Flurry Heart's Story: Oh, Mother, Where Art Thou?

Chapters

1. The Parents Are Gone!
2. The Sorceress Unveiled
3. The Situation Worsens
4. Nothing Can Stop This Demon
5. A Shocking Revelation
6. Defeating the Sorceress
7. A Mother's Love Conquers All

1. The Parents Are Gone!

Alone on stage sat a yellow pegasus mare with a blue mane, brown eyes and a cutie mark with musical notes. She had a guitar in her arms that she began to strum. For several minutes, she played an instrumental piece for the crowd before her. Her name was Melody Heartsong and this was her first public performance.

After she was finished, the ponies and their children in the audience applauded. She smiled warmly to everyone and rested the guitar on her lap to speak.

“Thank you, everypony. That one’s called Restored. It’s the only instrumental on my CD. I wrote that back when I first bought this guitar and started writing music. I was having trouble with lyrics so I just decided to record an instrumental and I named it Restored to describe the transformation I was going through in my life at that time. Now this next one is called Always Love You. This is a very important song because I wrote it in honor of someone very dear to me. Someone I haven’t seen in-”

“Mommy? Daddy? Where are you?” said a young colt in the audience.

“Hey, Mom? Where’d you go? You were just here,” said a filly not far away.

“My parents are missing too!” shouted another.

“Mom, Dad, what’s going on?”

“How are all of our parents missing?!”

“MOOOOOM!”

“DADDY, COME BACK!”

In just a few seconds, the audience was full of shouting and wailing. The lights went up and Melody could now see what the problem was. Half of the auditorium was empty and only full of children. Some were walking out into the aisles and a few were sitting down crying. A staff member rushed out on stage to calm them down.

“Kids, please remain calm,” he told them, frantically. “We’re sorry there seems to be a problem, but I’m sure there’s an explanation.”

“What happened to our parents?!” cried one filly.

“I’m not sure, but we’ll figure it out.”

“It’s alright, kids,” said Melody. “I’m sure they all just went outside. They’ll be back.”

“But why at the same time? I think they disappeared, Miss Melody!” said a little colt that couldn’t stop crying.

“Oh no, they haven’t disappeared, dear. Parents don’t just do that. Don’t worry; your parents will be there for you. They’ll come back.”

Melody looked down and thought about what she said. She didn’t appear very happy anymore. She put her guitar aside and got down from the chair she was sitting on.

“Yes…they’ll come back…”

Over at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack and Tex had just finished serving Apple Chip and Annie Smith their breakfast. The two little ponies licked their lips and sighed contently.

“That was delicious, Mom!” Chip said, picking up his plate and taking it over to the sink.

“You always make such wonderful pancakes,” Annie told Applejack as she took her plate.

“Your mom’s got her ol’ Granny Smith genes, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied, removing her apron.

“And just you wait till you see what we’ve got planned for supper tonight, kids,” said Tex, proudly.

“Can’t wait to see it, Dad!” Chip said as he and his sister went to hug their parents.

“Alright, now you two run along and don’t forget we’re going to repaint the other side of the barn after lunch. Got it?” said Tex.

“You got it, Dad!” Chip said as he saluted.

“We’ll be here right after we play over at the castle with Flurry and the others,” Annie added.

The two of them walked out into the living room as Applejack and Tex started washing the dishes. Chip and Annie ran through the living room and Chip started opening the door for his sister. Suddenly, they both heard the sound of a dish shattering on the kitchen floor. What came next was even more unsettling.

“Hahahahaha…” laughed a menacing female voice.

“Wha…what was that?” asked Annie, worriedly.

“Uh…Mom? Was that you? Hello?” Chip asked.

They both walked into the kitchen only to find shards of the plate on the floor with a sponge next to it. Applejack and Tex were nowhere to be seen. The sink was still running so Chip went over to turn the faucet off.

“Alright. Good one, you guys. You really had us there,” Chip snickered.

“Mom, Dad, are you playing a really weird prank on us?” asked Annie.

“If it’s a prank, you broke a dish and left the faucet on in the process. Mom? Dad?”

“Hello? Where are you guys? Chip I’m getting worried. You heard that spooky laugh.”

“Ah they’re fine. They’re just teasing us. Right, Dad?”

They stood still for a few moments, not able to see or hear their parents at all. It had finally set in that something was not right. They both started searching the house. Annie looked in the cellar while Chip went upstairs. They tried as hard as they could, but there was no trace of their parents.

“MOM! DAD! PLEASE COME OUT!” Annie shouted.

“ANNIE, I CAN’T FIND THEM ANYWHERE!” Chip called to his sister from the attic.

After several minutes of looking, they both met downstairs. Annie already had tears in her eyes.

“Chip, I don’t think they’re playing around. I think they’re actually gone!”

“Annie, don’t panic. Maybe they saw something outside and rushed out there real quick and dropped the plate in the process.”

“Chip, I already looked outside!”

“Alright, alright. Let’s both be calm. I’m sure there’s an explanation for this…”

“Maybe we should get Uncle Big Mac.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Storm Streak and his little brother Lightning Flash sat down in front of their television, pressing buttons rapidly on their controllers. They watched as the two characters on screen raced around, avoiding obstacles and blasting rocks as they went. They finally reached a checkpoint and cheering could be heard.

“CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WON!” shouted the announcer in the game.

“We did it, Stormy!” Flashy squealed.

“Aw yeah! Good job, bro!” Stormy shouted as he gave Lightning a high five.

“WAHAHAHAAAAAA!” cried their baby sister Misty Blitz in the kitchen nearby.

“Whoa. Misty sounds pretty cranky right now,” Stormy commented.

“Do you think she’s okay in there?” Lightning asked.

“Ah, she’ll be fine. Mommy’s got this.”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”

“Okay, maybe not. Let’s go check it out,”

They both flew into the kitchen, only to find Misty was by herself. Rainbow Dash and Thunderhead were nowhere to be found. The only sign of Rainbow Dash was a small spoon with food on it that had fallen on the ground in front of Misty’s high chair. Over on the table was a newspaper that Thunderhead had been reading as well as a plate with half the food still on it.

“Um…do you think Mommy and Daddy are around?” asked Lightning.

“Sure they are. Where else would they be?”

“But Daddy wouldn’t leave his food like that. You know what he always tells us about eating all our food.”

“‘Take all you want but eat all you take’ yeah, I know, but maybe he’s playing a prank or something. He’ll come out from behind there any second now, but not if I’m fast enough. Watch this.”

Stormy flew over to the island in the center of the kitchen. He put his hooves up in the air and tried to scare his dad.

“BOO! Uh…Dad? Mom? They’re not here, Flashy,”

“WAAAAAAAAH!”

“Stormy, I’m scared!”

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do: search upstairs while I-”

“Muahahahaaaaa…foolish little children…”

Stormy and Flashy both huddled up to each other and trembled, able to feel each other’s hearts beating faster. They could not see anything, but the voice they heard echoed throughout the house. After that, the only other thing that could be heard was Misty crying.

“Stormy, wha-wha-what was that?”

“I don’t know but it didn’t sound nice.”

“WAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!”

“Alright, that does it. I’m gonna call Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Okay…”

Flurry Heart, Spike and Buttercream walked through Ponyville to meet everyone else at the new clubhouse tree still undergoing renovations. They stopped in front to pass time while waiting.

“Wow, so this is the new tree in Ponyville?” Butter asked, staring in amazement at the tree.

“That’s the one,” Flurry answered. “Tirek used the pendant to make this one in place of the original tree that he destroyed years ago.”

“You should have seen the looks on everyone’s faces after he did it!” Spike chuckled.

“Yeah, I still can’t believe Tirek’s on our side now!” Butter exclaimed with her hands up to her cheeks. “Nighty and I thankfully never met him when he first showed up years ago. We were busy doing something in Soder Dracos, but he did come and take almost everyone’s magic in our hometown. Knowing that he’s now come to his senses sure does make you wonder who’s going to be next. Speaking of which, what was the name of that one little girl that took everyone’s magic back when-”

“FLURRY!” shouted Chip off to the side.

Chip and Annie ran in with their uncle Big Macintosh next to them. They looked very worried.

“Chip, Annie, what’s the matter?” Flurry asked.

“Have…you…seen Mom and Dad…anywhere around?” Chip asked while panting.

“We were inside our house and were about to head out to meet you guys and suddenly we heard a dish crash and went into the kitchen and they were gone. We looked everywhere for them. We got a hold of Uncle Big Mac and he couldn’t find them either,” Annie explained.

“Big Mac, is that all true?” Spike asked Big Macintosh.

“Eeyup,” he answered anxiously.

“Wow, really? You guys too?!” Stormy asked as he flew in with both his siblings and his grandparents, Bow Hothoof and Windy Whistles.

“Mommy and Daddy disappeared in our house too!” Flashy said, unable to stop crying.

“Flurry, we’re so sorry, but we’re going to have to cancel today’s plans,” Windy said. “We’ve gotta find Rainbow Dash and Thunderhead. I can’t understand where in Equestria they’d be!”

“Poor little Misty here’s worried sick!” Bow said, cradling his crying granddaughter.

“WAAAAAAAH!” screamed Misty.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash are both gone? What in Equestria is going on?” Buttercream asked.

“Oh no…” Flurry said. “Two of Twilight’s friends gone…I think someone might be targeting the Elements of Harmony!”

“Great. Probably Chrysalis,” Spike said, covering his face with his hand. “We haven’t had any run-ins with her since she broke free, so of course she conveniently comes in now.”

“Hey, everypony! Has anyone seen Mr. and Mrs. Cake around? They’re playing the craziest game of hide and seek!” said a familiar voice behind them.

Everyone turned to see Pinkie Pie walking in with Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake.

“Mom and Dad didn’t have any deliveries to make today so we were kinda worried when we woke up to find they weren’t downstairs,” Pound explained.

“Yeah, which bites cuz I was so stoked for Mom’s homemade French toast,” Pumpkin added.

Everyone looked confusedly at Pinkie and the Cake twins.

“Wait, so it’s not just any wielders of the Elements that are missing…” Flurry said.

“Then what’s going on?” Chip asked.

“Uh…maybe all your parents decided to hide somewhere and surprise you for some nonspecific but really exciting reason?” Pinkie suggested.

“That can’t be it, Pinkie. Mom dropped one of her favorite dishes the moment it happened. It shattered all over the kitchen floor,” Annie told her.

“Plus me and Flashy heard some creepy voice go ‘Muahaha! Foolish little children!’ right after Mommy and Daddy went,” Stormy said. “It sounded like some supervillain from a TV show.”

“We heard something like that too!” Chip added.

“Wait, really?!”

“Eh, in that case, I got nothin’,” Pinkie said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Alright, I’m sure they’re fine,” Spike said “I mean they couldn’t have just all went at the same-”

“MOMMY, DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU?!” shouted a random filly from a nearby house.

Everyone looked over and noticed several kids running through town, crying and asking where their parents were. A few of them were talking with some adults that were either related to them or they needed help from. The crying had already started while Flurry and the others were talking, but now they could hear it. In a few minutes, the entire town was in a complete uproar. Children were reporting missing parents everywhere. Chip and Annie saw their cousins Pine Cone and Fern running in.

“Chip! Annie! Have you guys seen Mom and Dad anywhere?!” Pine Cone asked.

“Yours are missing too?!” Chip responded.

“Wait, we’re both missing our parents?!”

“Pine, I’m scared!” Fern said, crying into her brother’s shoulder.

“Aw, it’s okay guys! We’ll find them,” Butter said as she walked over to comfort both of them.

“Spike, this doesn’t sound good…uh, Spike?” Flurry asked as she noticed Spike’s cheeks were puffed up.

Spike burped out green fire and a scroll appeared. The scroll dropped into his hands and he began reading it aloud.

Spike, get all the kids safely inside immediately! We have unconfirmed reports of a shadowy creature that is going around Equestria right now abducting random citizens. Whatever it is, it seems to be targeting the pony parents of young children. We’re already missing a few in Canterlot. We fear it may be headed to Ponyville, so be prepared just in case. I’ll let you know when I have more information.

-Twilight

“I knew it! There is some villain taking our parents!” Stormy angrily shouted.

“Wait…” Flurry continued. “So it’s targeting the parents of young kids…all over Equestria…oh no…Mom and Dad! They’re probably next! Spike, I have to get back to the Crystal Empire!”

“I…I don’t know, Flurry. It’s probably too dangerous to be heading to the Crystal Empire right now.”

“Spike, please! My parents’ entire kingdom will be in disarray if they’re gone! I’m the only heir to the throne and I have to be there!”

“Go ahead, Spike,” Buttercream told her brother, as she picked up Fern in her arms. “We’ll take care of the kids.”

“Well…alright. Get them all somewhere safe. The castle might be the best place right now. Heck, I’d round up all the kids in town and get them into the castle and any other parents you can find that haven’t disappeared yet.”

“You got it, Spike!” Pinkie said before turning to everyone in town and pulling a megaphone out of her hair to speak into.

“ATTENTION ALL KIDS OF PONYVILLE! We just got word from Princess Twilight that something has been going around stealing your parents! If you’ve lost your parents, please seek shelter in the Crystal Castle right over that-a-way! If your parents are still here, tell them to stay inside and not answer the door…well, unless it’s the mailpony…or a royal guard…or…okay, it looks like all your parents are gone, so never mind. Just follow us to the castle!”

As Pinkie was making the announcement, Flurry and Spike took to the skies. Tons of children below rushed through the streets to get to the castle.

“It’s going to be okay, Flurry,” Spike said, putting his arm around the little princess.

“I hope,” she replied. “What in Equestria could this random creature want with all our parents? It just doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know, but this is one twisted villain we’re dealing with today.”

2. The Sorceress Unveiled

The train zoomed down the tracks to the Crystal Empire with Flurry and Spike inside. Spike had finished sending a letter to Cadance and Shining Armor to let them know they were on their way. He hadn’t gotten a response yet, which had Flurry anxious. Flurry sat nervously in her seat, looking out the window at the snowy weather, as they drew closer to the empire. Spike kept his eyes on the little princess and did his best to comfort her.

“It’s going to be alright, Flurry,” he said with his arm around her. “The Crystal Empire has more security than Ponyville. I’m sure they’re prepared for anything to happen.”

“I don’t know, Spike. It’s been able to take all the parents from Ponyville so far. This creature can obviously work very fast; not to mention it’s capable enough with magic to make them disappear. That’s a very advanced pocket-dimension spell. Starswirl can use it for a few small objects, but the only other being capable of doing it on this level is Discord.”

“What about the shield from the Crystal Heart?”

“Well if this thing is as powerful as we think, it won’t be enough. Its main purpose is to protect against the weather. Anyone powerful enough could still get through.”

“Well the Elements of Harmony can handle this thing I’m sure. The teachers have them back in Ponyville and thankfully all six of them are there this time.”

“Yes. If anything can stop this creature, it would be the Elements. I’m just wondering why this thing is so interested in parents.”

The train hissed and began to slow down. Flurry and Spike looked outside to see the snow was gone and they were inside the protective canopy. They got out of their seats, rushed to the door, and leapt onto the platform to see several pegasus guards already waiting for them.

“Flurry!” called one of the guards. “We’ve been expecting you!”

“Sirs, are my parents both alright?” Flurry asked.

“They’re fine. Everyone in the Empire knows about this ‘Sorceress’ that has been abducting parents everywhere.”

“Sorceress? Is that what this thing is called?” Spike asked.

“We’ve gotten word that it’s started calling itself that, or herself rather. She’s been described as a dark female alicorn similar to Nightmare Moon that can take on a black cloudlike form.”

“Nightmare Moon? Oh no. That’s not good,” Flurry said, panicking.

“There’s no time to waste. We have to get you to the castle right now. Your parents are waiting inside”

Flurry, Spike and the guards all took off flying to the castle. As they went over the town, there were barely any ponies outside. Several other guards walked through the town, calling to the other ponies to stay in their homes and keep themselves well hidden. Ponies were running inside, shutting their windows, and closing down their shops. They finally reached the castle and headed inside. When they made it to the throne room, the guards swung the doors open for Spike and Flurry to enter. Flurry was very worried that she wouldn’t see her parents in there, but to her surprise, they were both inside, waiting for her with a dozen guards.

“FLURRY!” shouted Shining Armor.

“Mom! Dad! I was so worried!” Flurry said as she flew in to hug them both.

“We feared for our lives when we heard this thing was going after the parents of young ponies, but we were also afraid for you!” Cadance told her daughter.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“We’ll be fine,” Shining Armor proudly assured her. “The catacombs should be safe. All this thing’s been doing is using its magic to abduct ponies. Hopefully that’s all it’s capable of aside from morphing into a cloud of black magic. If we catch it, Starswirl might know a spell to retrieve the parents from wherever they’ve been sent.”

“It’s using a really powerful pocket-dimension spell though. Are we sure Starswirl can do it?”

“Well it’s either Starswirl or Discord. I’m sure the latter can handle it.”

“Let’s all just be glad we’re together,” Cadance said, patting her daughter on the head. “I’ve missed you so much, Flurry. We’re sorry we had to reunite under these circumstances. Oh, and Spike, congratulations on finding your family the other day!”

“Thanks, Cadance,” Spike said, bashfully.

“Your highness, I don’t mean to interrupt, but we really need to get you all to the catacombs,” said one of the guards.

“Yes, you’re right,” Shining Armor replied. “Come on, everyone. We’ll wait down there until we have word that this Sorceress is taken care of.”

They all turned to head out of the throne room, but the doors suddenly slammed shut and all the crystal lamps in the room stopped glowing. Since it was a cloudy day in the Crystal Empire, the sunlight was not there to keep the room lit. They all stood still and trembled. Flurry knew right away this must be the Sorceress.

“Oh no…” she said as she hid behind Spike.

The guards drew their spears and surrounded Shining Armor and Cadance.

“SHOW YOURSELF!” barked one of them.

For a few moments, there was nothing but silence until they could all hear laughter echoing throughout the room. Its voice sounded somewhat youthful with a tin-like vocal effect, as if a deeper, demonic version was talking at the same time. Suddenly, Shining Armor and Cadance were lifted in the air and surrounded by black smoke.

“FLURRY!” they both shouted as everyone else turned around.

“MOM, DAD, NOOOO!” Flurry cried.

She tried using her magic to pull them both back down to the ground, but it didn’t work. As they were both swallowed up whole by the smoke, the laughing continued, growing louder and louder.

“BRING THE KING AND QUEEN BACK!” shouted another guard.

They all looked up at the black smoke as it moved itself down in front of them on the ground. It landed and the shape of a tall pony appeared as a silhouette. It walked out to meet them and the smoke dissipated. The creature before them was a very dark maroon female alicorn with purple, wavy hair and a red horn that was curved like a scimitar. She had wings that looked like a bat’s but with some pegasus feathers along the ridge. She wore a silver crown, anklets and armor adorned with red jewels. The armor wrapped around and covered her flank so that her cutie mark was not visible. Her eyes had red sclera and orange irises with slit pupils. Along the underside of her eyes were glistening blue streaks that resembled tears, but they were frozen in place as if they were tribal markings. She smiled wickedly and laughed.

“Hehehe. Thanks for showing me the way in, Princess,” she said.

“What did you do to my parents?!” Flurry asked.

“Your parents belong to me now, Flurry Heart. You’ll never see them again.”

The guards all began to throw their spears at the Sorceress, but they deflected as if she was made of metal. A magenta aura shone around her horn and she lifted all the guards with her magic and threw them aside, knocking them out in the process. Spike ran in front of Flurry to protect her.

“Stay away from her! You hear?!” he snapped.

“HA! I’m not here for the girl, silly dragon. I’m here for one thing and one thing only: to strip all young children in Equestria of their parents. All parents belong to the Sorceress now!”

“Why? What is it you have against all our parents? And who are you?” Flurry asked.

The Sorceress then transformed into her smoke form and slithered around them both. Her eyes and mouth could be seen floating in the smoke.

“So you want to know who I am, eh? Let’s play a little game. What happens when a child has their parents taken away from them?”

“Um…I…I don’t understand,” Flurry said.

“Like, what would the child do? What do they go through if they have no parents? Surely you don’t understand because you can’t relate to that sort of thing.”

“I can,” Spike replied. “I lived without biological parents all my life. I got through it just fine, but that’s because I had a surrogate family and I didn’t know them or where I came from up until recently. You, on the other hand, are stealing parents from children. I don’t think a lot of ponies can relate to that.”

“Ah, so you did find your parents after all.”

“Uh…yeah. Have we met before?”

“Never mind that. Let’s change things up a bit: what if your parents abandoned you instead? How would you like it if you were dropped on the steps of an orphanage when you were just a baby? To never know what it’s like to have parents? TO NEVER BE LOVED BY ANYONE?!”

“Wait…no. No, it can’t be…” Flurry said, trembling.

“Hehehehe! Oh Golly. Looks like you’ve finally figured it out!”

“Co…Cozy Glow?!”

Flurry stared in horror at the frightening set of eyes before her. She now noticed the freckles on the Sorceress’s cheeks just beneath the ‘tears’. The eyes blinked once and looked like Cozy Glow’s eyes. Flurry could do nothing except shake her head back and forth in disbelief.

“Cozy, is it really you?” asked Spike.

The Sorceress’s eyes turned back to their demonic look. She transformed into her physical form and circled around them.

“Let’s just get one thing straight: Cozy Glow is gone. You’ll never see that little brat again. There is no Cozy Glow. There is only Sorceress!”

“Are things really this bad?”

“Really that bad?! Of course things were bad! You’ve seen all the things I’ve done: how I nearly rid all of Equestria of its magic, how I joined up with that psychotic changeling queen and that power-hungry centaur, how I took over all of Ponyville with my fake parents when I put on the alicorn amulet!”

As the Sorceress hollered to Spike, her voice started sounding more like Cozy Glow’s, almost as if she was the one talking right now. She then calmed herself down and the Sorceress voice returned.

“That was Cozy before, but I, the Sorceress, have been building up in her for years now. After what happened with the amulet, her anger and her envy only fed me more. I guided her around in the forest and gained more power day by day until I was able to take over her body. She listened to me and allowed me to manifest until it was too late for her. What you see before you is her inner demon taking physical form the same way all nightmares do. I destroyed Cozy Glow.”

“Cozy…” Flurry began to say but just could not finish.

“What’s the matter, Princess? Still so shocked to see a little harmless girl take on this form? Please. You saw what I was capable of that day in Ponyville. You saw how possessed I already was. Now the possession is complete. Again, there is no Cozy Glow. There is only Sor-”

Suddenly, one of the windows in the throne room shattered and everyone looked to see Princess Luna jump through it with a force field around her. She stood tall and locked eyes with the Sorceress.

“COZY GLOW!” she shouted.

“Ah yes, Princess Luna. I remember you too well,” the Sorceress replied as she walked towards Luna.

“Cozy, you must fight it! I know what this feels like! I went through the same pain!”

“Oh shutup, you old crone!”

The smile on the Sorceress’s face dropped. She scowled while hollering at Luna. The blue streaks on her face suddenly started flowing like actual tears. They defied gravity as water droplets floated around her like she was in space.

“I know you had parents that loved you and treated you wonderfully! You had it easy! All you did was grow jealous of your sister and throw a temper tantrum because nobody liked your night! I was abandoned in an orphanage and treated like the lowest common denominator all my life! WE ARE NOT THE SAME!”

The Sorceress got closer to Luna and barked in her face. Luna closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. She opened them and continued to glare at the Sorceress like a parent giving their child a firm talk.

“Cozy, I know you are in there and I will get to you. The possession is strong, but it is no different from what happened to me. I saw your dreams last night and I know this isn’t you. You can fight it.”

The Sorceress snapped and lunged for Luna, pushing her out of the hole in the window she came in. Spike and Flurry rushed over to the window to watch them fight. Luna kicked off the Sorceress and shot a powerful beam from her horn, but the Sorceress swung her head and used her blade-like horn to parry the attack. She then shot an even more impressive beam at Luna. The princess of the night put up a shield, but the Sorceress kept using the spell, causing Luna’s shield to crack like glass. Luna moved herself upwards and teleported away so that the blast would be sent up into the sky where it would pass through the canopy and not harm anyone below. The Sorceress tried firing another beam, but Luna teleported again. The Sorceress looked around for her and was met with a surprise attack from behind. The blast sent her hurdling down into a nearby house in the castle town. She smashed through the roof and landed in front of a family of ponies. She shook off the dust and saw a mother and father crystal pony protecting their three daughters.

“Ah, more parents! Come to your Sorceress!” she said as her horn glowed and the tears began to flow again.

“MOMMY, DADDY, NOOO!!” shouted one of their daughters.

Their parents hovered upwards into black clouds above them. Thankfully, Luna arrived just in time to pull them out with her magic and teleport them and their daughters away to safety.

“NO!” shouted the Sorceress as she flew up to tackle Luna.

They continued fighting in midair, blasting each other with magic and using shields. Luna noticed how the Sorceress was firing rather erratically and intentionally missing her sometimes. She looked behind her to see holes in several houses. When she turned back to the Sorceress, she was gone. The Sorceress had transformed into her smoke form and entered all of the houses simultaneously. Luna heard screaming from inside all the houses. She entered the nearest house first, but it was too late. The children inside were crying and begging the Sorceress to let their parents go. Luna could only see black smoke and hear the Sorceress laughing. She had split herself into too many fragments for Luna to keep track of.

“Princess Luna, please find our parents!” cried a little colt before her.

“Children, I promise you I will stop her!” Luna told them.

Luna flew out of the hole in the wall and watched as the smoke from the other houses emptied out into the open. Luna then cast a spell that stunned the Sorceress momentarily, causing her to take her physical form again and fall to the ground.

“Cozy, it ends now!” Luna said as she landed in front of her.

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!” screeched the Sorceress as she lunged for Luna.

Luna allowed the Sorceress to make contact with her and quickly teleported both of them high into the air. They continued fighting as Flurry and Spike watched from the throne room.

“Spike, we have to help! Those parents aren’t safe inside their houses! We need to get them to the catacombs!” Flurry said.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do: I’ll go down there and try to round everyone up and lead them in. Can you show me where the catacombs are?”

“Follow me!”

Flurry and Spike flew out of the window. He followed her to a nearby building that had a secret entrance into an underground crystal cave.

Meanwhile, Luna and the Sorceress flew about, blasting each other until the Sorceress got tired and teleported away into the town, far away from where Luna was. She crept inside an alley in the shadows and waited a few moments until she noticed some ponies running through the streets. One of them was a mare with children behind her. Once she heard one of the children refer to the mare as their mother, the Sorceress grinned and teleported in front of them. She then used her powers to abduct the mother as the children screamed and cried. A spear was flung at her and deflected. She looked to the side to see a few royal guards beginning to attack. She fired low-power shots at each of them and knocked them out. A filly and colt came out of a nearby house with their mother behind them. They gathered around one of the guards and tried to wake him up, but their timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Daddy, are you alright?” asked the colt.

“Oh…so unwise,” giggled the Sorceress as her horn glowed.

“Kids, look out!” said the mother as she and her royal guard husband were both swallowed up by black smoke.

“MOMMY, NOOOO!” screamed the filly.

The Sorceress laughed menacingly and then noticed another pony in a window that had just pulled the shutters. The Sorceress teleported into the house she was in and saw one male and female pony together, but no children around them.

“So, do you two happen to have any children?” she asked.

“Mom? Dad? Is everything alright?” asked their son from an adjacent room.

“Well Golly, these little brats are helping me out with their loud mouths,” the Sorceress laughed as the smoke consumed the couple before her.

She then took on her smoke form to avoid detection and decided to start moving about more stealthily in the houses of the town where Luna could not find her.

Outside, Luna frantically searched for any signs of the Sorceress. She noticed some children in the streets crying and being attended by guards, but the Sorceress was nowhere to be found. Once she started to notice some kids were coming out of their houses without their parents, Luna knew she must be around. She landed on the roof of a building to rest her wings.

“LUNA!” shouted Spike a few hundred yards away.

“Spike?”

“Luna! Flurry’s found a way to-”

“SHHH! Come closer!”

Spike flew in next to Luna and whispered to her so the Sorceress would not hear what he was saying.

“Flurry’s starting to lead as many of the parents and their kids into the catacombs as she can. She knows this place better than I do so I’m just going around seeing who I can find to lead there. Can you keep the Sorceress distracted long enough?”

“Well I’ve lost her, but I know she’s still around. The children are losing their parents as we speak.”

“See what you can do. It’ll be easier if she’s distracted.”

“I will try my best, Spike, but she is very powerful and avoids detection easily.”

As they spoke, they did not notice the smoke behind them on the spire of a crystal house. The Sorceress had taken on this form to listen in on their conversation. Now that she knew some of the parents were hiding underground, she knew this would be a good opportunity to wait until they were all in one place and take them at the same time. She decided to keep looking for parents still inside their houses until she could find no more and then move for the catacombs. The smoke crept back down into the house to terrorize more families as stealthily as possible.

Spike flew away to start going door-to-door to let ponies know about the plan to hide all the parents and their kids away safely. Luna went back to her work, but she was getting discouraged about locating a being that could move so easily undetected. Then she had an idea.

“Cozy Glow, where are you?!” Luna shouted in her ‘royal Canterlot voice’. “Listen, I know why you are doing this. I saw your nightmares.”

The Sorceress was inside a nearby house in her physical form. She heard Luna speaking and began to scowl and grit her teeth as Luna continued.

“You are tormented over what happened to you at a young age. I know our stories are different, but I am familiar with how the nightmare works. It speaks to you in a comforting voice. It promises to be there for you. You believe it at first. Celestia and I were struggling with our co-leadership and I was being difficult. My envy had consumed me. We could not set aside our differences, so Nightmare Moon felt like the only friend I had. It told me it could make me more powerful than I could possibly imagine and make my night beautiful as ever. I had lost my mind and believed it all. One day I refused to lower the moon. My sister tried to reason with me, but Nightmare Moon already had full control. Once it takes over, there is nothing you can do to stop it. At that moment, I became a prisoner and Nightmare Moon took over. I immediately regretted everything once I began to transform, but it was too late. I know where the real Cozy Glow is right now, and it is not that frightening monster I see.”

Luna paused. The Sorceress shook her head back and forth violently as if to get rid of a bitter taste. She continued gritting her teeth and began to breath heavily.

“Please remember who you are,” Luna continued. “We can use the Elements of Harmony to exorcise you, but I want you to know that we still care about you. I did not know about your situation and I want to help. We have been looking for your parents all these years and we still cannot find them, but if you allow this demon to leave you, we will do all we can to- AAAGGGH!”

Suddenly a powerful magenta beam shot out of a nearby window and hit Luna in the back. She winced and lost all control of her body as it plummeted. A fruit stand below broke her fall, but it was still a rough landing. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was an image of a helpless and disheveled Cozy Glow in a cage, weeping.

“Cozy Glow…”

3. The Situation Worsens

Luna walked through the ‘dreamscape’ to find any child that needed comfort from their nightmares. The doors leading to each dream seemed to be fine until she came upon a door with a red glow behind it. She opened the door to see a dark environment with thick foliage. She stepped inside and instantly recognized this as the Everfree Forest. Not knowing whose mind this was taking place in, she decided to search.

“Hello?” she called.

The only sound came from peepers and screech owls nearby. Luna then heard heavy breathing. As she got closer to a nearby clearing, the sound of crying could also be heard. She saw an unkempt child walk by in the forest with a dark black cloud of mist around her. It was a small pegasus filly with a peach-colored coat and messy blue hair. Her cutie mark was a rook chess piece.

“Cozy Glow?!”

“It’s too late, Princess Luna.”

Cozy looked up to the princess with tears streaming down her face. Her eyes had slit pupils.

“What has happened to you?”

Cozy sniffled and then began to smile wickedly as her eyebrows moved down.

“Oh, like you don’t know.”

The smoke began to spin around Cozy. The expression on her face turned sad again.

“No…NO! WAIT!” she called out as she was lifted in the air.

“This is what you wanted, little one,” said a voice that sounded like Cozy’s voice, but deeper. “We had a deal after all. You follow me; I find you some parents.”

The smoke finally consumed Cozy Glow. Luna started to have flashbacks of the time she transformed into Nightmare Moon. She stepped back and watched as a dark alicorn took shape with bat wings and purple wavy hair. Its teeth were long and sharp and it had red sclera with orange irises. It grew a red blade-shaped horn and adorned itself with silver regalia.

“COZY GLOW!” screamed Luna.

The monster before her began to laugh. Luna’s heart beat faster and faster.

“Princess?” said a voice.

Luna immediately leapt and woke up. She had been seeing a flashback of the time she discovered Cozy’s transformation earlier that morning. Her vision was blurry, but as her eyesight adjusted, she saw several Crystal Empire guards before her.

“Princess Luna, are you all right?” asked one guard.

“What…what happened?” Luna asked as she stood up.

“You were knocked unconscious for quite some time. We thought you were fighting the Sorceress, but we are pleased to say she seems to have left.”

“She’s already gone? What about all the parents?”

“They are safe. We led them into the cata-”

“SHHH! We must be as quiet as we can. Stay out here and keep watch. I must check on the others now.”

Luna put her hoof on he guard’s lips and whispered to him. She then cast an invisibility spell and took off flying towards the castle. In a few seconds, she found the building with the entrance to the catacombs. Unfortunately she could not teleport herself down there since she didn’t know what it looked like, so she would have to continue on foot. Before entering, she looked to see if the Sorceress was around. There was no sign of her, so she closed the door behind her and rushed downstairs past some guards who let her in. As she made her way down the stairwell, she finally came to a door that led to a huge room full of crystal ponies. The ponies were all huddled up and quiet. Luna’s entry startled them, but they were relaxed to know it was not the Sorceress.

“Luna!” Flurry whispered loudly.

“Flurry, Spike, is everyone safe.”

“Yeah, we’re just waiting for her to leave.”

“The guards are saying she has left. I don’t trust she has, so we must stay down here until we know for sure. Not to fear. If she comes in, I will-”

“HAHAHAHA!” laughed the Sorceress as her voice echoed throughout the room. “You’ll do what, Princess? I would thank you for showing me the way in, but I already knew they were here all along, I just needed to wait till they were all right where I needed them!”

Everyone gasped and looked to the center of the room to see the Sorceress appear. In an instant, there was total panic. Ponies screamed and rushed for any tunnel entrances leading out of the room, but each doorway was covered in smoke and already starting to swallow up the parents.

“NOOOO!”

Luna shouted and lunged for the Sorceress, but the Sorceress teleported to another spot. Luna fell to the ground and got back up to see where she was, but at this point, it was already too late. The spell had been cast and all of the parents were already gone. The children everywhere were screaming and crying. The Sorceress continued to laugh maniacally. Luna overcompensated and threw herself onto the Sorceress, teleporting them both back to the outside so that their battle would not harm the children. Luna hollered at the top of her lungs and hurled repetitive magic blasts from her horn, pummeling the Sorceress. The Sorceress used a shield spell, but the barrage was too much. She finally opened her eyes and fired a beam back at Luna. Luna was so enraged she did not think fast enough to put up her own shield. She was knocked into a building, weakened by the impact. After she fell to the ground, the Sorceress fired a beam at the building to bury Luna under the rubble. Before it could hit her, it was held in place by a magic aura, but its color was yellow and not Luna’s magic. The Sorceress looked to the side to see Flurry using her magic near the entrance with Spike behind her. Flurry could not hold the rubble much longer, so Spike rushed in to pull Luna out before Flurry exhaled deeply and let it collapse. Spike held Luna in his arms and set her down.

“Luna, are you okay?” he asked her.

“I…I have failed…” Luna wept.

“Hehehe, you most certainly have!” said the Sorceress. “As you can see, I’ve inherited the little brat’s cunning nature. I’ve got all the time in the world to do this; regardless of how long it takes to wait for them to trap themselves like rats. I’ll kidnap every parent in Equestria if it takes a thousand years!”

Just as she finished speaking, a dark beam of magic made of random colors and electricity was fired at the Sorceress. She was sent crashing into a nearby building, causing crystals to fall down on her. Flurry, Spike, and Luna looked up to the sky to see a silhouette of a caped figure against the sun as the clouds parted. As it came into view, they all saw it was Discord in a superhero costume.

“Have no fear, citizens! Discord is here!” he said, heroically.

Random ponies that were watching out of their windows started cheering for him. Discord landed and blew on his finger like a smoking gun.

“Oh, thank Harmony!” shouted Spike.

“Discord!” Flurry said as she rushed forward to meet him.

“Flurry, sorry I’m late. This ‘Sorceress’ is hard to track, but I just got word from Twilight that she was in the Crystal Empire. Looks like I showed up just in time.”

“Actually you’re too late. She’s already taken all of the parents from the Crystal Empire.”

“Don’t worry. Once I knock her out for good, I’ll fetch those parents. Then we’ll send this thing straight to Tartarus, or maybe we’ll turn her into stone.”

“Uh…Discord…” Spike said, nervously.

“You don’t know who she is yet, do you?” Flurry asked.

Discord looked quizzically at them. The crystals that had buried the Sorceress then began to move and she emerged. Her armor had disappeared and her cutie mark was now visible. It had turned red, but it still had the same shape as Cozy Glow’s rook chess piece. Discord took one look at her flank and gasped loudly.

“COZY GLOW?! No…no, it can’t be!”

“Surprised, Discord?” the Sorceress said.

Discord’s outfit disappeared. He walked backwards and clutched his chest in horror. He looked to the others and shook his head back and forth.

“This changes everything. I can’t…I can’t send her to Tartarus. I can’t turn her into stone.”

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t have the strength to do that again. You’ve let yourself get far too soft even after everything I did to you several weeks ago.”

“Luna, what happened? Is this…is this what Nightmare Moon was like?”

“Yes,” said Luna. “She has been infected by a nightmare. She cannot be reasoned with. I already tried.”

“Discord, can you stop her?” Flurry asked.

“I…I don’t know if I can.”

“Can you at least rescue the parents?” Spike asked.

“Well…I guess I could try…”

“DON’T YOU DARE!” the Sorceress said, with her horn glowing.

Discord panicked and disappeared in a flash of light.

“NO! STAY OUT OF MY PRISON REALM!”

The Sorceress used her own teleportation spell to go after him. Everyone waited for a few seconds.

“Uh, did it work?” Spike asked.

Suddenly, Discord reappeared and fell to the ground. The Sorceress appeared above him and fired a beam, which he barely managed to avoid by teleportation. He reappeared next to everyone else and struggled to stand back up.

“Discord, what happened?” Spike asked as he helped him up.

“I can’t do it. I don’t even think I was able to find her realm. She came right in and attacked. I’ve underestimated her power and I don’t want to hurt Cozy. Everyone, I…”

Discord looked again at the Sorceress. She used her magic to make all her regalia reappear. She smirked and cocked her head both ways to crack her neck. Clearly Discord was not powerful enough to go head-to-head with such a beast. He was never able to sense how powerful Nightmare Moon was, so he always wondered if she was more powerful. While the Sorceress did not have the ability to bend reality the way he did, she had clearly outclassed him in brute strength and firepower. The negative feelings that came from Cozy’s loneliness emboldened the Sorceress to a high degree.

Discord took a few steps back as Luna, Flurry and Spike looked at him. A great fear came over him. The Sorceress didn’t seem interested in getting revenge on him like Cozy did when she had the Alicorn Amulet, but he wasn’t afraid for his own life, he was simply horrified over what had happened to Cozy Glow. He could not face her for fear he would hurt the true Cozy underneath.

“I…I can’t. Forgive me.”

Discord vanished again, leaving everyone behind. Luna, Flurry and Spike all turned to the Sorceress. They could do nothing but stare. Even their most powerful ally could not stop her.

“Hehehe. Coward,” the Sorceress mocked. “Well it looks like I’m done here in the Crystal Empire, at least for now. If I missed any parents, I’ll come back again. I’m sure in about another twenty years, some of these children will grow up and become parents themselves, and I’ll pay them a little visit. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have more moms and dads to snatch. Fare thee well, fools! AHAHAHA!”

Her horn glowed and she vanished in a burst of black and red smoke. Her laugh could still be heard echoing until it faded away. Luna noticed that some of the children had come up from the catacombs and saw what had happened with Discord. In a few seconds, their cries could be heard growing as the guards directed them out. Other guards and random citizens rushed in to tend to the children.

“Now what?” Spike sighed.

“Now we muster the Elements,” Luna replied, firmly. “They are our only hope.”

“Won’t she just go after the teachers the way she did when she had the amulet?” Flurry asked.

“She doesn’t seem to care about capturing anyone but parents. Thankfully none of the teachers have children of their own so they will not be targeted. It’s almost as if she’s forgotten about the Elements or perhaps she thinks they won’t work again. The Sorceress said she inherited the child’s intelligence; I wonder if she inherited her knowledge as well. Either way, the Elements are the only way I can think of to exorcise a nightmare demon. They took Nightmare Moon out of me; they can do the same for the child.”

“And after we do that? What will happen to Cozy? How do we know she’s alright?” Spike asked.

“I visited her in her dream a few hours ago right before this all started happening. She was weeping bitterly. Just as the transformation started, I could see the look of fear on her face. It was the same look I gave when I became Nightmare Moon. Cozy Glow is suffering. I haven’t a single doubt she wants nothing more than to be free of this possession and apologize for all her misdeeds.”

“So…she can be redeemed?”

“I think she already feels that way deep down, but her body is overtaken by the Sorceress. We need to stop it.”

“She didn’t sound like she was ready to apologize the last time I spoke to her, but I had just accidentally disintegrated her fake parents,” Flurry added. “I just really hope Mom and Dad are okay. I’m sure the real Cozy Glow wouldn’t want any of this.”

“We need to get back to Ponyville. The Elements are still being kept down in…well, just in case she’s still listening in on us, I won’t disclose their location right now,” Spike said, cautiously.

“Flurry Heart?” said the captain of the royal guard as he approached Flurry.

“Captain Onyx!” Flurry responded.

“Flurry, don’t forget, you are the heir to the throne. Both your parents are gone, so that makes you our princess regent.”

“Oh darn. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Come, Princess,” said another stallion nearby named Aventurine that was one of Shining Armor’s trusted advisors.

“Sir Aventurine, please, I want to be of help.”

“You have a duty to help your people here. The Elements of Harmony will take care of the Sorceress. Now come.”

“But I-”

“It’s all right, Flurry,” said Luna. “Your people need you. We will gather the teachers and take care of the Sorceress.”

Flurry looked to Spike and Luna and then to the guards and advisor behind her. She hung her head and sighed.

“All right.”

Flurry walked over to the advisor and stood next to him. Luna then prepared a teleportation spell and Spike put his claw on her shoulder.

“We’ll be all right, Flurry,” Spike said.

“Be careful. When you’re done, tell Cozy…I forgive her.”

Flurry watched as Spike and Luna disappeared. She wanted so much to come with them, but it was too late. On this day, she would have no choice but to act in place of her parents, and she was not ready for it.

Spike and Luna appeared in front of the Crystal Castle in Ponyville. The clouds were rather dark there too.

“Poor Flurry,” Spike said. “Can’t they cut her some slack? She’s only a kid.”

“Younger ponies have become kings and queens in the past after their parents have died before,” Luna responded. “Flurry Heart is a smart girl for her age. She will do fine. For right now, she is only acting regent. If we have the Sorceress taken care of soon, things will return back to normal. Let’s be thankful Twilight Sparkle is not a mother.”

“Still, the fact that we’re losing all these parents is bad enough. And you heard what she said: she’ll come back years later for these children when they become parents too.”

As Spike finished speaking, he saw Smolder land a few yards away with the rest of the teachers behind her.

“So we heard there’s somepony causing trouble,” she said, crossing her arms proudly.

“We here to stop this Sorceress pony!” Yona shouted.

“Oh you guys got here just in time!” Spike replied. “Quick! The Elements are inside!”

“Come on guys,” Gallus told the others. “There’s only one way to stop this monster!”

“Uh…do they know yet?” Spike whispered to Luna out of the side of his mouth.

“Do we know what?” asked Silverstream.

“We’ll tell you inside! Come quickly!” Luna called as they opened the doors and rushed into the castle.

4. Nothing Can Stop This Demon

In the wake of the Sorceress’s attack on Ponyville, the entire community came together to help the children that had lost their parents. Some children got in contact with their grandparents or aunts and uncles while others sought help from neighbors and any adults able to help out. Children that had no relatives nearby occupied several rooms in the crystal palace. Inside the map room, Pinkie Pie, Buttercream, Starlight Glimmer, Sunburst, Trixie and several other adults were inside tending to them with snacks, water and tissue boxes. Some of them even sat down with the children to console them and provide as much encouragement as possible.

“I hope they’re all right,” Annie said as she wiped her tears while Chip had his arm around her.

“Me too. What kind of monster goes after parents?” Pumpkin asked.

“We’ll find em, Pumpkin,” Pinkie told her. “Your parents are tougher than they look. Trust me. I’ve known them for a while now.”

“Just where is that dumb Sorceress?” Stormy said, angrily while flying. “I’ll make her pay for taking Mommy and Daddy from me! She’s got it coming!”

“Now, now, Stormy.” Windy Whistles told her grandson as she patted him on the head. “We have the Elements of Harmony and all the teachers are in town. I’m sure they’re on their way here right now.”

“It’d be nice if we didn’t have to use them though,” Chip said. “I’m sure Discord could take on this creature and beat her lickety-split.”

The doors then swung open and Luna, Spike and all the teachers showed up. Everyone turned their heads and Starlight and Sunburst rushed forward to talk to Luna.

“Luna, Spike! Uh…where’s Flurry?” asked Pound.

“She had to stay behind,” Spike answered. “Since her parents are gone, she’s the princess regent and she’s gotta help out in the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh. Yikes. That’s gotta be stressful. I hope she’s doing okay right now.”

“Well, what about the Sorceress?” asked Starlight

“We had an encounter with her in the Crystal Empire. She is more powerful than I was expecting,” Luna responded.

“Wait… Princess, you fought her?” asked Gallus.

“Yes, but I barely stood a chance and Discord could not stop her either.”

“Geez, even Discord was outmatched?”

“Discord is powerful, but he was no match. We cannot rely on him right now, but none of that matters anymore. We have the Elements.”

“Well what are we waiting for!” shouted Stormy. “Let’s go beat that Sorceress to a pulp!”

“Hold on now, young Storm Streak. There is more you all must know about the Sorceress. The Sorceress is a nightmare, just like the one that infected me and brought about Nightmare moon. This one has taken a pony we are all familiar with: Cozy Glow.”

Everyone in the room gasped collectively.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie exclaimed.

Stormy suddenly looked very afraid. He began to shudder, remembering the time he first met her when she had the Alicorn Amulet.

“Co-Co-Cozy Glow?”

He zoomed away at high speeds and hid behind his grandparents. Everyone else began to murmur in their confusion.

“That thing is Cozy Glow?” Trixie asked, scratching her head.

“Little pony… turn into Sorceress?” asked Yona.

“I guess that makes sense. She’s been so depressed about not knowing her parents; she’s taking her anger out on every kid the same age as her by going after their parents. Our parents made the cut too,” said Sandbar as his little sister walked in next to him.

“That poor filly,” Ocellus added as she hung her head. “If Luna’s transformation is anything noteworthy, Cozy is in a constant state of suffering right now.”

“Nightmare demons are complicated beings,” Luna said. “The Sorceress isn’t truly Cozy Glow; it is a physical manifestation of the misery and pain she has been in throughout her entire life. Once it has built up, it takes over and uses her body as a vessel. I have already seen how much anguish the child is in. We must free her.”

“Poor Cozy. I know she’s done a lot of wrong before, but I can’t help but feel bad for her,” said Buttercream as she petted Fern and Pine Cone.

“Do we still not know who her parents are?” asked Fern.

“Not yet,” said Spike as he walked over to comfort Annie and Chip. “Twilight’s been looking everywhere for them. She managed to locate the orphanage that Cozy was raised in, but it went out of business years ago and the building is dilapidated. We haven’t found anyone claiming to be her parents yet.”

“Well, we still have the Elements,” Silverstream said.

“That’s right. Spike, can you show us where they are?” Smolder asked.

“Right over here.”

Spike walked over to his crystal chair in front of the Cutie Map and slid it aside. While he did this, Buttercream walked over to introduce herself to Smolder.

“Hey, you’re Smolder, right?” she asked.

“Yeah? Oh, you’re Spike’s sister, aren’t you?” Smolder replied as she shook Buttercream’s hand.

“That’s me. It’s great to finally meet you. I’m just sorry it had to be during a time like this.”

As they spoke, Spike finished sliding the chair. Underneath was a trap door. He tapped it firmly with his foot and the door opened to reveal all six of the Element pendants. Luna used her magic to take them all out and give to each of the teachers.

“So that’s what the Elements look like?” asked Pound as he flew in to examine the pendants.

“Wow, they do look pretty nifty and unique,” Pinkie added. “Back when we had ours, they all looked the same apart from the little cutie mark gem thingies in the center.”

“But will they work? I thought they didn’t work on Cozy back when she had the amulet,” Pine Cone said.

“We are out of options, little one,” said Luna. “They did not work on Cozy last time because of the Safeguard Bracelet. The Elements were used on me to exorcise Nightmare Moon; they have to work on Cozy.”

“Well, now’s our chance to give it a try,” said Smolder as she and her friends all donned their pendants. “You guys ready?”

“Yona ready!” said Yona.

“Just one question: how do we know where she’s gonna be?” asked Gallus.

“I think we just got our answer, sweetie,” Silverstream said, pointing to the map.

Everyone gathered around the map to see the hologram of Equestria appear. There was a glowing orb hovering over Canterlot.

“So she’s in Canterlot. That was helpful,” Smolder said.

“Well, Princess, think you can teleport us there real quick?” Ocellus asked Luna.

Before Luna could reply, everyone heard Spike burp and blow fire. They all looked to see he had just received a letter from Twilight. He quickly opened the letter and read it aloud.

Spike, get the Elements for the teachers and send them to Manehattan immediately. I’ve just received word that the Sorceress is starting to abduct parents over there. Send me a reply letting me know when they’re ready.

Twilight

As Spike began writing a reply on the back of the scroll, everyone else began questioning the contents of the letter.

“Wait, she’s in Manehattan?” asked Starlight.

“Then why map show us Canterlot?” Yona added.

“Maybe that’s something else,” Sunburst said as he carefully observed the map. “It could be a friendship report that’s unrelated, but I highly doubt the map would show us that in such a time.”

“Then what’s happening in Canterlot that’s related to all this?” Buttercream asked.

“We don’t have time to deal with Canterlot,” Luna told them. “If the Sorceress is in Manehattan, than it’s Manehattan we must go. Everyone, gather around me and link arms. Spike, stay here with the others and keep the children safe. When we are done, we will bring Cozy Glow back here and hopefully all the parents will reappear by their children automatically.”

“You got it, Luna. Take it easy out there, guys,” Spike replied, giving Luna thumbs-up.

All the teachers did as Luna said and linked their arms, while Ocellus and Sandbar at the end put their hooves on her shoulders. Luna cast a teleportation spell, and in an instant, they were on a sidewalk in downtown Manehattan. They all let go of each other and looked around to find the streets full of national guardponies tending to crying children and directing other ponies into buildings for shelter. The city had already experienced enough kidnappings in such a short amount of time.

“Princess Luna!” shouted one of the guards as he rushed towards her.

“Sir, where is the Sorceress?” Luna demanded.

“We aren’t sure, but she’s already taken tons of parents. According to witnesses, she’s been able to take multiple ponies in several different locations at once.”

“She’s growing more powerful.”

“We’re too late,” Silverstream sighed.

“Is she even in Manehattan now?” Smolder asked. “How do we even know exactly where to find her?”

“Canterlot,” said Sandbar. “She’s obviously in Canterlot like the map said. Twilight must’ve sent her note too late.”

Suddenly, one of the large screens in the central square began to play the breaking news music for a local news station. The anchor began to speak nervously to the audience.

“We have breaking news: the nightmare alicorn known as the ‘Sorceress’ has just been spotted in Cloudsdale. Just moments ago, she was seen abducting one of our reporters and several other ponies near their children in the area.”

The screen then switched to live feed of Cloudsdale. Pegasi were scattering as a few citizens were being engulfed by the smoke. The Sorceress could be seen walking in the background while laughing. The children in view were crying bitterly and looking everywhere to find their parents. Some pegasi dropped equipment on the Sorceress in retaliation before being swept aside with her magic. As she got closer to the camerapony, the lens was obscured by smoke and then fell to the ground on its side. All that could be seen were the legs of the Sorceress walking by. The screen then showed the message ‘Please Stand By’.

“I stand corrected,” said Sandbar. “Cloudsdale it is.”

“Everyone stand still. This will help you traverse Cloudsdale,” Luna said as her horn glowed and she cast temporary spells on each of the teachers to allow them to walk on the clouds of Cloudsdale.

They all got together again, while Luna teleported them to the city in the sky. The moment they arrived, they were in the same area where the news crew had been just filming, but there was no sign of the Sorceress.

“Where is she?” Luna asked everyone. “I have the Elements with me! We are going to take her down!”

“We aren’t sure, your highness,” replied one of the crewmembers, picking up the camera. “Looks like she’s gone off somewhere else.”

“UGH! How are we supposed to catch this thing if she keeps blipping all over the place?!” Gallus complained.

Suddenly, a bright burst of light appeared next to everyone. They looked to see Princess Celestia there. She looked around, horrified to see all the children without their parents. A few of them came over to her for help.

“Princess Celestia! She took my mom and dad!” said one filly, weeping.

“What do we do, Princess?” asked a colt.

“Children, I’m so sorry to hear about all this. I’ve come to assist my sister and the teachers of the School of Friendship with tracking down the Sorceress.”

“Celestia, have you seen her yet?” Luna asked.

“I haven’t, Luna. I’m guessing you have already encountered her. Is the possession as bad as we thought?”

“Much worse, sister. We must exorcise her quickly, but we are having a hard time tracking her down.”

“She’s just outside of Dodge Junction right now. I’m using my powers to the best of my ability to track her, but it’s so erratic because she’s dancing all over the map of Equestria. I don’t think I can use a tracking spell and teleport at the same time much longer, so leave the tracking to me while you do the teleporting.”

“That sounds like a plan. Everyone hold hands again. We are going to Dodge Junction.”

The teachers all came together in formation and linked arms, while touching Celestia and Luna. The royal sisters both held hooves and Luna cast her spell. The temperature got a little warmer as they found themselves in the desert right outside of the Dodge Junction town. They saw children running around crying just as they expected. The Sorceress had just started disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

“She leave already? This getting irritating!” Yona bellowed, stomping on the ground.

“She’s in Baltimare!” Celestia said while using her tracking spell.

Everyone came together and Luna teleported them again. They were in the Baltimare Inner Harbor where more children without parents were crying. This time the Sorceress stayed around a little longer before disappearing. She was on top of the aquarium right before vanishing again.

“Alright, everyone stay together! Luna, we’re going to need to link our spells so you automatically teleport wherever I sense her!”

“Affirmative!”

Luna teleported them again and they were in Hinnywood, seeing the same exact thing. The Sorceress laughed as she kept vanishing from place to place. Next they all showed up in Appleloosa and the Sorceress left again. Next was Vanhoover, then Rainbow Falls, and finally on a large rock inside the Ghastly Gorge. They could not see the Sorceress anywhere, but a giant quarray eel stretched its neck out of one of the caves in the cliff and bit down on them. Thankfully, Celestia put up a magic shield to protect them all. The quarray eel groaned in pain from the bite and retracted into its cave. Another eel came out to feast but Luna teleported them safely to the cliff-top.

“Where is she now, sister?” Luna asked, impatiently.

“She…she hasn’t left. She’s still around here!”

“Quick, everyone get your elements ready!” Gallus said before they were all interrupted by a blast from behind.

All the teachers flinched as a bright light shone outside of a magic shield. The Elements were shining and had used their own passive powers to protect all six of them, but Celestia and Luna were knocked back in the commotion.

“So, the new wielders really did want a second round,” the Sorceress laughed as she landed next to them.

“Cozy! Please, we don’t want to use these!” Sandbar hollered.

“Blah blah blah! Do you idiots ever learn?!”

“Cozy, we’re not kidding! We know you’re in there, now we’re going to use the Elements to get rid of that evil spirit!” Ocellus added.

The teachers all closed their eyes and held hands. The Elements shone but nothing was happening aside from the shield they had created with their power. The Sorceress kept attacking, until Luna and Celestia started blasting her with their own magic. The Sorceress directed her attention to the princesses and fought back while the teachers tried to power up the Elements. Once again, the Elements refused to work.

“Darnit all!” Smolder grumbled. “What’s the point of being an Element of Harmony if they don’t work?!”

“Smolder, maybe it’s just like last time!” said Ocellus. “Maybe there’s another way to stop her.”

“What other way could there possibly be to stop this thing?!” Silverstream asked frantically.

Just as he spoke, the Sorceress could be seen firing a very powerful blast at Luna and Celestia. She then quickly turned to the teachers again and charged up an even more powerful spell from her horn. The blast was fired and the teachers all closed their eyes as a bright flash of light appeared just before the beam came in contact. There was an explosion of dirt and fire right where they had been standing. As the dust settled, the Sorceress saw a large crater, but no sign of the teachers or the Elements.

“Well Golly, that was unexpected! Looks like the Elements of Harmony aren’t as invincible as you all thought they were! AHAHAHAHA!”

Celestia and Luna got up and stared at the crater in horror. They had already begun to fear the worst.

“Did…did she just…” Luna asked, horrified.

“No…no, it can’t be!” Celestia cried.

“HAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Well I hope you losers have learned to stay away from me now! I mean it! Cozy Glow’s desire for parents and not having them all these years created me, and I will not rest until I have all the mothers and fathers out there in my grasp. Follow me and maybe I’ll start imprisoning you as well. I’m not afraid to use these powers against others who dare oppose me!”

The Sorceress spoke gravely to the two alicorn princesses before vanishing one last time. Celestia and Luna could do nothing but stand momentarily.

“That…that couldn’t have just happened,” said Luna. “They can’t be gone! They just can’t!”

“They’re not gone, Luna,” Celestia replied. “The Elements of Harmony wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.”

“Then where are they?”

“I don’t know, but wherever they are, perhaps it’s what She intends.”

“She? Do you mean…”

“Yes. They are in the caring hands of Harmony now, and I don’t mean the afterlife.”

“Still. We are without any means of stopping the Sorceress. This does not bode well.”

Luna bowed her head and closed her eyes. Celestia put her wing around her sister to comfort her.

“The Spirit will give them guidance. It is not necessary that we understand it, but we must move on now. Have faith, sister. We will overcome this. Those parents will all be returned and Cozy Glow will be free.”

“I hope you are right.”

5. A Shocking Revelation

“According to Celestia, all six of them disappeared, but there’s no sign of disintegration in the crater,” Captain Tempest Shadow explained to Princess Twilight. “The teachers are nowhere to be found. She believes it’s possible the Elements transported them to safety, but we don’t know where yet.”

Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She rubbed her forehead with her hoof and waited a few seconds before responding.

“Is the evacuation still working out as planned?” she asked.

“The news is being broadcasted to all of Equestria as we speak. Only problem is, the Sorceress appears to be jumping all over the entire countryside in a rather erratic fashion. Almost a thousand citizens have been confirmed kidnapped since these incidents started, while some are just missing in action. We’re looking at possibly two thousand citizens already gone and thousands more to come throughout the rest of the day. The good thing is, she doesn’t appear to have the ability to sense where parents are, so we’ve told parents to hide out in undisclosed locations. The rest of the parents we were able to locate in Canterlot have been moved into the crystal caves. Other cities have moved their parents to bunkers.”

“And Discord?”

“Still nowhere to be found since the Crystal Empire. Luna said he’s too overwrought after learning the Sorceress is Cozy Glow.”

Twilight walked slowly over to one of the stained glass windows in her throne room. She stared out the window.

“Your highness, is there anything else you need to know?” asked Tempest.

“Just continue with the evacuation plan,” she said, turning around. “Let me know when there are any other developments. If Discord doesn’t show up in the next half hour, I will call in Scorpan and Tirek with the Staff of Sacanas and the Absorption Stone. I’ve already got Starswirl and the rest of the Pillars on standby. That will be all for now, Captain.”

Tempest and the guards behind her all bowed and exited the throne room. Twilight turned back and looked out the window. She put her hoof against the glass and watched as several guards walked through the streets shouting orders for ponies to stay inside and direct any remaining parents to the crystal caves. The sky had darkened with thick black clouds. There was thunder but no rain. Those clouds had most likely come form the Sorceress herself.

She closed her eyes and concentrated her magic. Through the power of the Elements, she was able to sense Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She reached out harder and was able to see them inside the Sorceress’s prison realm. It was a dark and dreary environment with terrain that resembled a volcanic region or a black mountain. There were storm clouds in the sky and black smoke everywhere. Lightning and thunder was present and the sound of the Sorceress’s laugh could be heard at times. Applejack and Tex were in a cage together with Rainbow Dash and Thunderhead next to them. Not far away were Shining Armor and Cadance and tons of other husbands with their wives. Most of them were weeping and holding each other while others were trying to break free of the cage bars. In the center was a smaller cage with Cozy Glow inside. She appeared just like she did the night of her defeat with the Alicorn Amulet, only dirtier. She sat still with tears constantly streaming.

“Applejack, we’ll find a way out of here. I promise,” said Tex to Applejack.

“I just hope Chip and Annie are okay in the meantime,” she replied. “I’m more worried about them right now.

“Cozy, can you fight it?” asked Cadance. “Please try, dear. It can’t be that powerful.”

“I have tried,” Cozy replied, weakly. “I can’t do it. She’s too powerful and it’s all my fault.”

“Cozy…look, we forgive you. I mean that,” Rainbow Dash said, walking over to the edge of her cage. “Is there anything we can do to help you see that?”

“You might forgive me, but what will your kids say? I’ve taken their parents from them. Who could forgive me for the things I’ve done.”

“Cozy, it’s not you. It’s the Sorceress,” Shining Armor reminded the little filly.

“And don’t worry about our kids. They’ll forgive you too,” Thunderhead added. “We’ve all taught our kids the importance of forgiveness.”

“The first time I met your son, I left a terrible impression on him,” Cozy told Thunder as she turned around. “I’m sorry, everypony, but it doesn’t matter what you think. I allowed the Sorceress to fester in me, and now it’s too late. I just wanted two loving parents, or at least one of them. If I can never have any, then I guess the Sorceress will keep doing this.”

“Cozy…” Twilight said.

The others ears perked up and they looked in Twilight’s direction. In their vision, they saw a blurry image of their friend. Twilight concentrated her magic harder and was nearly in the realm.

“Twilight?” said Applejack.

“Twily!” shouted Shining Armor.

All the parents turned their heads to see their fair princess starting to materialize before them. They began to smile. Cozy was the only one who didn’t turn around.

“Cozy, it’s me: Twilight!” Twilight called to her.

“Don’t bother, Princess,” Cozy told her. “I’ve given you enough trouble.”

“No, Cozy, I forgive you as well. I will find a way to free you, and when the Sorceress is gone, you-”

Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke appeared before Twilight and the Sorceress appeared, knocking her back.

“Who dares enter my realm?!” The Sorceress bellowed.

“It’s me,” Twilight said, struggling to stand up.

“Princess Twilight? How did you get in here?!”

“You underestimate the magical connection I have with my friends, Sorceress,”

“You cannot take anyone out of this realm! Even Discord is not powerful enough! BE GONE WITH YOU!!”

The Sorceress blasted Twilight with a magic spell meant to transport items, and in a moment, she was back in her throne room, lying on the ground. She yelped and then panted. She wondered if it was a dream she just saw, but she still felt the painful twinge on her body from the Sorceress’s spell. She couldn’t take it any longer and broke down.

“Cozy Glow…I’m sorry,” she wept. “I should have handled this better. If you can hear me now…I can’t find them. I can’t find your parents. Please, let go of the hatred. I’ll find you someone that can love you. If I have to, I’ll take care of you.”

She then heard the sound of hoofsteps getting closer to the throne room. The doors swung open and the same guards reentered.

“PRINCESS!” shouted Tempest. “Princess, we have urgent news!”

“Tempest, what is it?”

“There’s a pony that has important news about the Sorceress!”

“Who is she?”

“Her name is Melody Heartsong. Believe me, you need to meet with her now.”

“All right. Bring her in.”

Gallus remained motionless on the ground. His eyelids began to slowly open as he heard his friends groaning around him. They were lying down in front of the Treehouse of Harmony in the Everfree Palace ruins.

“Awaken, my children,” said a familiar voice.

“Ugh…Twilight?” Gallus said as his vision became clear.

He noticed Twilight before him. She was not wearing her regalia and sparkled like diamonds. It then dawned on him who this really was: not Twilight Sparkle, but the Spirit of Harmony taking on this form as She often would when speaking to them.

“The Spirit of Harmony?” said Sandbar as he stood up and rubbed his eyes with one hoof.

“Spirit, what happen? Elements didn’t work on Sorceress!” Yona said.

“Are we really the new Elements of Harmony, or is there something wrong with these things?” asked Smolder, angrily. “We can’t do this if we don’t-”

The Spirit put Her hoof in the air and Smolder stopped talking.

“You did not heed my instructions,” She said. “I used the map to direct you to Canterlot.”

“But the Sorceress wasn’t in Canterlot,” Silverstream replied.

“You are not to go head-to-head with the Sorceress. The Elements do have the power to exorcise her as they did Nightmare Moon, but it is not that simple.”

“But she’s taken so many parents already, Spirit,” Ocellus told Her. “How can the Elements not be the answer in such a dire time?”

“I did not give you the power to wield the Elements for every disaster that comes your way. Sometimes there are better ways to win a battle. Look at how Scorpan managed to humble his brother after the Elements refused to work on him. Much like Tirek, Cozy Glow must also be humbled. She is sad and alone because of her abandonment, but she can find happiness again. She must.”

“How?” asked Gallus.

“Go to Canterlot. Her mother is waiting there for her.”

“Her mother? What about her father?” Silverstream asked.

“Go now. Flurry Heart will be joining you there shortly.”

“Flurry?” called Gallus.

“Farewell, my children.”

“Wait…SPIRIT!”

They were all engulfed in a blinding light. The light faded slowly and they all found themselves standing on the Cutie Map back in the Crystal Palace. Everyone that was there earlier was staring at them.

“Guys? What happened?” Spike asked.

“Did you stop the Sorceress?” Buttercream joined in.

“Also, where is Princess Luna?” asked Sunburst.

The teachers all stood in shock until Sandbar finally spoke up.

“Luna and Celestia didn’t just get blasted like we did so they’re not here. I thought we were goners at first, but we…we just had a visit from the Spirit of Harmony.”

“We have to get to Canterlot. The Spirit said Cozy’s mother is there!” Ocellus added.

“Her mother? So we do know where one of her parents are!” said Pound.

“Well we don’t know who she is yet, but we’re about to,” Silverstream answered.

“So…you didn’t stop the Sorceress?” Trixie asked.

“The Spirit said the Elements aren’t supposed to be used on Cozy. Whoever her mother is…well, I’m guessing that’s her cutie mark,” Gallus said, pointing to the map.

All the teachers hopped down from the map table and looked to see the orb over Canterlot had turned into a cutie mark of several musical notes.

“That’s her mother’s cutie mark? Anyone recognize?” asked Yona.

“Uh…well it’s not somepony we know,” said Ocellus.

“Whoever it is, we’re going to have to fly on quickly over to Canterlot,” said Gallus.

“Wait a second…” said Pumpkin, studying the cutie mark carefully. “I’ve seen that cutie mark before! It…it can’t be…”

Back in the Crystal Empire, Flurry sat at a large table with several royal advisors present. Starswirl the Bearded and Mistmane were among them, being trusted confidants of Shining Armor and Cadance. Aventurine addressed them all, reporting on the events of that day.

“As of right now, Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona and Ocellus are all missing in action. Princess Twilight is considering using the Staff of Sacanas with King Scorpan’s permission to drain the Sorceress’s power.”

“And I’ve just received correspondence from the remaining Pillars of Equestria that they are willing to meet up with us to see if our Element powers can help,” explained Starswirl.

“And Twilight still has some of her friends left over who can combine their Elements. Aside from Discord, it could be the only way to stop the Sorceress,” Mistmane added.

At the other end, Flurry lay her head down on the table.

“This has not been a good day,” she sighed. “First Discord and now the Elements. There’s got to be a way to stop her.”

“Everyone, we have an update!” said one of the servants as he pointed to a large rectangular crystal in the room that acted as a television monitor, reporting on the news.

“We are coming to you live from San Horsé right now! That does appear to be the Sorceress walking by. She entered this building earlier and…hold on, let me hide real quick…”

The reporter mare ran off screen and the feed showed a dark figure walking out of a building with a cloud of smoke fading out around her. She was humming a rather foreboding tune. Flurry thought this tune sounded like a song she had heard before, but it was not coming to her at the moment. The crewmembers scattered as the Sorceress stood in front of the camera and moved it to center on her face.

“Hello, Equestria,” she said. “This is the song my mother would sing me when I was a baby. I don’t even remember the lyrics, but I can barely remember the tune. If you’re missing your parents, this will be the only form of comfort you will get from the Sorceress. I’m sure you all know, but my parents abandoned me when I was too young to know them. Maybe all you poor children should be thankful you knew yours. I’ll never properly remember the warm touch of a mother or father. I never got to celebrate my own birthday since I didn’t know it. Cozy Glow may not even be my given name. That little brat made it up herself as a coping mechanism!”

As she spoke, the blue marks on her cheeks began to flow again like tears and float around her face. She got angrier as she continued.

“I’ve read the newspapers! I’ve seen what you politicians and celebrities have said about that child in stone: how she deserves to stay like that and is no different from the centaur or the changeling next to her! Well now poor little Cozy Glow’s actions have caught up to her! You’ll never accept me for anything other than a villain, so that’s what I’ll be for all eternity! Every child in Equestria will now grow up an orphan and will become criminals just like Cozy Glow did!”

“Turn it off!” shouted Aventurine as he noticed the look on Flurry’s face.

“NO PARENT IS SAFE, EQUESTRIA! YOU CREATED THIS MONSTER, NOW REVEL IN IT!”

The screaming coming from the Sorceress horrified Flurry. She jumped out of her chair and ran away as the Sorceress shot the camera with a magic blast and the live feed was cut. The screen showed black and white static dots and then colorful bars with a beeping tone. The servant then shut the crystal monitor off, seeing what effect it was having on Flurry.

“PRINCESS!” shouted Aventurine as he rushed to her before being stopped by Starswirl.

“No, Aventurine. Let her go. Flurry has dealt with enough stress for today.”

“Starswirl, what will we do? Without a king or queen, the burden of leadership falls squarely on her. I don’t want to force her into this position, but we have no choice.”

“We should probably elect a temporary regent until this is all sorted out,” one of the other advisors recommended.

“We would need the princesses’ permission to do that,” said Mistmane.

“Then we will get it.”

“We will not need a regent!” Starswirl said, raising his voice a bit. “Look, this has been a rough day for all of us, especially Flurry. She was supposed to stay in Ponyville for the whole summer with her friends, and now she’s suddenly found herself having to lead an entire empire without her parents to guide her. We will find a way to deal with this. Mistmane and I will go with the other Pillars and see if we can use the Elements that reside within us. Even without Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Twilight still has several of her other friends available.”

“Starswirl, with all due respect, Celestia’s letter said the Element pendants were refusing to work on the Sorceress earlier.”

Starswirl paused to think. He closed his eyes and continued.

“I understand, but every adversary that has stood up to us has been defeated somehow; whether by the power of the Elements or not. This too shall pass.”

The doors to the royal bedroom swung open and Flurry rushed in. She landed on her parents’ bed and buried her face in the blanket, sobbing. She could not be in her father’s office with the advisors any more. Today’s events had taken a toll on her, and the video of the Sorceress made it worse. She felt like a failure for not being there for Cozy and allowing this to happen.

“I shouldn’t have let her run off into the forest,” she said. “Why did I let this happen? Cozy, I’m sorry.”

Flurry wept for a few more minutes until she finally calmed herself down. She lifted her head and saw a CD case on the end table next to Cadance’s side of the bed. It was the same Melody Heartsong CD that she and Pumpkin got from Rara. She used her magic to bring it over to her. She remembered how Melody’s music calmed her down and helped her to reflect. Perhaps such music was what she needed at the moment. Flurry opened the case, put the CD in a nearby entertainment system on Cadance’s desk and played the album starting with the song Always Love You.

I love you, sweet child

My baby, my darling

As long as you’re with me

We’ll both see it through

I love you, sweet child

Please never forget me

No matter what happens

I’ll always love you

As the song played, Flurry’s ears perked up and her eyes widened. She pressed the pause button. It had just dawned on her that the song the Sorceress was humming earlier had a tune that was very identical to the one in Always Love You. Flurry looked down at the case and took the lyrical booklet out. She opened the first page and saw a message beneath the lyrics that she did not notice the first time she looked at her own copy.

This song was written years ago when I was raising my baby daughter Half Note. I would sing it to her every night when putting her to sleep. She is no longer with me due to my own foolish actions, but I have decided to put this song in my first album with hopes I can reunite with her one day. Half Note, wherever you are, I’ll always love you no matter what.

Your Mother,

Melody Heartsong

Flurry dropped the case on the bed. She was in complete shock. She then picked the album back up and took a closer look at Melody on the front cover. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that made her jump and catch the case in her hoof.

“Flurry?” asked a muffled voice.

“Er…um…come in!”

The door creaked open and Starswirl slowly stuck his head in.

“Flurry, are you alright?”

Flurry still had the case in her hoof. Everything she just realized was still going through her head, rendering her speechless. She looked back to Starswirl and jumped down from the bed.

“Starswirl, I know this sounds crazy, but… both you and I know my teleportation spells aren’t as effective as yours so you…you’ve got to teleport me to Canterlot right away!”

“To Canterlot?”

“I need to find Twilight! I have to tell her something very important! I know who Cozy’s-”

Starswirl used his magic to take the case out of her hoof. He took one look at the front of the album and then read the message on the first page. His eyes widened and he and Flurry shared glances. He had also figured it out.

“Starswirl, I have to let Twilight know. We need to find Melody.”

Starswirl smiled and put his hoof under Flurry’s chin.

“Princess, in all the years I’ve known you, I have never known a filly as gifted. You have such a bright mind. You would make a fine leader, but even I know you are not ready for that right now. I will send you to Canterlot and inform the others. I have no doubt we are already on our way to stopping the Sorceress.”

“Thank you, Starswirl.”

“Hold still.”

Starswirl’s horn glowed and he closed his eyes. He cast the spell and Flurry vanished. He stood for a few seconds, thinking heavily about everything he had just learned. He looked back down at the CD case and turned it around. He noticed one of the songs was titled Come Home, My Child.

“So we’ve finally found her. I just wonder what happened to the father,” he said.

Flurry lurched and felt a faint zap go through her body that she was not used to feeling when teleporting. There was a quick moment of brightness around her, until she found herself in the courtyard before the Canterlot Palace. She looked up and saw the spires before her, indicating that she had been sent to the right location. She looked around and saw some guards nearby. One of them noticed her.

“Princess Flurry Heart?” the guard asked.

“Guards! Where’s my aunt?” Flurry called.

“Princess, what are you doing here?” asked another guard as they all rushed to meet her.

“Please, I need to see Twilight right away! I have urgent news!”

“Flurry?” asked Twilight behind the guards.

Flurry saw Twilight and rushed in to hug her.

“TWILIGHT!”

“Flurry Heart! How did you get here so quickly?”

“I had Starswirl teleport me. Twilight, I need to talk to you! I…this is going to sound really weird, but we need to find a mare named Melody Heartsong.”

“We’ve got her, Flurry,” said Gallus, walking in with the rest of the teachers behind him.

“Gallus, you guys have found her? Where is she?”

They all parted and a pegasus mare stood before Flurry. It was Melody Heartsong just as she appeared on the album.

“Princess Flurry Heart?” asked Melody.

Flurry walked forward and bowed politely. She was nervous not only to meet a pony she admired, but also because of how frantic she was to ask her the burning question on her mind for the past few minutes.

“Melody! Miss Heartsong, I’m so sorry we had to meet like this. I’m a big fan of your music, but I really need to talk to you about something. I saw the Sorceress on the news earlier, and she was humming what sounded like your Always Love You song. I…I think…I mean I don’t want to assume anything, but…Melody-”

“Yes, Princess. It’s true.” Melody said as she nodded her head up and down.

Flurry stopped talking and could already tell Melody had everything figured out too. What came next would change everything.

“I am Cozy Glow’s mother.”

Author's Note

Here is the tune to the Sorceress's humming: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QSjMzUJrEEGsLbrTrpj6oq4PYiAFIOKP/view

Here is the tune to "Always Love You" by Melody Heartsong: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ClFgg-DFj3mLinzvhTQ4d3MW0JhtNwf/view

6. Defeating the Sorceress

Flurry could do nothing but stand still and stare at Melody. Twilight and the teachers did not appear surprised and had clearly already been told this news. Several questions flooded Flurry’s mind. Where was the father? Was Cozy left at the orphanage for a good reason? And why did Melody wait all these years to speak up? Surely there must have been something going on in Melody’s life for her to leave her own daughter. Flurry just stood and nodded her head back and forth. It was difficult for her to say anything without stuttering.

“Melody, I…I don’t understand. Why did you wait all this time? Why did you leave her at that orphanage?”

Melody closed her eyes and waited a few seconds before explaining everything to the young princess.

“This isn’t easy to tell you. You see, Flurry, I was very young and naïve when I had my daughter. Her father could not deal with taking care of a family and left me. I tried the best I could to take care of my daughter, but I was not financially there. I struggled to pay anyone to watch after her while I worked a full-time job to keep us afloat. It got to a point where I couldn’t even afford to feed her. I was afraid she would be malnourished and sick, so I did the only thing I could think of at the time: I left her at the orphanage when she was past her nursing stage. It was stupid, but it felt like the only option for my daughter to survive. Not a day goes by that I regret doing it. I never wanted to let her go, and I can say with utmost certainty that I never would have if I knew all this could happen.”

Melody started blubbering as she finished speaking and needed to stop for a moment. After taking time to release her emotions, she sniffled and looked back up to continue.

“I eventually managed to land a better job and moved away from that area, and when I came back years later to check on her, the orphanage was shut down so I assumed she was with a good family. Now as for why I didn’t say anything all these years: let’s just say things lined up rather inconveniently. When I heard about this young girl named Cozy Glow that tried to take all the magic from Equestria, I had no idea it was my daughter. Her photo in the paper didn’t help one bit. It was black and white, and she didn’t have her cutie mark or the name Cozy Glow when she was with me.”

“So this Half Note that you mention in your album…that’s her?”

“Yes. Her real name is Half Note. She doesn’t even remember her name. I saw a colored photo of her later on as a statue, which still didn’t give away the answer since she was all grey. It wasn’t until I saw a picture of her in color that it hit me that this could be my daughter. I knew right away it was her when her claim about the orphanage went public recently. I had already finished my album with her lullaby, so I figured I needed to come clean with all of this. I was going to announce to everyone that I was her mother this morning at my first concert in Canterlot, but the Sorceress’s attack changed everything. I came right to Princess Twilight after I found out she is the Sorceress. I still can’t believe that’s her. My own baby daughter is wallowing in abandonment and bitterness over what I’ve done.”

Melody started crying again as Twilight put her wing around her. Flurry then noticed her cutie mark was blinking.

“The map called her, didn’t it?” she asked the teachers.

“She has to be the one to confront the Sorceress,” Gallus told Cozy.

“We were going to try taking on the Sorceress with the Elements, but the Spirit of Harmony told us we’ve got to find her mother in Canterlot,” Ocellus explained.

Flurry then turned back to Melody and waited till she had finished blowing her nose into a tissue one of the guards provided.

“Melody, I know you feel this is all your fault, but I can tell your heart was in the right place. I forgive you,” Flurry said with a smile on her face.

Melody wiped her tears and smiled back.

“Thank you,” she said as she gave Flurry a hug.

“We have to get you to her,” Twilight told Melody. “There’s got to be some way to get the Sorceress over here.”

“Has the Sorceress taken every parent in Canterlot?” Flurry asked.

“Thankfully she hasn’t,” said Twilight. “They’re hiding in the crystal caves right now, but I’m not using them as bait. We can’t afford to let more children become orphans. There has to be a better way to attract the Sorceress.”

“Leave that to me, Twilight,” said a familiar voice.

Everyone turned to see Discord walking in with Tirek behind him. Melody looked surprised since she wasn’t used to seeing the centaur prince on their side, but she knew right away why he was here.

“Sorry I disappeared earlier,” Discord continued. “I gave it some thought and I decided I couldn’t sit this one out any longer. I thought Tirek might want to tag along.”

“I never said it before, but I think Cozy really considered me and Chrysalis to be her parents for a while,” Tirek explained. “After everything Scorpan did for me, I felt I should be here for Cozy.”

“Thank you for joining in, Tirek,” Twilight told him. “We’re going to need all the help we can get. If one of you could maybe follow her around out there and engage her, see if you can teleport her to Canterlot.”

“If we do bring her here, she will most likely try to get the parents that are in hiding. We have to be careful,” Tirek warned.

“It’s all right. We’ll be ready for her,” Discord added.

“All of us will be,” said Silverstream as her friends all surrounded her with determined faces and the Elements still around their necks.

“Also, once she does get here, I have an idea,” Flurry said, turning back to the forlorn pegasus mother. “Melody, would you mind if we sang Always Love You? I think it will work once Cozy hears the real song. She already seems to remember the tune a little.”

“That sounds like a great idea, Flurry,” Melody said. “I can get some sheet music printed and sent to everyone in Canterlot. If she remembers some of the tune to the song, hearing the rest of it might be just what she needs.”

Elsewhere in the countryside, national guardponies were walking around telling ponies to stay indoors. The Sorceress had been spotted in another town miles away and the entire region was on high alert. Inside a nearby cottage, a mother unicorn looked out behind the curtains of her bedroom window. She had her children in the same room as her but figured it would be best for them to be separated so the Sorceress could not tell there were parents nearby.

“Kids, listen, your father and I will be fine if we keep apart. Go down to the cellar and stay there until I say to come back up,” she told her three daughters.

“But Mom, it’s you and Dad she wants,” said the oldest daughter.

The tension in the room rose when they all heard a scream from the house next door.

“GO! GO NOW!” the mother shouted as all three of them rushed downstairs.

She then walked over to her bed and looked underneath to check on her husband who had decided to hide in order to fool the Sorceress should she arrive.

“Are you alright down there, Honey?” she asked him.

“I’m fine. Just make sure the blanket is down.”

She used her magic to pull the blanket down till it touched the floor. She sighed and waited until black smoke appeared in the room. She turned around to see the Sorceress materialize right before her. Her heart began pounding fast as she locked eyes with the demonic alicorn.

“Well hello there,” the Sorceress cooed.

“Wha…what do you want? I don’t have any children,” the mother said, trembling.

“Is that so?”

The Sorceress brought over a family photo of the five of them and looked at it before turning back to the horrified mother unicorn.

“Well aren’t you all one big happy family. Not anymore!”

The mother was engulfed by black smoke and began screaming. She disappeared and the kids all ran up to see her just as she was taken.

“MOMMY, NOOOOO!” shouted the youngest one.

“Oh, don’t fret little ones,” said the Sorceress as the father crept up behind her with a baseball bat. “This is just the new norm. Now would you mind telling me where your fath-”

She stopped mid-sentence as the bat smashed against her head and splinters flew everywhere. She didn’t budge or flinch from the impact. With an unimpressed look on her face, she turned her head to the father. He took one look at the broken bat and dropped it.

“Really?” said the Sorceress as her horn glowed.

In an instant, the smoke took the father. The daughters screamed and began throwing random objects at the Sorceress.

“LET THEM GO RIGHT NOW!” said one of them.

The Sorceress laughed maniacally until she noticed a lion’s arm emerge from the side of a nearby wardrobe. It opened up one of the doors and Discord came out. He had his arms crossed and a very stern look on his face.

“I’m not done with you yet, Cozy,” he said.

“DISCORD!” shouted one of the daughters.

“Mr. Discord, please get Mommy and Daddy back!” cried the youngest.

“Fear not children. I’ve got this. Go downstairs and tune in to any news station. The emotional conclusion to Cozy Glow’s redemption arc is going to be broadcast everywhere in just a moment.”

The kids all went downstairs to do as he said. Discord cracked his knuckles and lifted his head off of his neck and spun it around once before placing it back on. The Sorceress rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please. You again? Do you ever give up?”

“Look, Sorceress, I know the real Cozy Glow is in there and I’m not giving up on her. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“And just what does that mean?”

“Surrender or else we’re going to exorcise you out of Cozy’s being.”

“Oh Golly, an exorcism! What ever shall I do? Nice try, clown! Those teachers tried it earlier with the Elements and I took care of them!”

“Oh, they’re still alive. They’re going to help, but it’s not going to be the Elements that stop you.”

“No one is going to stop me!”

“We have ways.”

“SILENCE!”

The Sorceress lunged for Discord. Upon contact, he used his magic to teleport both of them to Canterlot just as planned. They landed on the huge balcony where festivals were often held in front of the royal palace. It was just around the entrance to the castle town where many could watch the ensuing battle. Discord was knocked onto the ground while the Sorceress was standing over him. She looked around confused.

“Eh? Canterlot? That’s fine. I can zip all around Equestria all I want today. Besides, I’m sure I might have missed a few parents here.”

“Cozy Glow!” shouted Tirek behind her.

The Sorceress turned her head to see the familiar centaur before her. He appeared to be in his fourth form, but he was about as tall as his second form. He was wearing the necklace that Cozy remembered learning about when she was first educated on Tirek’s invasion. She had no idea this was the Pendant of Restoration or what Tirek had been through, but based on his restored body and how firm he looked at her, she could already tell he had reformed. Discord slowly got up and walked away as they began speaking to each other.

“Tirek? Let me guess, they’ve already gotten to you?”

“I went on one final power-induced rampage and nearly won, but all it took was a little chat with my brother Scorpan. I have come to see the error of my ways. It hasn’t been easy, but I finally feel happiness in my life once again.”

“HA! That’s to be expected of a wimp like you! And to think the little brat once wanted you to be her surrogate father, that is until you left her in the forest right after that crazy Chrysalis scampered off!”

“Cozy, look, all I ask is that you calm down and try to come to your senses. We are not looking for a fight. I am past that. I’ve changed. You can to.”

“Oh, Cozy Glow has already changed; I can assure you of that. She’s crying her heart out right now and is sorry for all of this, but that doesn’t matter because you’ll never see her again. She’s gone. It’s just the Sorceress now!”

“You’re wrong. If you are able to feel her sorrow, then that means she is still alive. Cozy Glow is in there and we’re going to set her free today!”

The Sorceress gritted her teeth and her horn glowed. She shot Tirek with a magic blast, which he just barely blocked with his own magic. He would have teleported, but he noticed there was a statue behind him that would be destroyed in the process. Thinking quickly, he let the blast push him back until he cancelled his shield spell and flew into the statue. The statue toppled over and broke into several pieces, but Tirek used the pendant to fix it since it broke as a result of his contact. He looked over to see Discord using a giant umbrella to shield himself from one of the Sorceress’s blasts. The Sorceress stopped shooting and used her magic to grab Discord and throw him into Tirek before he could react. The Sorceress cracked her neck and then started walking into the castle town until Celestia and Luna landed right in front of her.

“Well Golly. This is one heartwarming reunion,” she said, sarcastically.

“Are you ready, sister?” Luna asked Celestia.

“I’m ready,” Celestia replied.

The royal sisters then shot beams from their horns that met at an angle and combined to form a more powerful beam. It pushed hard against the Sorceress’s own magic shield and caused her to move towards the edge of the balcony. She finally cast an explosive magic spell that knocked Celestia and Luna back towards the entrance.

“Does anyone else care to tussle with the Sorceress?” she asked angrily.

Discord and Tirek both stood up and tried to fire at her again, but she reacted quickly and knocked them both into a wall with a return blast. The Sorceress giggled and began walking towards the entrance until she bumped into something. She shook her head and noticed there was an barely-visible shield of magic in front of her. She tried blasting it, but it was somehow impervious to her own magic. Out from the entrance appeared all six of the teachers wearing their Element necklaces. They had used the power of Harmony to create this shield. The Sorceress looked out to the other end of the balcony and tried firing another blast, but the same thing happened. She was trapped.

“No! Let me go, fools!” she snapped.

“Alright, everybody! Now’s the time!” shouted Gallus.

The Sorceress then heard voices from all around Canterlot join in singing a rather familiar song.

I love you, sweet child

My baby, my darling

As long as you’re with me

We’ll both see it through

I love you, sweet child

Please never forget me

No matter what happens

I’ll always love you

The Sorceress stood still and twitched at hearing this song. She already recognized its tune as the one she was humming earlier, but it sounded far happier. This was clearly the lullaby Cozy remembered hearing her mother sing, but she had forgotten the lyrics and wasn’t sure if this was the right one. Even then, it caused the Sorceress to go insane.

“What? That song…no…no! STOP IT! STOP IT ALL OF YOU!”

The ponies everywhere continued to sing. A choir of singers famous in Canterlot stood on the balcony of a nearby tower as the famed cellist Octavia played from the same balcony with them. DJ PON-3, the local pony DJ had set up several microphones and loudspeakers all over Canterlot so the singing would carry through right to the Sorceress. The speakers and everyone singing were beyond the shield, so the Sorceress had no way of harming them or getting them to stop. Despite her protesting, they continued to sing:

Don’t cry, it gets better

The storm will soon pass us

And all will be happy

You’ll see that it’s true

Whenever you’re with me

You brighten my day, love

If ever you’re lonely

I’ll be there for you

Through all circumstances

I’ll never forget you

And if we should part ways

I’ll still think of you

You’ll be in my heart, love

Till I say goodbye

Until then, my child

I’ll be there for you

The Sorceress felt weak in her knees and fell to the ground. Her armor lost it’s power and faded away into smoke. She got back up and snarled.

“NO! I WILL…I will not…I…how…how do you all know that song?”

She then felt a presence behind her. She turned her head to see Twilight and Flurry Heart landing on the edge of the balcony. Between them was Melody. She began to walk slowly towards the Sorceress as she sang a repeat of the first stanza of the song.

I love you, sweet child

My baby, my darling

As long as you’re with me

We’ll both see it through

I love you, sweet child

Please never forget me

No matter what happens

I’ll always love you

As this familiar pegasus walked forward while singing, the Sorceress tried her best to shake it off and ignore this pony, but it slowly started to set in who this was. Somehow she remembered this voice and the look of this mare. It was a very faint memory from her earliest time in childhood, but it was strong enough to make her think. She remembered a faint image of a yellow mare with blue hair and the voice of an angel. This was that same mare. Could this be her mother?

Author's Note

Click here to listen to the tune of "Always Love You" https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-ClFgg-DFj3mLinzvhTQ4d3MW0JhtNwf/view

7. A Mother's Love Conquers All

Melody slowly made her way towards the Sorceress. The closer she got, the clearer it became that this was Cozy’s mother. The Sorceress flinched and closed her eyes, trying to fight back these feelings, but the sight of Melody was enough to awaken the real Cozy Glow within.

Inside the Sorceress’s prison realm, Cozy’s ears perked up. She turned around in her cage as it faded away into smoke.

“That voice…” she said as she dried her tears and walked towards an image of Melody where the Sorceress’s vision could be seen.

Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke with the Sorceress’s face appeared to seize Cozy. She yelped and stumbled backward as it consumed her, attempting to keep control of her body and never die.

“Cozy, look out!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“Come on, y’all! Let’s get this beast!” shouted Applejack.

The cages the parents were in had also begun to fade away. They broke free and wrangled the Sorceress, who was already unable to fight back.

“NOOOO! YOU FOOLS! DO NOT TAKE THIS FROM ME!” the cloud of black smoke screeched.

Cozy leapt out of the smoke and rushed forward to look harder at the image of Melody.

“It…it can’t be…”

Out in the real world, the Sorceress’s power had weakened tremendously. Her hair had stopped flowing in the wind and her tears were now dripping to the ground instead of defying gravity around her face. She closed her eyes and opened them to reveal they had already turned back to normal. Although she stuttered to speak, her voice was already starting to sound more like Cozy Glow’s.

“Ma…Mama?” she whimpered.

“It’s me, Half Note,” Melody replied.

“Half Note? Is that my real name?”

“It is.”

As they spoke, everyone else watched carefully. A nearby group of news ponies had a camera centered on them. All across Equestria, ponies were tuning in to the news to see Cozy finally reunite with her mother. Back in Ponyville inside the crystal castle, all of the children and the accompanying adults watched a hologram from the Cutie Map as the events unfolded. Buttercream, Pumpkin and Annie had already started crying after hearing Melody’s song. Their brothers all had their arms around them for comfort. Even Stormy looked like he now pitied Cozy rather than fear her. They all watched as mother and daughter spoke for the first time.

“I…I don’t understand,” Cozy said. “Why did you leave me? Didn’t you want me?”

“Of course I did, dear,” Melody replied, “I loved you more than anything. I never wanted to give you up, but I was impoverished and made some terrible decisions as a result. Your father left not long after you were born and I had to fend for myself.”

“My father’s gone?”

“I don’t know where he is, but I never saw him after he left us. I had to raise you by myself and it was too difficult. I couldn’t get by even with a job. I couldn’t feed you. I couldn’t even afford a babysitter. It was so foolish of me, but I felt you’d be in better hooves if I left you at that orphanage. It was the worst thing I’ve ever done and I hated myself for it every single day. When I came back years later to check on you, that orphanage was shut down, but you never found a family, did you?”

“N…no. Nopony wanted me. All the other kids were chosen but me. The ponies at the orphanage called me the ‘runt’. I had no friends there. All I could do was read books and educate myself. I ran away and named myself Cozy Glow and tried to get ponies to do what I said by manipulating them with my innocent looks. Eventually I found the school of friendship and I thought I’d be happy there, but I was still so angry about everything else that I couldn’t help it. I became a villain, Mom. I’ve done terrible things.”

“I know. It’s all my fault. I never would have left you there had I known this would happen. I didn’t know it was you all this time until I heard you say you were dropped off at an orphanage. That’s when I realized the colors you shared with my own baby wasn’t just coincidence. That’s when I realized you were my baby. You humming my lullaby on the news earlier further confirmed it. I wish I didn’t miss this all those years, but I shouldn’t have left you there to begin with. It was so stupid of me.”

Melody started crying bitterly and walked over to hug the tall dark alicorn that was once her baby girl. Cozy noticed her cutie mark was blinking from being called by the Cutie Map. Clearly this reunion needed to happen today.

“I came back here to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, Half Note. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you like I said I would be in my song. I’m sorry I didn’t try harder to get us through those rough times. I’m sorry this all had such an affect on you and caused you to do the things you’ve done, but today I resolve to never let it happen again.”

Melody stopped hugging her daughter and took a few steps back. She sniffled and then looked her in the eyes while speaking.

“Half Note, please come back. I want you in my life again. Give me the chance to be the mother I should have been years ago. I’ve gotten my life back together and I’m more than capable of taking care of you.”

“But…the Sorceress…”

“Don’t listen to her. She’s using you. You are loved and you don’t need to turn to villainous deeds again. It’s going to get better from here on out. I’ll always love you, Half Note.”

Cozy stood still for nearly an entire minute. A ray of sunshine appeared from the dark clouds and shone on both of them. She closed her eyes and cried, but they were tears of joy now. She reached up and wiped her tears away as she opened her eyes again. Smoke began to emit from her as she spoke one last time in this form.

“You know…all these years…that’s all I needed to hear.”

Cozy smiled warmly and closed her eyes. Her corrupted alicorn body began to glow and dissolve. A silhouette of a small pegasus filly appeared in the center. The true Cozy Glow slowly dropped to the ground as the rest of the spirit billowed up in the air like flames from a bonfire. Melody watched as the horrible creature was expelled from her daughter. For a moment, the air was filled with the smell of nauseous smoke, but it did not last long. The shape of a bestial alicorn head could be seen crying out one last time in anguish.

“NOOOOOoooooooo……”

The smoke and flames faded away and the demon was finally banished forever. Melody’s cutie mark stopped blinking. She smiled and looked down at her true daughter. Her hair was bedraggled and her coat was dirty, but she was in a far better state now. Cozy was out for a moment but slowly regained consciousness. She felt a cool fresh feeling slip over her body like she had just woken up from a good night’s sleep. The demonic spirit was finally gone and so was the pain. She slowly opened her eyes and saw her mother standing before her. For a moment, they shared glances until their eyes flooded with tears. Cozy got up on all fours and ran in to hug her mother.

Everyone around them instantly erupted in applause. Flashes of light could be seen all over Canterlot. Parents were already reappearing next to their children. Flurry noticed Shining Armor and Cadance standing right next to her after they too were transported out of the prison realm.

“MOM! DAD!” she shouted as she rushed to hug them both.

“FLURRY!” Cadance cried.

“Hey kid! We knew you’d figure it out!” Shining Armor said.

“Don’t thank me! Thank Melody! I had a strong feeling she was more than just a great singer!”

“She did it! She actually did it!” shouted Spike in the crystal castle as he gave Buttercream a big hug.

“Spike, my heart…I can’t take it any longer! BAHAHAHA!” Buttercream cried as fountains of tears gushed from her eyes.

The kids in the same room all watched as their parents appeared one-by-one right next to them.

“MOM! DAD! YOU GUYS MADE IT!” Pumpkin cried as she and Pound hugged Mr. and Mrs. Cake.

Stormy and his siblings and grandparents rushed to meet Rainbow Dash and Thunderhead while Chip, Annie, Apple Bloom, Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle reunited with Applejack and Tex. The room was full of cheering and parents crying happily. Starlight and Sunburst both bawled and hugged each other. Trixie patted them both on the back while humorously rolling her eyes. Pinkie watched with Cheese Sandwich, holding his hand.

“You know Cheese,” she said as tears started to form in her eyes. “It’s a good thing we’re going to be married in a few days, cuz this makes me more ready to be a mother now than ever before! WAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Pinkie gave her fiancé a tight hug. He reached up and patted her on the head.

“There there, Pinkie,” he said, laughing.

As everyone in Canterlot continued to cheer and ponies watched the news on their television monitors, kids all over Equestria had their parents returned and happily embracing them. The entire countryside celebrated the return of the kidnapped parents and the defeat of the Sorceress. While not everyone was pleased with Cozy Glow herself, this event generated much sympathy for her and there were already calls for her to be pardoned by Princess Twilight.

After the cheering had finally calmed down, the dark clouds in the sky had disappeared and a more peaceful atmosphere returned. Over by the entrance, Tirek could be seen blubbering, while Discord offered him a tissue box he had summoned with his powers. Celestia and Luna congratulated all the teachers for their efforts with the Elements. After they left to go speak with Discord and Tirek, the teachers all saw the apparition of the Spirit of Harmony in the form of Twilight Sparkle. She smiled to them and nodded before disappearing. The teachers all joined each other in a group-hug.

“Well guys, I don’t think we need to be so frustrated with the Elements refusing to work anymore. Now we know why we didn’t need their full power this time,” Gallus told them.

“Yeah, but at least they helped create that shield,” Smolder added. “The Spirit was right: there’s a time and place for the Elements to be used, and Melody was the key to getting Cozy reformed all along.”

“Smolder right. What really matter is Cozy with her mother now. Pony happy and that make yak very happy too,” Yona said as she began to cry and Sandbar patted her.

On the other end of the balcony, Flurry stood next to her mother and father, watching happily as Cozy and Melody made conversation.

“So Flurry, I’m guessing Aventurine appointed you the regent while we were gone?” asked Cadance.

“Yeah. It wasn’t very fun, but he’ll be pleased to know you guys are back,” Flurry answered.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get back to the Crystal Empire and get everything sorted out,” Shining Armor replied, stroking her head.

“Mom, you didn’t tell me you had Melody’s CD,” Flurry told Cadance.

“Well after you sent me your letter about what Night Shade did and then told me about this Melody Heartsong, I thought I’d throw out all my Night Shade CDs and buy some from her instead. That’s an artist I can definitely get behind,” Cadance told her daughter.

“I have a feeling Melody’s going to be making a lot of sales from that album. It’s just so great to see Cozy happy now and having a real mother,” Shining added.

“Yeah. After all these years of her being a villain, she’s finally right where she belongs,” Flurry replied.

Twilight then walked over to Flurry and they shared a hug.

“You did well, Flurry Heart,” she told her niece. “Everyone helped out, but your idea to use that song had such an impact.”

“Thanks, Twilight.”

“Now I know you said you wanted to wait and see what happens with Cozy till you send a friendship report about her, but are you ready for it now?”

As Flurry watched Melody and her redeemed daughter, she began to deliver her friendship report.

“Yes. I learned today that child and parent relationships are one of the most important components of society. A child without a proper parent figure or two can grow to be very resentful and violent. That’s why parents should always be there for their children. I saw a very bitter child open her heart today because her mother returned and promised to take responsibility. It really is amazing what a mother’s love can do.”

Twilight put her wing around Flurry and wiped a tear from her eye. She felt such satisfaction over today’s events. Cozy Glow had finally been redeemed and they found one of her parents. She still wondered in the back of her head what had become of the father, but for now, a mother as loving as Melody would be just enough to keep the young filly happy.

As everyone else talked amongst each other, Cozy was in a state of pure bliss being able to talk to her mother for the first time ever. She wanted nothing more than to be with her and be cherished by somepony. All the things she had done before seemed like hundreds of years in the past. All that mattered to her now was being happy to have a mother.

“Hey Mom?” she asked.

“Yes, dear?”

“So why did you call me Half Note?”

“Well when I would sing to you, you would try to sing back, and you always sang in half notes. I thought it was cute, so that’s what I decided to call you. What made you come up with Cozy Glow?”

“Well, all my life, I really envied ponies with parents. Every time I saw parents hugging their kids, it made me feel… warm inside. I really wanted to feel the same thing, but I couldn’t. After I ran away from the orphanage, I wanted a name that would make me feel that way, so I guess I just thought of ‘Cozy Glow’ and it stuck.”

“I do like that name a lot. Would you be okay if I still called you Cozy Glow?”

“I’d like that.”

Cozy hugged her mother once again. Tears were still on her cheeks, but they were drying up now. She exhaled deeply and calmed herself as she rested in her mother’s arms. Even in her tattered state with her uncombed mane and dirty coat, she felt so much better to know it was all over. The pain from the Sorceress and her own self-hatred was finally gone now that her mother was there for her.

EPILOGUE

Cozy stayed with Melody in a reserved Canterlot apartment for the next day. She had been cleaned up and had her hair combed differently. She wore two large bows in her mane and tail that were the same shade of yellow as the bows she had before. She figured it was time for a new look with the previous chapter in her life now closed. After Melody had some things worked out, she hired some ponies to start moving her belongings.

The following day, Twilight and two of her guards walked with Melody and Cozy through the streets of Ponyville. They were on their way to a house that Melody had just purchased for her to live in with Cozy. As they drew closer to the house, Twilight discussed the matter on Cozy’s status as a citizen of Equestria.

“I’ve taken all the measures necessary to grant Cozy a full-fledged pardon. The parliament was in full agreement as were all of my advisors. Of course we are facing some opposition on this from delegates from other provinces like the Gallopfornia region, but what’s done is done. Cozy has been pardoned for her crimes. As the princess of Equestria, I have made it official.”

“Thank you, Twilight,” Melody said. “Ponyville is such a nice little town and I think Cozy and I are going to love this house.”

“I always did like Ponyville ever since I first came here,” Cozy added.

Melody stopped walking and looked at a thatched roof cottage before her.

“Is that the house, Mom?”

“That’s it, dear.”

Cozy took a moment to study the quaint little cottage. It wasn’t exactly like the dorms in the School of Friendship, but it was far better than being homeless or living in the Everfree Forest with only an evil spirit to keep her company. Cozy was just so happy to have a normal house now.

“It looks great!” she said, hugging her mother.

“I hope you two do well here,” said Twilight as she stayed behind with her guards. “Let me know if you ever need anything. I am more than willing to help.”

“And we’ll be here for you too,” said Flurry behind Cozy and Melody.

Cozy turned around to see Flurry with all her friends. She also noticed Spike was standing next to a chubby yellow dragon with pink spikes that looked similar to him. She then remembered that Spike had just recently found his family as well. Despite the fact that she had stolen all of the kids parents, they were all smiling and looked happy to see her. Even Rainbow Dash’s son Storm Streak didn’t seem so scared of her anymore.

“Hey guys,” Cozy said, bashfully. “Sorry about all your parents.”

“It’s okay, Cozy,” said Pound. “They’re all doing fine.”

“They’re actually really proud of you,” Chip added.

“We forgive you, Cozy,” Flurry said, stepping forward.

“Yeah, Mommy and Daddy say they’re okay with you,” said Stormy. “Also, I forgive you for almost turning me into a newt.”

Everyone giggled as Cozy joined in.

“And Melody, when the Harmony Clubhouse is finished, she can come over any time to visit us. Both of you can,” Flurry told Melody.

“Thank you, Flurry,” Melody said, cheerfully. “I’m glad to see Cozy will be surrounded by good children.”

“Also, congratulations on finding your family, Spike,” Cozy told Spike.

“Hey, thanks, Cozy. This is my sister Buttercream, by the way,” Spike said, pointing to Buttercream.

“Great to finally meet you, Cozy!” Buttercream said, waving as Cozy waved back.

“Well guys, I’m glad to be here,” Cozy told them all. “I’ve just been so angry all these years and I took it out on those that really didn’t deserve it, but the fact that I’m with my mother again and you’re all willing to accept me makes me feel a lot better.”

“That’s what friends are for,” said Flurry as she stepped forward to give Cozy a hug.

Cozy hugged her back and the rest of the kids and the dragons joined in. Melody and Twilight watched them happily. Cozy smiled, closed her eyes and shed a tear. She was finally home.

THE END