Cute and Innocent

Am I really Cozy Glow?

In breath…

Out breath…

If I’m not Cozy, then where did she go?

Golly, I just can’t remember anymore!

In breath…

Out breath…

If Cozy isn’t here, then who am I?

My name is Ophelia…

In breath…

Out breath…

Okay, but if I’m not Cozy, just where the hay did I come from?

Gee, you know, this doesn’t make a lot of sense!

I open my eyes to find myself on Zecora’s plush red meditation pillow with it’s yellow threading, on her darker red yoga mat…

I managed to get my hind legs to cross, after I worked with them a bit!

But now, it’s time to come undone…

Was I always here in this body, and just asleep? I wonder as I use my forehooves to undo my hind hooves…

Is that why Cozy tried to do all of those awful things? Because I wasn’t there?

Am I a good filly now?

I stand on all fours, in front of the pillow, and take a DEEP breath in through my nose, before opening my mouth, and releasing my diaphragm to begin forcing the air out slowly, and as the wind passes through my body, I reach a new stability within myself…

I smile when I realize that it truly doesn’t matter… None of it really does anymore…

I hear a knock on the other side of the wooden door in front of me, and I hear Zecora’s muffled voice, “Are you done yet, child? Dinner is ready, and mine is hot, while yours is mild!”

I smile at the door, knowing there’s a caring zebra behind it, and yell, “Yeah, I’m done meditating now, Zecora!”

<*****>

I stare down at the plate, “Wait, so this is vegetable lo mein?”

Zecora smiles and nods, “Yes young one! Lo mein is tasty for sure! But you’ll want sauce, and so there’s some soy there to allure!”

I nod, “Thank you so much, Zecora! And hey, I was just meditating and um, I don’t think Cozy is here anymore, if that makes any sense? I mean, “I blink, “I think it’s just me now?” and stare up at her, “My name is Ophelia… “

She nods, “It is good that you have discovered the oneness within you! But that still leaves the question of when you will reveal yourself to Equestria so true? I mean, us alone wouldn’t be enough of a life? Besides, we also wish to avoid strife!”

I breathe in and out while the zebra finally takes a bite using the fork in her forehoof…

“You think I should talk to other ponies too, huh?” I blink… “I mean, I’m not Cozy Glow, but how would they ever know that?” and close my eyes, “It’s too hard! I don’t think I could ever go back to Ponyville?”

I feel a comforting hoof land on my left shoulder, before opening my eyes to see the azure pupils of this wise shaman staring back at me, “Never forget Ophelia, you are not alone!”

I stare at her, and while I feel my eyes are wide and trembling, this doesn’t feel the same as before… I say to her with genuine concern, “So, you’ll be with me?”

She smiles, “Always, Ophelia! After all, we don’t want them to kill ya!”

My mouth trembles with emotion when I begin to think logically again, “Wait! Princess Twilight! Yes!” before staring at her, “Do you know how to get a hold of Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

… Wait, why do I know who Twilight Sparkle is?

<*****>

Dear, Twilight Sparkle

Gee, this is so weird for me! I know who you are, and I learned about Cozy Glow, and while I know you’ll recognize my body, uh, you wouldn’t know me… I’m in Cozy Glow’s body, but I don’t know where I came from… I am a different filly, I swear, and I’d very much like to see Equestria and meet the other ponies, but I just don’t think I could ever do that, because of the way I am… Because of the body I’m in, I mean… I really don’t know what to do, but I would very much like to talk to you? Please come to Zecora’s hut and speak with me!

Sincerely,

Ophelia

I finish penning the letter with my mouth and look down at what I wrote…

“Now, I will deliver this message to Twilight Sparkle, and we will see what happens, maybe something remarkable?” I hear Zecora speaking behind me, as I sat at stationary…

I spit out the blue pen and look behind me on the chair, “Are you sure Twilight will react nicely to this?”

Zecora smiles and nods, “You forget Ophelia! It is not your words alone, but mine too, that will reach the ears of the throne!”

My eyes widen, “Golly! So when will you take it to her?”

Zecora smiles, “I’ll leave tomorrow, early, before the sun rises! That way, the trip will be cool, and won’t be a crisis!”

“Oh, golly!”

Zecora nods, “But now it is time for bed! I shall roll you a joint for the morning, and I’ll leave before you’re awake!”

Oh, golly! I got this habit now! I smile at her, “That sounds swell, Zecora! Don’t worry about me! I can fix my own breakfast with whatever I find!”

<******>

I lay there in the dark, with my eyes staring up at the ceiling…

What if they don’t like me? What if they can’t get over what Cozy Glow did?

Oh, golly! I’m just not sure if this is such a great idea?

I close my eyes…

I breathe and try to think about nothing… To just let my mind drift off to sleep…

Suddenly, the overhead lights come on, and I open my eyes to look up from my back, and I see a large purple alicorn standing there!

She has a blue mane, decorated with two streaks, one hot pink, and the other lavender…

She furrows her eyebrows over her purple eyes before saying, “Cozy Glow! You have been charged with crimes against Equestria, and have been sentenced to petrification!”

I turn myself around and stand up on my hooves on the bed, before saying, “Look, I’m not Cozy Glow! I don’t know… “

“Quiet!” She shushes me! “Do you have any final words before I turn you back to stone?”

At that point, I yell out the only thing I can! “It wasn’t me! You got the wrong pony! I didn’t do it!”

I turn my gaze down, and widen it when I see stone creeping up my hooves, and my body begins to become stone now, bit by bit!

I stare up at the smiling alicorn frantically, “I didn’t do it!”

<*****>

I open my eyes there, in the dark, with cold moisture on my brow and a racing heart!

I feel the soft pillow on the right side of my face, as I say to nopony, “Golly! What was that?” before wiping my brow with my forehoof and sitting up on my bed…

My hind legs are getting more flexible now!

I get to all fours, and launch myself up with my hooves, to begin flapping my wings vigorously, and I turn and fly towards the overhead lights!

I’m floating overhead, and after pulling the overhead lamp string overhead, I begin to flap my wings towards the awaiting king-sized joint on the desk!

Half now, and half later! I remind myself, and nod!

I land onto the worn wooden chair there, and stare at the rolled devil weed there, in it’s white wrapper…

I put it in my mouth with my right hoof, while the left collects the squeeze-box style red hoof lighter on the table, and brings it near my snout…

I strike it in front of me, and put my eyes on the flame, just like Zecora showed me…

I move my face forward a few inches, to inhale, and watch the flame kiss the end of the joint, and it soon begins to glow with a cherry on the front!

I lit the joint, just like she showed me! I happily think to myself, while disengaging the lighter!

I sure hope Twilight doesn’t turn me back into stone!

I remove the smoke from my mouth, and exhale a cloud, as I put the lighter back on the table, and I feel the cannabinoids in my system, beginning to slow down my heart…

It’s so weird, but early in the morning like this, all these masks on the walls now seem oddly comforting?

Was that Twilight in my dream?

I’ve never seen Twilight before! Why would I know what she looks like? Wait a minute…

I bring the cigarette to my mouth for another pull, as I begin to wonder how in Equestria I’d know what she looks like?

Ash falls out of the burning joint… I soon remove it from my face, and exhale a stream of smoke…

Golly, so many things just don’t make sense right now!

I stare out the front window of her hut and begin to wonder if I should take a walk?

The sun isn’t up, so I should be careful!

I’m taking a few drags first, though…

I soon taste more herb, as I inhale smoke from the burning joint…

<*****>

You know, I normally walk to take my time now, but as this forest is right now, I’m not sure flying is such a great idea? I think to myself, while I march down the darkened trail, and as my eyes adjust to the darkness, I take note of the brown dirt path underhoof, with patches of grass here and there, and so much more grass on either side, with all of the dark, scary trees…

I wonder if I’m gonna be attacked? I think to myself out of nowhere, before shaking my head and thinking that’s probably not a good thought!

I continue down the trail, towards a distinct running sound I hear in the distance…

I wonder if that’s a river? Well, only one way to find out!

I continue trotting through the pitch-black path, as my eyes can only make out bits and pieces…

I’m pretty sure Zecora was gone, by the time I left the hut? I think to myself, as I witness an opening in the trees and branches ahead…

I begin to speed up to not quite a gallop as I really want to know if I’m right!

I smile when I see dark water ahead, just beyond the trail and the muddy rocky bank there…

Golly! I wonder what else I can find?

“I haven’t seen you around here before!” I hear a masculine voice say to me from behind!

Relax Ophelia! You haven’t done anything wrong! I think to myself, before turning to see a brown earth pony there, with a long, darker brown mane, and a smile on his face! “Who the hay are you?”

He giggles slightly, “Name’s Roger Fetlocks! I live in the woods and don’t see many other ponies! Uh, who are you?” before leaning slightly forward…

I smile when I realize that this forest-dweller has likely never heard the name Cozy Glow! “Uh, call me Ophelia! Hey neighbor! Wanna be friends?”

(To be continued… )