Ponyville was a place of many things. It started out as a completely normal town, and now was the hotspot for Equestria's well-known events. From Princess Twilight Sparkle's ascension, to the Ursa Major event, and even the introduction of the Castle of Friendship had made Ponyville quite known all around Equestria.
And, of course, the final battle between the whole of Equestria and Lord Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and....Cozy Glow.
It was certainly.....life-changing for everypony.
The Magic of Friendship was supposed to turn the villains into stone. Tirek and Chrysalis were encased into stone statues forever. But not Cozy Glow. Something terribly went wrong, and the poor filly was instead hit with the major blast of the rainbow, burning her instantly in a puff of smoke. All that was left of her was a tiny skeleton.
Needless to say, everypony was horrified.
This wasn't supposed to happen. No, not at all. Sure, she was prosecuted for attempting to conquer Equestria but no one deserved to be brutally killed like this. She was given a proper burial in the Ponyville cemetery but no pony really mourned her.
Except me.
Despite whatever she had done, I couldn't bring it in myself to hate her. I just couldn't.
I trotted across the streets of Ponyville, my head bowed and a single white lily in my mouth. Everywhere, there was peace and quiet. Everypony flitted around joyfully, doing their day work and going about happily.
I forced a smile on my face and raised a hoof to wave at the ponies I passed by. I didn't want to, but sometimes a mare's gotta do things she doesn't want to.
Finally reaching my destination, I sighed and nodded a greeting to the mare at the front gate.
She curled a lip in disgust. "Back again? It'll do you good to just live there only."
"Have a good day!" I chirped back and ignored her groan.
Trotting inside, I then let the smile bloom on my face.
For other ponies, the cemetery reminds them of ponies they lost. Ponies that are in a much better place now. But for me, this was my only source of comfort, having lost the most important thing in my world.
My sweet Cozy.
Her grave was the the very last one in the end, excluded away from the others. No flowers, except the one I bought everyday.
Tears instantly sprang to my eyes.
There was never enough tears to cry. Never enough.
Where had I gone wrong all these years. No pony was to blame for it but I. And the worst part was, I couldn't do anything even if I wanted to.
My steps considerably slow down as I near her grave. I place the lily at the on her gravestone and bend down, so my head is right in front of her.
"Hello Cozy," I whisper. "How are you today? I really miss you, you know. And, never forget, Mommy always loves you."
Eight years earlier.......
I looked down at the new-born filly in my hooves. A soft pink coat, light blue wisps of mane and a pair of tiny wings. She was perfect. She was my love, my life, and my everything.
"Cozy Glow," I breathed out.
"Fly," Two-year old Cozy gurgled out. I looked up from my knitting needles and clapped my hooves in joy as she hovered slightly off the ground.
I trotted over to her and reached up to take her into my hooves. "That's my baby. I love you sweetie."
She nuzzled into me. "Mama," she murmured and I held her tight.
A fresh wave of tears appeared. Where had I gone so wrong, that I lost my sweet Cozy forever? Oh, how much I longed to hold her in my hooves again, just for one last time. Yet, somewhere I made a mistake and now I was paying the price.
As far I knew she hadn't been bullied by the colts and fillies at her school. My heart sank and ears drooped down as a terrible realization came to me.
The pony she had become........was because of me.
I had repeatedly failed to notice any signs that might've driven Cozy to her villainous acts and as a result I had lost her forever. And as villainous her acts had been, her intentions were anything but.
She wanted all the magic for me.
I was born a unicorn but as I grew up, my horn did not. Even as a little filly, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do magic. Not even a simple levitating spell. Growing up, I was treated much as an outcast among my fellow unicorns. That hadn't proven to be a problem until now. As Cozy grew up, she began to notice the ponies mocking me for my lack of magic. She fought tooth and nail for me, but everypony brushed her aside as a meek filly. Little did I know, that would drive Cozy to an extent that she would not stop until she had the combined power of the whole of Equestria.
I choked back a sob as another memory resurfaced, one which I had blandly brushed aside.
"Mommy?" Five-year old Cozy looked up at me. "One day mommy, I'll have all the power of all the ponies in Equestria. Then, I'll give it to you. After that, nopony will make fun of you any longer. I promise Mommy, I really do."
I had just laughed and patted her little curly head.
The tears would not stop flowing now. Nopony was to blame for it, but I. Nopony but me.
If only...... if only I could've done something. But I didn't and now it was too late.
I remember knitting a sweet purple and fuzzy white sweater with a matching hat for her. The very same one she wore when she went to obtain Grogar's Bell with Chrysalis and Tirek.
I remember when she first got her cutie mark of a rook. How overjoyed she had been. The very same one by which she would manipulate all the ponies and other creatures at the School of Friendship.
And the last time I held her in my hooves, Just before she went to the School of Friendship. After which, everything took a turn for the worst.
I was positively grinning with joy as I boarded the train to Ponyville. Finally, finally I had gotten a job at the nearby orphanage to knit clothes for the little colts and fillies. I couldn't wait to tell Cozy all about it.
Funnily enough, I never got to.
As I entered Ponyville, I looked up into what could be defined as pure horror. A war was going on, and, and my sweet Cozy was right there in the middle of it all, as an active participant.
And the worst part was, I couldn't do anything about it. I watched horrified, as the Elements of Harmony, the Pillars of Old Equestria, and another group of younglings together fired a blast of rainbow magic at the three of them.
"NO!" I screamed, but it was of no use. My precious Cozy was gone.
35 years later.......
So many years had passed since that fateful day in Ponyville. And yet, not a single day I missed to go visit her.
I could never forgive myself for what happened. Not at all.
Princess Twilight Sparkle had long taken over as Equestria's sole ruler. Not much had changed, and the statue of Chrysalis and Tirek still stood in the Canterlot gardens. The School of Friendship was running well and good and Starlight Glimmer had taken over as Head-mare. But, for me, nothing changed at all.
Time had taken the toll on me and my fur was lighter, mane turning grey. My hoof-steps were frailer and weaker and the dark bags under my eyes persisted. Yet, none of this would stop me from visiting Cozy.
I trotted over to where she lay peacefully. The mare at the front gate had long gone, and now hardly anypony bothered to stay around.
I placed the lily at the foot of her grave and sat down with some difficulty.
"Hello Cozy darling, how are you? You'd be pleased to know that my woolen sweaters made all the way across to Manehatten. Isn't that wonderful? But without you, nothing matters much. Never forget, my sweet Cozy, I'll always love you, till the very end."
A soft breeze rustled by.
