“Cozyheart!” Flitterheart whispers. She kisses her little sister’s forehead as she sleeps. Starbeam recognizes ‘Cozyheart’ as the infamous villain Cozy Glow, but says nothing.

She nudges her patron, and Flitterheart turns her attention to the other room, where her younger self is coughing. It’s time that the two Flitterhearts talk. Starbeam stays behind, giving the two Flitterhearts privacy until it’s time to return to the present.

Once she’s alone, Starbeam’s horn glows as she wraps tendrils of magic around little Cozyheart’s neck. Quick and painless, no need to prolong this. It’s bad enough I’m resorting to killing a foal. What kind of monster does that make me? Starbeam’s magic fades out. She doesn’t have the heart to go through with it. Cozy Glow may be one of the greatest monsters in the history of Equestria, but this little foal hasn’t done anything wrong. At least not yet. Maybe Flitterheart’s talk with her younger self will prevent Cozy Glow’s later rampage. Starbeam decides that’s the best course of action. Who knows what kind of consequences there could be for trying to alter the past?

Starbeam trots out of the room as Cozyheart pretends to sleep. Little eyes are cracked ever so slightly open, getting a good look at the unicorn who just tried strangling her. Once the pony closes the door behind her, Cozy’s eyes open wide in horror. Little hooves go to her neck. A unicorn just tried to kill me in my sleep. What kind of monster attacks a helpless foal in the middle of the night? Unicorns can just teleport into my room at random. Magic is awful. Golly, I wish magic would just go away forever.

Author's Note

Story notes: https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1054396/story-notes-ghosts-of-the-past