Cozy Glow learns a lesson

“Glad to finally get some fresh air, it's been too long since we’ve done something like this!”
said Cake as she trotted beside Twilight. The warm summer skies mixed with the midday sun as the two ponies made their way to the usual meeting spot. Cake was sleep deprived and having a hard time trying to keep her focus. She kept her eyes up, but couldn't keep them from rolling around. Her training and constantly being the unlucky filly to draw fire watch at the academy was the only thing that kept her going, along with knowing it made Twilight happy when she accompanied her to hang out with her friends.

“Darling, you made it!” said Rarity as the pair made their way onto the picnic blanket.
Dash and Applejack had made it too, but it looked like the rest of the Elements couldn't. Cake had grown used to it after the school opened, and was a bit thankful as it meant she didn't have the stress of protecting Equestria’s most valuable assets alone.

“How's the redemption project going, Cake?” asked Dash before she sucked down a glass of water, emptying it in one quick motion to show off.

“Uh, she stopped breaking plates a couple days ago. But I think she just got bored of it,” the small unicorn said as she scratched the back of her neck and fantasized about falling asleep nuzzled under a blanket.

“Leaves me wonderin’ what could have happened to that filly to make her act like this. Apple Bloom used to get bullied by a filly kinda like her but, well, she wasn't half as manipulative or schemin’,” Applejack said as she shook her head and kept her eyes down, “She was Filthy Rich’s daughter so we couldn't do much about it, sadly.”

“Fucking nobles,” replied Cake as she scowled at the ground. Rarity kept her mouth shut and pretended not to hear them. Twilight rubbed Cake’s back with her wing as the group moved onto other topics as to not sour the mood and ruin the day.

Spike opened his eyes in a haze after his quick nap and got off the couch. He looked around the castle for a while, looking for where the mares he had just seen that morning had gone until he noticed Twilight's saddle bag was missing in her room. As he was leaving the bedroom he heard soft sobs coming from the adjacent door, barely audible if it wasn't for how quiet the castle was. After debating with himself for a few seconds he decided to go in and talk to Cozy and maybe find a way to help her.

Inside the room was both a mess and well made. The bedsheets had been ripped up and neatly put back onto the bed like puzzle pieces and the desk Cozy was sitting at was covered in scratches and chips like somepony had attacked it with a knife. But worse of all was the filly, her once painstakingly coiled mane was now free and covering her face. Short and long in all the wrong places with matted and neglected coils that remained through it all. Her face was pressed down into her desk as her hooves shielded her from the natural light bleeding in past the ripped up curtains she had previously used to clog every toilet she could get to before Cake had stopped her a day ago.

“Are… you okay?” asked Spike as he held his claws close to his chest and stumbled a few steps forward. Cozy rose up and scratched her eye.

“W- why do you care?” she said as another small sob escaped her as she turned to face him.

“Because… I just do, okay?” Was all he could come up with. “Why are you crying?”

Cozy looked away as she fiddled with the lower part of mane around her neck. “Cake, s-she hit me…”

“Yeah, I heard,” Spike said as his eyes shifted down the pillow she was sitting on, then went wide as he noticed a few small red drops were visible where she had moved around uncomfortably. “Just how hard did she hit you?” he asked in a low, disgusted tone.

“Hard enough where I can't feel my ass anymore,” she said as she stared at the wall in front of her. “It’s been numb for a while now.”

Spike tapped his claws together as he thought of what to do or say. Cake was never mean or rude to him, in fact he considered her one of the best guards he had ever met, second only to his brother. But this had gone against any form of rational punishment. “Do you want me to get you a ice pack, or a wet rag?” he mumbled.

“Yeah, I could use a rag and a brush,” Cozy said as she opened one of the dresser drawers and pulled out a small mirror to look at herself.

“O- on it,” the small dragon quickly said as he walked backwards and out of the room to go get the requested items. As he did he walked through the living room and bumped into the returning couple as they walked through the large castle doors. Twilight looked calm, relaxed, and a bit satisfied, while Cake on the other hoof looked like she was about to fall over dead of exhaustion.

“Hey Spike! How was your nap?” asked Twilight as she smiled at the drake.

“It was fine, um, can I talk to you about Cozy for a second…” replied Spike as his eyes narrowed on Cake, eyeing her over for any signs she would stop him from spilling the news.

Cake’s eyes were hardly open, only being able to see the castle floor under her as she stumbled to keep her balance. “Uh, in a minute Spike.” Twilight brushed him off as she focused onto Cake’s situation and pulled the mare into the library where she, and more importantly Cake could relax. Twilight lay down on one of the large couches and pulled a book out randomly, and got comfortable as she wrapped a wing around Cake, as the white unicorn’s eyes closed for good and she began to softly snore.

“Twilight,” Spike said tapping his foot on the floor as he crossed his arms and looked up at the two.

“Oh. Yeah, what did you want to talk about Spike?” Twilight said as she opened her book.

“It's Cake!” he half whispered. “She hit Cozy Glow so hard she was crying… and I could see the blood on the pillow she was sitting on and-”

Twilight set down her book as her expression went from relaxed to cold and poker. “What?” she asked in a deep tone.

“She was telling me about how she couldn't even feel her back end, and it’s been at least an hour or more since-”

Twilight interrupted Spike by kicking Cake awake. The mare shot up and looked around confused, then something grabbed her hair and pulled her along and into the kitchen. Inside the kitchen Cozy Glow was wetting a dish rag, and when she turned to the small group of ponies she cut the water. Twilight dropped Cake on the floor and looked over to the filly. Dried tears were covering her face as she dropped the rag.

“I- I’m sorry, I'll go back to my room!” the pegasus said as she stepped a few feet back and away from the towering alicorn.

Twilight was just about to reach and grab the filly in for a hug when her eyes caught the shade of an odd color on the counter, just below the large cabinets. It was almost impossible for an untrained eye to spot it on the crystal, but once she saw it she couldn't look away. The small traces of red dust were just barely visible as a ray of light shined down on them. Then Twilight’s cold demeanor returned before she reached out and pinched the filly’s butt with her magic.

Cozy Glow let out a small yelp before she had realized she had been caught. Twilight turned her around with her magic quickly and saw the fake blood with her own eyes. It was little more than water mixed with a lot of red food coloring. Her butt looked just fine without the small drips of the red water coming off it, no cuts or scratches. Twilight let the filly go and pinched her again.

“Yes, I think it would be for the best if you went back to your room!” she almost shouted as the filly galloped off down the hallway.

“Phew, almost thought she was gonna get away with it,” said Cake as she picked herself up and looked at Twilight.

“Yeah, she almost did…” replied Twilight as she picked Cake up onto her back and returned to the library. Spike looked around, embarrassed he had fallen for another one of her tricks before following them.