No Sweeter Innocence

Two days before the Princess Summit, Cozy Glow receives an answer to her questions.

It starts out that evening, when Flurry teleports into the room, looking uncharacteristically nervous. Cozy has gotten good at reading the teenage princess, but this time it's plain to anyone who so much as glances her way that she's hiding something big.

"Hey," Cozy greets with a casual wave. "What's up?"

"I have something to show you." Any attempt at calm is washed out as Flurry rushes out the words. "Will you come with me?"

Cozy nods. "Sure." Flurry's never acted like this before, so Cozy decides not to comment on her trying to take the reins. She can bring it up after she sees whatever has this teenager so excited.

Flurry's horn ignites, and Cozy finds herself in... a storeroom? A dusty one, at that, filled with cleaning supplies and miscellaneous tools and...

Cozy gasps as she recognizes the six artefacts inside the room. "How did you...?"

"Princesses have access to many things," Flurry explains, trotting over towards the magical circle inscribed on the floor. "Whether our claim on them is through right or might is something you've made me no longer sure about, but either way, everypony's so concerned with the summit that they won't notice these are gone until it's too late."

"Are you crazy!" Cozy flies up to Flurry, their faces inches from each other as she lets her panic show plainly on her face. "Do you have any idea how dangerous these things are?"

Flurry cringes back for a moment, but holds her ground. "I've modified the spell you used," she says quickly. "It's not going to drain all of Equestria's magic this time. I've made the effect localized to a small area."

The gears click into Cozy's head as panic gives way to a much more primal fear, and she takes an instinctive step back. "The Princess Summit," she says slowly. "You're going to take out all four of the other princesses with this."

Flurry nods. "I've made sure it won't affect me, of course. Which means I'll be able to... eliminate them."

"A couple weeks ago, you freaked out over knocking a guard out," Cozy scoffs. "You really think you can kill four ponies that you love?"

"I didn't have to hurt that guard," Flurry replies.

Cozy stares in disbelief. "But you have to wipe out your own family?"

"It's the only way," Flurry whispers, and for the first time tonight, Cozy can see the pain beneath her nervous determination, can hear it bleeding from each word she says. "The only way for both of us."

"Wait, what do you mean for us?"

"You're happy, right?" Flurry's question comes out as a plea, desperate and breathless. "You said you were happy. And it's because of me. It has to be. That's why I started doing all this. For you."

Flurry takes a step forward, and Cozy backs off further, suddenly feeling way, way out of her depth. "Don't put this on me," she snarls. "You're the one who approached me. And I taught you what you wanted to learn. That's it."

"It was never about that," Flurry says. "Not completely. I mean, yes, all your training helped me to do what needs to be done, but the reason I came to you in the first place is because..." She trails off for a moment with a gulp, before continuing. "Because we're the same. You're empty inside too, you have to be. After you lost the world."

Cozy freezes, chilled to the bone as her mind goes numb. "What does that have to do with anything?" she deflects.

"I needed to know," Flurry explains— pleads— begs. "If someone like you could be fulfilled again, by having someone to lead into darkness, to corrupt into someone even more like you, if that made the emptiness go away, then maybe... maybe I could feel full too, by taking what you once took and holding onto it."

"Wait, so you knew what I was doing from the start?" Cozy demands, anger bubbling up at the thought of being deceived by someone who should've been under her control completely.

"Of course," Flurry says. "That's why I agreed to sleep with you and do all that other stuff, no matter how I felt about it." She smiles. "It's okay though, I eventually learned to enjoy it— just another way you corrupted me. That should make you feel even better, right? Knowing that I'm only like this because you dragged me down to it?"

Cozy Glow feels sick, but she can't show it. "Fine, good job on lying to me," she congratulates through gritted teeth. "Now that you got what you want, why'd you bring me here? To gloat?"

"No, I wanted to show you this because I still need you," Flurry says. "I need you to make sure I go through with it, that I won't falter at the last second. And afterwards, you can rule by my side. Then we can both be happy."

The affection in her words stuns Cozy more than anything else that's happened, and she almost laughs at the absurdity of it. So, Flurry's realized her feelings for Cozy, it seems. This is definitely one way for her to find out. "So, what, you'd be Empress and I'd be your consort or something?"

"Or something." Flurry shrugs. "We can figure out the titles afterwards. But this way we both get what we really want, right? And then neither of us will feel empty ever again, not when we have the world to fill us up."

"You've really thought this through, huh?" Cozy says carefully, buying to collect her own thoughts.

"From the beginning." Pride and shame blend into a bittersweet mix as Flurry struggles to maintain her royal bearing. "So, what do you think?"

She's weak, is what Cozy doesn't say. To have the ability to rule the world herself, and yet still be reliant on the approval of a pegasus mare who possesses nothing. If the end results didn't benefit her, then Cozy would be almost insulted right now.

Then again, this was what she'd wanted, right? To have a Princess kneeling at her hooves?

"I'm so proud of you," Cozy lies, stepping forward to caress Flurry's cheeks. Her next words, she doesn't know yet if they will be true or not. "And I'll be there, when you take what's yours." A deep kiss fills the room with dead silence.

"Now, get us out of here," Cozy commands as they break apart.

Flurry nods, teleporting them back to their safe house.

"Alright, we should probably keep away from each other for the next two days if we're going to do this," Cozy says. "Wouldn't want even the chance of anypony getting suspicious, right?"

It's laughable how lovestruck Flurry is, as her first response is hurt, not suspicion. She tries to look strong, though, saying, "That sounds like a good idea." A weak chuckle escapes from between her lips. "I should head out then, huh?"

Cozy nods. "See you in two days." She leans in to take another kiss.

"I'll come here to pick you up after I activate the spell," Flurry assures her. "Then we can do it together." She lingers for a few seconds more, but eventually teleports away, leaving Cozy alone with her thoughts.