Cozy Glow's Completely Normal Family

Starlight's been stood in the doorway for a while, scarf drooping around her neck and bag slung over her back, a few uncertain expressions drifting onto and leaving her face as she processes how she feels about what she's witnessing. She seemed cold a second ago, the way the snow drifts down in a growing torrent from above, but now she's just staring. Snow is even starting to pile on her.

"Well? You coming in, or we inviting the cold air for a visit too?" I chime in, remembering the price of firewood wasn't cheap.

"Oh, right. Sorry." She quickly corrects, stepping inside after shaking off her hooves. Her expression hardly shifts from that uncertain, tepid look.

Outside, the blanket of snow rests across Ponyville's usually grassy hills. Especially out here with our short distance from the town itself, a journey out here wasn't for the faint of heart or cold of hooves. So I firmly shut the door, keeping that nasty, if pretty, frigidness out there, and our nice, expensive warmth in here.

Before the School had had closed for the holidays, I was amidst some idle conversation with Starlight in the teachers lounge about the upcoming curriculum, when a little personal talk slipped in. Most of the other staff had family they were off to visit, though with her role in the School being so high-up, and Twilight heading off to Canterlot to visit her family, Starlight couldn't go visit hers. She didn't seem terribly plussed about the idea of it anyway, so she'd told me that her plans were to simply sit in and try to stay warm.

So, obviously, I invited her to enjoy the holiday with my family instead. 'Tis the season, and all that, and the polite thing to do, though I didn't actually expect her to say yes.

Was it a terrible idea to invite the Principal of the school that banned her from going within a hundred hooves of it's grounds? Nah, Starlight wasn't an Element. Kind of. Muddied waters, there.

Color me surprised when she eventually agreed.

"Arnold..." Starlight mutters, looking around the inside of our house.

"Yeah?"

"What is all this?"

"What do you mean?"

"This is... a weird way to celebrate Hearth's Warming Day. Where's your flag?"

"Oh, that's because we're not." I dutifully inform, helping take off her scarf, bag, and set both aside by the door. One thing that's nice about being in an all-pony family is the lack of shoes clogging up the front closet, leaving plenty of room.

"What?" Starlight blinks a few times.

"We celebrate Christmas in this house. You know, Santa Claus. Reindeer. Cookies and Milk. Naughty and nice?"

"...Who?" Starlight mumbles, eyes drawn to the variety of decorations that pepper the inside of our home. I could've sworn I've talked about it before, but then again, I do tend to ramble.

The tree itself, a good sized little one that I dragged in from the forest just outside our house with (picked by Lumie, help from Ruby, and judged by Alexander), has a collection of decorations we've gathered over the years. A good, numerous number of little ornaments purchased in the moment that each accrue to their own memory, each valued by each of my family for different reasons. Like a bug frozen in sap that Lumie got obsessed with, a laminated brownie recipe hanging off a ribbon for Alexander, and a cool mushroom Ruby found in our garden that we slathered in preservatives. Cozy had set up parts of a chess set with little hooks dug into their tops, each matching to our families Cutie Marks. Bishop, Pawn, Knight, Rook, all white -- but since I didn't have one, and Cozy is a Rook, they unanimously settled on making me the black Rook, which I thought was a cute choice.

A few additional streaks of fabric pinned to the walls help spice up the color, though I wish we had proper Christmas lights. Closest I could find was some bead of half-charged old gems that didn't quite have the same kick, but were close enough. Instead of a star for the tree-topper, we put that recreation of Sombra's horn up there for Ruby, since she was so proud of it. Alexander must really like it, the way he keeps staring up at it. Lastly, we've got about seven stockings set out above the fireplace. It's a little crowded, but besides one for the each of us, Cozy sets out one for Chrysalis and Tirek each year, and we put a few goodies in there for them to bring with us whenever we visit.

Overall, pretty normal stuff. Though now with someone else looking over my fairly hefty level of decorating, it makes me wonder if I went a tad overboard.

I'm reminded of the Reindeer I've got on the roof, and the fake Santa stuck in the chimney. Well, beside the chimney. Wouldn't want an actual fire hazard blocking the thing.

Mmm.... nah. No such thing as too much during the holidays.

"Cozy, kids -- we've got a guest!" I call out, startling Starlight.

"Oh, you don't have to..." Starlight tries to wave away the announcement, but it's far too late for that. The sound of various hooves clattering up the hall and down the stairs leave Starlight bracing for inevitable social interaction.

None of the kids seem surprised to see her, greeting her in their usual fashions. That reminds me. I... may have forgotten to tell Cozy about my offer.

"Hey Miss Glimmer!" Ruby greets, pausing on the upper steps. Lumie shoves her way past her sister, waving to their Principal. Alexander doesn't take much longer, meandering out of the kitchen with a pout on his little face. Cozy probably wasn't forking out any freebies and was left to starve until dinner, poor thing. "Hello, Miss Glimmer."

"Uh... hello." She tries to greet them at the same time, but Starlight is still working past the initial awkwardness. Probably because she's still tensed, waiting for the arrival of...

Cozy steps around the corner from behind Alexander, brow raising at the commotion. She's wearing one of my ugly, oversized sweaters, the sleeves pinned back so she doesn't trip over her own hooves, and an apron tied overtop of it.

"Who would be dumb enough to trudge out here and knock on our... hm. Yeah, that tracks." Cozy doesn't finish her verbalized thought, giving Starlight a once-over as the two share a gaze.

"Uh... Hey Cozy. Thanks for having me." Starlight manages, rubbing one of her legs. The delicate, loaded nature of the meeting practically bouncing around off the tension that's drawing in the room, pulled so tight it's like a trampoline.

"Starlight. Welcome. Entirely unrelated, but Arny, can I speak with you a moment?" Cozy smiles through gritted teeth, nodding towards the kitchen.

"Get yourself settled, dinner should be soon." I lean down to Starlight, before following after my darling wife. The kids are starting to crowd Starlight, so I know she won't be bored at the least.

By the time we're both in the kitchen, Cozy is leaning to look past me, making sure nobody is eavesdropping.

"Why is Starlight standing in our living room?" She suddenly prods, poking at my leg with a pointed hoof. There's a frown on her face... but it doesn't look as deeply set as I expected.

"I may have invited her to spend the evening with us for dinner." I explain, taking a comfortable position against the counter. Smells good in here.

"Why would you do something like that?" Cozy doesn't relent, stepping right up towards me, staring up.

"Couldn't see her own family this year. Thought it was the holiday-orientated thing to do." I shrug. Wasnt really any other explanation, and judging by the look Cozy gives me, it's not an entirely unexpected outcome.

Cozy glances back back down the hallway, watching our kids badger Starlight with questions. For a long moment, she simply watches them, until the ding of the oven distracts her. She shoos me out of the way as she cracks it open, carefully pulling a piping-hot green-been casserole out of the oven's depths.

"...Alright." Cozy settles the food down atop said stove, tossing the oven mits aside. I have to check my jaw isn't slack when she turns around.

"Really?" I ask, more then a little surprised.

"Oh, don't look so relieved. I'm still going to kill you for letting somepony into our house unannounced." Cozy quickly snips with a sharp poke at my stomach, turning to trot back up the hall. I clear my throat. I should've expected things wouldn't play out so smoothly.

But then she pauses, taking a long pause. Looking over her shoulder at me, I see her face soften. "But... I suppose out of all the ones you could have let in, you could have chosen worse. Set her a plate, would you? I'm not going to let anybody gossip that we don't run a tight ship."

I don't think I've ever seen someone wait for food so awkwardly. The kids keep her company as I help Cozy set out the food, remembering a little too late that we're serving meat with some of the plates... but hopefully she doesn't mind too much.

Starlight Glimmer

Never in a thousand years did I expect to just get... invited to their house. And to just be let inside, just like that. Like Tartarus I would've ever said yes before, but... I couldn't turn down a chance like this, no matter how awkward it might be. To actually get a closer look. It's nearly impossible to get anything done at the school with how nosy the teachers are, so I haven't found anything out since my last larger attempt.

Nearly froze my hooves off for this too. Why do they live so far from Ponyville? Okay, they don't live terribly far, but I took to teleworking short distances to not have to trudge snow the entire time.

I'm sat in their dining room, surrounded by... Luminous Glow is to my left, and she hasn't stopped staring since I got inside. She's been polite and cheery whenever I speak to her, but every time there's a silence, she just... stares. Even when she's talking. Unnerving doesn't feel like it explains just how her gaze makes my neck tingle, my fur standing on edge.

Alexander Glow is to my right, and it's not any better. Despitw being the picturesque student at the School, despite maintaining that outward expression even at home, I can see the little tics now that we're this close. His hoof keeps fidgeting, and he's repeatedly wiping drool from the corners of his mouth.

Speaking of Glows, Ruby is across from me, looking bored. She seems the most normal out of the bunch... and that's making me more weary. Nopony in this house is normal, and I'm reminded of that as I watch Arnold and Cozy set down several plates, refusing my help.

Because one of the plates has the pungent stink of cooked flesh, reminding me that even the most placid of the bunch has a stomach for broiled life. But, through deep breaths, I stay strong and keep my stomach's insides where they belong.

I'm half-expecting some kind of Hearth's Warming adjacent speech or something when they all sit... but they just start eating, if I can even call it that. I'm trying to at least pick out something I'd manage, and there are a few pony friendly options... Cozy seems a surprisingly good cook.

But Sweet Celestia. Ruby is just... shoveling it into her face. And Alexander is no better, taking unnervingly large bites of everything. I don't think mouths are supposed to open that wide. I'm just surprised Cozy herself eats normally, as she engages in small talk of all things with Arnold. Talking about work. Their day. Cozy's plans for the month... right, she's got a job in local politics, however that happened.

The entire dinner kind of just goes by as a traumatic blur that I'm going to spend the next week trying to forget. The moment most of us are done, and Cozy stands to start taking plates, I find myself offering to help just to get out of the dining room and get some fresh air.

Cozy seems surprised at my offer, but accepts.

~~~

As I settle the dishes in the much quieter kitchen sink, her voice behind me catches my attention, nearly making me flinch.

"I'll be honest. I couldn't care less for any of this." Cozy sighs, stepping in beside me and turning on the water, starting to soak the plates.

"Sorry?" I prompt, surprised.

"Arnold loves this kind of stuff. Holidays, Birthdays, Events... eats it up. Every year. Christmas, Hearths Warming Day, whatever you want to call it. He's thinking about each one months in advance, planning and ordering things. It's annoying, half the time."

I think Cozy notices the once-over I give her, as she looks at the sweater she's wearing. An ugly mishmash of green and red, with little reindeer running across it. She doesn't really react though, just glancing down at it and shrugging. "But... it makes him happy."

To say I'm startled by that statement doesn't nearly cover it. "You care if he's happy?" I ask, realizing the harshness of the words a little too late, pursing my lips.

Surprisingly, Cozy just... chuckles. Covers her mouth with a hoof, and laughs to herself. I'm not really sure how to react to that.

"Stupid, isn't it? From trying to tear Equestria down, to..." She doesn't continue her words, sighing and sitting on the floor of their kitchen.

She looks down the hallway, where Arnold is trying to wrench Luminous from perching atop the tree. Ruby and Alexander are watching, and as strange as the entire situation seems... they look like a normal family. As normal as four ponies and a human could be.

I look at Cozy. Gone is the little terror that tried to uppend the entire school, though it's hard to see past that mischievous sneer of hers when she laughs.

"Does it bother you that you're banned from the School your children go to?" I find myself asking.

"No. I had that one coming, and they've got Arnold. They're smart, too. It all works out." Cozy shrugs.

"I thought you'd be a little more opinionated about that."

"Used to be. Then I realized how much of a stink Arnold threw just so they wouldn't try to shove me back into another statue or dump me back through time."

I remember that discussion, had at Canterlot between the Elements and the Princesses. A conversation they never had about myself.

"You... still don't like the Elements though, do you?"

"Oh, not at all." Cozy scoffs immediately.

"Then why are you alright with me being here?" I ask.

"Because my husband invited you?" She retorts bluntly, giving me a look.

"Is that... it?"

Cozy rolls her eyes, standing up. "If you're looking for some answer that reveals how I've changed my tune, and sing the sweet praises of harmony-- don't bother, Starlight. I dislike you the least, because the only difference between us is you got away with it." She pokes my chest, startling me.

"Well, there's a bit of a difference between what we both got up to during our... formative periods." I try to deflect, but Cozy just raises a brow.

"I'm not talking about your shitty little village where you played dictator and stole cutie-marks, Starlight. I just hope you've learned to quit meddling with time. Technically, I'm your fault, too." She leers, my stomach dropping.

I'm not quite sure what to say. I'm not sure if I could even muster the chance to say anything.

"Don't look so gob-smacked, Glimmer. Arnold told me about your little timeline-attempt. Decently smart choice, though I wonder what got Twilight to forgive you. Minimal impact? Purple fur? Unicorn?" She lists, and I can't tell if she's messing with me or actually upset.

"....Minimal impact." I quietly mutter, my long conversation with Twilight following that day ringing in my mind. Cozy nods, like she expected that answer all along.

"Figured. Why throw a stink if nopony else remembers it?"

It would be a lie if I said I didn't think about the difference in our positions now and then. We both tried to ruin everything at one point, only I did it alone. And now her friends, and even herself, still sit in a stone statue. I swallow hard, muttering the words, "I'm sorry."

She looks like a mix of surprised and offended, huffing. "You ever say those words to me again, Starlight, I'll kick your flank."

My eyes widen, and I start to stammer. "But--"

"Starlight, will you shut up?" She suddenly steps in my face, scoffing again. "Seriously. I know you're stunted socially, but seriously."

I flinch, stepping back, and my mouth is stuck shut.

"I think I'm more upset that the one who got ahead of me lost all that backbone she had." Cozy laughs, surprising me. She finds this all funny? Is she... teasing me?

"The weather looks like it's clearing up, so if you want to head back, now's the time. If not... you're welcome to stay for a while. The kids seem to like you, as surprising as that is." Cozy says, looking out the window.

"I..." I start to mutter, looking at Cozy. Is she smiling? "Sure, Cozy. Thanks for having me."

"Don't thank me, thank my idiot husband."

Luminous, Ruby and Alexander Glow

Alexander and Ruby quietly crowd Luminous in the living room, leaning close to whisper. Father has taken to the bathroom, and Mother and the guest still reside within the kitchen -- though their conversation is not as quiet as they presume.
"Miss Glimmer nearly ended the timeline?" Luminous mutters, as both her and Alexander glance to Ruby.

There's a loud, deep crunch as Ruby's neck twists, eyes rolling back.

"Everything alright? What was that?" Arnold calls from the room over.

"Sorry, Father! Stepped on a fallen ornament!" Alexander quickly calls back.

"Anyone hurt?"

"No, and I'll clean it up!" That seems to appease, silence falling.

Ruby's face turns to a sneer as she looks forward again. "She did."

An air of distaste hovers over the trio as they share a look.
"Perhaps we judged Miss Glimmer too harshly?"
"A source of inspiration, perhaps, as dubious as time remains as a means."
"I shall research her history more deeply."
"And I shall pester her with questions."
"Agreed."
"A suitable course."
"..."
"Say, Brother."
"Yes Sister?"
"Why have you not eaten the horn?"
"Ah."
All three look towards the tree, and Horn of Sombra that tops it.
"Sour."
"Truly?"
"Very."