A Little Hope

“Nngh!”

My wings are so stiff, the pain in my body is unimaginable. Ignore it, for now. Pain doesn’t matter. I need to get my thoughts together. Remember what you were taught Cozy; first, identify your location. I see a stone floor, I see a wall made of Crystal and six guards in crystalline armor to either side of me. Okay, so I’m in the Crystal Empire, most likely the royal castle.

Good. Now, are there any familiar creatures about? I see Princess Lovebottom sitting there...on the ground? That’s odd, shouldn’t she be in her thro- who’s that? An Alicorn, but one I don’t recognize. Barely taller than me, though judging by the stern expression on Mrs. Lovey Dove's face, a creature to be wary of.

On the ground around me is a bunch of...concrete? Right, the prison, I remember Discord saying something about that before I lost consciousness. Something about spending eternity together. And yes, there’s Mr. Muscles and Mrs. Sourface, she seems about to pass out, and he really let his exercise go. I can barely flap my wings, and standing up is requiring an obscene amount of effort. My limbs are so sore and stiff. Focus, Cozy! How long were we inside there? And more importantly, why were we set free?

I guess the first step would be to talk to the one in charge, maybe with enough schmoozing, I can formulate a means of escape. My throat is barely responsive. Come on, girl, you can do this. Just like always.

“He...Hello there! Boy howdy, it was cramped in there. Were you the one that set us free from that horrible stone prison? That was awfully kind of …”

Alright, didn’t expect to feel spears at my throat. Something tells me I need to stop talking and listen. They aren’t playing games. I guess I’ll drop the act.

“Not buying it, huh?... I see, so you know of my gift of manipulation. Can’t blame a filly for trying. So, what do you want?... To redeem me?... How noble, for the mighty Alicorn Overlord to get some Filly Scout points helping the wayward Pegasus. So what, am I to owe you some favor for your generous kindness? What's the game here?... You say I’m acting a bit spoiled? A bit rude?... You want to know why I tried to destroy all magic in this world; why I hate Alicorns?”

Why I hate Alicorns...Straight to the point, isn’t she? I like that. Judging from that glare on Princess Love Bun’s face over there, I should probably answer this tiny nuisance. Alright then, you want to know why I wished to remove magic from this world? Why do I hate Alicorns so much? Fine. I’ll tell you why, you little wretch.

“I grew up in a world of doing what it takes, whatever it takes, to survive. I’ve lied, stolen, killed, and even worse, just to survive on the streets... My soul, my body. None of it mattered... Chains, beatings, none of it mattered... As long as I survived there was a chance for my reven- ... What? A tea party?”

***

This room is huge! And that bed is big enough to hold all four Princesses and then some. This chair is nice and comfortable. Wait...Hold on, why did I agree to come here? Why is she being so nice? What is she after? She dismissed her royal guard, but why? What does she want from me?

“Huh?... Yeah, it feels nice, and this tea is...Why are you asking me that? Why are you being so nice to me?... Am I worried? Yeah, a little, I guess...I shouldn’t be? But you dismissed the guards and…I...”

She’s got a point. If she really wished to hurt me, I doubt any guards would lift a hoof to intervene. I still don’t understand why she wanted a private tea party, though. Why is she so carefree about this? Look at her, no fear, no worries. Is her magic that powerful? Or is it something else?

“Alright, but then why?... You thought I would feel more comfortable talking this way, I...”

What do I say? Maybe she actually cares? I don’t know, nopony has ever thought to ask me about my life, much less listened when I talked. Could she be different?

“You want to know more about my past? I…”

Can I trust her?