

“Carry through with your life while knowing that I am content and at peace, for I do not wish that uncertainty to burden your future. There is too much else that you'll need to focus on.

“That is the reason I have invited you here, my daughter. I wanted you to know this so you'll have this closure. Also, I wanted to convey one other important message. This particular one you'll find rather typical of those of us who dwell above.”

Proceeding that statement, Eventide hugs her daughter. More than that, she projects her love into her daughter. Not forcefully. It feels more like a warm glow. But, when Sunset accepts it into her heart, it fills her and penetrates every fiber of her being. It's warm, powerful, and utterly sincere.

Tears fill Sunset's virtual eyes.

“Thank you, Mother . . . for joining me on my journey for as long as you have,” Sunset says tearfully.

“Our paths will cross again,” Eventide assures as she parts from her hug. “In the meantime, take care . . . and enjoy your journey as much as you can. Whatever else may come, there is value in appreciating your life during your life instead of merely waiting to experience that at the end.”

Chapter 17: The Culprit

There are many reasons Cheese Pie loves the tour of Sire's Hollow. This is the first time she's been here, she loves the crowds (even though it is very physically draining to her), it is so fascinating to see the birth of a new culture dawning, and she shares this experience with some of her closest friends.

But there is a reason she cannot tolerate experiences like this for too long, as much as she might like to. Cheese Pie is an empath, but she is not a psychic empath. Instead, she is a physical empath. It is her body that reacts the most to the emotional impressions of others, not her mind. At least, not at first.

All sorts of physical sensations permeate her body when she is around others. In general, the more positive those emotions are, the more comforting the physical sensations are and vice versa. She is still learning the details of the process. It's like speaking a new language, except there is nopony in the world that can teach her. She is the only pony in the world (that she knows of) that speaks this kind of empathic body language.

For example, if she is around somepony who is irritable, Cheese's hide gets itchy. The more severe the irritation, the greater the physical effects. If she is around gut-wrenching raw agony instead, Cheese can barely stand for more than a few seconds, for she grows extremely ill due to multiple severe symptoms. It's like blasting her energy with a cannonball.

The biggest problem with her is the fact that these symptoms are cumulative. The more creatures she is surrounded with who are capable of emotion, the more all of those effects stack on top of each other. Being in a crowd is blasting her body with a multitude of physical sensations, very often many kinds of symptoms at a time. Most of the time they shift very quickly, but there are times when crowd mentality unites. When they do, they project very similar kinds of emotions. Events, like parties, generally evoke positive emotions en masse. Cheese often feels such a high when ponies sing together in joy and harmony. So strong are these effects for her that it can leave her dizzy for quite a while afterward.

A blast of high energy can temporarily make her feel hyper, but it eventually causes a physical drain due to exhaustion. Conversely, life-sapping energy, such as being around depressed ponies, is a drain on Cheese's vitality, and it is very difficult to recover from that as long as she remains around that influence. That is a major motive for Cheese to cheer others up. Either that, or completely leave.

The latter doesn't always work for her, however. Generally she only feels the emotions of others in a very local area, but there were a few times her body has been blind to the emotions of others even if they are directly adjacent to her. Conversely, she's been known to feel the emotions of others from a substantial distance. The difference between the two seems to depend on how close of an emotional attachment she has to another. The more she cares about somepony, the greater the distance she can feel them. It's as if her body gets adapted to the circadian rhythm of another.

As much as she loves parties, there is a factor that causes Cheese to need to withdraw after a while. That is why she isn't into parties as much as her parents. She does enjoy it, but can only tolerate it in limited doses. The same things goes for crowds in general. Cheese wants to be more sociable, but there are deterring factors.

One thing that can help compensate for that is the consumption of sweets, particularly anything that has sugar. Not only can that help give her a boost of energy when she needs it, but it turns out her body downright requires it because her family's metabolism is so dangerously high that they can actually digest and gather nutrition from rocks, although in that case, it's like trying to squeeze moisture from a dry turnip. It works if they're desperate, but they'll have to eat a whole lot of it to make up for the lack of nutrition. Fortunately for her family, rocks cost nothing on their farm, so they can essentially survive without any money at all.

However, food with actual nutrition in it can cause a huge jolt of energy considering they can gather something from almost nothing, such as rocks. Sweets, such as cupcakes, is an especially strong pick-me-up.

On the other hoof, the energy it provides tends to be short-lived. It can cause such an intense blast of energy for a short time that she can literally bounce off the ground and walls, but that much extra energy is very draining in the long gallop, and besides . . . her family digest that stuff unusually fast. They have to eat a ton of sweets just to struggle to maintain normal body weight, else they'd starve out quickly.

So, for multiple reasons, the Pie family learned it is necessary to remain prepared for the important things. It might also be why their mane has grown adapted to store lots of stuff, for that is required in case they need to pop a cupcake just to maintain normal energy level, or more likely cause a short spike of energy followed by a sharp decline unless they pop yet another cupcake.

In Cheese's case, her metabolism is not that powerful. She tried digesting rocks at one time. It made her kind of sick, and she ultimately threw it up. Just because her metabolism isn't as high as the rest of her family, however, doesn't mean it isn't unusually high. It's more like an eight out of ten instead of a ten out of ten in terms of strength, while the rest of Equestria comfortably sits at an average five out of ten.

So, with both interest augmented by critical necessity, Cheese has learned to bake some delicious pastries thanks to both of her parents, and her mother in particular. Also, the Cake family. On top of that, Cheese has learned it is necessary to stock up on an extra supply of pastries to carry with her just to make her functional in normal pony society.

Since Cheese's digestive system is not as crazy strong as her mother's side of the family, it means the nutrients of food can last a little longer in her system, or at least that would have been the case if it weren't for the physical drain caused by the presence of emotions from others.

From an early age, Cheese was taught to appreciate the uniqueness of every pony. That kind of mentality is deeply intrinsic to a race where their individual destiny is so strong and so blatantly advertised that it is on display on the rump of every adult pony. For this reason, her culture taught her to appreciate her own value, contribution, and differences in society.

Just like everypony is taught, she had to learn to feel her own way through her life and discover more information as it comes. It's an ever-evolving process that tends to lead to some very rigid thinking in the long gallop because each pony tends to get trapped in their own mode of thinking. Enough so that their whole life revolves around some central theme such as rocks, apples, parties, or whatever.

Ponies like Rumble seem to be a very rare exception for the race. After all, having a cutie mark indicative of the pursuit of “everything” would seem to make him a rare example of flexible thinking, but Cheese has a sneaking suspicion that he has his own pattern too, and his own limitations as well.

So, despite her intense fascination with the tour, Cheese found some necessity to pull back eventually. Not enough to bring it up herself, but enough not to reject when somepony else suggests a break first.

Besides, this tour brings about an unusually intense reaction with her traveling companion Cozy, and in a very bad way, though most other creatures would not know that from the surface. In fact, Cozy seems unusually innocent and friendly, but Cheese has learned that is just a front to hide Cozy's true emotions. Whenever she gets especially cutesy, that is actually a dangerous sign that Cozy is secretly up to no good. Right now, Cozy is dripping with ultra-intense, sugary-sweet charm. It is absolutely chilling for Cheese to notice how much Cozy's surface emotions sharply contrast her inner emotions. This is the most intense example of insincerity Cheese has ever seen from her friend.

All the innocent smiles, rapidly blinking eyes, blushes, girlish giggles, and “golly gumdrops” serve as a front to hide an insidious amount of pain, loathing, fear, and dark schemes.

When Cozy bumped into another creature on accident at one time (and from what Cheese has observed, it was a true accident on both of their parts), Cozy immediately hovered in the air as she places both of her hooves on her cheeks with a bashful expression as she wails, “Oh golly goodness. I'm so sorry, Mister. Will you ever forgive me? I am such a klutz.”

“No. Entirely my fault,” the very long-necked creature with dark gray hide says as he attempts to pick himself up, but his long brown robes cause his balance to be a tad tricky.

“Please, allow me to help you, Mister,” Cozy pleads as she offers both of her hooves. “It's the least little ol' me can do to help make up for your inconvenience.”

“Ah . . . sure,” the creature eventually decides.

As an outside observer to this, Cheese learns that Cozy's tactics to conceal her true emotions definitely works. In fact, Cheese had noticed that the other creature was initially wary and suspicious of Cozy, as if he was afraid that Cozy might have used that “accidental” bump to steal something. However, he fell for Cozy's act completely, which is precisely what reinforces Cozy's behavior. She does it because it works, even within a wary society. A more gullible society, such as pony society, tends to fall for her tricks all the easier.

However, as Cozy aided the other creature’s balance by pulling him up, Cheese felt an inward shudder as she sensed Cozy's intense urge to do some extreme harm to the one she's pretending to help, such as snap his long neck. If she did it, she'd likely maintain that innocent smile even if blood splashed on her face, thereby making her expression all the more unsettling.

“Thank you, young lady,” the creature says to Cozy in gratitude. “You're such a sweet young thing.”

“Oh golly, Mister. I try my awful best! You have a great day, and don't make a habit of bumping into any more strangers. You hear?”

To Cheese’s more preceptive senses, she realized there was a hidden threat behind Cozy’s otherwise kind and innocent-sounding words.

“Such a nice young pony,” the stranger says with a pleasant smile. “Good day to you too, young filly.”

There is an extremely subtle twitch in Cozy's eye that is easy to miss. Cheese would have missed it if she wasn't looking right at Cozy's face.

“It's mare now, but thank you! You have a scrum-diddly-umptious day, Mister!” Cozy cheers.

“I will,” the stranger returns before moving on his way.

Cheese sighs with relief. That stranger had no idea how tempted his “rescuer” was to murdering him in cold blood. The fact that they were both in public view might have been Cozy's primary deterrent, but if this encounter had occurred in an isolated alley, the results likely would have been far more evil.

There is a chilling look in Cozy's eyes when she glances at Cheese, as if to threaten, “I know that you know how I feel, and you better keep it to yourself.”

I'm not usually the one to cut a fascinating tour short, especially if it gives me a chance to observe a unique and budding new culture. However, after observing that newest encounter and sensing its hidden and sinister undertones, I've got butterflies in my stomach now, and it's making me feel tired and drained.

“I really appreciate the tour you have given us, Mister Coppertop,” Cheese says to their tour guide brightly. “I really mean it.

“However, it is getting late, and I feel concerned about the fate of Sunset Shimmer. She might need some emotional support right now, so I would appreciate it all the more if you can start giving us a tour that leads in that direction.”

“Aww! Tired of me already?” Chester playfully teases Cheese.

Ironically, Cheese has the exact opposite impression of their tour guide compared to Cozy. He seems sinister on the outside, but inwardly he's a big softy.

As a friend, Cheese loves Cozy to death, but right now she's feeling far more comfortable with this evil-looking spider creature than she is with her smiling and giddy-looking friend who might be inwardly giggling with insane glee as she privately debates how many strips of flesh would it take to peel off others before they painfully die.

“Not in the slightest!” Cheese cries back happily. “I love this tour, and I love seeing these new and interesting sights.” Cheese's smile fades as she continues, “But our friend, Sunset, might be in a lot of pain right now. For my own peace of mind, I want to check on her. Besides that, I am feeling a little tired.”

Chester lifts the top of his tall black hat as he says, “As you wish, my dear. It's your bits, after all, and I'm only too happy to serve.”

“A tour that has been quite informative,” Sunburst chimes in. “For that, I do indeed appreciate it. It has been a while since I've been back in my old town, but right now it's starting to feel trivial next to the important events that might be unfolding in the Duchess mansion.”

Sunburst floats his glasses off of his face for a moment as he wipes it with a cloth, then replaces it on his face as he requests, “Please escort us to the mansion, my good sir.”

Chester taps multiple limbs together as he suggests, “If you all feel the situation is that urgent, perhaps it would be best to hail a carriage down. If so, I know the best place to do so, and I could get you a good deal on it.”

“That would be perfect!” Sunburst agrees. “Lead on, my friend.”

After knocking on the large front double doors to the mansion, Sunburst looks from the door to Cheese as she exclaims, “Wow! Now I can see how you were able to personally afford so many books, Sunburst.”

Sunburst sighs as he looks back at the door while waiting, then says, “It's true that books aren't cheap, especially considering the sheer volume of the ones I have, but many of the books I have in my youth wasn't purchased myself. Instead, they are things my family has accumulated across multiple generations. Since I was able to make the most of it, it was decided that they should go to me. Aside from that, I took very good care of them and also kept them well organized.

“However, I do not closely associate myself with this side of the family. In fact, every time I come here, I feel like I'm entering into a stranger’s home and that I need to be on my best behavior, for high society like this will indeed judge others very critically.” He shakes his head. “So I can't relax here. This isn't a standard of living I feel personally comfortable with, which is why-”

Sunburst cuts himself off when the door opens. Before long, he is muzzle to muzzle with the tall and angular elderly Headmaid of the household.

“Good evening, Missus Karmichael,” Sunburst greets diplomatically. “It is my understanding that my cousin, Sunset Shimmer, has proceeded here before us.”

“Indeed,” the Headmaid agrees with a pointy nose arrogantly holding up in the air. This forces her to look down upon Sunburst literally and figuratively, especially considering her natural height. “Took you long enough to return to the estate, Master Sunburst.”

“Oh, please. No 'master' stuff,” Sunburst requests as he floats his glasses further up his ever sliding muzzle. “I'm just a guest here. One who requests admittance for myself and my compony.”

Missus Karmichael rolls her eyes in disgust, but she also steps aside to let them pass.

“Mistress Sunset is indeed within the estate,” Karmichael confirms. “Do you request for me to alert her to your presence?”

“Please,” Sunburst gladly invites. “In the meantime, I would also appreciate an escort to the study room. We can reconvene there.”

“Very good,” Missus Karmichael acknowledges with a nod to another servant, silently bidding that pony to guide the guests to the study room.

Cheese Pie pulls her fluffy pink mane down for a moment with a hoof. Doing so causes it to stretch. After a few seconds of building tension, she releases her hold on her mane. When that happens, her mane bounces back into its previous puffy shape, except it also ejects a cupcake spinning in the air. After making an upside-down U shape pattern in the air, Cheese gobbles it up in one fell swoop. Her mouth briefly stretches to impossible proportions to accommodate for that trick, but she thinks nothing of it.

Mmm! Tasty, if I do say so myself, Cheese thinks to herself before her eyes scan across the wall of books in the study room, eventually to settle on one of the doors just as it opens and admits Sunset Shimmer, Luster Dawn, and one other middle-aged mare earth pony with bright purple hide, purple eyes, mix of dark purple and lime green mane, and somewhat chubby figure. Cheese has never seen this maid before, but this pony’s proportions kind of reminds Cheese of Missus Cake somewhat.

Eager to make friends, Cheese happily bounces up to Sunset but regards the stranger upon her approach. Upon arrival, she asks, “Hey, Sunset! Who is your new friend?”

“Huh?” Sunset looks bewildered and taken aback for a moment. She even scans the company that followed her in to identify whom Cheese might be referring to. Doing so causes her to quickly figure it out. “Oh! You mean Fluffy here.” Sunset smiles at Cheese warmly. “Well, the pony who may be a new friend to you is a very old friend of mine.” Looking across the room, Sunset announces to everyone in the room, “Everypony, meet my old friend here in the mansion, Fluffy Muffin.”

“Ha . . . hello,” Fluffy Muffin greets with a shy but also happy blush. “Pleasure to meet you all. I'm so pleased to learn that Sunset has finally earned herself some new friends. That's quite a relief, actually. For the longest time, her friendship list was startlingly narrow.”

“I've had plenty of practice, since then, in that department,” Sunset assures over her shoulder to her old friend as she continues to trot into the study room. “Trust me on this.”

“Oh, I trust you,” Fluffy says with a brighter smile. “Just seeing everypony in this room, I am reminded that-”

Fluffy is cut off when Gallus clears his throat, then he says, “I hate to be a buzzkill here, but not everyone in the room fits the 'every pony' category,” Gallus says with talon quotes.

“Oh! Excuse me, Sir!” Fluffy exclaims to Gallus. “My apologies!” She focuses on him for a moment, then grew doubly surprised in addition to being embarrassed.

The maid is also afraid of Gallus for some reason, Cheese is caught off-guard to notice.

“My goodness!” Fluffy explains. “A palace guard?” she inquires after noticing his uniform, minus his helmet, which he is currently tucking under a wing. “I . . . I . . . I didn't know anypony employed your kind at the Royal Canterlot Castle. You must be very good at your job!”

“Well, I'm fairly good,” Gallus says with a cocky smirk, “but it isn't because of my race.” His look suddenly shifts to a far more serious one. “It's because of my friends and those who trained me, and also my determination to protect my friends. That is why I'm good at my job.”

For a moment, Fluffy stands up on her rear hind legs and uses her forelegs to curtsy to Gallus with her maid’s outfit as she says, “That's very admirable of you, Sir.” She lowers herself back to all four hooves. “It is a pleasure to see a non-pony race working towards the stability and security of everypony.” She looks out the window with a sad sigh. “I just wish there were more out there who think like you do.”

“What?!” Gallus asks in a bit of alarm. “Are there security risks out on the streets of town?”

“More than I'd care to admit, I'm sad to say,” Fluffy laments. “The streets of Sire's Hollow isn't what it used to be. What, with all the new immigrants pouring into the town practically every day.” She brightens back up a bit. “But at least it's been a pretty big boost for our local economy. I'm pretty sure that's why the Mistress did what she did.”

“It's more than that,” Sunset assures as she approaches behind and rests one hoof on the back of one of the chairs in the room.

“You told me that you found something out,” Luster Dawn reminds Sunset, “but you wanted to speak of it here so you can explain this to all of your friends simultaneously. Well, we're all here, aren't we? So spill it.

“Also, hello, Father,” Luster says to her father directly. “It's good to see you again.” Her expression hardens to a slightly grim expression. “We need to talk later on.”

“I figured we would,” Sunburst replies to his daughter.

“Where's Mom?” Luster checks with her Dad.

“Still at the school,” Sunburst replies again. “Classes are still in session, and we figured that this trip didn't require all of us. Starlight was tempted to temporarily close the school so that we all can deal with this family matter, but I assured her that it wasn't necessary. That I could hoofle this issue myself.” He waves at his daughter. “Plus, I knew you were here, and I trusted you to take care of matters. I'm just here to support you.” He looks at his cousin. “And Sunset too, of course.”

“Last I checked, Mom didn't seem too keen to come,” Luster recalls.

Sunburst rolls his eyes as he says, “Well, you know how she is. Despite being a councelor for so many years, your mother has some trouble expressing herself when things get too personal.” He looks down. “Believe me, I understand. There are things about this place that I would have preferred to put behind me, too. Why, just outside the front door to the mansion,” he continues as he looks back up at his daughter with his eyes only, but his face remains directed downward, thus he is looking at her over the top rim of his glasses. “I had to endure being called 'Master' again.”

Luster grins at her father as she says, “Me too, except I think I could get used to that.”

“It comes with a bigger price than you might think,” Sunset warns. “Sunburst and I endured that as we grew up in this town. It can be quite socially isolating.”

“Then I definitely would have loved that when I was younger, but now . . .” Luster trails off.

Sunset looks down for a moment as she takes a deep breath as if to gather her courage. Looking upon her, Cheese realizes that is exactly what Sunset is doing.

But, just before Sunset speaks, she is interrupted by her friend.

“My goodness!” Fluffy exclaims in surprise again. “Are you . . . are you Cozy Glow?”

“That's me!” Cozy concurs with a bright smile and rapidly blinking eyes. “That's my name. Don't wear it out.”

“I hear that you are the adopted daughter of Princess Twilight now!” Fluffy continues in surprise.

“Indeed,” Cozy agrees with narrowing eyes and a devious grin spread across her face. “So I'm royalty now, and don't you forget it!”

“No wonder a palace guard came here,” Fluffy realizes. “So . . . you're really Cozy Glow. Funny . . . after all the rumors I heard about you, somehow I thought you'd be taller.”

“Well, I was while under the influence of chaos magic,” Cozy mumbles bitterly under her breath, but Cheese is close enough to overhear.

“What was that?” Fluffy wonders while aiming an ear at Cozy carefully. “I didn't catch that.”

“Nothing!” Cozy reflects while suddenly raising her charming mask with her bright, innocent, and exceedingly fake happy smile again. “Continue with whatever you were doing, peasant.” She focuses on Sunset with a much more serious expression. “Actually, you had something important to say, didn't you?” She narrows one eye at Sunset. “What did you find out?”

Cheese suspects that she's not the only one in the room to realize Cozy was simply trying to divert the subject matter away from herself, but she also knew that her friend was genuinely curious about the answer to that question.

They all are.

“Everypony, I . . .” Sunset sighs as she trails off, then flashes Gallus an apologetic look. “Excuse me, everyone . . . I have an important announcement. My mother . . . the Duchess of Sire's Hollow . . . has recently passed away.”

The room grows deathly quiet, except for Fluffy bursting into a sob. Other than that, the silence is eventually broken first by Sunburst.

“So . . . we really have arrived too late to save her,” Sunburst laments.

“I told you all we should have all gone to the mansion right away!” Cozy growls irritably. “If we all came here first instead of wasting our time with that accursed tour, I could have saved her!”

“Really?!” Luster exclaims in surprise at Cozy. “How?”

Cozy stomps a hoof on the ground in frustration as she complains, “I already told you this . . .” She trails off when she realizes whom she's talking to, then amends in a calmer tone. “Um . . . no. Ah, I didn't explain this to you.” She points to a red crystal dangling on her neck as she asks, “You see this? This is a magic crystal I've gathered from another world. Normally it only has the power to control and recharge machines, but it also happens to house a mighty spirit at the moment who also just happens to be an expert at crystal magic.” She focuses on Sunset again. “If I had come here sooner, I could have locked your mother's body in a crystal stasis spell, exactly like the one currently housing my counterpart.”

“Okay, you lost me,” Luster informs with a confused blink and a brief shake of her head.

“I don't think it would have worked,” Sunset returns to Cozy.

“Why not?” Cozy asks back.

“It's . . . it's hard to explain, but suffice to say that I sincerely believe it was my mother's time to go,” Sunset announces to the room with a heavy heart.

“You did speak with her, didn't you?” Luster realizes in astonishment. “Your magic crystal actually worked!

“Wait a second.” Luster peers sharply at Cozy. “Is your crystal anything like hers?”

“Yes and no,” Sunset explains to Luster as she turns to face her fully. “The crystal she has stemmed from a similar source, but it is a different crystal and it has different powers. Technically, it isn't her crystal exactly, but the one it is meant for is basically like her identical twin who happens to dwell in another world and has a similar but also alien form.”

“So,” Luster begins at Sunset, “did you manage to contact your mother or not?”

“I did,” Sunset replies.

“And?” Luster tilts her head. “Don't keep all of us in suspense. What did she say?”

Sunset looks off to her side. It is difficult for her to meet anyone's eyes. “Mother, she . . . she wasn't the same pony that I knew in life.”

“That stands to reason,” Sunburst figures. “Your knowledge of your mother is decades out of date.”

“It's more than that!” Sunset snaps at Sunburst more sharply than she intends. Immediately after saying that, and particularly due to the intensity of her reaction, she reels afterward with regret. She sighs as she looks down and rubs the back of her neck, then laments, “Darn it, Luster, I wish your mother had come. I could use a counselor right now, and the irony is I was studying to become one myself.”

Cheese scans the others in the room. Most of them are hanging their heads in collective silence and regret. After that, Cheese bounds her way next to Sunset and places a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder, then says, “We may not have an official counselor with us for the moment, so how about a friend?”

“Agreed,” Gallus concurs. “And you are surrounded by those. Both the old and the new.”

For a moment, Sunset is closed in from all sides by the other occupants in the room into one massive group hug. Gallus and Cozy are the last to join.

“I know it's sappy,” Gallus says to Cozy with a roll of his eyes just before he approaches Sunset to join in the group hug, “but she is our friend. You care about her too, don't you?”

Cozy Glow really is the last holdout, but Cheese senses that Cozy understands the pain of that kind of loss. Cozy dwells on it for a brief moment before finally moving to join in the group hug. She even wraps her wings around the group.

“Thanks, everyone,” Sunset says tearfully. “That really does make me feel better.”

After everyone pulls back away from her, Sunburst asks, “What did you mean exactly by Aunt Eventide not being the same pony?”

“Well, that's just it. She wasn't,” Sunset assured. “I met the version of her that already kinda-sorta crossed over into the afterlife. You have to understand, I met her mere moments after she just passed away, yet she seemed like the kind of pony that's already been there for a long time.”

In astonishment, Sunburst's glasses slid down his muzzle again until it nears the tip of his muzzle. When he recovers his wits enough to talk, he also uses his magic to float his glasses back up his muzzle while asking, “Are you telling me that you actually spoke with Eventide after she passed away?” His excitement seems to rise. “This could answer so many questions about the other side. The great mystery beyond!”

Sunset shakes her head as she says, “She didn't come to me to answer questions about the afterlife, she came to me to say goodbye. To give me closure, and to give me a message.”

The reaction this causes in the room causes Cheese to realize something horrifying. After that, she immediately tries to seize Sunset's attention.

“Sunset, I need to talk to you urgently!” Cheese begs Sunset in a frantically uncharacteristic way.

“What is it, Cheese?” Sunset asks.

Cheese leans in close and whispers into Sunset's ear, “You know your old friend, Fluffy Muffin here?”

“Yeah,” Sunset replies.

“She killed your mom!” Cheese exclaims in a grim whisper to Sunset's ear.

“What?!” Sunset cries aloud in astonished horror. “No! That can't be! She wouldn't do that! Besides, Mom died of illness.”

“And do you know why?” Cheese asks aloud. “Trust me, she's hiding something. Her feelings of guilt are way too intense, and in a very specific way. Also, she is afraid of getting caught.”

“Are you sure?!” Sunset asks critically.

“I suppose I'm not,” Cheese admits. “But . . . there is a way you can be.”

“Why? What's going on?” Cozy asks in rising alarm.

Cheese tilts her head towards Fluffy subtly but maintains eye contact with Sunset along with a pleading “trust me” kind of expression.

Sunset locks eyes with Cheese with a hard stare for several long moments, then she trots over to her old friend.

“What?” Fluffy asks while shriveling with a very worried expression.

Sunset closes her eyes, sighs, then says, “Forgive me,” then touches Fluffy Muffin while igniting her crystal's magic power. This causes her eyes to glow white for a few seconds before fading away.

“Wha . . . what just happened?” Fluffy asks, feeling frightened and bewildered.

“That was a mind scan,” Cheese explains grimly. “She knows everything now. She knows what you did.”

“What are you talking about?” Gallus asks Cheese.

Cheese snaps her head sharply in Gallus's direction as she says, “Sunset will explain that in a second, unless Fluffy confesses first.” She looks back at Fluffy with sudden sympathy. “I think . . . I think a strong part of her wants to.”

“You killed the Duchess,” Cozy realizes aloud. “Didn't you?” she asks towards Fluffy.

“What?!” Sunburst exclaims with similar intensity as his cousin a moment ago.

“It was poison, wasn't it?” Cozy figures. “One designed to look like a natural illness.” She pauses a moment as she glances down, then looks back up at Fluffy. “I even think I figured out why you did it.”

“More specifically,” Sunset begins as she ignites her horn with magic. As a result, a tiny vial floats out of Fluffy's maid dress. “this poison.” She floats it closer to Fluffy. “Care to drink this and prove that it's benign?”

Fluffy endures her old friend's hard look for only a few seconds, then looks down glumly as she asks, “How did you know?”

“With this!” Sunset exclaims sharply as she floats her magic crystal up. “As I mentioned earlier, this allows me the power to read others’ minds.”

“Does it, now?” Fluffy asks as she bravely fought to look back at her friend. “Then you also realize how much I regret this necessity? Does that also mean you know why I had to do it?”

“You didn't have to do ANYTHING!” Sunset yells at the end of her sentence. “YOU KILLED MY MOTHER, FLUFFY! I thought we were friends!”

“My actions were never meant to betray you,” Fluffy assures. “I only did what I thought was right to save Equestria.”

“Save?!” Gallus asks incredulously. “You committed murder to save Equestria? How does that figure?”

“It's the immigrants, isn't it?” Cozy figures. “You took her out because of her policy.” She looks sharply at Luster. “My guess is you were hoping to guide the next successor of the Duchess into a different decision. That is what you wanted to talk to your father about in privacy, isn't it? The old Duchess left everything to you.”

“Wha-?” Sunburst looks at Cozy in shock, then passes that same look to his daughter. “Sunny-Beam, is this true?”

“Ah . . .” Luster looks about at everyone in the room uncomfortably, then admits as she closes her eyes, “Yes, Father. She left it all to me.” She opens her eyes again and looks back at her father. “You know what this means, right, if I accept the job?”

“Cozy is right,” Sunset announces. “That's exactly why you killed my mom,” she says to Fluffy directly, but her voice is a little more steady. More understanding. “You were afraid that if they continue pouring in, they'll eventually take over Equestria.”

“Or corrupt it!” Fluffy adds emphatically. “You scanned my mind, right? Then you know it’s already started to happen. Fights are breaking out on the streets all the time!” she swears to Sunset, then glances at Gallus as she explains to him, “That is the security risk I implied earlier.” She looks back at Sunset. “They are not that bad at ponies yet. I know because I met them personally. I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, Sunset. I really did. For a while, too, I was honestly convinced that this could work . . . but eventually I started to notice cracks growing at the seams everywhere!

“Many fights were breaking out on the streets ever since they came. Most of it was between the non-pony races, but eventually, it spread to ponies in a different way.” She put both of her forehooves on Sunset's shoulders as she cries out, “It's the foals, Sunset! They are starting to get as violent as the immigrants! They are young and impressionable, and they see how the newcomers are acting with each other. Plus, there are other ways they influence our youths. They encourage them to lie, cheat, steal, and act violently. It's only a matter of time before members of our own kind start to get as bloodthirsty as them.”

“You don't know that!” Gallus accuses.

“Yes I DO!” Fluffy cries out. “You think this is easy for me to accept? I fought this conclusion for so long, and even when I finally realized the truth . . . all I did was send multiple letters of concern to your mother.” She looks back at Sunset. “I wasn't the only one to do it, either. Multiple petitions signed by many ponies were sent to her, and she ignored them all. This is our town too, Sunset! Every decision she makes . . . every act she does or doesn't do . . . deeply affects us all, and she didn't care!”

“Yes she did,” Sunset assures. “Far more than you know.”

Fluffy looks taken aback by the intensity of Sunset's conviction. After that, she realizes why her friend might be so certain, so she concedes, “Okay. So you do know how much she cared. Maybe it is far more than I thought. I'm willing to acknowledge that, but the fact remains that her actions and inactions allowed this problem to continue to fester, and I'm sure it would have spread into the rest of Equestria.

“I care about our town too, Sunset, and I deeply care about our youth. I hate what I've become and what I had to do, but I do not regret it because I understand how necessary it was. No matter what it takes, no matter what I have to do, I have to protect our foals! They are innocent. They are our future, and they don't deserve the awful fate we're starting to condemn them to.”

“Just because they are not ponies doesn't make them automatically evil!” Gallus cries out passionately. “I know! I'm one of them.”

Fluffy shakes her head at Gallus as she says, “I'm not accusing you personally of anything, Sir, and I don't hate you either. I don't even fear you anymore. I used to because of your authority, but I think I'm now at peace with that as well. You see, I want to be punished.” She looks back at Sunset. “I deserve it. I know, but I consider my actions a necessary sacrifice to protect the greater good. You haven't been here for many years, Sunset. You haven't seen what their influences have been like, and I'm not the only one to notice either. We realized it's going to get worse if we do nothing to stop it.”

“Did you act alone?” Gallus asks critically.

“Yes, she did,” Sunset assures, “other than the vendor she bought the poison from, but even then . . . the vendor didn't know whom that poison would be used on.

“In fact, the poison she got wasn't lethal at all at first. It only became that way when it was mixed with several other ingredients. Sold separately, the other ingredients were perfectly legal for the most part.”

“This is true,” Fluffy confesses. “I acted alone in this heinous act, so I alone bear the responsibility of this action.”

“You used the books here, didn't you?” Sunburst realizes. “Our family has access to a great deal of information. It isn't hard to imagine that one of them might involve alchemy.”

Fluffy nods in silence for a moment, then says, “As you have said.”

Fluffy focuses on Sunset again as she says, “I'm not asking for your forgiveness. You lost too much for that. What I am asking for is understanding because the cause itself is too important. Do whatever you want to me, but you all need to know the danger that is growing here. I beg you . . . stop the immigration before it's too late! The damage they've already done may last for generations, but it's so much better than what will happen if nothing is done to oppose this awful pattern.”

There is a moment of silence between the mostly stunned group, broken first by Cozy.

“You ponies don't know how much this land is a paradise,” Cozy begins grimly. “You'd never know that until you have seen the lands beyond it. I have! That's why I'm not as gullible as all of you.

“Fluffy is right! Everything that she fears that might happen to Equestria will happen. I know because I've already been there. I was born into it. I was raised there. I lived it! Ponies locked in cages. Ponies used as slave labor. Ponies used as food!

“NONE of you know what it's like to grow up with that kind of fear, pain, and humiliation!” Cozy cries out as she spreads her wings wide and tears rise in her eyes. “I have! I was tortured by that every single day! Unable to fly! Unable to be free! Unable to embrace my destiny because-”

Cozy got cut off in astonishment when Cheese suddenly hugs her. After a moment of stunned silence, she asks her friend, “What are you doing?”

“Giving you what you need,” Cheese replies tightly as she gives her friend a desperately affectionate squeeze.

Cozy suddenly struggles to wiggle herself free from Cheese's grasp as she complains, “Let go of me! I don't need your pity! I don't need your help! I don't need ANYPONY!!!”

“Yes, you do!” Cheese counters wisely and perceptively. “You need this right now, and you need a friend. Now more than ever.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Cozy accuses. “Let go of me! You are embarrassing us both!”

Instead, Cozy grows more shocked when everyone else starts hugging her too as if they realize Cheese has a good point. Even Fluffy joins in.

“Stop it! Stop it all of you! I command you!” Cozy demands as tears rush more and more forcefully to her eyes. “I am the future princess of all of Equestria! You have to obey me! I demand it!”

“Shhh,” Sunset hushes. “Shush, Cozy. Just accept this . . . and let all of your pain out.”

“NO!” Cozy screeches much more desperately as tears rush to her eyes uncontrollably. “NO! YOU ARE ALL WRONG! I DON'T NEED THIS! I DON'T NEED ANYPONY! I SURVIVED ON MY OWN! STRUGGLED AND BUILT AN EMPIRE ON MY OWN! I AM YOUR EMPRESS! I AM YOUR QUEEN! I DEMAND YOU ALL TO . . . to . . .

“. . .

“Oh Celestia!”

Cozy finally gives in, and when she does, she cries out really hard! She practically screams as she wails into the hugs all around her. So many years of extreme pent up frustration, fear and terribly raw rage just pour out of her.

Cheese finally understands her friend. This was what Cozy was hiding earlier. No wonder she seemed so much worse this past day than Cheese had ever seen in her friend before. It was because Cozy was directly confronted with the symbol that caused her downfall in the first place. To face this again not only confronted her with many awful memories, but fear and bitterness that the pattern would repeat. The setting that Sire's Hollow grew into was all too familiar to Cozy. While Cheese saw a fascinating new culture and many potential friends, Cozy saw something significantly darker, and for good reason.

For the next ten minutes, Cozy continues to cry really hard. That kind of activity Cheese knows is cleansing, but also really draining.

Sure enough, after ten minutes, Cozy cries herself to sleep.

Following that, Luster Dawn makes an important announcement.

“Father . . . everyone . . . I've made an important decision.”

Luster pauses for a moment to make sure she has gathered everyone's attention. When it seems like she has, sans Cozy Glow, she resumes speaking.

Fluffy Muffin regards Luster with especially intense nervous and rapt attention who returns that attention.

“I think I understand you too, now. After seeing Cozy's pain and what she must have gone through beyond the lands of Equestria, I understand how you must have felt justified in your actions.

“But the lands beyond Equestria is not all black. There surely were non-pony races that helped Cozy too. My mother told me of some of Cozy's tragic backstory.

“And I know this for sure . . . the reason Klugetown was so awful is due to the influences of the Storm King. He was the one that put corrupt leaders in charge, and they are the ones that influenced their entire society to be far less than they could have been.

“I used to be a shut-in as well that thought I could only experience fulfillment in books, but friendship opened my eyes, just as it once did to my mentor. Much wisdom has she taught me, but none more powerful than the bonds I've shared with my friends, and many of them are non-pony races. They have been kind, loyal, honest, generous, fun, and positively magical friends in my life. They have shown me the best of non-pony potential. They have shown me what the citizens of Klugetown could have been.

“And, by all the power that is invested in me, what they will be.”

Luster points at Fluffy boldly as she declares, “By your own admission and the evidence I have gathered in this encounter, I find you guilty of first-degree murder, Fluffy, and I sentence you to help me redeem this town. In doing so, you shall earn your own redemption.”

“Huh?” Fluffy asks as she tilts her head in confusion.

“You have a point,” Luster says as she lowers her hoof. “That alone does not justify what you have done, but it does make it understandable, and yes . . . if the problem is ignored, it very likely will get much worse. At the very least, I can take your actions and interpret them as a warning. Even if you didn't kill the Duchess, somepony else probably would have in your place eventually.

“So I need to attack this problem at its core, or better to say . . . I need to heal this problem where it is wounded the most.

“Cozy is right that the lands beyond Equestria must be awful if it promotes behavior as we've seen, and it likely will escalate if we don't nip this one in the bud. As such, I decree that I shall use the power invested in me to build another Friendship School!” Luster boldly declares.

Everyone, except for Cozy, gasps in astonishment.

“If we are going to have a better future, it is through friendship,” Luster explains. “We have to guide the others into realizing there is a better path and a better way to live. Equestria truly has been a paradise the likes of which most of us don't realize. Few do realize they are living in a Golden Age until it is gone. History has taught us that time and time again.

“But it got this way for a reason. I think it's time to spread that reason to others. These creatures are coming here because they have hope in their souls. They want a better life, and that requires them to be better beings. They may want that, but they don't know how to do it. All of their previous experience taught them otherwise. Like Cozy here, they were trained to raise their guard, else some other creature would try to come and exploit them.

“But there is a better way. Friendship shall be that way. It shall be the medicine that nourishes and heals their souls. If we teach and guide them on how to not only accept but also maintain paradise, then the rainbow light shall shine ever brighter.”

Luster cuts a hoof across the air as she says, “Once the school is built, I shall not make it mandatory for the immigrants to attend because, for true friendship to flourish, it must be willing.

“However, I will apply numerous incentive programs to encourage them to participate, including waiving their tuition, at least for a time. Once more of them goes through this curriculum, their success and happiness will serve as an example to others. In time, the motivation will feed itself.

“Then, eventually, instead of us being surrounded by enemies, we shall be surrounded by friends who willingly commit all that they have for mutual gain. When the number of our allies grows too great, that alone would heavily discourage future antagonists against us, or at least reduce the scope of its severity.”

“But, for this plan to work, you'd have to move away from Ponyville,” Sunburst brought up. “Are you sure you're ready for this?”

“That's the most painful part of my plan,” Luster admits. “Though I can make new friends here.

“Also, after the school is built, I'll want to fill it with the most experienced staff that I can, and I'd like you to be among them, Father. I offer you the position of Headstallion of the new Friendship School.”

Sunburst is stunned silent for a few seconds, then he replies, “Why . . . I'd be honored . . . but I'll need time to discuss this with my wife and many friends back in Ponyville. If I accept, other arrangements need to be made.”

“I know,” Luster accepts. “It will take a while for the school to finish its construction.” She looks at Fluffy. “I'm giving you a choice too, but this option will ease your sentence significantly in the long gallop. If you repay this community with this service to make amends for what you've taken from it, then eventually you might be cleared of all charges.”

“Except the one in my heart,” Fluffy laments.

“Perhaps even then,” Luster counters. “By becoming a force that heals others instead of causing problems, you may find it to heal yourself as well. Please give it a try. I also want to restore your hope that we can guide others to become a positive force. As you see each successful example roll by, I think it will restore your hope and faith that an antagonistic relationship is not our only option with non-pony races. After all, if pegasi, earth ponies, and unicorns could once look past their differences and unite in harmony, why should we be convinced the possibilities stop there? Keep going . . . and we'll see how far this Friendship Train chugs. Personally, I think there is no end to this line.”

Chapter 18: Shadow of the Past

“Awaken!” a sinister multi-voice seems to echo through Cozy Glow's mind, causing her to stir with irritation. Although chilling, the voice mostly evokes curiosity for her. However, the solid cold floor is a source of irritation instead.

This is uncomfortable.

“Arise, young mare,” the voice commands.

Groggily, Cozy Glow stirs. Her eyes flutter open a bit, but they lack focus at first. Her eyes try to adjust to the light, but it does not take too long because her surroundings aren't that bright.

The first thing she notices is there appears to be a dark crystal roof with the center angled the furthest point above her. It looks a bit familiar, yet also somehow different.

Groaning, she turns over so that her belly side faces the cold floor. Her legs are splayed apart in an X pattern. Similarly, her wings are spread out. Her curly loops dangle freely. Some of them partially obstruct her vision, thereby increasing her irritation.

But when she examines the floor she is on, she notices that it, too, is made of crystal. If it isn't so black, she would have said she's in the Crystal Empire. In particular, the Crystal Castle.

“Welcome to my Castle, young mare,” greets the voice from somewhere nearby. Tracing the sound to its source, Cozy locates King Sombra sitting on his nearby black crystal throne. He is very hard to see, for he is caked in thick, unnatural looking shadow. It somehow billows, too, so it's more like he's covered in a black fog made of ash. The only thing that really stands out about him is his glowing red, snake-like eye pupils with green background. Black and purple wisps trail after his hungry-looking eyes that peer down at her with cruelty and greed.

Nearby him, there are two rows of earth ponies dressed in black spiky battle armor. They all wear helmets with narrow eye slits. Sickly green energy glows from those narrow slits.

“Yesssssss,” King Sombra says with a sinister, satisfying hiss as he beholds his nearby slaves. “Magnificent specimens, aren't they? So fierce. So loyal. So utterly mindlessly obedient. They make a fine addition to my collection.”

Cozy Glow sits up and straightens her back. She sits on her rear legs beneath her while her wings at first stretch behind her, then fold on her back. She does not answer his question right away because she has mixed feelings about the issue. When she finally does speak, she says, “As you can well imagine, I have a complicated history when it comes to slavery. It's a mixed bag for me, I guess.”

“Ah yes. Your vaunted friendship.” After he says that, Sombra pauses a moment to sip something that floats to his lips. The crystal cup is engulfed in popping black and purple energy.

“That's what you wanted to be, isn't it?” spoke one of the mares among the row of guards. She droned as she spoke. Her voice sounding empty and lifeless.

“The Empress of Friendship,” spoke another male guard.

“A whole herd of ponies,” spoke another, but yet another pony finishes the last one's sentence. In fact, this pattern keeps going with the end and beginning of each sentence. It did not take long for Cozy to realize, with a cold chill racing down her spine, that each pony that speaks is only saying what Sombra is forcing them to say. He's making them do that while his own mouth is sipping his drink.

“collected together” “to be your playmates” “like a personal collection of dolls.”

“Tell me” “young mare” “is that really what you wanted?” “To hide behind” “a symbol?”

“Friendship is power, you said.” “Oh yes!” “It is indeed.” “I've been on the receiving end of that often enough to know those claims” “aren't a bluff.” “Oh no!” “I very much felt its sting.”

“And I'm guessing I'm not the only one,” Sombra resumes with his own mouth as he floats his crystal goblet away. “You've been defeated more than once by such powers, haven't you? You wanted it for yourself, yet the rainbow beam keeps acting against you.

“I find such powers indeed mighty, but also messy, clunky, and imprecise. Do you realize how easily I would have won if even one of those ponies against me had a falling out with any of the others? There were six targets I could have aimed at, young mare, or they could have been bogged down with their own problems.”

Sombra waves her off with a black, smoky hoof, then goes on to say, “Free will is overrated and very messy. A group can be strong if they work together, but the problem is their personalities and free will often conflict with one another. One pony wants to eat apples. Another wants pie. Still another is not hungry and wants to watch a puppet theater instead. Their personalities clash . . . and during that time there is no harmony. No focus or cohesion to the group.

“I find my slaves to be far more neat and tidy.”

King Sombra lifts a hoof to demonstrate. As a result, the entire group around him straightens in attention. When he twists his hoof, they all turn in complete unison and stomp a hoof at the same time.

Cozy's eyes scan the group. A strong part of her finds this very unsettling, and yet she also can't help but admire it. It feels intoxicating and flawless, as if there would be less risk of her plans going awry if she had a power like this.

Starlight Glimmer should know this feeling, or so Cozy had heard. If she had this, why give it up?

There is one answer that comes to her mind.

“Doesn't this get lonely?” Cozy asks Sombra curiously and innocently. “These are not friends. I'm not even sure you can really call them slaves. Instead, these are puppets. Mindless puppets. If they are mindless, then that means, in effect, you are the only one who’s really in the room.

“Well,” she shrugs, “other than me, of course.”

King Sombra leans back into his seat as his glowing eyes narrow and also fade a bit. He says with a much more weary expression, “This is true, and it did not take me long to realize that, even back in this time. Part of the thrill of conquest lies within the challenge of competing with another sentient mind . . . or working with one. For the longest time, I sought an equal to share my great and glorious power with. I sought a queen to rule by my side. For a while there, I had my eye on the Night Princess. I figured she, more than anypony, would understand the thrill of ruling in darkness.”

King Sombra looks past her for some reason, then he does something that creeps her out. His head stretches from his throne into an overly long, nightmarish neck. He hovers his face near hers while still gazing past her as he tells her quietly, “Trot with me.”

After he says that, the rest of his black, smokey form catches up to his head. When it does, he finally coalesces into a solid pony form, one which is wearing his red cape with white fur trimming and black dots. He wears armor on his chest and the front of his legs, and a spiky crown on his head.

Trotting past her, Cozy Glow follows him with her gaze only at first until he pauses a short distance ahead of her. At first he just freezes like that, then glances back at her off the corner of his right glowing eye that narrows with a look that seems to demand, “That was not a request.”

Sighing, she finally gets up and complies. She follows a short distance behind him as he looks forward again and resumes his journey. As he does so, she notices how he proceeds with regal confidence and a pose that radiates sheer power.

While following him, it occurs to her that she wishes this had always been her father. Somepony who is strong and she can look up to. Somepony who just takes what he wants with no qualms or moral objections. Anypony who stands in his way is easily crushed. Sure, he may be arrogant, but he can easily afford it when he has that much power to spare.

She wants to be a pony like that when she fully grows up. With that much power, control, and confidence, there is no reason to feel vulnerable. No reason for fear.

Together, they trot across the large throne room until they emerge onto a balcony that leads outside. Once there, they approach the rail of the balcony. Sombra pauses just ahead of her, then looks back at her while nodding ahead of him, as if silently commanding her to peer beyond.

Gulping nervously, Cozy proceeds to do so. Once she approaches and peers beyond the edge of the rail, she gasps at the sight before her.

To begin with, this really is the Crystal Empire . . . sort of. It’s probably more of a mental facsimile of it. Even then, though, it is not a perfect copy of it. At least, not the version that Cozy saw on her previous diplomatic missions with her newly adopted “mother”.

This version of the Crystal Empire is nothing like the bright, colorful streets she encountered before. Instead, all the crystals here are dark and dreary. As for the earth ponies, they are there, but those not stuck in his military uniform are instead locked in a long chain gain and trudging across the streets in absolute misery.

Up above, Cozy notices that the shining rainbow of light is absent. Instead of that, dark storm clouds loom over the city. If she couldn't tell from the chill of the air that those are snow clouds, then the rain of snow from above is a dead giveaway.

What really astonishes her, however, is the view beyond the city line itself, for out there are many squadrons and battalions of ponies in war armor. These ponies are instead wearing much brighter armor, and it looks very similar to the royal palace guards’ armor, even from a distance.

The front line of that army appears to clash with Sombra's. Behind the attacking line of the invaders, a rain of magical beams is being shot over the heads of their forward line of troops. When those beams collide with something, sometimes they explode into a magical bubble of showering sparks.

Up above, several wings of pegasi curve to dive back into the battlefield. When they reach a certain distance, they drop some kind of payload. From this distance, Cozy has no idea what those things are, but they seem to explode as some kind of noxious gas. Their aim appears to target the back lines of Sombra's troops. Shortly after the gas spreads, those ponies collapse, either unconscious or dead. If those are Princess Celestia's pegasi, Cozy favors the former theory. Sombra's troops are quite likely alive still, especially if Celestia knew that Sombra's troops are mind-controlled slaves. Most likely the former Princess of the Day is attempting to rescue Sombra's victims while temporarily suppressing them at the same time, at least for the moment.

Cozy jolts when she sees several very large magical beams ricochet between several tall black crystal spires, except the beams appear to get more and more powerful with each pointy crystal spire they beam from. On the final two, those two spires instead take some time to gather and store the energy before shooting it forward as a continuous beam of deadly energy that is so thick, it is easily larger than an adult pony. The duel beams cut a swath across Celestia's troops. They burn the ponies and ground so badly that clouds of dust follow their wake. The beams continue for ten solid seconds, during which time they weave back and forth through Celestia's troops.

“Marvelous, isn't it?” King Sombra asks as he appears to sadistically savor the scene ahead of them. “The clash of war. It is poetry in motion. The wheels of fate are churning, crushing everything in its path. The screams and the smell of the dying fill the air. I can taste their wrath. Their fear. Their anguish, and it . . . is delicious!”

“You certainly seem theatrical today,” Cozy observes. “Everything needs to be melodramatic to you, doesn't it? Even your majestic poise.”

King Sombra spares an evil chuckle for a moment, then explains, “Why . . . of course, my dear. A good leader must strike an imposing impression. So much so that, even in defeat, I shall nary be forgotten.”

He approaches closer and gazes down with a hint of disdain and contempt for the lines of earth ponies trudging down below. A few glance up at him for just a brief moment. During that time, Cozy sees a spark of hope and a pleading look from them as if silently begging for a moment of pity.

“Ironically, it seems a vast majority of what is forgotten lies within,” Sombra admits somberly. “I stood here before, savoring this glorious day . . . or so I thought. I did not realize, until much later, how empty I truly was that whole time.”

Sombra lifts a hoof. He peers at the armored hoof thoughtfully.

“Even during this time, it had occurred to me how alone I was, for indeed . . . an army of mindless puppets is no compony at all.” He slams the hoof he was staring at on the rail as he gazes forward beyond the balcony again. For a brief second, his eyes flash brighter.

“Also,” he continues, “it left all the burden of the decision on me. All thought, all strategy had to come from me alone. There was no pony else to gather ideas from. No pony to watch my back against any threat I was unaware of. No allies who drew on their own innate creativity or past experience. I did have the ability to search through the minds and memories of those whom I have enslaved, but all I'd ever find is whatever I searched for if it happened to be there. No more, and no less. Due to my talents and my dark magic, their fears came forward to me the most. There are limits to how much knowledge I can gather from that.”

Thunder rolls across the sky which drew both of their attention skyward. After a few moments, he looks at Cozy off the bottom corner of his left eye while grinning as he asks, “Do you know what ice is?”

“Very cold substance,” Cozy answers. “It is water molecules condensed in its most solid form.”

“Indeed,” Sombra agrees as his gaze shifts skyward again. “It is all of that . . . plus it is a form of crystal.

“Behold.”

A huge amount of energy gathers in his horn and flares out his eyes so brightly that his eyes could not be seen for a moment. Eventually he shoots that energy into a beam which collides with the clouds above. He maintains this beam for five seconds before it wanes. When it does, his horn ceases to erupt into that black and purple popping energy. His eyes return to their normal menacing glow instead of the bright flare.

Up in the sky, Cozy hears all kinds of crackling sounds. It takes her a moment to realize the sounds of battle temporarily abated. Sparing a quick glance below, she notices that many other ponies pause the battle and look up in horrified astonishment.

Well, that is, with the exception of Sombra’s troops. Mindless also means emotionless, so they fight on heedless of the horrors that loom above them. This forces the ponies they are engaging to retaliate, or at least defend themselves, even if they feel very distracted.

Returning her gaze above, Cozy gasps when she sees giant icicle spikes grow out of the clouds before descending below.

As it falls, Cozy spare a quick moment to glance at her adjacent companion. For his part, his tongue hangs out of his mouth and his jaw hangs too low to be natural as if his jaw is unhinged into a gaping maw. For his part, he appears to savor the sight of the looming threat above and the terror such a sight is evoking to those still on the battlefield.

Except, once again, for his own troops. They might be in danger, but they don't appear to notice or care one bit. They just keep on fighting like nothing is about to crash down upon them.

When the attacking forces finally get their wits together, there are a few strategies they use to prepare for this. Some scatter, especially the ground force troops. Many pegasi fly up and gather together in a desperate attempt to divert some of the ice crystal chunks away from their ground allies. Several of the ice chunks are also being fired upon by some of the unicorns, mostly without success because the beams are not strong enough and they just don't have enough time and/or precision.

The only one who makes a significant difference is Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They fly up to meet the ice chunk head-on and blast them to snow with especially powerful hornbeam attacks.

It helps, but many of the ice chunks rain down upon their forces anyway. Those who are not immediately crushed to death from the projectiles fall are subsequently encased in ice after the chunks hit the ground, for each one seems to be magically charged to almost suddenly grow significantly larger after their initial impact.

What makes this worse for the Princesses’ army is the fact that, not only do Sombra’s troops make no attempt to avoid the danger, they actually tackle their enemies to prevent them from fleeing as well.

“Cryssssstallllls,” hisses Sombra's sinister voice as he gathers up more magical energy between his hooves before slamming it down into the ground. As a result, many black crystals tear up from the ground in a straight line. That pathline of growing black crystals eventually meets up with the giant ice chunks far ahead into the battlefield. Once that happens, the ice crystals blacken. Following that, an ominous dark red and purple energy pulse from those ice chunks. Moments later, the ice chunks melt, finally freeing the ponies that were imprisoned within them. However, in exchange, their minds are imprisoned instead. Cozy sees the same green glow in their eyes as she does from Sombra. After that, those troops attack their own allies. This effectively replaces some of the troops Sombra lost in order to capture his enemies. The net loss is strongly against the Princesses’ invading forces.

Beside her, Cozy sees Sombra slump down for a moment as he breathes hard as if racing to catch his breath. Apparently, that spell (or spells) he recently cast took a lot out of him.

But seconds later, he laughs maniacally as he stands up straight again.

“A symphony of motion,” Sombra relishes as his black mane flickers faster like black fire. “Pain and fear . . . and absolute, unrivaled power!”

“So what happened, tough guy?” Cozy challenges him. “Obviously we're peering into one of your memories, so what happened next?”

He settles down beside her as his eyes sweep across the battlefield, then he announces after a short pause of silence, “I thought I felt so alive on this day, which is ironic considering that this was the last day I was fully alive. After today, my essence lingered, but no longer strong enough to hold corporeal form.” He looks at her. “So, in other words, I was much akin to a ghost.”

He turns around and struts back into the castle.

Feeling momentarily uncertain what to do, Cozy casts one last sweeping gaze across the epic battle ahead of her before proceeding to follow him back into the castle.

“This is also the last day the world would ever see the Crystal Empire for over a thousand years,” Sombra announces without glancing back at Cozy as he continues to make his way back to his black throne. “My arrogance notwithstanding, it did not exceed my greed and avarice about the Crystal Empire. I set things in motion to banish the entire Empire into Limbo should I be defeated, for I decided that if I couldn’t have it, nopony else would either.”

Midway back to his throne, he pauses for a moment and looks back at Cozy over his right shoulder.

“I didn't really expect to ever be defeated, but I also felt I could not rest until I set that contingency in place.”

He looks forward again but otherwise remains still.

“There are many contingencies I have set,” he goes on. “Most of them was set shortly after I killed the previous queen.”

He growls, but in such a way that seems filled with regret.

“I wish I had the foresight to just claim her. She was more useful to me alive rather than dead, but at the time . . . I considered her legitimate claim over the throne as a personal insult, and I also wanted to use her corpse as an example to demoralize the rest of her former citizens.”

He sighs as he looks down. During that moment, the black flame of his mane calms down nearly to normal. When he speaks, it is finally a single voice.

This is Crystal Sage speaking.

“Her mutilated body was encased in transparent crystal,” Sombra says with heavy regret. “I left it in public sight for so many of her former citizens to see.

“My Queen . . . the one I fought so hard to protect.

“She fought too. You have no idea what both of us went through to turn this city from a dream into reality. Apparently, it's more than even I realized over all these years.

“I wonder . . . if I had not forgotten the lessons of the past . . . would she still have died? Would I still have fallen with dark magic? Or would I simply have lost my way sooner?

“I guess . . . for the moment . . . there is no way to tell.”

He looks up at the ceiling above him.

“It may be a roundabout way to it, but the Crystal Heart is stored above this castle near the tip.” He looks over his shoulder at Cozy again as he asks her, “You may have noticed the ice and snow out in those clouds, have you not?”

“I sure did,” Cozy answers. “I also realized that the Crystal Heart should have kept that at bay, even if it was hidden.”

He turns around to look back at her more fully, this time turning about halfway. Now peering back at her with both of his eyes, he says, “Not quite. Don't forget, I helped to design and enchant that Crystal, so I knew how it worked.” He looks down. “I knew its strengths and weaknesses, and I also knew what could block its influence.” He points up while still looking down. “The Crystal Heart is encased in a crystal prison. That prison can either seal or limit the Crystal Heart's influence. As such, I can turn up or down the influence of the ice and snow as I wished.” He waves towards the balcony. “Generally I kept it to conditions like this because I knew that the light of daylight can spark hope and potential rebellion in my captive citizens, so I shut out the light in the Crystal Empire under the shadow of ice and snow.”

“Wow! You thought of everything, huh, Mister?” Cozy commends while flying off the ground a short distance just so that she could slow clap with her forward hooves without risking her balance. “Believe it or not, I truly admire you for that.”

“Yeah,” Sombra agrees bitterly as he narrows his eyes at her. “I know you do.”

“So what went wrong?” Cozy checks as she lands back on the ground onto all four hooves. “I'm sure it must have been something. I want to learn from your mistakes so I don't repeat them.”

Sombra stares at Cozy for a silent moment, then looks up at a dark windowpane before nodding at it.

“Before the end of the day,” he announces, “the Princesses of the Day and Night will come to challenge me.”

He looks at then resumes his journey to his throne. Along the way, he continues to say, “I will meet them with my typical arrogance. They attack me, I taunt them in return. I gave them the 'join me' and the 'we are more alike than you think' spiel. Blah-blah-blah. Yadda-yadda-yadda. The whole nine yards. Typical good verses evil melodrama.”

“And let me guess,” Cozy says with a disgusted roll of her eyes. “Those goodie four horse-shoes won.”

“Sort of,” he says when he arrives at his throne. He spins about then majestically settles down upon it. “Certainly things didn't proceed as I had foreseen. I doubt it proceeded the way they planned either. Certain . . . miscalculations had occurred, and I underestimated certain influences.”

Cozy growls, then complains, “I hate it when that happens!” She gestures to herself. “I had everything perfectly planned when I first acted against Twilight and her friends. I had them all locked in Tartarus! All magic was draining across Equestria. I had the whole school of students on my side. I was going to rule them all as the first Empress of Friendship, but nooooooooooooooo! They just suddenly won! It felt like fate was just rigged against me. If that blasted Tree of Harmony hadn't acted against me like it did, I totally would have won.”

Sombra narrows his eyes at Cozy slightly as he gathers his hooves before his face which conceals his mouth from her perspective.

“I see much of myself in you, young mare,” Sombra announces. “Similar backgrounds. Similar methods. Similar motives, and ultimately . . . similar fates.

“You say you look up to me, but that only means you are doomed to the same fate I tread upon. I even imagine, at one time, I might have faced the same opportunities as you, because right now what I see in you is an opportunity to trot upon two very opposite paths. One of them leads into light magic, the other dark. Both sides have their own costs, too.

“With friendship, you don't own anything except the joy of your own heart. Instead, friendship is about sharing the bounty between you. None gets the upper hoof. Each devotes only what they are willing to contribute, and the same goes for you. You have to devote time and energy for every scrap of power you earn. I faced Twilight's friends when they were mighty, but I have since come to realize their relationship theoretically could have been much weaker. If it had, the outcome would have been different, too.

“But the dark side also has its own cost. It costs yourself . . . and your own soul. It changes you. It warps you. It corrupts you until it is you who is the slave to its power, not the other way around. The degree to which it changes you means that not even you have free will, because you will be forced to become somepony else. You shall become a monster that vaguely represents your current form. All of your worst instincts shall be impossible to suppress. Eventually you cannot hold it back. It can be gradual, but the slippery slope means the downfall is eventually inevitable.

“So pick your poison. Either way has a price.”

He leans back in his seat.

“Power always does, I fear,” he adds.

Cozy's eyes slowly looks down.

“So you have to decide what kind of pony you are, and what you'd be willing to give up,” Sombra warns. “With the friendship route, I additionally warn you that your fate shall not be limited to just your own goals. Undoubtedly, your so-called 'friends' shall have goals of their own. Sometimes it supports your goals. Sometimes it interferes. Most of the time it's neutral. Merely optional if you get involved or not, but if you truly care for the compony you keep, mayhap that could be its own reward, regardless of what else may come of it.”

“Are you telling me you regret your decisions?” Cozy guesses. “That's what it sounds like to me.”

“I'm telling you to make your own decisions,” Sombra corrects. “I'm simply guiding it into a more informed decision.

“Yes, I do have regrets, but it is exceedingly rare for a pony to age as much as I have and still lack regrets. I'm sure the Princesses of the Day and Night know what I speak of.

“Now mind you . . . there is joy also in our lives. After this long, we've had enough time to accumulate just about every emotional experience, and our feelings about those memories change over time as well. I certainly know that is the case with me, especially when I get illuminated with more forgotten information.

“Life is messy no matter what path you pick. That is why I wanted to leave it a long time ago.” He points off to his side. “Sunset's mother has done that. She crossed over to the other side, which is something I want . . . yet I can't achieve it. Something is holding me back. Maybe it's regret. Maybe it's unfinished business. It tortures me to not know the reasons.”

He sighs as he closes his eyes and pounds the back of his head against his throne multiple times as he mutters, “I just . . . want . . . to finally rest in peace. Why is that so hard?”

“Old debts, perhaps?” Cozy guesses. “I'm not sure if I really believe in that stuff.”

“Well . . . it's obviously something,” he somewhat agrees as he opens his eyes and looks upon her. This time his eyes completely return to normal. “In any case, I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the course of my life and what went through it. That's something I'll have to work on, but in the meantime . . . most of your life is still ahead of you. I encourage you to think about your choices very carefully . . . because the results may unfold in ways you have not anticipated.

“I know you are a genius. I know you can strategize and calculate your way out of or into most situations. I know all these things. I've played my hoof at strategy too many times throughout my life. I'm also pretty good at chess.”

“Really?!” Cozy chirps happily. “In that case, we should play a game sometime.”

Sombra passes her a dismissive hoof as he says, “Perhaps.

“In the meantime, learn from my mistakes.

“I had it all, young mare. I served in the greatest empire in the world. I served the greatest Queen. I later ruled it as the king, and in doing so I became the tyrant I used to fight so hard against.

“Some might say that if you live too long, you might live long enough to see yourself become the villain. There was a time when that saying once confused me, but now I look upon it as if it was prophesy.

“That's already happened to you in your young life, at least to some extent. I trot the path of both the hero and the villain. To my knowledge, you've only seriously dabbled into one of these two paths. Have you learned from it enough to satisfy your curiosity? Has the price you have suffered on that path deterred you from exploring it further? Perhaps it is time for a course correction, but only you can decide where that leads.

“You don't have to trot this path alone, either. I had some in my journey who I trusted and respected. In the case of some . . . perhaps I even loved them.

“There's no guidebook to the perfect decision in life, young one. You just have to feel it out as you go, but if you are wise . . . you'll also learn from those who trot the journey before you. If you do, you might protect yourself from trotting into an all too familiar path and the same doom that lingers beyond it.

“Now, leave me,” he bids. “Return to your friends. Return to consciousness. Much has been discussed over your unconscious body. I caught some of it, but I'll leave you to discover that if you choose to explore it.

“Although, before you go, there is one request that I would ask of you.”

“Yeah?” Cozy asks while mostly feeling inwardly numb. There was a lot he discussed that left her head spinning.

“While I do not insist upon this, I do request that we visit the Crystal Empire in the present once again.”

“Feeling nostalgic?” Cozy guesses.

“Partially, but that isn't the whole reason,” Sombra explains. “I've already seen it multiple times since its return. I know how it fares today. For the most part, what I've learned settles my heart.

“But this isn't for emotional reasons. Instead, this is for strategy.”

“Oh?” Cozy asks, feeling suddenly very intrigued.

“I know many of the secrets buried there that may be useful in your journey,” he entices.

Upon hearing this, Cozy slowly grows a wide, devious smile.

Chapter 20: History Repeats

“COZY! CHEESE!” Flurry Heart cries out excitedly and almost races ahead to meet up with them in a hurry when they land near the base of the castle, but the hoof of her father which applies to her back stills her for a moment and draws her attention back to him.

He says with a grin to her, “I know you're excited to see your friends, Flurry, but remember . . . we're out in public now. We have to keep up a royal impression. You know.” He whirls his eyes around and nods away from them as he says, “For the locals.”

A droll look sinks into Flurry's face as she thinks, Protocol . . . right. Right-right-right.

She gazes forward again as she breaths in deep to regather her composure.

It's hard, but it works. If there is one thing she's learned over the years, it's how to detach herself from her raging emotions when she has to. That trick has come in hoofy far more than once. Or, at the very least, give off the impression of detachment.

Flurry knows that her father has a point. Much more so than she would care to admit. The citizens of the Crystal Empire really do take their traditions seriously. Some call it a throwback to a previous, bygone age that perhaps no longer has any modern relevance except for here. It is unwise to ignore the results, however, for the Crystal Empire surely is the bastion of peace and joy the likes the rest of the world has never seen. Whether that is because of the influences of the Crystal Heart, or something else, no pony knows for sure.

Whatever the case may be, it simply works for them.

As such, the Royalty of the Crystal Empire finds it necessary to put on an act for the sake of the peace of mind of it's citizens. By showing composure and ruling with at least apparent confidence, the citizens under the glorious magical rainbow as similarly relaxed. As such, ruling with a mask has simply become a matter of necessity.

That often carries over into other diplomatic affairs, too. Many other nobles and royals in the world tend to expect a similar attitude while in public, else the cost of disrespect can quickly accumulate. If diplomatic impressions go south, the prosperity of all under their rule can also suffer. Flurry cares very much for her people, so putting the situation in that context forces her into a reluctant bind.

On a visit with the former Princess of the Sun, Celestia once confessed to Flurry that diplomatic masks are often necessary in their line of work, at least if the ruler cares for their citizens. Celestia admitted that great weight is carried with a royal crown. The weight of the object itself is usually insignificant next to the meaning of the symbol, for that symbol carries with it all the hopes and wishes of those who have sworn to serve it.

Flurry Heart strongly hates being disingenuous. All she wants to do at every moment is freely express her true emotions, but that carries with it a dangerous application in some situations. Many ponies and foreign dignitaries look up to family like Flurry for leadership. If that leadership appears weak for any reason, confidence is cracked. Those who are lead by such a leader fear that they will make a mistake, and foreign dignitaries might see the weakness as an opportunity for exploitation.

Sad, but true.

Expressing her true self can be done in front of trusted friends like these too, but under the stipulation that it isn't done too broadly while out in public.

She may be loath to admit it, but maintaining a public image that is separate from her true emotions does indeed appear to be necessary evil.

In the case of Cozy Glow, Flurry also sees a chance for understanding and validation, for Cozy is marked with a very similar royal destiny. Even if that authority didn't get a chance to be used directly yet, the symbolic meaning of her potential authority is still very significant. That also means that Cozy is undoubtedly put under similar social pressure. She seems to hoofle it well, probably because of her ambition, but nevertheless . . . the challenge holds.

“Cozy Glow and Cheese Pie, what a pleasant but also unexpected surprise,” Flurry Heart greets diplomatically upon her approach to the group with a calm poise. “I bid you all welcome to the Crystal Empire.” She bows to them. “To what do I owe the honor of this unexpected visit?”

“Uh . . . yeah. That may be how you all greet each other around here,” Cheese says with a roll of her eyes then bounces out of the chariot. “But where I come from, we greet dear friends this way.” Cheese races to embrace Flurry in a tight hug.

Flurry is very briefly caught off guard, but not only could she predict her friends behavior due to past experience, but she also sensed the intention.

Likewise, Cheese must have sensed what Flurry really wanted to do.

“Thank you,” Flurry whispers to Cheese's ear very softly.

“Bah . . . don't mention it! I do this all the time where I come from,” Cheese Pie downright brags.

The physical action is very appreciated for Flurry. However, the powerfully positive emotional projection from Cheese is doubly so. Flurry can feel the fact that the act is done from a place of genuine warm and affection. If she wasn't in public, this act could have driven her to happy tears.

When Cheese finally releases, she bounces up to greet Flurry's father who is being accompanied by a small squadron of royal guards. Cheese greets him very openly and casually. Shining responds in a like manner since he is diplomatically adjusting to Cheese's social tactics. A wise diplomat learns to read the room and adapt to whatever social conditions the local environment presents.

Flurry figures that her father can hoofle Cheese for the moment. By accepting that, she turns to the one she suspects is the real crux of their visit; Cozy Glow.

When Flurry Heart focuses on her pink pegasi friend, she soon realizes she is detecting a storm of complex emotions from Cozy. For the most part, she seems to be in a deeply thoughtful mood. Maybe also philosophical. It almost feels downright spiritual, but that would be a first for Cozy. At least, in Flurry's past experience with her.

Focusing further, Flurry realizes that Cozy feels very uncertain about something. Whatever it is, it heavily has Cozy's attention as it downright dominates her feelings for the moment. For some reason Cozy is also interested in the Crystal Empire itself. The odd thing about that is Cozy's been here before, and she never demonstrated interest quite like this. Instead of that, Flurry recalls Cozy being charmed by the fact that all of the architecture is made of crystal and pulses with living magic. At the time, there was a chill that ran up Flurry's spine when she noticed Cozy's interest in the Empire's magic in particular.

Especially the Crystal Heart.

“So . . . what brings you all here?” Flurry asks Cozy curiously.

“This was my call,” Cozy admits. She locks eyes on Flurry for only a moment, but then shies away as she looks down. “Sort of,” she adds lamely.

“What do you mean?” Flurry presses.

Cozy closes her eyes and grimaces hard. That's not just an act, too. Flurry can sense building frustration within Cozy for some reason. It has something to do with her company or local situation.

“Cozy . . . what can I do to help put you at ease?” Flurry offers compassionately.

“I . . . I want to get away from here!” Cozy declares while flashing Flurry an apparently angry stare.

The emotion is genuine, but not directed at Flurry specifically.

“But you just got here!” Flurry reminds in alarm. “Now you want to leave already?”

“I know!” Cozy snaps. “I don't mean from the Crystal Empire. Just . . . away from here.” She hops out of the chariot with a single flap of her wings to assist her jump. She lands in front of Flurry and has a bit of a desperate look to her eyes. “Join me!” she pleads. “Let's go for a fly . . . just you and me.”

“Eh . . . Cozy . . . I'm on duty,” Gallus reminds as he unhooks himself from the harness which connected him to the chariot. Notably, he has his “duty” helm on. “And I've been instructed to keep an eye on you.”

Cozy regrets hearing that, then resumes looking at Flurry pleadingly.

Well . . . Cozy is her friend, and technically she is also a host at this place. Part of the courtesy she should extend as a host is to make sure her guests are as comfortable as possible.

“At ease,” Flurry bids to Gallus. “I will accompany Cozy and keep an eye on her. I take full responsibility for her actions.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh.” Gallus squints with a look of discomfort and uncertainty.

“I appreciate your concern, solider,” Flurry tells him. “but this is my kingdom. I will see to the comfort of my guests however I see fit. Do I make myself clear?”

Gallus is taken a little aback by Flurry's assertiveness, but he quickly remembers he is, technically, addressing royalty, and he is on duty. She may also be his friend, but he has his orders.

And those orders tell him that royal commands receive top priority.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Gallus says as he salutes her. “I will leave her to your care, then. As you command.”

“Thank you,” Flurry returns to Gallus then looks back at Cozy while waving a hoof outwardly. “After you, Your Majesty,”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Cozy says back with a bit of a taunting sneer. She then bends down before leaping up and flaps away. With that, she soars off into the sky.

Flurry follows suit.

“You know . . . I love it when you put your hoof down,” Cozy calls down to Flurry Heart as they both continue to ascend. “You are royalty. You should embrace that tittle and impose your will as you see fit.”

“I believe I just did,” Flurry returns evenly, then smiles softly up at her friend. “It really is great to see you, but I wasn't kidding about the fact that your visit is unexpected. I thought you'd be busier at Sire's Hollow. After that, I thought you'd return to Canterlot and await your take off to Celestia knows where.”

“Actually, this time, I'm pretty sure Celestia wouldn't know where,” Cozy returns with a brief snicker.

Flurry adopts a droll face as she says, “It's just an expression.”

“I know. I'm just messing with you,” Cozy says as she banks into a tight left curve around the spire of the Crystal Castle.

“You know I love to see you, but what is this about?” Flurry presses curiously. “I sense your inner turmoil, and I'd love to help.”

Cozy growls, the complains, “I really wish you'd stop poking and prodding into my head and heart. My thoughts and feelings are my business.”

“I can't help it! I told you that already,” Flurry reminds. “It's part of who I am.”

“Yeah? Well Cheese seems to manage to keep her discoveries to herself,” Cozy points out.

“It's different for her and you know it!” Flurry counters. “Cheese is a physical empath. I am a psychic one. I don't experience others emotions as a physical symptom. Instead, their feelings are projected straight into my head with no filter. Please understand and forgive me!”

Cozy growls again, then says, “Well, fine . . . but that doesn't mean you can just pop into my room whenever you feel like it. You do have control over issues like that, so I will hold you accountable for them.”

Flurry sighs a bit dejectedly, then says, “Be that as it may, I'm virtually certain that all that you said is not why you have come, so get to the point.”

Cozy sighs as she looks around the kingdom, then says, “I came here at the behest of the one in this Crystal . . . King Sombra. He said that there are certain advantageous secrets which we may exploit here.”

“Oh?” Flurry asks, suddenly feeling sharply intrigued.

She also a bit disturbed. She does not understand her friends connection with that previous tyrant, but Flurry does not like it. Cozy seems to be going through too much already. Adding this extra complication on top of that seems all too likely to lead in a hostile direction.

But Flurry also understands her friends plight. Working to help heal her counterpart seems oddly self-serving, but at its core . . . this is a noble act, and one deeply encouraging for Flurry to see.

“However . . . certain thoughts came to my head as Cheese and I were flying over here,” Cozy goes on. “I learned certain information from Sunset about the fate of her mother. Information that alludes to the potential fate of us all. The fate . . . of the after life.”

“Oh.” Now Flurry feels spooked, but still deeply intrigued. In fact, even more so.

“But that isn't the only thing that's been going through my mind,” Cozy continues. “The entity that dwells within this crystal . . . this is at least the shadow of Sombra. He has his memories, but it is incomplete. In fact, that is the crux of the problem.”

Cozy is silent for a while as she continues to fly about and absently scans around the Crystal Empire from above, but Flurry can tell that most of Cozy's attention is actual withdrawn inward. Focusing on that, Flurry notices that she continues to detect deep layers of complexity to Cozy's emotions. So much so that it's hard to identify a single emotion from that storm. Instead, it's more like an amalgamation. A complex tangle where one string cannot be pulled apart from the others.

After a while, Flurry suspects she needs to prod her friend again, so she says, “Go on.”

At first, Cozy continues not to speak. Her only reaction is to gaze back under her left wing at Flurry. After that, she banks another sharp left turn, except this time Cozy dive bombs at the Crystal Castle. She aims for a balcony near the top in particular. The one that is at the other end of the throne room. Once she arrives, she gives a counter flap to shake off most of her built momentum. She lands on the balcony into a slowing trot to throw off the rest of her momentum.

Flurry, for her a part, simply teleports onto the balcony. Doing instantly negates all of her momentum at once.

“Huh. Lousy show-off,” Cozy sneers in disgust as she makes her way to the edge of the balcony. “Unicorns and alicorns get all the fun abilities.”

“I am what I am,” Flurry counters. “I make no apologies for that. I can't help how I was born. I hope you don't blame me for that.”

“You know a part of me does,” Cozy growls as she folds her forelegs over the edge of the balcony. “But I know that's not your fault.”

Flurry shakes her head, then approaches as she says, “You're still deflecting. What's going on, Cozy? Talk to me. I'm your friend.”

Cozy sighs as she slowly scans across the view ahead of her, then says, “Not long ago, when I lost consciousness, Sombra drew me into the mindscape inside this crystal. Within it, he showed me a vision of the past. In particular, he showed me a vision which ended up right here . . . on this very balcony . . . but over a thousand years ago. Beyond this balcony, according to the vision, I saw ponies trudging below in absolute misery. They were all locked together in a very long chain in a zig-zag pattern. Beyond the city, I saw Princes Celestia and Princess Luna's forces trying to combat Sombra's. It was an epic . . . awe inspiring battle.

“The thing is . . . I looked up to him for that. In fact, I felt downright attracted to him for that. Now there is a powerful stallion who makes no compromises. He just takes what he wants. He felt unstoppable, and I loved him for it.”

She looks down over the edge of the balcony.

“But later on . . . it occurred to me to dwell on something he said about how our two lives have a suspicious amount of parallels between us. As I went over the details that I was aware of, I was startled to realize how right he was. We do have much in common. Indeed, too much.”

Cozy looks to her right side directly at her friend.

“Then I thought of something else Sunset told me,” Cozy continues. “She said she briefly met her mother in the afterlife. She said she used her magical crystal to contact her, and that Eventide reached back during that moment. Sunset said that her mother was fully a disembodied spirit at that point, and as an energy being purely composed of only thought and energy, she was therefore immune to the limitations we have as mortals. Among those abilities was the ability to see and travel across time and space, and that . . . my friend, was a key bit of information to me.”

“Why do you say that?” Flurry prompts.

“Think about it,” Cozy encourages as she looks back off the balcony. “I think spirits might have the capacity to be born wherever, whomever, and even whenever they wish. To come back to the world and be reborn.”

Cozy pauses for a moment as she absently taps her forward hooves on the balcony rail.

“If they can do that . . .” Cozy continues after a long pause, pauses again, then resumes, “what's to stop them for potentially being reborn in the past? Remember, time is not linear to these entities, and they can ignore many limitations that hinder us.”

“What's your point?” Flurry asks with a slight tilt of her head.

Cozy pauses for another moment of silence. During that time, Flurry senses that her friend is working up the courage to admit something until she finally says it.

“The entity that dwells within this crystal is strongly convinced that you used to be the first queen of this empire in a past life,” Cozy confesses. She looks over at Flurry with a very earnest face as she tells her, “If that's true, he loved you, Flurry. He loved you very dearly.” She waves a hoof. “It seems that relationship got really complicated at the end. I don't want to go into details. Something tells me your sensitive heart can't take it, but suffice it to say that they once had a very deep . . . but also complex . . . relationship.

“Then I thought about our relationship together, and I grew startled to realize there is a striking similarity. When you first met me, you grew determined to be my friend. To this day, can you explain why?”

“Not fully,” Flurry admits. “But I did sense many troubling things within you. You seemed desperate, so I thought you could use a friend.”

“But I tried to reject you at first, remember?” Cozy reminds and checks. “I resisted your advances, partly because I kind of hated you and what you represented, but still you persisted. You just would not quit. I could chalk that up as your usual compassion to a point, but you eventually struck me as usually determined. You focused on my, Flurry. You just wouldn't leave me alone.”

“You needed me,” Flurry insists. “And you're family. That's important to me.”

“Stop pretending, Flurry Heart!” Cozy screeches. “You're not good at it,” she goes on a little more calmly. “Not like I am.”

“So what is your theory?” Flurry reflects. “You seem to know all the answers.”

“I . . .” Cozy begins but pauses again as another flare of panic rises within her. That silences her for a moment, but then she goes on to say, “I think I am Sombra.”

Flurry looks taken aback.

“Or rather . . . I was,” Cozy clarifies as she looks off the balcony again. “That concepts excites me but also frightens me, for it alludes to many other implications. I think he was me in my past life.”

Cozy looks up into the sky.

“At first, that thought didn't make sense to me. After all, I'm wearing his spirit right now. He's in this crystal on my neck even as I speak.” She points to it, then lowers her hoof back on the rail. “But then it occurred to me . . . according to what Sunset told me . . . time is not linear to those who crossed over. If such a fate ever happens to him . . . ever . . . then it does not matter how far in the future it occurs. At any point, he can travel back in time and be reborn as me. I can even see his motive.”

“Wow, Cozy!” Flurry gasps. “This is . . . a lot to swallow.”

“I know.” Cozy lowers her head to rest on to of the rail. “That is what has been bothering me lately. I've turned it over and over again in my head, and each time seems to affirm that conclusion.”

Another heavy moment of silence passes between them, eventually broken by Cozy.

“I keep thinking about that vision he showed me while I was unconscious,” says Cozy. “About that long line of chained ponies. Those slaves to his tyranny. He savored it, or at least he appeared to.

“But then, what happens in his next life, if I was indeed him? Lo and behold . . . I was immediately born into slavery.”

Cozy covers the top of her head with her hooves as she shivers with pain at the memory.

“It was horrible, Flurry!” Cozy cries out in misery. “The torture, the impinged freedom, the crushing humiliation, the constant threats and vulnerabilities, the struggle I endured just for a few worthless scraps of food. Over and over again, I suffered . . . but through it all . . . I never once lost my ambition.”

Anger and focused rage sinks deep into Cozy's eyes.

“I constantly plotted for a way to improve my life, and ultimately seeking a way to overthrow my former masters. I never once stopped looking at the sky with a sense of hope and yearning for freedom, even as I shivered in my cage due to the night cold. My rage and ambition was the only things that kept me warm during these awful times. All that I ever became since was ingrained into me during that time, but even I might have underestimated how far back those instincts really go . . . and more importantly, exactly why they were there.

“My humiliation might have felt especially keen if I used to be a powerful stallion. I absolutely loathed magic and unicorns during this time, but only because it was continually used against me. Deep down, I'm virtually certain I was also jealous. If the power of magic used to be mine and that in spades, no wonder if felt so wrong to be without it.

“I hated my life. I hated being born a pegasus. I hated being a small and insignificant little mare. I must have contemplated thousands upon thousands of strategies I could have employed if only I was armed with gift of magic.

“But even without it, my will to dominate all the rest life always consumed me. Despite any evidence to the contrary, it always felt like that was my destiny. I was meant to rule . . . to be the Queen of ALL life! All shall cow as they bow before my overwhelming might!

“Then . . . and only then . . . might my fears finally subside. After all, there is no reason to feel vulnerable if I control everything and everyone. To bend them to my will . . . to impose absolute order . . . that was the secret that never left my heart. I clung to it with a desperate passion.

“And then . . . after what felt like a lifetime later . . . I finally won my freedom. It wasn't easy, but I managed it. After that, what did I do?” She shrugs. “Why . . . I attempted to conquer Equestria of course while still a blasted filly! I nearly succeeded too . . . twice! That's how good I was at the job. That's how innate that talent always was to me. I just always had this instinct for it and innate strategy. One maneuver after another . . . always pressing me closer and closer to my goal. The closer it came, the more I hungered for it.

“I'll tell you this much as well, for I don't think it will do me any harm to admit this anymore. I had absolutely no plans to stop with Equestria, either. I vowed to myself that if I succeeded to conquer these lands, I would return where I once came from and conquer that as well. Nation by nation, race by race . . . all shall bow or perish before me! I swore that nothing would stop my merciless conquest. All my previous successes only gave me further encouragement.

“Do you have any idea how many others have attempted my goal, but came nowhere near as close as I did? Likely more than even I'm aware of, I'm sure, but still . . . especially given my age, my successes was pretty darn impressive.”

Cozy sighs sadly.

“But the rest you know. History repeats. I try to conquer Equestria twice, and twice I fail.

“Just like Sombra before me. I even saw one of his attempts before my very eyes. 'Grogar' showed it to me with his magic orb. I studied his methods. I must have seen a thousand miscalculations on his part as I watched him, but he was fueled by his arrogance. More impressively, it didn't seem to matter to him for the most part, and he actually did manage to take down the Tree of Harmony which was the crux of my downfall during my first attempt. That blasted Tree ripped victory from my grasp when totally earned it, but Sombra whacked it away like it was an annoying instinct.

“After that, I realized that was the key difference between us. I had to rely on my charms and brains to succeed, but he didn't have to. Overwhelming power was all he needed. I felt so jealous for that, but if he really was me, then the irony of the situation no longer eludes me.

“I kept thinking, as I watched him, that if I had his powers, I would have used it so much better . . . but now I'm no longer as certain. Eventually I had to conclude that if I had the same advantages, I likely would have had the same weaknesses as well. There is a good reason power like that fuels the ego beyond the point of control. Under that same pressure, I might have fared no better.

“Then, one day, I finally did have the kind of power he had and then some. By absorbing part of the magic in Grogar's Bell, I at last had the power that I always sought. I thought to myself, 'Finally this is my chance to prove to everyone how good I would have been if I always had these gifts. Now that I do have this magic which is further augmented by my wits . . . I'll be unstoppable!'

“But, like my predecessor, it didn't take long for my arrogance to consume me. I charged head on at Twilight, her friends, her little pet dragon, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna. I actually laughed at all of them! I felt so eager to prove my worth. Finally this was my chance!

“But they actually had me on the ropes for a while there. I did manage to take care of Princess Celestia and Luna's magic. I should have continued with that strategy, but I felt determined to destroy the others on my own.

“But it didn't take me long to realize what a mistake I've made. Acting against so many others solo meant they could perform far more actions per second than I ever could. There is a good reason that even basic strategist realize it is generally a very bad idea to be surrounded by one's enemies.”

Cozy pauses for a moment as she absently taps the rail while slowly scanning across the crystal city.

“While trapped in stone . . . two things occurred to me that reminded me of that situation. One of them I was born into, and the other was while I was locked up in Tartarus. I was going insane with phobia of being trapped. Ever all, I am a pegasus. It is in our nature and very need to be wild and free.

“But recently it occurred to me there is another reason. If I am related to the spirit of King Sombra, perhaps I also gained this instinct due to his many years of being trapped in this crystal, which is yet another kind of stone.

“My sentence was much worse, however, because of the sensory deprivation and utter uncertainty if I would ever be free. More than anything else in my existence that I'm aware of . . . that is what broke me. I've never been the same again.”

Cozy looks at Flurry as she says to her, “If you really are the mare that he once knew in his life, and he dearly loved her, I kept asking myself if there is something in me that has those same feelings towards you. For some reason, I kept getting disappointed over the fact that the answer appears to be no for the most part. I do care for you as a friend, but the feelings he once had for you go far beyond that. He cherished you. You were everything to him. He would do anything to protect you, and likely proved that far more than once.

“I also noticed he has this intense chivalry when it comes to mares in general. The monster in him craves to destroy regardless of the target, but the noble hero he once was causes him to be at war within himself. Above all, he can't allow himself to harm mares. What irony is it that he eventually became one as me?

“Then I started to wonder . . . is that why that particular outlook changed? I really don't think I look at other mares like he does. It feels to common to me for me to get the same sense of excitement over them.

“In fact, you in particular I personally found rather annoying in this life. All of your intrusions and-”

“Hey!” Flurry complains.

“Well, you are!” Cozy insists.

In response, Flurry counters by tauntingly sticking her tongue out at Cozy. Cozy returns that expression by jutting out her bottom jaw forward and wrapping her lips around her teeth while drooping her eyes.

Both girls go back and forth presenting taunting silly expressions for a while, but when they suspend that and lock eyes on each other, they start to crack into snicker which eventually erupts in to a burst of laughter and giggles so severe that neither of them could stand anymore. They roll on the floor as they continue laughing for several minutes. During that time, it became very hard to breathe on multiple occasions.

When the finally settle down, they are forced to take a deep breath to help recover. After that, they glance at each other and simultaneously wipe a happy tear from their eyes in a mirrored sort of way.

“Feeling better?” Flurry eventually asks, the first between them to speak.

“Somewhat,” Cozy confesses. “It . . . it just feels so good to get this off my chest.”

“Cozy,” Flurry says as she reaches an affectionate hoof across to touch Cozy's left shoulder while the both of them still lay down with their backs to the ground. “now and forever . . . I will always be your friend. It might take different forms as we each take different forms from life to life . . . but that core fact will never change.

“I'll admit, I do have some feelings for you that can't easily be explained otherwise. Maybe you are correct about the relationship we shared before, but Cozy . . . none of that matters anymore. You're here . . . and this is a chance for you to make a fresh start, regardless what happened before. Never ever forget that in this life . . . I am Flurry Heart, and you are Cozy Glow . . . my beloved friend.”

Cozy slowly looks up with a deeply thoughtful expression returning to her face.

“If you're right,” Flurry goes on, “there must be a good reason we usually don't remember these things. I think it's because you're meant to have a fresh start. Don't go getting lost seeking out old attachments and very old baggage. That's not a part of you anymore unless you let it.”

“The Crystal came back to me,” Cozy points out. “Obviously this means there are unresolved issues about my past . . . and this time I'm not the only one involved. My counterpart in the other world too, and she has friends and family waiting for her return as well. I know. I have her memories of them.”

Flurry makes a single laugh, then says, “I guess forgetting and recalling memories seems to be a galloping theme here, isn't it? I mean, you even managed to recruit a mind sorceress like Sunset to your cause. It's as if fate realizes you'd need her to help you sort this all out.

“Okay, so maybe this is your destiny . . . but try not to get too attached to whatever you discover about him. Find out what you need to then let . . . it . . . go. You don't need that stuff anymore. You are Cozy Glow now, my precious little friend. I dearly hope you eventually grow to cherish that fact as much as I do, if not more so.”

Cozy is silent again as she thinks.

“You know, I think I can decipher one important parallel between you and him,” Flurry realizes.

“Oh?” Cozy looks at Flurry. “And what's that?”

“Seems to me that he started off as a hero that eventually lost his way,” Flurry explains. “As if to make up for this fact, I think your destiny is the perfect reverse. You started off as a villain that is destined to redeem herself.”

Flurry pats her friends shoulder once as she adds, “And another thing that seems obvious to me is the fact that you truly are a very powerful spirit. As such, destiny wraps around you like a blanket, or more likely a vortex. Wherever you trot, you are likely to affect the world around you in very profound ways. In fact, that's already happened. I just hope that you got this, 'conquering the world' thing out of your system. Let it pass from your life as a 'been there, done that' kind of deal. Now, I think, it's time to move on to new lessons along with new hopes and dreams.

“Like it or not, no matter what face you might happen to wear from life to life, you are very likely to affect the world around you in exceedingly powerful ways. Many of the rest of us can't compete with that, so please think about your decisions very carefully from now on. After all, it's not just your fate that's riding on your shoulders. Maybe that's always been true.

“If you care for anyone besides just yourself, even a little, then please consider my words very carefully.

“Will you do that . . . for me?” Flurry pleads.

Once again, Cozy Glow looks up as she sinks into deep thought again.

Chapter 21: Cold Comforts

“No!” Shining Armor rejects as he stands near his wife who is sitting on her throne. “Absolutely not, Cozy. It's too dangerous. I forbid it.”

“Excuse me?!” Cozy asks incredulously. “You forbid me? Did I hear that right?”

“Can't you hear yourself?” Shining asks in an almost pleading tone. “You are asking us to trust an entity who calls himself King Sombra. The answer to that is most certainly no. If you only knew all the horrors he put this kingdom through, or indeed . . . all of Equestria through, I don't think you'd be asking us this.”

“Actually,” Cozy says as she brings her head back a bit, “I have a really good idea what he put the world through and what the world put him through.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Shining challenges.

“He and I have a connection,” Cozy shyly admits, then speaks on with renewed confidence, “and recovering his memories is precisely how we can put him to rest. While he was reminded of some of his memories due to an ancient painting and Sunset’s magic touch, I shared his experience. Both Sunset Shimmer and I. She can vouch for me if she was here. You,” she waves a hoof at her adopted uncle, “can write her a letter about that later to verify my claims.

“I also saw what he put Equestria through when 'Grogar' brought him back to life.”

“Yeah! We will never forget that experience!” Shining says acidly. “She held my infant daughter, Cozy, and used her as a hostage. I have never been more frightened and infuriated in my life, and I won't commit to any risks that could lead to a repeat of that experience.”

“We're not going to be here long,” Cozy says dourly as her eyes droop halfway. “We'll just get what we came for then we'll be out of your mane.”

“You're not listening to me!” Shining growls with annoyance. “The answer is NO!”

“Look,” Cozy says with a disgusted tight squint, “I only came here to warn you as a courtesy. I'm not asking for your permission to do what I want. It's my body, my life, and I shall do with it whatever I please! And I'm telling you now . . . King Sombra will have permission to possess my body temporarily,” she says with major emphasis on the last word. So much so she hangs on it for a few seconds before continuing her point, “then he'll give it back to me. I also want to make it perfectly clear that if he does not surrender my body back to me then you can blast him with whatever precautions you think is necessary.”

Shining Armor narrows his eyes at Cozy.

This causes Cheese Pie to laugh nervously before reminding everypony, “Look . . . everypony . . . we're all friends here, right? Can't we all just . . . get along?”

Shining closes his eyes as his face hangs down, then says as he looks back up at Cozy, “Look, Cozy, the security threat to the kingdom is not the only reason I'm denying this. Try to understand, I'm saying this for your own benefit too. I don't want anything to happen to you either.”

Cozy scoffs in disgust, then sneers, “Don't pretend you care about me! I know you better than that. You think I'm a monster too, same as everypony in Equestria.”

“Cozy, he does care,” Flurry Heart assures her. “We all do.”

Cozy passes Flurry a much softer questioning look as if to ask, “Do you really mean it?” In reply, Flurry just nods.

“That's challenging for me to understand,” Cozy expresses back to Shining. “I don't see how you caring for me benefits you, so that's pretty tough to swallow.”

“You're family, Cozy,” Shining reminds. “I know you also mean a lot to my sister, and she means a lot to me, so you mean a lot to me also. Plus, I know my daughter is really fond of you, and she's an excellent judge of character.”

“I see,” Cozy partially accepts. “I guess.” Then she looks down with a sigh. “Look . . . I've had a rough time lately and I have a lot to think about. I apologize if it's making me cranky and coming on too strong.”

“Apology accepted,” announces Princess Cadence with grace, who then goes on to say, “Look, I think we're all making a bigger deal of this than it has to be. I can think of an adequate and even pretty obvious solution.” She looks at her husband to her side as she tells him, “You're right, my dear. Our daughter is a great judge of character, so let’s rely on her judgment.” She shifts her look to her opposite side at Flurry as she asks her, “Flurry, Honey, do you trust Cozy?”

Flurry looks at her mother for a moment, then passes a discerning look to her friend who simply looks back at Flurry, then the younger princess says, “I do trust Cozy. She means what she says and she is telling the truth.”

Cheese scoffs, then says, “I could have told you that.”

“Sombra, on the other hoof, I'm not so sure about,” Flurry goes on. “But my friend trusts him enough to risk loaning him her body, and I trust Cozy, so I'm inclined to cautiously give him the benefit of the doubt.” She looks across to her father as she tells him, “Believe me, I do understand your concerns. I care for Cozy too, so I don't want to see anything bad happen to her . . . but as my friend, I have to be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. She's telling us to trust this plan, so I believe her.”

Shining sighs as he looks across those gathered in the room, then says, “Okay, fine . . . but I assume there are no objections if we apply some precautions. Starting with,” he waves a hoof, “guards . . . leave us.”

Instead of obeying, they pause in confusion and glance at each other, each wondering if they heard their prince correctly.

“You heard me!” Shining assures. “King Sombra is adept with fear and mind magic. Having more guards here means he can simply use you against us. By limiting your numbers, we therefore limit the assets he can use.”

“But what about you, Your Majesty?” one of the guards asks with worry. “You're just as vulnerable of a target as any of the rest of us would have been.”

“Don't worry,” Shining reassures. “I've got an ace up my sleeve for that. My biggest trump card against Sombra, for the moment, is Flurry Heart.” He looks at her next. “Honey, I want you to summon the Crystal Heart to the throne room right now. Keep it behind you as a precaution.” He returns his look to the concerned guard who spoke to him earlier. “The Crystal Heart itself will be our weapon against Sombra if he chooses to attack, and Flurry Heart is an empath. She'd be able to sense his hostile intentions before he makes a move, thus giving Flurry a chance to act before he does. We know that the Crystal Heart can be an effective weapon against him. It worked before.”

“Yes, Father,” Flurry Heart agrees. After that, she closes her eyes and concentrates. A moment later, the Crystal Heart teleports and spins above and behind her.

Reassured by the sight of the Crystal and Shining Armor's plan, the guards finally obey by leaving the room.

“Do you think we should stay?” Cadence wonders to her husband.

“I'm inclined to say yes,” Shining answers. “We may need to be here to make critical decisions on the fly. Besides, I want to see where this 'secret room' is located. By knowing that, we may become prepared against future dangers, whether it comes from the room itself or it has a resource that can protect us from something else later. If nothing else, knowing where the hidden room, in itself, is useful knowledge. Who knows when we might use it as an emergency panic room?”

“Good point,” Cadence agrees, then looks at Cozy in concern. “Cozy, Honey . . . are you sure you want to go through with this? Sombra wasn't the nicest pony.”

“Neither was I, if you remember,” Cozy reminds. “Sombra and I seem to have an eerie number of things in common. I'm hoping it's not just the bad stuff.”

“I hope so too,” Cadence agrees. “Well, if you are certain, we'll stick around to make sure Sombra keeps his word. My husband and I once had the power to drive back an entire swarm of changelings in Canterlot. If, for some reason, the Crystal Heart fails, I believe we can also assist you. I'm good with love magic. That may be the perfect counter against his fear magic.”

Cozy opens her mouth to respond, but pauses for a moment as she shifts her head to the side as if listening to a disembodied voice, then she grins as she looks back at the Princess as she says, “Actually, he agrees with you.”

Flurry notices that, since her mother's old nemesis agrees with her, she finds that fact strangely unsettling. Maybe it is because his knowledge of it might already help him plan a counter strategy.

“Thank you . . . everypony . . . for trusting me,” Cozy expresses brightly.

“Sure,” Shining says with casual dismissal, then asks, “By the way, while we're on the subject, what assets does King Sombra plan to claim anyway?”

“Ahhhhh . . . I think I'll let him explain that,” Cozy decides, “because he understands the items better than I do. Trust me, though, you're going to love it, especially considering the journey I will embark upon soon.”

“In that case, remind me again why he needs to possess your body at all instead of just telling you where the secret room is?” Shining interrogates.

“I already told you!” Cozy snaps bitterly. “Weren't you listening? And you call yourself a former Captain of the Royal Guards.”

“I heard you perfectly the first time,” Shining assures. “I just want to make sure you're telling the truth by telling again consistently.”

“So,” Cozy squints one eye at him, “you still don't trust me, eh?”

Shining grins as he brags, “I wasn't Captain of the Royal Guards for nothing . . . and I wasn't born yesterday either. You're Cozy Glow. Enough said. I love you, Honey, but that doesn't automatically make me a fool.”

“Huh.” Cozy returns his proud grin and raises him a slow clap of her forward hooves. She sits on her tushie in order to do so. “Well done, Sir,” Cozy commends. “There's hope for you yet.

“As for the answer to your question, I remind you that it will require magic to open this door. I'm theoretically capable of performing this with this crystal and his instruction, but I don't have much practice in it yet. Besides, it requires dark magic to open the door, so he's deciding to spare you all the effort to open it.”

“Hmm.” Shining Armor rubs his bottom chin. “That answer actually isn't consistent with your former response, or rather to say . . . this answer was more elaborate. Last time you only told us that it requires magic to open the door and that only he knew where it was. Now you added the fact that you could learn magic using that crystal, and the fact that the door requires dark magic to open.” He groans, then says sarcastically, “This plan just keeps getting better all the time.”

“Are you serious?!” Flurry asks excitedly. “You can use that thing to cast magic?!”

Cozy looks at her friend quizzically as she says, “You already know this, Flurry. In fact, you . . .” Cozy trails off when she recalls that surprise visit to her room was a secret, so she course corrects her speech. “I wrote a letter explaining this to you earlier, remember?”

“Oh yeah!” Flurry realizes, then knocks herself on the noggin once. “Sorry! I guess I forgot.”

“One more question, if I may,” Shining intercedes. “Your mother knows about this plan, doesn't she?”

“Ahhhhhh . . . yes.” Cozy passes Flurry a subtle warning look because she knows that Flurry has detected that statement to be an outright lie. “Yes, she does,” Cozy confirms while her stern gaze lingers on Flurry.

“Really?” Shining asks skeptically. “Well,” he scratches his head, “that's a surprising move from my little sister. I know for a fact she feels very protective over you.”

“Tell me about it,” Cozy agrees with an annoyed roll of her eyes, then adds more tactfully, “However, in this case, she considers the benefits to outweigh the cost. After all, the items Sombra plans to retrieve will come in hoofy for the journey ahead. Continuous benefit in exchange for a brief risk is something she considers worth it in the long gallop.” Cozy crosses her forward legs across her chest and wears a smug smile along with a single nod. “Yep-yep! It's a sound strategy, after all. I'm not the only one who can learn these things.”

“Eh, well,” Shining shrugs. “If you say so.”

“Well then, without further ado,” Cozy's eyes scan across those left in the room, “I guess I should get on doing what I came here to do. Best to get this over with.”

Privately, Flurry Heart wonders why Cozy's mother is kept out of the loop. Normally that wouldn't concern her too much. Flurry loves her parents, but she keeps some secrets from them too.

However, the fact that Sombra put Cozy up to this tests the limits of her faith in her friend. Deciding to keep Twilight out of this, in this case, really is concerning.

More than that, Flurry also feels nervous about meeting Sombra at all . . . sort of. Having the Crystal Heart ready behind her eases her fears a bit, but this encounter might also have some very personal and dynamic layers to it, especially if Cozy's earlier theory is correct.

What if it is true? What if she's about to meet a ghost she had a complex past relationship with in a previous life? How will she feel now? What old baggage might be summoned along with it?

Also, the fact that this meeting is kind of occurring through Cozy's body feels wrong somehow.

Flurry locks eyes on her friend as she watches Cozy slowly nod off, until she feels strong attention and concern from her parents. She glances at them long enough for her to notice that they keep shifting their eyes back and forth between Cozy and their daughter. In the latter case, it is because they are scanning Flurry's face carefully to see if she shows any signs of distress, for she is the first warning system they have to indicate if anything is going wrong.

Well, of course something is going wrong! This whole plan is flawed to begin with, in Flurry's personal opinion. As far as she is concerned, no entity in the world should be in control of that body other than Cozy Glow for one-hundred percent of Cozy's life, even if that same entity might be her in a previous life.

A chill sinks into Flurry's stomach and rises up her spine when she senses the shift in consciousness within the pink pegasus. It causes goosebumps to spread throughout her body as well as causing her fur, mane, and feathers on her wings to stand up straight. She tried her best to mentally prepare herself for this, but now that it's actually happening, a cowardly instinct suddenly seizes control of her heart with unexpected intensity.

What is wrong with me? Flurry wonders to herself. Why am I panicking so much?

It might not be the whole reason, but one answer that comes to her mind is that she loves and accepts Cozy Glow for who she is, as a dear friend. However, this other entity is something else entirely, and it does not belong in that body at all!

It feels like the chill within Flurry's body seizes hold of the entire room the moment “Cozy Glow” opens her eyes, for all can recognize an overwhelming personality difference in her now.

“Greetings again, Your Majesties,” Sombra, within Cozy, greets as he forces Cozy's body to bow to them. As he speaks, although it is Cozy's voice, there is a chilling smoothness to it that leaves no doubt in the minds of any of his listeners that they are no longer addressing the true Cozy Glow. “Forgive me for this intrusion into your peaceful home. With your consent, I shan't be long with this endeavor. Believe me, I have no desire to share my existence within this little mare's body any longer than I have to.” He cracks her neck as he tilts it from side to side. “For it is an indignity for one such as myself, and I think we can all agree that this body belongs to her anyway. I've already had my time, and it is done.”

“I'm glad we can all agree on that,” Shining says to Sombra tightly. “If I had my preference, I won't have to tolerate your presence any longer than I have to. Just do what you came here to do, then get out! Upon that time, return Cozy's body to its rightful owner.

“I'm warning you, you fiend, we are all watching you very carefully. Don't try anything funny. I mean it!”

“Very well.” Sombra rises from “her” bow smoothly. “As you wish.” He rises Cozy up on her four hooves, then bids, “Follow me.” Sombra makes his way out of the throne room and heads for the stairs leading downward.

“Watch him carefully,” Shining advises to his family. “Especially you, Flurry. You are the most likely of any of us to spot any trouble.”

“Yes, Father,” Flurry acknowledges.

“How does he feel now?” Cadence asks as her husband graciously helps her up from her throne with an offered hoof.

“Almost as tense as we feel, but not because of us,” Flurry reports quietly. “I can't put my hoof on why he feels that way.

“I also sense embarrassment. His current situation is indeed humiliating to him.”

Shining relaxes slightly as he says while following Sombra, “Well, if I were in his situation, I'd probably feel the same way.”

“Aw!” Cadence flashes her husband a teasing grin. “But look on the bright side! At least you'd be an adorable little filly!”

Shining winces at his wife as he asks her, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Probably not,” Cadence agrees. “But it would make me feel better when I get to hug you and pinch you on those adorable wittle cheeks!”

“You're the worst,” Shining complains with a slightly amused chuckle.

“Just wishful thinking, Dear,” Cadence teases but follows it up with a kiss on his cheek to make up for it.

“By the way, I know you might consider my timing really strange, but we are alone together besides these three, and there is something I wanted to ask you,” Shining brings up to his wife.

“What's that, Hon?” Cadence asks back at her husband.

“Have you ever considered having another foal?” Shining very unexpectedly brings up. That question provokes all those around him to halt for a moment. Flurry and Cadence downright freeze, and Cheese behind them shakes as if she's about to explode with glee. As it stands, she already is quietly shrieking with her mouth closed. She quickly brings a hoof to her mouth in a desperate effort to contain herself.

After a long, startling pause, Cadence resumes her journey as she asks her husband, “You're asking me this now?!”

“Well . . . yeah,” Shining admits shyly as he rubs an uncomfortable hoof behind his neck while flushing beat red. “Flurry is always going to be my special little girl, don't get me wrong, but she's not so little anymore, and I miss having a tiny foal around the place to look after. Plus,” he shrugs, “next time it might be a son. That could be a different experience, don't you think?”

“Ah . . . Hon, can we talk about this when we are not in front of the Lord of Darkness?” Cadence requests with slightly strained patience.

“Aw! But I'd love to have a little brother to look after!” Flurry encourages, then brightens further, “What if he's born as another alicorn?! Equestria hasn't seen something like that since . . . since . . .” She trails off as she furrows her brow, then admits, “Actually, I'm not sure if Equestria has ever seen something like that before.”

“If you mean a male alicorn, then maybe not,” Shining agrees. “Although I don't see why it's not theoretically possible. As for a baby alicorn, Equestria has seen that exactly one other time before. I'll give you one guess as to whom that might be.”

“Ooo-ooo!” Cheese raises a hoof above her head excitedly while she continues trotting on the other three legs. “Pick me! Pick me! I know who it is!”

Shining, Cadence, and Flurry all laugh mirthfully together.

When the moment passes, they fall into silence again as they continue following Cozy's possessed form. Eventually Shining breaks the silence by quietly asking his daughter, “What's he feeling now?”

“Um . . . nostalgia, I guess,” Flurry figures.

“You guess?” Shining reflects in alarm.

“Well, he's kind of difficult to read,” Flurry reports. “It's not that I don't sense anything. If anything, I sense too much. He's complex and deep. I also sense conflict within him, almost as if he's at war with himself.

“I am alarmed to report that there is some dark ambition that lurks within him. It's as if part of him wants to conquer this place and all of us. For some reason, he's especially interested in conquering me.

“But another part of his mind is fiercely fighting that instinct, and it largely seems to have the upper hoof over his mind. I don't know why he feels so determined to protect us at the same time he wants to conquer us, and once again . . . that is especially true in my case.”

“I wonder why,” Shining says aloud, then growls. “I don't like it. He seemed interested in you before, too. I used to think he saw you as a valuable hostage, for that is exactly what he appeared to use you for, but now I'm not so certain. As a guard and as a father, I find this news deeply disturbing, and that prompts me to remain especially alert.

“Keep me appraised of any important changes within him,” Shining commands his daughter.

“That would be easier if we stop talking to her, Hon, and let her concentrate,” Cadence points out.

Shining grimaces as something else occurs to him, so he asks his daughter, “One more thing. Do you still sense Cozy Glow? Is she alright?”

Flurry focuses hard on the answer to that question, then reports, “Barely. She is awake and aware of the situation. She's difficult to detect because Sombra is such an emotional storm in the way. He's like psychic interference.

“That said, what I have to report on her is that she's aware of her surroundings very keenly. In fact, she finds this deeply disturbing. Probably because she can sense her environment around her, but she can't control it. Not while Sombra is pulling the carriage, so to speak.”

“That makes sense,” Cadence figures as they all continue their way down the ridiculously long flight of stairs. “If I were in her horseshoes, that's how I'd feel at this moment given those circumstances.

“By the way, let me make it all clear to you right now. If any of you ever notice my body being taken over by some foreign entity, then I want you to know that, regardless of its intentions, I encourage you both to do whatever it takes to give that control back to me. I just want to make that clear in case you ever wonder later and I lost my chance to tell you in advance.”

“Ditto,” Flurry quickly concurs.

“Same here,” Shining says after his daughter.

Right after Shining says that, for some reason, Sombra pauses and looks out a window on the wall hung along the spiraling staircase. Once it has his attention, he draws closer to it almost hypnotically.

“What's wrong?” Shining asks defensively. “Why did you stop? Is the secret room here?”

“Pardon me for a moment,” Sombra apologizes using Cozy's voice. “It's just that . . . this city meant so much to me at one time. I just wanted to look upon it again.”

“Well don't!” Shining orders harshly. “Keep trotting, Monster! The sooner you get your business done, the sooner you can give Cozy back her body, and the sooner we can be rid of you.”

“Hon,” Cadence prompts with a discouraging voice as she applies a hoof to her husband's shoulder, then she says, “It's okay. As long as he's not hurting anypony, I think we can spare a brief moment of indulgence for him.”

“What makes you think he deserves this?” Shining counters hotly.

“Perhaps he doesn't,” Cadence acknowledges. “However, he's behaved so far, and I don't want to give him an incentive to stop behaving.”

“I can think of a few reasons!” Shining growls harshly.

“Dad, please, spare him this moment,” Flurry begs. “He needs this, I think. Maybe it will help give him closure. If he can achieve that, maybe this will also help him to pass on and rest in peace. If that happens, then Cozy's counterpart might wake up. You care for her too, don't you?”

Shining sighs in resignation, then reluctantly says, “Fine.” He gives Sombra a hard stare. “But just for a moment. No more.”

As Sombra examines the view out of the window, Flurry examines him. Or rather, she examines the entity within her friend’s body.

Once again, noticing him within her just feels so wrong to Flurry. It's eerie and makes her hide crawl. She feels so utterly certain that spirit is not Cozy. The difference feels as clear as day and night, and yet he's wearing her hide and face as if it is a mere costume. It feels like a stranger wearing dead flesh. It's just so unsettling.

But Cozy's theory about their shared past life keeps ringing in her head now like a song stuck in her head. Part of Flurry keeps wondering if Cozy might be right, potentially on both ends of the spectrum. If this is true, the eerie circumstances they find themselves in feels too appropriate, as if it's part of some grand intelligent design. It would have to be because, if this is just a coincidence, then frankly it's too much to be believable.

There is one way she can find out, but she's been afraid to check that deeply so far. She might lose her chance to check later, however, so Flurry attempts to steel herself and gather her courage.

Reluctantly, Flurry concentrates hard to look at this situation beyond that which is on the surface. She senses how his emotions are right now, but she can peer deeper. Sunset probably knows a trick like this, except Flurry's abilities don't require a magic crystal (except maybe her innate connection to the Crystal Heart), and Flurry can only read emotions instead of emotions and memories.

Also, apparently, her empathic abilities have far more range than Sunset’s.

Since he's distracted, his defenses are temporarily down. Maybe that does not matter with a mare of Flurry's abilities, but this situation probably still helps. Something tells her he could have been prepared with psychic defenses if he wanted to. Very likely frightening kind of defenses.

As she peers closely at him with her mind's eye, a pattern starts to emerge. She can feel how tall he is. Certainly taller than Cozy Glow, but not a giant by any stretch. In fact, his height is nearly average for an adult unicorn stallion. Cozy just happens to be short.

She doesn't see this information, but she can feel the fact that he has a black mane and tail. Sometimes it flickers like a black flame if he's especially charged with dark magic, and she can certainly sense that potential within him. That part of his soul feels like a disease. The aura around that part of his soul is black and vibrates at a very low signature. It feels cold. So very cold.

But there is more to him than that, especially now. For the longest time, almost a thousand years, he literally was dark magic incarnate, but now it's a mix. Hot and cold swirl and clash within him. The cold and emptiness of his dark side, and the warmth of his love which he is simultaneously ashamed of, as if he feels he does not deserve it. That shame weakens him, yet he's still strong enough to suppress the darkness within him. He's even holding it back well enough for the good side of him to be mostly dominant, but it is a continuous struggle to maintain the advantage. During that time, he is constantly suffering, yet he accepts it as an apt punishment for his crimes.

As she focuses more on the warm side of his soul, the image of him in her mind's eye gradually shifts. He gains more color, but that only shifts him from shadowy black to dark gray, his natural hide color in life. She can feel sideburns on his cheek in either form unless it is his smoke form. The smoke form is almost entirely limited to his dark side.

More details become clear to her. The red cape, crown, and armor vanishes. The only thing that replaces it is a red scarf, but it is an enchanted scarf. The warmth of love radiates from it, and it keeps his body warm.

In fact, the energy of that scarf feels all too familiar.

Oh my goodness! I made that scarf in my past life! I gave it to him as a symbol of love, and also to protect him.

Protect him . . . as he's done for me so many times over.

In her mind, she slowly sees his head turn enough for him to look back at her. She sees that he has piercing red eyes. Actually, it's not too far removed from Cozy's rust-red colored eyes, but his eyes stand out far more.

As she stares into the mental projection of his eyes, she feels lost in it. She swims in it. She feels engulfed by his sheer presence that feels so strong, it could fill an entire room. Flurry drowns in it, and although it is a little painful, part of her likes it for some reason.

Cozy herself rarely projected this much of a powerful aura. She can. Flurry had experienced it exactly one time. She can't even remember what provoked that response. All she can remember is the fierce look in Cozy's eyes as she gazed at Flurry with unyielding determination. At that moment, it felt like Cozy's will could shatter mountains.

But this guy can pull that off without even trying. His presence alone can guarantee he gathers attention if he wants to, and Cozy could never pull off such an intimidating aura. She's too adorable for that. Sombra, on the other hoof, Flurry feels certain she could notice in the room even if she isn't looking at him.

As the vision continues, it shifts. She feels herself falling onto his powerful, sturdy shoulders. She embraces him in depression and exhaustion, but for the most part, he isn't the reason. In fact, he came to comfort her.

He veers his neck around hers and accepts the hug. During that time, he attempts to be her pillar of strength. He stands there, embracing her. Loving her . . . but from afar. He struggles to keep his heart at a distance, and he does not completely succeed.

He is not her husband, though she did offer. He is not her lover, at least not in an open relationship. Both of them mask themselves with duty and social distance. It somehow became expected of them.

But the real reason for his distance lied within him, and that reason is fear on so many levels. Fear of attachment. Fear of another loss. Fear of hurting her, and fear of himself. Darkness is growing inside of him and he's aware of it. He does not want her to get too close because he wants to protect her, even from himself.

But for her part, all Flurry can feel back then is pain. Pain that she has to endure holding a strong impression for the rest of her citizens, and pain that she can't get as close to him as she craves. She feels like she needs him to endure the difficult trials she suffers as a monarch, yet they cannot allow their mutual weaknesses to be known. That is why hugs like this only occurred in private.

She needed that. She needed to desperately let her defenses down and express her true emotions to one she felt would not betray her. She knew how important she was to him. That's part of why she adored him, too.

Despite that, she felt fear growing inside of her heart back then, but it was not for her own sake. She knew that if anypony tried to hurt her while she was within his presence, he could blast them into oblivion with ease, and she knew he'd strongly be inclined to do so.

But that was exactly the problem. A darkness grew inside of him and she knew he had a difficult time controlling it. In his determination to protect her, he'd accidentally go too far. His anger would just explode which, in turn, would cause him to destroy his target mercilessly. It might even be a slow, painful death.

No! She had cried out desperately in her mind long ago. Don't go! Don't go where I cannot follow! I cannot pretend to be this strong forever. Not on my own.

I need you . . . my guardian devil.

Sorrow overwhelms Flurry. She also jolts when she hears a pained scream in the dark. A scream that occurred on the day she died, but the physical pain was ten times outclassed by the emotional pain she felt within.

She can't do this anymore! It's too strong! Flurry pulls out just to protect her sanity.

When Flurry opens her eyes, she notices her vision is blurred by tears. Inwardly she feels like she is waking up from an intense nightmare. For the moment it feels keen and painful to her, but it starts to fade just like a dream.

“Flurry, are you okay, Honey?” Her mother asks with tender concern.

Ahead of her, she notices that declaration startles Sombra. He turns Cozy's head about to look straight back at Flurry. The vision of his powerful masculine form fades from her mind. Once again she sees Cozy's body directly, but she can still feel the entity behind it. She also sees him widen Cozy's eyes in horror when he notices Flurry in pain.

She just stares at him with pain in her eyes. A pain born from feeling and experiencing the tragic loss of the past.

Horror shifts into astonishment when Sombra realizes that he is beholding a tiny glimmer of the mare he once dearly loved in the distant past. He is astonished to realize that they are finally truly seeing each other across the distant veil of time.

For a brief moment, Flurry's pain almost urges the distant hero he once was into action. Cozy's body jolts as he almost stepped forward to embrace Flurry in a passionate and mutually desperate hug.

And, honestly, Flurry wishes he would.

But, just like in the past, he cringes back in fear. Fear of hurting her again. Agony over realizing he is the source of much of her pain. He wishes desperately that isn't so, for a strong part of him wants to invite her into his (her) legs and into his heart once again. To embrace her and just stand there like that, each side absorbing the warmth of healing that is critically needed.

Alas, he does pull back, returning to the window.

If he did approach, he'd likely have a fight on his hooves with an adjacent protective father anyway.

He knows it is very little consolation, but he looks back up at Flurry as Cozy's own eyes shine with sorrow, mostly with apology.

Now that feels familiar to Flurry. This is the same sad song and dance that destroyed them before.

There is also a vague feeling, like an echo, of relief in Flurry's soul that occurred sometime during the afterlife when she finally let all that pain and attachment go. Right now it's very hard to recall, like a distant dream, but it's there . . . glowing in the pit of her soul. It feels like a small reminder of the consolation she once had. Just enough to restore hope and equilibrium.

It is also a reminder of an effective strategy. A willingness to let go eventually leads to comfort and emotional freedom. One that was desperately needed.

He never got that far, though. At least, not during this phase of his existence. His spirit lingered in the physical world for far too long. In fact, in a way, he did it twice, because his soul got split into two, and now it's clashing back together again, and not in a harmonious way.

Not yet, at any rate.

Flurry Heart closes her eyes and tries to swallow back her pain. To do it, she concentrates on that small nugget of warmth in her that leads to a wise answer; the willingness to let go. It's not a skill one can master instantly. Perhaps that was never true, but nonetheless, it is a path that leads to a better reality. She does not need proof that this is so. She can merely recall the fact that it worked before.

When she opens her eyes again, she is much calmer. She nods to Sombra to silently communicate the fact that she'll be alright.

That silent message is received and acknowledged. It brings him some small measure of comfort too, but he still feels guilty over the fact that he has nothing to do with it.

However, he flashes her a proud smile through Cozy's lips. During that moment, Flurry can feel the fact that he feels familiar with the fact that she can recover on her own. To him, that is a mark of strength within her that he once admired. Sometimes he was even in awe of it.

Then, without a word, Sombra continues his journey down the long flight of stairs.

Chapter 22: What Lies Beneath

“And here we are,” Sombra announces as he uses Cozy's crystal to magically open the door to Cadence and Shining Armor's royal chambers.

Before this moment, Cheese already took off. She claimed she was hungry so she bounced off to get some food which the royal couple welcomed.

“What?!” Shining gasps. “You mean to tell me the secret room was located in our own bedroom this whole time!?”

“These are the royal quarters,” Sombra reminds. “It used to be my chambers, too,” he says as he moves Cozy into the room. “And speaking of which, my, my . . . it's interesting what you two have done to the place.”

Once inside, he has Cozy's eyes scan around the room, noting the many artistic decorations displayed. There is also a lot of furniture, mainly piles of comfy pillows. Magic crystals built into the walls which not only lights up the room, but could potentially change color. Several chandeliers hang from the ceiling that also shines with multiple colors. On one of the walls, he notes an animated, 3D looking picture that seems to be a map of Equestria. The “clouds” that hover over the painting are actually moving. He hears running water in the room before he visually locates it. That is in one of the corners of the room. There is a short waterfall which is illuminated with rainbow colors. Shortly ahead of that is a few plants.

“You two certainly have a theme going on here,” Sombra notes before moving on to one of the back rooms.

“Many of these are gifts from our grateful citizens,” Cadence informs honestly. “Also, we had some help with the interior decoration from Mistmane before she moved back to her homelands and . . .” she sighs sadly before continuing, “since passed away.”

“Mistmane?” Sombra asks with recognition and sudden interest. “The Pillar of Beauty?”

“You heard of her?” Cadence asks with a tilt of her head.

“I . . . think I do . . . but I don't recall how,” Sombra answers honestly.

“Well, as she said, many of these are gifts from our grateful citizens,” Shining Armor says with a sharp attitude, “but you wouldn't know anything about that, do you?”

“Hon, behave!” Cadence commands. “Like it or not, Sombra is a guest in our chambers. We should treat him with our common courtesy.”

In reply to that comment, Sombra passes Shining Armor a look that is very hard to read. He's keeping Cozy's expression carefully neutral. In fact, that is honestly the most “Cozy Glow” like expression he's worn on her face so far, for it is a very quiet and calculating look.

But since Flurry Heart is still in their company, she can read their guest deeper. Once again, most of the readings she's getting from him is quite complicated. Based on that, however, she is noticing an emerging pattern. It seems most of Sombra's thoughts is a clash of two separate personalities that are each fighting for dominance. One of them is almost pure evil, but fortunately, that one isn't too dominant. However, the other side isn't pure good. That side is more balanced, although it heavily leans on the depressing side.

In other words, he is a pony full of regrets.

After staring at Shining for a silent moment, Sombra resumes his journey to the living room. From there, he uses Cozy's crystal to move aside several tables and chairs from the center of the room. He also moves aside a carpet that was originally below the furniture.

“I have to ask you, Sombra, do you ever regret what you've done?” Cadence asks him with an edge of hope to her voice. Flurry does not need to ask, though. She already knows the answer is yes.

“Feeling pity, are you?” Sombra sneers as he gives Cadence a cunning grin and a narrow side glance. During that time, it is spooky to notice Cozy's eyes flash for a brief moment. “You wish to redeem the Dark King?

“Heh. You wear your title well, Your Majesty. Eternally seeking to guide lost souls.”

“I'm curious if you are even interested to rejoin pony society,” Cadence wonders aloud. “For my part, I hope you are. I don't think anypony is beyond the reach of redemption. In you, I see a lot of regret in your eyes. Well, Cozy's eyes but you're controlling her for the moment, so that is your expression.”

“Don't read too much into it,” Sombra advises with a shade of weariness in Cozy's tone as he looks down at the crystal floor.

“I just want to help!” Cadence presses. “Something tells me you are lonely and that you suffered enough. Come home!”

“With all due respect, Your Majesty,” Sombra says while flashing Cadence a dark glare, “I didn't come here to talk about my feelings, make friends, or entertain your insipid delusions. I came here in pursuit of my own mission, so may I please get back to work?!” he finishes with a harsh tone.

“Hey!” Shining growls. “Nopony talks to my wife like-”

“It's okay, Dear,” Cadence interrupts. “I think he can't help it, and he doesn't like it when other ponies get close to the truth.”

Sombra growls for a moment, then aims Cozy's right hoof at the floor. He's about to concentrate on her crystal again until he is interrupted by another question from Cadence.

“You care about this city, don't you?”

Sombra bows Cozy's head and sighs, then half turns her head back at Cadence as he asks, “Your point?”

Cadence waves a hoof at Cozy as she says, “Clearly you have a lot of knowledge about this city. We, for instance, didn't know about this secret room. I can't help but wonder what other secrets you guard about this city. If you cooperate with us and help us rediscover them, this city can grow even more safe and prosperous.

“You helped to build this city and its society, didn't you? Don't you want to be part of something so worthwhile again?”

Flurry realizes that, although her mother meant what she said, the true intention of her words is to bait Sombra into opening up by exploiting a subject she suspects he cares deeply for. Flurry smiles softly at her mother in appreciation. It's not easy to reach past the demon within him to the pony beyond, but clearly, her mother is putting up a valiant effort.

Looking back at Sombra, Flurry notices that those words did indeed cause a stir. His anger greatly subsides, and in its place is fondness and gratitude.

“Your Majesty,” he says as he turns Cozy about to look back at Cadence fully, “you don't need me to fulfill that goal. I saw what the city looks like beyond that window. Under your wise and compassionate leadership, you've turned this place into what it was always intended to be in the first place.” He shakes Cozy's head before he goes on. “I can't tell you how many others bled, worked, planned, suffered, and even died to bring you the paradise you all enjoy today.” He looks to the walls. “When I look at this place,” he shifts just Cozy's eyes back at Cadence but keeps Cozy's face directed at the walls, “I see a world that is very different from the one I grew up in. It is born of the desperate hopes, dreams, and wishes of those who came before you. They would want you to enjoy the paradise they fought to earn, so please,” he bows to her, “enjoy it.”

After rising from his bow again, he goes on. “It is clear to me that this world demands new leadership that is relevant to the changing times. In the time I grew up in, everything was scarce. Every creature fought each other for every scrap, and hatred abounded in plenty. Survival of the entire world was pushed to the edge of destruction, and all hope was lost to all but a very special few. Back then, we needed warriors and scavengers, but now . . . diplomacy and friendship seem to be the best path to secure lasting peace. If that is your will, then so be it.”

He tilts Cozy's head as he adds with a tone of caution, “But if you will indulge an old and weary soldier, I would give you some advice.”

The family glances at each other, then Shining Armor says as he looks back at Sombra cautiously, “We're listening.”

“There is a price for the peace you all may not have accounted for,” Sombra announces. “I suspect the former Princess of the Sun is guilty of this as well, for I have noted the status of the Equestrian military to be sadly lacking. Were that not the case, I wouldn't have seized control of these cities so easily.”

Shining Armor's head shifts back as he notes, “You used mind control magic. How were we supposed to prepare for that?”

Sombra looks at Shining sharply as he says, “The fact you had to ask that question already validates my point. You all have lived in peace for so long that you don't even know how to approach problems like this.

“Think about it. I used magic to exert my influence. How does one counter dark magic?”

“Friendship?” Flurry proposes.

Sombra rolls his eyes, then says, “Perhaps. It's been an unexpectedly effective tactic, but nonetheless, there are more conventional approaches.”

He turns Cozy to look back at the floor again, then says, “You may wish to talk to Star Swirl about counter curse spells.”

“Ah . . . I think we have those already in the library,” Cadence recalls with uncertainty.

“In that case,” Sombra says over Cozy's shoulder in a tone of annoyance and impatience, “teach your military forces those spells. Keep a contingent of royal unicorn guards on staff at all times who are prepared to protect others in a way that actually matters.”

“The Royal Guards that I've trained do have some training to that effect,” Shining Armor brings up. “But, against the likes of ponies like you, we do seem sadly inadequate so I'll look into your suggestion.” He sighs, then says more softly, “I can't believe I'm saying this, but . . . thank you for that suggestion.”

“I used to be in charge of security before you,” Sombra tells Shining. “Ultimately, it doesn't really matter how it is done, as long as the job is done. If you ignore my advice, then find another way to be prepared. I warn you . . . diplomacy and friendship doesn't always work. When it falls through, it is important to have a reliable backup strategy.”

“I will,” Shining promises sincerely.

“Flash Magnus is now native to this timeline too, is he not?” Sombra checks.

“Yes, he is,” Cadence immediately confirms. “He's the new Captain of the Royal Guards in Canterlot. I have heard he's been keeping the soldiers in battle-ready condition. Also, I know where you are going with this point.”

“Good,” Sombra returns in satisfaction. “In that case, if you'll excuse me, I have to concentrate.”

At first, the crystal around Cozy's neck lifts and glows while enveloped by a crimson aura, but it steadily shifts to a black and purple popping aura. After a while, he opens Cozy's eyes as they become wreathed in a mask of dark magic. Cozy's stance becomes tense, too. The feathers on her wings straighten a little. Eventually Sombra blasts a beam of black/purple energy at the floor. That energy spirals around a symbol that was formerly invisible. As the pattern spreads out, the onlookers eventually notice the fact that the symbol that is on the floor kind of looks like a pair of crimson eyes. When the flow fades, the floor splits apart between the eyes. Those panels lower an inch then spread to opposite sides under the floor, thus revealing what lies beneath. In this case, it appears to be a set of crystal stairs leading below into the dark.

“How is this possible?” Shining wonders aloud. “The floor beneath us is only four feet thick. Below that is another layer of the castle that does not lead to this.”

“The science of crystals is a gateway to unlock many possibilities,” Sombra informs followed by a dark chuckle. “Now, give me another moment while I disable the traps below. I shall also reenchant them so that they ignore the three of you from now on.”

“What would happen to us if we did get caught in those traps?” Shining asks Sombra.

Sombra makes Cozy pass Shining an evil grin as he makes Cozy say, “Something unfortunate.”

Shining blinks at Cozy, then says numbly, “Okay. I'll keep that one in mind.”

Dark magic pops around Cozy's crystal again, then flares for a brief moment. As a result, sickly greenish-looking flames ignite on torches one by one. They alight in an ever-escalating distance down the stairs then out of sight as the stairs meet up with a flat level floor.

“Young Majesty,” Sombra brings up as he makes Cozy look at Flurry Heart with a much less antagonistic expression. “Could I trouble you for a favor by fetching a blank scroll, ink, and quill?”

“Certainly!” Flurry confirms brightly. “I know just where to get some.”

“I have some on my desk,” Cadence reminds her daughter.

“I know,” Flurry assures as she trots away. “I used it last night for my homework, remember?”

“Thank you, Dear!” Cadence calls after her daughter happily. “You are such a Sweetheart.”

While Flurry is gone, Sombra makes Cozy proceed a short distance down the stairs but then immediately turns to her left. He applies her hoof to the crystal wall. It lights up with a dark purple aura. After a moment, a swirl of energy passes back and forth between her legs and the glowing purple wall.

After eight seconds, the energy fades away. He breaks contact with the wall and returns the leg back to the crystal stairs to enhance her balance again.

“It's okay. You may all come down here, now,” Sombra invites. “The traps shall ignore you all from now on.”

“But just us, huh?” Shining figures as he ignites his own horn with a bright purple aura. He did this because he wants to use a light source that is under his own power since he does not trust the sickly-looking flames on the walls. Besides, his horn is brighter. “I guess we won't invite others down here as a guest room.”

“That would be most unwise,” Sombra agrees as he trots Cozy further down the stairs. “There are worse things down here other than the traps, after all.”

“Such as?” Shining asks cautiously.

“Come down here and I'll show you,” Sombra returns as he arrives at the base of the stairs. From there, he turns Cozy about and looks up the stairs. There he waits until the others arrive.

Flurry Heart is the last to arrive. When she shoes up, she floats over a rolled-up scroll, a bottle of ink, and a quill. Flurry's golden aura color is replaced by a red one when Sombra takes over floating the items. When he does, he unfurls the scroll while dipping the quill in the ink. After that, he starts writing notes down on the scroll. He does all of this without looking at any of the items.

“The first thing I want to point out to you all is this,” Sombra says as he points one of Cozy's legs at a wall that pulses with a dark purple aura. “Behind this wall is a single crystal that is fused with a combination of several crystals I once found attempting to encroach and corrupt the kingdom. Back when I was still guarding the city, one of these kinds of crystals infected my magic with a dark curse. This happened while I was attempting to study it for analysis in order to figure out what it was and how to disenchant it. The result of that curse is it corrupted my magic which later turned me into the Dark King. If you do not wish to suffer the same fate, then I advise you all to leave them alone.”

Cadence gulps nervously, then says, “I can't believe crystals like this dwelled below our bedroom for all these years. I'm surprised they didn't at least infect our dreams.”

“I have them well contained,” Sombra assures, “but that has the side effect of amplifying them from where they are.

“Incidentally,” he continues as he briefly pats the purple pulsing wall which briefly causes the observing family to almost panic, but he goes on before they even peep a complaint. “these crystals are also powering some of the dark technology I have in the city. For example, they can power beams of destruction through the magic pylons I have spread throughout the city. It's too bad you cannot harness them safely, for if you could, you could use them to defend the city from invasion. However, to operate these crystals safely, you have to use dark magic. The moment you try, they'll attempt to corrupt you. If you’re already corrupted, they'll obey you at your leisure with no further attempts at contamination.

“And this is just one of the examples of surprises I have hidden here. I was a rapacious, paranoid, and jealous tyrant. I kept all of my best secrets close at hoof.

“Anyway, the secret I wanted to share with you is back here. Follow me. As you do, touch nothing. I warn you.”

He makes Cozy trot towards the back of the room while dodging crates and barrels along the way, except all of them were made of crystal of some kind. The rest of the family followed while being careful to avoid touching anything. During the journey, Sombra keeps writing notes on the floating scroll absently.

“And here we are.” Sombra pauses in front of a wall. He lifts Cozy's right hoof at it. The walls slides down, revealing a storage panel behind it. This reveals six one foot long thin crystals with points on both ends. He floats them out of some kind of socket then hovers them between him and the rest of the royal family.

“What are these?” Shining asks curiously.

Sombra spreads a devious smile on Cozy's face (which, again, actually does seem like an expression Cozy herself would often wear) as he makes her say, “Communication crystals and ley line detectors. In Cozy's counterpart world, the closest equivalent to something like these is called cell phones which are devices used to communicate across vast distances nearly instantaneously as well as facilitate the transference of information. These crystals allow the user to communicate with others across vast distances as long as two conditions are met. For one, the sender and receiver must each have one of these crystals. For two, the sender and receiver must dwell near a magical ley line of the planet.”

He looks through the crystals at the royal family as he asks them, “How many of you are familiar with that concept?”

Flurry raises a hoof. When Sombra makes Cozy nod at Flurry, Flurry answers, “The ley lines are magical streams of energy that facilitate the flow of magic on the planet. They are like the lifeblood in our bodies.”

“Pretty good,” Sombra commends. “You get a silver star.”

“What did I miss?” Flurry wonders.

Sombra looks back at the crystals as he makes Cozy say, “Ley lines are everything you said, but they are largely broken up into two categories; minor ley lines and major ley lines. Minor ley lines are the most common type in the world. They are virtually everywhere, but they are weaker. Major ley lines are like major arteries in the bloodstream. They transfer the largest amount of magic across the planet and they are critical for both magical and environmental balance.

“These crystals,” he jolts them up and down to indicate them, “are powered by the ley lines of the planet, both minor and major. The good news about that is it means nopony has to enchant them for them to function. They naturally siphon off enough magic from their surroundings to power themselves, thus they can function almost indefinitely as long as they are not cut off from the source of their strength.

“These crystals can do more than that. Their primary purpose is to allow the users to communicate with each other. It won't serve as a magic translation, however, unless they are given another enchantment, so bear that in mind. If any of them do have such an enchantment, then each one has it individually.

“But their strength is also their weakness. While the crystals can power themselves in the presence of a ley line, they also require the ley lines to communicate with each other. If only a minor ley line is present, which is pretty much everywhere that I know of, the crystals can communicate a limited distance. That distance varies depending on the strength of the local ley line, but they average about two miles.”

“I suppose that can come in hoofy,” Cadence says with a bit of an impressed tone.

“You haven't heard the best part,” Sombra says with a grin towards Cadence. “If the sender and receiver both happen to dwell near a major ley line, say within ten miles of it, then these crystals can communicate across a virtually unlimited distance. Theoretically, they can be used to communicate across the entire planet.”

“Whoa!” Shining gasps. “Now that is something.” He tilts his head. “But why did you say 'theoretically'?”

“Simple.” Sombra waves one of Cozy's hooves at him. “Ponies have not explored the entire world during my time, so that theory is untested for the moment. What we do know, however, is major ley lines are the major lifeblood of the entire planet. No life can exist too far from their presence, so it's suspected they exist in every inhabitable place of the world. That includes under the sea, by the way. There are places on the planet under the ocean that have no life, and still others that absolutely team with life. These crystals can help confirm if a ley line is present in those areas, and if the strength of that ley line is absent, minor, or major.

“Let me show you how to do that.” Sombra concentrates on one of the crystals. He has that particular one float closer to the royal family. “I'm writing down the formula on this scroll on how to use these crystals even as we speak, but suffice it to say that when that particular function is activated, one out of four possible results can occur.

“One; if the crystal does not glow at all, there is no ley line anywhere in the vicinity. To my knowledge, those areas are rare. Finding such a place is a sign that the magic in the area is damaged, drained, or blocked somehow. There very likely are other major environmental problems in the area, and as such, it would be highly unusual to find life in those areas.

“Two; the crystal glows red. That means there is a ley line somewhere in the vicinity, but it isn't strong enough to be useful to the crystal yet except to help you find a stronger area. If this is what you find, wander around the area until the crystal at least glows orange. At that point, the magic is at least strong enough for the crystals to communicate a minor to medium distance.

“The final color these crystals can glow is green. If you find one of these, you have found a major ley line.”

“They are all glowing green now,” Flurry observes.

“Yes.” Sombra nods. “That's because the Crystal Empire is deliberately parked on one of the planet's major ley lines. Not only that, but the reason for it is here. You see, when we found this place, we also found a rare type of crystal which, in ancient times, was called Starlight Dust. Starlight Dust are crystals composed of a super-condensed form of magic. In fact, Starlight Dust is the major source of light magic in the world.

“In ancient times, during the dawn of the last epoch, these magical comets rained down upon our world, but most of them burned up in the atmosphere. When they did, they showered the land with sparkling magic dust, hence the name, which gave rise to both magic and sentience upon all life enchanted by this dust. Either all or most sentient species have evolved from this one source.”

“How do you know this?” Cadence asks in awe.

“Long story,” Sombra returned. “Suffice it to say, one of the possessors of the Red Crystal, which housed half of my soul, traveled through space and time. I learned a lot about the workings of the universe along with my former possessor.

“Anyway,” he focuses back on the floating crystals instead of Cadence, “while rare, Starlight Dust comets occasionally managed to make it to the surface of the planet without completely burning up. These crystals are exactly that … fragments of Starlight Dust that originally enchanted our world with magic. That's also why they respond so much to the ley lines of the planet. It is because they are connected to them. They vibrate at the same magical frequency.

“And before you ask,” he focuses on Shining, “the reason I can't make more of these crystals for you is because I can't duplicate any crystal with this much magical complexity. I'm good, but I cannot copy the original source of magic.

“However, if you do happen to find more fragments of these crystals, then what I can do is enchant them so that they become another reciprocal for magical communication. That function isn't innate to a raw form of these crystals. I have to add that enchantment later.” He looks across the six floating crystals. “These ones just happen to be the ones I discovered so far, and another thing useful about them is the fact we can use them to find more of their kind, like this.”

Cozy's crystal flashes red for a moment. One of the crystals flashes bright blue in response. Right after that, the other five crystals flashes blue, then the first crystal flashes bright blue five times.

“These crystals can be used to send out a magical pulse,” Sombra explains. “The brighter the flash, the closer you are to another source of these crystals. Also, you'll note that the first crystal flashed once when it sent the pulse. The others received it and flashed in response. After that, the original crystal flashed five times to indicate that it detected five others of its kind in close proximity.”

“I see!” Cadence gasps. “That's very fascinating.”

Sombra causes all the crystals to spin as he informs, “I happen to know there are more crystals like this elsewhere, and they are also enchanted to perform these functions. These just happen to be the ones I had on hoof when I first came to the Frozen North in Equestria. Several other ponies had some of these crystals, and they had them so we could communicate with each other from a distance. I do not know what happened to those crystals since. I do know that the magic academy where I was taught had a few. My old teacher, Star Swirl the Bearded, had one. You'll have to ask him what he did with it since, but it is unlikely he dispensed with something so valuable. After all, even if all the other communication crystals were lost, a single shard of these crystals is good enough to find where the ley lines of the planet are. That is extremely valuable knowledge for a wizard, especially one of his caliber.

“Back during my mortal days, we once used these crystals to steadily map out the location of these magic veins across the planet.” He looks at the family. “You'll find the results of our discoveries in the main library here in the Crystal Empire unless something happened to those books since, but I must warn you that there are two problems with that information even if you do find them.

“One; we failed to map out the ley lines across the entire planet, for we were too concerned with our survival at the time to focus all of our effort on exploration. In fact, several of these crystals was exactly what we used to find Equestria in the first place. What your ancestors did was use these crystals to find a major ley line and followed it in the hopes to find a more habitable area. We did know that the major ley line in our area was weakening due to the winter storms and the loss of all life. By finding the last remaining lines we had, they followed them and monitored them to see if these crystals grow greener, thus indicating a stronger ley line.

“We didn't know, at the time, that we were also the cause of the winter storms, or more specifically, the negative energy we gave which the windigos fed upon. They were the true cause of the winter storms, as the old tales say.

“Actually, one of my former servants, Clover the Clever, accidentally discovered a means to drive off the windigos. When he alerted me to that discovery using one of these crystals, I jotted down some notes about his discovery which eventually led to the construction of that.” He points one of Cozy's hooves at the hovering and spinning Crystal Heart in the room which is still following Flurry Heart. “That crystal uses the same principle as his discovery, except it is a more permanent version of that spell. It, too, is made of Starlight Dust.

“As your ancestors continued to trace the major ley lines, they discovered this place, and here is where they found the largest source of Starlight Dust ever, for this was the only sample they discovered that did not burn up in the atmosphere at all. Instead, that comet was artificially pulled down into the planet through a magic portal. Because it didn't travel as great of a distance, it didn't burn up.

“That crystal was used as the foundation for this entire Empire. It is like a seed that we encouraged to sprout with caring and loving energy. Like a plant, it sprouted and spread its roots. As such, we are currently standing on the largest source of Starlight Dust that ponykind has ever discovered to date.”

“Wow!” Flurry says in awe. “That's amazing!”

“The Crystal Heart,” he waves to indicate it, “is a smaller piece chipped off that larger fragment, which is why it has such an intense connection to this city. However, the Crystal Heart has more refined enchantments layered on it. This is the tool we used to help the rest of the city grow into the form it is today. A ritual, like the one traditionally practiced with the Crystal Fair, is what we used to give the Heart more and more power. That, in turn, was used to form the rest of this city.”

“Okay,” Cadence points at Sombra within Cozy, “this is why I was hoping you'd rejoin the rest of our society. There is so much we can learn from you. So much that could help us to reconnect with our history.” She waves beyond. “The rest of the citizens of the Crystal Empire don't remember much about their past.” Her look shifts to a bit of an accusing stare. “Something about an evil curse has limited their memory.”

Sombra rolls Cozy's eyes as he says, “Ironic. It turns out there are pieces of my history that are missing from my mind too. In fact, that is why I am here.”

He sighs tiredly, then tells Cadence, “I appreciate your offer, Your Majesty, but I am an ancient weary warrior who has grown tired of constant struggles and battles throughout the passage of the last millennia. I have long ago asked myself if there is anything better than this existence, and I'm afraid I shall not rest until I find it.”

He shakes Cozy's head as he goes on to say, “We ponies are not psychologically designed to last this long as an immortal. It can be done, but there are consequences. We lose a little piece of ourselves as time drags on. No matter how noble our goals may be during that time, it is nonetheless a major sacrifice. One I am tired of paying over and over again.

“So, please forgive me, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I must decline.

“Besides,” he continues with a soft smile as he looks at the wall to her right, “from what I've seen, you've done a very fine job here, so ancient spirits like me are no longer required to keep the peace.” He looks back at Cadence. “To even try is to invite a much darker possibility. If I stayed here, I'd more likely be a threat to you rather than an asset. I don't want to remain in your compony any longer than I have to in order to avoid that risk.” He applies a hoof to Cozy's chest as he says, “With the last shred of everything that is noble within me, I wish to spare us both from this burden.

“You'll do fine, Your Majesty. Trust your citizens, your family, and your friends. If you ever feel you have gone astray, they shall guide you back to the righteous path. You have more allies and friends than I ever did, and most of mine died a long time ago. I miss them dearly, and I don't wish to deprive them of my compony any longer. They waited and suffered long enough, and so have I.”

Cadence nods in acceptance as she says, “Of course, Sombra. I'm sorry for my thoughtlessness. You are right. You have been through enough. If rest is what you seek, then I shall endeavor to aid you however I can.”

“And, in doing so, we'll end up helping both Cozy's as well,” Shining adds. “Sounds like a worthy goal to me.”

Sombra bows to them, then says, “Then our goals are finally in alignment. Thank you for your understanding and any assistance that you may provide.”

Rising from her bow, Sombra announces, “If I inform you of anything else, I'll let Cozy share this information through the communication crystals which, by the way, I recommend you keep at least one with you here in the Crystal Empire and one in Canterlot. I have no doubt that Cozy's mother will want to keep one close to her anyway. You know how tidy she can be when it comes to keeping track of any information she deems to be important.”

“You can say that again,” Shining agrees.

“You said it,” Cadence also concurs.

“Um,” Flurry raises a hoof, “if nopony objects, I'd like to keep hold of one of the crystals.”

“So you can keep in touch with your friend,” Cadence realizes with a fond smile passed to her daughter. “Permission granted.”

“There is another benefit to that action, actually,” Sombra puts in. “These crystals can also act as a homing beacon for teleportation. If Cozy keeps her hooves on one of them, then you, Flurry Heart, will never arrive off target towards Cozy if Cozy's crystal is the focus of your teleportation.”

“Awesome!” Flurry cheers. “Then that means I can pay her a visit whenever I want!”

For some reason, Sombra notices Cozy's spirit inwardly groan upon that announcement.

“O . . . kay,” Sombra says slowly with confusion worn on Cozy's face. “Well, um . . . this is good because that means the crystals have another strategic value. If the crystals are the focus, then you, Flurry, would be traveling through the magic ley lines to arrive at your target. Not only can that cheapen the magical cost of teleportation, but some unicorns have even been known to gain magical energy through this method because of the path they take to get there. By traveling through the world's primary source of flowing magic, you can absorb some of it along the way. Paradoxically, the greater this distance is, the greater amount of magic you'd gain. Usually it's the other way around, but by extending the distance through the major ley lines, you gather more magic as you travel.

“And, of course, you can also carry with you a saddlebag full of supplies with ease. This means that those on the airship can be resupplied in mid-voyage. That, in turn, can greatly extend the range of the ship. By keeping one of these crystals here, it stays close to a major source of resources. That can only be to our benefit. That also means we continuously have some access to the library here and all of the information it contains.”

“And we can add to it as the journey continues,” Flurry announces brightly.

“Correct,” Sombra says with a nod. “Also, if the unicorn or alicorn happens to be skilled enough, such a pony can also take other passengers with their teleportation.

“Think of it! That could potentially mean any of the crew of the airship could rest in Twilight's castle or one of the rooms here, then return to the airship as soon as they wake up in the morning. That is, of course, providing that there is a skilled wizard armed with teleportation to facilitate the journey back and forth.”

“Knowing my sister,” Cadence adds with an amused snicker, “she'd make sure her guests are 'well fed' with a healthy breakfast before they leave. She'd probably even insist upon that. During that time, she'd want to know every detail of their journey so far so she can write a full-scale research paper on it.”

Sombra feels Cozy Glow groan from within again then curses her companion for pointing this out.

“And now,” Sombra announces, “without further adieu, I must return this body back to its rightful owner.”

“You do that,” Shining agrees. “And . . . thanks, Sombra, for all you've shared with us.”

“Paying old debts might be part of what I need for closure,” Sombra suspects. “Since I'm here anyway, I might as well make some value of my existence.

“Farewell. If we ever meet again . . . may it be with a new face and purpose.”

Cozy's head sinks low as she sinks into a deep trance. The others glance at each other while they wait until Cozy picks up her head once again. Following that, she stretches her hooves above her wings and does the same with her wings behind her.

“I hate that!” Cozy complains. “It's so disconcerting and annoying to feel my body but be unable to do anything about it.”

“Flurry,” Shining turns to look at his daughter sharply, “is it really her, or is Sombra just pretending to have given Cozy back her body?”

As if to answer, Flurry races forward to embrace her friend in a tight hug, then assures as she squeezes Cozy tightly enough to cause an inadvertent squeaky sound, “It's really her, Dad!” Flurry assures happily. “Welcome back, Cozy! I missed you!”

“I was gone for less than an hour,” Cozy says tightly because she can barely breathe. “Cr . . . crushing me! Lungs . . . barely able to breathe oxygen! Life . . . fading.”

Chapter 23: Slumber 101

Something is going on. Cozy can feel it in the back of her mind. A question and a theory that would not be silenced.

On the surface, her activities with her friends, Cheese Pie and Flurry Heart, seem innocent enough. All they are doing is having a fun slumber party through the night before Cheese and her take off the next day. During that time, they perform all the classics. Pillow fights, putting on make-up, brushing their manes and tails while coating them in sparkling glitter, putting on a mini fashion show using everything that fits within Flurry's enormous trot-in closet, drinking hot cider and cups of cocoa, talking about their feelings, laughing and giggling together as friends. The whole nine yards. Basically everything that is expected in a slumber party, to which they literally follow a check-list of activities straight out of a book called, “Slumber 101”.

But as the night wore on, Cozy starts to notice that their activities feel especially girly, and she can't help but feel like there is an agenda behind that because their night activities have an especially intense edge to them. Behind Flurry's warm and giddy smile, Cozy senses an edge of desperation in her friend.

Cozy wants to dismiss it, but considering what happened before, such as her theories or a quasi-visit from Sombra within her body, she can't help but suspect that Flurry is pressing towards all these especially strong feminine activities as if to remind them both that Cozy is really a girl in this life.

Cozy never forgot that fact, and the truth is she has no qualms with these activities either. They’re fun, and doing them makes her feel especially giddy and bubbly, but she also couldn't help but notice that everything they are doing this night are things King Sombra definitely wouldn't do. The things they are doing seem designed for the purpose to remind her of that fact. It's as if Flurry felt scared that she was losing her friend to some other foreign entity.

Eventually, Cozy decides to confront her friend about her theory during a game of truth or dare. Cozy does not press that question immediately. She passes on that question for a while just to give them time to settle and enjoy themselves, but after a while, Cozy gathers her courage and asks what's really on her mind to Flurry.

When she does, Flurry looks stunned for a while, but then she looks down sadly for a moment as she admits that she did feel nervous that she could be losing Cozy to something she is not, or at least not anymore. She goes on to say that that life, if it is indeed real and part of their mutual history, was very painful and it ended in tragedy. Flurry did not want to go through that again. Instead, she wants a life of innocence and fun. She just wants to be with her friend and truly enjoy life this time.

As she said this, Cheese felt quite lost in this explanation because she did not hear of Cozy's earlier theory about their mutual history in a possible past life.

When Flurry finishes her explanation, there is a long pause of silence, and then Cozy declares that she does not want to play this game anymore. She's done.

There is an awkward and uncomfortable silence that follows that. In an effort to break that sudden frigid ice, Cheese Pie spontaneously breaks out into a song to which both of her friends knows the words. As she sings, she passes her friends an encouraging smile. Sometimes she even shakes them as if to say, “Come on! You know you want to do it. Sing! Sing a song.”

Gradually, they do manage to join in on the song. When they do, their depression melts away. It does not take too long for them to return to smiling, laughing, and giggling again.

While singing, Cozy flashes her yellow hide and pink-maned friend a very proud smile. Cheese’s often very foalish attitude tends to hide the fact that, behind those bright green eyes lies a very old and wise soul. It really is uncanny how often she says and/or does just the right thing to settle disputes and motivates everypony to get along. Her efforts aren't perfect but she clearly has an advantage over most average ponies when it comes to that affair. Because of her attitude, similar to her parents, it's so easy to write her off as just a goofy clown or a fool, but Cozy eventually notices how it heavily underestimates Cheese’s remarkable talent and gift.

So onward their largely pleasant evening continues. Hugging dolls, trading stories, eating delicious cookies, and drinking enough milk to give them all a milk mustache which they, of course, tease each other and giggle about. They also have warm and gooey hot fudge brownies that are sprinkled with oats and nuts.

Cozy is the last to have her make-up applied. The other girls went on to other activities after passing Cozy their traditional round of compliments for the new look.

After they left, though, Cozy's attention lingers on her reflection. She gazes at the shiny bows with tiny gems in them that help to hold her hair curls. She gazes at her mane that is coated with sparkling glitter. She gazes at her make-up which is a much better attempt on her face compared to the other two. Cozy's strategy turns out to be wise to wait to be the last one while her friends practice and make their mistakes upon themselves. The third time is the charm because, this time, their work is far more subtle. She only has just a few light colors and highlights around her face. Such touches are especially strong around her cheeks and eyes.

Cozy stares at herself, feeling a little transfixed because she wonders if this is the first life she's been born a girl. There isn't much to the contrary, but this does feel new.

She looks into her eyes as she recalls the fact that she often used her charms and feminine wiles to attempt to lie, cheat, and steal as she strategizes her path to victory, whatever that goal might be. There is a learning curve to that process. Among that process is becoming aware that every target reacts differently to her attempts, even from moment to moment, but she is very cunning so she adapts fast. It is such a thrill for her when her efforts bear fruit because it helps to validate her faith in herself and gives her confidence. It tells her, “I can win! I don't need to be big, strong, and tough. Instead, I can be smart and subtle. Why waste all of my energy when I can get others to do it for me? In time, I'll make them lick the dirt off my hooves as I compel them to bow before me!”

But every time she lays on the charms, there is a part of her that shrivels with panic as that part of her mind asks herself, “What if this doesn't work? Other than my charms and wits, I don't have much to fall back on naturally. I guess I can fly. Maybe that will help me escape from my troubles.”

The reason she feels so desperate for success and validation in her life is because of her struggle to keep from feeling vulnerable. It has been an ever-pervasive problem in the depths of her subconscious.

Relying on others so much feels like a gamble because their free will might say no. Even if they say yes, there is still no guarantee that they'll succeed. By watching a knight in shining armor fight for her in a desperate effort to defend her, she winces at every blow he suffers because it means she's that much closer to becoming the aggressor’s next target.

There is a gut-wrenching uncertainty to rely upon others all the time. The trouble with that is manipulating others is her primary gift. At least she has the wits to lead them well when and if they choose to follow her.

But Sombra didn't have to do that. His power alone could crush any opposition in his way. The fact that he could use those same powers to control others on top of that feels like overkill. Whenever he did that, he didn't need to take a chance that they'll say no. He says screw it and forces his subjects to become like living dolls who are absolutely mindless and obedient. There is so much confidence that can be derived from such a perfect solution because it leaves no chance for errors. Free will cannot offer a potential threat of rebellion if it is squashed mercilessly and completely right away.

There is no denying it. Cozy Glow is definitely jealous of that talent.

But is it enough? He seemed miserable, especially now. He acts like his mere existence is constant torture. For that very reason, he constantly longs for rest.

Cozy's life certainly isn't perfect, but there are plenty of moments of levity like this when she can bask in the simple joy of being alive and sharing this experience with her friends.

Even at a very young age, ever since she was rescued by her first true friend, Cozy became addicted to friendship because it is a source of power. The more pawns she has, the more she has to manipulate into doing whatever she wants. Each friend extends the reach of her influence and increases her odds of success at the same time.

It all starts right here, with this cute and adorable face. That's the core resource she has to work with in order to build up everything else. It's the one thing that cannot be taken away from her, so it's the more reliable and trustworthy thing she's got. This is square one. This is her foundation.

It's pretty good, but she wishes she has more to work with, like Sombra once did. It may be that the reason she longs for that kind of power so much is because it used to be hers, and she became accustomed to relying upon that power until this life rolled around. After that, not only does she start from scratch again, but she has to build herself up differently this time because she has different tools to work with.

It's so hard for her to avoid comparing herself to another pony which she might not really have a connection to. Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but it feels right and the circumstances surrounding them keep driving them together in very uncanny ways. If this is destiny, is it because they always did have a deep connection?

“Equestria to Cozy Glow!” Cheese calls behind her. In response, Cozy focuses past her shoulder in the reflection to see her yellow friend waving at her to approach. “Come in, Cozy Glow! We don't have all night, and we still have a lot of stuff to do, so come on!”

Cozy sighs and shakes her head as she inwardly decides that Cheese is right. She can dwell on this another time. Right now she has limited time with both of her friends, so she should make the most of it.

“Right.” Cozy pushes herself from the make-up station using both hooves. “I'm coming.”

There was a reason Cozy Glow once hated Flurry Heart with a passion, and to this day some of it still lingers. Cozy was born in squalor and slavery. From the beginning, she was treated to the worst things life had to offer. From that awful starting point, she fought her way to the very height of power. It took a long time and a lot of scheming, but for a short while there, she was an alicorn, the pinnacle of perfection for pony kind. This is as close to god-like as the Equestrian race can get. Not only do they have all the advantages of each of the three breeds, not only did they have greater talent in those traits than each of the three breeds apart, but they are naturally ageless. Then, the icing on the cake, they usually have some special magical talent that sets them apart from other alicorns. It's almost like having a second cutie mark, or becoming especially good at the first talent.

Cozy had that advantage in her hooves for a short while, and it was wonderful! It felt so good that all of that effort and suffering finally paid off.

But then she lost it. Not only that, she lost what she had before. She once lamented her lack of freedom before, but then it became so much worse! She had all of her efforts and schemes backfire so heavily in her face. It made her wonder if that was her true calling in life all along; to simply be a victim who was literally born to suffer.

But Flurry Heart . . . Oooo! That selfish little snobby princess . . . she was literally born with it all as an alicorn. This means she has all the best advantages of each race. On top of that, she's a princess as well as having the most perfect, fairy-tale-like parents in the world. It was nothing but sweet kisses, the best foods, and a warm and comfy bed. There was no need to struggle. No need to worry about anything. No need for a challenge. Just poof! Instant win from the moment of conception.

Cozy is not really complaining about the existence of such advantages, but it should have been hers instead. To see somepony else with it when she was born with so little makes this a vicious taunt. As a result, it used to be that, whenever Cozy saw Flurry Heart, she wanted to slap that snobby little princess so hard that Flurry's head with spin and probably make a cute squeaking noise.

Aside from the fact that so many others pressed her to give Flurry a chance, Cozy also realized there is strategic value to this relationship. She already had a horse-shoe in on Canterlot thanks to her newly adopted “mother”, but gathering a relationship with Flurry means extending her range of influence to the Crystal Empire as well.

It feels so ironic to her that she once struggled for all of these advantages, lost them all, then suddenly these ponies are hoofing her all of these gifts to her on a silver platter. At first her reaction is to blink in a stunned way, but in time she just shrugs and says to herself, “Well . . . okay. Keep 'em coming! More power for me, I guess.”

For quite a long time, it felt revolting to force a fake smile on her face and “pretend” to be Flurry's friend. But, in time, Flurry's affections gradually wore her down for real, and yes . . . Cozy also understood that every reason she hated Flurry Heart was over circumstances Flurry could not control. Only recently has that point come into question again, but it still feels moot.

It also honestly surprised Cozy to discover how much they had in common after all, especially in an emotional context.

As Cozy played with her friends during that night, it still stings a little to receive all of those reminders of why she felt so bitter earlier. This moment is great and it feels so nice to try on all those comfortable and adorable clothes, but deep down Cozy still seethes with rage at the reminder that all of these neat things are not hers, they are Flurry's. Allowing Cozy to wear them is nothing but a temporary indulgence that is delivered on a whim, and can be taken away just as quickly. It grated on Cozy's nerves for Flurry to offer for Cozy to keep some of the outfits she wanted because they “fit” and “look so good on you”, but Cozy did not want the pity or charity.

Besides, she does have enough cute outfits in Canterlot as it is. There is no reason to add any more.

Despite the bitterness that Cozy feels deep in her heart against one of her friends, there is affection too.

It's so annoying how both of her friends can empathically pick up on that, but it keeps their relationship fairly honest which kind of is a big deal for Cozy. It feels scary to be forced into an authentic relationship, but in the long gallop . . . she has to admit it feels kind of nice because it meant that her friends really know her for who she really is. Not only are they aware of that, but they accept her and even love her for it.

Although the night is fun, there is also a desperate edge to it. Not only has the day’s events really rattled them, Cozy and Flurry especially, but there is that uncertainty of when they can do this again. Considering the fact that Cozy may go on a journey soon to lands unknown, no pony could know if Cozy (or Cheese for that matter) will ever return from that journey. Despite the precautions they are bringing with them, nothing can be certain with the life of adventure.

“I really wish I could go, too,” Flurry laments as the three of them start to grow too tired to remain awake, yet despite the fatigue, they are fighting harder than usual to remain awake. “The journey you are about to embark upon feels extremely important. You mean so much to me, Cozy, so I want to be part of your life during its more critical period of transformation. I say this because I deeply care for you. This life we share together feels like a second chance after so much misery and tragedy. I don't want to waste a second more now that it’s finally going good.”

“There probably were good moments before,” Cozy figures with uncertainty. “Very rarely is anything perfectly black or white.”

“True,” Flurry agrees but with a sad sigh. She lowers her ears and droops her eyelids as she looks down.

“You have an important purpose here in the Crystal Empire,” Cozy reminds Flurry. “I know you care for me, but don't you care for these ponies too? You are an important part of their life, Flurry. You are the heart and soul of the Crystal Heart, and that artifact is exactly what is protecting this Empire from being covered in a blanket of ice and snow.”

“I know,” Flurry agrees while maintaining a glum expression, “but you are both important to me, too. I don't want to choose. I want you all in my life.” She sniffs as she wipes a tear from her eyes using the tip of her left wing. “I know it seems like I'm being selfish, but I can't help how I feel. My emotions have always dominated my life.”

Even though some bits of this conversation is going over Cheese's head, she holds her silence other than sneaking another cookie into her mouth. The only sound she makes is the crunch of the cookie. While she does that, she keeps shifting her eyes back and forth between Cozy and Flurry because the only part of this conversation she understands is the fact that they are unloading important baggage between them as well as the fact that Flurry will miss them.

“Any part of me that's still him understands your important role in the Crystal Empire,” Cozy expresses. “He loved this land, but he also loved you too. Both of you built this kingdom together on the edge of a desperate hope. He doubted her, but she never gave up hope that this reality was possible, and you know what? She was right. She won! Everypony that followed her won.

“This place needs you, Flurry Heart. If you followed me instead, some part of me will always feel vulnerable that you're leaving the most precious gift we ever built together undefended.”

“It's not undefended!” Flurry argues. “The Crystal Empire has plenty of defenses. My own father, the prince of this country, was a former Captain of the Royal Guards. He knows how to organize a security force.”

“The Empire needs more than just muscle to keep it thriving, Flurry Heart,” Cozy argues. “It needs its heart, and you are that heart. You literally are the heart and soul of the Empire. Do you deny this?”

Flurry does not answer. She just continues to look down with a frown.

“Then remember this,” Cozy urges since Flurry did not argue with that point. “Remember because it’s important.” She places a hoof on her chest as she says, “Part of my heart and soul will always dwell here, too. You'll feel it in the Crystal Heart itself, along with any other pony who ever donated energy to that artifact.”

While her face remains directed downward, Flurry's eyes look up at Cozy while glistening with a few tears.

“And it's not like she's going to be proceeding alone,” Cheese chimes in. “I'll still be with her, and hey! Guess what? We also got these new nifty crystal-things that will help us keep in touch from a distance.”

Cozy Glow and Flurry Heart momentarily panic when Cheese tosses one of those crystals high into the air, but they don't have time to make a sound when the crystal lands and vanishes within Cheese Pie's puffy pink mane.

“Don't worry! I'll keep it close and safe,” Cheese assures, then crosses her hooves over both sides of her chest as she says, “Cross my heart, and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake,” she suddenly produces one and slaps it into her right eye as she finishes saying, “in my eye.”

“That's disgusting!” Cozy complains to Cheese. “I wish you'd stop doing that.”

“Do what?” Cheese asks innocently as cupcake frosting now drips from her right eye. Absently she also licks some of it up as it drools down like a cupcake frosting teardrop.

“Literally slap a cupcake in your eye! That's disgusting,” Cozy elaborates. “You don't have to go that far. You can just say it as any normal pony would.”

“Are you accusing me of being a 'normal' pony?” Cheese questions Cozy with a tilt of her head before extending an overly long tongue out her mouth and licks up the remains of the cupcake from her eye, which is yet another sight both of her other friends squint and cringe at the sight of. “Excuse me, but I am not a normal pony! Where in the world did you ever get that impression? My family laughs at your silly little logic and your pathetic laws of physics, so to that I say ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-HA!”

“You got to admit, she does have a point,” Flurry agrees to Cozy with an amused smirk. “And it does comfort me to know that you're bringing a friend along who can seemingly do anything.”

“As long as it is for comedic effect,” Cheese adds as a stipulation.

“I think you do need some comic relief in your life, Cozy,” Flurry goes on. “Sometimes you are too serious. Sombra was even worse at that.”

To that, Cozy just shrugs.

“How is Sombra involved in this conversation?” Cheese wonders aloud. “Weren't we talking about us instead?”

“Yeah!” Flurry agrees as if she suddenly decided something. “You're right. Sombra isn't involved in this conversation.”

“Was he ever?” Cheese wonders innocently before snacking on another cookie.

Cozy shakes her head as she says, “It doesn't matter, but you see my point, Flurry. Regardless of our history together, you are still very much a part of the Crystal Empire now. Your place is here, and I need to know that. I need to know that this place will continue to have what it needs to thrive.”

“Okay, okay!” Flurry exasperates as she waves both of her hooves back and forth between them. “I get it! You want me gone.”

“DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH, FLURRY HEART!” Cozy suddenly cries out in fury. “I hate it when you do that.”

“Then say what you really mean!” Flurry pleads. “Admit that you care for me too, and that you'll miss me as well.”

Cozy looks suddenly reluctant as she asks, “Must I? You already know how I feel. You’re a psychic empath, for crying out loud!”

Flurry shakes her head briefly as she says, “Yes, I am, but I still need to hear you say it. Also, I think you need to hear yourself say it as well. You tend to not be an honest pony, Cozy Glow. Not even to yourself. Sometimes you need to face the truth in order to grow and move on with your life in a positive way.”

“Okay, fine! I'll say it if it will make you happy,” Cozy spits in annoyance, then glares at Cheese as she holds a microphone near Cozy's face. The wire of that microphone leads somewhere within Cheese's mane.

“If you don't put that away, you'll be eating that soon!” Cozy threatens Cheese.

In response, Cheese shrugs then proceeds to swallow the microphone herself. Following that, she slurps up the wire as if it is a spaghetti noodle.

Cozy and Flurry both widen their eyes at that sight, then glance at each other, then they both giggle as they shake their heads together.

When they settle again, Cozy resumes. “Anyway, as I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted,” she growls with a final glare to Cheese, then a much softer and affectionate look to Flurry Heart. “Of course I'm going to miss you, Flurry Heart, but you know I have to do this and you know you have to be here. I have to repay my debt to my counterpart, and I can't stand the thought of her not living her life.” She lowers her head and looks down with a frown. “I know what it's like to live my life feeling trapped. It's not an experience I ever want to repeat again. As long as she is like this, I'll always feel like some part of me is trapped, too.” She looks back up at Flurry. “I know for a fact that she felt the same way when she saw me trapped in stone. That knowledge broke her. She could not take it. She cried on the muddy ground during a scheduled rainstorm as the knowledge of what happened to me tortured her.”

“I'm grateful to her, too,” Flurry agrees with a frown of her own. “If she didn't convince Princess Twilight to let you go, you might not have become my friend later.”

“Or mine!” Cheese passionately chimes in. “So we're all in agreement. Human Cozy is our friend too, and she needs us. A friend in need is a friend indeed, and we will not let down our friends, will we, girls? Loyalty is something we know well.” She pounds her chest hard. “We can count on that.”

“Actually, that is a lesson I'm still struggling with,” Cozy disagrees. “That and honesty, obviously.

“Still, I am highly motivated. Even if my motivations are partially selfish, I know I cannot move on with my life while this injustice continues. I need to do this.”

Cozy extends a hoof between them as she goes on to declare, “And let us make another promise. Let us vow that, no matter how much physical distance there is between us, we'll still be together in our hearts. As friends, let the distance between us remain invisible.”

“Here-here!” Cheese cheers as she applies a hoof on top of Cozy's.

“Friends,” Flurry agrees as she adds her own hoof above the others. “Friends forever!”

Together, they cheer and throw up their hooves.

Author's Note

I am expecting minimal views for this chapter. Maybe even some negative backlash. Recap mode and going heavy on internal dialog doesn't seem popular these days. What I tried to accomplish here is explain Cozy's relationship with her friends, Flurry in particular. How it used to be different, why it changed, and also discuss plans for the future which further illustrate how they feel about each other.

Still, having said all that, I remain nervous about posting this one.

The next chapter might make up for it, however. The irony here is many of you might consider the worst chapter to be back to back with the best. I expect the most views on the next chapter for two reasons; quality and length. Quality is why some of you might re-read it over and over again, and length may explain high read counter because some of you can't or won't read it all in one day. It's too long for your busy schedule. The next chapter is hands-down the longest, and I promise you that won't happen again within this book. I look forward to your reaction to that one about as much as I dread your reaction to this chapter. Either way, feel free to share your opinion with a comment. I learn far more from that than just views and thumbs up/down.

Chapter 24: Return to One's Self

It is so good to fly over the Crystal Mountains of the Frozen North. It should be chilly but, for some reason, it does not bother Cozy.

She used to wonder why it felt so nostalgic and just breathtaking, but the realization that she might have been Sombra in a distant past life gives this area new meaning for her.

It's funny because, when she gazes at the white, snowy peaks of the Crystal Mountains, she is getting conflicting information about this place. Her brain is telling her, “Past life? I don't know what you are talking about. I've only seen this area a few times. Every time I do, I wish a pony's fur is thicker.” However, her heart is telling her, “This place feels familiar. I've been here before but I can't put my hoof on why this is so.”

Mixed with those feelings is a sense of ownership as well as relaxed enchantment. Just flying up here and gazing upon the sights invigorates her somehow. Her theory puts this whole situation in an interesting perspective. Most of her heart is now pointing towards it, but she wishes there is a way to be sure. After all, it could merely be her recent association with that spirit as well as visiting a few of his past memories.

Her counterpart went a lot further in this regard. Is that more evidence of destiny?

The sound of thunder draws her attention further north. There, she sees dark billowing clouds that flash with lightning. Within them, she hears a ghostly whinny sound.

She smiles at those clouds because she finds them relaxing.

She decides to change course and head straight for those clouds. Every weather pony she's ever known would have heavily cautioned against that unless they are trained professionals, but Cozy does not care. For some reason, she just knows she can hoofle it.

When she gets close to the clouds, she notices there is an opening. This excites her, so she flies towards it. Once she arrives, she notices that it is a spiraling tunnel of clouds. The spinning seems segmented. About every four horse-lengths, the tunnel is spinning in the opposite direction of the one before and after it. This causes the entire tunnel to be a dizzying spiral of motion that gives her vertigo in a hurry.

“Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooa! I feel dizzy!” Cozy mirthfully cries aloud to nopony as she attempts to fly through the tunnel of spinning clouds, but she does not make it. She grows so dizzy that she ends up plunging into one of the cloud walls. Once she does, she ends up spinning along with it. That does not help with her equilibrium.

“Cozy,” a ghostly whisper echos through the tunnels, catching her attention. “Cozy Glow.”

“That's my name. Don't wear it out,” Cozy calls back to the distant voice.

On the other side of the tunnel, Cozy notices the strange sight of the moonlight intensifying. For some reason that does not frighten her, but she is perplexed. This is interesting, so it nabs her attention.

She attempts to focus on the bright moonlight beyond the other side of the spinning tunnel. Doing so restores some of her equilibrium. She resumes her journey to the other side with limited success. By keeping her eyes locked ahead, her sense of vertigo does not get too severe, but the spinning motion around her peripheral vision causes her flight to be somewhat awkward. She keeps curving back and forth along her way through the tunnel, but eventually, she reaches the other side.

What greets her eyes is a mountain top near the edge of a cliff. Around the area is a bunch of flowers that glow softly in the moonlight. At first she thinks the flowers are mildly reflective, but closer inspection reveals that the rose petals are indeed emitting their own bioluminescence. The area must have a strong magical charge. She wishes she had one of those communication crystals hoofy. She could use that to identify how strong of a magical ley line is in the area.

Upon landing, she notices some of the lights in the area take off and fly from the flowers. They look like colorful butterflies, but their wings are also luminescent.

“How pretty!” Cozy coos softly under her breath. “A mare can get used to this.”

“Cozy Glow,” the ghostly whisper picks up again. This time it sounds much closer. It sounds like it is coming from all around her, and now she can definitely identify that voice as coming from a fellow mare. It even sounds a tad familiar.

Where have I heard that voice before? Cozy wonders to herself. Hmmm.

“This meeting is long overdue,” the ghostly mare says around her.

“Who are you?” Cozy calls out cautiously. She tenses up. Her wings spread to her sides and the feathers of her wings stand on edge. “Show yourself.”

“You have but to ask,” the voice replies before the light of the moon above grows brighter still. Cozy looks up and notices there is a column of moonlight beaming down to her area, but there is no logical explanation for this other than magic.

Or maybe . . .

Up above, the image of a mare coalesces inside the moonlight beam as if formed from it. A mane and tail grow from her that appears to be a window to living star lights. Her hide is very dark gray which twinkles with very small specks of light. This mare trots down the moonbeam as if it is solid ground.

I get it, Cozy thinks as her eyes sink halfway. This is Princess Luna, and I must be asleep.

“Greetings, young one,” Luna greets upon arrival. “I hope I'm not intruding.”

“Well, your arrival is unexpected,” Cozy says coldly as she sits down and wraps her curly tail around her. “I heard you retired. Prior to that, I heard you worked to dispel nightmares, not cause them with your presence.”

Luna appears disappointed but not surprised at that reaction. She says, “I deserve that.”

“No, you don't!” Cozy barks harshly with a look of intense rage. “You deserve far worse than you're getting. You locked me in living stone. You and your sister and Discord. Prior to that, you locked me in Tartarus! Me! A little filly!” Cozy settles back as her face sinks back into a cold mask. “I won't say I didn't deserve some of those things myself, but I hope you weren't expecting a warm welcome after what you pulled on me. Now, please leave. This is my dream, and you really are intruding.”

Luna lifts a hoof as she says, “I shall leave forthwith if that is thy wish, but I urge thee to hear me out before I go.” She returns her hoof to the ground. “For I have come here to apologize for my past transgressions to thee, and I have also come to make amends.”

Cozy opens her mouth the moment Luna said she came to apologize. She was about to yell at Luna and once again harshly order her to leave, but the moment she added the fact that she also came to make amends, all of the sudden Cozy smells an opportunity. At that point, she becomes intrigued.

“Go on,” Cozy says with a narrow-eyed stare at the former Night Princess. “I'm listening.”

Luna cannot meet Cozy's sharp, judgmental stare for long because her own feelings of shame, so instead she gazes out beyond the cliff of the mountain as she reminisces.

“I've trot in thy horse-shoes before,” Luna begins. “In another age. Practically in another world. I, too, was locked in stone. From there, I could only gaze upon this world that was out of my reach for an age. There, I seethed. My hatred ever festering.”

Luna looks back at Cozy out the corner of her right eye as she says, “Back then, I could not control myself. My rage, fears, and jealousy controlled me. It turned me into another mare entirely. For me, it is like another life. I suppose now you can somewhat relate.”

“Blah-blah!” Cozy says in disgust. “So your life sucked as well. Boo-hoo. I guess we're both sad and pathetic little mares, aren't we?

“Get to the point! My patience is thin with you.”

Luna meets Cozy's eyes a little more as she says, “My point is, based on my past experience, I should have pitied you. I should have helped you, but instead, I judged and condemned you. I was like my sister when she judged me. I had hoped I had risen above such temperaments. My ego demanded no less of me, but in the end . . . I found myself with the same failings as my dear beloved sister, and it has wrought the same consequences for Equestria. One could even argue that the results were far worse.”

Luna faces Cozy fully as she goes on to say, “My reaction to you wasn't without cause. You threatened the magic of this world, threatened to rip apart everything I held dear, you destroyed my home, you drained my magic, you turned ponies against each other, and worst of all . . . your actions brought back the windigos. Had that pattern continued, we would have all shared a bleak fate of a wintery apocalypse.”

Luna's head shifts back as she asks somewhat sharply, “You've seen them before, haven't you? Not just personally, but from a vision of a bygone age. You saw the winter storms and what horrors it brings with it.”

Cozy frowns and looks down. She can't deny that, and that fact honestly haunts her.

“I've seen them too,” Luna points out. Now it is her turn to narrow her eyes. “I've lived it. I also grew up in those wintery storms. My sister and I both. The days of yore were dark and tragic. There was no room for hope when all was strife.”

“I forgot about the fact that you must have seen it too,” Cozy says as she looks back at Luna far more sympathetically. “I have only seen it in a vision and that brief moment on top of the ruins of Canterlot Castle, but you were there! You lived it! How did you all survive that age?”

“It wasn't easy,” Luna says as she shakes her head while looking down. “Back then, we grew accustomed to expecting loss. We numbed ourselves to everything. We fought against forming attachments, for what was the point? By learning to care about anything or anyone was simply setting us up for disappointment, for we would surely lose that thing shortly.

“Every day seemed an endless night. Every day was a struggle to survive, and our only reward for our struggles is for our bleak existence to continue. Back then, there was no end to the bitter and unforgiving chill of the night.”

“You really were there,” Cozy agrees as she also looks down. “I saw it. I felt it. The chill of it still clings to my soul. Maybe it was always there, deep down.”

Luna leans forward as she says emphatically, “Learn from this lesson well, young one, for that is the kind of disaster that looms above us all. By accepting chill within our hearts and souls, we invite it into our environment as well. Pony kind has always had a deeply intrinsic connection to nature. We are its stewards. We are its guardians. If we fail at that job, well then . . .” She waves a hoof at Cozy exactly one time. “You have seen the results for yourself not once, but twice.”

“I didn't mean it,” Cozy says sadly. “I was horrified when I saw the windigos. I thought they were an old mare's tale before I saw them, but afterwards . . . I could not help but wonder if we really did doom the world.” Her eyes look back up at Luna. “My aim was to conquer, not destroy. In pursuit of that goal, I guess I lost control of myself, too. I guess,” she shrugs, “I can relate to you and Nightmare Moon.”

“Such a threat dwells within us all, little one,” Luna lectures. “Why did I forget that? Even when Princess Twilight set you free, I still questioned her.” She sits very straight. “My faith in Twilight has always been on more shaky ground compared to my sister. Time and time again she has proven capable of sound decisions and she works hard for the benefit of all, but after all this time . . . I still found myself questioning her. By freeing you, she also freed Chrysalis and Tirek. I cannot tell you how horrified I was when I received that news. I truly did question Twilight's sanity.

“But my sister, as usual, had more faith in Twilight, and she urged me to have faith in her as well. Reluctantly, I obeyed, but I still monitored you all from afar. Both in the physical world and in the dream world.”

Cozy narrows her eyes at Luna as she accuses, “In other words, you were spying on us.”

“Do you blame me?” Luna questions. “If our positions were reversed, wouldn’t you do the same?”

Cozy's expression softens somewhat as she admits, “I suppose I would.

“So . . . based on the information you have gathered . . . what conclusion have you reached?”

Luna looks to the side as she says, “To date, Chrysalis and Tirek still concern me . . . especially Chrysalis. All of her days are spent seething and scheming. On top of that, her sanity has been sharply deteriorating as of late.

“Tirek, on the other hoof, is just depressed. He isn't scheming, or at least . . . not too much of it. Instead, he's just wallowing and . . . I don't know. Waiting for something, maybe? He still concerns me, but not as much as the former changeling queen.”

Hmm. Now there is a note to self, Cozy inwardly decides. I should pay my old comrades a visit before I take off on my journey. I'll see if there is anything I can do to help them.

At the very least, it might give me closure. I might need that so I can remain focused on the journey ahead. Considering how dangerous it could be, perhaps I can afford no less.

“Now you, however, I have found to have astounding progress,” Luna announces, “especially after your last visit with your human counterpart. You trotted away from that a changed mare. Ever since, you seemed broken, but not scheming. I did sense bitterness and anger in you, but it is reserved, like hot coal that's gradually cooling off.

“But the most startling thing I've discovered was in some of your dreams. Within them, I saw glimpses into your past. I saw why you became the mare you are today. When I saw that and realized what your motivations were, my heart finally plunged into shame over what I have done to you. Furthermore, the more evidence I've gathered at your slow but progressing redemption, the worse I felt. I've actually been where you were before, and yet I had the gall to condemn you. My shame knows no bounds. It sank deeper and deeper within me as time moved on. At the same time, I became more and more determined to seek a way to redeem myself for my actions against you. I must make amends.

“As I have observed you in your recent journey, as well as the one you're about to embark upon, an idea occurred to me.” Luna looks at Cozy squarely. “While it is unlikely that anything I can do can make up for what I've done to you in one stroke, I sincerely hope that my plan will feel like a step in the right direction.”

“Finally! Now you're getting to the good part!” Cozy exclaims. “So out with it! How do you intend to make up for your grievous transgressions against me?”

“By granting your recent heart’s desire,” Luna answers. “I believe I have a way to awaken your counterpart.”

Cozy gasps, choking, then coughs in astonishment. During that whole time, her eyes are stuck wide with shock, then she proclaims, “If you can do that, then you can consider your debt to me totally clear!”

Luna shakes her head as she explains, “Sadly, you misunderstand the depths of my powers, for I can only awaken her in the dream realm, and only for this one night.”

“What? Why?!” Cozy whines sadly. “Why just this night?”

“Actually,” Luna looks up at the moon, “I should clarify.” She looks back at Cozy. “My powers are at its height during a full moon, such as tonight. Those are the only times I can pull off this trick, and even then . . . I am expecting it to cost me an enormous amount of power. I'm not sure how long it will last, but I know for sure it will only last within the dream world. As soon as either of you awaken, things will return as they were until the core problem that caused this is solved.”

“Oh.” Cozy looks down as her expression falls in disappointment. This news, after the height of her excitement earlier, she finds devastating. There is nothing more hollow than receiving one's heart's desire within a dream, only to lose it again when one awakens. It's such a taunt.

Luna trots next to Cozy. Once there, she lifts Cozy's face with the tip of her left wing. Once their eyes meet again, she says, “If I do this, you will get to see her. The real her.” She folds her wing on her back again. “Isn't there anything you wanted to say to her? Something you wanted off of your chest?”

“I suppose I do,” Cozy accepts with a bittersweet sigh. “I guess.” She focuses on Luna. “If you can do this, I would appreciate it. I wouldn't call us even yet but it's certainly a start.

“Plus, if we do this, it gives her a chance to voice her opinions too. I certainly want to hear that.”

“As do I,” Luna agrees. “Your counterpart is clearly a victim in this. For her own sake alone, I would be willing to do this.”

“So . . . how do we proceed?” Cozy asks curiously with rising hope.

“For that, we are going to need one more participant,” Luna says as she looks over her left shoulder. When Cozy follows that gaze, she is surprised to notice there is now a door near them, but that's it. Just a dark blue, mostly featureless door that hangs on nothing in particular.

Remember, Cozy, this is a dream, she reminds herself. Logic has no place here.

The door she is looking at opens. From it, Sombra trots through. Cozy notices that, with his red scarf on, he seems to be engaging “Crystal Sage” mode for the moment. That means he's calmer and more reasonable to talk to.

Behind him, Cozy notices some movement. Focusing on that, she widens her eyes in astonishment when she notices yet another copy of Princess Luna behind the former Dark King. Feeling shocked, Cozy whips her head to look at the other Luna that's standing here. When she does, she sees the local Luna snicker slightly and gives Cozy a mischievous wink.

Feeling bewildered, Cozy stares straight forward at nothing in silence for a few seconds, then shakes her head in an effort to clear it. By the time she does, Sombra joins them near her, and the door he came from shuts and vanishes.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” Sombra says as he bows to Luna after his arrival. “We meet again.” He rises from his bow. “Short time, no see.”

“Does that happen to you often?” Cozy feels like she has to ask Princess Luna. “Meeting another copy of yourself, I mean?”

“I am the Princess of the Night!” Luna announces as she spreads her wings for a second with that regal declaration. “My powers in the dream world carry with it certain abilities which would be highly unusual in the waking world.” She folds her wings again. “Dreams are not linear, and they don't share the same limitations one is imposed with in the waking world. By several methods, I can make copies of myself and often do so. Do you think I, as merely one pony, can see to the protection of the entire dream realm? I think not.

“However,” her eyes grow suddenly dull upon this new declaration, “I have seen other dream copies of myself that is not of my own creation, but rather that of the dreamer I was visiting.” She closes her eyes with a wince of disgust, twists her head to her right side sharply, and cuts a hoof across the air while spreading her wings a bit as she declares, “I shan't discuss that detail any further, for I am a dignified royal princess.” She looks back at Cozy, folds her wings again, and returns her hoof to the ground. “Retired, perhaps, but still . . . I have my standards.”

“Uhhhhhhhh.” Cozy blushes. “Yeah. That's . . . probably a good idea. Let's change the subject.” Still blushing slightly, she turns to look at Sombra and was about to ask him something, but he interrupts her with a raised hoof.

“There is no need for a recap, for I have already been apprised by Her Majesty of our situation,” Sombra informs Cozy. He returns his hoof to the earth. “I'll tell you what I told her; and that is the fact that if she can make this transition permanent, she is more than welcome to do so.”

“Transition?” Cozy asks with a wince of confusion. “What transition?”

“You didn't explain that part to her yet?” Sombra asks Luna.

Luna shakes her head, then says, “No, but I was about to. However,” she waves a hoof at him, “I'll go ahead and let you fill her in.”

He nods his head low to her as he says, “As you wish, Your Majesty.” Lifting his head and returning his gaze to Cozy, he announces, “Long story short, your counterpart and I share the same existence, but our egos conflict; accordingly, I will have to return to unconsciousness to permit her the opportunity to arise.”

“Whoa!” Cozy looks amazed. “So . . . if that happens, how much will she know about what's going on?”

“That is not known at this time,” Sombra admits. “It might be nothing. If such is the case, I'll leave it to you to apprise her of the situation. Do not tarry, however. I fear your time with your counterpart may be limited. Luna has warned me, under no uncertain terms, that maintaining this transition may be strenuous for her. As a result, it would be wise to make haste.”

“Then let's hurry up and get to this,” Cozy encourages. “I want to finish this encounter before I wake up in the morning, or somepony else wakes me up.”

“I have used some of my powers to deepen thy sleep,” Luna informs. “Nevertheless, it would be prudent to proceed with all due haste, for there is little I can do if somepony else forces you awake.”

“And doing so may break the transition,” Sombra warns. “Luna said that you share her existence too. While our connection may have some doubt, the latter does not, so it is unnecessary to question it.”

“Why is that important?” Cozy asks.

“Sombra will be likened to a door she must pass through,” Luna informs, “and you will be a bridge with which she must cross to arrive here. You shall be a lure to pull and keep her here. If you awaken, that connection will be severed, and she'll return to the state from whence she came. As such,” she spreads her wings towards them as if to wave to indicate them both, “I have brought together the minimum party necessary to facilitate this joint operation. Rest assured that I have thought this through very thoroughly, and I shall endeavor my best to see it through to the end.

“Now, with that said,” she looks back and forth between Sombra and Cozy, “art thou both ready?”

“Indeed, Princess of the Night,” Sombra declares with determination as he closes his eyes. “Let it begin.”

“In that case, keep thy eyes closed and surrender thyself to sleep when thou feelest inclined. By surrendering to this process, thou shalt facilitate a smooth transition.”

“I understand, Princess,” Sombra acknowledges with a subtle nod while keeping his eyes closed. “Proceed.”

“Uh, wait!” Cozy calls as she lifts a hoof. “Is there anything I should do?”

“Bear witness as these events unfold,” Luna declares as she lifts off the ground with a few slow flaps. In fact, she does not seem to flap enough. It's more like she's floating off the ground. As she does, she is raising her forelegs above her head fairly dramatically. “And speak thy mind upon her arrival. This is key, Cozy Glow, else there would be no point to her arrival.

“Now I must concentrate so that our efforts bear fruit.” When next she speaks, her voice echoes across the sky. “By the powers invested in me as the Princess of the Night, behold! Thy counterpart shall return!”

Luna shoots a beam up at the dream image of the moon above. It flares brightly. After that, she seems to steer its course across the sky by about thirty degrees. As a result, the moonbeam adjusts as well. It casts down, engulfing Sombra. When he is struck, he falls over backwards in slow motion. The more he falls, the slower he falls. As he nears the ground, mysterious mist grows around him which obstructs Cozy's view of him. Eventually he seems to vanish within it entirely.

Cozy continues to observe with bated breath, feeling desperate hope that this might work. That she'll finally encounter her other self again.

As she continues to watch, the mist gradually fades away. When it does, Cozy can no longer see Sombra anymore, or indeed, nary a pony entirely. In his place is a late, teenage human girl in a one-piece pink dress that is the same salmon-pink color as Cozy's own hide. This is secured by a white belt at the waist. She is also wearing black, shiny shoes with a tiny silver buckle at the top. White socks are beneath that which is pulled up a third of the way to her knees. Her other self has the same teal curly hair with a red hairband on it. On both sides of that hairband is Cozy's cutie mark.

Interestingly enough, Cozy also notes that her other self is wearing the red magic geode on her neck which also has the symbol of her cutie mark.

Cozy flares with inward excitement when she sees her other self open her eyes.

This is working! She's finally going to meet her again at last! An event that hasn't happened in years, and even then, that was the first time.

“Cozy Glow?” Cozy asks her other self. It feels weird to call someone else with her own name, but such is her unusual life.

Cozy sees her other self yawn and stretch, then she sits up. Her human counterpart looks around for a moment. She appears enchanted by the beautiful sight around her, but when her eyes meet up with pony Cozy, it locks on her.

“Hello, Cozy,” her human self greets. “It's good to see you again, and better still to be able to talk to you this time! If you recall, that was quite the problem last time.”

Cozy gains a slightly strange look to her pony face as she says, “Yeah, that was weird. I understand you went through some trauma before, but why would it rob you of your voice?”

Her human self shrugs, then guesses, “Guilt, perhaps?

“Ultimately, I don't know. It might have been indicative of the escalating problem that later accumulated in my comatose state. At first, I had all of Sombra's memories and it might have been messing with my head. There was possibly also some physical damage because of it. I'm not sure, but ever since then, I had aphasia.

“Fortunately for me, I was able to more than make up for it with this geode here.” Human Cozy lifts it up between two fingers. “However, I received that only after our encounter together. The frustrating thing about that is I knew Equestrian script, for Professor Sunset taught me with my encouragement. However, I only learned to type in Equestrian script. Writing it was another matter entirely. I could only write in human script, and you, darn it, couldn't read it.”

“Oh yeah!” Cozy recalls as she looks up. “I remember that now.” She looks back at her human self. “Your little notepad had these weird chicken scratches that I couldn't make heads or tails of. The cruel irony of our situation is I might be able to read some of it now after I inherited some of your memories.

“Oh, and by the way,” she tilts her head at her somewhat older human self, “why did you give me those memories?”

“Because I did not want you to repeat my mistakes,” human Cozy answers her pony self. “You came to me bragging about the fact that you would avenge us both and take over the world or something. I was frightened when I heard that.”

Cozy grins coyly at her human counterpart as she says, “So . . . I managed to fool you after all. I was bluffing, I'll have you know.” She looks off to the side for four seconds as she amends, “Well . . . sort of.” She looks back at her other self. “It's complicated.”

Human Cozy rolls her eyes as she says, “Isn't it always in our lives? I don't know about you, but that seems rather typical of us to me.”

Cozy takes a single step forward as she asks earnestly, “Back then, your eyes flashed green, just like King Sombra does when he initiates his fear curse. How did you do that? You didn't even have your geode back then. You shouldn't have had access to any magic to pull that off, and how would you even know how to do that anyway?”

Human Cozy sighs as she is still sitting down. She leans forward and pulls her knees close to her chest and wraps her arms around them to hold them in place. After that, she says, “I can't say for sure, but Sunset told me that I've been enchanted with Equestrian magic twice. It happened when I was fooling around with a flash drive which, unbeknownst to me at the time, had Sunset's magical geode hidden inside of it. I used that flash drive to hack into her computer so that I could uncover any data she might have known about me. At the time, I was concerned about my friends and family judging me for what you did in Equestria.”

Cozy lifts a hoof as she declares, “No need to explain this part. It's among the memories I've inherited from you.”

“Then you should know how I came into contact with Equestrian magic,” human Cozy points out with slightly narrowing eyes. “Why ask me this if you're already aware of that part?

“As for Sombra's curse, I wasn't really thinking about it. I grew afraid of you because of what you were telling me, and somehow that fear coalesced inside of me into some kind of spell. My guess is that is typical fuel for his dark magic. Since I recently inherited his memories, I somewhat knew the process by heart. That is the fuel for magic, by the way. Our emotions are key to the process.” She narrows her eyes at her pony self further. “But you should know this. I taught you this as Sombra.”

Cozy widens her eyes at her human self as she exclaims, “Wait a second! You remember our time together as Sombra?”

Human Cozy nods, then says, “Just as he has inherited my memories, I have inherited his. Apparently it works both ways. As a result, I'm well aware of what has transpired around me while I was unconscious, or at least . . . I know as much of it as he does, but I strictly know it from his perspective. The only difference is now I can look back upon it and evaluate it with my own ego instead of his.”

“Interesting!” Cozy says with strong fascination. “Tell me, then . . . does your ability to think with your own personality drastically change how you feel about his memories?”

“Uh . . . yes and no,” human Cozy answers. “Some things we agree upon, and others I would have felt or made a different decision.” She shrugs. “It all depends upon the situation.” She shrugs again. “We're always changing and evolving, so that's kind of normal. I mean, you don't think or act the exact same way compared to the way you were as a foal, right?”

Cozy waves a hoof at her human self as she says, “Touché.” She sighs, then says, “So . . . what do you want to do now? If you're already aware of the situation, then that spares me the effort of . . . of . . .” Cozy trails off as she recalls something, then says more urgently. “Ooo! By the way, there is something I wanted to tell you for years since our last encounter.”

“Oh yeah? And what's that?” Human Cozy grows a coy smile. “I know myself pretty well, though, so I have a strong feeling what you are about to say.”

Cozy briefly closes her eyes as she shakes her head, then opens her eyes again at her other self as she says, “Even if you do, I feel I need to get this off my chest. The thing is . . . I never thanked you before for helping to convince Twilight to free me from stone. I remember how much that meant to you when you visited Equestria, and I just . . .” She trails off with a brief sigh, then regathers her courage. For some reason, this is difficult to admit, even to, or especially to, herself. “I just need you to know how much that is appreciated. Thank you.” She bows her head as she closes her eyes. “Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. That fate was . . . it was indeed awful.” She looks back at her other self. “I wasn't aware of you at the time because I couldn't sense anything beyond the stone aside from very dim tactile sensations, but through your memories, I know you were there and I know how much it meant to you.

“I also want you to know that that appreciation has done nothing but fuel my determination to free you in return. I will not stop until I've returned the favor to you.”

“Thanks, Cozy!” human Cozy says to her counterpart with a bright, warm smile. “That means a lot to me.

“And yes, I can certainly sympathize with your plight. When I saw you trapped in stone, all of a sudden the charming magical world behind me became black and bleak. It felt like such a betrayal to the innocence that was hidden within me. For as long as you were trapped, I felt like a part of me was as well.”

“That's how I feel about you!” Cozy exclaims.

“That does not surprise me,” human Cozy declares. “We are one and the same. I think we literally share the same soul, and as such . . . we can feel each other deep down. A lot of our trials and tribulations mirror each other too to an uncanny degree. Shades of it are quite different, of course, because we live in very different worlds, but still . . . we share the same lessons on a fundamental level. The biggest difference is I seem to be ahead of the curve, but it also looks like you're catching up fast. I'm aware of the time differentials between our two worlds which would help to explain how you're catching up so fast. And, of course, I shan't be advancing my own lessons much while I'm comatose, so the advantage is temporarily in your corner right now.”

Cozy looks down and to her right as she says nervously, “Believe me, I'm well aware of the burden of that responsibility.” While her face remains directed the same way, her eyes shift back to her other self. “But still . . . know that I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“I know you will,” human Cozy agrees softly. “And I know you'll succeed, too. With that much determination, drive, and resources that you have as well as others you shall accumulate later, success is only a matter of time. The future only increases the odds.”

“I'm glad you think so,” Cozy says with a nervous half-smile. “Personally, I'm terrified of failure.”

“That's because of what you went through,” human Cozy suspects. “The consequences of your previous actions have made you aware of them and very terrified. Meanwhile, I think you should use those lessons as a guide for a more positive influence in the future, not as an excuse to paralyze you into inaction. There is too much for you to do, Cozy, and you have too much potential to allow it to waste.

“You,” she points her entire left hand at her pony self, “are a pony in Equestria, which means you have an important destiny which is symbolized as a mark on your flank. That is your proof that you have a valuable place in this world.” Her left hand grabs her left knee again to help hold it in place against her chest. “Take it to heart. You can be just as positive of an influence in this world as you were its deterrent.”

“Is that what you think I should do?” Cozy checks.

“Frankly, yes,” human Cozy answers bluntly. “But, ultimately, it does not matter what I think. It matters what you think, because this is your life, Cozy. Live it and cherish it.”

Cozy looks down as she gets lost in thought with a slightly melancholy expression.

“Um,” human Cozy looks off to her side. When she spoke, pony Cozy looks back at her other self. “There is something I want to ask you.”

“Ask it,” Cozy invites.

Human Cozy only briefly looks back at her other self with her eyes, but looks away again very quickly. Oddly, she's suddenly afraid to look at her other self in the eyes.

“I just . . . I wanted to ask you . . . Umm . . . how . . . how is my friends and family back home?” human Cozy asks very timidly. “I wasn't aware of that while I was comatose, and Sombra wasn't aware of that situation either. His mind was out of focus until you and Sunset showed up to talk to him. In terms of clarity, that is where my memories coherently begin from his perspective.”

“Uh, well,” Cozy gulps nervously because she's aware that this news will hold a lot of weight to her counterpart. After all, she partially felt the same way when she last encountered them.

“Very worried,” Cozy answers honestly. “Most, if not all of your friends and family showed up.” Cozy looks up as she thinks back, trying to recall the list. “There was your mother, Sunset Shimmer, and your adopted sister, Diamond Tiara, along with her friend Silver Spoon. All three of the CMC's were there.” Sigh. “Let me think. There was also . . .”

Cozy trails off when she hears her counterpart sniffling and crying. Feeling startled, she looks at her counterpart as she tries to bury her face into her knees.

“I can't believe it!” human Cozy wails. “Why are they so good to me? Why do they care so much? I was so awful to them! You might not believe it.”

“Uh . . . well . . . I do have some of your memories,” Cozy reminds her other self. “Your ambitions were focused against Diamond Tiara in particular.”

“YES!” Cozy cries out. “And in doing so, I hurt a lot of other people in the process. I feel so guilty for mistreating them. These are my friends! My friends and family. I need them to nourish my soul!”

Cozy grows startled when her counterpart suddenly vanishes and reappears right in front of Cozy. Her human self grips both of Cozy's shoulders tightly as her eyes bore into her pony self as she cries out desperately, “Don't do what I've done, Cozy Glow! Don't take your friends and family for granted! We need them . . . so much more than we can possibly know! They are a part of us just as much as we are to each other, and they . . .” She sinks to her knees as she whimpers strongly. Her shoulders bob in the process. “These are such very good people. Cherish them, Cozy! I beg of you. Pleeeeeeeeease!”

Cozy is stunned! She just stands there, unmoving and unblinking. To hear this passionate declaration from her other self moves her more than she can possibly realize at that moment. More than likely it will take her a long time to probably digest her reaction properly, but for now, she feels woozy, like she's on the verge of fainting.

But she cannot let that happen! She must not fall unconscious, if there is such a thing in the dream world. If she does, her encounter with her counterpart will terminate.

“Okay, okay!” Cozy cries out to her human self. “I'll think more about your words later. I promise. But, for now, let’s change the subject.

“Hmm.” Pony Cozy looks around as she thinks. “Well . . . you're back in Equestria . . . sort of.” She looks at her counterpart. “Is there anything you wanted to do when you return here? Anything at all?”

It takes a while for her human counterpart to settle. Until then, she cries and sniffles as she gradually winds down. For now, Cozy takes that as an encouraging sign because it means her other self is trying to cooperate.

“There is one thing that I can think of,” human Cozy proposes with a grin while a few tears sparkle in her eyes in the moonlight.

“Name it!” Cozy gladly invites in an effort to change the subject and focus her mind again.

Human Cozy smiles more brightly, but Cozy grows nervous to see a twinkle of mischief in her eyes and the crook to her smile. Cozy has seen that devious look in her own face plenty of times in the mirror. Enough to recognize it in the human face of her counterpart. Frankly, that makes her nervous.

“I want . . .” human Cozy begins, gives a short pause for suspense, then quickly declares, “I want to ride you!”

“What?!” Cozy screeches in shock, severely taken aback. “Are . . . are you serious?”

“Well,” the devious look in human Cozy's eyes sinks even deeper. “You are a pony, are you not? In my world, they used to be the most common mounts.

“You remember, don't you? You have some of my memories. Think back.”

Cozy feels almost reluctant to cooperate, but she does. She thinks back. In doing so, she realized that her human self is correct. Ponies, or more commonly known as “horses” in the other world, used to be common mounts, and they are still just dumb animals who can't talk.

In fact, the memories go even further. Her human counterpart actually rode on a horse before during a visit to a ranch. The really strange thing about it is it was originally Sunset Shimmer's idea, and she used to be a pony!

Yeah. Sunset took human Cozy there alright, and her counterpart dearly loved it. She fell in love with ponies even more ever since that day. It also caused her to look forward to visiting Equestria and find out what it's like to be a pony in that world. She also wanted see how adorable the rest of her race is.

“OH MY CELESTIA!” Cozy cries out with wide eyes in shock. “You really are serious!”

“So, can I?” human Cozy pleads with a giddy look to her face. “Pleeeease?”

“Geh . . . weh . . . um . . .” Cozy stutters, hunting for an excuse to shoot this one down. “It's . . . it's just so . . .”

“Pwetty pwease with sugar on top?” human Cozy presses with an adorable flutter of her eyes.

“Don't give me that look!” Cozy barks back to her other self. “I practice that look all the time in the mirror!”

“Pweeeeeeeese?!” human Cozy begs with wide, shining eyes.

“Pony Feathers!” Cozy curses. “Foiled by my own tricks. You . . . you . . . um . . .” She suddenly widens her eyes. “You're too heavy!”

A dark look suddenly sinks into her human counterpart’s eyes as she asks in a gravely offended tone, “Excuse me? I beg your pardon!”

“It's not you!” Cozy nervously assures with a desperate wave of both of her hooves wiping back and forth ahead of her. “It's me. I am a little pony. Horses are bigger in your world.” A dull look sinks into her eyes as she declares, “I guess it's because the stupid animals are built for such things, but don't lump me in with their lot! I am a smart pony!”

Now her human self has a dull look as she points out, “We're in a dream, so you can take any shape you want. Just make yourself a little bigger.”

“Oh!” Cozy blinks. “Well. I . . . guess that could work, but,” she looks down at her human self, “why don't you reflect your own advice and simply take pony shape yourself? Then I can ride you!”

“You asked me what I wanted,” human Cozy reminds. “Are you refusing my request?”

Cozy squirms as she admits, “It's just so . . . weird. Believe it or not, ponies are not mounts in my world. At least, not usually. We have more dignity than that.”

Human Cozy just silently stares at her pony self with shining, pleading eyes that is on the verge of tears. Pony Cozy knows that look all too well. She can turn on the waterworks too whenever she wants. She's certainly had enough practice with her primary weapon.

But the odd thing is it's finally being used against her, and the really odd thing is it's working!

“Oh . . . pony feathers! Fine!” Cozy cries out, relenting.

Human Cozy passes her counterpart a strange look as she asks, “Is that what passes for swear words around here? That’s the second time you said that.”

“I . . . guess?” Cozy says with an innocent shrug and a raised left eyebrow.

“Pony feathers? Oh! That's so adorable!” human Cozy squeals in delight. “I wonder if I use the curse words native to my world, I'd get a censor bleep here.”

“A what?” Cozy asks with a confused tilt of her head.

“Don't test me,” the voice of Princess Luna scolds as it echoes around them.

“You still good up there, Luna?” human Cozy checks as she calls up to the sky.

“Hurry!” the ethereal voice of Luna echoes around them. “Whatever you two plan to do, make it fast! Maintaining the power of this dream has been more challenging than I previously thought.”

“Then we have to hurry,” human Cozy agrees as she looks back at her pony self. “Well, how about it? Are you in, or out?”

“Is this really how you want to spend your limited time in existence?” Cozy asks with a final thread of reluctance.

“Yes,” human Cozy assures. “You said you were grateful to me, yet you deny me this one favor?”

“Emotional blackmail! Pony feathers!” Cozy curses which cracks her human counterpart up in amusement for saying those words again. “You really are me. I can't believe I'm suffering the consequences of my own weapon here.

“Okay, fine! You win. Get on my back.”

“Yippee!” human Cozy cries out in child-like delight.

As weird as this is, Cozy finds her counterpart's delight infectious.

“Ouch! Ouch! Hey! Watch the wings, you dolt!” Cozy complains as her human self climbs on her.

“Well, what else am I supposed to grab?” human Cozy asks. “You don't have a saddle here to sit on. That's a new one on me.”

“A saddle,” Cozy echoes with a dull look on her face then slaps her face with a hoof. “I really can't believe I'm doing this. This is so humiliating. If it wasn't you requesting this, I never would consider it.”

“Maybe . . . if you crouch down?” her human self proposes. “It might be easier to climb on if you're lower to the ground.”

“Huh.” Cozy blinks. “I guess that could work. Let's try it.” She kneels down. “Better?”

“Much better,” human Cozy agrees as she climbs on with ease. “Especially since you are a little pony.” Now sitting on Cozy bareback, human Cozy leans forward and hugs the back of Cozy's neck gratefully. “And you are my little pony! You're so adorable, Cozy Glow! I love you!”

“Eh . . . thanks, I guess,” Cozy returns. “But coming from you . . . that's still pretty weird. I mean, you're basically complimenting yourself and saying you love yourself.”

“What can I say?” human Cozy reflects. “I'm often selfish like that, and so are you! Don't insult my intelligence by denying it.”

Cozy shrugs, then struggles to stand up with her passenger on her back. As suggested, she grows her size just a little bit after standing to give her the strength and girth she needs to support her passenger better. After that, she admits, “You know me well. I suppose I can't deny that.”

“Now come on, horsey!” human Cozy encourages as she squeezes Cozy's back with her legs. “Yip-yip.”

Another dull look sinks into Cozy's face as she freezes, then she growls the words, “You . . . are going . . . to refrain from referring to me with such indignity! I already told you . . . I'm not some stupid animal! I insist you treat me with respect, or I am going to buck you off!”

“Sorry! Sorry!” human Cozy quickly apologizes. “I should have known better. I am you, after all.

“Now, please do what horses do best. Run! Run like the wind, Bullseye!”

Cozy pauses for a moment, then looks over her shoulder at her other self as she asks, “Is that a reference to something? That sounds strangely familiar.”

“Just go!” human Cozy urges. “We're running out of time.”

“Run like the wind? Huh.” Cozy muses that point. “Actually, you know what? That's a great idea!

“Hang on, you weird, bi-pedal human thing. I'm going to take you for a ride!”

Cozy rises up on her hind legs for a moment as she spins her forelegs in a rapid circle while she whinnies, then lands on her four legs again as she practically leaps forward. As suddenly as she could, Cozy launches to her full galloping speed, thus skipping the trot and canter phase. Her passenger did indeed have to cling tightly to her neck and mane to avoid getting launched off due to the sudden acceleration.

Along the way, Cozy notices a curious sensation that feels alien to her. The feeling of having legs and arms clinging to her back and neck feels very strange indeed.

As Cozy gallops hard across the beautiful glowing flowers of this midnight meadow, some of the flower petals break loose like dandelion petals caught in the wind. As she proceeds to race through them as fast as she can, they spiral behind them.

Her human passenger gasps at this, enchanted with child-like delight.

Cozy grins at this, then spread her wings and gives a hard flap at the flowers. This causes a gust of wind to shoot up even more glowing rose petals in the air which spiral around them. At that moment, they are surrounded by beautiful spinning light.

“Cozy, this is amazing!” human Cozy cries out in delight. “Thank you! Thank you so much.”

“We're just getting started!” Cozy assures her passenger as a wicked look spreads on her face. “Hang on back there, because you haven't seen anything yet! Just watch.”

“I am watching,” human Cozy assures. “And I assure you that I'm growing steadily alarmed at the closing proxy of that cliff! Watch out!”

“Hey!” Cozy calls back then lifts her pegasus wings for emphasis, then she says, “Duh!”

“You're not serious?” human Cozy asks with a nervous gulp.

“You wanted me to ride like, and I quote, 'the wind'. Well, it's time you see what I can really do!”

“No! Cozy, I take it back! You don't have to show me. You . . .”

“Too late!” Cozy cries back deviously. “Hang on.”

“No, Cozy! You don't understand. I'm scared of heights!”

That comment almost causes Cozy to flat out stop. She fights through that impulse as she asks back at her passenger, “Really? Are you serious?”

“I had a complicated history with an abusive parent,” human Cozy admits sadly.

“You flew all the way down from the heights of Canterlot to Ponyville!” Cozy reminds her counterpart.

“No, I didn't fly,” human Cozy corrects. “I merely glided down from Canterlot to Ponyville, or as I like to put it . . . falling with style! I didn't make it all the way, either. I had to trot the rest of the way to Ponyville. Despite gliding most of the way, that still cost me the rest of the remaining daylight back then.”

“Well, still,” Cozy shrugs, “you asked for this. You should have been careful what you wished for.

“Now, cling on and watch a real pegasus at work.”

Human Cozy sighs, then hugs Cozy's neck tightly as she braces herself for this.

There we go! Atta girl! Cozy thinks to herself wickedly. You're not the only one who can be stubborn. Ponies in my world are the ones who choose their direction. You climbed on to me, so I am the one in charge of our destination. I'm the ship and the captain here. Welcome aboard, mate! If you don't like it, then you'll think better about your decisions next time.

In the meantime, here . . . we . . . go!

Cozy spreads her wings wide as she leaps over the cliff. As they fall, human Cozy clings so tightly it almost chokes Cozy, but then she forces herself to remember that this reality is just a dream. Technically, she doesn't really need to breathe here. That's important to keep in mind right now.

In addition to clinging tightly, human Cozy gives a very high-pitched, shrill scream of terror. It is so loud and painful that, for a brief moment, Cozy doubts herself. She starts to wonder if this was such a good idea after all, especially now that she recalls the fact that her mother warned her, before they went to visit the human world, that her counterpart's mind was not stable even before she went comatose.

At first Cozy is diving to pick up some speed, but after noticing her passenger’s panicked reaction, she curves to level off. As she does so, gravity shifts from falling back to pressing down hard for a second as she levels off.

But, after that, she glides through the air softly and gracefully, doing her best to keep herself steady and calm in the air.

Her passenger gradually notices. Her shrill scream stops. For a moment she does not move at all. She doesn't even seem to breathe. Then, after a while, she bursts out in delighted laughter as she relaxes her grip. She starts to pick herself up.

“So, uh . . . what do you think?” Cozy asks her passenger nervously, fearing to provoke another panicked reaction.

“Cozy, this is . . . wonderful!” human Cozy cries out in delight. “The view is amazing! It's fantastic! We're really flying!”

“No, I'm flying,” Cozy corrects insistently. “You are merely the puny and pathetic human passenger who was foolish enough to climb onto a ponies back. But, since you went that far, I figured I'd show you what I can really do.”

Cozy gazes around across the sky. Down below, much of the terrain is caked in shadow despite the full moonlight above, but certain things stand out like the snowy peaks of the mountains or the mist that blows over them. There is also the shining glow of a large lake as it reflects the moonlight.

Around their area, puffy clouds glow softly in the moonlight. They gradually pass some below and above them.

“For the longest time, earlier in my life, I was born into slavery,” Cozy announces solemnly. Her passenger looks at her on her back but keeps a respectful silence. “For most of that time,” Cozy goes on, “I was owned by a disgusting mole-like creature who called himself Verko. He put a magic shock collar on me to punish me at his whim, and the device also shocked me if I strayed from him too far.”

Cozy looks down as tears drip from her eyes. When it falls off her face, it glistens in the moonlight as it descends out of sight.

“I was born a pegasus,” Cozy continues. “We're supposed to fly wild and free, but back then . . . I couldn't. I actually didn't know what it was like to really fly. I did, however, spend many cold and shivering nights in my cage, even as it rained upon my naked body. During that time, I desperately tried to imagine what it would be like to fly free in the skies. Free as a bird. I kept trying to tell myself that, no matter what he put me through, he couldn't take the sky away from me.”

From behind, human Cozy hugs her counterpart tenderly. Cozy can also feel soft tears drip onto her hide.

“Do you think we've come a long way?” Cozy asks her counterpart with worry. “Sometimes I worry that we're not making progress at all. That we're just stagnating.”

“We have been through a lot,” her human self agrees. “But the important thing is to keep picking ourselves up and get back in the saddle.”

“Huh?” Cozy asks with a blink.

“It's an expression in our world,” human Cozy explains. “It's about our attitude when we face a challenge. In olden times, we might get bucked off a horse or bull. This is especially common in an event we call a rodeo.”

“You humans also try to mount a bull?!” Cozy asks incredulously. “Oh my Celestia! You all are just begging for trouble! Remind me . . . which one of us is the stupid animal here?”

“The point is, it's a challenge,” human Cozy explains.

“I'll say!” Cozy strongly agrees.

“So as the old saying goes, if you're bucked from the saddle, get back on. Another more common phrase that means the same thing as: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.”

“Huh.” Cozy is thoughtful, then says, “I'll keep that one in mind.”

“And of course we made progress,” human Cozy reassures. “We're here, aren't we? I used to be a child who lost her parents and was cast into the orphanage, and you were a pony who was straight up born into slavery.

“Now look at us! Flying free in the air. Having a wonderful time. You are the adopted daughter of the Princess of Equestria, and while my new mother doesn't have titles that lofty, she's been a constant blessing in my life, almost to an inhuman degree.”

“Inhuman, you say?” Cozy asks with a grin. “Maybe because her heart and soul is part pony. We ponies have a natural thing for friendship, by the way.”

“I've noticed,” human Cozy agrees, “and that is not the only thing. There are many qualities about your race and your world that I am jealous of.”

“You know, it's funny . . . there have been times in the past when I felt the same way about your world,” Cozy admits.

“Oh?” human Cozy asks with sudden interest.

Before Cozy answers, she flies up to a large cloud hanging softly in the sky. Feeling delighted, her passenger finally lets go of her “mount” and reaches up into the cloud as they glide below it. In doing so, human Cozy can feel the cool mist pass through her hands. Looking back, she can also see a swirl as the clouds spiral behind them.

Both of them smile softly at this, then Cozy ascends further. She lifts them through the clouds then eventually breaks through to the other side. At that point, she changes her pattern by galloping on the clouds themselves, or more akin to gently hopping on it with moon-like, anti-gravity jumps. The softly glowing translucent clouds jiggle slightly as she hops on it.

Gradually her speed sinks to a stop. When that happens, she just stands there near the edge of a cloud cliff which opens to a vast expanse down below.

They stand there in silence for a moment, then Cozy grows startled when her passenger starts to slide off her back.

“Wait! Cozy, no!” Cozy cries out in alarm.

Then, mysteriously, human Cozy lands on the clouds as if it is solid ground to her, too.

“Huh?” Cozy wonders, perplexed. “Can you humans stand on clouds too?”

“Sure we can,” her counterpart answers then knocks on Cozy's forehead once. “In our dreams.”

“Oh!” Cozy blinks, then sinks into a sheepish grin. “Right. I forgot about that.”

“Anyway,” human Cozy says as she sits on the edge of the clouds, “you were saying something about feeling jealous of my world too?”

“Partially,” Cozy admits as she lays beside her human self, tucking her legs beneath her in the process. “I was jealous of some of your social connections to your friends and family. They were really worried about you in the hospital waiting room.”

Noticing her counterpart's eyes tear up again, Cozy decides to move on quickly from that point.

“I have to admit, the technology of your world intrigues me too,” Cozy goes on. “In this world, I was not born with magic, or at least . . . not the kind that can cast spells. I did, however, encounter one society that blended science and magic. It was fascinating to me because it was power I could manage and wield. I knew that was something I could potentially get good at. Ironically that knowledge almost aided me in the destruction of all of the world's magic, because it taught me how to network magical items.

“But, in your world, it didn't have magic in the first place, yet your species adapted so well that what you have is like magic. It's so tempting to call it that because I can't otherwise explain it. You’ve got these tiny devices that are like magic windows which draw in information from uncountable number of sources. Do you realize what I could do with that kind of knowledge?”

“I definitely can figure out what you can do with it,” human Cozy says to her counterpart emphatically.

“Oh. Right.” Another sheepish grin. “I suppose you would.”

Cozy thinks on that, then gets a sudden bright idea.

“Hey!” Cozy cries out.

“Hay is for horses,” human Cozy returns reflexively.

“Huh?” Cozy queries. “Uh . . . right. We do eat hay, as well as do other things with it.”

Human Cozy giggles a bit as she shakes her head, then says, “Go on. What's your idea?”

Cozy brightens again as she says, “Well, I was thinking that, after we free you from this sleep curse, maybe you and I should switch places for a while to see what it's like.”

“Huh?” Human Cozy looks confused at first, but she quickly reasons it out. “Oh! You mean live in each other's world for a while?”

“Right!” Cozy agrees excitedly. “We switch forms in each other's world. You get to stay here and live as a pony for a little while. You'll get to see our magic and stuff. Meanwhile, I'll stay in your world and immerse myself in your marvelous technology.” Cozy's expression shifts to devilishly devious. “Oh, the things I can do with that kind of knowledge! Knowledge that hardly any other pony in my world has access to! When I master this knowledge, I'll be as a goddess to these lowly and pathetic mortals! Mwa-ha-ha! It's the perfect plan!”

Cozy looks to her counterpart as she asks excitedly, “Wadda ya say?”

Human Cozy beams at her counterpart in amusement, then reaches forward to pinch Cozy's right cheek since she's sitting on her right side.

“Ow! Hey, quit it!” Cozy complains.

“You're so adorable, Cozy,” human Cozy coos in amusement.

“So you have said,” Cozy recalls with a frown as she rubs her now sore cheek with a hoof. “Since you have avoided answering my question, does this mean your answer is no?”

“How about we concentrate on that later?” human counter proposes. “That might be a long way off. We have other objectives between now and then, many of which are of vital importance. I suggest you focus on them for now.”

Cozy's ears fell flat as she looks down and moans, “Yeah, I guess.”

Feeling unable to resist the urge, human Cozy reaches forward and presses a finger into Cozy's nose. The moment she does, she hears two squeaking sounds that are much akin to a rubber duck losing and gaining air back.

“Oh my goodness! Your species really does do that!” human Cozy squeals in delight.

“Yes!” Cozy growls, “and we generally consider it rude when others do that to us uninvited!”

“Sorry, sorry,” human Cozy apologizes while still brimming with giddiness. “I couldn't help myself. And besides, I'm unfamiliar with pony customs and etiquette, though I must admit . . . I am interested to learn someday.”

“Then you should totally say yes to my plan!” Cozy cries excitedly, seeing those words as an opportunity to pounce and drive her words home.

“As I said, maybe,” human Cozy partially accepts, “but there are some logistical problems with that. I have my friends and family in my world, and I've been studying in preparation for college. Moving forward with your plan would suspend all of mine. It's basically like putting my whole life on hold so I can gallop off to do some other crazy adventure.”

“Yeah, but it would be crazy worth it, right?!” Cozy asks excitedly.

“I said maybe,” human Cozy reminds. “Don't ask me again.”

Right after she says that, she grips her head as human Cozy suddenly becomes woozy.

“What's wrong?!” Cozy asks her counterpart in sudden, sharp alarm.

“I'm afraid you have just about run out of time,” the ethereal voice of Luna explains in an apologetic way. “I am so sorry, my friends . . . but I cannot hold up this dream state any longer.”

“Nooooooo!” Cozy whines sadly. “A little longer! Just a little longer! Please!”

“Hurry!” Luna urges in a strained voice. “Time is short.”

Cozy looks at her counterpart as tears quickly rush to her eyes. She tells her sadly, “I don't want you to go.”

“Alas, it can't be helped,” human Cozy laments as she lies down on the glowing cloud. “I'm fading.”

“Noooooo!” Cozy whines again. “Don't go! I'll miss you!”

“Remember that feeling,” human Cozy urges. “That's how you should feel with your friends, Cozy.” She applies a hand to Cozy's side which ends up touching her right wing. “Promise me . . . that you won't forget to cherish your friends. Dark magic is not the only source of strength we can draw upon. There is so much more. So much that we need, Cozy Glow. Don't abuse them like I have.”

Cozy presses her face into her counterpart's chest and nuzzles her gently. Her tears soak her human self's pretty dress. She chokes back a sob, then mumbles softly, “Okay, Cozy. You win. I promise.”

“Thank you,” human Cozy whispers softly as her eyes grow heavy. “Your life can be a wonderful dream, too. If you keep your word, you shall discover what I have. We need this to grow. Maybe it will even break this curse.”

“I hate goodbyes!” Cozy cries. “I despise them! I had to say goodbye to my first friend, too! He waved at me at the train station as my train took off. I raced to the back of the caboose as fast as I could just to maintain eye contact with him as long as possible.”

“If he is a true friend . . . you shall see him again,” human Cozy promises as she continues to fade away. “That is what friendship is, Cozy. It is a magical connection between us all. Once the link is formed, the chain can be followed back to its source.”

“How?” Cozy asks sadly.

“You'll find a way,” human Cozy says confidently. “Here.” She reaches to her neck and pulls off her magic geode. Despite the fact that she's addressing her counterpart's dream body, she still puts it on her counterpart's neck for symbolic purposes.

“The geode is yours now,” human Cozy bids as she continues to fade. “It is composed of light magic. Use it, Cozy. This is your power too. Our power! And we are! We are powerful. Our friends make us stronger still. Don't forget that . . . ever.”

“I won't. I promise,” Cozy expresses sincerely.

“It is time, my friends,” Luna warns sympathetically.

Cozy's wrinkled chin quivers with pain, but then she says, “In that case, I'll go first.

“Wait for me, Cozy Glow!” she urges her human counterpart. “I'll save you. I promise.”

“I know you will,” human Cozy uttered very faintly as she closes her eyes for the last time in this encounter.

Feeling determined not to see this conclusion, Cozy closes her own eyes and wills herself awake.

With tears soaking her eyes, Cozy Glow wakes up. She is once again staring up at the roof of Flurry Heart's bedroom.

Cozy turns her head to her left. There she sees Flurry Heart sleeping soundly on her soft, silky pink pillows that are shaped like hearts. Funny thing is, Cozy has them too in her bedroom. Some of them were gifts from this side of the family.

Slowly and carefully, Cozy slides her way out of the bed. She emerges from the blankets gradually, but she's not too cold because she is still wearing her pink pajamas that have her cutie mark symbol splayed all over them.

Just when she is nearly out, one of Flurry's hooves flops over to her side of the bed as if subconsciously trying to grab Cozy and prevent her from leaving.

Cozy smiles fondly at this then stealthily sneaks one of her pillows into Flurry's grasp. Taking the bait, Flurry pulls that pillow back and hugs it to her chest.

As for Cheese Pie, she is sleeping at the foot of this king-sized bed. There is plenty of room on it for three sleeping fillies. However, Cheese seems to have slid out of her blankets about halfway. This, in turn, reveals her left leg which is twitching every few seconds. She's also snoring the loudest, but remarkably does not awaken any filly in the room.

Having won her freedom, Cozy trots her way to the outside balcony next to Flurry's room. She opens the double glass doors and steps outside. Once there, Cozy trots up to the rail of the balcony and views the Crystal Empire down below.

In the light of the full moon, the crystal buildings of the Crystal Empire glows and sometimes glistens. Everything is peaceful and quiet except for the sound of Cheese’s loud snoring and the wind which gently brushes through Cozy. Upon doing so, it rustles through her mane, tail, and pony feathers.

As she gazes at the city from above while gently brushing a hoof through her mane for a brief moment, she thinks back to Sombra's vision of the city’s citizens all locked below in a long chain gang. They were so miserable. She is especially haunted by the image of one pony who looked up in desperate hope for some pity or mercy.

This vision is a stark contrast to this beautiful night. Tonight everypony is sleeping peacefully. They don't just feel safe, they are also downright happy. They sing in the streets and embrace their friends and family with warmth and love. The joy in their hearts at being alive in this wonderful city is exactly what empowers the Crystal Heart so much which, in turn, shares its glorious bounty right back at its donors. It is a virtuous cycle that ever provides and grows off each other.

It's funny for Cozy to think that these are the exact same ponies from Sombra's vision other than the fact they are now a few decades older and had some foals who never knew the bygone age of the past. She's been told that most of these citizens have forgotten the troubles of their past anyway. It's a side effect of Sombra's curse, but in a way, it's a blessing, for they get to frolic and prance in this wonderful city without the burdens of the past. They happily lift up their foals and spin them in the air.

Everywhere in this city is pure joy incarnate.

Cozy smiles at this. Considering the darkness that they have endured, it feels so good to her to know that at least this story has a happy ending. The proof is before her. In a way, it feels like closure to a very dark chapter of her very soul. For some reason, knowing that settles her heart with a sense of peace and contentment. A distant shadow of guilt melts off her heart.

She looks over her shoulder at Flurry's room and her friends on the bed in particular.

“That's how you should feel with your friends, Cozy.” her counterpart's words echo in Cozy's mind. “Promise me that you won't forget to cherish your friends. There is so much more. So much that we need, Cozy Glow.”

“I promise,” Cozy says softly in the present.

Cozy shuts her eyes as tears squeeze up them. She can feel the warmth of her tears contrasting sharply next to the chill of the night.

She really does hate goodbyes, but what was said in the dream needed to be said. It is still comforting to know that some part of her counterpart is now aware that she will be rescued.

“Thank you . . . Luna,” Cozy says softly under her fluttering breath as she looks up at the full moon. “And . . . I want you to know that . . . I forgive you.”

Up above, a phantom image of Luna's shadow could be seen smiling and winking at Cozy before fading away back into the light of the moon.

Author's Note

Funny enough, I recall that I didn't see this chapter coming until I was right on top of it. More specifically, it came to me while I was conceptualizing the last chapter. That goes to show me that even the writer can learn things about one's own story during the process of making it. Another interesting tidbit about it is I believe I wrote it all in a single day.

I'd love to know what you all think in the comments. Share your thoughts.

Chapter 25: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 1, Cozy's Resolve

“Finally we arrive here!” Cheese Pie exclaims as she droops over the pegasus chariot. “I . . . am . . . starving! I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!”

Cheese's adjacent companion, Cozy Glow, gives her friend an alarmed look. She's not the only one, either. Two of the pegasus guards look back at her in the hopes that she is kidding.

“A horse’s weight in vegetables and pastries,” Cheese clarifies. “Duh! You all didn't let me finish.”

Cozy's alarmed look calms to suspicion as she asks, “We had a feast this morning before we took off from the Crystal Empire. Why are you so hungry already?”

“Exactly! I had a feast in the Crystal Empire this morning. That was like . . . several hours ago.”

Cozy slaps her face with a hoof and pulls it down as she asks, “How in the world can you remain so thin?”

Cheese rolls her eyes as she says, “Duh! My family can literally digest rocks for breakfast. Does that answer your question?”

Cozy sighs as she looks over the rail of the chariot, then her ears perk up when she notices them pass her mother and Sunset Shimmer on one of the balconies of the Castle. Cozy locks eyes on them for a moment as they wave at her while they pass them.

“Riding with you in an airship is sure going to be interesting,” Cozy theorizes. “Maybe we'll actually make it from Canterlot to the borders of Ponyville before we run out of food in the entire vessel.”

Cheese bursts out in merry laughter, then wipes a tear from her eyes as she says, “Yeah! That would be pretty funny!”

“Hey, listen . . . Gallus,” Cozy calls to him as he continues to pull the chariot along with the other pegasus guards.

“Yeah?” he asks back in his typical nasally way.

“After you all land, I order you to escort my friend to the dining hall. Be sure she gets all she can eat. Is that understood?” Cozy commands.

“Well, yeah. Sure, but . . . what are you going to do?” Gallus checks.

“I'm going to go fly over to my mother and Sunset now,” Cozy informs. “I need to update them on my current situation.” She looks down. “And there's something else I'll need to do. Part of me kind of dreads this, but . . . this is important.”

“Sure thing,” Cheese acknowledges. “You go on. I'll be fine. Do what you need to do.”

“Thanks, my friend,” Cozy says to Cheese with a smile. “I'll see you later, alright?”

“Of course you will, silly!” Cheese agrees happily as she gives Cozy a big hug. Doing so causes Cozy to inadvertently squeak again.

“Okay, okay! That's enough,” Cozy bids as she pats her friend to encourage Cheese to let her go.

Before she lets go, Cheese squeezes Cozy one more time, which once again makes her produce a squeaking sound, then she suddenly let go as she declares, “Okay. I'm done. You can go now.”

Cozy blinks, then mocks with a lopsided grin and a bow, “Thank you for your permission, Your Majesty.”

“Indubitably, my good mare,” Cheese returns with mock politeness which does little to diminish the amused twinkle in her eye.

Cozy decides to take off before her friend, or anypony else for that matter, changes their minds and delays her further. In accordance with that, she falls backwards off the back end of the chariot which is open. She falls for about fifteen feet before twisting around in mid-air then curves up to fly back to the balcony where she saw her mother and Sunset standing. When Cozy arrives, she sees that they are still there, but talking to each other and did not seem to expect to see Cozy so soon. However, when they did notice her, their conversation halts. They regard Cozy with moderate surprise.

“Welcome home, Cozy!” Princess Twilight cheers. “It's good to see you again. Thank you so much for keeping Sunset compony during her difficult trial.”

Cozy waves her “mother” off as she rolls her eyes and says, “Yeah, yeah! Blah-de-blah. Friendship is magic and stuff.

“Look, I came here to report on what happened since I left. More specifically, I've come for a mind-reading.” She looks at Sunset. “We agreed to do this as soon as we meet each other back in Canterlot, remember?”

“Yeah, that's true,” Sunset recalls a little sheepishly. “Strange considering that suggestion came from you.”

“Let's get this over with,” Cozy prods with a slight sigh of annoyance.

Twilight lifts and wipes a hoof back and forth between them while shaking her head as she says, “There is no need for that, my daughter. Sunset is only a temporary resource we have to work with, and you're living with me permanently. I want our relationship to be built on a foundation of trust.” She returns her hoof to the ground. “Just look me in the eyes and tell me that you haven't been up to any mischief, and I'll believe you.”

“Are you serious?” Cozy asks her mother with doubt.

Twilight places a hoof on her golden chest guard as she says, “If I am to be your mother and friend, I have to learn to give you the benefit of the doubt.” She gives a fond grin as she adds, “Fluttershy taught me that.”

Cozy sighs in irritation as she slaps her face with a hoof. She pulls it down and passes her mother a droll look as she complains, “Then you are a fool, 'mother'.”

“Excuse me?” Twilight asks while taken aback.

Cozy stomps her left foreleg on the ground as she says in a hard tone, “A wise princess would utilize every resource she has to the best of her ability, especially if the effort is so cost-efficient. That includes temporary opportunities. Many times such things can secure permanent and truly important objectives.

“You want to trust me? Well fine! I want that too. In that case, do what is necessary to help secure that trust. Don't just take things on blind faith anymore. That is how I got every bucking pony in this thick-headed and dangerously gullible nation fighting with each other during your coronation. Instead of that, prove you actually have an active brain cell left in that giant empty space you call your head by doing whatever is necessary to actually verify my claims, or any claim from any other pony, for that matter.” Cozy waves to indicate Sunset while still locking her eyes on Twilight. “She's standing right there, ‘Mother’. Waiting. So, let's not continue to argue about this. Let's just do what we came here to do.”

Now she looks at Sunset as she orders in an insistent tone, “Do it!”

Sunset Shimmer has her lips open, revealing her teeth. She looks so uncomfortable getting in the middle of an argument between mother and daughter. She looks at Twilight for a second, hoping to get some sign of confirmation from her too before committing to the task.

Twilight, for her part, purses her lips a bit as she keeps her face into a carefully neutral mask, probably in a concerted effort avoid being baited into yet another argument with her hot-tempered daughter.

When Twilight's eyes meet with Sunset, she just gives a quiet nod of confirmation.

Feeling relieved to have that order verified, Sunset steps forward and touches Cozy. As she does so, Cozy closes her eyes as her face sinks to a calmer look of neutral acceptance. Sunset initiates her power which only takes a few seconds.

When the usage of the power is done, Cozy opens her eyes just in time to notice Sunset grow momentarily dizzy. When she sees this, she recalls the fact that that particular reaction isn't the first time she's observed this. Cozy reasons that receiving so much extra information crashing into her brain in the space of a few seconds causes Sunset to be momentarily disconnected from her senses because, for a brief moment, her brain is literally thinking many times faster. Sunset gets dizzy because her mind and senses need a moment to reorient themselves back in sync.

Cozy finds this information noteworthy because it is a weakness with Sunset's power, however brief it may be. That information could later prove to be an opportunity for her or a dangerous opening in Sunset's defenses that any other potential enemy of her ally could exploit.

Either way, it bears careful watching.

“Are you serious?!” Sunset exclaims in amazement after she recovers from her dizziness. “You actually met your counterpart consciously?”

“Sort of,” Cozy replies. “That only occurred with Princess Luna's assistance, and it only happened in my dream.”

“Really? She actually met her counterpart recently?” Twilight checks with rising excitement.

“Apparently so,” Sunset verifies to Twilight.

“I knew she got my letter!” Twilight cheers. “In fact, Luna's reply is awfully late. I sent her a letter about your situation the day after you arrived in Equestria because I hoped she might have ideas to awakening your counterpart. Apparently she came through . . . eventually.”

Cozy shakes her head at her mother as she announces, “She did, but the process wasn't permanent. Apparently the force that holds her down and keeps Sombra reluctantly in her place still holds true. We'll still have to solve his core problem before she can come back permanently.”

Twilight smiles at her daughter a bit as she says, “At least you got to meet her. Did she manage to speak with you this time? She was mute the last time you visited her in her world, and that was years ago.”

Cozy nods. “Yes. She got to speak with me this time because we were in a dream state. I guess that allowed her to bypass some mortal limitations. That was also why she was able to stand on clouds within the dream.”

“Regarding your other goal,” Sunset brings up with a troubled expression to Cozy, “are you sure that's wise? That seems a bit dangerous, and your visit might not help them anyway.”

Cozy's eyes looks down as she says, “I'm not sure if I can really call them friends, but we once worked together . . . and I feel like I owe them something.” She looks back at Sunset. “I'm about to leave Canterlot soon and go on a journey to Celestia knows where. Maybe I'll never return from this journey. So, before I leave, I want at least a little bit of closure on this issue. If I leave without putting in any effort to help them, then I may get stuck wondering how much I could have helped during the journey when it's too late.” Cozy shakes her head. “And the journey is too important, perhaps even dangerous, to afford such distractions. I want my mind completely devoted to the trip while I am on it. In order to do that, I need to settle a debt with them as much as I possibly can.”

As they spoke, Twilight patiently waited to be filled in.

Shortly after Cozy spoke, Sunset looks down and shakes her head while sighing, then she looks at Twilight as she says to her, “Twilight, we need to talk. Preferably in privacy.”

A large and very broad gray earth pony stallion by the name of Rock Steady escorts Sunset Shimmer and Cozy Glow into the depths of the Canterlot dungeon. A dungeon which would have been quite dark were it not for the intermittent torches hanging diagonally up from the walls.

“This way, Your Highness,” Rock Steady's deep, baritone voice vibrates through the air. “Watch your step.”

“I know my way through the dungeon,” Cozy announces in annoyance as she puffs her left cheek. “I've been down here before.”

“That may be so,” Rock Steady agrees, “but the doctor assigned to monitor them has set up a new office down here. I'm fairly certain you aren't as familiar with that.”

“I would certainly like to meet her,” Sunset puts in. “I think we'll need as much information about them before attempting to engage them personally.”

“I couldn't agree more,” Rock Steady returns. “Aside from that, I have my orders.”

“Can anything be done about this dank smell?” Cozy asks with a wince of disgust. “It smells like mildew down here. It's revolting.”

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Rock Steady requests calmly. “I don't know how this could have happened. The maids and butlers are supposed to clean these luxury suites on a regular basis. Nothing but our finest work for our incarcerated guests.”

Cozy rolls her eyes as she says with dry sarcasm, “Oh, ha-ha!”

“It suits our purposes,” Rock Steady said more seriously with a shrug. “And . . . we're here.”

Rock Steady knocks on a thick wooden door ahead of him. Seconds later, a soothing voice calls from the other side, “You may enter.” Once he hears that, the guard nods to himself then proceeds to open the door. After he opens the door, however, he steps aside and gives a sweeping gesture into the room.

“Go ahead, you two,” Rock Steady bids. “I'll wait outside and keep watch. I'll make sure nopony else eavesdrops on your private conversation.”

“Thank you for the escort, my good sir,” Sunset says gratefully to him before stepping into the next room. Cozy follows suit with a single curt nod to the guard along her way in. He returns the gesture before closing the door behind them after they enter.

What a world of difference the two mares encounter! Outside of this room seems like a classic dungeon with hemispherical gray stone tunnels, dripping water, and torches regularly lined up on the walls. Inside this new room, however, are calming white smooth walls and a carpet on the floor which has a mix of rainbow colors set in a circle. The air smells of calming incense. There is a tiny artificial water fountain towards the back corner that is spilling rainbow light into a small pool below. Along the right walls are a pair of rounded couches facing each other. On them are several piles of comfortable looking pillows. Several file cabinets are towards the back where another mare in a white lab coat is standing. From there, she is levitating a few documents out of the file cabinets within a soft white glow. She proceeds to read them and has yet to turn around and directly address her new guests.

“Greetings,” the doctor says in an almost hypnotically smooth, calming voice. “My name is Doctor Patience, and I shall attend to you in a short while. Until then, please make yourselves comfortable. Have a seat wherever you like. If you care for some, there is a table in the corner where several sets of tea are available.”

“Nice place you’ve got here,” Sunset commends as she scans about the place. “I can really feel that dungeon-y aesthetic.”

“My office is a sanctuary from all stress for those who choose to dwell here,” Doctor Patience calmly explains as the sheet of paper she's looking at flips about the top left corner and folds behind the next sheet of paper she is studying. “Please have a seat . . . and make yourselves comfortable.”

Sunset looks at Cozy, shrugs, then proceeds to the corner table in order to investigate what kind of tea is being served here, to which she finds several kinds. Cozy, on the other hoof, simply proceeds to the couch furthest along the right wall from the exit and sits upon it. Despite the doctor's request, she sits rather stiffly since she is trying to hold a dignified and indifferent pose.

“Care for some tea?” Sunset offers Cozy from the table.

“No thanks,” Cozy rejects. “I've only come here for one thing.”

Sunset shrugs and pours herself a cup of ginseng tea. Once this is done, she levitates the cup ahead of her in her teal magical aura as she moves to sit beside Cozy on the half-circular couch. Once there, she blows on the cup to help it cool down then eventually sips the tea carefully.

A few minutes later, Doctor Patience floats her files away back into her cabinets then finally turns to address her new guests. When she does, they can see that the white hide, exceptionally long-legged mare has a jet black mane tied in a neat bun. Her tail is cut short. She has rounded glasses on her face that is further secured by a tiny silver chain attached to the end of the glasses stem which is looped around her neck. For jewelry, she has a white pearl necklace and teardrop-shaped earrings which hang from her ears. Beneath her white lab coat, she wears a black turtle-neck sweater.

“Thank you for your patience,” the doctor expresses with her ever calm and soothing voice. “Now then . . . what can I do for you two?”

“We're here to visit your two other patients, Queen Chrysalis and Lord Tirek,” Sunset explains to the doctor.

“I see,” the doctor says in understanding as she gives a discerning look to Cozy. “I gathered as much.”

“But before we go see them,” Sunset goes on, “I'd like to review your notes on the patients.”

Doctor Patience gives a slight eyebrow raise at Sunset as she asks her, “You're a trained clinical psychologist?”

“In training,” Sunset answers honestly. “With some focus in criminal psychology. I was hoping to use those skills to help redeem and rehabilitate them.”

The Doctor nods calmly as she says, “I am in the practice of that as well. It's good to finally meet another student of the healing arts.

“However,” she pauses as she floats her glasses off of her face then uses another white cloth to clean them. She huffs at each lens once, wipes it one more time, then returns the glasses back on her face before resuming to speak. “I shall need to see official credentials before I am allowed to share any personal information about my patients. Doctor/patient confidentiality. You understand.”

Sunset nods. “I do understand, and while I must admit that I haven't graduated from my classes yet, what I do have instead is a note from the princess which expresses her permission to share any pertinent information on these two patients with the express intention to assist them towards recovery and rehabilitation.”

“I see,” the doctor replies without even the slightest break in her calm temperament. “May I see this note?”

“Certainly,” Sunset accepts as she floats the scroll over to the doctor. Once it arrives, the magical aura around the scroll changes from light teal to soft white.

The Doctor unrolls the scroll and starts reading. Her eyes rapidly scan each line one by one. About nine seconds later, despite there being an entire page worth of information, she is already done reading. She rolls up the scroll and returns it to Sunset as she acquiesces, “Very well, then. The authority of the princess trumps any standard patient privilege. I'll trust her judgment on these matters. Besides,” her look shifts to Cozy, “I already suspect why she has chosen to involve you two. She,” she nods to Cozy, “already has a history with them, and you,” she looks back at Sunset, “have some professional training in this matter, thus can give Cozy here some professional advice.” The Doctor nods to them both. “While you two are here, that is what I will require. I must request the two of you keep things calm and professional.”

“Let's get started, then,” Sunset decides as she rises from the couch. “Show me your notes.”

“Okay, while you two nerd over a bunch of clinical notes,” Cozy says as she rises from the couch, “I'm going to go talk to them.”

“Alone?” Sunset reflects with objection. “I don't think so.”

“They know me,” Cozy counters. “To a point, they also trust me. That credibility is somewhat shot, though, as soon as they see I have an escort.

“Let me talk to them privately, at least at first,” Cozy requests. “I may be able to get more out of them alone rather than sharing the compony of either of you two.”

The other two mares in the room are silent for a moment, then the Doctor speaks.

“She might be right,” Doctor Patience decides cautiously. “She does have a previous association with the patients.” She looks from Cozy to Sunset. “I haven't made much progress on my own so far. A change in our approach might yield some promising results.”

Sunset looks from the Doctor to Cozy with discomfort and uncertainty.

“Don't worry, Sunset,” Cozy urges. “I'm not going to be plotting to take over the world with them anytime soon. Why should I risk that when I already have a good thing going here? No motive means no risk.”

“The patients are locked behind bars anyway,” Doctor Patience puts in. “Plus, security measures are in place to keep them from casting spells. The only danger to her from them is purely psychological.”

“Which is what we're here to solve,” Cozy says as she looks from the doctor to Sunset. “Please trust me, Sunset. I won't let you down. You've scanned my mind and my feelings before, so you should know that I'm loyal to you.”

“Scanned her mind?” Doctor Patience inquires as she lifts her left eyebrow slightly which is the only hint of an emotional impact on her. “This sounds intriguing. I would care to learn more about this ability.”

Sunset sighs, then cuts a hoof across the air ahead of her as she says, “Alright, Cozy. You can have a few minutes alone with each of them. Just stay in earshot of the guard so you can yell for help if you need it.

“Meanwhile,” she looks at the doctor, “I'll review your clinical notes with the doctor while I also explain a little bit about my magical abilities. That might come in handy soon.”

“Handy?” Doctor Patience reflects. “A most curious expression.”

“Oh!” Sunset slaps a hoof just below her horn. “I mean hoofy.”

“You're a very interesting mare, Miss Sunset Shimmer,” the doctor expresses to Sunset. “I shall be most interested to get to know you indeed.”

“Wait!” Cozy looks at the doctor with suspicion and alarm. “How did you know her name? We haven't announced that yet.”

“Simple,” the doctor expresses calmly as her look shifts to Cozy. “It was written in the note that the princess wrote for me.”

“Oh!” Cozy blinks in realization. “Okay. That makes sense.”

“Go on,” Sunset bids to Cozy. “Do what you can . . . and good luck.”

May the force be with you, Cozy thinks in amusement. The quote that pops into her mind is derived from her knowledge of her counterpart's world. She isn't completely certain where the quote comes from, but she knows its general meaning is along the lines of, “May the odds ever be in your favor.”

Chapter 26: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 2, The Madness of Queen Chrysalis

The decision to confront Queen Chrysalis alone was Cozy's idea, and she never forgot that.

However, when she trots alone in those dark tunnels and hears the former changeling queen's sometimes monstrous grunt of a voice echo through the tunnels as she rants and raves like a lunatic, Cozy's primitive prey instincts start to kick in. She finds those feelings strange because, at one time, while she was in the middle of betraying “Grogar”, he asked them why they were doing this, and she proudly replied, “Because we're villains. Duh!”

That declaration was an acknowledgment that part of her is a monster too, and it was true to a point, but the real reason she said that was to fit in with the other two. If she hadn't said that or acted that way, they might have turned on her as well.

That is key; knowing that these individuals are not just dangerous, but treacherous. They have the means and the motive to do great harm.

As the screams and growls of hatred continue to echo around Cozy, she finds herself forced to question if her shared history with the former changeling queen really is enough to halt Chrysalis's hostilities. Before she stood in these tunnels, Cozy had faith that the answer is yes. However, after just a short while of listening to that voice, Cozy realizes that, without Chrysalis's sanity, she can't really control herself. As such, she has become far less predictable. She sounds like a wild predator that will sink her teeth into whoever happens to get within reach and savagely wiggle her victim back and forth.

She used to have some common ground with this monster, so what changed? Why does she feel afraid of her now?

Maybe it's the sheer idea that something like this could have happened to her, too. After all, the Legion of Doom attacked Equestria together. Logic dictates that they should have shared the same fate afterwards, and at first, they did. However, following their freedom from the incarceration of their stone prison, somehow their destinies have strayed.

Now it feels like Cozy has something to lose rather than power to gain. By once being at the bottom of the barrel, there was nowhere to go but up. Their mutual circumstance had once united them, but now Cozy might appear to simply be part of the equation and system that they were originally trying to fight.

Cozy knows that all Chrysalis would have to see to judge the little mare harshly is to simply stand on the other side of the bars. By having freedom compared to a being who does not, the line of distinction is already drawn.

Along her way down the tunnels, Cozy gives some serious thought into what separated her from her former dark comrades. Part of her mind keeps slipping back to this idea that the real reason she's become an adopted princess rather than a monster behind bars and thrown scraps out of mockery and pity is simply that she's a pony. Ponies are, of course, more socially accepted in a society that is largely populated by their kind. Maybe the ponies of this society took one look at Cozy and decided to give her a cupcake instead of a bomb because she simply looks cute and innocent. On the other hoof, with one glance at Chrysalis's true form, most ponies instinctively back off and say, “No thank you! Keep her away from me.”

The story Cozy has been told over and over again was that Cozy was simply more willing to be redeemed. They claimed that the same effort was attempted towards her other two companions but their rebuff has been more suborn. They claim that these two are still locked up because they are far more inclined to use their dark powers to continue their evil ways; thus, locking them up has simply become a matter of security and necessity.

Their claims might be right, too. Cozy recalls when Chrysalis fiercely warned her allies that friendship is a disease. She was disgusted at the mere idea of it. Upon hearing that, Cozy remembered being secretly disappointed at that reaction because, had they not rejected the principle that strongly, it would have given Cozy a means to manipulate her former companions. Plus, there is something comforting about the idea of having loyal companions watch her back. It simply makes her feel safer. Since they rejected it, however, it made Cozy feel nervous instead. It made her feel like she had to remain constantly on edge because the treachery they were planning against “Grogar” might only be the beginning if Cozy had shown any sign of weakness.

Tactics like this were familiar to Cozy. It may not be comforting, but Cozy knew she could hoofle it. After all, her situation used to be nearly identical back when she was a slave. Revealing any weakness back then invited disaster as well. She also had to be very cunning and observant of other creature’s attitudes. That information was necessary to manipulate them at least enough to prevent herself from becoming a victim again.

Upon arrival, it is eerie to Cozy to see nothing but darkness in Chrysalis's cell other than a slight glint of metal chains. Of Chrysalis herself, however, Cozy can see nothing at first. Instead of that, she can hear the former changeling queen. It is disbursing to notice that the sound of the queen has recently changed. Just a few moments ago she was screaming in pain and rage, but now she's much quieter as if studying her new visitor from within the darkness.

Cozy fights hard to restrain and hide her startled jolt when green glowing eyes suddenly flare open in the darkness. As if that isn't bad enough, those eyes suddenly rush forward two seconds later and nearly collide with the thick wooden door that has a one-foot iron bar window towards the head of the door. Something stops Chrysalis, however, and it does not sound like it is of her own volition. Instead of that, Cozy hears the sound of chains being yanked tot as if that is the only reason the changeling queen stopped.

That, and the door itself.

Cozy gives her former companion an impassive look, but inwardly she is shaking. She feels like she needs to rely on her acting and bluffing skills to help maneuver herself into a favorable position with this encounter, or at least avoid dangerous hostilities.

Cozy remains quiet as she stares, seemingly fearlessly, into Chrysalis's glowing green eyes. She decides to let Chrysalis make the first move. In a way she already did, but Chrysalis did not speak yet. Cozy wants to hear that first in order to gather information about this encounter. She will decide her next move based on that feedback.

This feels like playing chess, in a way, and Cozy decides to let Chrysalis ironically be the white army because they always make the first move. After that, however, Cozy is determined to counter and outmaneuver every move the changeling queen makes. So, for Cozy, this is not a battle of action but rather reaction.

After a long staring contest, Chrysalis's first true move is to laugh maniacally. Shortly after that, Cozy joins Chrysalis in that same type of laughter as if to reveal, “That's right. I'm still one of you.”

“Well . . . well . . . well!” Chrysalis coos with an evil tone. “Isn't this interesting. One little pony all by herself. How ab-solutely delicious!” Chrysalis finishes in a tone of grunting, vicious excitement. She shows her sharp teeth upon declaring that last word.

“Well . . . you know me,” Cozy replies with a wicked grin.

“Of course I do,” Chrysalis says back. “Despite your puny and pathetic little pony form, I know one of my drones when I see one.”

“Ah . . .” That statement briefly catches Cozy off guard, but she adapts quickly by bowing to Chrysalis as she says, “As expected of my mighty majesty. Surely you, of all changelings, cannot be fooled by my disguise.”

“But of course not,” Chrysalis agrees with a haughty and supreme arrogance to her tone. “Do you think I would be fooled by the disguise of any of my drones? HA! I can smell this disguise a mile away.

“Now report!” Chrysalis demands.

Many paths branch out in Cozy's mind for a brief second. She looks across them all and ultimately decides to keep playing the defensive for now. She needs to gather information right now, not give it.

“All is going according to your master plan, my queen,” Cozy informs with a sinister grin. “I have replaced this disgusting pony as per your orders. Because of that, I am now in a key position to observe your nemesis's every move. The princess shall not even be able to sneeze anymore without my notice.”

“Ex-cellent!” Chrysalis cheers with evil glee. “You have done well, my loyal minion. Soon . . . every lowly earth pony, unicorn, and pegasus will all bow to ME! We'll drain these pathetic little ponies of their disgusting affection for each other and strip them of all the rest!”

“That is why I have come to you, my queen,” Cozy says with another bow. “Now that I am in a position, I come to receive further orders.”

“Play your hoof carefully, dear Zexizmel,” Chrysalis cautions.

Okay. Note to self; my name is Zexizmel for the duration of this encounter. Got it.

That is interesting to note. Not only does she see me as one of her loyal changeling drones, but a very specific one. I wonder if Zexizmel is one of the changelings that got reformed, or if it's a drone that she thinks is still out there and loyal to her. If the latter is true, then this may indeed be juicy information.

“The minions and spies of the princess are everywhere,” Chrysalis continues with a paranoid look around her, then locks eyes back on Cozy. “Trust nopony, my loyal minion. They cannot become aware that we are secretly undermining them.”

“Well of course I'd trust no pony, my queen,” Cozy assures with another wicked grin. “For they are not one of us. Ponies are food, not friends.”

“Exactly!” Chrysalis fiercely agrees. “Now tell me . . . what have you done with the pony you replaced?”

“I have her locked up in the trot-in closet that belongs to this form, my queen,” Cozy lies. “She is properly cocooned in slime so she won't be bothering us anytime soon. As an extra precaution, I have her buried under a pile of useless pony clothes. I have even forbidden any maids and servants from venturing into that closet. Since I'm wearing the form of the adopted princess of this castle, the stupid fools will obey.”

“That will do,” Chrysalis accepts. “You perform your job well, my loyal minion.”

“I was trained by the best,” Cozy reminds while secretly hoping she did not overplay her role. Acting while blind to the history of her “character” is a very tricky business.

“But of course,” Chrysalis arrogantly accepts. “Why else would I trust you with this mission?”

“I still await your instructions, my queen,” Cozy reminds.

“For now, lie low,” Chrysalis commands in a cautious tone. “We need to keep gathering information. In the meantime, I'll assign my other agents to replace others in key positions.”

“What is the code phrase to help me identify them, my queen?” Cozy checks.

Chrysalis shakes her head as she says, “It does not matter for now, for each of you will work individually as separate cells. That way, if any one of you gets compromised . . .”

Since Chrysalis trails off, Cozy assumes she's supposed to finish that sentence. Almost as if that is the code phrase.

“. . . then none of them can rat on another,” Cozy finishes. “Great thinking, my queen!”

“Of course it's great thinking!” Chrysalis agrees fiercely. “That is why I am the Queen and you are the lowly servant drone.”

“As it should be, my queen,” Cozy also agrees with another bow of deference. “That is why you will always be the most superior among us.”

Cozy looks back at Chrysalis and decides to test the waters a bit by asking, “And what of the traitors of our hive that have changed? What shall we do with them?”

Cozy asks this because she wants to know where their place is in Chrysalis's grand delusion. Does the former changeling queen even remember them?

Chrysalis responds with a sharp hiss, then demands, “Don't EVER mention those traitors in my presence again! They shall be dealt with soon enough.”

Okay, so most of the changelings have still reformed in Chrysalis's mind, at least for the moment. That calls Zexizmel's roll into question again. Is he, or she, still an active agent for Chrysalis somewhere out there?

Huh. That theory might not be confirmed, but it is good to know nonetheless.

Even if the answer is no, there still exists a possibility of other rouge changelings out there that, like Chrysalis, still haven't reformed yet. The scary thing about that is that they could be anywhere, for they can disguise themselves and anyone or anything. Only their hunger is the best giveaway as to their true identity. Either that, or the presence of slime cocooned victims which indicates a changeling may be in the vicinity somewhere.

“Of course, my queen!” Cozy proclaims as she bows to placate the changeling. “Forgive me. I only ask because I'm so frustrated at their treachery. Many times I've felt impatient for them to be dealt with already. I just wanted some assurances that you have a plan against them.”

“Of course I have a plan!” Chrysalis spits in disgust. “Do you think I wouldn't? Do you think that I would ever forget or forgive what they have done? Preposterous!”

“The other reason I asked is to make sure you are aware of the resources of our mutual enemy,” Cozy brings up. “The fools hardly change their forms anymore. It's as if they find their natural forms sacred or something, but nonetheless, they remain capable of changing. The unforgivable traitors have allied themselves with our enemies. That, in turn, means that the ponies have access to allies who could potentially impersonate s any one of us. As such, I thought it is important that we know a code phrase to help distinguish those of us who remain loyal to you. All the better to separate the rest as the traitorous enemies that they are!”

“Hmm.” Chrysalis suddenly looks thoughtful. “You may have a point, my loyal minion,” she acknowledges.

Oh come on! Really? You haven't thought of that?

I admire your abilities, Miss Former Queen of the Changelings, but by bucking pony feathers, you sure are stupid! By Celestia, if only I had your abilities! I could have ruled the world with such ease. With my strategic genius mixed with shape-shifting abilities, I'd turn this whole nation upside-down. By the time I'd be through with them, all pony kind wouldn't even be able to trust themselves let alone anypony else!

Golly! Equestria sure is lucky that one of their most dangerous villains doesn't have a brain in her head.

Huh. Maybe that is why we lost.

“Very well, loyal Zexizmel. You convinced me,” Chrysalis concedes. “The code phrase shall be, 'Would you like a strawberry cupcake', to which the proper answer shall be, 'No, I'd prefer a plain one.'”

This time, when Cozy flashes a cunning evil grin, it's from the heart. After which she bows to Queen Chrysalis as she promises, “As you bid, my queen. I shall remember your phrase and engrave it in my heart.”

“I expect nothing less from you,” Chrysalis replies indifferently.

“If you will indulge me, your wickedness, I have a question for you.”

In response, Chrysalis merely tilts her head with a look of curiosity. That is the first time she looks absolutely casual instead of stock-raving mad.

“After the mission, what is to be done with Cozy Glow, the one I've replaced?” Cozy checks. “Wasn't she once one of your former companions? Maybe she can be convinced to join our cause again.”

Chrysalis scoffs as she shakes her head, then says, “While I will admit the little runt surprisingly had her uses for such a little filly, but I'm afraid the time of our alliance is spent. We will no longer require her as we move forward. That also means we don't have to share the spoils of our conquest with her.” She looks off to her side. “Besides, that little brat kept trying to insist that she was in charge. HA! As if I would ever bow to some lowly and pathetic little pretty pony princess? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!”

“But our allies are few in number, my queen,” Cozy reminds. “Since we are this surrounded, I figured we could use every resource we can get. Besides, by your own admission, she was useful. If that is the case, couldn't we use a pony like that on our side?

“Think about it! Cozy was a strategist, and now she is in a key tactical position as well. Maybe we can trick a pony like that into being loyal to us. That way her plans and strategies might cover for any unforeseen weaknesses in our attacks.”

“Hmm. That's another good point,” Chrysalis concedes again. “Very well, you convinced me . . . on one condition; Cozy Glow must be absolutely loyal to us. She must accept me as her undisputed queen and must obey me without question.”

Yeah right! Like that will ever happen! You should know me better than that.

Emphasis on “should”, but since I'm now aware that you're actually a blasted moron, I can instead pull your strings by simply pretending to be loyal.

Easy, peezy, cheesey.

“She shall obey us . . . or diiiiiie, my queen!” Cozy promises darkly.

“Excellent!” Chrysalis accepts with a smile. “Oh, and one more thing; tell the blasted little filly that if she does remain loyal and obedient to me . . . that I shall transform her into a changeling.” Her evil smile widens. “After that, she shall truly be one of us!”

It is very hard for Cozy to restrain herself from widening her eyes. To hide it, she looks down and coughs for a few seconds.

Wait . . . is that possible? Does Chrysalis have the means to transform others into changelings? I thought the race was only born as them.

This information is certainly interesting. That makes me wonder what her origin story happens to be.

Of course, there is always a chance that the changeling queen’s offer is merely a bluff. She’d be willing to say anything to manipulate others to do her bidding.

“As you command,” Cozy replies when she regathers her composure. “I shall pass on the message. But, until she demonstrates some loyalty to us, I shall not fill her in on the other details of our plan. Instead, she must prove her own worth by giving us some noteworthy victory, even if it's subtle.”

“Of course,” Chrysalis accepts. “Now leave me! You must not be caught speaking with me. Obey my commands, and you shall be amply rewarded.”

Cozy's evil grin returns as she says, “I look forward to our impending victory, my queen. Until then, I shall take my leave of you.”

Without another word, Cozy makes her way to her next cell to pay her final former comrade a visit.

Chapter 27: Remnants of the Legion of Doom, Part 3, Tirek's Last Command

As Cozy makes her way to the next cell, she dwells on the fact that this next encounter will likely feel far different. To begin with, Cozy was only warned by Princess Luna that Chrysalis is suffering from a deteriorating mental condition. That implies that Tirek, in contrast, is of sound mind. This fact alone may drastically change Cozy's approach with him.

There is also the fact that she actually feels rather fond of the guy, and part of her suspects he feels the same way. He'd never admit it, of course, especially to a pony, but those feelings are there nonetheless.

But after she was cast down into Tartarus, she remembers that a strong part of her panicked. To be behind bars again! To lack her freedom again! At least she wasn't a slave that time, so she acknowledged that her situation possibly could be worse.

Only the worst of the worst was thrown down there. The disposition of the others might be harder to manipulate, and they could also possess abilities that she may not be able to counter.

She kept a calm exterior to avoid showing any weaknesses, but deep down . . . Cozy was scared.

However, things looked a bit up for her when she notices that her adjacent cellmate happened to be Lord Tirek himself. She hadn't met him personally up until that point, but she knew him by description and she saw some drawings of him earlier. Prior to that she had only known him through a string of letters passed back and forth. She had to admit to herself that her circumstances back then did indeed appear grim, but she always sought an opportunity to elevate herself. By then she learned she no longer had to send him letters to get a response. She could just talk to him directly. That would mean accumulating useful information even faster.

As she spoke, there were many times he acted disgusted to speak to her. He claimed he had no interest to speak with, “Weak-minded equines.” However, over time, she managed to wear him down and convince him that her mind was anything but weak, and she also tried to convince him that they were a lot alike and had a common enemy.

Their hatred, more than anything else, united them the best.

While she was willing to settle for that relationship if she had to, she secretly wanted more than that. When she asked him if he wanted to be friends with her, her offer was not only genuine, but it was also eager. More than anything else, Cozy wanted friends, and she had decided she'd do anything, be anything it took to get him to accept that. That was the ultimate example of stockholm syndrome. Since he had something she wanted, something she felt she needed, she'd do anything it took to attain it. If he wanted her to be a monster, then she was willing to be a monster as long as it gave her a chance to gain attention.

Plots and schemes aside, Cozy used to be convinced that was all she was going to get for all eternity. Just this one stubborn centaur beside her who was revolted at the mere idea of being caged next to a pony. There was nothing else worth focusing on, and she figured she had all eternity to wear him down. Every single tiny scratch of progress she figured would be cumulative. She was determined to have at least one friend, so she vowed to never quit until that objective succeeded.

But the thing about friendship is it's a two-way street. As she wore him down, she found herself identifying with him more and more. This caused her to be fond of him, almost to an uncontrollable degree. He was her last desperate hope for a never-ending food source for her soul. She knew she was a social creature and always would be. If he's all she's got, then she was determined to do anything it took to win him over.

It was so hard, too. So many times he complained about how annoying she was. She remembered his desperate cries of pain and the way he'd smack his forehead on the bars of the cage in the hopes that maybe it might knock him unconscious.

“STOP!” He cried out to her in desperate pain. “I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. JUST STOP!!! Stop your incessant rambling, you stupid little equine!”

“Only if you'll agree to be my friend!” Cozy had pressed.

“YES! YES! I ACCEPT! I'LL TAKE IT! JUST STOOOOOOP!”

“Okey-dokey, neighborino,” Cozy accepted as she smiled in victory. “If you'll agree to be my friend, I'll leave you in peace for a little while, but remember . . . friends talk to each other and share their personal feelings.”

Tirek rolled his eyes as he spat in disgust, “Don't remind me!”

Cozy giggled happily back then. After that, she twirled in place like a cat trying to get comfortable before settling down in the middle of the cage. She wrapped her tail around herself like a blanket, for it was the few things she had access to.

After that, she pretended to fall asleep for a little while, but secretly she peeked over at him. Her heart glowed even further when she passively observed him smiling fondly at her off the corner of her eye.

“You stubborn little equine,” he once mumbled quietly under his breath. Quiet enough that she wouldn't have heard him if she really was asleep, but since she was only pretending to be asleep, she happened to catch his words this time. “You infuriating little equine. I hate you so much. I despise you! You disgust me.”

For a moment, Cozy felt inwardly wounded. She grew worried that he only said what he said earlier just to shut her up.

But then he went on to say, “How can an impish little devil like you be so delightfully evil while still wearing that form?

“I don't know, but I'll admit . . . you're not like any other equine that I've encountered before. That's for sure.

“Maybe . . . just maybe . . . you have the heart of a centaur after all. If that's true, I'll consider your pony form a mere disguise.

“Yes. I can accept you under those terms.”

A centaur? Cozy thought back then. Okey-dokey. If that is the role you want me to play, I'll be it.

Anything. I'll accept any role as long as you be my friend.

For a moment, Cozy collapses against the wall of the dungeon. Tears rose to her eyes when she vividly recalls how desperate she was back then. She hadn't thought of it in such a long time, but now that she is, it's dredging up very deep emotional baggage for her.

In the days when he was the only one she could talk to, he became the center of her universe. All of her ego and pride were cast aside in light of that one fact. There were no real plans anymore except as a thought exercise to pass the time. All that really mattered to her anymore was him.

When they did get unexpectedly freed at a later time, Cozy was traumatized for a moment that Tirek might abandon her now that staying with her was no longer necessary. After all, now that she wasn't his only option anymore, maybe he'd reveal his true colors and trot away from her for good.

Cozy could have done that too, and the thought briefly crossed her mind for a moment, but doing so immediately caused great physical pain in her tiny body. That was because, by then, she had too much emotional investment in that individual. That meant she crossed a line in her tiny little heart that she could not cross back. Not unless she suffered severe betrayal, and if he did . . . Cozy wasn't certain she wanted to live anymore.

But, fortunately for her, he didn't abandon her. She feared it so much, but with every day that he stuck by her, her confidence in the integrity of their relationship grew. More and more she grew convinced that their affection for each other was indeed genuine. Nothing else would have mattered if she didn't have that. But, as her confidence grew, it became easier to focus on other things, like their revenge plans.

Chrysalis, on the other hoof, felt like a necessary evil. This was an individual that was suddenly thrust into Cozy's life with no warning or preparation. She just had to deal with it.

Cozy was immediately willing to see the changeling queen as a potentially useful asset. After all, it boggled her young mind how many possibilities a changeling’s abilities could present. Cozy once laughed so hard with evil glee as she considered how much subterfuge and sabotage could be accomplished with those abilities. Getting into places they shouldn't, framing innocent ponies for crimes they didn't commit, impersonating political leaders, and establishing new laws that would torture their enemies!

Oh! The delicious possibilities were endless!

But, deep down, Cozy couldn't help but look at the changeling queen as a rival. Maybe she was merely bothered by the idea that she wasn't the only female in the picture now, but it definitely felt like more than that. Cozy wanted to be in charge of the relationship and there were several reasons for that. There was the standard ambition, of course, but with Chrysalis, it was one step further. Cozy felt like Chrysalis was a threat. After all, if Cozy could come up with all these wonderful schemes on how those abilities could be used smartly, there was no reason to assume that Chrysalis couldn't come up with it herself. After all, she existed as a changeling longer than anypony else Cozy knew. She probably mastered her abilities to such a degree that even other changelings wouldn’t be able to dream of it.

By thinking of this, Cozy felt paranoid. At that point she grew determined to see even more subtle signs from Tirek just to help her identify if Chrysalis ever chose to impersonate her friend, or “Grogar”, for that matter, though that would have been an extra layer of irony to their situation since Discord was actually impersonating Grogar from the start.

Cozy wanted Chrysalis under her hoof to ensure that the former changeling queen wouldn't steal what is rightfully Cozy's, and that extended beyond their local relationship. Now that they were finally free of Tartarus, the world was their oyster. All they had to do was conquer it!

But now Cozy had to face the possibility that Tirek and her may have drifted apart too much. Cozy feared that impression from Chrysalis because of her instincts for survival, but with Tirek . . . it goes much deeper than that.

Then there was that promise she made to her own counterpart recently. She asked pony Cozy to cherish her friends. When Cozy agreed, she fully meant it. It was basically her plan anyway.

But now what? Tirek might be in conflict with her new friends. That's actually a certainty, so how can she hoofle this one?

Maybe this is one instance where she wouldn't mind some friendship advice from “dear” old mother. After all, this issue is too important to ignore that potential advantage, even if it comes from somepony she loathes.

Cozy wants to move away from the wall and continue her way down the hallway, but fear partially paralyzes her. The results of this next encounter could have a very strong emotional impact on her, and she feels herself at the precipice of a potential loss. Loss of a type and severity that she could not accept.

Cozy shakes with fear. She feels like a filly again. Just a scared, lonely, and vulnerable little child who is terrified that someone important to her is about to abandon her. There are so few in this world that she cannot accept that possibility from, but of those, he is one of them.

“Please,” she whispers under her breath within a tight, painful wince on her face. “Please don't forsake me. Please!”

Still shaking like a leaf, Cozy finally manages to put one hoof in front of the other, then another, then another, and so on.

Is this what courage feels like? Cozy wonders to herself. If so . . . I don't think I like it.

Cozy hates showing weakness, especially in front of him, because she knows him. Tirek is a centaur, and as such, he only respects strength. If she does not display it then she's no longer worthy of his respect. If she does not have his respect, then she might not have his friendship either.

Celestia, I don't often pray to you, especially considering I hate you so much, but for once, I beg you . . . give me the strength to face this trial!

“My, my,” Tirek coos slowly in a surprisingly similar way that Chrysalis greeted Cozy not long ago. She also notices that his voice sounds cracked and old. This is indicative of his shriveled form when he has no, or very little, magic in his system. She knows for sure that he despises that form most of all. “What do we have here? Is it my lost student . . . perhaps?”

“Uh . . .” Cozy panics for a brief moment, but she squashes it down and presses on. Maybe, this time, she can successfully play the pity card. Right now, that's the only card she feels like she has the strength to play.

“Indeed,” Cozy finally answers. “I am lost and feel the need for your guidance.”

“Really? And you have come to me for advice? A little pony?” After he asks that question, he snickers in an evil way.

His eyes open in the dark. Unlike Chrysalis, they do not naturally glow, nor are they green. The firelight of the torches is the only reason Cozy can see him this time, and the shine is much fainter as well. In this case, his eyes stick out of the darkness as tiny golden orbs.

“Of course,” Cozy answers. “I will always be your student.”

“Indeed,” Tirek says as it sounds like he settles. “Well . . . good to know that some things around here haven't changed.”

He sighs, then asks, “Why have you come?”

“I already told you,” Cozy reminds.

“Don't play games with me, little pony!” Tirek snaps. When he does, Cozy winces as if physically struck. The fact he keeps accusing her of being a “little pony” is a bad sign. That is because, in his eyes, that is something to disrespect.

I knew it, Cozy laments privately. Approaching him outside a position of strength was a tactical error. I might have already blown this encounter.

“I . . . just . . . wanted to see you,” Cozy answers honestly. “At least one last time because . . . because . . .” Her chin quivers. “I'm . . . I'm going to be leaving soon. Leaving Canterlot for a long time. Maybe I'll never return if things go south.”

“Oh?” Now he sounds intrigued. “And just where is it you think you are going, little equine?”

Equine? Cozy reflects. Is that an improvement over “pony”?

Huh. At least he's asking questions. That demonstrates interest.

I'll take what I can get. Time to reel him in.

“Far,” Cozy answers. “Very far. Far enough to be beyond our maps. Beyond the boundaries of Equestria itself and any known territories.”

Cozy touches the magic geode at her neck, then says with a slight wince, “I don't know if you'd believe me as to why I have to go. Even if you did know, I'm not sure that you'd care . . . but . . . all you need to know is that it's important to me. It's something that I have to do.”

“Then why come to me about this?” Tirek asks back irritably. “If you need to go, then just go! Don't just stand there and wait for my permission. You never needed that anyway.”

“Why do you say that?” Cozy checks. “Why do you think I don't need your permission?”

“Do not insult us by pretending you ever did!” Tirek snaps in disgust. “I taught you better than that.”

Despite the fact she cannot see his face, she notices his eyes raise up further. It's as if he's now sitting straight from an originally slouched position.

“You are strong, little filly,” Tirek announces. “That's how you are different from other members of your pathetic race. You have the ambition, talent, charm, and wits enough to seize power! Nevermind the fact if you can hold it or not. Nopony else of your race has even tried.”

“Sombra did,” Cozy quickly reminds. “In fact, he tried to do it solo . . . and he almost succeeded.”

“Oh yes. Him,” Tirek sneers. “Well . . . I suppose he's different from most of your kind too, I must admit. In fact, he was quite the force to reckon with long ago.”

“What did you say?!” Cozy asks with sudden sharp interest. She was shocked to learn that Tirek has a history with Sombra. One that isn't forgotten.

Tirek's eyes close briefly as he says dismissively, “It doesn't matter.” He opens his gleaming yellow eyes at her again. “It's in the distant past and is no longer relevant.”

You'd be surprised, Cozy is tempted to say. But still, right now, she barely has the courage to talk to him at all. Refuting or arguing with him in any way feels like it risks any tenuous hold she has on him.

Cozy swallows her disappointment, but she does not press the issue. Instead, she'll let him speak on any subject that he wills, and once again, she'll play on the defensive.

“What matters today is you,” Tirek insists. “You have the chance to be somepony that neither Chrysalis, nor I, could ever be. It may also be something that you need to be.

“Deny it all you wish, but I know who you are. I know what you are. You are an equine, much like these other fools of your kind. You crave, thrive, and need social attention just as much as they do. The only difference is you are not weak. You are not stupid, for your trials have hardened you. Say what you will about your history, but it has made you strong!”

In the dark, Cozy can hear him clench a fist. She can easily imagine him raising it and shaking it before him.

“Be the pony that they cannot,” Tirek firmly advises. “They may not realize it, but they need you. They need you because you are not weak-minded like the rest of them. You don't allow such hindrances like morality to slow or stop you from achieving your aims, and someday those traits may yet save them from some greater threat than us all.”

“What do you care about them?” Cozy challenges. As she asks, she's beginning to find strength in her voice because that is the role he wants her to play. In accordance with that, she forces confidence and assertiveness in herself.

“I don't!” Tirek firmly assures. “However, for as long as you are a part of their society . . . there may yet be hope for them . . . and for you.”

Cozy just stares at him, feeling uncertain what to say next. She knew, if she does speak, she'd have to choose her words carefully. Everything he says sharpens her role to him. In doing so, it also limits her options, in a way.

For instance, she learned, by now, that she is not allowed to appear weak, even if that is the only thing her heart is telling her. She's not invulnerable and never would claim to be so. She won't deny that there is strength in her as well, though that may be somewhat conditional.

“You're the one who taught me to be strong,” Cozy eventually says. “I got this far with your help. I may need it again to press even further.”

“No,” he denies as he closes his eyes. But, just before they shut, she saw them move. Most likely he's shaking his head no in denial before opening his steady eyes at her again. “Strength does not come from a dependence upon others,” Tirek lectures. “It comes from within, child. Seek your strength there. That is the only place you'll find it. That is the only place you'll ever need to explore.

“The rest of your pathetic race all believe that strength only comes from 'friendship'.” He finishes his sentence with a mocking sneer. She can even imagine that he used finger quotes when he said that word. “And that is where they fail. They keep relying upon others, and in doing so, they become a slave to the whims of others.

“But here,” she hears him pound his chest, “within you is where your true core strength should lie. If you can discover that, then you have independence . . . and independence is freedom!”

“I . . . I will remember your words,” Cozy vows sincerely.

“In that case, you already have what you need to endure and thrive on your journey,” Tirek announces. “So go. Leave me.” He says more softly with a bit of an affectionate look to his eyes. “Do what you have to do.”

Cozy does not want to go, but he gave her a command. Defying it might seem like a sign of weakness, and she does not wish to risk the respect she managed to scrounge up from him during this encounter.

Besides, she did feel some measure of strength in herself after this conversation. He gave her permission to leave and do what she has to do. During that time, his only true command for her is to simply be strong. If she can achieve that, she will likely survive the journey ahead.

And, if she does that, it is all the more likely she'll return to him someday.

Now she sees his aim!

Cozy closes her eyes as she gathers her courage and resolve, then turns to leave.

Until he calls to her one last time.

“Oh . . . and one more thing.”

Cozy looks back at him to her left side.

“If you find that worthless brother of mine, tell him . . .”

He trails off.

“Um . . . nevermind,” he dismisses. “Instead of that, if you see him, do as you will. That's the only action that counts anyway.”

Scorpan?

Oh, that's right! He's out there too, the one I originally got a letter from which was addressed to his brother, Tirek. That's how the two of us became acquainted in the first place.

Wow. I haven't thought of him in a long time, but I must admit . . . it would be nice to see him again.

My first friend.

Cozy looks forward again. Then, without another word or a backwards glance, she moves on back to Doctor Patience's office.

Chapter 28: Fanfare of the Flying Carpet

“Huh. You're pretty good at this,” Sunset admires as she surveys the chessboard. For that comment, her opponent across the board, Cozy Glow, beams at Sunset smugly. “But,” Sunset goes on, “I have to say you aren't nearly as good as your human counterpart at this game.”

Now Cozy frowns, then she asks in an irritated voice, “Why do you say that?”

Before Sunset answers, she licks her lips as she carefully studies the board. She made a decision, but she's taking one last moment to study the board in order to ascertain if the move she is considering is the best one for the moment. Cozy can see Sunset doing some quick mental calculations before nodding then igniting her horn in order to float one of her chess pieces into another move.

“I know because I've been inside Cozy's head for a while,” Sunset finally answers, then looks up at her opponent. “Ah . . . what I mean is, I've been inside the head of your human counterpart. Not to say that I haven't been inside your head too, notably with permission of course, but there was a time I quasi-lived inside your human self's head. This experience taught me for a fact that she viewed everything else around her in statistics, odds, and symbolic chess moves. She was also a national champion of the game for three years straight. To get that title even once is a legendary feat because there sure is a lot of really good players in the other world. This is compounded by the fact that the population of that world is much higher. As a result, one percent of the population over there counts for much more compared to here.”

Cozy finds it strange that this news about her counterpart's superiority in this game both irks her and flatters her at the same time. Oddly enough, it also made her want to challenge her counterpart with this game directly. According to Sunset, her alternate self would surely beat her. Would that be exciting, or frustrating?

Maybe both.

“Well, I guess she and I had different priories and opportunities,” Cozy figures with a shrug. “She worked to perfect her chess matches while I was busy plotting to take over the world.” Cozy grins evilly at Sunset. “Priorities . . . am I right?”

Sunset narrows her eyes at Cozy slightly as she admits, “Well, I suppose you do have more experience in matters like that, but your counterpart had similar goals of her own. She wanted to be our country's first female present. After that, she had planned to use that authority to secure an even higher one.”

“Are you actually trying to upset me?” Cozy asks in annoyance. “Maybe that is your devious strategy for this game.

“Well, I'm not going to fall for it!”

As if to prove her point, Cozy scrunches her face so hard that she closes her eyes as she concentrates. During that time, her tongue hangs out of her mouth. She uses her magic geode to levitate one of her own chess pieces into a new move. When she's done, she gasps rapidly for breath as she opens her eyes. Sunset sees Cozy's face flush a deeper crimson for a moment before return to its normal salmon pink.

Sunset giggles and shakes her head.

“What?” Cozy asks defensively.

“Nothing!” Sunset says with a wide grin of amusement.

“Tell me!” Cozy insists with narrowing eyes and a slight growl.

“Well . . . I just find you so adorable when you hang your tongue out of your mouth like that as you concentrate. You remind me of a cute little puppy,” Sunset merrily explains.

“Oh!” Cozy looks surprised, then embarrassed. “I, ah . . . I didn't know that.”

Sunset waves a hoof at Cozy as she says, “It's fine. A lot of us unicorns used to do something like that when we first started practicing magic.

“Speaking of which, you're getting better, I see. Good for you.”

Placing her elbows on the table, Cozy sank her head into her hooves as she looks down at the game board with a pouting expression before she announces, “Well, if you say so, but personally I find this pathetic.”

Sunset floats another of her chess pieces forward before looking back up at Cozy and asking, “Why do you say that?”

Cozy takes a quick scan of the board, nods to herself, then scrunches her face again as her face flushes red again. As a result, one of her chess pieces struggles to float forward. In fact, it barely lifts off the board at all. Instead, it is more dragged into the new position.

When done, Cozy gasps again. She breathes hard for ten seconds before finally calming down.

“Careful, Honey,” Sunset cautions. “You're going to pass out if you keep doing that.

“Look, I know concentrating on spells is very hard in the beginning, but you are allowed to breathe while you do it.

“Just watch.” She takes a deep intake of breath as she floats all the chess pieces an inch above the board for a moment, then she settles them back onto the board as she slowly expels her breath. Following that, she asks, “See? Nothing to it.”

“That's because you had more practice,” Cozy points out.

“Right,” Sunset agrees. “Which is exactly what you should be doing. Practice breathing while you are focus on your spells. It will improve your magic in the long run.

“Ideally, you need to practice it enough so that you start using it more casually. In a way, it's kind of like practicing with a new limb. While you do so, your brain is creating new pathways dedicated to that task. As you practice, more and more pathways are devoted to that task. Eventually it becomes second nature.

“Anyway, elaborate on why you think your current efforts are pathetic. Does it have anything to do with that time you were briefly an alicorn?”

“Ah,” Cozy looks at Sunset in surprise, then confirms, “Yes. Back then, I had enough power to blast through a wall. Combined with Chrysalis and Tirek, we were able to annihilate a third of this entire castle.”

Sunset frowns as she says, “I suppose I can't relate to that experience.” Her horn ignites. During that time, one of her chess pieces gets enveloped by the same color. Before she does anything with it, however, the aura subsides as she looks up while thinking back.

“Actually, I take that back.” Her look returns to Cozy. “I have experienced moments like that. The first time was in the other world while I wore Princess Twilight's magic crown. During that time, I was transformed into a magic she-demon. When that happened, I had enough power to rip a chunk off the front of our school building then toss it aside. After that, I cast a mind-control spell that I never cast before.

“The thing is, at the time, I didn't even question it. It's as if I've done it before so many times, or at least that's what it felt like.”

Sunset collects her hooves in front of her lips as she ponders this, then says, “Moments like this seem to be a temporary ascendancy of consciousness. I actually have experienced it several times since that moment, but I was channeling light magic during those later times. Like that time my friends willingly channeled energy into me and I became a magic seraph. I used that moment to guide human Twilight back into the light.

“I had plenty of moments like that later on to a lesser extent. Rainbow fondly likes to call it, 'Pony Up' since we kind of magically transform into a different state. During those moments we glow, our clothes transform, we get cute little pony ears, and-”

“You don't have to explain it,” Cozy informs. “I have some of my counterpart's memories of moments like that, including a few video recordings that she watched.”

Sunset lowers her hooves back to the table as she shrugs while saying, “My point is, magic seems to have the capacity to cause us to ascend into some kind of super form during moments of crisis. Whether it is a dark transformation or light depends on the heart of the person when they use it. During that time, they gain access to abilities that are otherwise inaccessible. While that happens, we gain instinctual knowledge on how to use those powers.”

“You think that's what happened to me when I transformed into an alicorn?” Cozy wonders as her eyes shine with curiosity.

“I'm thinking that your specific form was incidental,” Sunset guesses. “You could have transformed into a zebra if that was what was in your heart back then, but instead the magic gave you the form that you really wanted. In this case, it was apparently an alicorn. My guess is you saw that form as the pinnacle of pony perfection, so the magic granted you your heart's desire.”

Cozy's eyes shifts to her side as she says, “I suppose you're right. After all, Chrysalis and Tirek looked different too while they were augmented, but they didn't become an alicorn like me.” Cozy looks back at Sunset. “They were augmented by the same magic that once empowered me, but it had different visual effects on them. At the time I thought it was because they were members of a different race, but now I'm starting to wonder if you are correct.”

Cozy sits up straight as she adds, “Plus, there was this other time when I temporarily absorbed Discord's magic. The transformation I received then caused me to become something like a chaos goddess. My form practically filled the whole room.”

Sunset nods in understanding as she says, “The form you took was indicative of your mental state back then. Your ego must have inflated along with the magic you gained. Your form reflected that fact.”

Cozy shakes her head as she says, “But I couldn't control that power. Every time I tried, it did random things.

“But oddly enough, Pinkie seemed to have no trouble with it when she briefly got a hold of those same powers.”

Sunset shudders, then says, “Ooo! Now there is a scary thought. I've seen into Pinkie Pie's mind at one time. If she ever got a hold of reality-bending powers like Discord, then I'm surprised she didn't turn you all into candy or some equivalent.”

“Ah,” Cozy thinks back. “I vaguely recall something along the lines of many pastries floating in the background.”

Sunset nods as she says, “That figures.”

After saying that, Sunset makes another move in the game.

Cozy tilts her head curiously at Sunset as she asks, “When you said that all unicorns struggle with magic at first, is that what happened to you?”

“Of course,” Sunset confirms casually.

Cozy smirks in amusement as her eyes shift to the side while thinking aloud, “I wish I could have seen your face back then. If I did, it would be my turn to make fun of you.”

“It's a natural process for us all, Cozy. Mockery is not needed. I'm sorry if you felt that way about my mirth earlier. I just think you look cute when you concentrate like that.

“Speaking of which, the next time you concentrate, I want you to-”

Sunset is cut off when they both hear the sound of a horn blare outside. They simultaneously look to a window on the wall, then glance at each other, then got up to look outside the window.

“What was that?” Sunset wonders aloud.

They hear the horn again. A moment later, it sounds like a lot of ponies are cheering in response.

“It sounds like it isn't coming from the castle,” Cozy observes. “Rather . . . it somewhere in the air . . . but I can't see the source.”

In futility, they look through the window as far as they can, but what they seek simply isn't in view from this perspective.

Not yet, at any rate.

“Come on. I got a better idea,” Cozy invites as she heads for the exit of her room. “My room has a hallway linked to my mother's room. Between that is a common area, and between that is a balcony. We should be able to get a better view from there.”

“Good idea,” Sunset agrees as she proceeds after Cozy.

Cozy is the first to race outside. Once she reaches the edge of the porch, she searches around for the source of the noise. She discovers that it isn't hard to track down when the source is leaving a trail of party confetti that leads up to a large zeppelin that is coming down for a landing on the side of Canterlot.

“Any clues?” Sunset inquires as she moves out to join beside Cozy.

“Oh, you could say that,” Cozy replies as she elbow on the rail then sinks her head on top of her right hoof. She stares up at the airship with her right eye narrow and wearing a smirk of amusement. “Whelp . . . looks like our ride is here.”

“You're probably right,” Sunset agrees as she looks up at the airship. “I doubt that airship would be displaying all this fanfare if it was only here to dump off cargo.”

Sunset gives the ship a discerning look, then she grows confused as she asks, “Wait a minute. Is that a passenger ship, or a cargo ship?”

Cozy shrugs as she says, “Beats me. I'm not an expert with airships.”

“That is the Flying Carpet,” Princess Twilight announces as she moves to join them both. Her mane regally waves and sparkles off to her side as she gazes up at the airship. “The Prince of Saddle Arabia owns the ship, but it is commanded by Captain Tidus Williker.”

“Is that someone I'm supposed to know?” Sunset checks.

Twilight shakes her head as she says, “I doubt it. You've been too busy in the other world, after all. Here, however, Captain Tidus has gathered some reputation as a reputable sea ship captain of the Royal Navy of Mount Aris.”

“Mount Aris? Isn't that the homeland of the hippogriffs?” Sunset checks again.

Twilight looks at her friend as she nods calmly.

“I take it you were expecting them?” Cozy figures as she continues to regard the airship coyly.

“Indeed,” Twilight confirms. “I've been sent a letter informing me to expect them soon. I relayed this information to Professor Stygian to let him know that his ride would soon arrive.” Twilight looks down at her daughter, of whom she towers over. “This, of course, means you will need to pack soon too, my darling Cozy.”

“You said the Prince of Saddle Arabia owns the ship,” Sunset reminds. “Is he coming to?”

Once again, Twilight simply nods to Sunset.

“Wait! He's also coming?” Cozy asks as she looks over her shoulder at her mother. “Who is in charge of the ship, then? Who has primary authority?”

“Well,” Twilight pauses in thought as she looks cornerwise up, then looks down at her daughter as she explains, “Prince Salizar is the one who owns the ship itself and he's the one who hired its crew.”

“I see.” Cozy looks back at the airship. “So the Prince is the one primarily in charge.”

“Basically, yes, except for one thing,” Twilight informs which wins back Cozy's attention. “The Prince tells the Captain where he wants to go. From there, it is the Captain's job to manage the crew himself. Salizar may be a prince and a merchant, but he is not a sailor. He leaves the duties of running the ship to those he hired specifically for that job.”

“Noted,” Cozy confirms. “The Prince is the head honcho, but it's mostly hooves off for him when it comes to running the ship itself.”

“Why would the prince of an entire nation wish to join us on our expedition?” Sunset wonders aloud.

“According to the letter he sent, the prince is hoping to open up new trade negotiations,” Twilight answers. “You are all about to go to lands previously unknown to Equestria. During your journey, you may encounter unexplored civilizations that may have an abundance of goods that we don't have in our lands and vice versa.”

“I see,” Sunset realizes with an impressed tone. “That's smart of him, and awfully brave, too. He's a prince. Surely it is within his means to send an envoy on his behalf, but he's joining this journey personally?”

“I can't answer that one for sure, but I can give you a theory based on what I heard of his reputation,” says Twilight. “Based on what I have gathered, I can think of two reasons.

“Number one; he is a great negotiator. He is trained by some of the best merchant lords, and they are quite impressed with him.

“Number two; I heard that the prince is a thrill seeker and an adventurer. He is certainly no lazy monarch. Prince Salizar likes to commit to various tasks personally.

“Saddle Arabia has a tradition when it comes to their national leaders. Before they can be officially be coronated for the throne, they have to go on a pilgrimage first. It is said that the journey is supposed to help them gather wisdom and strength. It is also supposed to help them to establish political connections. Prince Salizar has done that, so he’s ready for the throne when his parents retire. The only difference here is the fact that this particular prince grew addicted to that lifestyle. He enjoys socializing with others and exploring new lands. This new journey will give him the chance to do both things he is good at.”

“He certainly could achieve his aim in this case,” Sunset acknowledges. “By being the first pioneer to try to get his hoof in the door with new foreign nations, his nation stands to profit immensely.”

“His nation already is very wealthy,” Twilight informs. “Any success on his part will simply raise it further.”

“Is the capital of Saddle Arabia wealthier than Canterlot?” Cozy wonders.

“Kind of,” her mother answers. “Canterlot gathers tithes from a larger and more prosperous nation, especially from an environmental standpoint since Saddle Arabia is mostly desert. So, in a way, this is the wealthiest city that we know of, but it also has a lot of expenses because most of that money is invested right back at all of Equestria such as running the weather factory, building or repairing roads, building or repairing dams, running various social programs such as the Grand Galloping Gala. That sort of thing.”

“Sounds to me like Saddle Arabia might be the second richest city that we know of,” Sunset figures. “But, since they have fewer expenses, they might have more capital to work with overall.”

“And more income,” Twilight adds. “Primarily, they are a nation of merchants. They are the ones traveling all over the place to deliver goods, and they know where the best deals are. Prince Salizar's sojourn here may simply establish yet another revenue for them.”

“And thereby making him more popular with his own people at the same time,” Cozy realizes with a devious grin. “By the time he ascends to the throne, his people will loudly celebrate it since he is the one that greatly expanded the influence and prosperity of his nation. This pony is a genius.”

“Brave genius,” Sunset adds. “He didn't have to do all this personally. He could have hired somepony else to do this for him like most monarchs in his position would. A professional adventurer is basically a professorial risk-taker. Something tells me he would be a high-stakes gambler if he was in a casino.”

“He probably could easily afford it, too,” Cozy figures with an admiring smile. “And since he's a merchant who knows where the best deals are, he'd know where the best areas are to invest in. So, if he were in a casino, likely he'd play whichever game would be most likely to pay off if played well. If he really is smart, he wouldn't leave everything to chance.”

“By the way, Twilight, since he is royalty and about to land, shouldn't you be there to greet him?” Sunset suspects.

Twilight nods as she says, “That is proper etiquette and protocol,” Twilight agrees. “Since the two of you have plans to join him on this airship soon, would you care to join me?”

“Sure. I'll go,” Sunset almost instantly agrees.

“I'll join too,” Cozy also confirms. “After all, this will give me a chance to gather a little recon. I'd also like a tour of his airship. I want to know what we're working with here. After all, we may be stuck on it for potentially many moons.”

“In that case, Cozy,” Twilight says as she looks at her daughter, “remember the last time I included you in a teleportation spell? Back then, you demanded that I warn you next time I choose to include you.”

“Yes, I remember,” Cozy recalls, then blinks in surprise. “Golly, that sure was a long time ago.” She looks back at her mother. “I'm honestly surprised it took this long for this issue to come up again.

“Also, I take it this is my warning?”

Twilight nods, then asks, “Are you two ready now?”

“Darn it! I need to get my magic practice back into functional shape,” Sunset complains. “I used to be pretty good at that trick.”

“I wish I could help you with that personally, but there are many duties I have to devote to,” Twilight tells Sunset with a slight regretful frown. “That said, I did loan you all the books you requested.”

Sunset half shrugs as she says, “I'm sure it would have been more helpful if I devoted more time to it, but as it stands . . . I've been having trouble sleeping lately, and my concentration hasn't been all that good.”

“After everything that has happened to you in Sire's Hollow, that honestly doesn't surprise me,” Twilight tells Sunset sympathetically as she places a hoof on Sunset's shoulder. “But if I can offer any consolation, it is this; in either world, Sunset, I know that magic is part of who you are. Like me, magic is pretty much your destiny. You'll get the hang of it again.”

“Thanks, Twilight,” Sunset says with a smile to her friend.

“It seems to me there will be plenty of time for you to study while we're riding on the airship,” Cozy figures. “Maybe even too much time.”

Sunset nods in agreement, then adds, “Thanks to the communication crystals which Sombra showed us, somepony on either side can easily teleport back and forth. That means they can bring supplies with them, too, including more books, scrolls, quills, and ink to study with.”

“For that purpose, I'd be glad to help!” Twilight announces cheerfully. “Also, thanks for giving me one of the communication crystals. That one is worth studying. With any luck, maybe we can also reproduce it someday.”

“You can try, but Sombra warned us that it's made of a rare crystal,” Cozy reminds.

Twilight nods in understanding, then says, “Starlight Dust. Yes, I am aware of it, at least conceptually. Still, this is a great opportunity to study a sample.”

“How did you hear of this?” Cozy wonders to her mother. “We came across this knowledge only recently.”

“Oh, your mother has her ways,” Twilight assures with a cheeky grin. “Besides, that one would be a long story.”

“One which you won't tell me, eh?” Cozy figures.

“Perhaps later,” Twilight proposes. “For now, I'll transport you two to the airship docks. Stay close to me,” Twilight instructs.

They do so. A moment later they are teleported to the airship docks on the side of the steep cliff off the mountain Canterlot is built in.

Chapter 29: Touring the Carpet, Part 1

“Oh, hey there Spike and Professor Stygian,” Sunset greets upon their arrival.

“Hey! You made it!” Spike cheers. “I figured you would.”

“Just in time, too,” Professor Stygian notes as he looks back at the airship while several pegasi are working at the docks. They fly up and toss some thick rope at those standing on the deck of the Carpet. Once they have it, they loop it through a pulley. “The Flying Carpet is just about to be secured.”

“Yeah, we can see that,” Cozy figures. “So . . . that is the vessel that will carry us on our voyage together?”

“Indeed,” Stygian confirms. “The prince, who owns the vessel, can provide plenty of financial backing for this expedition, and he has his own motives for securing the mission's success.”

“So I heard,” Cozy returns. “Mother told me about it a moment ago. I'm glad she did, too. By knowing what his motivations are, it helps me to trust him.”

Stygian nods in agreement as he says, “I agree. By knowing that he stands to gain something from this partnership, we know that he's all the more motivated to cooperate.”

“What about the rest of his hired crew, though?” Cozy asks as she stands next to Stygian and gives the diminutive unicorn stallion a sideways glance. “How do we know that we can trust them?”

“Well, I know a few things about them,” Stygian returns. “For one thing, I know they are on the payroll of a pony we already established that we can trust. I also know the Captain and his First Officer by reputation. It is enough to know that they are competent and professional about their job. If the crew they hired was originally untrustworthy, I'm sure those two can whip them into shape.” Stygian returns Cozy's sidewards glance. “Especially the first First Officer. I heard she's very strict with ship’s protocol.”

“Oh?” Cozy inquires with a raised eyebrow at Stygian.

“Further explanations shall shortly not be necessary,” Stygian figures as his gaze focuses back towards the ship which is being secured to the docks. “I would wager we'll be getting the tour of the ship in a moment. That is, in fact, why I have come.” Stygian narrows his eyes slightly with a focused look. “I'm also interested in the ship’s inventory and storage space. Planning the route ahead will require some knowledge on what we carry with us.”

Up ahead, as the plank of the Flying Carpet starts to come out of the ship in order to be secured to the docks.

Stygian widens his eyes as he recalls something. After that, he looks back at Twilight over his left shoulder as he announces, “Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, I recently secured some rather good news. While I did not initially anticipate this, it seems one of my old companions has volunteered to join us on our journey. Rather insistently, in fact.”

“Oh?” Twilight asks with interest. “Who, pray tell?”

Stygian closes his eyes bows his head to Twilight for a moment as he answers, “Professor Rockhoof, Your Majesty.” He opens his eyes and lifts his head as he returns his gaze back to Princess Twilight. “My guess is he's getting tired of telling old stories back at the School of Friendship.”

A blare of a horn boldly heralds the arrival of the Prince of Saddle Arabia. Cozy focuses on the top of the plank. There, she does not see the prince himself yet. The view of that stallion is blocked by a rather bulky black minotaur who has iron chains wrapped around his chest. Chains which extend from his waist to over both of his shoulders. Upon sight of him, even from a distance, Cozy gets a chill crawl up her spine because of how menacing that minotaur appears to be.

Following the minotaur is a stallion which Cozy personally assumes is the prince himself. In this case, he is a brown unicorn stallion with white at the tip of his muzzle and at the ends of his hooves. He is dressed in white garments and topped with a white turban with a fancy lavender jewel in it. The turban conceals his mane but it is likely the same color as his medium-length, elegantly trimmed black beard which hangs at the bottom of the tip of his chin. He canters down the plank with a regal pose.

Behind him is the former trumpeter who follows her liege with a graceful and hypnotically seductive motion. Bells jingle with each sway of her hips. She is wearing a transparent pink silk skirt over her lower legs and a lilac-colored veil over her face.

The minotaur did not have to warn anypony else. Everypony who was in the way got out of the way as the three of them marches, canters, and dances (exactly in that order) on their way to Princess Twilight and her company. Upon arrival, they finally come to a halt.

Up close, they get a much better look at the hulking brute. He looks even more intimidating because they are afforded a closer look at his solid and thick muscles, especially in his thick arms, broad shoulders, and large upper chest. Closer inspection reveals that the iron chain worn around his chest is secured with a four-way grappling hook sticking through several layers of the wrapped chain. His chest, arms, and legs are covered with battle scars which he seems to wear with pride. His horns are tall and shinny black. He has a large scar tracing down across the left side of his forehead and past his white and obviously blind left eye. He has an iron nose ring in his snout.

The jet-black fur minotaur glowers at the party with a firm warning look which seems to indicate, “Try anything funny, and I'll crush you beneath my hoof!”

To her credit, Princess Twilight matches his cold glare with a look of calm and grace. She does not flinch in the slightest which might have secretly won some respect from the hulking brute.

The black minotaur responds by calming down a bit himself as he stands up straighter then steps aside as his liege advances forward. As he does so, the earth pony mare behind him announces, “Announcing the arrival of our liege, Prince Salizar Alabaster of Saddle Arabia.”

When the prince stands next to Princess Twilight, he gracefully scoops up her right hoof, lifts it to his lips, and plants a gentle kiss upon it before gazing up to meet the eyes of the princess.

Cozy focuses on her mother's face to gauge her reaction to that action. It honestly does not happen too often because very few ponies are that brave and bold. From what she could see, her mother looks only mildly amused with a slight grin on her lips. Upon seeing it, Cozy cannot help but suspect that her mother's younger self, the version she saw before she was trapped in stone, would have giggled and blushed very strongly or grew very uncomfortable and embarrassed, but this version of her mother learned to harness far more royal grace.

“Charmed as ever to be graced within your sparkling presence again, Your Majesty,” Prince Salizar says in a smooth and suave manner which has a thick accent that Cozy cannot put her hoof on. Whatever it is, it is not anything local.

“Likewise, Your Majesty,” Twilight returns gracefully, “and I thank you for loaning your vessel, your company, and those you have hired for this most important journey.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Prince Salizar says as he stands up straight again. “Considering what is at stake and the opportunity involved, I could do no less.

“As for you, Professor,” the prince's eyes shift down to the short dark gray unicorn, “I am most grateful that you have extended this offer. Rest assured that I shall do everything within my power to ensure the success of this most important and potentially profitable endeavor. In accordance with that, I am likewise pleased that you have chosen to join us personally.”

“You may rest assure that I consider this an honor as well, Your Majesty,” Professor says with a low nod. “For you see, one of our various destinations may carry us to the former dwelling of my old village. I would be most interested to learn what has become of the fate of my old home as well as that of Star Swirl's. As well, I am willing and eager to learn of the fate of the ponies who were left behind.”

“Well put, Professor,” Prince Salizar agrees. “To that end, I proudly extend the services of my ship and crew, including my ever-present loyal vassals.

“With that lead-in, I shall introduce vassals, beginning with my loyal bodyguard, who may have already given a bold impression.” He gestures to the minotaur beside him. “This is Curb Stomp,” the prince introduces. When he does, Curb Stomp gives only a slight, curt nod as if to silently agree with his liege. “He is an eight-time champion of our famous battle arena in Saddle Arabia, and notably a volunteer of the event.”

As soon as Cozy hears that, she privately wonders if that also implies that some, perhaps even most of the participants of the event are not volunteers but rather forced indentured servants, convicts, and/or slaves. If that is true, Cozy has very strong and mixed feelings about that, but apparently, the events are not closed off to volunteers. Her guess is there probably is some grand reward for the winners of those events, including great prestige.

“The reason he keeps me compony is fairly obvious,” the prince goes on. “Very often his mere presence keeps everything at the negotiating table civil. However, should such a negation devolve into something less than civil, it is always wise for an important diplomat, such as myself, to carry a big stick, and a stick does not come much bigger than him. Despite his rather intimidating disposition, let me assure you that he is far more deadly than he appears.”

“More deadly?” Sunset double-checks to make sure she heard that right.

“Indeed, Madam,” the prince assures her with a brief glance at her. “He may look frighteningly capable, but his opponents often still underestimate how shockingly easy he can crush his opponents. The hint is in the name, though, so beware and rest assure that he is on our side.

“And, with that, I shall introduce the other member of my entourage, my surprisingly talented entertainer, the lovely and mysterious Lady Mirage.”

The tall, pearl white earth pony with long and silky golden mane and tail bows to those present. Closer inspection reveals that the silk dancer’s outfit is in fact several multi-colored layers. While the outfit is transparent, it blurs anything beneath, much like her namesake. As she bows, her movements constantly seem fluid and ever graceful. Beneath her obviously well trained sexy charms, there is also a dark air of confidence to her poise which Cozy interprets as a hint of a deadly edge to her, as if she might be some kind of trained assassin.

Fascinating! Cozy thinks to herself in delight. Now that is my kind of mare! Another lovely rose with hidden, poisonous thorns. I like her!

“Greetings and well met,” Mirage says with an almost musical and hypnotically soothing voice. “I am pleased that we shall share our journey together, for it gives me a longer opportunity to serve and entertain you all.”

“I am pleased to meet you all as well,” Twilight returns. “In time, I hope that we shall be far more than mere acquaintances. After all, they don't call me the Princess of Friendship for nothing.

“But, unfortunately, my royal duties will keep me here for the vast majority of your journey ahead. Special communication methods and teleportation spells notwithstanding, the honor and burden of the mission will be up to the rest of you.

“With that said, allow me to introduce the rest of my compony. You all seem familiar with Professor Stygian,” Twilight greets with a nod to the professor.

“I am indeed,” the prince concurs. “It shall be an honor for such a legendary pony to be aboard my ship. Your knowledge and knack for strategies will surely come in hoofy. I look forward to seeing you in action personally. I will also add that I have purchased and read several of your previously published books. I especially enjoyed 'Me and My Shadow'.”

In response, Stygian smiles a bit shyly as he says, “Well, that’s definitely one of my best sellers. I'm just glad you learned something from my experience. I believe darkness dwells within us all, so it is important we be aware of it as well as the damage it can unleash if it is not appeased or properly healed.”

The Prince nods at Stygian as he commends, “Well said, Professor.”

Sensing an opening, Twilight continues with her introductions.

“This here is my good friend Sunset Shimmer, who will also be joining you on your journey.”

“My lady,” the prince greets as he approaches then lifts up Sunset's right hoof and follows that gesture with a charming kiss. In response, Sunset does giggle and blush kind of shyly. Her eyes even get a bit shifty as she observes her surroundings in order to appraise who else might be present and judging her.

Having recently learned of Sunset's history, Cozy figures that friend should have grown accustomed to this behavior a long time ago, but it's been long enough that any restraint to her inner emotions to such a gesture has worn thin.

Cozy widens her eyes in delight for a brief moment as she realizes that her turn to be kissed may soon be at hoof.

“Sunset here is a very good friend who is also studying to help heal with clinical psychology,” Twilight adds. “She has a particularly strong experience reforming former villains.”

“Well . . . I had a lot of guidance in that department,” Sunset says proudly to her mentor.

When Twilight looks at her daughter, Cozy inwardly squeals with giddy delight, realizing that her turn is up next.

“And this is my daughter, Cozy Glow, who will also be joining you on your journey,” Twilight introduces. “Along the way, it is my hope that she will benefit from all of your knowledge and experience. It is also my hope that she may make a few more friends during the journey.”

Deep down, it still takes Cozy a bit aback every time she hears an introduction of “my daughter”. Clearly, her mother is trying to make their connection feel more familial as if Cozy was born from Twilight.

“My young lady,” Prince Salizar greets as he does indeed lift Cozy's right hoof and kisses it. However, while he does it, he looks at her eyes above his head (since his face is directed down during the kiss). In his eyes, she sees some sympathy in his expression for some reason. “Fear not, Your Majesty, for I will ensure that this one does not suffer a repeat of the tragedies that scar her soul from the past.”

Cozy supposes he would say that. After all, who wants a former super-villain roaming around his ship unsupervised?

But then again, Stygian also has a similar history. He might have been far more dangerous at one time, and yet he isn't regarded with sympathy or distrust.

This might have something to do with the difference between “reformation” and “redemption”. One is a path, the other is the conclusion of a journey.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” Twilight tells the prince, “and I welcome any assistance you can give to help my darling daughter heal from her awful past.

“And, with that in mind, I will also introduce my Number One Assistant and Ambassador, Spike.”

With a lift of a clawed finger, Spike closes his eyes as he proudly adds, “Also known, in certain lands, as Spike the Brave and Glorious.”

Twilight's calm resolve cracks a little as she giggles softly and rolls her eyes at that declaration.

“Unfortunately,” Spike continues as he opens his eyes again and folds his claws behind his back, just under his wings. “I will not be accomponying you all on this journey since Twilight will undoubtedly be relying on me too much here.

“However, I am pleased to announce that one way I can assist you during this journey is the fact that that I have the ability to magically deliver letters very quickly across vast distances. Through this means, I can help keep you all informed of how we're doing.”

“That's interesting, because we have a similar method at our disposal,” the prince informs Spike.

Spike looks shocked to hear this as he asks, “You do?! But . . . I thought I was the only dragon with that ability!”

“Technically speaking, you still are,” the prince informs. “However, one member of my crew can pull off that ability as long as she is augmented with the temporary effects of a magical potion which our ship's alchemist and medic can produce.”

“Really?!” Twilight and Spikes say simultaneously. After that, Spike looks over at Twilight as she goes on to request, “I would be very much interested in purchasing that recipe. If it can be shared with our dragon allies, perhaps they may all be a greater use to us, each other, and their other allies as much as they wish. I hope the ingredients aren't rare or expensive.”

“For that, you'll have to refer to my ship’s medic,” the prince informs. “To that end, I welcome you aboard so that I may introduce you to the rest of the crew as well as give you a tour of the ship itself.”

“I thank you,” Twilight tells him with a gracious nod. “We would love to take you up on your generous offer.”

“If I'm going to give you a tour of my ship and my crew, then it starts here,” Prince Salizar announces as he uses his horn magic for the first time. When he does, his brown horn ignites with a golden aura. The same magic aura surrounds an item he draws from his person which happens to be a long bubble pipe. He uses the curved tip of it, where bubbles would expel out, in order to point to indicate the various crates that are being unloaded.

After that, he uses the pipe to point to one three-foot tall bipedal walking female hedgehog. Her belly, front side of her neck, and under her chin is white. Most of the rest of her is brown except the tips of her feet and clawed hands, which is so dark brown that it is almost black. She is wearing a white apron with a giant pocket in the front.

As they approach, the female hedgehog is holding a clipboard and checking her notes carefully. After that, she glances up above her clipboard to notice a pair of diamond dogs talking down. Each one carrying a large wooden crate. The largest of the two is pretty thick looking and has a rounded pill shape to his body and distinctive sagging cheeks. The other is as tall as his companion but much thinner and lankier. Nevertheless, he has no trouble carrying down his crate that is half the size of his companions. Since his face can be seen over the crate he carries, the most distinctive detail that stands out about him is his square bottom jaw and mop-top hairstyle. Both of them have gray fur, wear a red vest, and tie a red bandanna to their heads which kind of makes them look like bandits or pirates.

“Wedge, which crate is that?” the female hedgehog asks the skinnier diamond dog.

“I, ah . . . can't read,”' Wedge is ashamed to admit. “Besides, from my angle, it's upside-down.”

“Never mind. I can read it in the front,” the hedgehog notes as she steps forward to give it a closer look. “It looks like it's, ah . . . C168. Okay, that goes over in that pile,” she instructs Wedge.

“Aye-aye, ma'am,” Wedge confirms before moving to cooperate.

“Daaaaaaaah, what'cha want me do wit' dis one?” the other larger diamond dog asks in such a way that it conveys an obviously low amount of intellect.

“I don't even need to check the serial number,” the hedgehog replies. “I know what's in it by merely judging its size. Just put it over there with the other large crates, Biggs.”

Despite how obvious it is where the other large crates are, Biggs still stands there blinking in confusion.

“D'oh!” Wedge curses after dropping off his payload, slapping his face with his right paw and dragging down his face, then looks at Biggs as he points to where the large crate should go. “You already put the other large crates there, you fool! Just put that crate over there where I am pointing!”

“Uhhhhhhhh,” Biggs blinks in the direction Wedge is pointing, then exclaims, “Oh! I get ya. Yeah! I put dah crate over dare.”

“And be careful with it, you nitwit!” Wedge yaps in a warning tone. “Make sure you put it on the crates and not past the docks.” He glances over his shoulder at the very steep drop beyond the dock. It did have a guard rail but someone with Biggs's strength could easily plow right through it. “After all . . . it's a long way down.”

“Everypony, allow me to introduce to you my quartermaster, Missus Daisy Brizbe,” Prince Salizar introduces upon arrival, “as well as two of our heavy laborers, Biggs,” he points his pipe at the large diamond dog, “and Wedge,” he shifts his point at the other diamond dog.

“Greetings, My Liege,” Miss Daisy hails upon the group’s arrival as she curtsy's the prince a bit. “You'll be happy to know that everything is proceeding on . . . Oh my!” She blinks in astonishment at Princess Twilight. “Is that . . . is that Princess Twilight, My Liege?”

“She is indeed,” Prince Salizar confirms.

“Wow! I am so pleased to meet you, Your Majesty!” Daisy says to Princess Twilight with another curtsy, for she is still in awe from meeting that pony in particular. “I . . . I . . . Ooo! I'm just so excited to finally meet you, Your Majesty!” Daisy cheers. “You helped to free us from the influences of the Storm King. Life got a whole lot better where I'm from after that.”

“Oh yeah?” Sunset asks with a grin that she passes to Cozy. She followes that with a nudge from her left forward elbow into Cozy’s ribs.

“Yeah, I heard her,” Cozy acknowledges a little dourly. It is nice for her to hear things have improved in the lands she came from but she still hated to receive a reminder of it.

“I am very pleased to make your acquaintance as well!” Twilight greets cheerfully. “I hope, someday, we can be much more than that.”

“Oh, me too, Your Majesty! Me too!” Daisy agrees eagerly.

Cozy rolls her eyes in disgust. She admits to herself that Daisy is cute, and part of her can understand the art of sucking up to another with the intent to gather favors, but to do it to Princess Twilight, of all ponies, just rubs her the wrong way. The fact that so many have attempted to do it makes the act all the more sickening for her even though it remains understandable. Princess Twilight is the most powerful mare in Equestria who is reputed to be naively friendly. Of course a lot of creatures are going to suck up to her in the hopes of gaining royal favors.

When Cozy focuses back on the quartermaster, she notes that Daisy doesn't seem to be fishing for any favors in particular. Rather than that, she's just trying to express gratitude for a favor that was already rendered a long time ago.

“Ah! And there we have one of our last . . . No, two of our last heavy lifters of our crew,” Prince Salizar literally points out by using his pipe to indicate another creature heading down the plank while carrying another heavy load. This time it is a member of a different species. One with red-scaled claws.

Beneath that crate comically dangles yet another diamond dog, but this time his is so short that he cannot possibly lift this crate. Instead of that, he hangs from it which actually adds more weight to the crate. Despite that, the one who lifts it does not even feel the extra weight.

“A dragon?” Spike notes with surprise as he crosses his arms. “You actually got a dragon to do your heavy lifting?”

“Maybe that is a common trait among royalty,” Sunset jests with an amused snicker.

“Well,” Spike begins in a bragging tone as he points to himself with a thumb, “I was able to lift hundreds of suitcases back when I was still a baby dragon, and many of those had a heavy load within them, primarily because they were stacked with books,” he finishes with an accusing glare at Twilight.

“That one-” Miss Daisy begins but is interrupted by the red dragon.

“I know where this goes,” the female dragon interrupts. “I'm not like these three numbskulls.”

“Numbskulls. Numbskulls. Yes-yes!” the short but stocky diamond dog, who was dangling below the crate she carried, says with a high pitch to his voice. This is followed by a short but strong burst of mad laughter. “Numbskulls! Delicious numbskulls.”

“Hey, wait a second,” Gallus says with a note of rising caution in his voice. “Haven't I seen these diamond dogs before?”

The red dragon delivers her large crate where the rest of the large crates are located. Before she drops her crate, she kicks the short diamond dog hanging from her crate away just to make sure he does not get crushed beneath it which she stacks on top of the other crates. The short, pug-like diamond dog does twelve somersaults as he is punted back onto the top deck of the ship. As he flew away, he sadistically giggles in mid-flight as if he either enjoys his flight, the pain of the kick, or possibly both.

Only after setting the crate down does the red dragon turn about. Doing so causes the rest of the group to have a better look at her. Her chest, front side of her long neck, and chin are a soft pink color, but the rest of her is bold red. She has downward curved horns on the side of her head that arch back up like a ram’s horn. Her face has an elongated snout, and she has a long three feet tall flexible neck. Her tail is an equal length to her neck. There are intermittent spikes traveling down her spine and tail, but they are linked with webbed crests.

“Blaze?!” Gallus cries out in horrified recognition, then boldly stands in front of the group and spreads his wings defensively. He maintains a very tense and guarded pose as he regards the dragon ahead of them. “Stand back, everypony!” Gallus orders. “This one is hostile, but I will protect you all!”

“Whoa-whoa-whoa! Easy there, hot stuff,” Blaze calls forward while giving pushing motions with her claws with each “whoa” word she said. “Take it easy. I am reformed now.”

“A likely story!” Gallus growls menacingly. “Don't think I have forgotten what you and your goon dog squad did to those citizens!”

“Hey,” Blaze shrugs, “a dragon has got to make a living. Am I right?

“Besides, as I told you earlier, I'm reformed now. In fact, it is because of you and your friends.”

That declaration takes Gallus aback. In surprise, he asks, “Really?”

“Well sure!” Blaze strongly confirms. “In fact, I'm surprised that you are surprised. After all, it was you, and your friends, that saved my bacon, and those left of my minions, from that evil, possessed buffalo. If it weren't for you and your friends weird rainbow powered laser,” she says while waving jazz hands while saying those last three words, “we would have been a goner. You remember that thing, right? That spirit was no joke.”

“I . . . guess,” Gallus accepts a little bit but he still appears cautious.

“More than anyone in your group, Smolder especially inspired me,” Blaze reports on. “After that fiasco with the possessed buffalo, do you remember when Smolder turned to face the rest of you guys and bid you to go on while she hangs back to talk to me?”

“I . . . think so,” Gallus says with uncertain as he scratches the top of his helmet with his right pointing claw.

“Well, she did,” Blaze assures as she crosses her arm. “We had a lot to discuss after you left. Long story short, she helped to convince me that opening my heart and giving friendship a chance does not mean I have to give up my pride as a dragon. Rather than that, it means I can gain something on top of that instead. If there is one thing you can count on when it comes to us dragons, it is the fact that we are covetous. We always want more, so we'll seek it wherever we smell an opportunity.”

“While a dragon may covet friendship like a great big pile of treasure, it does not cause us to spontaneously grow or lose our minds,” Spike points out. “In fact, I'd say it does the opposite. Friendship keeps us well-grounded.”

“Do you think I would hire some creature like Blaze without doing a thorough background check?” Prince Salizar asks Gallus. “I am perfectly aware of her shady history, but I am also an excellent judge of character. It comes with the territory of being a skilled diplomat and merchant prince,” he says while spinning his bubble pipe. “And this one,” he points the pipe at Blaze, “I judge to be sincere in her efforts to turn over a new leaf. I am simply providing her with an opportunity to prove it.” He floats his pipe to his lips and blows a few bubbles out of it. “I think it is only fair to give her a chance to repay her debt to society while simultaneously rewarding her for her progress achieved in order to cement further motivation.

“Besides, her abilities come in hoofy many times. Like my bodyguard here, she is another member of my crew where her very presence alone can detour a potential fight. She comes with a lot of other pleasant bonuses, too, like these diamond dogs here.” He waves a hoof across the air to indicate them all. “They are honestly not here for me, they are here for her.”

“Yeah, I can't seem to shake off these lousy mutts,” Blaze complains with an affectionate grin at them. “When they first called me 'boss', I severely underestimated how loyal they would be to that title.”

“Yes,” Wedge agrees as he wrings his paws. “Boss is alpha leader of our pack until another can prove stronger.”

“Good luck with that,” Blaze says with a roll of her eyes as she leans back into the heavy crates behind her, but not with her full weight.

“Yeah! We follow dah Boss!” Biggs also agrees. “We follow dah boss because boss is dah Boss, and . . . um . . .” He trails off as he scratches his rounded head because he forgot where he was going with that point.

“That's okay, Biggs. Don't hurt your head trying to think too deep,” Blaze discourages Biggs casually.

“Right, Boss!” Biggs confirms. “Me no think deep because me drown if me do, and drowning is no good!” He strongly shakes his head. “No good.”

“It would probably give this imbecile a headache if he tried,” Wedge figures as he slaps his face again while shaking his head.

“Yeah, these doofuses are with me,” Blaze informs the rest of the group. “But don't you worry. I'll keep them in line.”

Daisy snickers as she roams about the inventory outside of the airship and does some double-checking, then she says, “Diamond dogs may be good at digging through earth and sniffing out gems, but one thing they usually don't have is airlegs. It took them quite some time to find their equilibrium on the airship while it was in motion. During that time, we had a doozy of a time cleaning up all the lunches they threw up.”

“Yeah,” Spike agrees as he narrows one eye at the diamond dogs. “Diamond dogs are basically earth affinity creatures, so an airship is the last place I'd ever expect to see them.”

“What can I say?” Blaze asks with an innocent shrug. “They insisted on following me like lost puppies.”

“We'd follow you anywhere, Boss,” Wedge promises as he salutes her. Blaze returns the gesture with a halfhearted effort.

“But why would you want to be here?” Gallus checks with Blaze as he eyes her with the last of his lingering suspicion. “So okay. Maybe I'd be willing to believe that you'd turn over a new leaf. Smolder can be pretty convincing when she wants to be, and she especially knows how to talk to her fellow kind . . . but riddle me this; why an airship? And why this particular airship?”

“Because it seemed exciting,” Blaze answers. “In order to expand my opportunities as well as my social circle, I figured I'd have to be willing to venture into faraway places.” Blaze thumbs behind her at the ship. “If I make my lair in a place like this, I'd see a new environment practically every day I look out my quarters porthole.” She folds her claws across her chest again as she continues to lightly lean into the crates behind her. “Think about it. I get to frequently explore new lands and cultures. This expands my network of contacts and associates, and as you are previously aware, I know how to manage a group.”

“That's what I'm afraid of,” Gallus says as he narrows his eyes at her.

“Right, but this time they'll actually be friends,” Blaze promises. “Look . . . unlike these numbskulls, I'm no fool. I'm perfectly aware that expanding my circle of friends is still unlikely to allow me to shoot rainbow lasers and whatnot, but it really does not have to go that far. Friends are loyal by choice. That is a very important distinction because it means that they are a reliable resource.”

Exactly! Cozy exclaims in her mind. Finally some creature gets it!

“It used to be I always had to question the reliability of my former contacts,” Blaze goes on. “Did I pay them enough? Did I threaten them enough? Is there some reason they'd seek to overthrow me or want revenge against me? If so, how long will it take before the risk outweighs their potential usefulness?

“Let me be perfectly clear . . . I never feared a challenge. Rather, I welcomed it . . . but Smolder taught me how friends can be a bridge to bigger and greater things. By relying upon questionable tools and shaky alliances, I was hindering my ultimate potential.

“Look . . . I have thousands upon thousands of years ahead of me to plan out. The best path, in the long run, is the one that has the greatest chance to accumulate the most wealth. Organizing an army of loyal contacts can certainly help me do that. The information I could accumulate from having so many informants alone could secure me a prestigious position in society. I'm patient and willing to play 'servant' aboard this ship for a few short years if it means helping me to forge a mighty empire in the long run. During that time, I am hoarding useful knowledge, contacts, and developing key skills.”

“Did Smolder really tell you all that?” Gallus checks with Blaze.

Blaze nods at him. “As you said, she knows how to talk to dragons. Remember, it is very important for members of our race to not only plan ahead for the present and tomorrow, but every day that follows for thousands of years because, to us, that very well can be a reality. Our success in that future depends on what we've accumulated across that time.

“Basically, it all boils down to this; the more wealth and power we have, the more influence we have over the rest of dragon society.” She waves a claw at him. “Even if our intentions are benign, it does not change that ancient fact. In order to permit us the chance to influence the rest of our race towards a better path, we have to learn to play by our society’s rules. More wealth and power equals more respect and clout in our society, and vice versa. So, you can see where my motivations stand in the long run.”

The claw that originally waved at him folds across her chest again as she goes on to say, “Smolder is well aware of this fact too, so she's working, in her own way, to extend her influence in dragon society across the future. Developing genuine friends within our society certainly can be an effective way to combine our accumulated resources and could give us a massive advantage over those of our species who played it out entirely solo. Whatever they gained would be theirs alone without any need to share with anyone, but in a society, we have to think of the larger picture. Leadership is best given to those who have practiced it and proven their worth with it. One way to do that is to show what we've done with those who have chosen to follow us.”

“Being a devoted follower can lead to a stronger and wiser leader in the long gallop,” Prince Salizar points out. “So the real treasure she's accumulating from me is knowledge and experience. Used correctly, it can be used to draw in far more resources across her vast stretch of time.”

Blaze grins at the prince as she adds, “That, and a comfortable bed to sleep every night. Also good food, good crew. So on and so forth.”

“Because we know we benefit each other, we can trust each other's loyalty,” Salizar assures.

“Prince Salizar, in particular, is somepony I am eager to learn from,” Blaze puts in. “Because, of all ponies, he knows how to accumulate wealth the best. That pretty much is his cutie mark and represents who he is as a pony.

“But, more than that, the prince accumulates wealth not just for himself, but for his entire nation. He accumulates wealth in mass for the greater benefit of all who choose to follow him. I, for one, greatly admire him for that. If I can learn those skills, I'll eventually be the greatest, wealthiest, and the most respected dragon who has ever lived. A dragon who also commands an entire nation into everlasting harmony and prosperity.”

“I can't argue with that logic,” Cozy Glow agrees.

“Well then,” Salizar speaks up, pauses to blow a few more bubbles, then floats the pipe out of his mouth to point at the plank leading up to the ship. “If we're all feeling settled with this debate,” he says then pauses again as he looks over to Gallus. When the Royal Guard nods in calmer acknowledgment, the prince continues. “In that case, everypony, follow me and I shall continue with the tour.”

As he passes Daisy, he tells her, “Good job, my friend. Keep up the good work.”

“Oh, My Liege,” Daisy prompts as she looks at him anxiously. The Prince pauses and gives her his full attention. “Are we going to have some shore leave in Canterlot? The crew has been bottled up in that ship for quite some time. I'm sure they could really use it, My Liege.”

“I'm sure I can make some arrangements,” the prince agrees with an emphatic look to Princess Twilight.

Smiling, Twilight informs Daisy, “Tell the crew of the ship that we would love to entertain your crew for . . .?” She trails off with a rising questioning inflection towards the prince.

“A week should suffice,” Salizar figures as he looks over to the still cheering crowd they passed over on their way to the docks. “It seems your citizens really are eager to embrace us warmly. This, of course, follows through with my calculated design.”

Cozy grows intrigued with his wording. A pony who plans ahead? Now this has her undivided attention.

“So that is why the horns and clouds of confetti,” Sunset realizes. “You were trying to butter up the citizens so that your crew would be well received.” Sunset grins. “But, in all probability, your efforts were overkill. Twilight's citizens and many friends likely would have welcomed you anyway.”

“Actually, my dear lady,” Salizar says as he turns to look at her, “there is an even more critical reason for that action.”

“Oh?” Sunset asks with interest.

“On that regard, I shall wait until we can discuss that in greater privacy,” Prince Salizar decides. “Which can be done in my quarters on this ship as soon as we finish the tour.

“Now then, without further ado,” he turns to face up the ramp of the ship as he floats the pipe back into his mouth, “follow me.”

Chapter 30: Touring the Carpet, Part 2

Cozy Glow, as well as the rest of her company, notices the fact that there are actually two planks leading into the ship. One of them is thinner which is wide enough for either two ponies to trot up side by side, two ponies traveling in opposite directions, or a single really wide creature. This plank is detachable and is secured to the top deck. Furthermore, four detachable posts are planted in the four corners of the plank. Between the posts, on opposite sides along the length of the plank, is a thatched network of woven ropes which sort of makes a guard rail for those traveling either direction of the plank, except it is more like a “guard rope”.

The second plank is part of the hull of the ship itself on the lowest deck. It simply drops down to meet alongside the pier, which is why the ship has to be parked beside the pier. Rope is secured to the two corners of that plank which is looped through a pulley system above it. This allows those within the ship to drop the plank or raise it back into the ship. This plank is far wider, much more sturdy, and heavy than the one linked to the top deck. This plank leads directly to the cargo section of the ship. Since that plank is lower than the one linked to the top deck, it is also more level.

If this is a sea ship, Cozy might have judged this design to be a flaw in the hull because it is a weakness that could allow water to leak into the ship. Fortunately this is an airship instead so it need not concern itself with such matters. Besides, maybe they can seal the plank back into the hull tightly enough not to allow water to seep through.

Judging from the design of the bottom of this ship, which is exactly like a typical sea ship, Cozy figures that it is technically possible for this airship to float on or sail in large bodies of water. In fact, unless there are landing and leveling struts that she isn't seeing, then floating in some kind of large body of water is the only way to safely land the ship. Other than that, it seems like it might be stuck in the air for the duration of its term of service.

Prince Salizar takes the lead in trotting back up the thinner plank leading to the top deck which he originally trotted down from not long ago. Waiting for them there is a green feathered, anthropomorphic female parrot race which Cozy recognizes as one of the indigenous species that dwell in the lands beyond Equestria. She is dressed in a sophisticated royal blue double button jacket that is straight and very neat. She also wears a tri-point hat with the edges between all three corners partially folded up, especially along the middle of those edges. She is standing at attention with her feathered arms folded behind her back. She is carefully assessing the new guests trotting up the upper plank.

Cozy notices that, despite the fact that this might be the first time this parrot individual is meeting the legendary Princess Twilight Sparkle, the individual doesn't flinch at this slightly. And, instead of being excited like Daisy was, she seems a bit disturbed instead, for there is a slight scowl on her face.

Looking across this deck, the thing that stands out the most is a fancy-looking two-story-tall tent at the back that even has a balcony on each of its four sides. The upper deck is smaller than the bottom, making the tent kind of resemble a pyramid.

At the other end of this deck, near the front, is what looks like a shack with a panoramic window on the sides and the front. From this angle, she can see one door leading into that shack on the side near the front.

Other than those two structures, most of the top deck is clear. The most notable things are giant belt buckle looking things which are securing the giant balloon above from floating off. As for the balloon itself, it is a red oval-shaped thing.

“And here we are,” Prince Salizar says to the group he's leading he reaches the top deck. From there, he stands out of the way and gives a grand gesture across the deck as he waits there for the others to arrive as well. Of that, Cozy is the fourth to arrive, trailing behind Mirage and Curb Stomp.

Once everyone has arrived, the prince speaks again.

“Welcome to the top deck of the Flying Carpet. Everyone, allow me to introduce the First Officer of this ship, Desora Aeroya.” After he says that, he announces the names of each of the guests to Desora.

As he introduces them, Desora's eyes simply look at each one in turn, but she keeps her face stoically neutral with unusually strict military discipline. Judging from that expression, it seems to Cozy that this woman is permanently stuck on serious mode.

“Now,” the prince begins as he looks at Desora with a suddenly serious expression of his own, closely matching hers. “Desora, report!”

“Yes, My Liege,” Desora replies with a formal bow. She speaks again when she rises from the bow. “I have nothing unusual to report, My Liege. Everything is proceeding on schedule. The ship is in order, the crew is performing at their usual pace,” she says with a slightly disgusted whirl of her eyes, “and the job is underway. All necessary cargo scheduled to be unloaded in this dock shall be completed within an hour.”

“Excellent,” the prince replied. “Continue your fine work as ever, First Officer. In the meanwhile, I shall escort our guests on a tour of the rest of the ship.”

“If you think that's wise, My Liege,” Desora replies with a little reluctance to her. “Permission to speak?”

“Granted,” the prince acknowledges with a curt nod.

“I have a question.” Desora scans among those who arrived. “Who, among this lot, will be remaining aboard during our voyage to the unknown lands?”

“I will be,” Sunset announces. “and I will also be traveling with my pegasus friend here, Princess Cozy Glow, as well as one of her friends which . . .” Sunset trails off when it finally dawns on her that Cheese Pie is missing. She looks at Cozy as she asks her, “Speaking of which, where is she anyway?”

“Like her parents before her, Cheese seems to thrive on being unpredictable,” Cozy answers. “She pops in and out whenever she feels like it, but unlike some young alicorn princess I know, at least Cheese has the courtesy to knock on my door first.

“As for her current whereabouts, I'm not her foalsitter. Your guess is as good as mine. She's probably off eating somewhere.”

“Be that as it may,” Stygian speaks up, “I will be attending this voyage as well. I am also expecting a long time companion of mine to join me, Professor Rockhoof. He will likely be arriving in Canterlot in about a day or two. Certainly he should arrive before this ship takes off in a week.” Stygian looks at the prince. “Based on my understanding of our situation, the crew is permitted shore leave during that time. If so,” he gives a pleasant nod to Princess Twilight, “I know from past experience that they should be well received while they remain here in this city.” He looks off the ship. “Especially with all that fanfare they've received upon this ship’s arrival.” He looks forward thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, how did the citizens of this city even know that this ship would be arriving? They responded as if they recognized it.”

The prince lifts a hoof in front of his mouth and clears his throat as if to simultaneously gather attention and deliberately interrupt Stygian's latest train of thought. Once he has all of their attention, he announces, “Well observed, Professor. Well observed indeed. I see now that your previous role as the strategist of the Pillars was not an exaggeration.” He returns his hoof to the deck as he goes on. “As it stands, I will bring up this issue at a later time so that we may discuss the matter in more secure privacy.”

“I see,” Stygian acknowledges with a cunning look to his face. He closes his eyes for a second as he nods. “Very well, then.” He opens his eyes again. “I shall leave the matter to your discretion.”

“Is anyone else remaining aboard?” Desora checks.

“Not among this group,” the prince answers. “Obviously the Princess will be quite busy here in Canterlot.”

“And I am remaining with her to assist her,” Spike adds as he thumbs to his chest.

As Cozy looks at Spike, she is again reminded how often Spike is overlooked and he has to remind everyone. Why that happens in the presence of an eight-foot tall dragon with broad shoulders, she will probably never know. Maybe he just doesn't exhume a lofty presence and he's used to getting stepped on. It doesn't even seem like that bothers him. It's as if he got used to it.

Personally, Cozy is disgusted by that reaction. If it were her in his place, she'd make sure she was bodily known unless she's up to some mischief. Sometimes, even then, announcing her presence can serve as a distraction.

“Very well,” Desora accepts as she somehow stands a little straighter. “I'll make arrangements for some quarters for our soon-to-be guests. Will any of them double bunk in some of the rooms?”

“Most of the quarters have twin-sized bunk beds attached to the wall,” the prince informs the group. “Some of them have queen-sized beds instead for the romantic couples.”

“So this is a passenger ship?” Sunset checks.

“Passenger and cargo ship,” Salizar partially corrects. “Kind of a mix of both, although I'd say it leans on cargo ship since many of the furniture in the guest quarters can be packed away or easily worked around, thereby potentially using them as extended cargo rooms in the middle deck. That rarely happens, however, since there is quite a bit of space in the lower cargo hold.” Salizar floats his pipe across the deck in order to indicate it. “Primarily this is a merchant vessel designed to transport valuables, be they guests or cargo. Aside from my own quarters here at the back of the top deck, however, this is far from a luxury ship. Nevertheless, since vessels like this is still relatively rare in the skies of Equestria, and very few make regular voyages to the lands beyond Equestria, purchasing passage aboard this ship still turns a tidy profit.”

“And a good merchant knows how to mark up and market his goods and/or services,” Cozy says with a grin to Salizar.

“As you say, my lady,” the prince acknowledges with a cunning grin and a polite bow to Cozy Glow.

Rising from his bow, the prince goes on to say, “Well then, onward with the tour. Shall we?”

The middle deck, as the group discovers (for those who don't know already), is the crew and guest quarters. Most of the rooms are twelve by twelve by sixteen square feet. They have modest furniture such as a single dresser nailed to the floor to prevent sliding and two bunk beds mounted on the wall. Notably, they can be folded up to rest directly on the wall where they can be further secured with a strap, thus potentially opening more floor space. A few of the rooms are bigger and have a queen-sized bed instead, but that can also be folded up the walls. Each room also has at least one porthole window.

The bedrooms are spread out along the sides of the ship. On one side there is a total of eight rooms and, on the other, there are ten smaller rooms. Each of them is walled off, thus permitting privacy within each room.

At the end of both hallways is a public privy.

In the aft and starboard side of the ship the last room is the largest on the second deck because the wall between it got removed. Inside that room is a curious sight. While the rest of the rooms have sparse furnishings, this one is filled to the brim with many racks full of potions and ingredients. There is also a pair of surgical beds in the center of the room and a work desk. In the corner is several closed cabinets and a large storage locker.

Also inside the room is a single light blue hide unicorn mare in a wheelchair. She has a two-shaded wavy mane that is a mix of dark and bright pink. Her mane is tied up in a neat bun above her head. She wears large rounded glasses. Her horn is glowing hot pink. She seems to be manipulating many objects in the room simultaneously with a special emphasis on managing her various potions.

“Excuse me, Doctor, would it be intrusive in I were to invite a little over a half a dozen guests into your clinic?” the prince asks politely.

While busy floating a clipboard in front of her, reading it, then checking off a few notes on it, she asks, “Is any of them ill?”

“Not that I'm aware of,” the prince replies as he scans his assembled guests with a raised, questioning eyebrow.

“For my part, I feel fine,” Sunset reports.

“I, too, am in fine health for the moment,” Stygian seconds.

“Wow!” Cozy tilts her head at the Doctor. “Are you telling me that your hired physician is, herself, stuck in a wheelchair?”

Cozy knew that question was a severe break in polite etiquette, but this issue seems potentially critical and it seems absurd to hire this woman on an airship, of all things.

“Cozy,” Twilight says to her daughter in a scolding tone.

The doctor's ears perk up with interest. For a brief moment, all magical movement in the room pauses.

“Cozy? As is Cozy Glow?” the doctor asks before using her magic to turn the wheels of her chair in order to face the group. When everyone gets a front-facing view of each other, the guests also notice a cushioned U shape bar is helping to hold up the doctor’s head along her neckline. It also seems tight enough to prevent her head from turning; therefore, one could assume she can't turn her head on her own at all. In fact, it seems more and more unlikely she can move any of her body below her face. To compensate for this, she has to turn her entire wheelchair to face the group using her magic. That same method is the only reason she can manipulate anything else.

“Ah! Your Majesty. What an unexpected surprise,” the doctor says far more calmly than Cozy is used to from most strangers of less than noble lineage. “Though I suppose I shouldn't be. His Majesty did make it clear to us that he had some correspondence with you and your kind.” Her eyes shift to Cozy as she goes on to say, “You must be Princess Cozy Glow. Welcome, Your Highness, to my humble little clinic.

“As you can all see,” she turns her chair to regard some of the rows of racks built into the inside hull which is secured with a rail in front of them, “this is a clinic, including a potion clinic, though I am a trained physician as well.”

“Not to be rude or anything, but how are you supposed to, um . . .” Sunset's question trails off as she rubs the back of her neck as she blushes in discomfort.

“I assure you, Doctor Pink Heart here is very hoofycapable,” Prince Salizar promises.

“I have found ways to compensate for my deficiencies using my magic,” Doctor Pink Heart informs. “For example,” she uses her magic to turn away from the group. Next, a magical pink glowing ball appears above her head. On one end of the ball is a darker pink spot. All told, it kind of resembles an eye. “I have learned a spell which allows me to remotely view out this Arcane Eye spell. With it, it allows me to view angles otherwise impossible without raising my entire body off the ground which I could do but it is an inefficient use of my magic.”

“Do you seriously use your magic for everything?” Twilight asks in amazement.

The Arcane Eye spell pops. The doctor turns her chair back to face the group, then says, “I have to. Very little of my body is functional, so I found a way to adapt.”

“Wow!” Sunset exclaims. “I love to use magic, but to use it all the time? Doesn't that get a little . . . exhausting sometimes?”

“Sometimes,” the doctor confirmed. “Although, since I've practiced with it so often, I've built up a substantial natural reserve for it in my body. It is easily enough to perform everyday things as well as strenuous things to a medium degree. I assure you, I do monitor my energy level nearly on a constant basis, and I take some precautions when necessary such as taking a break, relaxing, meditating, drinking herbal tea. If the situation is urgent enough, I also have some potions which would give me a boost, but since it has some hostile side effects, I reserve it only for emergencies.

“I've also learned to become extremely precise with my magic, as one would have to be to perform complex surgeries with it. Allow me to demonstrate.”

Doctor Pink Heart floats a few pints of water between her and her visiting guests. From there, she proceeds to continuously divide the water droplet into smaller and smaller drops. First she makes two, then four, then eight, and sixteen, and so on. Eventually every pony observing loses count. Doctor Pink Heart actually manages to divide the droplet so many times that it visibly turns into a fine mist.

“Golly! That is impressive!” Cozy exclaims.

“Indeed,” Twilight agrees. “I have never seen or heard of a unicorn wield their magic with that much precision. Not even I can do that. I even doubt Star Swirl the Bearded can pull that off, and he's the greatest wizard our world has ever seen.”

“What can I say?” Doctor Pink Heart asks as she combines the mist back into a single droplet. “When it becomes necessary to adapt, one does whatever he or she can. Behold my medicine.”

The doctor floats the liquid back in the jar from whence it came then seals it.

“I can say, with a fair amount of certainty, that our doctor is rather uniquely talented,” Prince Salizar brags proudly. “As a skilled merchant, I have a special eye when it comes to spotting quality and, in my estimation, Doctor Pink Heart is one of the best ponies I could ever hire for this position.”

“I'm well versed in my chosen field of expertise, Your Majesty,” Doctor Pink Heart assures Twilight specifically. “Do not worry. I'll take good care of your daughter whenever she needs aid with her health.”

“I do not doubt you,” Twilight assures. “Frankly, I'm still amazed with you. Almost to the point of being dumbfounded. That's a . . . that's a rare gift.”

Doctor Pink Heart closes her eyes since that is as close to bowing as she can get. As she does so, she says, “I live to serve, Your Majesty.” She opens her eyes again. “I've searched years for a cure to aid in my own recovery. While progress in that department has been rather slow, I did discover that I had a surprising amount of talent when it comes to promoting the health of others, and frankly . . . I'm just pleased to be able to do my part in society. I love to contribute in some useful fashion. For every life I save, it further affirms the value of my own.”

“You are a true inspiration, Doctor Pink Heart!” Twilight says brightly. “You should write a book or paper about your life. I think it would be invaluable to any other creature who struggle to feel valuable. I think your heroic example would give them all hope and inspiration.”

“I already have written a book on my life,” Doctor Pink Heart replies. “Actually, I wrote three so far.”

“Really?” Twilight asks in stunned surprise. “That's weird. I'm quite the avid reader and I still haven't heard of you?”

“Here.” Doctor Pink Heart conjures her Arcane Eye just to see behind her. One of the cabinets open. Three books float out from it. She floats each of them in front of Twilight. “Have a copy of each of my books, free of charge, Your Majesty. It would be a great honor to know that my life has some value and meaning to you. Would you like them signed as well?”

“Please!” Twilight begs eagerly. “I would love a signed copy. It would make my day so much! Possibly even my year!”

Cozy regards her mother in amusement. For these past several years, she noticed that her adoptive mother maintains a regal calm under most situations, but anything to do with books is still her one weakness in her stoic mask. Issues like this cannot contain her fangirl mode for long.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” Doctor Pink Heart complies by floating three pens towards each of her books. She opens all three then writes in all three simultaneously, which is yet another of her amazing abilities rarely observed elsewhere. Her ability to multitask seems legendary. When she is done, she enchants the ink with a spell that dries it out quickly before closing all three books and floats them over to Twilight.

“Here you go, Your Majesty. A signed copy of each of my autobiographies, as you requested.”

“I will treasure this,” Twilight promises as her own magic takes over floating Doctor Pink Heart's books.

“Mirage,” Prince Salizar says to his servant, “take these books to my study room then pack it into a saddlebag for Her Majesty.” He regards Twilight. “With your permission, of course.”

“Of course,” Twilight replies before floating the books to Mirage. “Here you go. Please do not drop or damage these! These books are precious.”

“I do have more,” Pink Heart mentions offhandedly.

“I shall guard them with my life, Your Majesty,” Mirage smoothly promises with her enchanting voice as she lowers into a graceful bow before grabbing three books. After that, she swiftly dashes out with the grace of a dancer.

“I understand that introductions are all well and good,” says Pink Heart, “but this is a clinic. If there is no urgent need for attention in matters of health, I prefer to keep the premises free from distractions. As you can see, I'm using my magic to manage a bunch of various tasks. If you prefer, perhaps I can reach a pausing point soon and we can discuss anything you want further in your office, My Liege.”

“That's quite alright,” the prince rejects. “For the moment, I'm simply providing them a tour of the ship as well as its personal, and you are certainly a pony who is worth meeting and remembering.”

“In that case, is there any way I may be of further service?” Pink Heart offers.

“No, I think we're good,” the prince figures. “You're a pony who makes a quick and intense impression, so I believe we have what we need for the moment. As such, we'll clear the premises, as you requested, as I finish the tour.”

“Okay, but remember . . . if any of you get hurt, my door is always open,” Doctor Pink Heart offers kindly. “And I do mean anything . . . even if it's just a shoulder to cry on.”

“You really are inspirational,” Sunset agrees. “I look forward to getting to know you better, doctor. I'm sort of in the practice of a medical profession, specifically clinical psychology.”

“Well good for you!” Pink Heart cheers. “I welcome anypony with open forelegs who choose to dedicate their lives to the noble practice of healing. I think it is a good measurement of one's personal character to determine how much one is willing to aide the less fortunate.”

“I couldn't agree more!” Sunset says with a bright smile.

“One quick note before we leave,” the prince brings up. “If you will note,” he uses his magic to float his pipe into pointing at one of the ventilation shafts in this room, “since this room has some toxic fumes in the air, we use this ventilation shaft to suck it outside the ship. A similar system is equipped in the other rooms too. It uses chill and heat stones to help circulate the air. They can also provide some air conditioning.”

“You mentioned that humans provided that in the buildings they make,” Cozy quietly notes to Sunset. “Except, in this case, we use magic here instead of . . . whatever those bi-pedal creatures use.”

“I know,” Sunset whispers back. “Neat, huh?”

“You said it,” Cozy agrees.

In the center of the middle deck is the mess hall. The mess hall itself is a group of four tables, two per row. The tables themselves are a pair of benches built into a table in the center. That in itself looks pretty ordinary, but there are small rails jutting up intermittently on the benches that extend only six inches above it. Sunset asks the prince what they are for, and the prince answers that they are to help those who sit on the benches not to slide back and forth in case the ship gets tilted.

Next to the mess hall, towards the back of the ship, is the kitchen where they meet another member of the hired crew, although the pony they see is not somepony that Cozy expected.

“Well howdy, partners!” greets a yellow-hided earth pony with a long red mane and tail. He wears a cowboy hat even inside the ship, a brown leather vest that is open at the front, and a red handkerchief tied around his neck. He spoke with a heavy country accent which reminded Cozy of the residents of Appleloosa. In fact, Cozy feels ninety-nine percent sure that is exactly where this earth pony hails from. Since they can see him from his side while he’s busy cooking in the kitchen, Cozy notes his cutie mark since that is not covered by any clothing. In this case, it is a large stack of pancakes that drizzles in syrup.

“My oh my! Dat dare sure is o' lot o' guests. Boy howdy,” the earth pony notes as he looks across the assembled guests which actually makes this kitchen a tad too crowded considering its size.

Prince Salizar notes that too, which is why he said, “Well, it seems a bit too crowded in here for my tastes, so Flapjack, why don't you join us in the mess hall as soon as you reach a pausing point.”

“Well,” Flapjack regards his sizzling pan and the food on it. “I s'pose I can spare a few minutes.”

“Excellent. Then come join us outside and I'll make proper introductions.”

“You got it, partner,” Flapjack agrees then moves to join the others outside. Once they are in the mess hall, Flapjack whistles in an impressed way as he pushes up the forward edge of his cowboy hat, then says, “Well burn my biscuits. Ain't ya the Princess of Equestria? The so-called Princess of Friendship?”

“I am indeed,” Twilight confirms as soon as she finds and settles in a comfortable spot in the middle of the four tables. From there she turns to the cook and nods graciously. “And it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“You said it!” Flapjack agrees. “Boy howdy. I ain't nev'a thought I'd be a meet'in you, Your Highness. Dis sure is a pleas'ah.”

“This is the ships chef?” Cozy asks with strong surprise.

“I sure am, darlin,” Flapjack affirms. “Howdy. Pleased to meet ya.”

“As you’ve said,” Prince Salizar agrees. “Everyone, allow me to introduce our ship’s chef, Flapjack Trailblazer.”

“Pleased to meet y'all,” Flapjack said in polite country greeting along with a pleasant nod.

“This . . . isn't what I expected,” Cozy remarks with a stunned blink.

“Well, what did ya expect, little darlin’?” Flapjack challenges with an amused grin to Cozy.

“Well . . . this ship has royalty aboard,” Cozy says with a gesture to Salizar. “I guess I was expecting something more, ah . . . refined.” Cozy flushes slightly as she goes on to say. “No offense intended, Sir.”

“None taken, Sugar,” Flapjack replied. “And you're right. Even I was surprised when I got hired for this job.”

“Didn't you apply for this job?” Sunset asks the chef.

“Well . . . kinda,” the cowpony replied. “Bit o’ a long story, that. Ain't no need tah be gett’in ‘round tah it at the moment. I'm shooting sure y'all are here for others reasons.”

“I'm just giving them a tour of the ship,” Salizar explains to the chef. “After all, some of them will remain aboard, and a few others are coming later.”

“Well shucks!” Flapjack cheers with an arcing swing of a hoof. “Ain't that a hot bowl full o’ gravy! Look like thah family is increasing. That sure as shooting going to make this journey a tad more exciting.” After he says that, he whips his head to look at the kitchen. “Huh. Which reminds me . . . I bett’eh check the food stores an’ make sure we got enough supplies thah trip.”

“Miss Daisy is seeing to that,” Salizar assures the chef. “If you'd like, I'll make sure she shares the ship manifest, especially when it comes to our food supplies. That’s certainly pertinent information for you.”

“Jez how much compony should I be expect'en?” Flapjack asks the prince. “Ballpark figure will do.”

“About twenty, by my estimation,” Salizar answers.

“Twenty mouths to feet. Hoo-wee,” Flapjack says as he takes off his hat and fans himself with it. “And how long will this voyage be?”

“Unknown,” Salizar answers. “For a while, there will be plenty of potential stops we can make to resupply.”

“And I have the means to teleport aboard,” Twilight adds. “If and when I do, I can be sure to bring on extra supplies, so it is possible to resupply somewhat during the voyage.”

“Which may be crucial to our success,” Salizar figures. “Ultimately, our voyage will carry us to, as of yet, into largely uncharted territories. Out there, there is no telling where we may get a chance to resupply, so the fact that we have some means to resupply during the voyage may indeed be crucial.”

“Well, if push comes tah shove, I have the know-how to live off the land,” Flapjack informs. “I grew up on thah roads, ya see. Ma folks and ma family only had an old country wagon to call our home. Yessiree-bob. That is how I was raised.”

Wait! Flapjack was not raised in Apploosa? Cozy wonders to herself. Gee-golly, I estimated a ninety-nine percent chance that he was raised in that town and I got it wrong.

Grrr! I may need to get more conservative with my estimations in the future.

Come to think of it . . . my counterpart made frequent use of percentage estimations. The main difference is her estimations tend to be far more accurate. If the two of us are the same psychologically, why did we end up so different?

Different worlds, different results, I guess. As Rarity once said to me,“Even if a dress is made of the same fabric, it can still be woven into an infinite variety of possible forms.”

Flapjack looks out a porthole window on the wall to his left as he asys, “One develops a special connection to thah land and its various bounties while living like that. Food is important tah keep us hale and healthy.” He looks across the group again. “That's why I have so much respect for this profession. It ain’t just necessary, it's a way of life, and it's part of life's flavors.”

“I take it you specialize in a country style of cooking?” Twilight guesses with a wise grin.

“Darn tootin,” Flapjack confirms as he applies his hat back on his head.

“Twilight and I have come to be very familiar with that ever since we first moved to Ponyville,” Spike informs. “In fact, one of Twilight's closest friends grew up on a farm, and her country-style cooking is one of the best!”

“Applejack, I take it,” Flapjack figures as he pushes up the edge of his hat again. “She's mighty good wit’ apples in particular, I reckon.”

“She sure is!” Spike enthusiastically cheers. “I especially like her apple pies.”

“Well, see, here's what I'm gonna do,” Flapjack proposes. “In honor of your country friend and her legendary exploits, I'm going to make spiced applesauce and pour it into deep-fried apples. I’m gonna scoop out the center so the fried apples can be like edible bowls. From there, I'll pour the apple sauce back into the fried apple skin tah use dem like edible bowls. Then, to top it off, I'm gonna smother that in hot and steamy caramel sauce.

“Yes sir.” He nods in calm acceptance. “That's what Ah'm gonna do.”

Spike salivates.

“Oh, that sounds so good!” Sunset Shimmer agrees.

“But I ain't done yet, darlin’,” Flapjack goes on. “Next, I'm gonna break out ma jars of cider. Imagine it . . . sweet and frothy cider leaking over the lip of an ol’ wooden mug. It's gonna be a sweet meal, let me tell ya.”

“You certainly have your own sense of style,” Cozy commends the chef with a grin.

“Don't we all, darlin’?” Flapjack reflects. “It's a fact o’ life fo’ every pony tah make ‘is or ‘er own distinctive mark in thah world. Yessiree-bob. That's ‘ow it's done. ‘n fact, non-ponies, too. Dey may not wear a cutie mark on dem flanks, but dey do wear it ‘n dare ‘arts, I reckon.”

Flapjack sighs, then says, “An’, on that note, I need tah get back to ma cooking.” He trots his way back to the kitchen while lifting up his cowboy hat for a second as he says, “Pleasure to meet y'all. I'm look’in forward to gett'in tah know y'all better. One way for ya tah get to know me is bah eat ma cook’in. It sure as shooting gonna leave an impression. I guar’on’tee.”

With that, he disappears back into the kitchen.

“And, on that note, let us resume the tour,” Salizar decides. “I'll finish showing you the rest of the second deck, then it's on to the third.”

A vast majority of the third and final deck is reserved for cargo. A wooden floor is built over the v shape of the lowest deck which is caused by the ship’s hull design, and yet the space between the floor and the bottom v, where the keel of the ship is, is room for more cargo. Various openings along the floor permit the user to access compartments under the floor. Most of the cargo, however, is stored on the floor itself and further secured from sliding with nets and rope which is then tied to the walls of the ship.

All of that is pretty standard, but Cozy Glow grew far more interested in the third deck when the group is introduced to the last room at the aft endk. This is the engineering section of the ship which houses another crew member. In Cozy's opinion, he's also the most interesting one they met so far.

Although, in a way, it is actually two crew members.

Inside the small engineering section of the ship stands the bi-pedal male anthropomorphic warthog who is four feet and eight inches tall. He has a large pig-like snout. He has a pill shape to his body, like Biggs, because his neck is nearly the same size as the rest of his body. He is squat and pudgy. He wears a black leather apron from which has a variety of tools hanging inside his large front pocket built in front of the apron. In addition to that, he has a tool belt around his waist from which he secures even more tools. On his head, he wears what looks like an aviator’s helmet except for the fact that there are many kinds of lens built on the left side of his helmet which he can bring in front of his left eye at his discretion.

Even more curious than him, though, is his mechanical companion. It looks like a tiny metal octopus with a single gem-like eye in the center of its teardrop-shaped head. Several tentacle-like protrusions stick out of its head. Each of those tentacles ends in tiny multi-joined, five finger claws.

When the group enters the engineering room, which houses a large furnace that is filled with steaming pipes and gauges, the warthog is busy arguing with his tiny mechanical companion.

“No, no, no!” the engineer complains with a stomp on each word. As he spoke, the group notices that his voice is gurgly and raspy. “You were supposed to tighten A-B-9 pipe, not Z-X-22!”

In reply, the tiny mechanical thing makes a series of clicking noises that nobody in the room can understand except for the warthog.

“No, I did not!” the warthog rejects. “I did not say that because we landed.”

The mechanical companion makes more clicking noises.

“Okay, true,” the warthog concedes. “We didn't land on the ground or water, but we're parked, so everything needs to shut down, but gradually, see? It's a delicate piece of equipment.” He bonks his head. “What did I build you for? I need help, you worthless bucket of bolts!”

The mechanical thing seems to look at the group who entered into the room moments ago, then looks back at its inventor. It makes more clicking noises while pointing behind him using one of its eight tentacles.

“Guests?” the warthog reflects. “Now what are you talking about? There's nobody . . .” he says as he turns around, then jolts with fright when he notices how crowded this room is. “Dear oh dear . . . are you a bunch of ninjas or something? Are you actually trying to give me a heart attack? And how long have you all been standing there anyway? Were you just staring at me as you lingered in the background? That's kind of creepy, I'll have you know.”

“I, ah . . . we were just . . .” Sunset starts to explain, but she can't take her eyes off the warthog's curious mechanical companion. Losing her train of thought, she shakes her head then points to the little thing with her right hoof as she asks, “Just what is that thing? A mechanical robot? And it understands you? Did you seriously create a sentient, artificial life form using just whirling gears?”

“What, this old thing?” the warthog engineer asks with smug smile. “Bah, it's just a little something I whipped up back when I was a wee lad. It's supposed to assist me with my work, especially the smaller and more delicate parts.” He glares at it. “But sometimes I literally think it’s got a few screws loose.”

The mechanical thing replies to that statement with a few clicking sounds.

In response to that, the engineer laughs hard. During that time, his pudgy belly jiggles like jello. In the end, he slaps it hard which makes it hypnotically shake harder, then he says, “That is true. If there are any flaws in your design, that only speaks to your inventors discredit which, unfortunately, would be me.

“But hey! Necessity is the mother of invention. It's rare for an inventor to get their invention perfect the first time. Flaws are the lessons from which we grow anyway. I might need to do some tinkering to see if everything is in the right place.”

The room is quiet for a few seconds, then the warthog snaps at his guests as he yells, “WHAT ARE YOU ALL STARING AT?!”

“You, it would seem,” Stygian surmises. “Forgive us, please. I think most of us is taken by surprise, is all.”

“Not me,” Cozy put in. “Well, at least, not completely. I've actually seen something like this thing and this place before.”

“You have?” Stygian reflects with surprise.

Cozy waves a hoof towards the furnace before she says, “After I escaped from Klugetown with a long-lost friend of mine, we collapsed in the desert while trying to flee captivity. Fortunately for us, we were rescued by a native of a town called Narch. It was a town built inside of a-”

“You've been to Narch?!” the warthog interrupts with intense surprise. “Goodness gracious! I'm from Narch!” He pats himself on his chest with both of his trotters. “If you been there, why don't I recall seeing you?”

Cozy tilts his head at the warthog as she asks, “Do you seriously see every single guest that comes to Narch? I think not.

“Besides, the last time I was there was a long time ago. I was there shortly before the fall of the Storm King.”

“Really?!” the engineer looks taken aback. “What were you? One year old when that happened? If so, I gotta say, your memory is incredible.”

“It's a long story,” Cozy replies with an irritated puffiness to her right cheek. “Don't need to get into it.”

Cozy shakes her head to clear herself of her sudden foul mood provoked by the reminder that she spent several years trapped in stone, then announces, “One of the marvelous things I've discovered about the residents of Narch is that they have a penchant for mechanical invention, and even more fascinating than that is the fact that much of their technology is actually powered by magic, or rather magical items.”

“Wow!” The engineer blinks at Cozy. “You really have been to Narch.”

“Do they still use cold and hot stones?” Cozy checks with the engineer.

“Pasha!” He waves her off. “That's baby stuff. But, to answer your question, the answer is yes.” He grins as he says, “One of our more impressive magical inventions since then is shock stones. Have you seen those?”

Cozy shakes her head in denial, but then says, “Though I must admit, I haven't been there in a long time.”

“Remind me to show you sometime,” the engineer requests of Cozy.

“Done!” Cozy replies enthusiastically. “In fact, I'd love to learn what you know. I remember being very fascinated with the work of your people because it is the kind of power that rewards intelligence and ingenuity without explicitly requiring the use of magic. I used to hate magic, but power like that condenses it into tools that make it more readily accessible to those of us who are magically challenged. I loved that!”

“Cozy, this is wonderful!” Twilight cheers. “I love it when you get passionate about learning.”

“What can I say?” Cozy says with a shrug. “Give me the right subject, and I can't get enough of the stuff.”

“Well . . . are you volunteering to be my assistant?” the engineer asks Cozy.

“I, ah . . . I suppose I am if you're willing to train me,” Cozy offers.

“Hmm.” The warthog rubs his triple layer chin which hangs sagging fat. “Well, I suppose I wouldn't turn down a chance to gain a free assistant. Who knows? You might be more reliable than old Widget here.”

“My services are certainly not free!” Cozy firmly reminds. “I assist you and you teach me engineering. That's the deal.”

The engineer thinks on that further, then extends his right trotter as he says, “Okay, little mare, you got yourself a deal!”

Cozy shakes his trotter with her hoof to seal the deal.

“Widget? Is that the name of your little friend here?” Sunset checks.

“Sure is,” the engineer confirms.

“Oh!” Sunset gushes. “That's so cute! Darn it, now I want one!”

Prince Salizar clears his throat, then announces, “Speaking of names, I think it's time we got settled on that point.

“Everyone, I introduce you to Gizmo and his mechanical assistant, Widget.”

“Yep!” Gizmo agrees as he puts his trotters on his hips. “That's me.”

Widget lifts one of its claws on the end of one of its tentacles above its gem-like eye and yanks it forward to simulate a salute. While it did that, it makes several clicking noises.

“What did it say?” Sunset asks with eager curiosity.

“It says it is pleased to meet you all,” Gizmo translates.

“Wow!” Sunset regards Widget. “A mechanical device intelligently responding to its surroundings and situation. I'd love to get inside its head. I wonder what goes through the mind of an AI device?”

“Get in its head?” Gizmo inquires with a blink. “Are you an engineer too? Crikey! I didn't expect that!”

Sunset shakes her head as she regards Gizmo while saying, “No, but I do have a magical ability which allows me to read other people’s thoughts and memories.”

Upon that announcement, Curb Stomp glowers and growls at Sunset with a firm warning, likely to suggest that if she dares to try that with his liege, he'll make short work of her.

“Relax, big guy,” Sunset assuages the giant minotaur guardian. “I don't do that without permission.

“Well,” she rubs the back of her neck with her right hoof, “not usually, anyway. There are extenuating circumstances that cause it to be necessary without permission on occasion. For example, I used it on a comatose patient once in the hopes of finding out what was wrong with her.”

“Ability to read memories and minds, huh?” Salizar says in a very intrigued tone. “That could be useful.”

“I, ah . . . don't like to brag or flaunt it too much,” Sunset tells the prince in a slightly uncomfortable tone. “I'm sure you can see why. When it became known in the past, a lot of people grew paranoid of me. It's taken a long time to clean my reputation of that, and in many ways, I've suffered some setbacks recently.”

Cozy frowns as she looks down in shame, recalling why that is true. The way her counterpart framed Sunset for a crime she didn't commit left Sunset's reputation in a very damaged state even after she was cleared of all charges.

“Oh, of course!” Salizar agrees. “With a power like that, it would be wise to be discreet with it. Information is power, after all.”

Cozy suddenly realizes that the more this prince speaks, the more she respects him. The reason for that is he is a monarch too, like her mother, except he leads more with his head rather than his heart. He's opportunistic, debonair, wealthy, adaptable, and very intelligent. He's still altruistic for those he leads, but he does not allow that to cloud his judgment or his wits. By the looks of him, he does not automatically trust those he encounters, unlike her mother. Instead, he gives others a chance to prove their worth and trustworthiness in mutually beneficial endeavors. He understands motivation and how to manipulate it towards his objectives, and he does it with style and grace.

Cozy has rarely encountered another pony like him that she so quickly grew to respect as a potential role model for her, especially when she compares him to other ponies like Twilight. Having good intentions is fine, but unwise to come at the expense of sound judgement.

“I agree,” Sombra informs Cozy from within which surprised her. She did not know, until now, that he was following along with her local affairs.

“Are you referring to my opinion of Prince Salizar?” Cozy mentally checks.

“Yes, I am,” Sombra confirms. “In fact, he kind of reminds me of another pony I met before, and one I sincerely grew to admire; Clover the Clever.”

“Oh?” Cozy inwardly asks, feeling intrigued.

“Let me assure you, there are certainly some key differences between the two ponies as well,” Sombra informs. “There usually is when it comes to anypony among our race. In this example, Cover was very humble. Often he pretty much owned and carried nothing but the cloak on his back, and even then . . . it hung in tatters sometimes, but he always took care of it with loving care.

“Clover was the kind of pony who could amaze you with how much he could do with so little. He was resourceful to the extreme, often imagining possibilities with simple objects that never occurred to anypony else. He was always like that.

“This pony, in contrast, is anything but humble. He may have a lot of resources to work with, but he manages it very well. He wields everything and everyone around him with confidence and pride, but not at the expense of wit and wisdom. In Salizar, there is the kind of balance one usually requires to be consistently successful. That is a rare gift. Of all the ponies I could have expected this trait to arise in the most, I must admit that royalty is the one place I would expect it, but nevertheless . . . he seems to have taken the undoubtedly top-tear training he's' received and transformed it into something amazing. Something that not even monarchs typically achieves because this guy . . . he's not afraid to take a chance, and yet he's also cautious enough to figure out a way to maximize his chances of success.

“It's his heart, or spirit, that reminds me of Clover the most, though. In this regard, it is difficult to explain, but he has the same glint in his eyes that I used to see in Clover.

“Clover was the kind of pony who would allow his opponents to underestimate and misjudge him. He's the kind of pony who was more like Mirage . . . always hanging in the background and pretending to be meek. As a result, he was often overlooked, much to his opponent’s folly.

“I must admit, even I fell victim to this at first. It was not until much later that I got a glimpse at the true depth of his skills. That is when I finally realized, when he got caught trying to steal from my family, I think he wanted to be caught.”

“Oh? And why is that?” Cozy asks.

“Because he knew the consequence of getting caught would be indentured servitude,” Sombra answers. “That is why he was my servant back during the vision you saw. He was forced into that position due to the crime he committed.

“But, when I think back to those times, I realize something that he undoubtedly had figured out as well, and that is the fact that indentured servitude to a wealthy family like mine was the best thing that could have happened to him. Regardless of the lack of payment, he still had a roof over his head, a warm bed to sleep in, and the best food that was left in our frozen, arctic land. I think he wormed his way into a cozy job on purpose because, when I examine the results and got to know how clever that pony really was, I realized it adds up too much in his favor to discount the possibility that he did this on purpose.

“Besides, when I got a better look at his skills later on during a crisis, I realized how much he had been holding back all along.

“Contrary to popular belief, Clover was not a skilled wizard, although he did dabble. That was another benefit for his stay with my family, for it kept him close to the breadth of knowledge. As a matter of fact, my family are the ones who taught him how to read and write in the first place because it was more dignified to be served by a more educated and cultured pony. Besides, it allowed him to read our instructions on what to pick up for us in town.

“But, more than anything, Clover was especially astute with the subtle arts. Social manipulation, lock picking, scaling vertical walls, sneaking about unnoticed, or making others not care about his presence even if he is spotted. Clover was one really skilled and clever bugler. Indeed, far too skilled to believe he'd get caught stealing a single loaf of bread if he didn't want to be caught. He must have figured out it was better to be caught stealing that bread and be 'punished' by being fed for a lifetime rather than getting away with such a poultry prize only once. He must have also realized security would have been tightened up if he did get away with it.”

“Ooo! That is clever!” Cozy thinks in an admiring tone.

“If this prince is even half as clever and kind as Clover was, I think you have indeed found a great role model,” Sombra encourages Cozy.

“Do you think that, maybe, Salizar is Clover reborn?” Cozy wonders.

“Let's not get into that subject,” Sombra rejects. “Maybe he is, or maybe he isn't. The important thing now is to see him for what he is today and determine if that has worth to you. If the answer is yes, then it does not matter why.”

“I guess you're right,” Cozy partially accepts.

Chapter 31: Touring the Carpet, Part 3

After that invigorating encounter with Gizmo and Widget on the third deck, the group makes their way back to the exposed top deck where the only shelter above is the giant balloon itself. From there, they make their way to a medium-size room built near the bow of the ship. The entrance to this room is on both sides of it. Inside that room, there is a large, panoramic window facing towards the front of the ship. Before that window is a large wheel and several controls around it. For the moment, nobody is attending it.

Instead of that, two individuals are located at the back of the room where there is a table and a few chairs tucked around it. There is a bunch of maps and navigation equipment placed on that table. To the right of this room, if facing aft of the ship, is another door that leads to the captain's quarters. This is directly behind the bridge of the ship.

As for the individuals themselves, one of them is a middle-aged male hippogriff with white feathers that have dark blue tips. The feathers on the top of his head are pretty short and swept behind him off to the side of his head. The feathers are also thick below his beak. They extend down to his neck which sort of resembles a beard.

Standing next to him is a bright yellow-hided pegasus mare with a curly golden mane and tail. She has spectacles clipped to the edge of her muzzle and is wearing a khaki-colored cargo vest. Since nothing is concealing her lower legs, her cutie mark of a compass is visible. Sunset Shimmer and, to a lesser extent, Cozy Glow can identify that cutie mark as an 8-bit looking compass from old-style video games. It seems to hail from a certain famous adventure game in particular.

“That makes sense,” the hippogriff agrees with his adjacent companion before turning his head to his right as he regards the new guests entering the room. He widens his eyes slightly at the sight of how many enter the room. He looks doubly surprised to recognize one of them as Princess Twilight.

“Good gracious!” the hippogriff exclaims in surprise when he beholds Twilight, then bows to her. “Greetings, Your Majesty, and welcome aboard my ship, The Flying Carpet.”

“You must be the captain,” Princess Twilight figures. “Captain Tidus Williker, if I'm not mistaken. We meet at last.”

“Indeed.” The captain adopts a dignified pose. “You are most astute and well informed, Your Majesty.”

“I heard good things about your career from General Seaspray,” Twilight reports.

“Yes.” Captain Tidus looks out the window. “It's been quite the adventure in Her Majesty's Royal Navy ever since we started exploring beyond Mount Aris.” He looks back at Twilight. “We didn't have much experience as sailors back then, but since then I've developed quite a bit of experience under my belt.

“However,” he looks at the steering wheel of the ship, “an airship poses a new and interesting set of challenges for me and my crew.” His eyes shift back at Twilight. “One which I look forward to, I assure you.”

Captain Tidus looks at the pegasus mare he was originally talking to as he asks, “And have you been introduced to my navigator and helmsman?”

The group regards her as Twilight replies, “No, I have not, and that is something I am looking forward to.”

“Then without further ado, may I present our helmsman and navigator, the lovely Miss Golden Compass.”

“Hi!” Sunset greets in a friendly manner.

There is no reply. Golden Compass still seems heavily engrossed in studying the maps on the table.

Captain Tidus grins a this before he explains to the group, “You'll have to excuse Miss Compass. When she gets engrossed in a task, she can have a remarkable focus on it. Unfortunately, the trade-off is it can give her tunnel vision.”

“In that case, one must know how to approach matters like this,” Professor Stygian says as he approaches the table. “What are we looking at, Miss Compass?”

“The map of Equestria, at least over here,” Miss Compass answers immediately. “And over here,” she points at another set of maps, “are some rough sketches of the area we will be moving to. I was studying the geography of what is known in an attempt to ascertain the most likely climate in the regions we're about to head into. Along the way, we have five possible places we can resupply while on route, but once we cross this border,” she points to the edge of the map of Equestria along the east coast, “we'll be sailing into uncharted territory, especially when we get over this land.”

“I might be able to help you with this,” Stygian proposes, then extends a hoof to Miss Compass. “Professor Stygian, at your service.”

“Charmed,” Compass says offhandedly while absently shaking Stygian's hoof. “How is it that you may be able to help?”

“I have access to great libraries, and I'm well versed in using them,” Stygian answers.

“I am as well,” Twilight adds as she steps up to the table. “Libraries are also my specialty. I used to live in one.”

“Same,” Spike puts in with a raised finger. “Although I could never keep up with Twilight's research skills. I am her Number One Assistant, though.”

“Oh my goodness!” Compass blinks at Twilight. “Your Majesty! What a pleasant surprise. Forgive me for missing your coronation. I was too busy drawing up new maps.”

“Ah,” Twilight squints an eye at Miss Golden. “Weren't you be a young foal back then?”

“Yes. What is your point?” Compass asks with a genuinely confused blink.

“Miss Golden Compass isn't just a skilled navigator or helmsman, she's also a skilled cartographer,” Prince Salizar informs the group.

“Excellent!” Twilight cheers as she looks from the prince to Miss Compass. “That will be super useful where you are going because all of you might be the first to chart this new territory.” She grins at the prince. “It's curious how you happened to have a pony who can do that already aboard the ship. It's almost as if you were preparing for this voyage before I even contacted you about it.”

“Preparation is key to a successful venture,” the prince says as if to answer her question. “We needed a helmsman and navigator on this ship for sure, but the reason I hired her was because of her history as a skilled cartographer. I wanted to be prepared just in case we do venture into uncharted territories. Possessing the world's first maps of such a region could sell for an unbelievably high price.” He looks coyly at Miss Compass. “I know she is looking forward to this trip for that very reason.”

Miss Golden blushes as she says, “I must admit . . . I do have a lot of supplies for this in my quarters.”

“Good, because those are sure to come in hoofy soon,” Twilight tells her happily. “If you didn't have the supplies, I would have ensured you did because I'd be very much interested in getting a copy of those maps.” When she finishes her sentence, she gives a meaningful look at the prince.

“In the interest of diplomacy between our two countries, I assure you that you'll be well versed and updated on our progress during the journey,” Prince Salizar assures Princess Twilight. “That will include any maps we create during the journey, although I'd like to add a few stipulations towards that future offer.”

“Oh?” Twilight questions Salizar.

“The value of an item depends on how exclusive it is,” he says before waving Twilight off. “We'll get more into that later. For now, just be assured that you shall have that information in due time.”

“I would be most appreciative,” Twilight tells him sincerely.

“Your Majesty,” Salizar says back to Twilight while wearing a cunning grin, “I'm counting on that, for it is indeed wise to have friends in high places.”

“It's an all-out friendship bargain sale,” Cozy grumbles under her breath.

“Giving them a tour of the ship, I take it?” Captain Tidus inquires of the prince.

“Indeed, and I'm almost finished,” the prince reports back to the captain. “All that is left is to show them my place on the ship, and then,” he looks sharply at the princess, “we'll have important matters to discuss.”

Prince Salizar Alabaster's place on this ship isn't so much as a room as it is a miniature palace which is located at the back of the top deck. This is as luxurious as a tent can get.

“Your Highness,” Mirage greets her prince as soon as he, as well as the others, enter his mobile home in the sky. “I have tea prepared in anticipation of your arrival for you and your guests, if they wish it.”

“Thank you, my lady,” the prince replies with respect. “We'll have it in the study room shortly.”

“Very good,” Mirage accepts before moving off swiftly and silently.

“I'm going to minimize the tour of my personal space,” the prince informs back to the group. “There is no need to go into too much detail here, but the study room is the place where I most officially entertain guests. You may freely approach me there, but the rest of my home is private.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Twilight graciously accepts. “Shall we?”

“Indeed. Follow me,” Prince Salizar instructs then leads them to a room adjacent to the foyer of the home. In the next room is several bookshelves lined up on the walls with racks in front of them to help secure the objects, but it isn't just books on the shelves. It has that too, but it also has a rich variety of curios.

In the center of the room are a bunch of cushy looking pillows that are facing each other in a broken circle. At the back wall furthest from the entrance is a well-stocked desk that has a bunch of scrolls inserted into slots at the back of the desk. Several secured objects, mostly paperwork, lies on the desk. Several drawers lie closed on the side and below the desk.

Upon entering, Prince Salizar floats off his cape and turban to hang on a rack near the entrance of the room. Since the turban is finally off, the others can see his short black mane.

“Please make yourselves comfortable,” the prince requests as he makes his way to one of the piles of pillows on the floor. From there, he spins about to face the group as he lays on the pillows. “So, to begin with, what did you all think of my ship?”

“It's certainly quite a number of steps above a hot air balloon,” Spike says in an admiring tone.

“Indeed,” Salizar replies with a grin.

“You must be exceedingly wealthy,” Spike goes on. “Most zeppelins that I know of are owned by entire companies, but you have one for your personal leisure.”

Prince Salizar shrugs as he says, “If you are comparing this to my Grand Palace or my summer homes on a private island, then you are partially correct.” He looks around the room. “However, this ship is designed for the service of my country.” He regards Spike again. “And I am their loyal servant. My subjects are my strength, so I will take care of them to the best of my ability.” He gestures around the room. “Obviously I have no qualms about luxury and decadence, but all of this is in pursuit of a greater cause.”

“I can certainly appreciate that statement,” Twilight agrees. “Heavy is the brow that wears the crown.”

“It can be,” the prince partially agrees. “It certainly is a hefty responsibility, but if you are referring to a burden . . . then that depends on the issue at hoof. I do not always find this job stressful. Indeed, there are many times when I find it quite relaxing and/or enjoyable.” He taps the side of his head twice. “Much of it has to do with our mindset while we perform our duties. We could consider ourselves a martyr on behalf of the service of our subjects, or we can consider it an honor and a privilege. Personally, I consider both to be true to varying degrees.”

“Well, to answer your question, I find this ship amazing,” Sunset informs. “Especially by the standards of this world.”

“Aye, this world,” replies the prince as he leans back and gives her a sly grin. “For you do indeed speak from a broader sense of experience, do you not, Miss Sunset?”

“How did you . . .?” Sunset almost asks, but trails off as she looks at her friend Twilight, the most likely culprit to explain his uncanny knowledge about her.

“I told him why you are all going on this trip,” Twilight answers Sunset's silent question. “I figured it is important I be honest with him considering the fact that some risks may be involved.”

Right after she says that, Mirage quietly opens the door and enters while balancing a silver tray on her head which has tea in a pot along with several empty glasses around it.

“Yes, about that,” the prince brings up, “it would be wise of us to be discreet about the information of our final hidden passenger,” he says with a look to Cozy's magic necklace. “I assure you that I understand the importance and relevance of this mission. Our cover story isn't false,” he looks at Stygian, “but there is more than one issue involved here, and announcing the arrival and involvement of none other than King Sombra seems unwise in most situations.” He taps his right hoof beside him on the pillows. “Most creatures in the world have never heard of him, but of those who have, it is very unlikely they have fond memories of him.”

“But isn't it wise to be honest with one's friends?” Twilight asks.

The prince tilts his head at Twilight as he subtly accuses, “I'm sure you have never struggled with that issue in the past, have you . . . Your Majesty?”

Twilight unfolds one wing in order to press it on her chest as she says, “I fully admit that I have my faults, and I struggle with them every single day. My life has been lessons after lessons, and more than one of them indicate the folly of withholding vital information from one's friends.”

“Friends perhaps,” Salizar agrees. “But not everyone aboard this ship is my friend. Instead, they are hired staff, and they may not look too kindly upon this information even if they did consider me a friend.

“Sometimes, Your Majesty, it is wise to be discreet. It can even be a struggle for monarchs to endure sensitive information, but we have training and advisers to help us cope,” he says with a brief gesture to Spike. “State secrets are important for a reason. Not everything has to be known. When it comes to dangerous information, a need-to-know basis is the smartest default.

“Please don't insult my intelligence by denying the fact that you keep certain dangerous and vital information from your subjects when you know they'd likely panic if they knew, or worse.”

“I won't deny that,” Twilight admits. “Nor will I insist on an open policy with your crew. If you want us to keep this secret, I shall not deny you but rather cooperate with respect. If you think this is wise, rule as you see fit.”

“What about you?” the prince asks as he regards Cozy sharply. “Will you respect my authority while aboard my ship or, indeed, for the duration of this mission?”

“Honestly, yes,” Cozy is fairly quick to reply. “I've carefully observed you during the tour and it leaves me with certain impressions that are quite flattering. I respect the way you carry yourself, and I appreciate the fact that you're willing to really stop and think about what you're doing. You strike me as a pony who is always armed with a plan, or at least seems that way.” She narrows her eyes slightly, turns her head a bit to the side, and flashes him a cunning grin. “As a leader, a diplomat, and a merchant, I'm sure you understand the value of a good performance. You know how to talk to others and adjust your tactics for each individual.”

And he's not the only one, Cozy thinks privately. Curb Stomp has yet to say a word, but if looks could speak, he's been shouting several times during this encounter.

And Mirage . . . oh, that sneaky pony. As blatant as Curb Stomp and the prince dominated our attention, I've noticed how that subtle pony slithered like a silent shadow in the background. I think she is supposed to be unnoticed, which is why I kept a cautious eye on her until she left our party. Even then, I can't be certain she left too far.

“As I previously mentioned, I consider myself a good judge of character,” the prince reminds. “You, my dear, are still holding something back. You ply your trade carefully and strategically. I think we have much to learn from each other, and I would be honored to teach you what I know.”

“Likewise, I'm eager to learn,” Cozy says back. “So . . . do you trust me? Do you believe I mean what I say to you?”

“Do I trust you?” the prince reflects. “That answer is no. Your history should not be discounted, nor the hidden resentment that still lingers within you. You did mean what you said to me now, but there are more layers and hidden subtext in your words, I think.”

“A cunning strategist does not reveal all of her secrets immediately,” Cozy says while maintaining her cunning grin. “You should know this.”

“Well I, for one, agree wholeheartedly with the prince,” Stygian chimes in. “Primarily because he added the stipulation, 'Need to know basis', meaning he has left the determination for that open without too strict of a restraint. An exit clause, if you will.”

“Thank you, Professor,” the prince says with a courteous nod to Stygian.

Meanwhile, while everyone is discussing, Mirage is wordlessly passing out tea. She asks if the others want some with a mere look.

“For my part, I'm looking forward to discovering the state of my old home,” Stygian put forward. “I used to live where we're going, but my knowledge is over a thousand years out of date. Accordingly, it can certainly use an update. I'll offer what insight I can, but in the end, I'm discovering the fate of my old home along with the rest of you. While we're at it,” he looks to Cozy, “we'll investigate any old artifacts from Sombra's history. With Cozy's help, as well as that of Sunset's, we'll get to the bottom of this mystery piece by piece.”

“I've read some of your old books,” the prince informs Stygian. “Because of that, I'm looking forward to getting to know you better during this voyage. For such a humble-looking pony, you're honestly quite interesting.”

“Thank you for saying so, Your Majesty,” Stygian replies with a humble nod of his head. “You honor me with your words.”

“Well,” Spike puts his claws on his hips, “are we going to talk about the fanfare now during your entrance into the city? You said you had more to discuss about that.”

For a moment, Salizar simply regards Spike silently, then looks over at Stygian as he asks, “What do you make of this, Professor? You seemed to have some insight into this matter.”

“Well, for me, I . . .” Stygian began, but he paused as Mirage approaches him to offer him tea. In response to her silent query, he replies, “Yes, please. I'll have some.” She nods in confirmation then proceeds to pour him a cup. While she does that, he looks back at the prince and resumes answering the prince’s question. “I've been thinking about how the citizens of Canterlot were aware that you were coming. If they weren't expecting you, their reaction to your showmanship should have been more confused, or at least mixed. However, I believe I have ascertained a theory as to how they knew you were coming.”

He looks down with a sigh of shame. “I'm sorry to say that this might be my fault, for you see,” he looks back at the prince. He almost spoke until he is given the cup with the poured glass of tea. Once again he pauses a moment to give her a silent nod of thanks as he accepts the offer. After that, both of them move on. “Well, long story short, I made some discreet attempts to gather funding for this expedition. As such, I contacted several noteworthy scholars of archaeology, sociology, and other fields that I figured would be interested in this. I had several of these distinguished colleagues gather so I can give them the sales pitch for the trip.” He sighs again. “But I heard rumors that some students like to spy in on these meetings somehow. I'm still not certain if this is true, but if it is . . . it might help to explain how this information leaked into the general public.

“Now, rest assured that, even if this is the case, they still don't know about Sombra. All I proposed in the meeting was that this trip was about uncovering the hidden mysteries of our own history. Many ponies here in Equestria migrated from my homeland. What has befallen those who were left behind?

“Even if nopony survived, we might at least be able to uncover our old structures and other priceless archaeological artifacts.” He waves a hoof. “I'm not suggesting a full archaeological dig yet. That might come later. For now, we just need to update our maps and discover the gists of what happened to those left behind.”

Stygian taps his hoof on the floor with a thoughtful look as he goes on to say, “Now, with all that being said, I'm still perplexed why you drew so much attention to yourself as you came into this city, but my theory is the fact that you were trying to confirm a theory of your own. You gave a grandiose display in order to test the city's reaction. In other words, you wanted to find out how expected you were.”

“Close,” the prince replies. “But the fact of the matter is I already knew that the citizens of Canterlot were expecting us. After all, I have agents working for me on the streets of Canterlot, and they report to me any findings that they deem relevant.”

“Really?” Sunset asks in confusion. “In that case, if you already knew the answer, why the performance?”

“What are performances usually for?” the prince reflects back to Sunset.

“Gathering attention, I suppose,” Sunset answers. “Also to entertain, obviously. Such things can also serve as a legitimate business. Is that what this is about? To gather profit?”

The prince shifts his gaze from Sunset to Stygian as he says, “The professor was partially on the right track, but I didn't cause this show to test what I already knew. Instead, I did it to prove a point to all of you; and that point is the fact that some of the information about our mission has leaked into the hooves of the public. I wanted to make this fact clear.

“And no offense, Your Majesty,” he looks over at Twilight, “but your security forces could use some tightening. I'll admit, they have gotten better since you and Flash Magnus took over, but I think you'd be startled to realize how many of your forces are secretly in my pocket. And, if I can pull that off, who knows how many others are stealing trade secrets?

“A merchant civilization finds it very necessary to be concerned about such things. After all, information is power, and as such, can be used to threaten our livelihood. With your friendly open-door policy, you left the door just as wide for your potential enemies.”

“I've been saying that for years,” Cozy growls in annoyance. “But who ever listens to an ex-criminal?”

“I respect your opinion and your honesty, Your Majesty,” Twilight says back to the prince after a brief glance at her daughter for that comment, “but I believe my policy about treating others as friends solves more problems than it causes. Furthermore, you may be surprised how many contingencies that I've prepared just in case things do go south. I might seem too trusting, but I am prepared with many backup plans just in case.” She waves a hoof. “I'm not going to tell you that I lack foolish moments or haven't made mistakes. I've never claimed to be perfect. I've made plenty of them in my time both before and after I ruled on the throne, but I learn from them each time. As time goes on, I'll accumulate more and more wisdom, just like my beloved mentor, Celestia.”

Prince Salizar taps his hooves together as he regards Twilight critically, then he says, “That's all well and good in intent, Your Majesty, but one of these days one of your enemies won't give you a chance to enact your plans. All it takes is one quick slash of a blade, and it's over. No warning, just straight for the kill. Not every princess gets kidnapped in every situation. Being a monarch paints us as a clear target, and there is plenty of motivation to act against us in one way or another.”

“My friends are loyal to me,” Twilight assures, “and I have more than my fair share of friends which will undoubtedly make any would-be assassin give pause.”

“Anyway,” he waves a hoof as if to show that he's about to shift subjects, “the fanfare I had upon my entrance has several layers of purposes. To gather the attention of the crowd, to reveal to all of you the weaknesses in your defense, and most importantly . . . to regain control of the narrative.” He nods confidently. “For you see, now that I have secured their attention, I plan to use it. I'm going to be sending agents out on the streets as well as attend a few meetings personally to confirm some of the rumors that have been going around. At the same time, I will be hiding other bits of information.” He leans back into his stack of pillows. “For you see, one way to cover certain details is to hide it with a distraction. To give hungry ponies what they want satiates their hunger. After that, they'll leave on their own accord and most won't perform a follow-up investigation because they'll think it isn’t necessary. They'll think they've already won what they sought. After that, all that is left to do is hang back and gloat in victory. They'll brag to all of their colleagues the juicy details they managed to scrounge up. Eventually everypony will know the scoop. Because of that, the news will fade into history with ever decaying interest while yet more news replaces it in the limelight. In the meantime, we protect our interests by ensuring that only certain kinds of information are credited. The rest will be forgotten.”

“In that case, what information do you plan to make public?” Stygian checks.

“Mainly only what they already know,” the prince answers. “I'll tell them that we are on an expedition to unknown lands which is also part of our ancient history. That kind of information isn't completely harmless, but we can manage it. Also, issues like this weren’t likely to stay quiet for long anyway. If we actually succeed in this mission then of course it's going to be big news.

“You certainly know what that feels like, don't you, Your Majesty?” he asks Twilight with a coy grin. “You've made headlines on the newspapers many times in your life so far. Both you and your friends.”

Twilight shrugs as she says, “As you said, these are rapidly changing times. My friends and I may have started something, but it will be up to successive generations to pass on the torch. I'll be here to help manage and guide things in the long gallop, but in the end . . . I foresee a more quiet role for my future. At least, compared to what it was before.”

“You don't think you're the protagonist of this story anymore, huh?” Cozy teases her mother.

Twilight flashes her daughter a coy grin but says nothing else in response to that comment.

Chapter 32: Jack of All Trades

The group in the study room of Prince Salizar's mini-mansion is interrupted by some scratching and knocking at the door. Mirage moves to investigate. When she opens the door, the group can see the shortest diamond dog hopping back and forth on each hind paw excitedly while pointing both fingers out the exit with rotating jabs.

“What is it, boy?” Cozy asks in a snarky way.

The diamond dog just giggles in a hysterical way. He also keeps pointing outside.

“I guess we better take a look outside and see what's going on,” Sunset figures as she rises from her set of pillows.

“Oh! Come to think of it,” the prince says as he rises from his seat as well, “I never did mention this one's name. Everyone, meet Maul, our shortest diamond dog.”

“Yes-yes! Me Maul!” Maul agrees. “Now hurry! Ponies hurry-hurry! Chop-chop!”

“Allow me,” Twilight says before pulling everyone around her, including Maul, close to her. A moment later their vision is replaced by a bright flash of purple followed by tiny sparks of energy raining down. Each spark that touches their hide stings just slightly. After that, the group notices they are suddenly standing in the middle of the top deck of the Flying Carpet.

Maul blinks, then looks around himself in confusion. Looking upon this, Cozy is amused to easily visualize question marks blinking in and out above the short diamond dog's head.

“So what is this commotion about?” Stygian wonders aloud as he scans about with an investigative expression. He lights up in delight when he spots someone new on the deck of the ship. “Ah, Cheese Pie. There you are.”

“Cheese?” Cozy echos as she scans the deck of the ship as well until she locks eyes on Cheese. “Oh, there you are. You missed the tour. What have you been up to?”

Cheese looks back at Cozy while restraining a giggle. She presses a hoof over her lips as if that would help her contain her amusement, then she said, “It's a surprise, silly, but I know you're going to love this one.”

“Oh?” Cozy challenges as she trots beside her friend while raising an eyebrow with both suspicion mixed with intrigue. “And what is that?”

“You'll see,” Cheese promises as she gazes ahead of her again. “Just watch.”

For a second, Cozy gives Cheese a pouty face since her friend isn't immediately forthcoming with the answers she seeks, but this is honestly well in character for her friend.

After that, she gazes forward in order to seek some clue what her friend might be referring to. The only hint she can see is a bunch of ponies cheering on the docks of Canterlot. At first Cozy just assumes they are cheering directly at the ship itself, but then Cozy notices that the crowd is, in fact, cheering at something above them.

Above us? Cozy wonders to herself.

Curious, she trots to the port side rail of the ship then twists her head about to gaze upward as much as she can. She does not immediately spot anything interesting but it might be hiding near the glare of the sun, a phenomenon that causes her to squint at the sight.

Cozy looks forward with a dour face as she growls for a second. She wants to turn back and insist that her friend tell her what is going on, but time and time again Cheese has proven tight-lipped when it comes to protecting a surprise. Her parents were always like that too, especially Pinkie Pie. Maybe Cheese Sandwich too, but Cozy doesn't know him nearly as well.

Cozy's ears perk up, though, when she hears a thunderous roar trace across the sky. It sounds like it is coming this way, so Cozy looks up again. This time she locates a tiny trace of clouds descending down to the docks. It is a cloud streak that has tiny flashes of lightning within it.

Cozy gasps a little. That phenomenon above is a common trait indicative of a Wonderbolt. Technically any pegasus could pull that off, but only a Wonderbolt is the most trained to do it.

Good golly! Don't tell me!

Cozy squeals with delight as a theory rises to the forefront of her mind about who this might be.

Sure enough, when the stallion flies down to a closer visual range and isn't zipping by too fast, Cozy does indeed see that this is her crush, the famous jackknife-talented pegasus, Rumble.

The gray pegasus has a darker gray mane which is combed forward that looped back over his forehead. He flies over the assembled crowd and slaps the hooves of every pony extending their hooves up by simply holding his down and flying past them in a mostly straight line, although he does zig-zag a little if the crowd themselves are not standing in a straight line. As he flies, Cozy sees the gleam of his wraparound sunshades, although one thing that is different about them is they are wrapped around his head via a headband rather than glasses stem hooked over his ears. These glasses are far more secure on his head because they are meant to double up as a wind shade to protect his eyes from hypervelocity speed.

When Rumble flies past the dock, he suddenly zips into the sky so fast that he causes a visible shock wave of a sonic boom. Moments later, he curves back and zooms past the crowd going the other direction three times faster than he did the first time. As he flies, a gray smokey and flashing trail follows his wake. He spins above the crowd in a corkscrew maneuver, much to the crowd's delight. Doing this causes the gray trail behind him to twist as well.

When he passes the docks again, he makes one more pass back the way he came, but this time he's considerably closer to the ship. Also, mysteriously, he is riding on a cloud he found somewhere. He's lying with his back on it in a very relaxed pose as if the cloud is just a lounge chair in the sky. Carried by his momentum alone, the cloud flies by the crowd ahead of them. Rumble casually waves in the direction of the crowd until his cloud flies past the docks again. By then, the cloud lost quite a bit of its momentum and wouldn't have carried him much further anyway. At that point, the cloud explodes as he bursts off of it and zips over to the deck of the Flying Carpet. He stops fifteen feet above the deck of the ship, almost hitting the bottom edge of the balloon above. From there, he drops straight down and somersaults six times before landing on the ground with a heroic pound of his left forward hoof.

“My-my,” Sunset commends. “Now that is a way to make an entrance.”

“Oh, Rumble is trained by the Wonderbolts and they always make a flashy entrance if they can help it,” Cheese says with a dismissive wave. “It's part of their training, I think.”

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Cozy says rapidly. Her head quakes and her face flushes beat red. “It's him! It's him! It's him! He's really standing right there!”

Cheese slaps Cozy's back as she says, “I told you that you'd like your surprise.”

“Thank you! Thank you!” Rumble cries out back at the crowd as he approaches the rail, waves back at the crowd then tips the right side of his wraparound sunshades down so he can wink at the crowd over the left edge of his glasses.

In response, some of the mares and fillies of the crowd faint in pure pleasure.

“Flashy entrances notwithstanding,” speaks Captain Tidus as he exits the bridge, “what are you doing on the deck of my ship?”

“I've come to work, of course,” Rumble answers as he trots backwards while still waving and blowing kisses at the crowd. He stops when he is within ten feet of the captain. At that point, he spins about to face the captain and gives a gracious bow. “Rumble, at your service.” He lifts himself up from his bow. “But, of course, you already knew both of these facts.”

“At my service?” Captain Tidus asks in confusion. “What are you going on about?”

“Shall I toss this intruder overboard, Captain?” First Officer Desora offers coldly as she moves to stand next to her captain.

A chill ran down Cozy's spine as she realizes that Desora's offer might be genuine. If Rumble wasn't a pegasus, her offer could be considered straight-up attempted murder considering the steep fall under the ship.

Tidus holds up a talon to his First Officer as he denies, “That won't be necessary, but I would care for an explanation, young sir.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rumble asks in surprise as he lifts his shades up his forehead. “Are you really surprised to see me? As in, you weren't expecting me?”

“I, ah . . .” Cheese says with a flush of embarrassment, “may have embellished certain details about your potential employment aboard this ship.”

“What?” Rumble passes Cheese an annoyed look. “You better be joking, Cheese.”

“Do I look like I'd be a kidder?” Cheese asks as a golden halo suddenly floats above her head for four seconds. “Besides, I had to get your attention somehow, and I knew I'd iron out the details.”

“Oh my goodness.” Rumble slaps his face with his hoof. “So you mean to tell me that I was not hired to be a staff member on this ship yet? Oh, Cheese . . . you have severely embarrassed me on this day. I'm going to pay you back for it eventually.”

Cheese's golden halo vanishes. In its place, red horns grows off her head as she asks Rumble with a deviously mischievous expression. “You promise?” Cheese asks with wicked hope mixed with a daring expression.

“Oh, my dear sweet Pie, you won't see it coming,” Rumble vows, then faces the captain with another bow. “Well, this is embarrassing.” He rises from his bow. “Cheese wrote to me a letter promising that I'd have a role on this ship. It seems those claims were a tad exaggerated, but my offer still stands if you're interested.”

“YES!” Cozy cries out excitedly. “YES, YES, YES! OH PLEASE, YES!”

“Captain, this is most unorthodox,” Desora complains with a grim grimace. “Policies must be adhered with absolute strictness. Discipline must be maintained.”

“Lighten up, cracker breath,” Rumble encourages Desora. “Just take a chill pill for a second, would'ja? This isn't a navy ship. From my understanding, it is a private vessel.”

Desora's grimace turns into a downright glare as she says tightly, “A private ship in the honor and service to the country of Saddle Arabia. I will not allow this ship to be turned into some kind of circus.”

“Oh, why not?” Cheese complains in an encouraging tone. “A circus is actually loads of fun!”

Desora almost yells something back at Cheese in anger, but her ire vanishes in surprise when she regards her captain laughing. After that, he applies a talon to her shoulder as he says, “Stand down, First Officer. Rumble is right. We don't need to stand on such strict formalities. We may have been raised in strict military service, but we can't expect those standards from civilians.”

“It is important we maintain discipline and order,” Desora lightly argues. “We need to maintain a strong impression.”

“There is a time and a place for that,” Tidus argues back. “I fully expect you to enforce discipline among our crew while they are on duty aboard this ship, but we're parked right now so ease off a bit.”

Desora sighs, then relents, “Aye-aye, Sir.” After she says that, she passes Rumble one final glare as she asks, “In that case, what do you wish me to do with this one?”

“Overboard! Toss 'em overboard! Yes-yes!” Maul cheers as he keeps leaping up and clapping above his head.

“Well, as Rumble pointed out, this is a privately contracted crew,” Tidus reminds as he looks to the prince. “You are the one in charge of hiring the crew. My job is to command those you hire aboard this ship.”

It really hurt Cozy to do this, but the issue feels too important. Accordingly, she gives a begging, puppy-dog like expression to her mother.

Princess Twilight clearly notices and acknowledges that expression. More than likely, in Cozy's estimation, her mother would see this as another opportunity for her daughter to earn another friend, and the Princess of Friendship is all about promoting that.

“Your Majesty, if I may offer a humble suggestion?” Twilight asks Salizar who simply nods to her in reply. “Rumble is a very talented individual. His jackknife cutie mark signifies him as potentially talented in everything. A pony like that might come in hoofy for the journey ahead. You can assign him pretty much any role and he'll likely excel at it before long.”

“Plus I'm quite proficient in several other skills that I've trained in before,” Rumble adds. “Of those, I mastered a few, such as flying. So, in a way, you can say I'm a jack of all trades and a master of some. More mastered skills will be pending, I'm sure.”

“You've trained with the Wonderbolts, did you not?” the prince inquires of Rumble. “And yet you aren't a member of them. May I ask why?”

“For what it's worth, I am a certified reservist for the Bolts,” Rumble mentions. “When I'm available, I know they'd love to have me because I'm simply so talented with that group. Not only am I a really skilled flier, but I helped to inspire the other members of the Wonderbolt cadets. That's just who I am,” he says with a shrug. “When I practice a new skill, I don't just exceed at it if given time, but I help inspire others who practice the same profession. That's why I am a semi-official member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“The Crusaders, you say?” the prince asks with interest and recognition. “Their primary role is to help others, particularly when it comes to their cutie mark destiny.”

“And I was a doozy of a challenge for them until I realized I wasn't supposed to wholly focus on just one thing,” Rumble informs. “The Crusader's mission and mine are a little different. I simply work in pursuit of my own destiny while they focus on helping others. However, in the long gallop, I do indeed help others by giving them inspiration, motivation, and new ideas.” He spreads his wings outwardly as if to wave to indicate the whole ship. “Maybe I can do the same for your crew.” He salutes the prince with a wing. “And I'm certainly not afraid of a challenge. If there is any way I can help, I'd love to do it. All that I ask in return is to simply be here to enjoy the journey, and I also ask that I continuously be challenged in learning new things.”

“You're right, my boy,” Captain Tidus commends. “I can certainly attest to the inspiring nature of your sheer enthusiasm. While I am not in charge of hiring others for this ship, I sincerely believe we can learn from each other.”

“When venturing out into the unknown, it is hard to know what will be necessary to prepare for it,” Twilight says to the prince. “A pony with this level of versatility might be just what you need.”

The prince's eyes shift from the Princess to Rumble as he asks, “Again, why did you drop out of the Bolts? Or, as you said, you are signed as a reservist, and yet you trot other pursuits. It seems to me that the Bolts are no longer your priority.”

“They used to be my obsession, Your Majesty,” Rumble admits as he looks down. “It used to be that flying and practicing for the Wonderbolts was all I could think about. I was convinced that is what it took to get to a profession that challenging. I used to think every other Wonderbolt was like that. Like they all just knew they were supposed to be a Wonderbolt and nothing else.” He looks back at the prince. “But I was Equestria's first pony to attend training as a cadet while still being a blank flank. I was older than nearly every other pony in history and still lacking my cutie mark, and the truth was . . . I didn't care. Seeking my cutie mark wasn't my goal, being a part of the Wonderbolts was.

“For the longest time, while I trained with them, I was convinced that this would be it. This would be my final act that shall cause the discovery of my cutie mark.

“But as time went on and it continued not to happen, I noticed how I did indeed excel at the profession. I even inspired the other cadets to be better . . . yet my flank stubbornly remained blank. Deep down . . . I sensed I had more potential.

“So, to answer your question, I left the Wonderbolts in order to explore deeper aspects of myself. I wanted to find out what I was supposed to do in life, because if this wasn't it . . . if I wasn't supposed to be in the Wonderbolts, my greatest dream, then what would it be instead?

“Time and time again, I found I excelled at pretty much everything else as long as I took my training seriously and I spent the time necessary to get good at it. With that much versatility, it became confusing what one thing I was meant to do.

“But then, one day, the Cutie Mark Crusader's pointed out something vital to me. As usual, they had a knack for sensing the true potential of others. In my case, they asked me if I really am good at everything, then what was wrong with that? Why settle for one thing when I truly enjoy learning?

“As they said, getting a cutie mark in something is not necessarily about being good at something, it is about feeling good about something inside,” he says while gesturing to his chest with a wing. “If I truly feel fulfillment in learning how to master new things, why do I need to ever stop that?

“When they asked me that, it finally clicked in my head. I wasn't meant to stop with one thing, and it's perfectly fine to keep going. Keep learning. Keep exploring the boundaries of my limitless potential.

“When I finally accepted that, that was when I finally got my cutie mark. A mark I never sought, but it came to me anyway when I realized my true potential.

“So let it be known to the rest of the world that I am Rumble, the jackknife pony. I am the eternal learner and wanderer. Ever moving. Ever exploring, and I enjoy the compony of others I inspire along the way.

“This ship and its voyage, Your Majesty, is simply another step in my endless journey . . . if you will have me. Will you join me as we explore our potential together?”

Prince Salizar stared at Rumble for a few silent moments, then grinned as he asked, “Tell me, my talented young stallion, is being a merchant one of the skills you previously practiced? I only ask because you are awfully good at making a sales pitch. I know my own trade well, and you have a gift for this.”

“Not that specifically,” Rumble answers. “As in, I didn't practice being a sales pony or merchant as a dedicated try.

“However, I have learned to market my own skills and abilities with others on many occasions. Also, truth be told, I wouldn't mind learning how to become a good merchant because I've never tried that before. I'd be interested to learn how I'd grow in that profession as I work to interact with others while armed with those skills.”

“What skills have you practiced so far?” Sunset asks.

“I've got a long list of that in my résumé which I carry in my saddlebag at all times,” Rumble informs her. “I need to keep that hoofy because it is ever-growing. Off the top of my head, I'll mention photography, swimming, martial arts, bowling, and cooking which is one of the rare ones I've mastered fairly well. I've also done interior decorating, Buck Ball-”

“Okay, okay! I get the point,” Sunset interrupts. “You're very talented. Don't need to rub it in any further.”

“My goal is not to rub anything in, but rather to learn and teach,” Rumble corrects.

“Well, as I previously mentioned to this group here, I am an excellent judge of character,” the prince informs. “I also have an eye for quality, and in my estimation, you, Sir, are certainly very high quality. If you're still interested, I'd love to hire you.” He smiles coyly. “As a cabin boy.”

“Huh?” Rumble blinks in surprise.

The prince waves a hoof at Rumble before explaining, “While that may seem and be the lowest ranking officer aboard a ship, it is also the one role that isn't dedicated to any one particular thing. I don't think it is wise to lock down talent this overwhelming. As such, I charge you with assisting in whatever role is needed the most from moment to moment.”

“Huh.” Rumble thinks it over, then nods in acceptance. “I can live with that.”

“Welcome aboard, then,” Captain Tidus greets. “I am Captain Tidus Williker, and this is my First Officer, Desora Aeroya.”

In response to that, Desora just nods while keeping her hands folded behind her back.

“Since you served with the Wonderbolts for a while and you did well with it, I likewise take it that you are familiar with military service and thus respect the chain of command,” Captain Tidus figures.

Rumble salutes his captain with a wing as he says, “I do indeed, Sir, and I shall endeavor to serve you to my utmost capability.”

“We shall see to that,” Desora assures.

“Indeed we shall,” the captain agrees. “Work hard. Study hard. Serve, protect, and be courteous to all guests aboard, and that includes the prince. Follow the chain of command and do everything possible to dedicate yourself to your tasks with one-hundred percent efficiency at all times. Under my command, you must always remember that we are a unit that must work together. If you see a danger or have a vital suggestion that I may not be aware of, then I expect you to inform me immediately. However, when I give an order, I expect you to follow it immediately and without question. Is that understood?”

Rumble salutes his captain again as he yells, “YES SIR!”

Cheese nudges Cozy in the ribs as she asks her, “Am I good, or what? I told you I'd get Rumble aboard.”

“Cheese . . . I love you!” Cozy exclaims as she leaps on top of Cheese in order to give her a big hug, an action which causes Cheese to squeak and blush.

Chapter 33: Removing the Mask

A knock on Cozy's bedroom door interrupts her gossip with Cheese Pie. Cozy glances at the door for a second then looks at her friend at the foot of her cloud bed as she asks, “Expecting somepony?”

“Even if I did, why would I tell you and spoil the surprise?” Cheese answers Cozy's question with a question. “Opening the door to a mystery guest is like unwrapping a present.”

Cozy sighs in annoyance, then grunts, “You are useless,” before looking at and calling to the door, “Come in, whomever you are.”

The door proceeds to open. On the other side stands Rumble who is wearing his wraparound shades again.

Immediately upon sight of him, Cozy's eyes widen, her ears perk up, and her little heart starts beating much faster. Unconsciously, she swishes her ponytail fairly rapidly.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Rumble says as he steps inside. “Since we're going to be traveling together in a small boat in the sky for quite some time, I figured it was time we have ourselves a little chat.”

Cheese smiles deviously at Rumble then passes that same look to Cozy.

“Quick, Cheese, tell me . . . how's my mane?” Cozy asks her friend in ecstatic excitement mixed with panic.

“Adorable as usual,” Cheese answers as she stands up. “And, with that, that's my cue to bounce outta here.”

“What?!” Cozy screeches as loudly as a whisper can get. “Don't leave me alone in here . . . with him!”

“Oh, you'll do fine,” Cheese assures while giving Cozy an affectionate pat. “You're such an expert at friendship, right?”

Cozy suddenly glares at her friend.

“See ya!” Cheese cheers as she hops out of the room.

“We'll be traveling with each other too,” Rumble mentions as his gaze follows Cheese out the door. “I was hoping we'd have a talk as well.”

“We can do that later,” Cheese says with a dismissive wave of a hoof back at him while her surprisingly dexterous prehensile tail wraps itself around Cozy's doorknob from the outside. “Besides, we already know each other pretty well so there's less of a surprise there. You two, however, have issues to work out so I'll leave you to it.” She waves goodbye. “Ciao.”

With that, she bounces out the door and uses her pink, puffy tail to shut the door behind her.

“I can't accuse that pony of lacking her own sense of style,” Rumble mentions while still regarding the door. “Of course, I'm one to talk.”

Rumble looks back at Cozy. Doing so causes him to notice how flushed her face is. Her head quakes with excitement as she absently coils some of her curly locks around her right hoof.

“Make yourself . . . um . . .” Cozy can't finish her statement. A burst of giddy giggles interrupts her. She trembles with excitement. She can't believe that thee Rumble is actually standing there in her room. This is a dream come true for her.

“Well,” Rumble looks around. “It's certainly very girly in here. I suppose that’s . . .” he grins at her coyly, “. . . very cozy for you here.”

Cozy applies both of her hooves in front of her mouth to restrain herself from bursting out in excited laughter. The joke she could easily shrug off, but wow! Rumble is standing in her room! She can't get over that!

Observing her behavior, Rumble sighs as he reaches to pull off his goggle/sunshades.

“Okay. We definitely need to talk,” Rumble observes. “I'm glad I paid attention to my instincts, because this,” he gestures to her, “is quickly going to be an issue on this mission.”

“What issue?” Cozy asks as she tilts her head with a cute expression on her face. She flutters her eyes at him.

“This.” He gestures across her. “This fan-girl mode has got to stop because, where we're going, we'll need concentration. In a potential life or death situation, I'm not going to pretend to be the cool kid anymore. Since we need to take this seriously, I think we're going to need to understand each other.”

“What?” Cozy looks taken aback. “But you love your fangirls, don't you? I saw the way you winked at them. You enjoy having young fillies and mares swoon over you. Don't deny it.”

Rumble shakes his head slightly as he admits, “No. I won't deny it. Actually, I thoroughly enjoy it, mainly for two reasons.

“Number one; I enjoy the attention.” He stomps his left hind hoof on the ground, but not too hard. “I work very hard doing what I do, and it feels nice to have some validation for it. It's nice to feel appreciated, and I certainly won't deny that my ego feels satisfied to be noticed.” He applies a wing to his chest. “I'm a very social pony, so it feels great to have the attention I crave. Even if it's too much to spend quality time with each one, it feels great to know that I have that many options just in case I do choose to get closer to some of them.

“For all of those reasons, I feel the jealousy others feel towards me is extremely well justified. Most ponies can't even imagine how good this feels.

“Number two; I am an entertainer, so I enjoy pleasing others. I feel genuine warmth inside of me when I behold the joy in others whenever they see me. I know what that feels like because I have my own heroes, too. I'm happy just to make them happy, even if it's just for a moment. All of my work and all of the effort that I apply to showboating is specifically for that reason. I know that's what my audience wants, so I'll give them what they want just to make them smile.”

He sighs again as his gaze trails off to look outside Cozy's window.

“But, at the end of the day, that is not me . . . or rather to say not the whole me. Putting on an act for others may feel rewarding for a moment, but eventually I just need to relax and take my 'entertainer' mask off. It suits my purposes when I need it, but I can't wear a mask forever. It's too hard to breathe under a mask all the time.”

He looks back at Cozy questioningly. “Don't you feel the same way sometimes?”

Cozy squints one eye at him as she asks, “How can you be sure I wear a mask at all?”

He shakes his head slightly as he says, “You know what I mean. Not a literal mask but a figurative one. The act we put on for others to hide our true feelings.”

Cozy makes no response. She just stares at him.

“Fine. Keep your secrets. I'm sure you have plenty of reasons for holding up your guard,” Rumble accepts. “But, if you want to be friends with me, you'll have to open up a little.”

“Friends?!” Cozy chirps excitedly.

“The offer is on the table,” Rumble informs her. “After all, if we're going to be working together for such a long time, in such a small place, and going to such important places, I figured a certain degree of trust and rapport would be useful to build between us. That, in turn, can lead to a more beautiful relationship, and I enjoy those too. I'm not as shallow as I seem. I enjoy friendship as much as the next pony. It's part of who we are. We are herd animals. It's in our nature to travel in packs.”

“YES!” Cozy cries excitedly. “I would love to be your friend! Please be my friend.”

“I'm certainly willing to offer, but in order to allow me to get that close to you, you're going to have to make a choice,” Rumble warns.

Cozy tilts her head back as she asks cautiously, “What choice?”

“You're going to have to promise to disengage your fan-girl mode to me,” Rumble told her. “You're going to have to choose. Am I your idol, or your friend? I can't be both.”

“Why not?” Cozy asks with a slight frown.

He shakes his head as he says, “It just can't be done. I may enjoy my fans, at least sometimes, but I don't always trust them. Some fans even creep me out, for a fandom certainly has the capacity to get excessive and possessive.”

Cozy instantly blushes with embarrassment, for she knows exactly where she is hiding some of his magazines with his pictures in them. She has hugged them, kissed them, sang to them, and even slept with them next to her pillows. She vowed that she would possess him all to herself someday. Hypothetically, if she had the opportunity to stalk him before, there is a very high probability she'd have the motivation to go through with it.

But, when she imagines some other pony doing that to her, she has to admit to herself that a chill really does creep up her spine. As a herbivore species, which is traditionally prey, survival instincts ring quite insistently when she senses danger.

“Cozy, look at me,” Rumble requests. When she does so, she notices him standing before her in a very open way, including spreading his wings as far as they can stretch. “It's me, Cozy. It's just me,” he coaxes. “I'm just a pony who is standing before you, naked before your eyes. This is who I am. I'm flesh and blood, just like you. I am not some perfectly chiseled marble statue on a pedestal.”

Cozy glowers at Rumble for that comment until she sees him wince in sudden intense pain as if he just suffered a splitting headache. Annoyance shifts to sharp concern as she worries if he'll be okay and wonders why he is in pain.

“Ouch!” Rumble exclaims. “Oh wow, that comment was painful.” He cracks his eyes open at her which reveals some embarrassment. “Very poor choice of words considering your past. I'm sorry.” His expression softens. “Really I am. I didn't intend to insult you.”

Cozy squints as she shifts her eyes to the right. She sighs, then says, “It's fine.”

“No, it isn't,” Rumble denies. “I can tell that that experience deeply hurt you. I'm sorry for the reminder.”

Cozy shifts her face to the right but locks her gaze on him. Honestly, that comment had stung, for it was positively the worst experience she had ever suffered in her life.

“But, on the bright side, I think I can use that blunder to make a valid point,” Rumble figures. “While I truly did not intend to insult you like that, it does reveal something very important about me. I,” he applies his left wing to his chest again, “am not perfect . . . and I never claimed I was. But, for some reason, that is exactly the way most ponies think of me. Many ponies think I am some perfect god who is the master of all skills.”

“Aren't you?” Cozy asks with surprise. “That's what the newspapers and magazines say about you all the time, or they at least imply it. They say you are a master of any skill or ability you attempt, even if it's your very first time.”

Rumble closes his eyes for a second as he shakes his head. When he opens his eyes again, he says, “That is just a rumor. A superstition and legend about me and anypony similar to me. They think it means we're an instant master at absolutely everything, but that isn't the truth. I'm not like that, and I don't believe anypony else is, ever was, or ever will be. That isn't what it means to be mortals in this world.

“The truth is I am just like every other pony, at least at first. I don't know everything and I can't do everything. Instead of that, I learn as I grow. When I encounter something new, some skill I've never attempted before, I make a lot of mistakes at first. To get better at it, I have to do what every other pony does, and that is to practice. I have to apply serious effort to learn the skill. I have to want it, and I have to take the steps that are required to get better. I have to be willing to learn and grow. The same as any other pony.

“The only difference between me and any average pony is that I learn super fast, and that applies to any mental and physical activities. The main reason for that is I have super good memory,” he says as he taps his head. “But not just up here. I have super good muscle memory as well. That is why I also excel at physical sports and the like.

“Incidentally, I also have excellent kinesthetic sense. Do you know what that means?”

Cozy nods as she says, “I do. My mother shoves a lot of reading material my way. It's one of the few things about her that doesn't annoy me, for I enjoy accumulating information.” Her expression sinks into wicked satisfaction. “Because information is power, and these fools are just hoofing it to me willingly!”

“There you go! Now you're getting the hang of this,” Rumble cheers. “That thing you just said is not information you'd trust to just anypony. You'd only tell a friend that, and that is how I need you to talk to me.”

“Ah . . . well,” Cozy blinks as she blushes a bit. “To prove my point, I'd just like to mention that kinesthetics evolves a sense of balance a pony has. If it's poor, a pony might not be able to trot because they’re dizzy and unsteady all the time. Conversely, a pony with superior kinesthetics could potentially become the world's best parkour master.

“Come to think of it, I suppose that ability really came in hoofy with some of the previous skills you said you mastered such as flying, martial arts, and playing Buck Ball.”

Rumble nods as he says, “Agreed. Pegasi naturally seem to have a heightened sense of kinesthetics and the truth is they need it. Having a very good spatial orientation is very important in 3D movement like we do in the air. As a species that finds it necessary to remain constantly aware of everything around us, that extends into naturally good kinesthetics.

“But that is it.” He spreads his wings apart again. “That's who I am, and that is the answer to the mystery of me. I learn fast. That's the secret to my success.

“But, in order to do it, I have to make a genuine effort to learn. I can't just wave it off. It takes serious effort to learn a new skill and it also takes time. Granted, it takes me less time than it would for others, but still . . . I have to be willing to put in the time and effort. Until then, I'm just as bad as anypony else who’s never attempted the skill.

“That goes for everything, too. Talking to new ponies and building a relationship is also a skill. One I could make a lot of mistakes with at first because I have to figure out and adapt to each individual’s personalities and various quirks. There is no single rule that I can apply to everypony because everypony is unique. I learn as I go. In time I could get to know that pony really well and can influence just that individual very well, but that takes time and effort, just like anything else.”

He pauses for a moment as he gazes up at the ceiling, then looks back at Cozy as he says, “There are also drawbacks to my lifestyle which I don't personally think is too bad, but I have met other ponies who seriously regret this fact about me, and that is the fact that I can never settle.”

Cozy widens her eyes at him slightly but otherwise says nothing.

Rumble folds his wings neatly on his back as he stands up straight with a very earnest and honest expression on his face as he says, “I'll never have a home or a family in any one fixed place. I'll never stick with one career and one path. My talent not only grants me the ability to learn any path, it downright demands that I do so.” He waves his right wing to his right. “That is why I left the Wonderbolts even though it was such an intensive dream for me.” He folds his wing again. “It felt so weird to leave them when I was doing so well . . . but something, deep down, insisted I do so. Some part of me always kept wondering if there was more to my potential.

“So that is the blessing and curse of a jackknife cutie mark. We can never settle because our path is a commitment to eternal experimentation and learning.”

“Does that include relationships?” Cozy asks with a frown. “Does this mean you're going to leave me?”

Rumble sighs as he looks down, then lifts his head to look back at Cozy as he says, “I know it might be painful for you to hear this, but the truth is the answer is a solid yes. I'm the eternal wanderer. The road itself, and the journey therein, is my true home.

“This applies to skills as well. I can't settle on doing one thing or else I'll get bored with it. So, while I pick up a skill really fast, I can't stick with it or I'll actually end up losing it.

“I've noticed a trend as I keep practicing new skills. At first there is a sharp up climb as my skill with this new thing gets better and better, but eventually it peaks. When that happens, it tends to do nothing but go downhill after that. The longer I stick with it, the worse it gets. Eventually I think I'd lose the skill as if I never practiced it in the first place. I think, if I keep on going, I'd steadily get worse than a pony who never attempted it before. Any attempt to continue would only produce results that are unusually bad to be statistically and realistically possible.

“Stagnation, apparently, is the bane of my existence.”

He grins as he recalls something. That amused expression is still on his face as he approaches and looks out Cozy's bedroom window.

“The funny thing is, a lot of ponies accuse me of innate and constantly natural perfection, but the thing is . . . I know why they say that. I'm not a perfect pony myself by any means, but I do believe in the existence of perfection as a conceptional idea because I've experienced it before.

“Some ponies say that perfection doesn't exist, but the meaning of the word is, 'without flaws', and I have experienced it enough times to prove to me, at least, that it can and does exist. Whenever it happens to me, I call it, 'The Zone'.”

“'The Zone'?” Cozy echoes curiously. This subject sounds interesting to her so she'd very much like to hear more.

While still standing next to the window, he looks back over his right shoulder at Cozy as he explains, “The Zone is a state of being that all of my work and practice was and is building up to. For me, everything is done super fast . . . and that includes reaching my peak potential. However, moments like that come for me only briefly, and only once in my lifetime for each skill individually with a few exceptions. To date, flying and cooking are the only two skills I was able to enter The Zone multiple times in my lifetime. Maybe other skills will pick up this potential eventually. How passionate I am with the skill does seem to be a factor, but overall, this is a state of being I can't control. I can't summon it whenever I feel like it. It just sorta . . .” he shrugs, “. . . happens.

“In the past, achieving a Zone state is a signal to me that my potential with this particular skill has peaked and it's time to move on to something different. If I defy this, my abilities with that skill will only get worse and worse if I stubbornly press on. To preserve a skill, I actually have to abandon it and only dabble with it on occasion whenever it is necessary to practice some other profession. If I do that, my expertise with the previously mastered skill drops a little in efficiency.

“But the Zone! Ah!” He looks the out window. “How can I describe it?”

He closes his eyes and gets a soothing expression as if he's savoring something.

“The Zone is . . . Well, for me it is a state of being. It is a trance. It is a moment of utter perfection. During that time, I'm unable to dwell on the past or worry about the future. I am wholly in that moment. I absorb it. I own it! I am fully there . . . and I have never felt so alive in any other moment!

“Gah! It is such a rush! An exhilaration! I wish you could experience it!”

He pauses a moment as he looks down while he tries to sort out his feelings in a way that he can best describe it.

“Most other ponies can go their whole lifetimes never experiencing a state of mind that powerful,” Rumble expresses. “But, if they do, chances are strong it will involve whatever is relevant to their cutie mark destiny. Whatever that one thing is that makes them special, what puts them in The Zone will have something to do with that. One perfect moment of absolute clarity, confidence, and perfection. It is a kind of state where one does not even question the possibility of failure. In that state, it just feels absurd, or more likely they're not thinking about it at that moment. They just know they'll succeed before they even attempt it, and they actually do succeed spectacularly when they try.

“The really fascinating thing about The Zone is other factors I can't control also work out perfectly on that day. Like this other time when I entered The Zone for a photoshoot with a fashion model. On that day, when I was in The Zone, the weather was perfect. The lighting was perfect. The wind was perfect. The costume designers and makeup artists were on the top of their game that day. Most peculiarly, the model I needed canceled on me a few days prior, but on that day she still miraculously showed up and claimed her other appointment got canceled.

“On any other day, I would have questioned that fascinating coincidence, but when I'm in The Zone, it doesn't even occur to me that should be unusual. I just accept it and move on.

“When I'm in The Zone, I can move without thinking. This is especially helpful if the activity involves a lot of physical movement. I just sink into an ultra-instinctive mood. There is no need to think unless the activity itself requires social interaction or cerebral thought. Even then, I do exactly as much that is required to not just succeed, but succeed with the best possible results. No more, and no less.”

He pauses for a moment. He smiles when he recalls a fond memory.

“The model I was shooting was at the top of her game that day as well. When I was done, I held in my hooves a picture worthy of being called a magnum opus. The type of work so legendary that such things tend to not be forgotten in history.

“When she saw it . . . I remember she cried on that day with tears of joy. She said to me that she didn't think anypony could capture her inner glow and fire like that, but there it was. There was the reason she became a model in the first place, but deep down, she never suspected it would actually happen. It was a goal too lofty to consider realistic, but miracles can and do happen.

“She said I inspired and empowered her. She said a copy of that picture will never come down from her wall, and that her children and children's children will gaze upon it for generations to come; a trophy to commemorate the day when her soul fully shone on film.”

Rumble pauses again as he smiles softly and fondly at the memory, then passes that same look to Cozy.

“This is why I do this. This is why I trot this lifestyle. I work my butt off to taste those brief moments of glorious perfection, and when I do . . . others are there with me and share in the experience. They learn that such things are not a myth. That it can be done as long as everypony involved is willing to throw themselves into the activity with gusto and genuine passion.

“Everywhere I go, I sample this new thing I am trying until I achieve that perfect moment, then I move on. This differs greatly from others who actually are dedicated and settled on the activity.

“For example, there is a pony where I grew up named Chip Cutter. His cutie mark and special talent in life is to sculpt things, traditionally from stone. Now I can do it until I achieve something so great that it will be considered a masterpiece throughout the world and for all time, but if that ever happened to Chip Cutter, then he can do something that I can't . . . and that is to continue sculpting. One moment of perfection, even if he experiences it about his primary profession, won't stop him from continuing his dream. And, unlike me, at least he has a chance to experience that Zone about his profession multiple times. To have it even once tends to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but if it's possible to happen more than once, then Chip has the best chance to experience this, at least when it comes to sculpting.

“For him, there is nothing else that needs to be added to complicate his life. He's found his calling and he's perfectly happy to settle on it. Other branches of interest pick up over time. Rarely is a pony wholly dedicated to one thing, but that one thing their mark is for does tend to dominate most of their time, energy, and soul.

“But, in my case, my purpose in life is to just keep on learning new things. It gives me fulfillment to keep expanding my horizons and experience. That, in itself, is enough for me, but it comes at a cost that sometimes even I regret, but I tend not to dwell on it because I don't want to depress myself.

“I might sire children, but I don't think I'll ever truly be a father because I won't be there to raise my foals. I'm too busy exploring what's over that next horizon. That's a never-ending quest.”

When Rumble falls silent again, it gives Cozy a chance to thaw her mind from her stunned silence. She has to wet her mouth again before she speaks. When she does, she asks, “Have you told anypony else this?”

“There are a few others,” Rumble admits. “But this is not something I tell just anypony.” He looks at her meaningfully. “Only my friends know this about me because I want them to know me. To be a friend is to be accepted for who we truly are. Anything less is just superficial.”

I know what that's like, Cozy thinks to herself. I spent most of my life holding my guard up. I feel like I have to in order to protect myself from being abused again, but I must admit . . . it feels lonely.

Rumble is just like me in some regards and in the most important ways. He's someone who doesn't want to be alone.

Celebrities are ponies too. Ponies who want acceptance and understanding. I believe I can sympathize.

“Rumble,” Cozy expresses with a soft smile. She flies over to him and proceeds to hug him. As she does so, she says, “Thank you for telling me. I think I've learned a lot today.”

“That's another reason I trot this path,” he says with a smile. “Doing so helps to inspire and empower others. I truly enjoy that.”

“Huh. Then you really are a member of the CMC.” Cozy releases Rumble and flies backwards enough to see his face. “I take it they know this about you too?”

“Yeah,” he says with a sheepish grin. “They knew me even when I used to be a jerk to them. They sure had a lot of tolerance and patience to help somepony as stubborn as I used to be, but in the end . . . it paid off, and I was eventually proud to call them my friend. After all, we had a surprisingly similar purpose. We go about it in different ways, but the results are the same, and so are the reasons.”

“Tell me,” Cozy asks with a hopeful grin, “is the fact that we'll be traveling together the only reason you're telling me this? Why do you wish to be my friend? You approached my room today, so you made the initiative. I'm not complaining or anything!” Cozy frantically assures, then says in a more relaxed way again, “But I am curious as to why.”

He looks up as he says, “I mostly accepted this job because of where we're going. The chance to explore new and uncharted lands sounds very exciting. It sounds like the kind of mission I was born for.” He looks back at her. “Cheese also told me that you're a fan of mine. When I saw you, I realized she wasn't exaggerating. Normally I wouldn't consider that a problem if it's just a passing acquaintance, but if it's somepony I'll be working closely with for a while, I want a softer relationship rather than pretending to be a famous star all the time. It's too exhausting to maintain that charade indefinitely.

“But . . . I know what you want to hear, and I won't disappoint you because those reasons are true as well.”

When he touches her nose, he provokes a reflexive squee sound from her.

“The reasons I just told you could have applied to anypony,” Rumble goes on to say. “The situation itself demanded a more comfortable relationship, especially if it might be a life or death situation.

“However, beyond that, I am personally interested to get to know you as a pony too, Cozy Glow. You've had quite a colorful history as well, and that intrigues me. I want to know how a pony like you ticks, and the best way I can think of is to become your friend so you'll willingly admit anything I want to know about you.”

“Are you scared of me?” Cozy checks. “A lot of other ponies think I'm still just a villain waiting to happen.”

“Well, in that regard, I prefer to reserve my judgment,” he tells her. “I remember what happened to our world when you went on a rampage. It's not an experience I want to repeat, but if you're asking if I'm afraid of you, then the answer is no. The reason for this is because I'm convinced that I'm smarter and more skilled than you. If you get out of line again, I think I can take you down.”

“Hey!” Cozy complains with a frown.

“That's not my goal, however,” Rumble assures. “Rather than that, my plan is to make sure you have no motivation to hurt anypony again. One way for me to do that is to give you my friendship. Once you have that, you won't want to lose it.”

“Oh. I see.” Cozy crosses her forelegs in front of her chest as she continues flying in front of him. “You're going to use the same trick on me that Fluttershy used on Discord. She taught me that in class.”

“Even if I say yes to that, would you really complain?” Rumble checks. “Just because a plan isn't surprising, doesn't mean it's ineffective. Predictable can still be sufficient for an agenda, and it's not like you are gaining nothing. I get to brag to all the rest of my friends that I am now friends with Cozy Glow, and you get to honestly brag to your friends that you are now friends with Rumble.

“Admit it . . . you dreamed about that for years now.”

“Ah,” she rubs a hoof behind her neck as she blushes, then admits, “yeah. I did.”

“Well now your dream is a reality.” He extends a wing forward. “To the start of a beautiful friendship.”

She reaches back with a wing to shake his wing. But, while she does so, she has a worried frown. She complains, “But if I do this, aren't I forming an attachment with someone who just told me he's going to leave me?”

“I still cherish all my friends, Cozy Glow,” Rumble assures as he folds his wing on his back again. “They feel the same way.

“Plus, even a temporary relationship with me can have lasting value. The things you learn about yourself and me during the relationship can change your outlook for the better for the rest of your life. When we move on, it is my hope that you'll feel a little older, wiser, and stronger in your heart. You'll grow, just as I will. That, in turn, will make you feel and be more prepared to face other challenges in life.

“Also, let’s not forget that there are methods to contact my friends from a long distance. If worse comes to worse, I can just visit them personally. I'm a really good flier, after all, so the distant corners of Equestria shrink considerably to a pony like me.”

“Can you teach me that?” Cozy asks hopefully. “Better flying, I mean? I'd really like to learn from a true professional.” She blushes. “Especially from a stallion like you.”

“Your Majesty,” he bows his head, “it would be my honor to teach you.”

Cozy half frowns at him, then proposes, “Okay, let's make a deal. I'll treat you less like a celebrity and more like a friend if you stop treating me like a princess. To you . . . I'm just Cozy Glow.”

He smiles happily up at her as he says, “I can live with that.”

Chapter 35: Hard to Say Goodbye

“Party streamers,” Cozy says quietly to Cheese beside her in such a way that it does not seem like she moved her lips. As she spoke, she is smiling and waving at the crowded streets around them while they ride a float off to the airship docks of Canterlot. “Confetti, giant balloons, fireworks, I think I even saw some T-shirts with our faces on it . . . How did your folks set all this up in one . . . day?! I swear these streets were clean of all this activity yesterday.”

Cheese grins coyly at her friend as she reminds, “My mother can set up an entire party in a few seconds by blasting it out of a canon. If she can do that, then do you really think she can't set this up with an entire day to work with?”

“And your father?” Cozy asks curiously while seeming not to speak to Cheese at all. Instead, she just continues smiling and waving.

“My father? Um,” Cheese thinks about that, then answers, “Typically he needs more time to set up his parties but, after he does, it's epic in scale.”

“Which, of the two, do you think set this up?” Cozy probes.

Cheese looks around at the decorations and the rain of confetti showing down on them from above, then says, “Probably both, and I think both of my parents will meet me at the docks.”

“You weren't involved with this, were you?” Cozy figures.

Cheese shakes her head, then says, “No, but I suspected they would be here since this is their last chance to see me in quite a while. Plus, I know they have a penchant for setting up surprise parties.”

“So you were expecting to be surprised?” Cozy snickers then passes her friend a brief grin. “Is it still really a surprise if you predicted it coming?”

“I can expect a surprise and still be unaware exactly what form it will take,” Cheese says with a shrug. “Besides, I wasn't totally sure that they would do this. I was only ninety percent sure.”

In response, Cozy briefly rolls her eyes then goes back to smiling and waving.

At first Cozy is flattered at all this celebration and positive attention towards her, but she's fairly certain that her mother is drawing in the vast amount of the true admiration. A mother who is in another float behind them.

But then something occurs to Cozy that disturbs and depresses her. That is the theory of; what if these ponies are celebrating the fact that Cozy is leaving? What if they're happy to see her gone?

Cozy does not consider herself a “reformed” villain, but ponies, in general, tend to be a very forgiving race. Even if she did consider herself to have turned a new leaf, she wouldn't be the first. Trixie had some issues in Ponyville, but with one magician stage show later, almost everything was copacetic. As for Starlight, she was forgiven in her old village almost immediately.

But neither Trixie nor Starlight damaged the world as severely as Cozy once did, let alone did it twice. At her mother's behest, Cozy has made some public appearances with the intent to apologize to the masses, but it seems to Cozy that it takes much more to truly patch things up. She needs to be there in front of others and interact with them on nearly a daily basis. She has to become the norm before ponies can trot past her and give her a smile and a wave from a place of authenticity. Instead of that, she thinks most ponies will seem openly friendly, but inwardly they still feel guarded.

Or, at least, that is Cozy's theory.

If it's true, that is a painful realization for Cozy. She wants friends, but it puts her mind in a dark place to think that everpony else is looking forward to her departure just to be rid of her.

I feel tired, Cozy thinks to herself. Smiling and waving is so painful when it doesn't come from the heart, and I don't want a party when I feel sad.

But, as a Princess of Equestria, I have an image to uphold.

She sighs to herself.

I have to be strong.

Cozy hears Prince Salizar's voice long before she spots him because he uses a trick that seems to be somewhat common among unicorn, or especially alicorn, royalty, and that is a spell that magically projects their voice. However, Cozy has a hard time understanding him due to the bouncing echoes of his voice. It is not until she draws much closer to him, close enough that he is within sight of her, that she finally understands the tail end of his speech.

When she spots him, she is surprised to notice that there is another spell he is maintaining. It kind of looks like human Rarity's gem shield spell except it is closer to a golden transparent force field. This force field he has shaped into a disk wide enough for him to stand on and he is levitating that above his ship and a few feet forward from it which would actually make him stand on a floating platform that is hovering over a very massive drop.

“So that is why, when I leave you all, I know some part of you is with us on our journey,” Prince Salizar's voice booms across the massive crowd ahead of him. “I know I can count on each and everyone of you to prepare for what it to come, come what may.” He dramatically lifts a single hoof up. “The boundaries and boarders of our understanding are expanding each and ever single day, and new maps must be drawn to account for this. As this knowledge expands, so too will we encounter new life and exotic civilizations. Civilizations which, I have no doubt, will be equally curious about us.

“So . . . prepare yourselves, my friends, for they are coming. The world is rapidly changing, and we shall . . . Nay, we must all do our part to welcome them with open hooves as well as shower them with the light and warmth of harmony that we all share.”

Next, he bows in Cozy's direction as he calls out, “Welcome, Your Majesties. Welcome aboard the Flying Carpet on the day we set sail for ADVENTRUE!”

A massive cheer rose from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Cozy's float continues to approach until they reach the docks. Cozy and Cheese disembark their parade float at that point then trot across the docks by hoof until they reach the ship.

“Aye-aye!” Rockhoof, who apparently boarded the ship earlier this morning, cheers at Prince Salizar as his glowing, floating disk hovers back to the ship then vanishes, dumping him a few inches down until his own hooves reach the deck. “That was a heroic speech, laddie!” Rockhoof continues to cheer. “I'll make ya a member of me ol' Mighty 'Elm sailing crew yet. Aye, 'tis true.”

“No thank you,” the prince rejected. “I'm already quite settled on my profession but thank you for the compliment. Also, one profession that your old comrades and I have is that we are adventurers.”

“An ah fine one they be at that. Aye,” Rockhoof announces proudly.

“Permission to come aboard?” Sunset Shimmer requests politely at the base of the plank that leads to the top deck. As for the other plank, the one that leads directly to the third deck, it has been closed already.

Captain Tidus glances at Prince Salizar for a second after Sunset requested that. When he nods, Tidus looks back at Sunset and waves her board with a wave of a talon. As he did that, he said, “Permission granted. Welcome aboard, Sunset Shimmer, Cozy Glow, Miss Cheese Pie, and-”

He gets cut off by a sonic boom that is accompanied with a roaring voice of a mare, “DON'T FORGET TO WRITE!!!”

Everyone present painfully winces at the intense volume of that request. They quickly trace the speaker back to a bouncing pink mare just to the side of the docks. She is yelling her request at the top of her voice through a comically giant, oversized loudspeaker that she is somehow carrying with one hoof.

“Um, I'm sorry, Captain, but you're going to have to excuse me for a few minutes,” Cheese requests. “I don't think my folks are prepared to see me off until they bid me goodbye in person one last time today.”

“Please do,” Tidus requests as he jabs his left talon into his left ear and wiggles it. “I don't think my eardrums can take another outburst like that.”

Cheese laughs nervously, then admits in embarrassment, “Heh-heh, yeah. My parents can be quite excessive sometimes but they mean well.”

“Considering how many times your mother and her friends helped to save Equestria, I have no doubt of your claims,” Captain Tidus agrees. “Just make it quick. We're scheduled to set sail within the hour.”

Cheese salutes him as she says, “Aye-aye, Captain. Be back in a few minutes. Chou.”

Following that statement, she zips away as a yellow blur, racing towards her folks.

As Cozy Glow trots up the ramp, she gazes over her shoulder at her retreating friend. She witness Cheese leap into both of her parent's forelegs as they all hug each other. Pinkie Pie's head momentarily grows three times its normal size due to the tightness of that initial squeeze.

Cozy used to wonder what it feels like to be loved like that. In a way she still does not know because her own mother is rarely that excitable unless the subject matter has something to do with a rare book.

In thinking of her mother, she glances back to her after she is aboard the ship.

Princess Twilight steps aboard the ship while flanked by a pair of pegasus guards. Since the plank is two thin to allow them to trot up beside her, they simply flew to her sides until she reached the ship. When that happens, they land on the deck and continue flanking her in a guarded pose until she spreads her purple wings for a moment in a silent request for more space. Without a word, they sidestep away from her a few paces as requested.

Twilight smiles proudly at Cozy for a moment, then she, too, looks over her own shoulder at Cheese Pie embracing her parents. She glances back at Cozy once and nods to indicate that Cozy should follow her. When she does, Twilight trots to the rail on the port side of the ship. From there, both of them can not only continue to gaze at Cheese and her parents, but everyone else assembled in this area.

“I know how they feel,” Twilight says at last, finally breaking the silence between them that lingered for about half a minute. “It can be hard to let go sometimes. I remember how I felt that way just before I moved from Ponyville.”

“That reminds me,” Cozy looks up at her mother, “why did you move to Canterlot? You had a castle all set up for you in Ponyville. You could have simply ruled from there, and that, in turn, could turn into Equestria's new ruling capital.”

Twilight shakes her head as she says, “It's not that simple. The ruling government has been in Canterlot for more than a thousand years. It would be extremely disruptive to change all that on multiple levels.

“Besides, changing Equestria's ruling capital city to Ponyville would ruin the charm that it has built.” She shakes her head again. “It isn't meant to be a major capital city. It's meant to be a small town where everypony knows each other's names. That is one of Ponyville's most important resources.” She looks down at her daughter. “That made me who I am today.”

Cozy sighs, then says, “I guess.” She shrugs. “Besides, I like things the way they are. Canterlot has such an elite, royal flair. I'd hate for it to be undervalued just because the ruling body of Equestria's government happened to move to it's next door neighbor.”

“If you had to take over for me as Equestria's new ruling princess, is that what you'd do?” Twilight checks with her daughter. “Rule here from Canterlot?”

Cozy shrugs again as she replies, “I don't see why not. As you said, a lot of systems are already in place here. It would probably be very disruptive and inefficient to move all of this to another source.” Cozy waves a wing. “I'm sure Ponyville will be regarded as a national treasure in many ways for generations to come, but as Equestrian's legitimate government body . . . why change what works fine?

“The reason I ask, though, is because Ponyville has such sentimental value for you, and it also has a castle which miraculously grew out of the ground. After all of that, it just seems a little out of character for you to leave that town and all of your dear friends there.”

Twilight half shrugs as she views across the crowd, then says, “I see what you mean, and I understand how that can be confusing. I assure you, though, that even if I had stayed in Ponyville and ruled from there, it doesn't mean I'd see my old friends all the time like the good old days. They moved on as well.

“For instance, Rarity travels abroad a lot these days in order to care for her fashion empire.

“Things change for many reasons, Cozy. Plugging one hole in a dam doesn't prevent cracks from spreading into other areas. Instead, I learned that it's important to accept change when it happens. While that occurs, try to hold on to the most important things of our past while also being ready to accept new things. For instance, my old friends have moved on with each of their lives, yet we all take the time to share some time together once a moon. That was very hard for them sometimes because they have to move around a lot of other obligations, but they still do it because that is how important our friendship means to them.

“And . . . Cozy, I dearly hope that this experience will create lasting bonds for you as well. I remember the days when I moved from Canterlot to Ponyville. I used to be so annoyed, but that is because I underestimated the value that would come about that journey. The journey I made outwardly,” she waves a wing across the air, “and, most importantly, the journey I made inwardly.” She covers her chest with both of her wings.

“I do want friends,” Cozy admits with a lonely and thought filled voice. “I guess I always have, but part of me feels unworthy of it. I-”

“Don't you talk like that, Cozy!” Twilight scolds lightly. “Your as worthy as anypony of love and friendship. I really do think that friendship is in the nature of us all.”

“Yeah. You would think that,” Cozy scoffs.

“Do you think I'm wrong?” Twilight reflects.

In response, Cozy just holds her silence.

Twilight drapes a wing over Cozy's back and uses it to pull her daughter a little closer to her side. After she does so, she says warmly, “You will find your way, Cozy, if you let it. Friendship will always shine in our hearts if we let it. We simply have to be willing to open ourselves to the experience. In doing so, it will teach you more magic then I could ever show you with the arcane.”

“Magic which you used to beat me and my old allies?” Cozy figures.

“That can your power too,” Twilight assures, then encourages, “and I think it will be. I really do.”

Cozy looks up at her mother off the left corner of her eye with hope that seems to ask, “Do you really mean it?”

“You've had a very rough life, Cozy Glow,” Twilight says to her daughter. “I really pity you for that, but I also think they were all important lessons for you. You've been shown over and over again what doesn't work in life. Since it is come to that, why not try something new? Why not give friendship a genuine chance?”

“I already have,” Cozy reminds. “I got a few friends like Cheese Pie and your niece Flurry Heart.” She rolls her eyes. “Even though I tried to reject that one, but Flurry Heart was surprisingly instant.”

“And this is enough for you?” Twilight checks. “Do you feel that you have totally filled out your friendship quota for your lifetime?”

Cozy frowns as she says, “No. Not really. I want more, Mother. I want a whole army of friends!”

“Then do it!” Twilight drives in her point. “Make more friends, then keep on doing it. Become the Empress of Friendship like you always wanted. I welcome it as long as it is genuine, and that means your relationship must be shared together. Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Kind of,” Cozy says with a shrug. “I suppose I do mentally, but in my heart . . . I'm doubting myself. I guess I didn't know as much about friendship as I originally thought.”

“Of that, I personally have no doubt,” Twilight agrees, “but neither did I at first. Friendship is just like any skill. You get a little bit better at it each time. Diligent practice is key to your success here. Just keep working at it. And, if you need any help, I'm just a crystal call away.”

“That might work sometimes, but I know you're busy,” Cozy figures. “I'd expect delays from you.”

“This is true,” Twilight laments. “But I will always eventually answer your call because I want to hear from you. I want to hear every day how much you learned about friendship.

“In fact, why don't we make that official? Princess Celestia once ordered me to write her letters about what I've learned about friendship. You can do that same, except the crystals will allow us to talk to each other. In fact, if what Sombra said is correct, we can even kind of see each other.”

“Do you really think I should do that?” Cozy asks.

“Mind you, you can't force friendship lessons,” Twilight points out. “Especially on a daily basis. Sometimes you'll have nothing to say on the subject, and that's fine.

“However, contacting each other each day I think is a good idea, at least in principle. Sometimes I'll be too busy and sometimes you will be. That isn't the fault of either one of us, but the idea of attempting to contact each other each day seems like a good idea to me.

“What do you think?”

Cozy thinks on that for a moment, then replies with a bright smile, “I think I'd like that. I'm still getting used to both of us being on good terms for a change and I'd like to see that continue to develop.”

“I'd very much like that too,” Twilight agrees as tears rise into her eyes. “In fact, you don't know how long I desperately wished to hear that from you.”

“I'm sorry I was such a pain,” Cozy mopes.

Twilight bends down to kiss her daughter's forehead, then rests her head sideways on top of Cozy while still hugging her with a side wing.

“Better late than never, I suppose,” Twilight accepts. “I'm just glad that you and I finally came to terms. I can rightfully claim to be your mother, but I know that parents aren't always also considered friends with their offspring. Sometimes family can be your worst enemies. It's so sad when that happens.”

“Aside from you, I never had any family,” Cozy says with a frown. “So I didn't know what that was like.”

“I hope you do now.”

“I'm beginning to.” Cozy closes her eyes. “For a long while, I had this pony skull which my former master, Verko, claimed was the skull of my mother.”

Twilight gasps in shock.

Cozy shakes her head as she says, “I don't know for sure if it's true, but I did talk to the skull at times as if it was my mother. I guess I was just hoping that she'd hear me . . . and that she cared.”

“I'm sure she did,” Twilight consoles.

“How do you know that?” Cozy challenges.

“Because I know what motherhood feels like now,” Twilight answers, “and I think it doesn't matter if the experience is wanted or not. It changes a pony to know that a life depends on you so much. I haven't been the same pony since this experience.”

Twilight lifts her head off her daughter and looks down at her as she asks, “By the way, how come I never hear you talk about your father? Aren't you curious about your birth father too?”

“I guess . . . a little,” Cozy says in a bit of an empty tone as she turns her head away from her mother a bit. “However, I suspect that he was a pony who raped my mother. There is a lot of awful things that go down for slaves and . . . if one is capable of creating life then, sooner or later, it becomes something of an inevitability for our kind in that situation.” Cozy turns her head back towards her mother halfway. “However, I'm also pretty sure there were a lot of various species around us, back then, who are incapable of breeding with us even if they tried.”

“Well, you're traveling to the lands beyond Equestria soon,” Twilight reminds. “While he possibility is very remote, maybe you'll find out more information about your parents during your voyage. Also, if you'd like, I can try to find out everything I can from my end. As a matter of fact, I already did do some research before I even attempted to adopt you because I wanted to test how much somepony might object to it, but everything I found is inconclusive so far.

“In fact, pretty much the only thing I know about your parents is the fate of their human counterparts, and that story isn't too pretty. They aren't dead, at least, but their somewhat inaccessible.”

“You don't have to remind me,” Cozy says a little bitterly. “I think about it a lot when I review my counterpart's memories of those moments. A lot of it is still hazy and I think it's that way for her too.”

Twilight shrugs as she says, “Well, still . . . knowing their fates in the human world teaches us very little about their fate in this world. The signs, of the few I could find, are pretty grim, but that's about all I can tell you.”

Cozy takes in a deep breath then slowly exhale it before saying, “As Sunset is fond of telling me, my past does not need to define me because my past is not today.”

“I'd call it optional. There is a lot of things about my past that I'd want to help define me, but it's also true that who I am today depends upon what I choose to be today.” Twilight rolls her eyes. “And you know me. Who I am today depends much upon my plans for the future. That is the point of all those checklists. I like to stay organized.”

Cozy giggles a little, then says, “It's made you a pretty good ruler, too. When I become in charge, there is a lot of things I've learned from you that I think I will emulate, or at least adapt to my system.”

“You're welcome to it,” Twilight invites. “Everypony has to find their own place in the world. You are no different. We all have a special little light and song in our hearts.”

Cozy's head and ears perk up a little when she sees her friend, Cheese, bounding away from her parents. A short distance away, she pauses to wave back at them one final time which they gladly and proudly reply. Cozy also notices that Cheese is now wearing a new party cone hat. As she looks upon it, it occurs to Cozy that the hat might have been a mandatory experience for Cheese.

Since Cheese is on her way back, Cozy realizes that this conversation she is having with her mother may have to terminate soon. No doubt the ship will be departing shortly after.

Cozy looks up at her mother as she realizes, for the first time, how difficult it is to say goodbye to her.

In response, Twilight lifts Cozy's face with a wing and lowers her own forehead down on top of her daughter's.

“I know, Cozy. I know how hard it can be to say goodbye. Believe me, I had painful experiences like this before.” She takes a deep breath, lets it out, then says, “If there is one thing that I want you to remember about me before you go, it is this; I love you, Cozy . . . and I will be thinking about you everyday in a fond way.”

Cozy opens her mouth for a moment, but says nothing. Slowly she closes her mouth again. For some reason it is still hard for her to say that she loves her mother too. Maybe it isn't pride anymore that's holding her back from saying it. Maybe it's just a habit, and it definitely feels weird to stop thinking about Twilight as her enemy.

From a strategic standpoint, this relationship is useful, but with true love involved . . . if feels so much more complicated. More so than she'd care to dwell on right now.

While it is true that she has very mixed feelings about her mother still, they are starting to lighten up. There is hope for a brighter future, too. In addition, there is still a very desperate child within her that needs this.

The End

Author's Note

I need to stress the fact that this wasn't the original ending I had planned. There is no way I conjured a small army of characters squeezed in the last few chapters without a plan with them. As a matter of fact, in my mind, the arrival of The Flying Carpet was also the arrival of the main plot finally gaining momentum. This was what everything else was building up to, the epic journey to follow.

But when I started posting these chapters into a gdoc document, I finally noticed how long the story was getting word-count-wise. At that point I started considering that maybe I need to break this up into two books after all. After that, it occurred to me I already past a decent stopping point at chapter 35. By the time that realization hit me, I was already up to chapter 47, but it since got re-named to chapter 12. I'm now up to chapter 13. If you want to know what's happening with that, you can check it out >here< on my blog, but I must warn you it's not for the faint of heart.

In the meantime, with this author's note for the unexpectedly apropos chapter name, I just wanted to say thank you to all of those loyal fans who made it to the end of the story. I am honestly deeply touched and surprised by this.

Thank you all.

Chapter 1: Return to Earth

Cozy Glow did not believe that her new “mother”, Princess Twilight Sparkle, returned her to this repulsive dimension. It was bad enough to be forced to become another species as soon as she trotted through the accursed portal, let alone returning for . . . what was it again?

Oh . . .

Yeah . . .

Now she recalled. She came to help her human counterpart with something.

“What was wrong with my human counterpart again?” Cozy Glow asks both versions of Twilight in the front seat of the car that they are riding in. Cozy is hoping the irritation in her voice masks how much concern and haunting she feels at that moment.

Naturally, the version of her mother that came from this repulsive dimension is the one driving this marvelous contraption. It does not seem too complicated, but with all those lights and switches on her control console, Cozy did not want to imagine what kind of damage could happen if this thing crashes into something else, especially if it is another oncoming vehicle.

“We don't really know, Honey,” the Twilight from this dimension, the human one, replies. Cozy notices that there is an odd look to her eyes when she glances at Cozy through the rearview mirror. Cozy knew that, like her own adopted mother in her own dimension, her human counterpart was also adopted by Twilight by this world's version of Twilight. It also occurred quite a while ago.

Cozy knew this because, not only was she told this, but her own counterpart somehow magically shared many segments of her life with her. Ever since then, Cozy had many of the memories from her human counterpart. This is precisely why this dimension is so familiar to her, as well as this human version of her adopted mother.

This is also why Cozy knew that her human counterpart dearly loved this woman.

It must be strange for human Twilight to behold the pony version of her adopted daughter as well, even if Cozy temporarily took human form at the moment. Despite this, pony Cozy is younger since she was trapped in stone for so long until freed by Princess Twilight, but Equestria's time frame moved faster than the human world. Ever since being freed from stone, pony Cozy was catching up to her human counterpart. Eventually she'd even surpass her human counterpart, but that hasn't happened yet.

Cozy knew, in this dimension, she would be considered fifteen while her human counterpart is about nineteen now, but the last time they met each other, the age gap was more like six years apart.

Her “mother” assured Cozy that the human version of herself also knew about Cozy's history in Equestria. Her “mother” claimed that her human self would not hold that against Cozy, but Cozy felt unsure. There seemed to be a look of caution in human Twilight's eyes, and part of Cozy felt hurt to see that, largely because of her memories from her counterpart. By remembering why human Cozy loved her adopted mother, Cozy felt those same feelings within her own chest towards this woman. In fact, Cozy even felt more devotion to her than her own Equestrian counterpart, for Cozy's history with that particular mare was certainly quite speckled.

That is not all. It isn't just human Twilight that feels familiar. This whole town does as well. Cozy had never been here before Princess Twilight brought her over, yet she could not shake the pervasive feeling of familiarity as the town swept past the car's windows. It was all strange, yet somehow she felt each building and tree, each person walking along the street, just resonating with her deeper than she really understood. It feels like a strange mixture of nostalgia and deja vu.

Cozy has to admit to herself, she is quite reluctant to come back to this dimension after so many years, but upon returning, she feels surprise to realize how much she gains the feeling of “returning home”.

“She is unconscious. We do know that much,” human Twilight went on to explain to Cozy. “But the reason why is uncertain. Sunset Shimmer, however, is convinced that Equestrian magic is involved.”

“Well . . . explains my 'mother's' presence here,” Cozy says, “but why bring me back to this awful place as well?”

“You mean besides the fact that leaving you in Equestria unsupervised might invite a lot of trouble?” Princess Twilight, Cozy's “mother”, says with suspicion, to which Cozy replies by sticking out her tongue at her “mother.”

“You do possess some of my Cozy's memories, right?” human Twilight asks hopefully, which wins Cozy's far more sympathetic look back to the human woman.

“Uh . . . yeah,” Cozy replies cautiously. “What's that got to do with anything?”

The driver sighs, then says, “It's a long shot, but we were hoping your insight might be able to shed some light into this situation,” human Twilight explains with another quick glance back at Cozy through the rearview mirror. “My Cozy can't talk anymore because she is in a coma for some reason, so you are the closest thing we have for her to share her opinion on the situation.” She passes a pleading look back to Cozy through the mirror.

“Um . . . I may be pretty new to this dimension, but isn't the operation of this vehicle easier if your eyes are on the road?!” Cozy asks human Twilight with cautious condescension.

Human Twilight frowns, but also looks back at the road.

Cozy growls irritably as she looks out the window to her right. “It's not as if I really have a choice on being here or not. I may be the adopted daughter of a princess, but I'm still technically a prisoner.”

“I have never said that to you!” Princess Twilight snaps back at her daughter behind her. “I'm just giving you an opportunity to become a better pony.”

“Or else,” Cozy reminds with disgust dripping in her tone.

The princess sighs, then replies, “All things have their own consequences, Cozy. I want to trust you. I really do . . . but you have got to provide for me the means to trust you.”

Cozy growls.

“Helping us to help out your human self is certainly a step in the right direction!” Princess Twilight adds brightly.

“Not that I have a choice!” Cozy spits in disgust.

“You always have a choice, Cozy!” Her mother returns firmly. “And those choices have consequences . . . or rewards.”

“Says you!” Cozy says angrily as she shifts a narrow-eyed look at mother with a tight wince. “Punishment and reward is just a means to an end. A system of control to make me as submissive to you, just like all of your other adoring subjects.”

Princess Twilight sighs, then requests, “Not now, Cozy. Okay? We'll discuss this later.”

Cozy grins evilly as she taunts, “Aw! Fee-well embawissed to talk about all of this in fwont of yo widdle pitiful counterpart?” Cozy asks in sarcastic baby-talk.

“Not now, Cozy!” the princess insists. “I mean it!”

“Hmm.” Cozy narrows her eyes again and smiles in smug victory for her success in pushing her mother's buttons.

“Gah! How do you stand this?” the princess asks her own counterpart.

“Kids will always test their boundaries,” human Twilight replies to her pony self. “They'll succeed to push your buttons more easily than you'll care to admit, but that's actually a good thing. It means you care. That, in turn, means you'll also have the motive and strength to endure this. In the long run, they'll be all the better for it, and so will you.” She pats her other self on the lap briefly in a gesture of comfort. “Give her time, love, and patience. A whole lot of patience. She'll come around. You'll see.”

Cozy feels it again. That intense pang of love pound in her chest for this human woman. Memories of her counterpart flood her mind, even when Cozy struggles to suppress it. It's just too intense to completely succeed.

Cozy hates this world because, here, she is not a pony, nor can she fly. One thing it does have, however, is memories of those she loves. The source of those memories may have come from another, but it feels all too real. Far more so than she cares to admit to herself.

And, every once in a while, she can see that human side of Twilight in her pony self. Sometimes it is in her smile, a gleam in her eye, the way Twilight hugs her, or the way she sings. All of it makes Cozy's heart pang with longing.

Sometimes Cozy feels like a ghost. Somehow just a shell of her former self. She had to admit that, ever since she visited her human counterpart, she did not walk out of that room the same little filly anymore. She gained something in that encounter, and it cost her a lot as well.

How did her human self even do that, anyway? Her mother said that this world hardly has any magic in it. Apparently there are some exceptions, and her counterpart may be one of them.

Which, of course, is ironic considering how Cozy, herself, once tried to drain all of Equestria's magic and send it to another dimension.

That also makes Cozy wonder; if that plan had succeeded, would the magic have been sent to this dimension? There apparently was a connection, and it seems that connection has been there for who knows how long?

Wow. If only I could force my mind into others like that, Cozy mused to herself. Oh, the delicious control I could have forged then! I'd probably be just like King Sombra.

That's interesting to think about. Cozy did meet King Sombra once, but he insisted that he could conquer all of Equestria by himself. With his dark magic and ability to control the minds of others, it was fascinating to notice how close he had succeeded. If he had not underestimated the Elements of Harmony and enslaved their minds when he had them captured, it would have been all over.

“Grogar,” which was actually Discord in disguise (she'll forever curse that name!) showed her that entire thing within some crystal that kept turning into a sidewards eye slit whenever the crystal stopped showing them a distant vision.

But, she also has to admit to herself, if she did have King Sombra's power like that, what would she ultimately have conquered in the end? Enslaved zombies are not really friends, and Cozy was always too sociable to easily tolerate that.

Looking out the window again at a town that's all too familiar, even though it shouldn't be, Cozy is left to ponder what did, indeed, happen to her human counterpart? Why would she just suddenly fall into a coma like that? Is the condition somehow contagious? Is she next?

Also, by knowing her alternate self is down like that, part of Cozy feels like she is in a coma herself. As much as she hates to admit it, there is an undeniable connection between them now, especially after that memory transference. Ever since then, she could not help but review those memories so many times, and it has given her new perspective on her own life all too frequently.

Cozy reaches to touch the window beside her.

Fifty-fifty, Cozy thought to herself. This could have easily ended up as my true world. In a way, it already feels like it is. I know what it's like to be here. I am . . .

She sighs.

I don't really know who I am anymore. I just hope I find those answers . . . someday.

Cozy watches in fascination as the car she's in pulls into a multilevel building apparently designed to store other vehicles like this. She looks out the window as they drive past row after row of these four-wheel things. There are so many designs and shapes to them. Only a few times does she spot a few repeats, and there usually is still some distinctive detail about them if she looks closely enough.

As much as she feels fascination, she also feels intimidated. Her own world is full of possibilities because of magic, but here . . . the possibilities are very open for an entirely different reason. It feels so cold and sterile, yet she could not help but admire its efficiency.

It actually reminds her of another society she once met beyond the borders of Equestria. That society, too, elevated themselves with technology, but the power source of that technology was magic at its core.

But this . . . she had never seen anything anywhere near this advanced, except within the memories she gained from her alternate self as well as her previous visit to this world.

Stepping out of the car after it is parked, she proceeds to follow both Twilights as they make their way to the hospital. Along the way, she hopes they don't notice how closely she chooses to follow them. Even if they do, she can't help it. This place is way outside of her comfort zone. It's so intimidating to listen to that sound of cars echo in this squarish, concrete building. She even jumps and yelps when she hears a car horn echo in this building.

After that happens, her mother pulls close to her and hugs her from her side, even as they continue walking. Right now, Cozy does not mind displaying her vulnerability. It is just too intense to hide. Even if she is being held by somepony she once regarded as her greatest enemy, it actually feels comforting right now.

Upon exiting the building, she is momentarily dazzled by the brightness of the sun of this world. She also hears a swarm of flutters and cooing sounds from somewhere nearby. As her vision adjusts, she sees a flock of pigeons swerve back and forth as they make their way further into the air.

Looking upon them, a pang of pain grips her heart, for she should be able to do that too. Just fly away whenever she wants to. But here, by being stuck on the ground, it feels like a whole dimension of possibility is closed to her. It feels like being squashed into a linear, 2D plane.

“Cozy, watch OUT!” her mother cautions as she forcefully pulls her daughter back.

Cozy blinks, feeling startled, when a car drives past her and honks a complaint along the way.

“You need to look both ways before crossing the street, Honey,” human Twilight cautions Cozy. “It's just a basic rule around here. Those things can do a lot of damage if they hit you.”

“Well, if they did, at least we're next to a hospital, right?” Cozy asks with an amused but also nervous grin.

“Hey!” her mother complains. “We're here to try to heal your counterpart, not get you injured as well!”

“Do you humans always have to risk your lives just to cross the street every time?” Cozy asks with disbelief. “Gah! It's so annoying that I can't just fly over all this mess! It feels so terribly limiting.”

“Well, yes,” human Twilight answers as she pushes up her glasses on her face with a finger which is, in itself, one of the key differences between the two Twilights. That, and their attire as well as their hairstyle. “However, we do have a safer way to cross the street. Follow me and I'll show you.”

Cozy follows both Twilights as they make their way to an area of the street designed differently than the rest. This area has a white line painted across the street, but the other passing vehicles seem to ignore it until the lights change in this funny-looking rectangular box with three lights. At first, the top green light is on, then it switches to the middle yellow for some reason. The only thing that seems to change during that time is the cars go faster. But then, when it switches to red, the cars stop behind the white lines if they had not already crossed it.

When she sees that, Cozy starts to realize how this system works, at least a little.

“Okay, now it's safe to cross,” human Twilight informs encouragingly. “Hold my hand, Honey, and I'll lead you safely across.”

“Ah . . . okay,” Cozy says in a small voice before offering her hand. The moment her left hand clenches within human Twilight's right hand, her mother also snatches up Cozy's left hand. Together, they lead Cozy across. Along the way, she cautiously eyes the other vehicles. Although they did stop, she could hear their engines still running as if prepared to resume at any time. It sounds menacing to Cozy's ears, like a bunch of hungry lions that are being held back by some invisible force. The feeling of danger never leaves her system until they fully cross the street.

Along the way, other people cross the street as well. Some did it with them and others went the other way. There did not seem to be a dedicated side for them, so both directions of human foot traffic cross through each other.

Cozy heard that cross-town traffic can be quite busy like this in bigger cities back in Equestria, such as Manehatten, but such experiences are mostly foreign to most of Cozy's young life. If it weren't for all the diplomatic meetings which Cozy was dragged around with her mother, she would have had no experience quite like this.

On the other side of the street, the three of them double-back the northern direction until they came to the entrance of the tall and looming building above. In front of that is Sunset Shimmer, patiently waiting for them.

“Hey, you three. Thanks for coming,” Sunset greets when they met up.

Cozy notices that Sunset is wearing bluish-looking pants made from a material she does not recognize, a dark purple shirt with the symbol of a red and golden sun (quite likely her Equestrian cutie mark), and a black leather jacket worn over that.

Cozy also notices bags of fatigue under Sunset's eyes.

“Of course we'd come!” Princess Twilight says brightly. “Why wouldn't we? You said it was an emergency.”

“It is,” Sunset assures as she ran the fingers of her right hand combing through her hair. “I'm afraid that, whatever condition Cozy is afflicted with, the doctors in this world are ill-equipped to handle it.”

“Don't you mean 'hoofle' it?” Cozy corrects uncertainly.

Sunset grins in amusement at Cozy as she assures, “I know what I said.” Sunset then proceeds to affectionately pat Cozy's curly teal hair as she bids, “Nice to meet you too, kiddo!”

Cozy growls in annoyance, then irritably informs, “I'm not a little filly anymore! I've grown up!”

Sunset's grin holds as her hand drops back to her side as she says, “Yes. I'm sure you are.”

“So what is the emergency?” Princess Twilight asks anxiously to Sunset.

“Um,” Sunset looks around her before answering, “Not here. Let's discuss this further inside where it is more quiet. I'll explain in the waiting room.”

Cozy Glow had been in hospitals before, but something feels different about this experience. She can’t put her “hoof” on it. Maybe it is the multiple floors, maybe the technology, maybe the smell, or maybe it is that curious room they step in. At first it does not seem to have a purpose because it is a dead-end. Inside this small room, there is a rail around it and the walls are made of metal which is slightly reflective. Two double doors close from the same direction she came in, and there is a series of buttons on the side of those doors. For some reason, some of them are lit up. There does not seem to be a discernible pattern to the ones lit up compared to those that aren’t, at least for Cozy.

Once the doors close, Cozy suddenly starts to panic due to a sense of claustrophobia. A pegasus is meant to be wild and free in the open air, but this is the exact opposite. In this tight space, she is crowded by not only both Twilights and Sunset, but a few other strangers as well. Why are they all just standing here anyway? Are they all going to run out of air soon?

Cozy really does not want to show any weaknesses, but this uncomfortable situation is quickly overwhelming her. She is about to ask why they are all just standing in there when she feels the whole room suddenly lurch up. When that happens, Cozy screams for a second since she is greatly startled by a situation that came at her with no warning.

This reaction won curious and disturbed looks from the other strangers in the room. They give her that, “What's your problem?” kind of look.

In response to that, Cozy's face flushes in embarrassment.

“Ah . . . she's new around here,” Sunset says to the other strangers. “Also, I'm pretty sure she does not like tight spaces.” Sunset looks down with a sigh. “Which . . . is something I probably should have warned her about before stepping inside, now that I think about it.” Sunset covers her tired-looking face with a hand and shakes her head.

“Oh, I hear that,” a dark purple-skinned lady in a business dress suit agrees. “I have a cousin who feels the same way. Normally his skin is yellow, but as soon as he steps into an elevator . . . boy howdy. I heard his skin flushes green within mere moments.

“Then there was this one time when the elevator actually stopped along the way up for reasons unknown. His panic doubled at that moment. I heard he spilled his lunch all over the floor, and you can imagine how much that smell filled such a tight space. The hotel staff couldn't get the occupants out of that room for fifteen minutes, so I heard. I'm sure that was an experience.”

Cozy's mother looks at her in confusion as she reminds, “Cozy, Honey, you've been in elevators before.”

For a moment Cozy is distracted with weird noises coming from outside this boxy little room and the fact she can continue to feel this room rising from outside, but then looks at her mother and asks, “I have?”

“Yeah,” Princess Twilight confirms. “It was in this exact same hospital, as a matter of fact. The last time you came here to visit your . . . ah . . . cousin,” Twilight decides to say with a brief scan of the other occupants in the room. She pauses for a moment and clears her throat nervously while putting a bent finger near her lips, then drops her hand back to her side as she resumes. “you stepped in an elevator just like this one. You had to, because your cousin wasn't on the first floor back then, either.”

“Huh.” Cozy blinks. “I must have blocked out the memory for my own sanity's sake.”

“There are stairs in this hospital as an alternative method up and down this building,” Sunset mentions with a look to Cozy, “but it's a long way up and down, and the space in there is almost as tight.”

Cozy growls in annoyance, then says, “Let's just get this over with!” She looks at Sunset hopefully. “Are we there yet?”

“Um,” Cozy notices that Sunset looks at a series of lights with unknown symbols on it of some kind light up one by one above the door. For each one that lights up, another light shuts off. “Two more floors, Honey. We're almost there.”

Cozy grabs a part of her frilly pink dress and crushes it between her fingers. However long it takes, it did not feel soon enough.

Then she glares at a few of the other strangers in the room as they snicker in amusement at her reaction.

Oh, you are all so lucky that I am not the Empress of my native lands! Cozy thought to herself viciously. If I was, I'd invade this stupid dimension and throw you all in the dungeon for at least five years! Even then, after you are out, I would only allow you out if you show me proper deference and respect! I bet that would wipe your stupid little smirks off of your ugly little human faces!

When the doors finally open, Cozy is the first to push her way past the others and charge out of the room, but then she comes to a sudden halt and yelps, startled again, when she notices how high they are outside a window across from that dreaded elevator.

Heights themselves did not scare Cozy. As a pegasus, she is plenty used to that, but whenever it happens, it is usually under her control. By being confined in a tight space with no way to see the outside as she rose, suddenly revealing the results upon exiting catches her off-guard.

“Cozy,” Sunset says as she places a hand on Cozy's shoulder, startling the little pegasus again, “this way. Come along.”

“Ah . . . sure,” Cozy says a little lamely. “How high are we, anyway?”

“Ah, this is the fifth floor, I believe,” Sunset recalls. “I think this hospital has a total of ten.”

“Why is this building so tall in particular?” Cozy asks as she follows the others rather closely. “Most of the other buildings in this valley aren't. I've been in a big city before where there is a whole cluster of tall, towering buildings bunched up together, but that is because the population was so high and the land space so small.”

“Manehatten, for example,” Princess Twilight chips in, but she says that to the others by way of explanation and elaboration.

“There are some cities like that in this world too,” Sunset informs as she pushes a button that makes two double doors open, thus allowing them admittance to the next hallway. “In fact, I'd say the human world has far more of those since their population is higher. I would even say it’s larger than all of the sentient races of our world put together. Here in Canterlot Heights, the humans are more spread out, so it's cheaper to build shorter buildings. However, this place is of critical importance and it has to stay ready for a massive influx just in case of an emergency, for this is the one place many gather in a wide province if they are very injured or sick.”

“Huh. I guess that makes sense,” Cozy somewhat accepts.

“But only the greatest emergencies are delivered here,” Sunset goes on to explain. “If the problem is less serious, humans can visit smaller and more local clinics to get a check-up or get a prescription for some drug that may help with their illness, but such places have nowhere near as many resources as this hospital.”

“Has running out of air ever become a problem with so many people gathered in one place?” Cozy asks with nervous concern.

Sunset shakes her head as she continues to lead the way, stepping around some parked gurneys in the hallway, some of which have some elderly patients. “No,” Sunset answers. “Most people can just open a window if they have to. They also have some machines in this world that can not only cycle air through these vents,” Sunset points at some of them, “but also control the temperature of that air as well.”

“Through heat and chill stones?” Cozy asks with some recognition.

“Ah . . . what?” Sunset asks with a glance back at Cozy.

“Heat and chill stones,” Cozy reiterates. “You know. They are magically heated or chilled stones that heat or chill the air around them.”

“No, we don't have that,” human Twilight answers. “Remember, Equestrian magic is very rare in this world.”

“And yet my counterpart is suffering from a magical affliction?” Cozy asks skeptically, then says sarcastically, “I guess she's just lucky like that.”

“It's not quite that simple,” Sunset says with a tone of regret. “And . . . here we are.”

Author's Note

I realize this chapter might start off a little convoluted and confusing. That's hard to help when there are two Twilight's, two Cozy's, and two worlds being mentioned in it. This stuff sorts itself out over time, so it gets better on that front.

So anyway, I am planning on posting another chapter of this on each day of the weekends. If you're interested to help me edit and improve the story, I can offer the gdocs version. Let me know if you're interested.

Chapter 3: On Our Way Out ...

On Our Way Out . . .

“Well? I take it you were successful?” Rarity asks anxiously and hopefully upon Cozy and Sunset's return to the waiting room.

“Yep!” Sunset proudly announces to the group, which now inexplicably includes Pinkie Pie, several new pink boxes of donuts, and who knows what in several of those white paper bags. “Cozy Glow and I managed to find this dimension's Cozy Glow's magic geode.

“Well,” Sunset rubs the back of her neck briefly. During that moment, she looks like she is struggling to stay awake, but pure adrenaline is still keeping her on her feet, at least for the moment. “it was a team effort but I found it in Cozy's closet.” Sunset returns both hands into her coat pockets. “I also guided this Cozy on how to use the geode, of which she did a marvelous job.” She passes a wink to Princess Twilight, silently conveying an emphatic message.

“Hot diggity!” Applejack cheers as she removes her cowboy hat and uses it to slap one of her knees. “Y'all did it! Y'all saved this here hospital from further destruction.”

“So, the geode wasn't on my daughter's person?” human Twilight asks while pushing up her glasses with a finger to the bridge of her nose. “I thought those things had to be closer to use them.” She looks corner-wise up as she recalls, “Although, on second thought, I think I do recall a time when I levitated my geode into my grasp from a distance.”

“'Use the Force, Twilight!'” Rainbow quoted and teases while playfully wiggling all of her fingers at her friend.

Sunset just shrugs, then says, “Who knows exactly how magic works? Seems to be its inherent nature to be somewhat mysterious. The effort to understand it can yield some answers, but it is downright arrogant to think one person can possibly know everything about it.”

“Well, I don't know,” Princess Twilight says with a sheepish grin. “My idol, Star Swirl the Bearded, mastered just about every spell imaginable to pony kind.”

“Wellllll, technically he didn't master the spell you perfected, Twilight, before you transformed into an alicorn,” Pinkie Pie points out before stuffing a sucker into her mouth. She, herself, is slouching in one of the waiting room's chairs.

“How did you know that?” Cozy asks Pinkie with a confused blink.

“It's Pinkie Pie,” Rainbow answers in her pink friend's stead. “We learned not to question her a long time ago.”

Cozy sighs as she shifts her eyes to the right while saying, “Riiiiight.”

“Where is Cozy's geode right now?” human Twilight checks.

“I have it right here,” Cozy answers before revealing it in her right palm. “Sunset told me to hold onto it to keep it attuned to me. As long as I exude a calming influence on it, it shouldn't cause another problem again.”

“In that case, what is our next move?” Fluttershy asks in equal parts curiosity and concern. “Also, is this Cozy going to keep the geode?”

“At least until we deliver her safely back to Equestria,” Sunset announces which answers several of Fluttershy's questions in one sentence. “This geode has influence over electronics, but there isn't much of that back in Equestria. If we can get the gem there, everyone should be safer.”

“What do you mean by, 'we'?” Rainbow Dash asks Sunset sharply.

Sunset sighs as she looks down. “I hate to admit it, but I might be needed in Equestria to facilitate the healing process of human Cozy.” She looks across the group while placing her right hand on her chest. “I'm the only one who knows a thing or two about Equestrian magic on both sides of our worlds, I have the means to use magic to scan within one's mind, and I've been training these past several months as a clinical psychologist.” She shrugs. “I haven't graduated yet, but it will have to do for now.”

Sunset sighs as she looks down and to her right with regret. “There is a chance I may remain in Equestria so long that I'll have to drop the remainder of my classes for this semester, but it's okay. For Cozy's sake, I'll do anything to help her.” She looks at Princess Twilight. “I hope I can count on your support to help me while in Equestria. To begin with, I'll need food and lodgings while I stay there.”

Princess Twilight waves her off as she declares, “Say no more, Sunset. You are my friend and I'll gladly support you. Plus, as Princess of Equestria, I do have a lot to offer. Besides, Equestria is your original home. You're always welcome to return whenever you like.”

“But ya are coming back eventually, right?” Apple Bloom asks with worry to Sunset.

“Of course!” Sunset assures brightly. “Likely before you know it.” Sunset thumbs behind her at the exit of the waiting room. “Equestria's timeline has slowly been syncing up as of late, but it's not equal yet. Equestria is still moving faster, so my progress should be accelerated there, at least for you guys. I'm the one who's going to have to endure a little extra time apart from you guys, but it's okay. I know I'll return home to you guys, and I'm temporarily leaving for a very good cause.”

Sunset notices human Twilight looking down with worry, so Sunset approaches her and clasps both of Twilight's hands between Sunset’s, then says earnestly, “I'll take care of her, Twilight. Don't you worry. I won't rest until our Cozy's all better.”

Human Twilight smiles at her friend for the sentiment, but says in dispute, “You need to rest every once in a while. You can't help her if you're dead tired!”

Princess Twilight snickers for a bit, then explains, “I said the same thing to Fluttershy many years ago when she was too gung-ho about another pony’s . . . actually, zebra’s health.”

Sunset looks at human Twilight dryly as she rephrases, “Fine, then how about I put it this way? I won't quit the mission until Cozy is well, and I'll do everything in my power to ensure that, including rest if I have to.”

Human Twilight smiles in satisfaction as she replies, “That's better! I like that.”

“You're not coming?” Cozy asks human Twilight with a bit of disappointment. Her human self, after all, had such fond memories with this woman. Cozy is interested to see if she could develop the same relationship with the same woman. That seems tricky to do with someone who has the same face as her enemy, but she is willing to give it a try considering their starting point.

Human Twilight casts a bit of a sigh as she says, “I must admit, a strong part of me wants to, but I have responsibilities in this world and I'm afraid I'd just be in the way in Equestria. Plus, becoming a pony in Equestria is more than mildly unsettling. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, per se,” she quickly assures her pony self, “but it's not who I am.”

Princess Twilight waves her human self off. “Oh, believe me,” she assures with a wave of her hand to her other self and a roll of her eyes, “I know what you mean. I love to be with my friends here, but I must admit I am more comfortable being in my own natural form.”

“And I trust you, Twilight, to take care of my daughter as if she were your own,” human Twilight says to her pony self with a grateful smile.

“Of course!” Princess Twilight agrees completely. “Besides, in a way she is my daughter, so rest assured that I'll do everything in my power as well to help her.” She looks at Sunset. “That said, I do have many responsibilities as well. On the plus side, it means I have a lot of resources to spare for your cause, but one drawback of it is it means my nation will require a great deal of my attention. I'll support you as much as I can, but being there personally is not always a guarantee.”

Sunset nods then says, “I understand, Twilight. Your nation comes first.”

“So do my friends,” Princess Twilight quickly adds. “You're one of them, Sunset. Never forget that.”

“So do you have any idea what's wrong with her?” Diamond Tiara asks with worry. “I mean, any additional information besides something is wrong with this Sombra character?”

Sunset runs the fingers of her right hand tiredly through her hair as she says, “Whatever is wrong with Cozy, I strongly suspect Equestrian magic is involved. That is why this world is ill-equipped to handle this problem.” She returns her hands to her pockets. “I don't want to give any false hope or promises at this time. Right now, all I can tell you is we have an objective. We'll take her to the world that has the proper resources to treat her. When she gets better, and I assure you she will get better, we'll return her back here.”

Diamond looks crestfallen as she says despondently, “I thought you just said you don't want to give us false hope. How can you be sure she will recover?”

“Because I will not give up on her until she does recover!” Sunset promises firmly. “You can count on that!”

A wave of affection brushes through Cozy Glow upon hearing those words which makes her blush. It almost feels as if Sunset is saying that about her.

“I know you will, my friend,” human Twilight says gratefully to Sunset as she approaches to hug the other woman, who gladly hugs her friend in return. In fact, it kind of looks like Sunset is leaning in on Twilight for support since she is so exhausted.

“Um . . . Sunset . . . when did you last sleep?” human Twilight asks her friend in concern.

“It, ah . . . it doesn't matter,” Sunset says as she stands up straight again.

“Like hell it doesn't matter!” Rainbow Dash complains.

“No, really,” Sunset promises as she lifts her hand. “I'll rest as soon as I arrive in Equestria. I promise. Time moves faster there anyway. The main issue here is to get our Cozy and that geode to my homeworld before the latter has a chance to do any more damage to this world.”

There is a knock on the door.

In response, the group looks at the door and then at each other with a questioning look. The room they are standing in is open to the public so nobody needs to knock to gain permission to enter. Even if they did have such authority, why would anyone in this room deny it?

Due to having experience with leadership, Princess Twilight announces, “Ah . . . come in?”

Following that question, the door does indeed open. The first two individuals to step through are some secret-service dressed gentlemen who proceed inside then immediately flank the door. The next middle-aged woman to step through is a good deal more familiar to the group. She is none other than the mayor of this town.

“Mayor Mare!” human Twilight exclaims. “This is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor of this . . .” Twilight trails off when she notices the next occupant who steps in. Like the security guards, this new guy is also wearing a business suit, although it is dark blue instead of black and it has faint white lines trailing down it. He wears a red necktie, same color slack pants, and shiny black shoes. He has salt and pepper hair sleekly combed back, but it rises high up his very wide forehead. On his chin, his beard ends with a sharp goatee.

“Miss Sparkle,” the man says to human Twilight in barely veiled contempt. “How typical to find you here amidst all the magical chaos that runs rampant in our world! I warned you that these contemptible, foul creatures, these . . . ponies . . . are nothing but a menace to human society!”

“Superintendent Neighsay!” the same Twilight exclaims again, but this time in a bad way. “What are you doing here?”

The Superintendent grabs his necktie and adjusts it slightly as he says in contempt, “One would think that should be obvious. Explosions in a public hospital? Electronics inexplicably blinking off and on? Endangering the very lives of our fellow human beings?

“But, of course, you hardly care about such things, do you, Miss Sparkle?”

Human Twilight looks angrier as she says, “Of course I care about the lives of everyone in this building! Why would you think I wouldn't?”

So this is the Neighsay in this world? Cozy thought to herself. Seems like he's just as much of a pompous jerk as he was in our reality.

Cozy's memories from her counterpart about this man aren't too clear, but she is noticing how much he's getting on human Twilight's back and how much he is successfully affecting her in a bad way. Sudden fury starts to build up in Cozy's system, and she had a low opinion of his counterpart to begin with.

“Really?” Neighsay asks as he raises an eyebrow. “How many times have you sided with these foul creatures? You even have one as a FACULTY member of your very SCHOOL!” he rags at Twilight while gesturing to Sunset Shimmer. “I warned you over and over again about their kind, but you didn't listen to me, so,” he gestures to the mayor, “I figured I needed to call in a higher authority as a concerned citizen of Canterlot Heights.”

“My daughter is sick in this hospital at this very moment!” Twilight calls back with a higher voice in anger. “Are you telling me that I'd dismiss her life too?”

“Everyone, please calm down!” Mayor Mare urges while raising both of her hands. “Let's not break into an argument here.”

“But of course,” Neighsay quickly agrees with the mayor. “Your judgment is as wise as you are patient.” His look shifts to a sharp one at the mayor. “But surely you can see my point here, can't you, Madam Mayor? I have brought cases like this to the attention of your office over and over again, and the evidence is piling up, not to mention that that alien creature,” he jabs an accusing point at Princess Twilight, “is proof that these invaders have found an alternative method of entering our world!”

He folds his hands behind his back as he adopts a sudden dignified stance.

“I know for a fact that the statue at Canterlot High is being guarded,” he went on to say. “I have it surrounded by an iron gate and have had cameras aiming at it and around it for several years now. There is no evidence to suggest that these contemptible, satanic creatures have been using it anymore, which only goes to verify my suspicions that the new principal of Canterlot High, Miss Twilight Sparkle, has either built a new portal, or at least redirected the one we know about elsewhere. As long as this security risk is allowed to continue, there shall be no peace in Canterlot Heights from the menacing threats of this foreign land. I promise you this, Madam Mayor!”

“Is this true?” the mayor asks human Twilight. “Have you constructed a new portal? Your background in electronics and engineering is second to none. There is hardly any degree in the field that you apparently lack.”

“Ah . . . well . . .” Twilight squirms nervously. Most of those in the room notice Neighsay raise an eyebrow at her with a smug look of, Well, Miss Sparkle? How do you plead?

Noticing this causes Cozy's anger towards the man to double! Her native Equestrians had the gall to lock her into stone or banish her to Tartarus while jerks like this roam free? There is no justice!

Unless . . .

Cozy Glow suddenly recalls that she still has her counterpart's magical geode gem. Supposedly it has the power to control all electronics in this world. That isn't much of a deal in her world, but here . . . it appears to be the ULTIMATE power! Virtually everything in this world can be affected by this power!

Hungry and sadistic glee twists into Cozy's system. She is quickly deciding how to show just how contemptible ponies could really be!

Until a hand falls on her shoulders. She looks up and behind her to witness Sunset Shimmer giving her a hard look and shaking her head no as if she realizes what Cozy must be thinking. Considering what Sunset's own magical power is, Cozy couldn't put the latter theory away.

Curses! Why are you stopping me? Cozy thought in annoyance about Sunset's deterrent expression to Cozy. I heard you have devices in this world that can compact trash into tiny little squares, and we have a stinking pile of garbage right in front of us!

How dare he talk like that to my mother! I will never forgive him for this!

“Ye . . . yes, Madam Mayor,” human Twilight finally admits as she folds her hands and hangs them down low at the level of her waist. “I have constructed such a portal, Your Honor.”

“And didn't see fit to inform the rest of us,” Neighsay says with a bitter voice. “Here is the proof that Miss Sparkle’s negligent and, dare I say, downright criminal behavior has endangered us all.”

“Excuse me, Madam Mayor, but may I interject?” Princess Twilight requests politely.

“Please do,” the mayor welcomes with a nod. “And you are Princess Twilight Sparkle, correct? You're the pony counterpart of Miss Sparkle here?”

Princess Twilight closes her eyes and lowers her head as she says, “That is correct, Mayor.” She lifts her head and opens her eyes to once again look at the Mayor. “It is true that both my counterpart and I have constructed a new portal to my homeland, but we have also worked tirelessly to shut down any other portal.”

“And we're supposed to take your word for it?” Neighsay asks with skepticism mixed with contempt.

“We can prove it,” pony Twilight offers. “We can show you the devices we built to shut them down, and we can show you where the other portals used to be.”

Mayor Mare raises a hand in objection as she says, “I don't think that will be necessary, but why did you feel it was wise to minimize planar contact between our worlds?”

Cozy notices that Mayor Mare's voice does not sound to have a hint of contempt in it. Instead, her voice and body posture suggests being open. Cozy feels some relief to notice that an individual with authority here seems decently reasonable.

This isn't too surprising for Cozy. Back in her own world, this woman’s pony counterpart retired quite a number of years ago. It's been such a long time since she last saw Mayor Mare running the office of Ponyville, but she seemed pretty decent at it back in the day.

Looking at Diamond Tiara, Cozy realizes that it's quite ironic that the counterpart who replaced Mayor Mare's office back in Ponyville back in her world also happens to be sitting in this very room.

But then Cozy has to account for the time differentials. What has happened in her own world might have a strangely prophetic effect for those in this world who are behind the times.

It sure is amusing for Cozy to think about. It almost feels like having foreknowledge of the future.

“To a point, I think the chancellor is right,” announces pony Twilight.

“Chancellor?” Madam Mare asks with a blink of confusion.

“Ah . . . it's Superintendent in this world, Twilight,” Sunset corrects her friend.

“Oh! Um,” pony Twilight bows to the mayor and the Superintendent both. “Please forgive my rudeness. I had not been informed of your status beforehoof.”

The Mayor chuckles a little and waves pony Twilight off dismissively while saying, “It's okay, Princess. Please continue with your point.”

“Anyway,” Twilight went on while rising from her bow, “we figured that there were some detrimental side effects of magical exposure to your world, so my sister and I,” she nods to her counterpart to indicate whom she speaks of, “both figured it would be wise to limit contact between our two worlds. In accordance with that decision, we tirelessly labored to shut down as many portals as we could discover. By doing this, we felt this would make both of our worlds a safer place.”

“And yet you decided not to inform us about the one portal you had remaining?” Neighsay asks in an accusing tone to human Twilight.

“Yes,” pony Twilight openly admits. “Perhaps that was a mistake, but we didn't want to start a panic or complicate the situation any further. We were both aware that there are some in your world that have some objection to our presence here.”

“Now that is an understatement,” Neighsay agrees with an annoyed roll of his eyes.

“Please, good Sir, I beg for no more interruptions while the Princess is speaking,” Mayor Mare diplomatically requests of Neighsay. “I want to hear her explanation to the fullest before making any decisions about this situation.”

Neighsay sighs in annoyance and casts another roll of his eyes, but then bows to the Mayor as he proclaims, “As you wish, Your Honor.”

Golly! Will that finally shut up his stupid face? Cozy wonders in bitter privacy.

“I beg your pardon, Your Honor,” Sunset Shimmer begins with a very tired expression, “but there is a more pressing situation afoot here.”

“Such as?” the mayor asks Sunset openly with no hint of judgment yet except for a bit of concern in her eyes and in her voice.

“The threat that caused the earlier disturbance in this hospital is not fully settled yet,” Sunset explains. “We have it contained for the moment, but for a safer and more permanent solution, you must excuse me, Cozy here, the Cozy from this world, and Princess Twilight as we return to my homeworld.”

“Is the issue time-sensitive?” the mayor asks in concern.

“I, ah . . .” Sunset pauses as she sighs and visibly shows great fatigue. “. . . I'm honestly not too sure. That's why I want to err on the side of caution and get this bunch back to my homeworld where I feel the Cozy from this world stands a better chance of being cured because I'm convinced that her affliction is magical in nature. I also don't want the situation to escalate or endanger anyone else from this world.

“Please, Your Honor, you must let us go.”

“Your Honor, may I intercede?” Neighsay requests.

“If it is relevant to the situation at hand,” the mayor cautiously permits.

“Indeed it is, Madam Mayor,” Neighsay concurs. “It may surprise you all to hear this, but I actually concur with Miss Shimmer here.”

“You . . . do?” Sunset asks in surprise as she raises an eyebrow at Neighsay.

Neighsay nods subtly as he says, “Indeed. If these fools wish to dispense with our current problem here to another world then I say let them, but in exchange,” he narrows his eyes to give Sunset a hard look, “I request that they be restricted to that world henceforth.”

“What?!” human Twilight exclaims in extreme shock. “That's outrageous! You did catch the part about my daughter being among those to head to that world?”

“Indeed I have,” Neighsay confirms with sickening indifference. “That is precisely why I have suggested this course of action. After all, there is no telling how many alterations she may be afflicted with before her return.”

“But-” human Twilight begins but gets immediately cut off by Neighsay.

“Not to mention this magical affliction!” Neighsay adds harshly. “How can we be sure this condition isn't contagious? We have no doctors prepared for this sort of ailment. If it is not contained forthwith, we could be looking at a wide-spread pandemic on our hands! One of which we'd have no way to treat or prevent!

“Your Majesty,” he speaks directly to Princess Twilight now, “you claim to be concerned for the well being of us humans. Well, this is your chance to prove it. If you can offer us no guarantees that this affliction could or could not be contained, then what would be the kindest, most generous, and safest option for all involved? If you really have any concern for us, then do what is necessary to safeguard everyone present.” He gives a small bow to the princess before adding, “We humbly and eagerly await thy decision.”

You dare to quote the Elements of Harmony in your argument? Cozy thought bitterly. Well played, Sir, but you certainly don't know the first thing about them, do you?

Of course, I'm one to talk. I basically flunked Friendship School because it is a rigged system.

“Of course I'm concerned about everyone involved,” Princess Twilight begins. “It's also true I can offer no guarantees at this time, but that may change later, which is an objective I will tirelessly pursue. If I can verify that the Cozy Glow from this world is free of all afflictions and is not contagious, would you at least consider allowing her to return to her homeworld where she belongs?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Mayor Mare graciously accepts. “My chief concern is the safety and well-being of everyone in my town. That, of course, includes Cozy Glow.”

“Madam Mayor, I must protest!” Neighsay cries in outrage. “Even if these horrid creatures can somehow cure Cozy Glow of her current affliction, there is no guarantee what else she may bring back with her! How can you expect our immune systems to realistically have any defense in an entirely foreign world?”

“Your objection is noted,” Madam Mayor says back to Neighsay calmly. “I only said I would consider her request. An actual decision will be made later after weighing all the information and options very carefully, and not before. I fully anticipate a full quarantine for her upon her return until we can fully verify that she has no dangerous afflictions. If all those criteria are met, I see no reason not to welcome one of our own back into our town.”

That response quells Neighsay's objection somewhat. He even nods in approval. “Of course, Madam Mayor. A wise decision indeed. I suppose it would be prudent to examine this situation further once we are presented with all the facts, but there is still one more issue I beg you to consider.”

“And what, pray tell, is that?” the mayor asks him calmly.

“Sensitive information may be shared with her during her stay in this foreign world,” Neighsay proposed. “Secrets that may have detrimental effects for our world.”

“She's my daughter and a legal citizen of this country!” human Twilight reminds him firmly. “You have no right to prevent her from returning to her home and the family that loves her!”

Mayor Mare raises a hand and cries out, “Enough! I have heard enough for the time being.” She points at Sunset. “I will discharge you, and anyone you see fit, to help rectify our current crisis, for if there is a present danger to this situation, correcting that should be our top priority for the moment. Be warned, however, that there will be a hearing and investigation to determine the relative safety of your return upon your return, if you return. I just want to err on the side of caution, as you said yourself a few moments ago.”

“Of course, Your Honor,” Sunset accepts with a nod. “Under the circumstances, that seems only fair. I have many friends and family here in this world that I dearly love, and I have no wish to see them in danger. We'll make sure to prove that it is safe for us to return when we return.”

“That is all I ask!” the mayor says with a diplomatic smile.

Neighsay scoffs as he adjusts his necktie again.

Oh shut up, you arrogant jerk! Cozy cried out in her mind at Neighsay.

“So be it,” Neighsay accepts stiffly. “Be that as it may, we'll look forward to your safe return, if you return. In the meantime, deal with this crisis however you see fit, as long as it does not endanger humanity any further.

“However,” he points at Princess Twilight accusingly, “know that the matter of the remaining portal is not settled, Your Majesty, for its very existence is a threat to all mankind. Even if your intentions are benign, and I'm willing to possibly give you the benefit of the doubt on that one, you cannot deny that the threat of these portals has marked a clear and present danger to our world on multiple occasions in the past. If you insist on not shutting it down, would you at least entertain the possibility of us increasing security measures on our side of the portal?” He bows to her slightly. “For the well-being of all involved, of course.”

“Of course,” Princess Twilight accepts. “I only speak for the citizens of my own country. You all may do as you wish on your side.”

“Excellent!” Neighsay agrees with a devious smile. “Then we have an accord.

“And with that in mind, ladies,” he says to them all with a final bow, “I bid you adieu and be well. May whatever higher powers you believe in provide you safety and guidance for your journey.”

“Thank you, Sir,” Princess Twilight kindly accepts.

With that, Neighsay departs.

Mayor Mare adjusts the speckles clipped to her nose for a second as she looks at Sunset Shimmer and says, “For what it's worth, know that I'll be rooting for you and your safe return with Cozy Glow. When you find a way to solve this predicament, we'll eagerly await to welcome you home once again, and regardless of where you were born and raised from . . . this is your home now.”

“Thank you,” Sunset accepts gratefully.

“Madam Mayor,” Diamond Tiara begins as she stands up from her seat.

“Yes?” the mayor acknowledges as she looks at the elder teenager.

“I, um . . .” Tears are in her eyes. She is clearly struggling with some emotion, but she swallows it down before proceeding. “Thank you for permitting my sister to leave to get the help she needs and come back. She means a lot to us.”

“To all of us,” Sweetie Belle chimes in as she stands up from her seat.

“Darn tootin’! They speak for all of us,” Apple Bloom agrees as she stands up.

“Yeah! What they said!” Scootaloo agrees as she also stands up. “We may have had our differences in the past, but I want to make sure she has a chance to make it up to us.”

Silver Spoon just wordlessly stands up, non-verbally revealing her support for the rest of her friends.

Seeing this, Cozy Glow feels touched, which starts to bring a few tears to her own eyes. She remembers many fond memories with all these girls that her counterpart had experienced then later shared with her. In a very odd way, it feels like she is leaving her home, too.

“Of course, girls. I'm glad I could help. That is the role of a public servant,” Mayor Mare says with a calm smile. “Maybe you all will remember this upon our next election.”

“We will!” Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo amusingly and eerily all say simultaneously.

Cozy recalls that their pony counterparts do that, too, with uncanny frequency if the three of them are together.

“Come on, Honey,” Cozy's mother says to her as she reaches a hand out to her. “Let's go home.”

“Yeah,” Cozy agrees as she turns away from the others so they do not see the wet glint in her eyes. “Home.”

Author's Note

Post edit note on 1:42 Am, 4/24/2021 after I posted the last chapter.

So I'm finally adding the "Equestria Girls" genre tag to this story with an extra disclaimer here. Warning: the EqG plotline almost entirely drops off past this chapter with the exception of a few flashbacks and Sunset Shimmer's continued involvement, albeit in pony form.

Chapter 19: Unexpected Arrival

“Take your position,” the elderly mare, Misses Templton, instructs her student. “Clear your mind and concentrate on the boxes before you.”

“And do what with them?” innocently asks Flurry Heart to her elderly tutor for this private lesson.

“All magic radiates a certain arcane signature, young lady,” the tutor instructs as she circles her student slowly. “It has to, else the energy would lack any cohesive form. In some social circles, magic is known as the Weave because, in order to formulate it, the energy mus be woven into a specific form, like a needle through cloth.

“Now, do you see those boxes ahead of you?”

“I do,” Flurry observes. “The golden looking boxes that is set in a stack?”

“I want you to levitate them and separate them in the air at least three feet apart,” Miss Templton instructs.

“Easy as pie,” Flurry says with a confident grin. She ignites her horn with a golden aura. Such is copied upon each of the seven boxes. She levitates them up then spread them apart.

“I wonder what the etiology of that idiom is,” Miss Templton wonders privately, then shakes her head to clear it before saying, “Very good, my student. Now, pay attention. First of all, I need you to know that, in each of those boxes, there are four separate quadrants. In one of those four quadrants is a magical charge, and each one has a unique magical signature. Your job is to move that magical charge from that corner and place them into another corner which has a crystal set.”

“What?!” Flurry Heart exclaims in surprise. “But I can't see the magical signatures. How do you expect me to move a magical charge that I cannot see?”

“That is why I taught you the magical detection spell earlier,” Miss Templton reminds. “Remember your lessons. This is what I was leading up to, or at least the next step.” She places a hoof on Flurry's shoulder. “Focus. You can do this.”

“I suppose I can, but seven at once?”

“I didn't say you had to solve these puzzles simultaneously,” Flurry's instructor points out. “By getting the right answer seven times over, that shall be my signal that you've had enough practice with this phase of your lesson. Now, there are ways to multi-task enough to set each of these charges to their opposite charge insets simultaneously, but those are fairly advanced lessons. One's that are more limited to more experienced wizards. You might get there someday. Certainly you have the talent for it, but for now . . . just focus on the lesson at hoof.”

“Okay,” Flurry says back before closing her eyes and projecting a magical pulse from her horn. Doing so blankets about a twenty foot radius with a magical charge that is sensitive to the presence of other magical charges. It is like flooding the area with water then paying attention to where the ripples are within it.

One, two, three, four, five, six, and . . . . ah! There you go, you little bugger! There is lucky number seven, Flurry thought to herself. Okay, so . . . is see the magical charges themselves, but little else. Maybe if I focus more?

Ah! There I go. There are magic runes within each of the boxes that are radiating a tiny amount of magic because of the magic spark nearby them. That paints a map for me in my head. Now all I have to do is navigate each of the sparks to another box within the box that has an inset magical capacitor.

One by one, Flurry focuses on the inside of each of the boxes to move the magic spark from one corner to another. Certain routes are closed off and others are open. She found that she has to feel her way through this puzzle with each box, for the route is different each time. She tracks her progress by paying attention to the runes around the sparks. As they move, some stop radiating magic and others start to. It's as if the runes are mirrors and the sparks are light. That's probably also literally true, too. Magic runes are often made with powdered gem dust, and magic itself is very frequently luminescent, even if that otherwise would be inconvenient.

Eventually Flurry completes her tasks. When she's done, she floats the boxes back into a stack then wipes her brow. Now that was a challenge. In interesting and stimulating challenge, but a challenge none the less.

As Flurry opens her eyes, she also smiles, feeling proud of herself. She feels like she actually accomplished something difficult. As a result, she feels like cheering.

“Very good, young lady,” Miss Templton commends. “I knew you could do it.”

“Go me!” Flurry cheers. “Am I the finest student you've ever taught, or what?”

“Eh,” Miss Templton narrows her eyes slightly at Flurry with a discerning look, then answers, “Yes and no. You are the best I've ever taught in certain ways but not in others. In your case, your raw magical talent is very high. You have a lot of energy to work with. It is like having plenty of building materials to work with. All you have to do is learn how to construct them into whatever form you like. With time and training, you can become an excellent wizard.

“Still other students I've taught proved to be more of a prodigy at concentration or visualization or crafting magic scrolls. As usual,” she says as she floats up her saddlebags within a white aura and settles it along her back, “you, like most other ponies, excel at certain things and need more practice in other things.”

She adjusts her magical spectacles up her snout as she continues to regard Flurry.

“Do not let it go to your head,” Miss Templton discourages, “nor allow yourself to be distraught. Whatever you are not so good at, you can practice to get better. That's the point of having a tutor. If you didn't require these lessons, I wouldn't be here. You could, instead, teach others if you wish.

“Insofar as your raw magical talent, it really isn't a surprise to me considering you are an alicorn. However, having strong magical potential and utilizing it well are two very different things. One is innate, and the other needs practice. Do you understand what I'm telling you?”

Flurry Heart bows to her instructor. She spreads her wings for a moment as she does.

“Yes, Miss Templton. I deeply appreciate the lessons you have taught me, and I vow to utilize them well.”

“Very good, young lady,” Miss Templton says with a proud smile. “Be sure to continue your practices on your own. I expect to see an improvement upon our next encounter.”

“Does this mean I can go now?” Flurry asks anxiously.

“But course, my dear,” the tutor replies. “Be sure that next time you-”

“Okay, bye!” Flurry interrupts then concentrates. One popping explosion of energy later, she is suddenly in the Crystal Castle in her mother's room.

“MOMMY!” Flurry cries out with a cheer as she flies into her mother to embrace her in a hug, which her mother gladly returns.

“Hello, Sweetie,” her mother coos as she hugs her daughter tightly with her legs and wings. “I love you!”

“I know!” Flurry says very happily.

Indeed, Flurry can feel the fact that her mother speaks the truth. That's partly why these hugs are so addictive to her. While hugging her, she can feel a comforting warmth cover her heart and cause a gentle glowing pulse to radiate throughout her body. It feels as comforting and has healing as a warm mid-day sun might to to a chilly body. It just soaks into every fiber of her being and makes her feel so grateful to be alive.

That's another thing she senses from her mother as well. Actually, both of her parents, and that is an intensive gratitude that Flurry is simply there, merely existing as their daughter. They treat her like a beloved gift that they deeply cherish ever single day. Flurry absolutely loves that kind of attention.

What else should one expect from the Princess of Love?

But ah . . . that tittle is so well earned. It isn't just a name for her. Her mother embodies love with every fiber of her being. She is gentle, graceful, and oh so warm. This is the kind of mother most others would regard as a fairy tale, and/or wishful thinking, but generally believe its too good to true. However, for Flurry, it is the reality that she lives with and cherishes every single day. For her, it is just a joy to wake up ever single day looking forward to experiences like this.

Being a natural empath only enhances these effects. It causes her to experience life beyond the mundane. For Flurry, there has always been another layer to reality. One that, long ago, used to confuse her.

Back when she was a foal, it used to confuse her why she'd suddenly have these wild mood swings, but to her credit, she figured out that it had something to do with the presence of others. When others approached her presence, she was suddenly assaulted by these foreign emotions. Generally these emotions are positive. That's very common in the Crystal Empire, especially if she was the focus of their emotions.

But it used to feel so distressing to be unable to control her own emotions when she was overcome by the emotions of somepony else. That was stressful because it made her feel like wasn't in any true control over her life, and emotions heavily affect motivation towards or away from potentially anything. She felt helpless, as if she was swept away in a fast river current.

It took her soooooo long to learn how to recognize when these feelings come from within or stem from others, let alone resist their influences enough to detach herself from it. For her, it is a learning curve. One she still sometimes struggles with to this day.

That is why her father once tried to hire guards who felt more detached from their youngest princess, but in time most of them were worn down with affection for her. In their own words, they reported that they could not help it. Flurry is filled with too much energy and life to resist her charms for long. Since this didn't seem to be an isolated incident, the influenced were held blameless. It simply became accepted that this challenge comes with the territory.

Rumor has it that Flurry Heart has an intense innate connection to the Crystal Heart, and that artifact has the combined essence of everypony whose ever imbued it with their magic and their emotions. If she really is a byproduct of that artifact, it stands to reason why she'd be so sensitive to other ponies emotions.

Actually, not just ponies. If she encounters any creature that is capable of emotions, including animals, then she can be influenced by them. Maybe also vice versa. No pony is sure on the latter point, but there is evidence to that effect.

Flurry used to think that others gave her undeserved affection just because she is an alicorn. Notably, the first ever known to exist to be born as such. She wishes she knew why this is the case, but she has her theories, and she's not the only one.

At first she felt like this kind of treatment was isolating, like being put on a pedestal. She does appreciate their affection if it's genuine, for such things are an experience for her. However, to be removed for society and treated as automatically better somehow is distressing. Like most other sentient and social beings, Flurry thrives on a personal and emotional connection with others. That can be so much richer and deeper if it comes from a place of true friendship. If not, then it can feel like tasting a pastry that is very rich and sweet at first, but if consumed and tasted too often, the experience eventually grows stale.

In the past, Flurry had ventured out of the castle before while disguised with a magical illusion to make her appear as some other pony temporarily. When that happened, she encountered a far more authentic experience with others without having to suffer the influences of royal labels. It was a thrill for her to just talk to other ponies and for them to share the happenings of their day so casually. It felt so good to be accepted and “one of them”, so to speak.

And, of course, she'd continue to feel their emotions during her conversations with them. As such, she recognized when others are being authentic to her or not.

“Flurry!” Her father, Shining Armor, cries out in joy as he, too, steps in the room while floating a helmet away and hangs it on a hook nearby the exit to their room. “How is my precious little foal?”

“DADDY!” Flurry cries out with joy then promptly flies straight into his embrace. Princes Cadence promptly lets go of her daughter in time for her to do this.

When Flurry collides with her father, it almost knocks him back. But, since this experience is very common, he learned to spin her about to throw off some of her built momentum just to make sure he does not lose his balance, although for this reason, he'd find it acceptable if it did happen in exchange for this heart warming experience.

Her father might not be the “Princess of Love”, but she feels the fact that his love is no less powerful. It does have a different spice to it. It feels more sturdy compared to her mother's gentle emotions, but still . . . the strength and intensity of his emotions makes her feel exceedingly safe. She feels the proof every single day that he'd do anything it took to protect the ones he loved, although of course he'd try his very best to remain on a moral high ground while doing it.

That, too, Flurry finds comforting. Of course she wants to feel safe and loved, but she'd want to continue being proud of he father at the same time. Harming others, even if it meant protecting her in exchange, would be a severe betrayal of her trust.

Fortunately, that has never been an issue so far.

“I love you so, Daddy!” Flurry cheers affectionately.

“Me to, Pumpkin. My sweet little angel,” Shining returns warmly.

“How was work?” Princess Cadence chimes in.

“The usual,” Shining returns with far greater indifference all of the sudden. “I won't let any experience to force me to be lazy, but by Celestia . . . guard duty in the Crystal Empire makes me feel so useless and unneeded. I feel like I'm just there for no reason.”

“That's not true, Hon,” Cadence argues. “I know that the citizens of our Empire feel much safer in your presence as well as the rest of the guards. Protecting peace of mind is still a worthy goal.”

“True,” Shining agrees more happily. “That is a worthy goal. Besides, I do more than just patrol. I frequently made executive decisions in your absence.”

“As well you should,” Cadence concurs. “I told you . . . rulership of the Crystal Empire is a joint effort. We're married, so we do everything together. I have no more or less authority than you.”

Shinning Armor tilts his head and squints his eyes with suspicion as he says, “I might be willing to agree with you on principal if it weren't for one thing, and that is the fact that I don't think the citizens of the Crystal Empire see it that way. If we did argue about something and tried to compel our citizens into opposite actions, I can realistically foresee a civil war starting, but something tells me the vast majority of the ponies would side with you. After all, only one of us has both wings and a horn.” He waves a hoof out towards one of their walls. “Just ask anypony. They'd say the same thing. As such, I really do think your authority eclipses my own.”

“If that's true, then we'll just have to correct our citizens oversight together,” Cadence decides. “And that scenario you spoke of is an ugly subject I don't want to ever hear again. We will always be on the same team . . . and that's final!”

“Yes, dear,” Shining Armor capitulates with an amused grin.

“That's right, Dad,” Flurry agrees with an inward giggle. “Just smile and nod. The mare has spoken!”

From where she is laying on the couch, Cadence shakes her head and rolls her eyes for a moment, then stretches her legs for a bit.

“Oh!” Cadence brightens. “By the way, I do have some exciting news!” After she says that, her ears droop as she adds sadly, “and I have some very sad news as well.”

Both Flurry and her father pause for a silent moment as they glance at each other. Flurry is the first to break the silence as she looks back at her mother and says, “Um . . . let's start with the exciting news first.”

“I think I would have picked the sad news,” Shining mumbles with a frown. “I don't want to end it on that note.”

“Okay.” Cadence sits up straight on the couch. “The exciting news . . . and honestly unexpected news, if I do say so myself, is that Cozy Glow and Cheese Pie are due to arrive in the Crystal Empire soon. The letter said that they are arriving by way of pegasus chariot, although that's a slight misnomer in this case because Gallus is one of them.”

“Yay!” Flurry cheers. “I get to see my friends again! Hooray!”

“You got a letter explaining this?” Shining asks in confusion. “Not much can arrive faster than a pegasus chariot. Only letters sent by dragon fire and do something like this, and Spike is in Canterlot with my sister, last I heard. He didn't go to Sire's Hollow too, did he?”

Cadence shakes her head as she reports, “No, he didn't.”

“Then how can you get a letter about this before Cozy and Cheese arrives?” Shining checks. “Given their transportation method, something does not add up here.” He scratches his head. “Did a unicorn teleport the letter to Canterlot?”

Cadence smiles in amusement at her husband as she says, “You forget, dear, that our sister's student, Luster Dawn, is also in Sire's Hollow right now.”

“So?” he reflects.

“So . . . Luster was taught the same spell Celestia used to cast to send letters to Spike. Princess Celestia taught Twilight, and Twilight, in turn, taught Luster Dawn.”

“Oh!” Shining exclaims with the light of realization. “Okay. Now this is starting to make sense.” After a moment of thought, something else confusing occurs to him, then he asks his wife, “But that spell can only send letters to a dragon. I.E., Spike. Luster couldn't have sent that letter directly to you. Not unless she teleported it, which I honestly wouldn't put past her capabilities. I haven't seen magical gifts that strong ever since my sister started her training.”

Cadence rolls her eyes for a moment, then explains, “That's true, which is why Luster sent Spike a letter which requested Spike to send us a letter.” She tilts her head at her husband as she asks, “Now do you understand?”

“Ah! Gotcha!” Shining confirms with a confident nod to his wife.

Flurry sighs with a bit of dread, then asks her mother, “And the sad news?” she reminds almost reluctantly.

Cadences facial expression fell into melancholy as she reports, “I'm sad to report that Sunset Shimmer's mother, whom was also the Duchess of Sire's Hollow, has sadly passed away.”

“Oh.” Flurry's ears fell flat as she looks down sadly. “That's too bad.”

“Sunset Shimmer, huh?” Shining inquires as he rubs behind his right ear. “Now there is a name I haven't heard in a while.” He looks at his wife questioningly. “I did recently hear rumors that she came back for some reason. I thought that reason was to look after Cozy, but now I'm starting to wonder if the incident at Sire's Hollow is what drew her in the first place.”

Cadence shakes her head and says, “No, dear. She did indeed come because of Cozy, but primarily the Cozy from the other world.”

Now it is Shining Armor's turn to shake his head as he complained, “Noting the differences between both worlds can be so confusing. I'm not even sure why Celestia kept that mirror to the other world. Now after Sunset charged through it can I see a motivation, but before? I don't know.” He scratches the back of his neck. “Maybe she thought it could be an emergency evacuation strategy if things went really south in this world.”

“My understanding of that mirror is that it's really old,” Cadence put in. “It's probably one of the artifacts for Star Swirl's time. I wouldn't even be surprised if he made it himself. Who knows why?”

“Maybe for the same reason Celestia was thinking,” Shining proposes. “After all, things used to be pretty desperate in the world back in Star Swirl's native time.”

“Point taken,” Cadence agrees, then asks her husband, “How well did you know Sunset Shimmer before she took off into the other world?”

“Me?” he reflects, then answers, “Well . . . I barely knew her at all. I was just a regular royal guard at the Castle. I'd sometimes see her trotting or galloping past me from my post or while I was out on patrol. I knew for sure she was Celestia's former prized pupil.

“I need to point out that it is generally considered the duty of every royal guard of the palace to keep what they've seen while on duty on a need-to-know basis unless commanded by the Princess herself into otherwise. As such, rumors weren't that forthcoming about anything from my fellow officers, but that said . . . the other servants of the castle loved to gossip. It is from them that I gathered the majority of my information about Sunset Shimmer at the time. Because of that, I have heard of this one time she and Celestia had a falling out and argument in the castle library. Rumor has it that Celestia was pushing her student into more social activities in the hopes she'd make more friends, but Sunset just wanted to focus on her academia.”

“That sounds all too familiar,” Cadence comments.

“I know, right?” Shining Armor agrees. “Supposedly Luster was the same way. I guess history repeats more often than we generally care to admit.”

“I guess so,” Cadence figures.

“Not that I'm complaining, but why is Cozy and Cheese coming here?” Flurry asks her mother. “I know for a fact that Sunset really was put in charge of our Cozy. Pony Cozy, that is. Sunset was supposed to look after her while the both of them were away from Canterlot, so why did they split up?”

“For Sunset's part, my guess is she's helping to settle a grim family affair,” Candace answers to the best of her ability. “After that, she'll make her way back to Canterlot. Either she's going to be teleported or take a train or even an airship ride because plenty of those swing by Sire's Hollow these days. More often than not, they carry lots of cargo and passengers, though, and their usually set course for the lands beyond Equestria eventually.

“As for Cozy and Cheese, the only thing I know about them is how, where, and when they'll arrive. As for why, I'm afraid I'm not equipped with that information yet. The good news, however, is the fact we can simply ask them after they arrive. In all likelihood, Gallus and Cheese both agreed to keep an eye on Cozy.”

Flurry frowns as she looks down, then says, “She's never going to embrace friendship if we keep treating her like a monster.”

She looks back at her father when he applies a hoof to her shoulder. When he has her attention, he says, “For what it's worth, I understand how you feel, but you haven't seen what Cozy can do back in her heyday as a little filly. A threat that severe is something we cannot ignore.”

He stands up straight as he adds, “Besides, keeping an eye on her can also work in her favor. She is the adopted daughter of my sister, after all, and that means she's family.” He leans forward for a moment as he adds emphatically, “Royal . . . family. Targets like that may be too tempting for those who have ill intent for whatever reason. Far more than one have attempted to ponynap royalty in order to secure political leverage. During that time, the psychological trauma they can suffer during the ponynap alone can do some serious damage. Princesses getting ponynapped is a cliche for a very good reason, because it often works.” He waves a hoof. “From my understanding, Cozy has suffered through enough trauma as it is, so if it's all the same to you, I, for one, think keeping an eye on Cozy is a good idea for multiple reasons.”

“I suppose you kind of have a point,” Flurry partially concedes. “However, scrutiny has never been that tight around me, and I'm royalty too.”

“Okay, several things.” Shining Armor points at his daughter. “For one thing, you are an alicorn, and Cozy Glow is not. You can fly away or defend yourself with your magic, and you're not half bad with that, especially for your age. More than one would-be assassin could have an unfortunate day in their attempt to cross you, not to mention you can just teleport yourself or the attacker away.

“Two, this is the Crystal Empire. If you left to other lands, especially the realms beyond Equestria, then I'd have my concerns. As it stands, however, the average citizens of the Crystal Empire would be far more inclined to protect you rather than attack you, and no pony here would want to risk the social stigma that could come attached with even the mere attempt against you.

“Three, this is Cozy Glow we're talking about. She put all of Equestria on its knees not once, but twice, and she was just a filly back then. Any pony who is that dangerous would be wise to keep a close eye on, at least for the sake the peace of mind for the rest of Equestria.”

He waves a hoof away from him. “Maybe those days really are behind her. Maybe she really does have innocent intentions now. If so, that's great. I certainly wouldn't discourage you from trying to draw out the best in her.

“However, as long as she's being monitored, her innocence can be confirmed by eye witnesses over and over again. The longer that happens, the more the rest of Equestria will gradually relax around her. Eventually they might even forget the whole, 'trying to take over the world' bit from her. Equestrians are a pretty cheerful and forgiving bunch, after all.” He points out the wall again. “By having her monitored, Cozy constantly has an alibi. Ones that most other ponies can trust. That, in turn, helps her build credibility.”

Flurry sighs, then says, “I guess. You made some really good points, Dad.” She looks up at him. “I was just an infant during the height of her criminal days, however, so those things mean nothing to me. Today, however, I see a tortured soul who is in desperate need of a true friend. Far more than even she realizes. I've actually been encouraged by multiples sources to help her open up. I'm so glad for that encouragement, too, because I want to do this.” She looks down as she shakes her head. “I can't even explain why this is so important to me. It just is.”

“It's probably because of the emotions you sensed from her,” Cadence guesses. “You've always been extra sensitive to that. I remember you even told that she felt lonely, depressed, afraid, dejected, and miserable. You said she was crying on the inside . . . and that you couldn't allow such a pitiful soul suffer so. I remember you said this with determination as you spoke.” Candace shrugs. “Plus, she's your sister, technically.”

Cadence uses her magic to pull her daughter close to her. For Flurry's part, she does not resist this in the slightest. Once Flurry is next to her, she applies her lips to her daughter's forehead and pecks it with a sweet and loving kiss. After that, she lifts up her daughter's have with a hoof under Flurry's chin in order to guide Flurry to look straight into her mother's warm and loving eyes. At that time Candace as, “And I know you. I know you as a pony, and I know how much you care for others. If everypony is happy, then you are happy. If their miserable instead, then you suffer . . . and you see yourself focused on a mission. That's the way you've always been, so it's no surprise to us that you've opened up to her, Sweetheart. I love you for that, and I also applaud your efforts. What you have seen in her also gives me great hope, for it means that some part of her wants to reach out to others too, and that . . . is a very encouraging thought.”

Chapter 34: Mother and Daughter

“Cozy,” Cheese says in Cozy’s room as she tosses her dice. She advances her dragon on the game board five spaces forward in compliance with her dice results. “you don't have to pretend to like this game. If you don't want to play, you should just say so.”

“I don't . . .” Cozy almost objects, but then she recalls her friend’s ability to sense other's emotions. Cozy growls at this. She despises that ability! Being forced to be honest really puts her off her game, although she doesn't forget that there are some potential advantages for her. If Cheese could learn to be patient and/or keep her mouth shut, she could be an excellent pawn at a diplomatic or negotiating table.

Cozy sighs in resignation, then admits, “Well . . . I do enjoy doing things with you, but . . . this kind of game isn't my cup of tea. It's just a pointless game of random chance. There is no strategy involved.”

“Well, that's true,” Cheese agreed. “But, when the volcano erupts and the ball rolls towards your dragon, isn't it fun to watch your dragon sink into the pit?”

“Not really,” Cozy tells her friend with a facial expression and vocal tone which both reveal pure boredom. If her friend is empathic anyway then there is no point in hiding her feelings. In that case, she might as well reveal the whole truth with no holds barred.

“Let me guess . . . you'd rather play chess?” Cheese figures.

“I'd rather watch the hoof polish on my hooves dry,” Cozy says flatly. “We might as well flip a bit coin in the air. Heads I win, tails you win. Boom! Done in one toss. If we're going to rely on pure random chance anyway, let's just cut the fluff of this game and get down to brass tacks.”

“Well you're no fun,” Cheese accuses.

“I can be,” Cozy argues. “As long as the game involved is at least partially mentally stimulating. I like a challenge in my games, and I also want to be more involved. With this,” she gestures to their game and says, “I might as well let you to toss the dice for me and you move my pieces as well as yours. While you do that, I can sit back on my bed and read.”

“But then I wouldn't be playing with you,” Cheese counters.

“But do you see my point?” Cozy checks. “With this game . . . I don't have to be involved at all, but I dare you to play chess by yourself. There is no dice, no cards, no goofy gimmicks . . . just pure wit and strategy. Because of that, each player of the game really owns their moves.”

“Goofy gimmicks are fun,” Cheese pouts with a frown.

Cozy sighs again, then shakes her head as she says irritably, “Whatever. Let’s just get this over with. We started it, so I want to finish it.”

“Nah, I don't want to play anymore,” Cheese suddenly decides as she sits up. “Besides, we don't have time to finish the game anyway.”

Feeling instantly intrigued, Cozy asks her friend as she looks up at her (since Cozy is still laying down in a lower position), “Why is that?”

“Because your mother is about to knock on the door,” Cheese answers with a wave of a hoof to the door in question. “And she's come here wanting to talk to you . . . in private,” Cheese finishes with emphasis.

Cozy opens her mouth to question this further, but she's cut off when she looks at the door as they both hear a knock on it.

“Told you,” Cheese says smugly.

“One of these days,” Cozy says as she sits up as well, “you're going to have to tell me how you manage to do things like that.”

Cheese bursts out laughing for a brief moment, then reaches forward to pat Cozy on her left cheek as she says, “No, I don't.”

“Cozy? Are you in there?” Twilight's slightly muffled voice calls through the door. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, I'm here,” Cozy calls back. “Come in, Mother,” Cozy invites, then says under her breath in irritation through grit teeth, “It's not like denying you would stop you anyway.”

Cheese bounces to her hooves as Cozy's doorknob gets enveloped by a purple aura. When the doorknob turns, then opens, Cheese bounces her way out of the room.

“Oh!” Twilight exclaims with a blink of surprise. “I didn't know you had compony. I can come back later, if you prefer,” Twilight offers.

“Nah! That's okay, Twilight. I was just leaving,” Cheese merrily informs on her way out.

“Are you sure?” Twilight double checks.

“See you tomorrow morning, Cozy!” Cheese calls back brightly. “Our first day as we set sail off into the skies, then it's off to infinity . . . and beyond!”

“Ah . . .” Cozy blinks in confusion. “Is that a reference to-”

“Bye!” Cheese interrupts from the next hallway then exits out another door that connects this hallway to the one adjacent to it. The next hallway leads to the rest of the castle.

Cozy's eyes droop halfway as she shakes her head. “That mare definitely does not treat us like the royalty we are.”

“She's a friend,” Twilight reminds as she looks from the door Cheese left through then back to Cozy. “She does not have to. I made that clear a very long time ago. Friends are exempt from treating us like royalty.”

Cozy casts a very long sigh mixed with a grunt of annoyance, then asks her mother as she flies up and lands on her bouncy cloud bed, “What can I do for you, Mother?”

Cozy wants to get whatever issue is driving her mother here over with so she can get rid of her faster.

Twilight waves a hoof as she steps inside. Behind her, she uses her magic to close Cozy's bedroom door. “There is no reason to stand on formalities right now. This is an unofficial visit.”

“That means unnecessary,” Cozy translates as she narrows her eyes at her mother. “In that case, if it's all the same with you, I'd rather you leave. I have a big day tomorrow, so I want to get up early.”

Twilight sighs sadly as she looks down. Afterwards, Cozy is taken aback when she notices that her mother's eyes are wet with tears. She asks sadly, “Why, Cozy? What have I ever done to earn such unrelenting ire from you?”

Cozy is stunned because usually, even in privacy, Twilight typically treats her daughter with royal elegance and mystique, but not today, apparently.

Although, on second thought, it does kind of make sense to her. Cozy is about to leave on the airship tomorrow for a very long journey. The outcome of that is not certain. If things really go south, Cozy might not survive the trip at all. In her favor, the threat of a crashing airship isn't as much of a problem for a pegasus, but still . . . even with that safeguard, there are still other kinds of threats out there.

The communication crystal diminishes the impact of that separation some. Not only could they talk to each other as much (or as little) as they want, but it can act as a guide to help Twilight teleport whenever she wants.

Nevertheless, when Cozy really thinks about what could happen while traveling out there, the weight of this situation suddenly hits her.

What if this is the last time I see my mother in person? Cozy wonders to herself. That is so unlikely, but what if?

It's hard to put her hoof on why, but that prospect bothers Cozy for some reason.

“I didn't send you to Tartarus,” Twilight reminds.

“You didn't free me either,” Cozy argues bitingly. “You also didn't defend me. You didn't even try!”

“But I did free you from stone,” Twilight argues in her defense. “And I wasn't the one who did that to you either.”

That shut Cozy up, but she glares at her mother harshly as hot tears rise to her own eyes. Cozy still has painful psychological scars from that experience. Any reminder of it feels like a sharp slap in the face.

“I freed you at great risk to myself and my country, Cozy,” Twilight goes on. “I did it to you, and I did it to them,” she says in reference to Cozy's former stone mates. “I also took you into my home, adopted you as my daughter, made you into a princess like you always wanted, and I gave you my heart.”

Twilight's voice wavers very badly at this point, and her tears flood down even harder.

Cozy looks down because it's hard to meet her mother’s gaze right now. Cozy feels some powerful emotions at this moment, but she does not want to acknowledge them. It's too painful.

“So I repeat . . . what have I done to earn your ire?” Twilight asks again. “Can't we, for once, just be mother and daughter together? Just this one night, Cozy?”

Cozy is silent and she continues to avoid eye contact with her mother, but she says, “If I do that . . . wouldn't I be betraying my mother? My real mother?” Cautiously, Cozy meets her mother's gaze just a little off the upper left corner of her eyes. As she does so, tears drip from her own eyes too. “I don't have much left of her, Twilight. Not even my memories of her. She gave birth to me. That's it! Sometimes I curse her for that. Sometimes I really hate her for going through with that . . . but the fact of the matter is . . . I'm here . . . and she was probably given no choice either. She was a slave . . . just like I was.”

Cozy looks down in depression, then says, “I don't know if she's even alive anymore.” Cozy's lips quiver and her chin wrinkles. “If she is . . . does she ever think of me?”

Cozy bursts into a sob. As she does so, she covers her face with her hooves.

“Does she even miss me?” Cozy squeaks with a small, pain-filled voice. “Her own daughter . . . lost in the cruel mechanization of this harsh and unforgiving world.”

“Oh, Cozy!” Twilight wails then teleports a mere twelve feet ahead of her. She embraces her daughter with both forelegs and her wings. Twilight surrounds her daughter with as much of her body and love as she can.

There is a small part of Cozy that instantly wants to rebel by kicking and screaming for Twilight to get off of her, but the vast majority of her is too tired to fight this right now.

There is even a small part of Cozy that desperately wants this. Perhaps even needs this.

“I know what it feels like to be a mother now,” Twilight tells Cozy with a still quivering voice but it's more steady than her previous attempt. “It's probably how your birth mother felt about you. If she's anything like me, she wouldn't want you to be miserable, and I certainly know I feel that way.”

Both mares need quite a few minutes to recover before they can speak again. Until then, they just sob and hug each other.

That caught Cozy off guard, too, when she finally notices that. She is hugging Twilight back with forelegs and wings as well.

Cozy hates this! Hates how scared, weak, and vulnerable this reveals her to be. She is not a fool enough to be blind to these inherent facts within herself. Actually, she thinks and feels this way pretty much all of her life, but the problem is her upbringing taught her that revealing these weaknesses to others causes them to abuse and exploit her more. She can never drop her guard. Never ever! If she did, it would make a bad situation so much worse!

Cozy is startled to realize that she never did escape that, the pain of her past. In a way, she is still in prison. Still a slave to her old wounds and her pain.

Cozy shivers because that is such a depressing realization. The reason for that is all of this circular reasoning feels inescapable, unavoidable, and inevitable. It's as if she is born to be miserable, period.

“When you entered my life,” Twilight sings in the style of a lullaby, “a liiiiiiiiight shined above.

“And I wasn't prepared . . . for my fears and my looooooove.

“Through rainbows . . . dark clouds and rain

“And all my plans sank down the drain.

“My Cozy . . . my loooooove, my pain

“The one who drove us all insane.”

Despite herself, Cozy giggles a little at that wording. She keenly remembers how she and her dark allies drove everypony to be against each other.

Maybe there was a collective insanity back then, for even Cozy feels surprised that plan worked so easily and so quickly.

How thin this bubble of delusion is when somepony finally has the gall to pop it with a needle.

Happy songs. Ponies prancing in the streets and dancing on bright, shiny rainbows . . . all of it to hide from the darkness within their hearts. Since they ignored it for so long, they didn't realize how close and powerful it was.

“But through the tunnel,” Twilight sings onward, “there is a light.

“The warmth of friendship . . . and endless delight.

“Shadow and light . . . two sides of the same coin

“A pact is made . . . our hearts did join.

“What affects the one, affects us all

“Together we win, or together we fall.

“I'll carry you . . . through clouds . . . by wing

“My love for you, my heart shall ever sing.

“Cozy Glooooooow . . . my darling Cozy Gloooooow

“You never heard . . . you didn't knoooooow

“That I am there for you . . .

“always . . .

“and foreeeeeeeeeeeeee . . . veeeeeeer!”

Cozy Glow feels her head sink into Twilight's chest. As she did so, she keeps thinking of her counterpart's mother. Human Twilight adopted her there, too. In fact, that's probably what gave this Twilight the idea.

But the thing is . . . it worked over there. Her human counterpart certainly was no saint. She admitted that personally, but nevertheless . . . that Cozy loved her mother. She loved her dearly.

Why? What happened that separated these two realities? How can four of the same characters produce opposite outcomes? At least for Cozy. She loves Twilight in one reality and despises her in the other.

It feels weird to dwell and borrow the memories of someone who feels like a different incarnation and another life, yet one that feels so close at the same time. She takes a moment to pause and assess this. When she does, she soon realizes one difference; the other Twilight spent more time with her daughter. That Twilight had other priorities too, but human Cozy always felt like she was number one. She felt like she was her mother's top priority. No matter what else she was doing, even if it was her job, human Twilight would instantly drop everything and rush to her daughter's aide if it seemed like an emergency.

But would this Twilight do that? On the one hoof is Cozy herself, and on the other is the fate of an entire nation. Human Twilight was only responsible for one place, and that is being a Principal of Canterlot High. Her mother, however, is Princess of Equestria.

That's a big difference in the degree of responsibility.

The thing is, here, Cozy never felt like she was number one. If Cozy was about to be crushed by a rock and the nation was about to blow up and Twilight only had time to save one or the other, there doesn't seem to be a contest here. Of course Twilight is going to choose her nation.

Is that her fault? It's certainly logical. It comes down to simple numbers. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

In her head, Cozy knows that, but in her heart . . . she feels betrayed. She feels like she does not matter because she can also be compared to a greater priority and lose every single time.

The proof is in the pudding. The fact of the matter is human Twilight was there for her daughter far more frequently, but here? Princess Twilight is almost always busy supporting her subjects. That includes Cozy Glow too, but in this case, she's simply another face in the crowd.

Royalty was something Cozy Glow always wanted because it is a symbol of the pinnacle of power. Royalty is thee most important pony. The one everypony is forced to listen to and take seriously. From that strategic position, it's so easy to gather an army of friends and followers. Being the center of attention, especially while armed with such supreme authority, is a dream for Cozy.

So why, oh why, is she jealous of her own counterpart?

She closes her eyes as memories of her counterpart flood her mind. Memories of gathering around a Hearts Warming tree while singing carols. Hot coco, apple cider, and eggnog are being passed around. Human Cozy Glow opens a present. Inside is a handmade sweater that has Cozy's cutie mark surrounded by a pink heart. At first she thought Rarity made this, but as she looks up, she sees that it is her mother that has the most tears in her eyes.

“Way to go, Sport!” Rainbow Dash cheers. “That looks awesome! That aughta keep ya nice and toasty!”

“And darn cozy too, I reckon,” Applejack agrees as she thumbs up the edge of her cowboy hat despite being indoors. A fact Rarity briefly complained about moments earlier.

“You made this for me?!” young human Cozy asks her mother in stunned awe.

“Happy Heart's Warming, my darling Cozy!” Twilight cheers with tears of joy shining in her eyes. This, in turn, fogs her glasses. “I hope you like it. I made it with love.”

“I bet you did!” Rarity agrees proudly. “And it looks lovely, darling.” Excitedly, she waves at Cozy several times as she encourages, “Quickly, darling, put it on! Put it on! We'll take a picture of you in it.”

“Because it will last longer,” Sweetie Belle adds, followed by a short giggle.

Instead of that, Cozy puts it down before getting up and rushing into her mother's warm embrace.

She couldn't believe it! Couldn't believe how much her mother loved her, and how desperately Cozy needed that. When she was abandoned at the orphanage, she feared something like this would never happen again.

Thinking of that, pony Cozy is reminded of something else.

“Don't do what I've done, Cozy Glow! Don't take your friends and family for granted!” human Cozy begged of pony Cozy personally, albeit in a shared dream. “We need them . . . so much more than we can possibly know! They are a part of us just as much as we are to each other, and they . . .” She sank to her knees as she whimpered strongly. Her shoulders bobbed in the dream at the time. “These are such very good people. Cherish them, Cozy! I beg of you. Pleeeeeeeeease!”

When pony Cozy accepted that promise, she meant every word of it. Maybe she will see her counterpart again, and that is the plan, but at the time . . . it felt like a dying wish. A wish from her other self. A life that could have been her own if she just happened to land on the other side of the coin.

How could she refuse?

Of course, that also meant making a serious attempt with her mother. In other words, this version of Twilight.

But, aside from a feeling like it might betray the memory of her birth mother, why does she resist Twilight's advances so much? When push comes to shove, thinking back, she has to admit that Twilight isn't personally guilty of much against Cozy directly. It was more like guilt by association. Twilight is friends with Celestia, Luna, and Discord? Then BAM! Automatically guilty! The gavel comes down. Court is adjourned.

But Twilight did free her from the curse of stone. After that, she did the same thing that her own counterpart did. She adopts Cozy Glow and gives her a home. That had so much meaning for Cozy's counterpart because the act was framed in the mindset that it was a rescue from a horrible fate.

In a way, that has happened here too, except pony Cozy was deeply traumatized with a severe case of P-T-S-D.

Pain leads to fear, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate . . . leads right back to pain. A vicious cycle that was already there from day one! Twilight didn't really have a serious chance in Cozy's heart if she thinks about it.

But is that it? Is that the whole reason?

For a moment, Cozy struggles to simply imagine herself forgiving and accepting pony Twilight just as her human counterpart did with that world's Twilight. When she does, some deep part of her ego lashes back at the idea, and she notices that that voice inside her does it in anger mixed with terror.

Terror? Why? Why is she afraid? What consequences does forgiveness bring? What does she have to lose?

“Your pride,” Cozy hears in her head, but this time the voice sounds like Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer? Huh. That's interesting, Cozy thinks to herself. A splinter of her existed in my counterpart too for several moons. That was a byproduct of Equestrian magic which accidentally afflicted my counterpart.

But as for me . . . I don't need some magic stone to afflict me with magic. I am magic . . . and I've existed within the magical source that afflicted my counterpart. While she got zapped by it for a brief moment, I've been living within it my whole life.

“What do you mean by my pride?” Cozy asks within herself to Sunset Shimmer while secretly unsure if Sunset will answer. If she does, then Cozy has to acknowledge the fact that her insanity has kicked up a notch. First Sombra, and now Sunset. It's getting awfully crowded in here.

“Indeed, your pride,” Sunset confirms. “Think about it! Twilight is a symbol for all that you defied. By rejecting her friendship, you took a stance against her. You defined that as who you are.

“However, if you suddenly abandon those principles, then it is the same as admitting that you've been wrong all along, or that you have at least changed your mind. Who was it that changed your mind? Twilight Sparkle . . . the Princess of Friendship . . . and the one you regarded as your nemesis.

“So, in other words, to accept her friendship is the same as accepting defeat, and you already suffered that plenty of times before because of her and her friends. Your anger towards her is the last holdout of your pride. If you lose that, then her victory is complete. Since you labeled her as an enemy earlier, then that also means that you regard her victory as your defeat, and that . . . is something your pride cannot tolerate.

“That's a sad perspective, Cozy Glow, because she's honestly on your side. She's your ally, not your enemy.”

My pride? Cozy wonders to herself.

Yes. That feels accurate. When she thinks of it from that perspective, her determination to reject Twilight suddenly becomes clearer because that means there is something to lose. There is something at stake.

So, the question is: Is it still worth defending?

In her mind, Cozy Glow imagines her pride as a black skull that is held between her wingtips. The black skull has a miasma-like purple glow hovering out its eye sockets. The glow leaks out and drifts above like noxious, poisonous fume. Looking at it that way doesn't even feel insulting to Cozy. She knows she's a little demon deep down.

Now this is what she's got. This is what is at stake. Right now she's standing at the edge of a cliff. Down below, there is a lake of fire and burning lava. The churning lava of an active volcano. She is poised above it while holding the black skull over the cliff. She's about ready to drop it and she's considering it very seriously because of the promise she made to her counterpart. Giving Twilight Sparkle, her “mother” an honest chance would fulfill the conditions of that promise at least one step further.

And the truth is, a part of her wants to. There will probably always be some lingering loyalty she'll always feel for her birth mother, but the sad truth is her birth mother was never there for Cozy, even when she needed her mother the most. That probably isn't her mother's fault, but it's true nonetheless.

However, Twilight has stepped up to the plate and willingly embraced that role with gusto. She said, “Here I am! I'll be your mother, Cozy Glow! Please accept my love for you, my special little girl. I give it to you willingly.”

Then, all of the sudden, another flashback from her counterpart.

“Okay then . . . we're here! You can open your eyes now.”

Cozy's counterpart opened her eyes, then she gasped in astonishment as she beheld her new room for the first time.

“What do you think?” Cozy's mother asked in delight as she twirled happily to the cloudy-looking bed in the center of the room. She grasped one of its poles as she sat down on the corner of the bed. “Do you like it?” she pressed. “Be honest now. Miss Winda told me that you like childish and cutesy things, so I did my best to accommodate you with this. What do you think?”

Cozy was speechless! Her wide eyes swept through the room in heavy shock, absorbing all the details she saw before her.

“Everything you see here is all for you!” Cozy's mother told her cheerfully. “Everything, including me.”

Cozy focused on her.

“Here.” She stood up while she pulled one of many pillows from the bed. This one was shaped as a red heart symbol. It looked like the kind of gift one buys on Valentines Day. She approached Cozy with it until she stood before her daughter. She thrust the pillow to Cozy's chest. “Take it,” she commands softly. “It's all for you. You hold everything in your hands now, Cozy Glow. All that I am. All of my heart. Take it. I give it to you freely.”

Cozy loved her mother for that moment, but it was difficult to accept. She was far more accustomed to pain at that point of her life. It felt unreal to shift to the opposite so suddenly. It felt like a trick. Something that's too good to be true, and her ever-suspicious nature in either reality kept her from fully embracing this for a moment.

But human Twilight hugged her and her emotion felt so sincere. Cozy was so accustomed to living a lie that experiencing such raw and wholly naked truth felt daunting. A liar and a cheat always looks over their shoulders, prepared to guard themselves against others whom she suspects shares her own nature.

Back on the imaginary cliff over the lake of fire, Cozy looks over her pony shoulders to see who is standing there. She expects to see her voice of conscience. In a way, she finds what she seeks, for Sunset Shimmer is standing there, albeit the human version of her. The version that Cozy has always accepted as the “normal” version of her.

That Sunset Shimmer, who is wearing her traditional black leather jacket (which should be a nightmare near the heat of lava). Her jacket is open which reveals her purple shirt and her cutie mark splayed in front of that.

Sunset doesn't say anything. She just gives a calm nod as if to say, “You know what you have to do.”

As Cozy looks back at Sunset, she notices the other woman's look of confidence and pride towards Cozy as if she knows what Cozy will decide and knows it will be the right thing. After all, a true friend has faith and trust in their friends.

But there is another side to this scenario, isn't there? If Sunset is the proverbial angel, then there should also be a devil.

Looking over her other shoulder, Cozy isn't surprised to see King Sombra standing . . .

Wait! Actually, no. That's Crystal Sage! This pony is not wearing his kingly, tyrant attire. Instead, he's only wearing his traditional red scarf that a loved one gave him which, again, seems out of place for this particular environment, especially considering what it is enchanted to do.

He, too, isn't saying anything to Cozy. He's just standing there and staring at Cozy.

There is, however, a subtle look in his eyes that seems to serve as a warning. If she had to translate that expression into words, it would be, “I've been down that dark path before, and deep down . . . you know where it leads. You know this because we both experienced it.

“Think carefully about your choices. If a tragic history can serve as one bit of consolation, it is this; it can serve as a guide for the future. For every wrong turn you make, you augment your knowledge and wisdom on what doesn't work in life. Remember this, and find your true path.”

Wow! That's actually a lot of deep meaning from a mere look, but that's King Sombra for you. He always did have a lot of weight and gravitas to his powerful, if also tragic, spirit.

Cozy looks forward with a surprised blink as she thinks, Okay. This is rare. The angel and devil on my shoulder are basically agreeing with each other. They are encouraging me to decide for myself, but I can read between the lines. They are also implying that I should let my pride go. Maybe they think I don't need it anymore.

And do I? If I surrender to Twilight, I'll still live in her castle with my cozy room, armies of servants, the finest chefs in the lands, and most importantly . . . plenty of friendship opportunities.

Is there any part of my mind . . . from anyone . . . who thinks this is a bad idea?

Cozy searches deep within herself for the most likely voices who might encourage her to hold onto her pride. Eventually she comes up with a potential answer. She looks over her shoulder again, this time seeing Queen Chrysalis.

In her head, she thinks there is a chance that the former changeling queen would encourage Cozy to hold onto her pride with stubborn determination. After all, that's what Chrysalis did herself. Friendship was offered to her too. In response, she proudly, and angrily, slapped it away.

But, when her mind considers a truly realistic response Chrysalis would give at a moment like this, all she could see is Chrysalis cackling madly. She's literally tied up in a straight jacket and doesn't seem aware of her environment. In Cozy's imagination, Chrysalis is lost inside her own head as well. She's probably laughing because some delusion of hers shows her in victory over all her enemies and she's in charge of the changeling swarm again.

As far as Cozy is concerned, however, she isn't a factor to Chrysalis at all. In the changeling queen's head, Cozy isn't even standing there. Instead, she's too lost in her own fantasy.

So, in other words, no guidance there one way or another.

Cozy looks forward, closes her imaginary eyes, and shakes her head. Perhaps she should have expected that from Chrysalis, but there was one more dark guide in her life that she looked up to.

Cozy swallows hard then checks over her shoulder again, this time seeing Lord Tirek standing there instead of Chrysalis. In Cozy's mind, the true image of Tirek is a buff version of himself because that is the way he sees himself. He's not a gargantuan giant towering over the mountains of Equestria, but he still cuts an imposing figure.

In this case, he has his arms crossed in front of his chest and gives Cozy a stoic look that also has respect in his eyes. From him, that is the closest he seems to come to showing true affection. Despite how great he can be with magic (especially when he steals a great deal of it) in his heart, he's always been a hardcore and solid warrior.

At first, Cozy thinks he'd encourage her to hold onto her pride. After all, that's something he's always done for himself.

But again . . . her own imagination surprises her because the depths of her subconscious brings up other factors that she isn't consciously considering. In this case, it is the love and respect he has for her and how someone like him would express that.

Once again he doesn't say a word, but he does give a firm nod to her. In his eyes, he communicates to Cozy that she needs to be strong, and the strong decide for themselves what that means and what is required to achieve it. In general, it is likely he'd encourage her to take whatever path is the most challenging and beneficial for her in the long run. He wouldn't be so quick to encourage her to consider anyone else's feelings. In his mind, everyone should only look after themselves, for it is the law of nature.

He'd hate to admit it, but he has coddled Cozy before far more than he has ever done with anyone else. However, that is a habit he tried to ween himself and her out of. Instead of that, he would encourage independence for her and that, in turn, requires confidence and intense inner strength.

No doubt he'd also admit that outer strength certainly helps with that, regardless of its source. For him, all paths are morally justified if it leads to ultimate strength for one's self in the end. After that, he knows that it is only the winners that write the story, so it doesn't matter what it takes to get there. There are no true consequences for one's actions as long as victory is secured.

But there are many paths to victory, and any one is as good as another. For him, it is stealing other's magic to artificially augment his strength. For Cozy, securing a solid alliance with the most powerful mare in Equestria can easily be considered a win. Tirek would squint in disgust at this because he hates relying upon others and he hates ponies in general, but ultimately it could be considered a means to an end. Tirek is indeed cunning enough to realize subversive tactics can be effective in winning a war, so he's the last person to tell Cozy to avoid it if it gives her a solid chance at victory.

And, if Cozy's pride is the last obstacle that is blocking her from her path to victory, then it is a weakness that he would encourage to be destroyed without mercy, for a true warrior does not brook weaknesses if such a person can help it.

Cozy is shocked because she really did not expect that. All the voices in her head are suggesting for her to let this go, even the ones she'd expect to serve the opposite message.

Although, in Chrysalis's case, her opinion is technically neutral. Since there is no true vote here, that gives more weight to the others who do have a stronger opinion.

In fact, the only voice in her head that is encouraging her to keep her pride is her pride itself.

In her mind, that black skull is melting through her hooves and threatening to drop into the lava below but, just before it drops, it clings to her wingtips like melted wax. It's still slipping but it is the only force that is making a true attempt to defend itself.

Dare I? Cozy wonders to herself. Do I make this sacrifice? Is it worth it?

Cozy read somewhere that victory that is achieved at all costs is no true victory, and retreat to fight another day is no true defeat. Whatever the smart move is is always the best tactic.

“Where would you be without me?” the voice in the black skull asked her in what sounded like a sinister and impish voice. “When you had nothing else, I was there! When you shivered in the cold of your filthy slave cage, I was there! When you were on the brink of giving up and was about to die, I was there to defend you!

“Admit it! You wouldn't have made it nearly this far without me!

“I saved your life when you needed it the most! It was me! It was all ME!

“How dare you even consider doing this to me, you filthy swine! If you give me up, you'll lose a lot more than you realize.

“Consider all the times I saved you in the past, then project that importance into the future. If I'm not there, next time you will fall! It's just a matter of time!”

“No she will not!” calls the voice of Twilight behind her. Cozy looks back and sees her mother shining with brilliant purple sparkles all around her, especially in her mane and tail. She has her wings spread out wide. She is also standing tall with her legs spread out a bit in a firm and determined stance, yet there is a soft gentleness to her expression as she regards her daughter.

“Your pride is not the only source of your strength anymore, Cozy,” Twilight promises. “I'll make sure of that.

“Maybe, at one time, pride really was your only defense, but that is just not the case anymore. We all grow as we evolve and our situation changes. Now you have me, and all of my friends, to back you up. Now you have friends, Cozy Glow, and friends look out for each other.

“We all have strengths and weaknesses within ourselves, and we all carry burdens that we might not even want to admit that we have, but the advantage of friendship is that we don't need to carry those burdens alone. Together we are stronger. Together we will both meet and defeat any obstacle placed in front of us.

“Cozy Glow . . . please come home to me! I'm here for you now . . . and I will never abandon you again! Not EVER again! You hear me, Cozy? NEVER!”

One more time, Cozy scans all the imaginary compony she has behind her upon on that cliff. One by one, she gets a final nod of confirmation from each one except for Chrysalis. She's too far gone to be aware what's going on around her.

Once she sees that, she looks back at the black melting skull between her wings with a look of resolve.

As if aware what her decision is, her pride snaps at her in pure spite, “You will regret this!”

Like the others behind her, Cozy doesn't say a word, for this thing isn't worth it. Instead, she spreads her wings apart too far for the skull to be supported between it. There is a bit of resistance to pull her wings apart because of the melted wax. This is the last futile attempt for her pride to defend itself.

Down it drops into the lava. Cozy watches it melt into black smoke without pity or remorse.

Thank you, Cozy thinks to her dying pride. You were useful for a time, but that usefulness is at an end. I have more resources to work with now, so you are obsolete.

After that, Cozy turns about to look back at her mother far more emotionally, for this is her alternative. This is what she gained in exchange for her sacrifice. Now that she's given up her pride, she'll need what she gained all the more desperately.

So she races into her mother's embrace in her mind.

That vision of the warmth of that glowing hug melts back into her true reality.

“Thank you, Mother!” Cozy cried into her mother's chest. “Thank you for taking care of me and welcoming me into your heart.”

Twilight laughs softly even through her tears, then she said, “Truth be told, you didn't give me much of a choice.”