I fly in the air, now free again…

I feel wind blowing through my long unkempt mane and tail, and as the exhilaration of flight takes hold, I can’t help but smile, and think to myself that I really should do this more often!

After the joint, it especially has a good feel!

It’s much like earlier, after I woke up, except there’s one change… One difference…

I am not alone this time…

“Oh, golly!” I hear Cozy exclaim from my right somewhere…

I’m no longer by myself…

“Hey, can we stop now?” I hear her gasp.

I hear Cozy huffing beside me, and I turn my neck to her, “Are you tired?”

She gazes forward blankly, and replies, “Y-yeah! I uh, I think I’m out of shape, from being in stone?”

Wait! Then I was really doing all the flying earlier? I nod, “Yeah, lets land! Twilight probably wants us back soon, anyway!”

<*****>

We both land, and I feel the dirt skid under my hooves, as I stop, in the field after landing, and I also see Cozy lurch forward, from momentum, out of the right side of my eyes…

I also see the tall smiling purple alicorn, who stares at Cozy and asks, “So, did you enjoy your forty-five minutes in the sky, Cozy?”

She stares up at the large pony, “Y-yes ma’am! After being stone, for all that time, it sure was nice to get out and stretch the ol’ wings!” she says, while stretching out her right wing to the side.

She frowns, “But weren’t you with Ophelia?”

She says, “Well, not really? I was asleep… “

“Asleep?” Twilight appears aghast.

Cozy gulps and responds, “Well, yeah… I uh, I didn’t wanna be around anymore… I didn’t like living…” her face cringes, “Everything was just so awful!”

Twilight nods, “But what about now, Cozy? You survived everything, and now you have a home, and a sister!”

She turns her head to me, and I enlarge my gaze at this peculiar filly who seems to love me, “Yeah… I love Ophelia a whole lot!”

I furrow my brow, “Oh, Cozy Glow, don’t get all sappy, now!”

Twilight smiles at me, “What’s the matter, Ophelia? Don’t you love your sister?”

I stare at the purple pony, “Of course!” before averting my gaze to the pink filly, “Even if she keeps saying sweet things, and getting all emotional, and stuff!” I say, before sticking my tongue out, and squinting!

The purple alicorn leans forward, “What’s the matter, Ophelia? Don’t like sappy things?”

I feel my cheeks beginning to heat up, as I scrunch my mouth and say, “You’re both jerks, you know that?”

Twilight begins to chuckle, while Cozy continues to stare at me blankly in the doorway.

I stare at Cozy, “Come on, Cozy! I wanna smoke that other half-joint in my ashtray, now!”

Cozy gazes at me, wide-eyed, “Gee, Ophelia! Don’t you think you’ve smoked enough?”

I sigh, “Well, ordinarily, yes! But you’re here now, and there’s Twilight! I turn to face the large purple pony, “No offense, but I keep thinking that you’re against me or bad or whatever, and I know it’s not you, or anything you’ve ever done to me!” and nod at the other filly, “Pretty sure it has to do with what you did to her, earlier!”

She frowns, “You view me as a potential threat?”

I gulp, “Uh, kinda… “

Her eyebrow raises, “And yet, you explicitly say that I froze Cozy Glow in stone, and not you?”

I begin to crack a small grin, “Well, you couldn’t have froze me! I wasn’t there!”

“Where were you?”

“I uh, “ I blink, “I was asleep… I was in the same body, but I was asleep… I didn’t want to be awake… “

Her eyes widen, as she stares at the wall behind me, “Oh, my Celestia!” before she darts them at me, “Do you know what this means?”

“That life is overrated?”

She sighs, “No, Ophelia! You two NEED each other!”

Cozy looks up at her, “We do?”

Twilight widens her eyes, while adjusting her gaze to both of us, “Yes, Cozy! You and Ophelia, need each other!” before frowning, as she begins to explain, “You see, without the other, all each of you wants to do is just sleep all the time!”

Cozy’s eyes widen, as she frowns, “Golly!”

The alicorn nods, “Yes! The only way for either of you to feel complete and whole, is to have the other filly in your life!”

I frown myself, “So, I’m kinda required to like Cozy then, huh?”

Twilight frowns my direction, “Well, I don’t think I’d quite word it like that?”

I look at her, “Then how would you word it?”

Her frown lowers, “Well, I’d say that you too help each other live better lives!”

I nod, “Yup! Basically required!”

Her mouth straightens and she says, “Um, yeah!”

While winning was nice, I’m getting a little sick of this, now, “I was gonna smoke a joint, you know? Uh, are you gonna stand there too, Twilight?” I say, as Cozy begins to timidly walk into the room…

Twilight widens her eyes, “Oh, right! Junkie filly!” before taking a step to me, and hugging me! “It’s okay, Ophelia! You have to know that you’re not alone!”

“EEP! She’s gonna eat me!” I squeal, before timidly hugging the alicorn back…

I see the other pink filly smiling at me, from behind the alicorn…

Just what the hay is going on, right now?

<*****>

“This sucks!” I say to nopony, as I stare at the wall, in Cozy’s little room…

Cozy turns her head towards me from my right, and says, “What’s wrong Ophelia?”

I turn and stare at her, “Well, before, I was alone, and I didn’t care about anypony! Now, I got you and Zecora! And it sucks, because I’m used to it just being me!”

Cozy frowns, “I thought you were asleep, before?”

I sigh, “Y-yeah… I was asleep, and by myself… No worries, and I was all alone… “

Cozy frowns, “Are you actually saying that you liked it better, when you were asleep?”

I widen my eyes, “What? No! Of course not!”

Her gaze enlarges too, “Well, what’s the problem?”

I sigh, and take my gaze wistfully to the side, “I uh, I don’t like this… There’s just so much caring, now, and it makes me uncomfortable… “

“Ophelia, are you saying you’re anxious? Do you have anxiety?”

I blink, “Well, uh, maybe?” I smile, and suddenly think the devil weed kinda makes sense, now! *

She frowns, “Golly!” before turning her gaze to me, “Well, I’m sorry Ophelia! I didn’t want to… “

I cut her off, and point my forehoof at her! “Don’t you bucking say it, asshole!”

Her eyes widen, as a horrified frown forms on her face, “WHAT?”

I nod, and lower my hoof, “You heard me! You DO deserve to be in the world, YOU ARE important, and you DO matter! And I’m not gonna hear you apologize or say your sorry, just for existing, anymore, got it?”

I’m scowling at her, and might have a neck vein now?

Her mouth gets tiny, “Uh, um, okay Ophelia! I uh, I love you!”

My head quivers as I say, “I love you too, Cozy Glow! Wanna hug?”

She frowns, “Uh, maybe later?”

I sigh and release my face, so the air flies out of my snout, before lowering my head, “I uh, I’m sorry Cozy… “ and raise my gaze to her, “This is just so new, to me, and I’m not sure I like it?”

She sighs, and wistfully looks to the side, “Yeah, I know what you mean! I uh,“ and looks up at me, “ why don’t we just get used to caring about each other, a little as we go, huh? That way, if somepony messes up, we can just uh, stop right there, you know? So nothing bad can happen!” and slowly forms a wide grin on her muzzle… “Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

You know, I’m half-sure this is another weird attempt to manipulate me, but at the same time, she was just so golly dang cute, I couldn’t help but chuckle, and say, “Yeah, Cozy! That sounds swell!”

Her eyes widen, “Uh, wanna hug now, Ophelia?”

I grin and chuckle as I hop down from the bed to all fours, and trot towards her, while saying, “Sure Cozy! Let’s hug!”

Before she has a chance to react, I reach up towards her, and grasp her in my forehooves for a loving embrace!

“I can’t really explain it, Cozy Glow, but I actually do care for you… And that terrifies me… “

“GOLLY!” She manages to squeak out, before timidly returning my embrace…

At this point, all I can do is silently giggle to myself at how silly I’ve been acting!

“I love you, Ophelia!”

“I love you too, Cozy Glow… I honestly do, golly dammit… “

I feel her body begin to quiver, as she begins to chuckle quietly…

Suddenly, there’s a knock on her door behind me!

She raises her gaze to look over my shoulder, towards her door, “Yeah, hang on! We’ll be out in a little while!” before lowering her face into my floof, to continue returning my hug… She says, “Golly… “ lowly, while continuing to hang onto me…

<*****>

Zecora calmly takes a sip of tea, from her blue ceramic mug, with her forehoof in the handle, before gently setting the cup down on a saucer, on the table, in the midst of all the multi-colored beanbag chairs, in her foyer, as she smiles, and turns to Cozy Glow, “So, tell me young Cozy! What did you learn?”

Cozy stares up at her wide-eyed, “Oh, golly Miss Zecora! I came to realize that um, “ and gulps, “I actually DO care about Ophelia, and that she is important to me!”

I add, “Yeah, caring about other ponies, and you, uh, it scares me, Zecora!”

She turns to me and frowns, “Oh? Then we shall go slow, Ophelia! Tell me now, so that I know, why does it scare you as you’ve understood, when caring should be more exhilarating and good?

I frown, “Because what if something bad should happen to Cozy or you?” I blink, “Caring about other ponies sucks, because I mean, eventually you’ll be gone, and something might happen!”

She smiles, and replies, “It is indeed true that all love and caring is temporary, and impermanent! But that’s all the more reason to appreciate it at this moment!”

“Golly!”

She nods, “Mhm! Now, before you smoke your roach, why don’t we all have some tea for a more amiable approach?”

I look down and ask, “Uh, that sounds like fun! Is this mango hibiscus, again?”

(To be continued… )

Author's Note

*Between controlling my anxiety, suicidal depression, and autism, relaxing me, treating my amnesia, and making me not crave alcohol, and nicotine, marijuana is in every sense, the perfect drug for me…