Natural Born Alicorn

"G-Good evening Crystal Graduates and their families!" said an ochre-orange stallion wearing a cloak. The unicorn was standing on a tall platform under heart-shaped arches. He was facing a crowd of ponies, a few yaks and loose tiny ewes. Behind him, not many strides away, was the spinning Crystal Heart.

The cloaked stallion cleared his throat and fixed his round glasses using the magic from his horn. "I, Sunburst, the once Crystaller of many now young mares and stallions present tonight, would like to congratulate each one of you—" Sunburst took a pause from talking loudly with a volume-spell. Soon, he received brief ovations, mostly from parents, who applauded with hooves striking the crystal street below. He chuckled and then inhaled. "—for this very special change in your lives. Each one of you has been awarded a diploma, although it would've been totally okay if some of you had dropped ou—Ahem!" He twisted his head away from the crowd and looked at the Crystal Family—Shining, Cadance and Flurry—downstairs, behind the platform. "C-Citizens, allow me to present you: the Crystal Best Graduate of this year, Princess Flurry Heart!" He finished, raising a hoof to point behind.

In response to Sunburst's announcement, more cheering came from those few in the crowd at the Crystal Castle Square.

Flurry's heart was pumping blood thrice as fast as it normally did. It beat so heavily that it pounded in her ears. She was standing in between her parents at the bottom of the stairs. She breathed deeply and slowly, looking vacantly at the steps in front of her. A few seconds had already passed since Sunburst called her name.

"Dear, they're waiting for you." Cadance placed a hoof on Flurry's shoulder. After she spoke, there was silence, only interrupted by murmurs being shushed within the crowd on the other side of the platform.

Flurry flinched slightly, feeling the cold metal of Cadance's shoe against her bare coat. She exchanged looks with her and Shining. "I-I'm sorry. I just..." She inhaled deeply. "Sh-Should I make a statement about... her?" she asked, raising her head and looking up.

On the balcony of the Castle—above the royal platform—dimly illuminated by moonlight and crystal glow, Flurry could see a pair of fidgety, warm-pink legs sticking out from the railing.

"Don't worry about that now, sweetheart," Shining assured. "You just need to remember the speech. Right, honey?" He looked at Cadance.

"Mhm! Now go, sweetie!" Cadance pressured.

Flurry sighed, shutting her eyes tightly for a second. Then, she lifted a hoof and placed it on the first step of the stairs.

36 hours earlier

The doors of the Canterlot Castle were opened. The early morning light illuminated the group walking through them.

"... And please forgive Spike's absence. He had to leave for an urgent matter in the Dragon Lands," said Twilight. She had walked first through the doors and turned around the moment her hooves touched the outside dirt. Her lavender coat shone against the sunlight. "Now everypony, pay attention, please."

"Lemme guess, little sis," Shining said, wearing a smirk. "You wanna give us some cheesy farewell words?" A second after asking, he winced and covered his side with a hoof. He snorted, looking at Cadance next to him—who snickered at him, lowering her foreleg.

"Cheesy?! Ew! Not at all!" Twilight chuckled, gesturing with a hoof from side to side. "I just wanted to give some final recommendations before they bring her outside."

Flurry gulped, standing beside her mother on the threshold. "W-Wait a minute, auntie. We're all going to the Empire... in the same train together?" she asked, looking at Twilight with narrowed eyes.

"Very perceptive of you, niece," Twilight said, smiling gently at Flurry. "Even though I would have preferred to teleport her there after the three of you returned first, that's not possible due to the current magical restrictions on her body."

Flurry nodded once and exhaled. She raised a hoof to rub the back of her neck, however she immediately dropped it when her foreleg was uncovered from the sleeve of her shirt.

"Oh, dear, you're sweating," said Cadance, looking at Flurry's back. "You sure you don't want to take off the shirt?"

Flurry's pupils contracted upon hearing Cadance's question. "N-No, I'm fine! I-It's just the saddlebags, really." She lowered her head. Then, her ears perked up at the clopping of hooves coming from behind.

Cozy was walking down the stairs at the back of the entrance hall. She was being escorted from side to side by Gallus and another royal guard. She carried saddlebags on her back and her mane was tied in a messy, bushy bun at the back of her head.

"Please, family, let's step outside now," Twilight said, for a moment looking beyond the crystal family still on the threshold. She took a step to the side at the doors and the rest imitated her by moving to the opposite side. Standing still, all of their heads were turned towards the inside of the Castle.

Cozy and the guards were already halfway from the stairs to the exit of the Castle. At that point, Gallus got ahead of them and trod quickly towards a Twilight. "Awaiting further orders, Princess," he said, saluting her with claws raised to his temple.

"At ease, Captain." Twilight nodded. She looked beyond Gallus, at the other guard. "Signal your subordinate to stop as well."

Gallus complied, twisting his head and gesturing at the other guard, who in response stopped his hooves. Cozy did as well. The two of them were standing not many steps away from the doors.

"Cozy Glow, you may keep walking towards us," Twilight granted.

Before lifting her hooves to walk, Cozy glanced at everypony in her sight: first at the grim-faced guard beside her, then at Gallus, Twilight, Shining, Cadance, and finally at Flurry; her eyes were a second longer focused on the latter. She walked a few steps forward but stopped her hooves just on the threshold. She looked at Twilight. "Princess, I'm not the fearful kind but..." Raising a hoof, she tapped the dark stone on her Flight-Restrictor necklace. "You sure this thing won't blow my head off the moment I step outside?"

Twilight shook her head, looking at Cozy severely. "Negative." She inhaled deeply. "You're physically safe to leave the magic field around the castle. Although unrelated mental states like anxiety episodes could happen after breaking from a long-term captivity."

"Just anxiety, huh?" Cozy chuckled and looked at Flurry. "You might wanna close your eyes now... and maybe your lips as well, friend."

Flurry, who had her wide eyes fixed on Cozy and her mouth open ajar, swallowed dryly. She took a slight step back from Cadance's side.

"Cozy Glow, step outside at once," Twilight ordered in a monotone voice.

Cozy rolled her eyes. "Gosh, can't a pony enjoy the suspense? Fine." Closing her eyes, she lifted her forehoof and, slowly, took it from the threshold and placed it on the dirt outside. That motion was followed by her other hooves and in a matter of seconds, her body was completely under sunlight; her warm pink coat seemed pale under the natural shine. She opened her eyes, wearing a smile. "Well, I'm still alive. That's good, right?" She turned towards Flurry, who was crestfallen and taking deep breaths.

Twilight cleared her throat, standing diagonally behind Cozy. "Now, remove your saddlebags for a search, Cozy Glow."

A minute later, Gallus had emptied Cozy's saddlebags by flipping them over and letting the objects—a book, a small folding chessboard, a bottle of water, cream-white ribbons, a comb, and a few other self-care items—fall onto the dirt. Cozy was packing them back up under the eyes of everypony around her.

Flurry inhaled deeply and took a step forward from Cadance's side. "M-May I help you, Cozy?" she asked, approaching her with a tiny smile.

"That's sweet of you, Flurry, but no thanks." Cozy raised her head and turned it towards Flurry, smiling gently. Without looking then, she used her forehoof to pick up the objects from the dirt and place them inside her saddlebags. Her eyes lowered and focused on Flurry's shirt—it was gray and had the word UniKorn printed in white letters on the front. "Nice shirt, by the way. Love their song 'Pony on a Leash'. I can relate to it sometimes, you know?"

Flurry's eyes widened and so did her smile. "Th-That's my favorite song by them!" she said and giggled. However, a second later, she dropped her smile and lowered her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't find that funny." She looked at Cozy's cursed necklace.

Cozy glanced at the severe faces of Twilight, Cadance and Shining. She chuckled and shook her head, facing Flurry. "It's okay. Please, don't be sorry." She grabbed her saddlebags and placed them on her back. "Besides, I think that laughing at other ponies' misery can sometimes be—"

"Ahem," Twilight chimed in, taking a couple steps towards them. "Niece and Cozy Glow, I'm glad to see you two are starting to get along," she said, exchanging looks with both. "However, I must remind you that"—Her eyes fixed into Flurry's, and a gentle smile appeared on her face—"more than a simple friendship, it's a commitment. You, Princess Flurry, are Cozy's guide from now on." She raised a hoof to caress Flurry's muzzle. "Are you ready for this task, dear niece?"

Flurry blinked her wide eyes rapidly, looking at Twilight. "I..." She turned her head towards Cadance and Shining—who were looking at her, smiling warmly and holding each other's forehooves. Then, she looked at Cozy: at her bright, warm vermilion eyes above her shiny, toothy smile; she noticed the wink of her eye. She gulped, looking back at Twilight. "Y-Yes, I am, aunt Twilight."

"Admirable." Twilight leaned to plant a kiss on Flurry's forehead. Then, she straightened her body and turned towards Cozy; her smile was gone. "Cozy Glow—"

"I know you despise me with all your might, Princess Twilight," Cozy chuckled. "But you know what? I'm always grateful to you, princesses, for freeing me from stone." She turned her head slightly and looked beyond Flurry. "I remember you were there too, Princess Cadance," she finished, looking at her with a warm smile.

"Huh?" Flurry twisted her head towards Cadance. She looked at her, blinking her eyes rapidly. "Mom, you were?"

Cadance pressed her lips together in a straight line. She exchanged glances with Shining and broke their hoof holding. "Yes, Flurry. I magically assisted in reverting the stone spell cast on the Legion of Doom."

Twilight inhaled loudly, frowning at Cozy. "Listen, Cozy Glow—" She waited for Cozy to look her in the eyes before continuing. "—I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, hereby declare you're no longer under my custody." She glanced at Flurry, who was next to her. "From this moment until being considered a reformed pony, you are under Princess Flurry Heart's protection. Is it clear?"

"lt's crystal clear, Princess." Cozy bowed before Twilight, closing her eyes and smiling slightly.

"Good." Twilight looked at Flurry. "Niece, there's another important change." She turned her head towards Gallus, who was diagonally behind her. "You already know Captain Gallus." She nodded once at him, who in reaction approached her promptly. "Your parents and I have agreed that he'll be your designated guard for as long as it takes to reform Cozy Glow," Twilight explained, looking back at Flurry.

Gallus walked and stopped before Flurry, saluting her. "Captain Gallus of the Royal Guard," he introduced himself. "At your service, Princess Flurry."

"Uh, hi..." Flurry said, slightly raising a hoof to wave at him. She looked at Twilight to her side. "Auntie, I-I thought he was your private guard?"

Twilight nodded, smiling gently at Flurry. "Mhm, but given the fact that Captain Gallus knows her from back then,"—She glanced at Cozy, who was patting the dirt off her saddlebags with a hoof—"we consider he's the fittest for the task than any other guard," Twilight explained. Then her eyes went up to the sunny sky, reflecting the lone circle of fire. "Oh! Your train is leaving in less than thirty minutes! All of you must go now!"

The Crystal family, in company of a curious Cozy and a vigilant Gallus, walked with haste through Canterlot, from the Castle to the train station. On their way, the citizens made way for them after receiving polite warnings from Gallus, who moved diagonally behind of the group. On the other hoof, Cozy's eyes went in all directions. She would let out a 'Golly!' more than once and comment on the simplest, everyday things—like tourists taking pictures and posing before the statue of six famous ponies—she saw. Flurry remained silent, walking next to her with ears perked up.

Once at the train station, they headed to the royal wagons—the first three after the engine—of the Crystal Express. They all entered through the same automatic doors: First did Shining and Cadance; then Flurry with her head turned, looking behind; and finally, Cozy being followed closely by Gallus. The doors closed behind them and the gentle horn of the train was heard.

"Dear," Cadance called, looking at Flurry. She had sat near the door, next to Shining. "How about three of you go to the other wagon?"

Flurry inhaled deep and nodded twice in response. She raised a hoof and pointed to the inter-carriage door. "P-Please, this way," she said, looking behind at Cozy and Gallus.

Once the three of them were in the other lonely wagon, Flurry magically removed her saddlebags and placed them under the wide seat in the middle section; she hopped on the same one and sat close to the windows—which showed a landscape blurred by the train already moving at highspeed. Gallus remained standing at the door they had walked through. And Cozy, slowly, paced down the aisle.

"So tell me, my new mistress," Cozy said, smirking and batting her eyes at Flurry, "what's the plan?" She had stopped her hooves and turned her body, standing in front of Flurry's seat.

Flurry looked away with her face reddening. "Uh w-what?"

Cozy giggled. "I mean your plan to reform me, my new friend." She raised a hoof and placed it on the free portion of the seat. "Oh, and mind if I sit here?" she asked and without awaiting an answer, she hopped on it and sat beside Flurry.

Flurry exhaled heavily. "I-I don't... Uh..." She was looking down at her own body. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the cutie mark—a red-orange rook—on Cozy's haunch. "I don't have one yet. I'm sorry." She sighed, closing her eyes and raising a hoof to rub her forehead.

"Oh, I see... Um, is that normal?" Cozy's voice said.

"Huh?" Flurry opened her eyes slightly, looking at Cozy.

"Do princesses get their roles hot-branded on their coats or something?" Cozy asked, wide eyed, looking at Flurry. She had turned her seated body completely towards her. "I mean... it says 'hope' there, on your leg, doesn't it?"

"Wha—" Flurry pupils contracted; the tiny dots shifted focus from Cozy to her own foreleg—raised to shoulder height—that was then uncovered from the sleeve of her shirt. She was petrified in place. For half a second, both her lungs and heart refused to work. "N-No..." She saw the dark maroon scabs belonging to the cut-wounds, on the reddened skin of her foreleg. "NO! DON'T LOOK AT IT! PLEASE!" she begged, quickly lowering her limb and using her magic to pull down the sleeve. She shrank on her seat, pressing her body against the crystal wall of the train. She shut her eyes tightly with her wings wrapped around her body.

"Princess!" Gallus rushed in Flurry's direction. Upon reaching her seat, with a clawed-hand, he grabbed Cozy by the bun in her mane and pulled harshly. "GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Cozy fell backwards to the aisle floor with a loud THUD.