I won, yet everyone lost, including me
Cozy had expected a few things after getting rid of all the magic in the world. She was going to become a beacon for ponykind and the other species would follow. She was going to be the empress of Equestria, maybe of the whole world, as the responsible of the School of Friendship, as the pony with the most friends, the trustworthy Cozy Glow.
And it had certainly begun like this. Once the ritual completed, all the naysayers – and chancellor Neighsay – had been taken care of. No one had truly suspected a thing, but still, she didn't like those six students.
Twilight and her friends hadn't been seen around for about a day, and no news was coming from Tartarus. All led the little filly to believe they were trapped behind the doors and, now that magic was gone, no one would be able to open them anymore. Ever.
So, there she was, in the headmare's office, with her little crown sitting on her little head, looking at the night sky through the windows. Staring at that great moon, appearing so close.
She was displeased, thoughtful, but all in a controlled manner.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Yes?" she replied, turning around to see a pony partially open the door and sticking his head through. "What is it?"
"Headmare Cozy, someone appeared in princess Twilight's castle. They want to see you."
"What do you mean appeared?" the filly suddenly replied, frowning, angrily walking towards the colt. "Where are they?"
"Right here," a voice replied, as the door suddenly opened without any contact.
A light-purple unicorn was standing by the pony's side, severe eyes drawn to the little pegasus, with a repressed contempt on her face.
"You have magic!?" Cozy shouted, immediately rising in the air to meet the newcomer, grabbing her by one leg and pulling her inside the room with the little filly strength she had. "Come in!"
The unicorn let herself be guided inside, as the pegasus closed the door behind her, without even a thank you for the pony. Right after, Cozy flew to the stranger's face, looking suspiciously at her.
"Who even are you?" she questioned, tapping an assertive hoof on the unicorn's torso. "Magic is supposed to be gone forever!"
The stranger didn't reply. Instead, she just looked around, noting:
"So this is the reality where you won that day."
"Don't ignore me! Do you know who I am!? I'm the future empress of friendship, I'm-"
"Cozy Glow," the unicorn cut with a grave and unimpressed tone. "The instigator of all this, the filly that stole all the magic in the world and siphoned it into another world. And who did that in the underground of this very school."
The pegasus took a wing beat back, looking outrage but also playing innocent:
"What do you mean? I have nothing to do with all of this, we still don't know who-"
"Cut the act," the unicorn said, activating her horn menacingly. "I have seen you try to conquer the world. Twice, actually. The only reason I haven't denounced you while bringing Twilight and her friends back is because I wanted to talk to you first."
Cozy stepped back again, looking with even more suspicions at the unicorn.
"Who are you?" she muttered.
"My name is Starlight Glimmer. In this world, I suppose I was just an enemy Twilight fought and defeated, or I ran away, I don't know. But I'm from a different reality, where I was a counselor at this school."
"And what are you doing here?" the pegasus slowly asked, still suspicious.
"I'm visiting the other realities and seeing what can be done to fix them."
"Why should I believe you?"
Starlight had to contain an angry sigh, as she instead replied:
"I can use magic, despite you siphoning it all away. I don't care about proving anything to you, I just want to know what you're planning on doing now."
The little filly thought for a moment, touching her own chin with one hoof.
"How much magic can you actually use?" she asked.
"Not that much, I have to be able to return to my timeline once I'm done, and since this reality doesn't generate mana anymore, I can't really recover anything I use. BUT I still have enough to kick your flank and then some, if needed. Also, no, I'm not following you down there."
"I wasn't going to suggest that," the filly reassured, suddenly looking a lot less pissed. "Can you move the moon?"
"I-What?" Starlight said, with confusion. "Are you kidding?"
"I don't know, I'm just asking," Cozy honestly shrugged. "Can you take back some ponies with you when you'll return then?"
"Take back-No, I can't do that! Everycreature here is linked to this reality, I only overstepped my own link with my reality with a spell, but I can't do that in reverse. Even if I could, they wouldn't be able to stay for long."
"I see."
Cozy turned away, looking at the windows again, before she sighed.
"Well, I don't think you'll be of much use then," the filly lamented.
"Why do you even want me to do that!?" Starlight asked, still confused.
She had envisioned Cozy Glow to try and imprison her, or be impossible to reason with, but she was so calm. Maybe the fact that she didn't know her in this reality helped? But she had accepted the fact she was coming from a different reality so easily, and without much question! Either way, it was throwing Starlight off.
Slowly, the little pegasus waved Starlight to come closer, as she was standing in front of the great window.
The unicorn came closer, with precautions, ready to defend herself, but Cozy did nothing. She stood there, looking at the moon. So, Starlight did the same.
"See anything wrong?" the now headmare asked.
Starlight carefully looked at the landscape outside, under the night sky. It looked like the one she knew, from her own office in her world.
"Not really...?" she replied.
"It's two pm."
The wires instantly connected in Starlight's brain.
"No magic, no princess to move the sun and moon," she deduced.
"Celestia and Luna actually turned to dust when the magic was gone," Cozy distantly said. "Turns out old alicorn bodies are held together by nothing but magic. Even Tirek didn't know that because he can't eat the ambient magic in the air. Discord probably suffered the same fate, but no one knows where he was to begin with."
"They're dead!?" Starlight exclaimed.
"You're telling me you've been traveling realities and this is the first one where they died?" Cozy replied, arching an eyebrow.
"Well, I've only just started, you're like the third one!"
"Maybe you should go, then."
There was a resigned tone in her voice, far away from everything Starlight had ever heard from Cozy Glow. It was unsettling.
"Come on, eternal night isn't that bad," Starlight tried. "I'm sure ponies will find workarounds for the wildlife and everything."
"Look at the moon," Cozy simply said.
The purple unicorn brought her eyes back on the lunar body. It took her a second, before she finally got it, squinting. In fact, it was really obvious.
"It's... bigger?"
"Yep," Cozy confirmed with a neutral tone.
"What's going on?"
"It's getting closer."
The two exchanged a glance, Starlight's suddenly worried eyes met with Cozy's, and the filly answered with a look that said "Yes, it means what you think it means".
"It's going to... crash?" Starlight said, horrified.
"Wild way to discover that some ancient magic was holding it in place, huh? I was told that we still have about two hours left."
"And what are you planning to do?"
"Nothing."
Starlight turned to the filly, shouting a shocked:
"What!?"
"There's nothing to do," Cozy shrugged. "No more magic, no real solutions against that. I've asked ponies, and even other creatures, there's nothing. It's too big, it'll destroy the whole world."
"But.." Starlight tried, before whispering. "Why isn't everypony panicking?"
"Oh, they're scared," Cozy nuanced. "But they think a solution will come, as always. I think Twilight and her friends just made everyone so used to barely avoiding doomsday that they don't realize it's going to happen for real this time."
Starlight looked back at the celestial body, still in disbelief. This is how things would have played out if Cozy Glow had won!?
"You know, I'm actually really pissed off," the filly said with a toned down anger. "You should have seen me a couple of hours ago, all happy to have finally put my plans to execution without any hitch, only for a panicked astronomer to come and ruin everything."
"But we- I- How-" Starlight tried, but every thought she had was immediately contradicted by the situation.
No magic, no Elements, no Discord, no princesses. This was it. Just like the one Twilight had shown her, this world was doomed. But it felt even weirder to come right before its extinction.
"You know, I think I'm just going to gather everyone and tell them," Cozy finally said. "There's no point in lying now, it's not fun. It was already not really that enjoyable to have no one suspecting me, to whom I could reveal all my evil plans. But hey, I guess you're here at least."
"I was the one you revealed your evil plans to in my world," Starlight said, her mind still busy looking for a desperate solution. "You imprisoned me under the school."
"Golly, really?" Cozy said, impressed with herself, before frowning. "Wait, you're here, so that means..."
"You've lost. Twice, as I've said. Is Twilight still in Tartarus?"
"I don't know, probably," the filly shrugged.
"I'll be right back!"
Starlight teleported away. For a caster such as her, the spell was highly optimized and didn't consume that much magic. Cozy turned to the window again, leaning her elbows on its edge, thinking out loud:
"I should have asked her to bring back Tirek as well... Would have been nice to meet him."
She stayed there, in silence for a moment. Looks like getting to Tartarus wasn't as simple as teleporting back and forth. It was a prison, after all.
"Hmm, headmare Glow?" a mare slowly asked, sneaking her head through the door. "When... do you intend on putting your plan in action? For the whole... moon thing."
Cozy internally sighed. She had never said she had a plan, yet they were expecting it. And, under normal circumstances, she would have had one. But this was too much for a kid.
"Gather everyone on the hill next to the school," she replied with a soft determination in her voice. "Everyone from Ponyville."
The mare nodded and went away, leaving the headmare alone with her thoughts. A range of conflicting emotions had finally found an agreement to unite within her, blooming into one simple will.
Starlight suddenly reappeared, accompanied by all of the six teachers, just behind Cozy Glow. Twilight and her friends were still looking at the unicorn next to them with caution and distrust. But the alicorn's eyes were quickly drawn to the pegasus turning her back to them.
"Cozy Glow!" Twilight shouted with anger and disappointment. "You did this! Tirek told us!"
Something switched in the little filly. A mischievous smile appeared on her face, as she turned around and answered with a strong pride:
"Yes, princess! And I fooled all of you so easily, no one suspected the little perfect Cozy Glow!"
She ended her sentence with a falsely pleading tone and an over-the-top adorable face, before letting out an evil giggle.
"Why did yo-"
"There are more important things!" Starlight shouted, cutting Twilight and attracting some concerned eyes. "The vanishing of all magic in Equestria has caused a lot of bad side-effects!"
"And she's the culprit!" said Rainbow, throwing herself towards Cozy.
The filly barely dodged the attack, the blue pegasus almost hitting the window behind but quickly turning around to face her opponent.
"Hah!" Cozy mocked. "See, I've paid attention in your class, I know how to avoid incoming projectiles!"
"Only for n-"
"THE WORLD IS GOING TO END! EVERYCREATURE IS GOING TO DIE!"
Rainbow stopped what she was doing and stared at Starlight with astonishment, and so did the others, aside from Cozy. The filly crossed her arms, annoyed that Starlight had ruined her fun.
"What!?" Twilight exclaimed.
"What do you mean?" Rarity worryingly asked.
"The moon is falling on the world!" Starlight explained with a panicked tone. "It was held by magic, but now that magic is gone, it's going to crash down!"
Twilight and the others rushed to the window, pointing their eyes to the sky and the impending doom over their heads.
"B-But- How!?" Twilight feared, her ears flopping down.
Fluttershy hesitantly looked at Cozy Glow, asking:
"Is she telling the truth...?"
"She is," the filly confirmed with an upset look on her face. "I'm the one who told her that."
"And we all know you can be trusted," Applejack sarcastically pointed out.
Cozy rolled her eyes.
"Gee, can't you see? It's like twice the size it normally is. Why would I lie about that? My world-domination plan is useless if there's no world anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me."
The crowned filly headed for the door, flapping her little wings to the exit.
"Where are you going!?" Twilight said with a mix of panic and severity.
"Spread the news to everyone," she boringly replied. "I'm not staying here to hear you debate all the impossible solutions you can think of. I know nothing will work, the magic of friendship won't save you this time. Or anyone."
Under that coat of indifference, there was still determination. She could fool everyone, but not herself.
As she left the seven mares to their pointless discussion – although Twilight's eyes did follow her with conflicting feelings – the filly winced from anger and disgust. Revealing her true nature to them a second ago had been so pleasant, yet it was all tainted by the end of the world. She could have spent a whole life of deception, treachery and grandiose reveal, but no, her very first misdeed had to bring out the freaking apocalypse! No less!
She went outside of the school, to the hill. A big crowd of ponies was here, some were still arriving, she even spotted some changelings and dragons in the crowd. Discussions were plenty, she heard as many worried ones as she heard reassuring sentences. "The princess will take care of this," they said.
The filly attracted some attention when she flew over everyone. She went on top of the hill, facing the crowd. The chatting ceased, everyone focused their attention onto her. She thought for a moment, about how to do this in the best possible way.
A smirk painted her face, as she cleared her throat, before declaring:
"Citizens of Equestria, I have an announcement to make!"
The creatures in the crowd looked at each other, without saying a word, sensing some tension in their minds.
"You are all..." Cozy began, her last word suspended in the air for a brief moment, until she put up her best evil smile. "A bunch of idiots."
Silence fell. Ponies and creatures exchanged some confused and concerned gaze, but none dared to talk, still waiting for a follow up, an explanation, from the filly. Which she gladly delivered, letting the mask of her innocence fall, extending her hooves in the air:
"You were all duped by little cute me! Oh sure, who would suspect poor Cozy Glow, the filly that helps headmare Twilight, that always tries her best? Well that's why you're all just imbeciles! I drained all the magic in the world! I set all of this up, to rule over Equestria, become the new empress of friendship! And now, the world is going to end. Because! Of! Me!"
She flew over the crowd, laughing maniacally, bathing in the confused and scared reactions.
"You did all of this?" one pony wondered, hesitant to believe her. "All by yourself?"
"Well, I got a little help from Tirek," she said, waving a falsely modest hoof. "But mostly, it was me, yes."
"So, the moon is going to crash?" someone else asked.
Cozy's smile only became larger, as she shouted, eyes gorged with madness:
"Yes! And it'll put an end to the world and to your miserable lives in just a few hours!"
She flew to one pony, staring him in the eyes, speaking with a threatening tone:
"So run."
She went to another pony, following:
"But you can't hide."
And another.
"Spend your last moment in despair, with your loved ones. Because you will all die! Hopeless, crushed by the moon!"
Something caught the crowd, the way she was talking instilled a true fear in them, a confused understanding about the situation. As the filly raised into the air, laughing again and again, they all began to run away, to their homes, to their families.
Soon enough, the filly was almost alone on the hill. "Almost", because from afar, Starlight had been watching, behind. Cozy slowly landed, her laughter fading, only leaving room for a bitter look on her face instead. Starlight walked up to her.
"Why did you do this...? Telling them the truth?"
The small pegasus sat on the grass, resting her cheek on one hoof as she gazed at the landscape, the city and the plains under the moonlight, answering with a barely audible voice:
"Because it's funnier that way... Since I can't rule, at least I can just reveal my plots and mock them for falling for it."
"So now they know the world will end by your fault..."
"Destroyer of the world doesn't have the same ring to it as empress of friendship," the filly sighed. "But I guess I'll take it, for the few hours left."
Starlight went by her side, still wondering. Something was off, but she couldn't tell what.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?"
"I don't see what that would change," Cozy muttered. "Do as you wish."
There it was. The thing that was bothering Starlight. She sat down next to her and pointed out:
"The Cozy Glow I know would have never told anyone to do as they wish."
"Oh golly," the filly sarcastically replied. "I wonder what this Cozy loser would have said."
Starlight attempted a comforting smile and answered honestly:
"She would have tried to have people under her control for as long as possible."
"Did she ever have that even?"
"Well... For a moment, when she was draining the magic in all of Equestria and she was the headmare, but then..."
"Then she never got that again..." Cozy guessed, her eyes slowly going down to the grass. "So, whatever happened, I could have never been happy. Losing meant getting imprisoned or something, and winning means the world dies."
Starlight looked in silence at the filly. Never would have she expected to see Cozy Glow depressed, nor to feel a real empathy for her. In a way, the little pegasus was the same as the unicorn sitting next to her, and in a way they were drastically different. Starlight had fallen from happiness to sadness, only to channel it into evilness. Cozy seemed to have walked down a similar path, just not in the same order.
Starlight looked up at the moon. The giant faceless celestial body, ever so closer, threatening a world set in eternal yet ephemeral night. Of course that would change a filly, or anyone for that matter. And Starlight felt a bit of desperation herself. She could not save that world, nor any of its inhabitants. She had used up almost all of her magic, she had just enough to cast the spell on the map again, and that was it. And once gone from a timeline, there was no going back to it. Otherwise she would have brought the Twilight from her own world.
So, the best she could do was to stay with them for those last moments. Or hope that Twilight and her friends would come to a solution.
"There's more to life than just manipulating people," she attempted.
"As if you could understand..." Cozy dismissed in a whisper.
"I enslaved a whole village. I fought Twilight through time and almost destroyed the world in the process. I was angry, I felt robbed, again and again, first by cutie marks, then by Twilight herself. Yet..."
Starlight looked back, a nostalgic smile making its way onto her face. She had attracted the attention of the young filly, somewhat, or at least her curiosity. Be it by accident or on purpose, the words "I felt robbed" matched with some of Cozy's inner turmoil.
"Twilight told me there was another way. She showed me, taught me. It wasn't easy, I had to make friends – with one of her old nemesis, if I may add – and to learn to be..."
Despite the little giggle she had mentioning Trixie, Starlight slowly stopped, thoughtful for a moment, before resuming:
"I was about to say somepony else, but... The Starlight I became had always been there to begin with. It was just hidden under so many layers of hate, self-protection and fear. It just had to pierce through, to bring a new light upon my life. A spark."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Cozy asked, raising an honest eyebrow.
Her tone wasn't aggressive, dismissive or mocking as she usually was. She was sincerely intrigued. Starlight turned her eyes to hers, staring at her soul.
"Because you may only have a few hours left to live, but it's not a reason to spend them being a bad person on purpose. You have more in you."
"Are you saying this because the Cozy Glow in your universe has become a good person?" the filly said with a bit of renewed sarcasm.
"Not really, no," Starlight giggled. "She's still quite awful. I'm saying this, because I've noticed that in you here, in this world. You told those ponies to go and meet their loved ones. To spend those last hours together."
"... But even if I change a bit, who will I spend my time with?" Cozy asked, thinking. "I mean, you're not going to stay until the very end, so what, I say I'm a good person, no one notices and I die alone?"
The filly froze right after her own words. A shiver went down her spine, as her face crumpled right under Starlight's eyes. The realization sank in. Not that she was going to die, she had somewhat accepted that a few hours ago. But that she would die alone. With no one to hold, or even to care.
"You won't die alone..."
Both Cozy and Starlight were surprised to hear that voice. They turned their heads, seeing Twilight followed by her friends, walking towards them.
"Twilight!" Starlight rejoiced. "Did you find a solution?"
Twilight stared her in the eyes, a grave expression on her face. Starlight's hopes vanished almost instantly, as she saw the others not really looking any better. They looked resigned and scared.
The princess of friendship stopped in front of them.
"I've heard your discussion," she calmly said. "Is it true that you changed, in your world?"
"You made me change," Starlight answered with a sad affectionate smile. "You reached out to me, extended your hoof and showed me there was good in myself and in others."
Twilight was thoughtful for a moment, whispering:
"I wonder what was so different here..."
"What did I do here?"
"You ran away... After you showed me your childhood."
Starlight looked at Twilight, intrigued. It was weird, seeing a Twilight that wasn't hers, that wasn't her teacher and whom she had left on bad terms. And it was probably the same for her.
"Who defeated Chrysalis then?" Starlight couldn't help herself to ask.
"Sunburst, Maud and Discord," Twilight explained. "With Thorax, of course. Were you in that team in your world?"
"It was Thorax, Discord, Trixie and I," she replied, surprised by the presence of Sunburst.
"Trixie!?" Twilight repeated, astonished all the same.
"Well," the unicorn reasoned. "It is the principle of alternate futures and realities. Small changes that we can't even see, with great consequences."
"You really are a good pony...?" Fluttershy wondered.
"Yep," Starlight confirmed with a smile. "I... had my fair share of trouble, but I've even become the counselor at the school."
"Wow," Rainbow commented, impressed. "That's like a total one-eighty."
Starlight had a nervous laugh, not really sure as to how she could answer that. Her fleeing eyes fell on the filly by her side, who was looking at the landscape with an annoyed expression on her face. Starlight's smile disappeared.
"What about her?" Twilight asked, following her eyes.
"She refused your help the first time..." Starlight explained, before quickly following, seeing Cozy reacting poorly to that. "As I did when you stopped me in my town. The second time, what she did was too serious, and she wasn't acting alone. She almost ended the very concept of friendship in Equestria, with the help of Tirek and Chrysalis."
Cozy turned her eyes to the unicorn at this mention, intrigued and raising a confused eyebrow. To which Starlight kindly shrugged, as a way to say "Yeah, it happened like that, somehow".
"But as we've seen, things are very much different here," Rarity pointed out. "So, what about our Cozy Glow? What does she think, now that her demeanor has inadvertently caused the literal apocalypse?"
"It wasn't my intention..." the filly muttered, looking away.
"That I'm sure of," Rarity nodded. "But?"
Cozy Glow let out a deep sigh, forced to say:
"I'm sorry... At least I'll die too, so I guess it'll be my punishment."
"I agree," Twilight said, to everyone's surprise.
She walked to Cozy's side, sitting right next to her, as she added, her head high:
"Which is why I don't see any reason to punish you any further."
The little pegasus frowned, thinking she was joking.
"Lying to fillies, that doesn't sound like you..." Cozy muttered.
"I'm not lying," Twilight said, turning her eyes to her, severe and kind at the same time. "Now, don't get me wrong, I still don't understand why you did all this. It was wrong and you should feel ashamed of it. But..."
She sighed, saddened, letting her head go down a bit.
"I don't see how we're getting out of this one... So there's no point in arguing with you either."
"So, like, I get a pass because the world is ending?" Cozy said in disbelief.
"I guess you are. I don't see myself leaving you alone, despite it all. But I can't picture leaving my friends either."
"Huh..." Cozy thought out loud, surprised.
"I think we should gather everyone," Applejack slowly suggested.
Every word pronounced by anyone was still tainted by the oppressive knowledge of their impending doom. But rather than panic, they were just trying to make the most of those last moments.
"Yes, let's make a big crowd!" Pinkie approved.
"Go, find everyone," Twilight nodded. "I'll stay here with them."
The six of them dispersed, leaving Starlight, Cozy and Twilight on the hill.
"You look awfully calm," Starlight noted, looking at Twilight. "I would have imagined you a bit more panicked by the end of the world."
"I guess I'm just used to it at this point," Twilight shrugged with a nervous grin. "I'm the first one surprised by that, to be honest. But without magic, without the elements, I don't really see any escape. I would panic if there was a solution that we had to reach quickly, but here..."
She looked at the moon, lost in her own thoughts. The celestial body had only become bigger since Starlight's arrival, and the process was becoming faster.
"It's ironic, isn't it?" Twilight thought out loud. "My journey began by saving the world from a threat coming from the moon. And now, it'll be ended by the moon itself, after losing to another threat."
Starlight caught the very brief prideful smile on Cozy's face when Twilight called her a threat. And, remembering her second confrontation with the princess of friendship, Starlight somewhat related to that. Being acknowledged by your opponent was gratifying in its own way, especially one like Twilight.
"You used the map, right?" Twilight asked, turning to Starlight. "To get here."
"And almost the same spell as last time, slightly modified to not induce changes in my world. With your authorization."
Twilight frowned a bit, sharing a strange sensation:
"It feels... weird to have you talk so nicely suddenly."
"She does talk to you like she's talking to a friend..." Cozy said, looking at the grass.
Both mare stared at the filly. Was it envy they had felt in those words?
"You were a friend too," Twilight kindly pointed out. "At least, I thought you were."
"Well, guess I was really good at fooling you..." the filly muttered.
The words hit Twilight like knives, but something wasn't adding up.
"Was it really just an act?"
"Gee, do I have to draw you a picture?" Cozy said, rolling her eyes. "It was all to gain power. Because friendship is power."
"Why do you need that power for...?"
"Because it's fun..."
Twilight hid a wince. She wasn't doing that right. A filly could not be that lost already, there had to be something Twilight was missing, and a way to reason with her. She looked at Starlight, who was silently listening to all this, and got an idea:
"Have you made other friends before?" she asked Cozy.
"Well, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I fooled them good too."
"And before that?" Twilight insisted. "Who was your first friend?"
Cozy thought for a second, only to answer, with a weird sincerity:
"I think it was them, to be honest."
"I'll ask differently: Have you ever had a pony whom you truthfully saw as a friend?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cozy mumbled.
"Ponies you didn't see as a tool to be used, as power to gain."
"You know the answer..."
Twilight sighed, looking at the moon once more, seeing it had grown again, now triple the size in radius than it usually was. She slowly wrapped one wing around the little pegasus, saying:
"I'm sorry we don't have much time to talk about that, or do anything about it. I'm sure under other circumstances, it could have been different."
While she was surprised by this kind gesture – and tensed up in response – after all she had done, Cozy Glow still replied:
"Not really... In Starlight's world, I did not become a good pony."
"She didn't become one here," Twilight pointed out. "Maybe I would have been better for you in this world, as my alter-ego was better for her in her world. Who knows. We still managed to reform Discord, and it took a while."
Cozy's face eased up a bit, her muscles relaxed, she let herself be held against the princess. Something in her felt at peace, a pain she had never realized was here got ever so slightly more bearable. Being under this wing was nice. She felt safe.
Seeing this, seeing something that had never happened in her own world, Starlight could only think about what could have been. Here, and at home too. And her heart sank. For once, she felt a kind pity for Cozy Glow, rather than contempt.
Rainbow Dash suddenly swooped in flying, announcing:
"Everyone should be here soon. Took a bit of time to go around all of Ponyville."
"Thank you," Twilight said.
The blue pegasus arched an eyebrow, looking at Cozy under Twilight's wing. But her alicorn friend just nodded to tell her to move on.
"Sooo... How much time do we have left?" Rainbow asked.
"About an hour," Cozy replied, still feeling a bit weird.
"An hour, huh...?"
Rainbow looked at the moon, contemplating this terrible fact. She glanced at Twilight, a question in her eyes, but the alicorn shook her head. There was nothing they could do.
"Couldn't we ask the princesses?" she still tried. "Or Discord, or someone?"
"We don't even have the time anymore," Twilight replied. "And..."
She looked at Cozy for a moment. The filly turned her eyes away, ashamed. Twilight's wing shivered around her and they both knew that the other had understood.
"I'm not sure the princesses are... capable of anything anymore..." Twilight said, a lump in her throat, whipping an eye with her other wing.
Rainbow didn't reply, because she couldn't find anything to say. There wasn't anything to say, so she sat down by Twilight's side.
Ponies began to come on the hill. To gather, with friends, families and loved ones, under the ever increasing moonlight. Whispers were going around, discussions, some pointing at Cozy Glow with accusatory hooves. But, for everyone, a common theme was the serious faces and the grave tone. They understood that a call from the princess of friendship wasn't a good sign.
In just a few minutes, hundreds of ponies as well as other creatures from the school were there.
"We went all around town and managed to get everyone," Applejack said once she was back with her family by her side. "At least, I think."
"Thank you, everyone," Twilight nodded. "Cozy, do you want to address everycreature with me?"
The filly looked up at the princess, eyes filled with a silent question. It was answered by an awkward smile from Twilight, before she stood up, letting go of the embrace, and rose in the air. Cozy reflected on the proposition, but also on herself for a moment.
Twilight stood in the air, in front of the crowd. Silence propagated through the creatures gathered, and soon enough, all were ready to listen. The purple alicorn stayed mute for a moment, thinking about what she should say, how she could phrase it. Then.
"We always fought against evil, whether it came from outside or from within. All of us. We united, we bonded by friendship and by love, with our neighbors and with strangers. When I came to this town, only a couple years ago, I was oblivious to all the links one could weave with the world, with its inhabitants. I met my friends and, as fate would have it, we fought against evil. Nightmare Moon, Discord, Chrysalis, Sombra, and many more."
She briefly glanced at Starlight, and the unicorn saw a bit of regrets and guilt in her eyes, which she didn't understand yet. Everyone else was paying attention to Twilight's words, as she continued:
"Some of those threats only posed a local danger, but others proved to be a mortal enemy to the world. Their win would have meant the end of our reality, of things as we knew them. Enslavement, chaos, eternal night... With my friends, I always fought against them with that fear, that knowledge in mind. I was afraid to lose, not just a battle, but everything that I held dear. That we held dear."
Twilight took a little pause, looking at her friends. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash were in the same group, with their family, as the little sisters wished to stay together. Fluttershy had brought her animals and was standing by Dr. Fauna, and Pinkie was with the Cakes, trying to comfort the two babies.
"When I heard that magic was disappearing, I thought the same," Twilight confessed. "But, as it was also the case the other times, even a loss meant there would still be hope. A world without magic didn't seem an impossible place to live in. We would adapt, live on, and most of all, stand together. Just as we would have if any of the previous threats would have won. And I wasn't wrong, at least, not in the way I would have expected."
She looked at the crowd with kind and empathetic eyes, opening her heart and speaking to theirs, as only a princess could. Some tears were already shown, some cries echoed, but she kept on going, hoping to fill their heart with courage and peace:
"We're all here. We stand united, as ponies, dragons, changelings, hippogriffs, griffons, yaks, and all other creatures. Today, Equestria, no, the world has never been so close together. There was still a lot to do, but we already did as much as we could. We moved on, forward, together. And I may have lost on this day, our world might be doomed, our lives may end, our history will fade and yet, we'll stay here, today. All of us, as friends."
Whispers ran through the crowd. Some burst into tears, others held their closed one tighter, but the news had been confirmed: the world was about to end. If the princess couldn't do anything against it, no one could.
"How long?" someone begged.
Twilight looked at the sky, unsure.
"Half an hour," a young voice answered, causing some frowns and severe silences to form in the gathering.
Cozy flew into the air, right next to Twilight. She didn't look at the creatures, her eyes were fleeing on her ashamed face. She took in a discrete breath, before she explained:
"I caused magic to disappear... But I never intended on things to go down that route. As headmare Twilight said, a world without magic should have been fine, just... worst for some. And I would like to apologize..."
She found the courage to look at the creatures in front of her. The uncountable pairs of accusatory eyes direct straight at her, judging, condemning, and it was all deserved. But that didn't scare her, something in her heart had changed. So, she followed:
"I lied to you all, just to become your friend. I thought the more friends I had, the stronger I would become, because it's what the lessons said."
Twilight was ready to contradict her, offended that she was blaming her teachings, but she reconsidered when her heart skipped a beat. Cozy Glow had turned her eyes towards her and, in them, she saw a different Cozy. The real Cozy. One that actually felt sorry, and was in no way accusing her of anything.
"I don't understand friendship..." the filly continued, looking back at the crowd. "I won't pretend that I have changed, not that it would matter now anyway. But I saw friendship as a means to an end, rather than an end itself. Something that one should accumulate as much as possible, to use, and not just because... it's fun to make friends..."
She took a pause. The eyes in front of her had not become particularly kinder, yet it felt relieving to say all this, in a weird way. To just be honest.
"I still don't really get that part," she continued. "I find duping everyone more fun than talking to friends, but maybe I haven't made the right friends for me. Either way-"
She rose a bit more in the air, in view of all, a little filly against the background of a giant moon, now covering almost half the sky.
"If you want anypony to blame, then blame me! Not Twilight and her friends, not those who were unable to stop me, not even Tirek! I did it, and no amount of apologizing will fix the apocalypse, so throw all your disdain at me!"
The crowd stayed silent, unsure, troubled and confused. Twilight flew by Cozy's side, laying a hoof on her shoulder.
"I don't think anyone here wants to spread their anger," she kindly said with a hint of pride and empathy. "Not for the time we have left. But I'm glad you were ready to take responsibility. It's a great step forward, and I would have had so much to teach you..."
Starlight's heart sank, reflecting on her own relationship with her Twilight, and how her Cozy Glow was treated. But the really hurtful part came with the atmosphere around, the ambiance. Rarity was kindly ruffling Sweetie Belle's mane, Fluttershy was reassuring her birds, Angel on her head, Pinkie was hoping around, distracting ponies and telling jokes for those who were uncontrollably crying. Rainbow Dash was flying around with Scootaloo in her hooves, holding her as if she was the one doing the flying on her own, Applejack had her guitar out, playing a little country song to her family and a small group of ponies, Spike was talking with Smolder and her friends. And all around, there were ponies and creatures talking, holding each other, with warm words and kind gestures.
It was, for all of them, the end of the world. In a few minutes, they would all be gone. It was truly a tearing sight, a heartbreaking place to be in for Starlight, amongst all she cared for, all she held dear, preparing for their own end with such calm. Tears went to Starlight's face, as Twilight ended her speech, eyes wet as well:
"I'm happy that we can all share those last moments together, at least. Thank you all for being wonderful people."
She landed with Cozy, looking at the unicorn from another world. The moonlight raining down on them was almost as intense as the sun during the day.
"I think it's time for you to go..." Twilight said to Starlight.
A sob shook Glimmer. To see Twilight with such resignation, just accepting her fate. Knowing she would lose her, forever. That she was about to die, along with every other creature. It broke something in the unicorn.
"You were a wonderful princess..." Starlight whispered with emotions. "And a wonderful friend... I wish I could save you all but-"
"I know," Twilight kindly cut. "But you can't. And you should go, you have friends that await you, at your home."
Starlight nodded, standing up, beginning to walk away.
But she couldn't. She looked back on the crowd, all those creatures, a lot of them which she knew, but who had never heard of her. To leave them all behind...
She caught Twilight's eyes, and saw something in them. A little desperation, as the princess asked:
"Will you remember us...?"
"Forever..." Starlight nodded, doing her best to not collapse in sobs.
Twilight gently waved a hoof forward, pressing her to go. Reluctantly, Starlight went away, to the castle, tears flowing down her cheeks then dropping on her legs. She went to the map, ready the scroll, and stopped for a moment.
She existed here. Somewhere, probably still alive. Trixie was also here. Sunburst. She had even seen Maud at the gathering, but she hadn't paid any attention to her. They didn't know each other here.
Sunburst was certainly in the Crystal Empire, with the royal family. But Trixie? Was she alone? Doing a doomsday show?
And what about her?
The fleeting image of herself, lost in the mountains, looking at the moon with uncertainty, with fear, imposed itself onto her mind. Then came the vision of a terrified Trixie, folded on herself in her wagon, staring at the sky with nothing but confusion and questions.
Her breath became uncertain for a moment, before she shook it off. It was too late here. Too late to let them know, to show them better feelings, happier times.
Her horn glowed, the scroll reacted, the map echoed with the last bit of magic Starlight was imposing on it. And then, she vanished.
Twilight had joined her friends and their families. Oh, how she would have wished for her own family to be here too, but alas, things weren't meant to be this way. She could only hope her parents were together and her brother with his own family.
"I can't believe we're going out like this..." Rarity whispered with indignity, hiding her shaky legs, Opalescence on her shoulder.
"I mean, being crushed by the moon doesn't sound half bad," Rainbow pointed out, trying to think positively while holding Tank against her with all her strength like a plush. "Better than being knocked by some rocks or something."
"That's the best you could come up with?" Applejack chuckled, raising an eyebrow while gently stroking Winona's head.
"I don't know, devoured by some creatures?" the blue pegasus tried.
"Animals eat by necessity, Rainbow," Fluttershy politely corrected, strangely calm. "Is it going to be painful?"
"Probably not," Twilight reassured, even thought she found it weird for that to be reassuring. "Or if it is, it won't be long at all. With the strength of the impact, it'll be over in a second."
"See?" Fluttershy said to her animals. "It's not the worst."
Spike held onto Twilight's legs, shaking with fear under the alicorn's wing carefully holding him.
"It'll be like a great boooom and then swoosh, confetti!" Pinkie added, Gummy holding onto her mane with his jaws.
Twilight couldn't help herself but have a sad smile, tears flowing from her eyes. Above their heads, a rumble began to be heard, as the moon was getting closer and closer, bathing the scene in an almost blinding light.
"I'm just glad we won't be separated ever again..." Twilight confessed. "That even if we failed, even if we can't save everyone, at least we'll fade together."
All of them instinctively gathered for a group hug, as she continued:
"You were the best friends a pony could ever ask for..."
As they grouped up and shared their emotions one last time, her sentence echoing with many kind words from her friends, she saw in the corner of her eyes, Cozy, sitting on her own. No one dared to approach her. And it reminded Twilight about something. Something so distant, so long gone now, that she had forgotten about it up until now.
"Cozy...?" she called.
The filly turned her head, a gloomy frown on her face. The princess invited her to come closer with one wing, which the filly slowly did, only to be suddenly pulled into the hug by that same wing.
"You've said you don't understand friendship," the alicorn said, still holding onto her friends, her voice shaken with a sad smile. "But, as long as you're willing to learn, it's not a problem. And I know it sounds silly, but you can trust me. Because I too, used to wonder what friendship could be."
Cozy's face went from confusion, to a slow and progressive understanding. Her face brightened as much as all the landscape around them. The rumbling became stronger than any voice could shout. Everyone held together, in one last embrace, as Twilight whispered to herself, to her friends, to the world:
"Good bye..."
And came the impact.
Starlight reappeared in Twilight's castle, collapsing on the map from magical and emotional exhaustion. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, while she was still crying, holding onto the scroll with one hoof as if it held all the lives that had just been lost. Yet, all she could think about was how useless she felt.
They were all gone.
She slammed her hoof on the map out of determination, standing up and running towards the door. To her surprise, Twilight opened it at the same time, Starlight stopping barely in time before they collided, only to change her mind and jump on her at the last second.
"Twilight!" she said, embracing her with all her remaining strength.
"Huu, yes, it's me?" the alicorn replied, a bit confused and worried by Starlight's sobs. "Are you okay...?"
"I'm so glad to see you... Safe..." she cried.
"Why wouldn't I be? Things have been pretty calm lately."
"I know, it's just..." Starlight began, releasing her embrace and taking a few steps back, drying her tears with one hoof, to no avail since new ones kept on coming. "Other realities... I... I saw you about to die... I couldn't do anything..."
Twilight frowned, even more worried.
"I told you this could be dangerous for your mental health..."
"I know," Starlight said, sniffing loudly. "But I... I need you to free Cozy Glow."
"You what!?"
"I'll explain later. But I need to talk to her. So that..."
"So that all those deaths won't be in vain," she ended in her head. She could not say that to Twilight, it was too much, too scary and dreadful to even think about. But something had to be done. She had seen the good in Cozy Glow, manifested by Twilight. A different Twilight, but Twilight nonetheless. Maybe it was one last lesson from this now gone princess of friendship. Through realities, through her death, she was still teaching her, not even on purpose. Either way, Starlight firmly said:
"I think we can save her."
Author's Note
Alternate ending where Cozy's speech restores magic in the world because friendship and whatnot.
Didn't feel like it would fit the tone here.
