We had done it.
We managed to overthrow “Grogar.”
Discord had thought he was in control.
But the Bell and its magic – powerful magic – was under our control.
My control.
I managed to overwhelm the Royal Guard by myself, I made the plans that allowed us to gain control of the entire nation.
I overthrew the princesses of Equestria.
So, how did everything go so wrong?
How was I in this situation?
“... the more who understand how powerful friendship is, the stronger we will all be.” Twilight Sparkle hovered above me. Her eyes blazed an ethereal white, mane flowing with the sheer amount of magic she emitted.
Why did I feel so powerless?
Floating slightly below her – and enveloped in magic – were the Pillars, the Elements, and those creatures I once called my classmates. They all glowed a radiant white, a color that shined through the dark, frosty clouds of the Windigos.
“Together,” Twilight Sparkle stated.
Prismatic streams of magic shot out from the three groups, flowing freely towards Twilight Sparkle, merging into one. The purple princess acted as a conduit, and the magic gathered within her.
Chills ran down my spine, my hooves curled in front of me, stiff, difficult to move. My wings began to flap faster and faster, yet I wasn’t moving from where I hovered.
It was like I lost control of my own body.
I saw a piercing beam of magic blaze out of Twilight Sparkle’s horn, making its way to the heavens. The dark, gloomy clouds faded away, replaced by the shimmering sun and pure white clouds, letting the sunlight through. My pupils shrunk as I hovered beside Tirek and Chrysalis.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” I asked, staring at the rainbow beam that shot through the sky.
For a brief moment, I thought of flying away, of trying to save myself. I screamed at my body to move, for my wings to flap, to escape and fight another day. Overwhelmed by panic, however, my body refused, and all I could do was stare as the rainbow arched and began to fall down onto us.
I squeezed my eyes shut as the blinding beam of magic shot towards me. A cruel warmth began to pervade through my small form, draining away all the magic I had, draining me of the power I had. I clung to it, but nothing I did changed anything. Power was sapped from me, and I could feel my wings shrinking, my horn receding back into my body, slowly fading into my curled, mint mane.
I vaguely heard something crack, the ring of Grogar’s Bell fading. They were taking away all I had worked for, all the power that belonged to me.
They were taking away my control.
Still, there was a nagging feeling of reassurance that everything would turn out for the best. I could feel magic coursing through my form. Maybe it would stay, maybe I would become even stronger! Hope filled me.
I hated that.
In no way, shape, or form would there be anything left for me after this. I had given it my all this one, last time. And for what? To be beaten by what was rightfully mine?
The beam faded, and I fell onto the ground, wings numb from what I was subjected to. I glanced up with wide eyes. I raised a hoof to my forehead, checking for any signs of a horn. No, it was gone, taken away. Shifting my gaze, Tirek’s large, powerful form had disappeared, reduced to a shriveled caricature of a centaur. Chrysalis’s regal look – well, as regal as a bug queen could be – had faded, too.
Shakily, I stood up, staring ahead.
In front of me, the Elements, Pillars, my former classmates, and whoever was beyond the horizon had gathered, stepping – marching ever closer like an army come to crush us. I reflexively took flight, fluttering my wings until I was as tall as the other two beside me. Tirek took multiple steps back, while Chrysalis kept up her false bravado. Couldn’t she see?
We were powerless.
I was powerless.
Weak.
Again.
My forelegs curled in front of me, chest heaving with shaky breaths, body trembling. I was a filly, a small helpless filly. All my strength was taken from me, all my magic… no wit would save me from whatever they had planned. Wings beating faster yet with nowhere to run, all I could do was stare back at my greatest enemies with shrunken pupils.
We had reigned above them, but now... they reigned above us.
Above me.
I had no control.
“You think friendship will save you?!” Chrysalis snarled while I continued to back away. “We will always return! Nothing will ever stop—”
A shadow loomed over me. I looked up, only to be slammed into the ground. The object was strangely soft yet heavy. The voices of the ponies were muffled, my ears finding it difficult to move while my eyes were pressed shut, and I squirmed around with barely moveable legs. I pulled on a spongy substance, pushing it out of the way while my hindlegs struggled to push me forward.
Heart beating faster and faster, I wrestled with what had me pinned. All I could see was black. Nowhere could I see the light.
I was trapped.
I hated it.
I needed to get out!
“Hm...”
I gazed over the stack of textbooks to my side. Math, Science, History, and that doesn’t even include our take-home worksheets. I sighed and leaned against my seat. Glancing to my right, my curtain was closed, as usual. Apparently Mom and Dad thought it was a safety hazard.
Safety hazard, how?
My parents always told me to finish my homework, study in advance, and bring out the most of my potential. Well, I guess that was fine, but I was just… here, in my room, studying for hours on end. Mom would always check up on me every hour, making sure I was studying, and that I was still in the house.
It wasn’t like I had anywhere to go.
“Might as well.” I sighed, slumping over my desk. I picked up a pencil with a hoof before flipping open my math book. Our teacher said to do pages a hundred to a hundred-and-one, so I guessed I’d do that first. I took sparing glances at my window. Yes, the curtain was always closed, but it was the closest thing I had to entertainment. The gentle breeze in my room kept me company, and it made my purple curtain dance while hints of moonlight seeped through the window.
Close enough to freedom, I guess.
I gave my math book one last stroke of my pencil, and that was math done for the day. I pulled over my science book with a grunt, followed by a heavy thump. Honestly, the first thing I’m told to do when I get home is to lock myself up in my room to study? My wings fluttered while I double-checked the instructions our teacher made us write down – Page fifty, time to start with that.
My ears twitched. I heard the soft beats of hooves ascending the stairs. I quickly narrowed my eyes at my book, doing my homework as if I had all the motivation in the world. Really, I’d rather flop onto bed for a while, maybe come up with a few stories about being outside in my head.
That was the most enjoyable thing I could do.
Two knocks echoed in my room, and I heard my door open with a click. I didn’t mind it, I didn’t stop to look. Instead, I focused on finishing this assignment. Seeing me like this usually made them happy. Though they tried to be quiet, I still caught the soft hoofbeats that approached me. Two forelegs wrapped around me, my mother nuzzling my mint mane lovingly.
“How’s the homework going, dear?” she asked, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.
I giggled playfully. “Mama, I’m trying to finish it!”
“So hardworking,” my mom cooed. “Dinner’s ready, do you want to come down or finish that first?”
I hummed in thought, glancing between my mom and my book. “Maybe… ten more minutes?” I asked with puppy-dog eyes.
“Alright.” She nuzzled me again. “I’ll call you again later, dear.”
“Okay!” Don’t leave me here...
She flashed me a smile before leaving my room. The bright smile I gave her slowly faded as I turned back to face my desk. I could hear nothing in my room, not even the swaying of my curtain, or even the soft voices of the characters in my head.
I was alone.
Nothing new, though.
I dragged my forehooves down my face, groaning, before I gingerly picked up my pencil again. I continued to circle my answers among the choices of each question. I rested a foreleg on my desk, leaning my cheek against its hoof while I blanky gazed at the page. What more could I do? My parents don’t even let me play with other foals. I was always the one listening to them; I had no say in anything.
I had no control.
Not to mention, my ‘home’ might as well be this room. After all, they’d just buy book after book after book. To my left, my bookshelf was filled with ones I had used since my younger years. Going from the bottom to the top, the books were older or newer respectively. Schoolbooks, of course. Not one of them were stories, the closest thing to that were my history books.
They were preparing me for my future, apparently, and they wanted to let their ‘star filly’ shine.
They called me a star?
I must’ve burnt out.
In class, I don’t even get praised for being one of the brightest in the room anymore. Instead, I would be chided for raising my hoof to answer questions on the board. The other foals look at me not as inspiration, but as if they were offended. I wasn’t trying to prove anything, I just wanted to put what my parents made me do to good use.
Sighing, I closed my book and waited silently for the next five minutes to pass. I folded my forelegs in front of me, gently resting my head on top.
The stars might as well be my parents. Dad boasts about how he raised his filly right, about how he does everything for me. Mom, for the most part, tells others that I’m a sweet little angel, sometimes chiding my dad for his exuberance. Whenever I’d walk alongside them in the streets, I was always in their shadow, trapped between them.
I had to follow them.
I had nowhere else to go, after all.
I felt something run down my cheek. I sat up straight and raised a hoof to touch where I felt it. Smushing my hoof against my cheek, I felt moisture. I gasped, swiftly rubbing my eyes with my forelegs, staining my fur with my tears.
I was crying? Again?
They were doing what’s best for me, I shouldn’t be crying.
I was their sweet little angel Cozy Glow.
I made them happy.
My chest heaved as I made to get off of my seat. I had to sniffle and wipe away another tear while my wings steadied me.
But was I happy?
Mom and Dad were, so I should be too, right?
Walking towards my door, I looked over my shoulder, checking if I had put away everything neatly, and, with a nod to myself, I left my room.
I glided down the stairs, humming cheerfully to myself when I succeeded. Wings got better! I made a soft bank to the left, towards the dining table where my parents were seated, talking to each other with smiles on their faces.
“Mama, Papa,” I called to them, landing beside my chair. “I finished it early!”
“Did you finish everything?” My dad’s deep voice echoed in my ears.
I nodded. “I finished my math and science.” My seat squeaked as I jumped onto it up.
My mom reached over to pass me my utensils. I smiled thankfully as my dad hummed in thought.
“So you’re not done with everything, yet?” he asked.
I winced. “I’ll finish everything before I sleep.”
“You should also start with the new books we got you.”
The smile faded as my gaze fell over my plate of hay, a simple dinner, but Mom knew I liked it, which made her cook it more often. Dad really couldn’t go a day without pushing me forward, can he? It’s… all the time, he tells me to keep on going, to not look back, to keep on advancing. I was under his watch, always. Every plea, every word I said would be denied if it wasn’t for my studies. Cooped up in my room, that’s the life I lived.
I was powerless.
I had no control.
Hearing a sigh opposite to me, I feigned a happier expression.
“You know we’re doing this for you, Cozy,” my dad said. “We only want you to be ready for your future.”
“I know, Papa,” I whispered. “It’s just…”
Mom chimed in, “I know what’ll make you feel better.” She smiled and got up. “Wait for a moment…”
I silently nibbled on my food while my mom disappeared into the living room. Dad just ate, too, neither of us speaking a word. The crumpling of plastic made my ears stand to attention, while I saw the smallest hint of a smirk on my dad’s muzzle.
Mom walked back in with a bag around her wing. She gingerly placed it on her seat while I shoveled the rest of my food into my mouth. My eyes sparkled with interest, Mom smiling at me for being eager. She pulled out a book – which almost made me pout – but what followed it was something like a thick, wooden rectangle. It had a checkered pattern, too.
“What’s that, Mama?” I asked.
“That,” my dad started, “is something we got for you.”
“Believe me, it took a while to convince your dad–” my mom giggled “–but, you said you wanted a hobby, right?”
My mom placed her hooves around a crack along the rectangle and pulled it apart, revealing what looked like small figurines. She carefully placed them aside before flipping the wood now-square over, while my eyes widened and my heart beat grew louder.
“Is this…?” I squeaked.
My mom beamed in response. “It’s a chessboard, dear, and we bought a guide book along with it.”
I squealed. “Can I read?!” Bouncing up and down in joy, I pleaded with my parents, “Then can we play?! Can we, can we, can we?!”
My mom laughed. “Sure, dear. Read up for a bit, though.”
“I’ll have you know”– my dad smirked –“I was a chess player in my younger days.”
“You’re just old, honey,” my mom cooed.
My dad huffed and kept on eating, while I buried my muzzle into the chess guidebook. It gave me a basic outline of what chess was: a strategic board game for two players. There were so many pieces, too! The king and the queen – two of the most important pieces – the knights, bishops, pawns, and rooks! Oh, and they had different moves, huh? And the goal of the game was to corner the opponent’s king with your own pieces.
I sat back on my chair and pulled over the board. Arranging the pieces according to what the book said, the pawns went in front and the rest behind them. I had the white side, while the black pieces faced me along with Dad.
“Can we play?” I asked with a bright smile.
My dad raised an eyebrow dubiously. “Did you memorize all the rules and patterns?”
“Nope!” I giggled. “But I wanna try!”
My mom chuckled, standing beside me and giving me a nuzzle. “Just let her play, honey, with the book open, just in case.”
I turned back to face my dad with a bright smile.
He chuckled and nodded. “Alright, I’ll allow that.”
Using the white pieces, I got to make the first move. I gingerly pushed a pawn forward, to which my dad responded with moving his knight. We exchanged a few moves, my singular goal being to eat all his pieces. Though, it wasn’t an effective strategy, since he had taken four of mine while I only had one of his. I glanced back to my book, double-checking which pieces can move where, as well as rereading what the main objective of the game was: make their king unable to move.
I had to get to the king on his side of the board.
I had to take it over, make it cower.
I needed a strategy.
Instead of going for his pawns and other pieces, I tried shifting around my own to ready myself for pushing towards his backline. Before every move I made, I thought ahead, thinking of how my dad could or would respond to my own moves, predicting the movement of his pieces. I heard him gulp as sweat dripped from his brow. I didn’t have him tell me what to do.
Is this...
A knight rushed ahead.
Is this how it felt to be in control?
My rook darted forward.
It felt amazing.
“That’s checkmate...” My mom's wide-eyed whisper reached my ears.
My dad reclined onto his seat. “I… wow… okay…”
I smirked at his reaction. I made him feel that way. I may have been new to chess and messed up every now and then, but I still managed to beat him. I controlled my pieces – my pawns. I wasn’t trapped in my room, listening to everything they said.
I felt powerful.
A bright light shined from below me. I looked down into the light, and saw my cutie mark. It was a rook piece, the piece that won me that game. My parents cheered and hugged me, while I basked in the feeling of power.
For once, I had power.
I had control.
Shoving aside my memories, I heard the muffled but booming voice of that annoying pink pony. My hooves hastily dug through whatever I was under, following the nauseatingly cheerful sound. It probably was my only way out. When my forehooves felt the prickly grass, my hindlegs gave one more bated push, and I popped out headfirst, taking in a fresh breath of air, though it was stained by a sugary waft. My eyes shot wide, revelling in the light, heedless of its sting.
By my side, Tirek and Chrysalis had managed to dig themselves halfway out as well. I glanced up, taking in the fact that I had been slammed to the ground by a... cupcake. A giant cupcake.
A gold-clad hoof stomped on the ground in front of me. Princesses Celestia and Luna towered above.
“There isn’t a punishment worthy of all you’ve done!” Princess Celestia exclaimed, glaring at us.
I could tell I wasn’t in control anymore. I wasn’t the one with power, it was all taken from me. Despite it all, despite being weak, I needed to fight back, needed to escape.
I had to live.
The king can only move one square.
Out of nowhere, Discord began to whisper into Princess Celestia’s ear, while another copy of himself did the same to Princess Luna.
“Oh, that does seem fitting,” Luna agreed, and her sister let out a small smile.
I gulped. What did he tell them? I tried to flap my wings, hindlegs trying to push my barrel out of the cupcake, but I couldn’t get it out. My heart began to beat faster, blood pulsing through my body.
“May I help?” One Discord asked.
“Please?” the other pleaded. Both had puppy-dog eyes as they cupped their claws around their paws.
“No…” I whispered. “I need to…” I grunted and tried to push myself forward once more.
I needed to get out.
Celestia’s horn blazed, followed by Luna’s, and ending with Discord’s appendages. Chaos magic crackled in harmony with the Royal Sister’s, and a beam shot directly at us.
I gasped as the cupcake we were under exploded. I was free, my body was free, but I wasn’t. It was just a reminder of what my parents had done to me. I never wanted to experience that again. Magic crackled around me as a sharp pain crawled through my body. I tried to move my hindlegs and run, but I couldn’t feel anything. I felt stiff, paralyzed. With gritted teeth, I glanced down at myself.
My eyes widened as I saw stone crawling up my form, enveloping me in a stagnant prison. I wanted to flinch, but that was stopped short as my back and wings were transformed next.
My forelegs shot in front of my muzzle. I looked at them for a moment, pleading, hoping that what I thought was happening wasn’t. Any hope I had left was shattered, ignored, as my forelegs were petrified almost instantaneously, my light pink legs stuck in a sullen shade of gray. I tried to scream, but my voice didn’t work. Couldn’t work. Stone had crept up my neck, air had been sapped from my lungs, leaving my body empty, a husk of the life I had.
Tears began to well in my eyes. The moisture disappeared just as it came, though, and my vision began to fade into a hazy black. I couldn’t move.
No…
All I’d remember were my final thoughts. My first and last thoughts.
Don’t leave me here!
