Cozy Glow woke up in her bed within the bunker where she was staying for the time being. Apple Bloom entered the room with a plate of breakfast.

"Good morning. Empress Flurry Heart is currently running interference so, here's your breakfast." Apple Bloom said in a near monotone like voice.

"What's Flurry Heart's plan anyways? Or do you and your friends even know?" Cozy Glow asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. I'm only involved with making sure you have something to eat so that none of the crystal ponies suspect food missing." Apple Bloom said.

"Smart girl, that Flurry Heart. Though I'm surprised you're not correcting me." Cozy Glow said.

"You are Empress Flurry Heart's special somepony prospect; meaning if things work out, that talk won't be seen as offensive to the Empress of Hearts." Apple Bloom said, though in a little more monotone in her voice.

"Right..." Cozy Glow said before eating her provided breakfast and started exploring the bunker area. It was a fully functioning four bedroom living space Cozy Glow noticed. "Where does Flurry Heart sleep down here?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Empress Flurry Heart; in her efforts to avoid being detected before her plans are ready; sleeps in her real bedroom within the crystal castle itself." Sweetie Belle said from nearby.

"...I'm really starting to get impressed by the brains on that alicorn." Cozy Glow said. "Been a while since I've ever come across somepony who actually measures up to my level of intelligence." She said.

"She may or may not have taken notes from your first takeover attempt, found what worked and what didn't, before making adjustments accordingly." Sweetie Belle said.

"Right...where's your pegasus friend?" Cozy Glow said.

"Scootaloo? She's in the one room only she, you, and Empress Flurry Heart are allowed to go inside. You'll notice it when you see the hoof scanner." Sweetie Belle said.

Cozy Glow proceeded to find the said doorway and the said hoof scanner. Within moments of putting her hoof on it, the door opened and Cozy Glow went inside; the door closing behind her. "Is this...a strategy room?" Cozy Glow said.

"Affirmative." Scootaloo said from nearby. The orange pegasus was wearing a very peculiar uniform.

"Isn't that a costume Rainbow Dash wore during Nightmare Night once?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Nope. This is a real deal. Go ahead and feel it if you don't believe me." Scootaloo said. Cozy Glow did so right away, and was shocked that it was indeed real. "Impressed? Empress Flurry Heart had some Crystal Ponies make it, and had them under the impression she was going to use it for Nightmare Night once she was older." The orange pegasus said.

"I thought you couldn't fly?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Empress Flurry Heart fixed that." Scootaloo said before taking into the air. "It's just that right now, she doesn't want me causing too many gusts of wind with my wings, lest they mess up her strategy room." Scootaloo said before grounding herself.

"Wow...Flurry Heart really did wonders with you." Cozy Glow said. So the entire CMC is completely brainwashed by Flurry Heart. I really gotta hand it to her.

"You may be Empress Flurry Heart's special somepony prospect, but please don't mess anything up without Flurry Heart being in the room." Scootaloo said.

Cozy Glow nodded, but then, noticed what Scootaloo said. "...You...just called her Flurry Heart outright." The pink pegasus said.

"...Tch...dammit, thought I did my best to make the monotone sound convincing and everything..." Scootaloo suddenly said before moving her goggles briefly up on her face, revealing her eyes. Unlike the others, Scootaloo's eyes were completely normal. "Seriously, please don't let this slip, but I only pretend to be brainwashed. Flurry Heart gave me my dream to fly on a silver platter, and is making me the second in command of her Shadowbolt Squadron once she takes over Equestria. And I never truly agreed with you being put to stone. I mean, was that whole thing of getting us into the school a shame?" Scootaloo asked.

"No...I just...I thought that it would give me some actual allies..." Cozy Glow said.

"Look, I'm not going to lie: Me and the other girls were miffed that you locked us in the closet. So, so long as you don't go spilling me only pretending to be brainwashed by Empress Flurry Heart, I'll forget about the closet incident. Okay?" Scootaloo asked.

"It's a deal. So long as you also are okay with fighting Rainbow Dash." Cozy Glow said.

"If Empress Flurry Heart's plans work out correctly, the only opposition we'll face is Twilight Sparkle. Empress Flurry Heart believes that because of Twilight's innate magical cabilities, that she'll be impossible to brainwash." Scootaloo said.

"...Or she just really wants to upstage Twilight for ignoring her." Cozy Glow said.

"...There's that too. I can feel Flurry Heart approaching. I better make my voice sound convincing." Scootaloo said. Soon Flurry Heart entered the room. "Good day to you, Empress Flurry Heart." Scootaloo said; her voice sounding monotone without actually being full on monotone.

"Good day to you too. So, you found the Strategy Room huh?" Flurry Heart asked.

"I hope that was okay..." Cozy Glow said.

"It's more then okay actually. I could use some double checking of my plans." Flurry Heart said. "What better way to double check them, then having you check them? A second pair of eyes never hurts." She added with an evil smirk.

"I'm liking the way you think." Cozy Glow said and returned her own evil smirk.

Some time later, as time passed, soon it was nighttime, meaning it was time for bed.

"I think things will be going just smoothly. I'm sure to have Equestria all mine before the month ends." Flurry Heart said.

"Don't get cocky Flurry Heart; trust someone who got cocky twice and regretted it." Cozy Glow said.

"Nothing could really go wrong with this. Trust me." Flurry Heart said. "...Also, while I'm thinking about it, could you tell Scootaloo that she's trying too hard for me? Thanks." She said.

"Wait you can tell?" Cozy Glow asked.

"She's kind of making it too obvious in hindsight. She just doesn't realize that I can tell. But so long as she's not actually taking up arms against me, I'm not going to actually brainwash her. Especially if I don't have to." Flurry Heart said.

"You think that's wise?" Cozy Glow asked.

"Well if not, I can always take away her ability to fly until she caves and agrees to work with me." Flurry Heart said.

"...Actually, before I notice she wasn't really brainwashed, she was expressing the joys of actually being able to fly period. So, I believe so long as she has the ability to fly, she'll follow your orders." Cozy Glow said.

"Good. I'm glad." Flurry Heart said.

Author's Note