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                       Did I change?                       
                        -by IGIBAB-                        
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                       Did I change?                       
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Did I change?
The clear nights were rare in the Crystal Empire. But the very few times the sky was visible, it could have possibly been one of the prettiest in the world. Under the northern lights, neither too bright or too dim, perfectly complementing the stars shining above.
Princess Flurry Heart had a special spot to watch them, on the roof of the stadium, the side facing north and away from the city, barely tilted, providing a better laying experience. The snow didn't build up on it, thanks to its self-heating system, which also gave the impression of standing on a slightly warmed floor.
And of course, she wasn't alone up there. By her side, lying upside-down to her so that their heads were right next to each other, was the pegasus that had accompanied her for years now.
If Flurry's eyes were lost in the sky, Cozy's own gaze was absent, thoughtful. The two adolescents often shared moments of silence. But all of them inevitably broke, and it was always the pegasus initiating conversation. Flurry believed it was because she was bored.
"You know you should be preparing for tomorrow," Cozy said calmly. "Unless you want the city to be plunged into darkness for a thousand years again."
The young princess snorted. Yeah, that sounded like her friend to say that kind of thing.
"You worry too much," Flurry replied.
"You don't worry enough."
"My mom will lead the ceremony, do you really think things could go wrong? I'll just stand around, wearing my pretty necklace, connecting to the Heart and all. And then it'll be done for the next century."
"Yeah, it's not like preventing the ritual was how Celestia and Luna stopped Sombra..." Cozy sarcastically said. "Or even how he became ruler of the Empire in the first place. No reason to worry about what could happen if things were to go wrong."
"Luckily, he's not around anymore. And we have my father and my mother in case I do anything wrong. And Sunburst, but he'll mostly be there for moral support."
Flurry lightly giggled for herself. Cozy's eyes quietly turned to watch the alicorn lying by her side, and the princess sensed it, smiling happily.
"What?" Flurry asked, refraining another giggle.
"Nothing," the pegasus said, her face as impenetrable as ever, looking back at the sky again. "You do you. It's not like I can convince you or even force your hoof."
She moved a bit to get in a more comfortable position, the chains around her neck and legs following in slights but distinctive noises.
"You could definitely convince me, though," Flurry argued, giggling. "That's your thing, words, isn't it?"
"I don't feel like trying, especially with you..."
Flurry turned her head with a provocative smile.
"Oh? Having remorse for manipulating your only friend?"
"No, it would just be too easy," Cozy sighed without a care in the world.
"Hey! I'm not that naive!"
"Sure," the pegasus replied, looking bored as tartarus.
Flurry suddenly stood up, hit in her pride, stomping her hoof right next to Cozy's head. She stared at her, face above hers, upside-down, frowning.
"I've said I'm not!"
"Yet you are," her friend replied, avoiding eye contact.
"Go on, name the last time you fooled me! I'm sure it was months ago!"
"Do you think I've changed?" suddenly said Cozy, her gaze plunging into hers.
Flurry's frown became tinted with confusion. Was she joking? Yet, the pegasus seemed all serious, and not even in an engaged way. Her eyes felt as cold as the metal rings around her neck and hooves.
"What do you mean?" the princess asked, trying to not sound too shaken.
"Am I a good pony now? Am I your friend? Or am I just waiting for the right moment to burn you and this whole place down?"
Flurry pouted, her joyfulness slowly vanishing, as she mumbled:
"Playing on those feelings is cheating."
"I'm a villain, I thrive on cheating," Cozy argued with the most casually bored voice. "I would abuse all of your weaknesses without hesitation."
Flurry's ears flopped down, her eyes becoming scared and fleeing.
"No you wouldn't... You're not a villain anymore..."
"Then why am I still chained?"
"You know why..." Flurry whispered, feeling more and more uncomfortable.
"You're still avoiding the question," Cozy insisted with her detached tone getting a bit more severe. "Do you think I've changed?"
"Yes?" Flurry answered, almost pleading, her eyes meeting with the pegasus' once again.
Cozy looked away at the sky, nonchalantly adding, as if disappointed:
"Then the last time I fooled you was today."
"W-What?!"
The princess' face filled with panic, getting closer to her friend, as if staring at her from just a few centimeters away would force her to change her mind. Cozy didn't budge, purposefully avoiding her gaze.
"What do you mean?!" Flurry insisted, getting more anxious.
"I mean that I actually made you doubt."
The garnet eyes immediately focused back on the confused white face in front of them. Flurry, caught off guard, was still trying to understand and Cozy snorting, before exploding in laughter, made her thought process easier. The young princess immediately pouted, giving a little nudge in the pegasus' ribs, offended but reassured.
"That was mean!"
"Mean but easy," Cozy giggled, holding her sides. "Like I've told you."
"Tss."
The princess looked away, still pissed about all that. Not only had she fooled her, but she had played with her feelings once more.
"Come on," Cozy said, straightening up a bit, making some chains roll on the roof. "You almost asked for it. You can't blame me for obeying my princess of pouts' wishes."
"Yes I can!" Flurry replied, lifting her muzzle in a dignified anger. "This is why people don't trust you."
"Yeah, I know everyone still sees me as a meany. But as long as you trust me, I don't need anyone else."
Flurry's white cheek turned a bright pink, her anger vanishing to leave embarrassment in its wake. Which only made Cozy giggle again.
"You little..." Flurry began, without finishing that thought.
"Lovely pest?" her friend guessed with a large smile.
"Shut it!" the young alicorn stomped her hoof, turning to her, trying to maintain composure despite emotions rushing to her heart.
"Your wish is my command," Cozy said with an over-the-top serious tone, standing up, only to bow, which pissed her friend again.
"I've told you not to bow! You look like a slave from when Sombra took over!"
"I'm pretty sure the chains are to blame for that, your highness."
"Cut it off with the titles already!"
"As you desire, your majesty," Cozy said, snorting despite her serious tone.
The princess turned around again, half-amused, half-offended. Or maybe more than half, since she took off, looking a bit hurt, throwing:
"I'll leave you and your 'bad influence' for now, then. I'll ask my mother to come and pick you up. You can use all the fancy names you want with her, I'm sure she won't mind."
And with that, she left the pegasus alone on the roof. Sure, she liked her. A lot. But Cozy had a really bad tendency to play with the young princess' feelings a bit too much, which only made them more swirling and confusing, even to herself.
But the titles were always the line. Cozy was her friend. She didn't need to be like the others, all reverent, all careful, all... fake. That was one of the reasons why she had thought freeing her would be a good idea. "Surely, here was a pony who would not care about her being a princess," she had thought... And yet.
As she flew away, the pegasus straigthened up despite the long chains hindering her legs and neck. They were all assembled together by heavy links below her, like a star of iron. And they weren't just physical chains either, an enchantment prevented her from flying, unless someone from the royal family was magically holding the little blue gem on her collar. Usually, it was Flurry's magic turning off that seal.
Cozy looked at the princess flying away to the castle, thinking to herself, distractedly caressing the blue crystal on her neck.
"I suppose all the pieces are in place, now..."
With adulthood getting close, the young princess had been taught the great habits she should have for her upcoming life, and given the independence needed to practice them. Waking up on her own, cleaning her room, doing her duties as a princess, including acting regal in public and always making sure she was presentable, talking with the nobles and the people to hear their concern, even taking care of some small business. And, so far, she had matured a lot from them while, as a reward, she had earned her parents' trust.
So it is with very much surprise that, on this very important day, the first thing she heard wasn't her alarm bell, but a guard hammering on the door of her room.
"Princess! Your father wants to see you!"
Flurry jumped, suddenly awakening. Not even a glance outside was needed for her to understand she had missed her alarm, the light in the room was telling enough.
She immediately looked towards her clock, on her nightstand, but it wasn't there. Instead, there was a little box that she quickly reached for, confused. It was a simple box of matches, the brand had been ripped off, only leaving the printed picture of flames with something written on it with black ink. Did I change?
The guard knocked again, forcing the princess to get out of her waking confusion. She shook her head and tossed the box on the bed, hurrying towards her dresser.
"Yes, yes! I'm coming, one second!"
She quickly got her royal silvery and golden garments around her hooves and wings, before heading for the door with a brush magically levitating by her side. She opened, on a visibly worried stallion, but did not leave him room to talk.
"When is the ceremony supposed to start!?"
"I-In half an hour, your highness. Your father is looking for you, in the royal office."
Flurry took off right away, swooping by the stallion and dashing in the hallways. Where had her alarm go? And that box, what was it? Had someone played a prank on her? Today, of all days!?
As she stormed into the great royal office, she met a group of ponies hurrying around, concerned and visibly lost in their preparation. In the middle of that small unorganized crowd, a white unicorn was giving confused indications left and right.
"Dad!" Flurry shouted, flying to him.
"Flurry! Where were you!?" he asked, panting, before he quickly followed. "Never mind, you're here. Did you see your mother!?"
"No, I just woke up," the young princess said, dodging a pegasus flying by. "Someone stole my clock. What's going on?"
"I can't find Cadance!" Shining moaned, nervously trotting in place. "I haven't seen her since yesterday, and nopony has. She hasn't shown up to prepare her part, and the ceremony is about to start!"
Flurry frowned, the worry of her father finding echoes in her own heart.
"What do you mean!? Mom can't have vanished like that!"
"Well she did! Last time the guards saw her, it was yesterday and she was heading outside to who knows where."
The young princess' frown was tainted with doubts.
"Was it in the evening...?" she asked.
"Late, yes," her father replied. "Night was already there."
But that was when she...
Flurry's heart tightened from that simple idea. Could it be? Was it possible that...?
"I'll... be right back, don't worry!"
"But you can't leave!" Shining shouted, while she was already on her way to the door. "You have your part to prepare! And if your mother isn't there-"
The alicorn didn't hear the last part, already too far from her father. She had to check, she had to know. She didn't believe it, but part of her was more scared than it had ever been. She couldn't have done that. She just couldn't!
Flurry rushed out of the castle and flew straight towards the stadium, aiming for the roof. No one would have thought to check there, the building was empty and unused outside of special events. Why would Cadance go there? Well, she would, to come and get a certain pegasus.
Under her daughter's demand.
As Flurry was nearing the roof, she didn't see anyone on it. But, strangely, one of the glass panels was opened, suspiciously close to where she and Cozy had been the day before.
The princess landed right in front of it, leaning over to see down below. The stadium was as empty as it should have been, nothing out of place in the rows of seats, nor on the large grassy field.
Except...
Flurry had to squint to make sure it wasn't her mind playing tricks on her, but there was definitely something pink and small far below the window, on the field. But it was too small to be someone, no it was just...
She glided down in that gigantic and desert structure, surrounded by a silence so intense she could hear the air running around her slim feathers, making them quiver slightly, the walls so far away the echoes of that lonely sound couldn't even return to her, only adding to the isolated feeling of that place.
Even if she was focused on her objective, down below, she couldn't help but feel extremely alone in that immense stadium, vulnerable from all directions, like plunging into a trap. The unpleasant sensation of being watched settled in her and, as the pair of eyes spying on her from afar could have confirmed, she was right in that impression.
She landed, right in front of the pink feather put here, almost deliberately, at the center of the stadium. Her mother was an alicorn, and alicorns only lose a few feathers every hundreds of years. Flurry's imagination could only guess what horrible reason this one might have fallen like that. Her heart tightened, the frightening possibility from earlier only becoming more present. There had to be an explanation. A better one. Her mother was somewhere, safe, sound, and her friend was still-
"HELP!"
That desperate cry stopped her train of thought. This wasn't her mother's voice. This was...
"Cozy...?" she said, stunned for a second, before she came back to her senses, rushing towards the origin of the scream.
"Someone! Please!"
"I'm coming!" Flurry shouted back, diving through the bleachers and into one of the entrances.
"Flurry...!?" the voice replied with a hopeful surprise.
Yet, as she sank inside, the idea of all of this being a trap stayed in her mind, but she refused to believe it. That was exactly how Cozy would lure her, but this... this was sincere, right?
Somewhere in her guts, prudence won. She got her horn ready, turning around a corner, arriving in one of the changing rooms, dimly lit by magic. There, she found her friend, collar chained to a wall, looking desperately happy, the red glow of the gem on her neck the only source of light in the room.
"Oh Flurry, thank the sky you're here!"
"What happened!?"
The princess went to her, checking if she was alright, as the pegasus explained, panicked:
"I-It's your mother! I-I don't know what happened to her, I think she was corrupted or something! She brought me here and went away without saying anything!"
"What!?"
As she was about to free her friend, Flurry recoiled, her eyes wide open, shocked. Cozy followed, pleading:
"I know it sounds crazy! I don't know what happened either, but she did it, you've got to believe me! She had a dark glow in her eyes!"
Once more, the alicorn's heart grew wary, scared. Because this was either a horrible lie, or a horrible truth.
"What are you saying...?" she muttered in disbelief.
"We have to do something!" Cozy insisted, pulling on her collar, the chains tensing. "The ceremony is going to start soon, I don't know what she has in mind, but it can't be good!"
Flurry hesitated. This had to be true, somehow. Cozy was attached to the wall, she wasn't pretending. And why would she put herself in such a vulnerable position?
"Flurry! The whole city is in danger! Your mother is in danger!"
That last part made the young princess snap out of her hesitancy. A second later and the chains around Cozy had been broken. Not just the one restraining her against the wall, but also the others she always wore, which got the pegasus surprised.
"If my mother has been corrupted, I can't let her control you with magic," Flurry said, her face now firm and serious. "We need to warn my father."
"And find what's happening," Cozy nodded.
The princess turned around and went back outside, flying high. Her slight worry was relieved when she saw that Cozy was indeed following her closely, catching up to her in the air.
They both went out of the stadium, going back to the castle. As they flew above the city, they noticed the lines of ponies eagerly going the same way, heading for the Crystal Heart, and Flurry could only think about what kind of disaster was about to unfold. Why today, why her mother?
At the same time, she saw in the distance the great doors of the castle opening and her father rushing out, distressed, holding two necklaces in his magic, already wearing his own.
"Dad!" she shouted, flying down to him.
"Flurry! Did you find your mother!?"
"Something horrible happened!" the young princess immediately followed, though she hesitated slightly on the next sentence. "Mom... Mom has been corrupted! She trapped Cozy somewhere, I had to free her!"
"What do you mean, corrupted?" Shining said in disbelief. "Where is she?"
"We don't know," Cozy intervened. "She imprisoned me in the stadium yesterday evening, her face was dark and she had an evil laugh!"
"Oh no..." the prince lamented. "And the ceremony is about to start! Take your necklace, if things go wrong, you'll have to perform it alone."
Shining magically handed the crystal pendant with its green gem set inside, his daughter nodding and taking it carefully, putting it around her neck.
The prince's eyes went to the pegasus, squinting a bit from shock and horror, but also a bit of suspicion.
"Where are your chains...?"
"I removed them," Flurry explained. "Dad, we got no time! If mom has been corrupted, someone's behind all of this!"
Shining reconsidered and threw away his doubts about Cozy, this wasn't going to help them now. Instead, he quickly thought about the situation, his eyes going left and right, nervous and anxious.
"I don't think Sombra could be back," he finally said. "But maybe someone that followed his teachings. Corrupting people was his signature... Or maybe she fell for one of his traps we hadn't found?"
"Doesn't matter, we have to find her!" Flurry pressed, hovering even closer. "We need her to-"
A loud explosion was suddenly heard, coming from the castle. Everypony turned around, scared and confused, seeing a huge cyan cloud of smoke coming out of the back.
"That's her magic!" Shining shouted, stepping forward, ready to run to the location.
"Go there, you two!" Cozy said. "I'll keep an eye on the heart while you deal with her!"
Shining Armor almost immediately stopped himself, pausing his train of thought for a second, suddenly turning to the pegasus with a wary frown.
"No! I'll stay there! Flurry, you go with the guards and see your mother!"
"B-But..." the princess tried, but her father stomped his hoof.
"Go! Help your mother! I'll stay here to watch over the Heart."
Cozy angrily winced, offended, saying through gritted teeth:
"I swear to Luna, you all have the dumbest priorities sometimes..."
She didn't wait for Flurry or Shining to react and rushed inside the castle, heading for the origin of the explosion.
"Go with her!" Shining ordered his daughter. "Don't leave her alone with Cadance! And take your mother's necklace!"
Flurry took the pink pendant but still replied:
"You're mistaken about her..."
"GO!"
The alicorn sighed but still flew towards the castle, angry that her father would question her friend. Angry that he still didn't trust her. Angry that, despite it all... she thought he was right to not trust her. She had paused all the same when Cozy had suggested to stay with the Heart. How could her friend change if no one, not even Flurry, could trust her?
As she went inside the castle, the guards running far behind her, she had lost sight of the pegasus. But the explosion had happened in the deepest part, probably the library, so it was easy to tell where Cozy was going.
Flurry arrived, blasting through the doors, on high alert. Her eyes immediately fell on the destroyed wall, and the hole in the floor, as if something had exploded below from sheer pressure. In it, she saw her, weakly climbing out of that hole. The pink alicorn, looking tired.
"Mom!"
Cadance looked up with a bit of surprise, when she saw her daughter flying down towards her. She still found the strength to smile and said:
"Flurry... Thank the stars, you're alright."
The young alicorn suddenly stopped a little distance away from her, frowning. Her mother was supposed to be corrupted, yet she just looked exhausted. No evil grin, no green eyes or clouds near them, nothing.
"What happened?" Flurry asked, still cautious but feeling her heart growing uneasy at that sight. "Was that explosion from you?"
"I found an ancient chamber Sombra had put there," Cadance explained, finally getting out of the hole and onto the floor of what was left of the library. "It could have messed with the ritual, but I ended up stuck inside it... I don't know about the explosion, but I guess it cleared the way."
"You... just got out...?" Flurry slowly said, unsure to understand correctly.
"I've been in there the whole night..." her mother confirmed, realizing. "Oh no, did I miss the ceremony?"
"It's about to start..." the young alicorn distractedly replied. "Why did you chain Cozy up?"
"I didn't?" Cadance said, a bit surprised. "In fact, she's the one who warned me about the chamber yesterday. I went to check alone, I thought it wouldn't take much time."
The gears began to fit together in Flurry's head. A horrible realization. Her mother was alright, wasn't she? She wasn't evil, she was normal, Cozy had lied and purposefully trapped Cadance under the castle. The simple fact that she wasn't here, even though she had departed before Flurry, was the ultimate proof of her guilt.
"We... might have a problem..." the young princess said in fear, before suddenly following. "Cozy is up to something! The ceremony is about to start!"
"You think this was a trap...?" Cadance said, frowning.
"I don't know, but she should have been here before me, yet she isn't! Take your necklace, dad is waiting outside, let's go."
The princess of love took the pendant but still argued:
"We can't have her running around, if she's going to do something, we need to stop her beforehand. Can you go look for her?"
Flurry nodded, readying her magic into a shield around herself, before she took off away in the castle, searching.
As she was dashing through the hallways, casting short-range scan spells after scan spells, her thoughts became uncertain again. Was this really a plan from Cozy? Was she still a villain, after all the years, despite... despite her friendship? But why chain herself in the stadium? What did she have to gain by doing all of this? Hadn't she planned about Cadance escaping?
While the doubts were settling in the alicorn's mind, she heard something. Something that she had missed this morning.
She turned towards the noise, arriving in Cozy's bedroom. The place was empty, outside of a little bed and a little nightstand on which an alarm-clock was ringing. Her alarm-clock. The one that had been replaced by a box of matches this morning. It was ringing, jumping because of the vibration, hitting the metallic collar laid around it. Cozy's collar, the one with the blue gem inside, preventing her from flying. She had found a way to get rid of it.
But that wasn't right, wasn't it? Flurry had removed it earlier on herself, Cozy couldn't possibly have brought it there. And why would she do that?
To taunt her?
Either way, all of this confirmed that, whatever was going on, it was planned. She had been lured here, which meant...
"Flurry!"
The princess immediately turned around, horn glowing brighter than ever, as she saw Cozy approaching, worries on her face, beginning:
"It's horrible! It's not just-"
"STAY BACK!" Flurry shouted, rage bleeding from her heart.
Cozy recoiled and stopped in mid-air, hurt showing on her face.
"Oh no, not you as well..." she whispered with tiredness.
"You won't get me with your tricks this time!" Flurry warned, ready to blast her away. "I told you I wasn't that naive! I talked to my mom, she was trapped in an ancient chamber by you! "
"Of course she would lie to you!" Cozy shouted, begging for her to understand. "She's been corrupted by one of Sombra's lieutenants! I heard him plot against your family, he said your father was next!"
"Why are your chains here!?"
The young alicorn stomped her hoof, and Cozy seemed lost by that question, even if her eyes went onto the collar and the alarm clock.
"Why is it in your bedroom!? How did you find me here!?"
"I've heard the ring..." Cozy slowly said, the hurt only growing more visible on her face. "Flurry, I've been imprisoned all night, when would I have time for that...? Those aren't my chains, maybe they were put there to make you doubt me, I don't know."
"Or maybe you're just messing with me...!" Flurry let out through gritted teeth.
She saw it in her eyes, the pain of her friend increasing, unlike anything she had ever seen. The hurt Cozy was feeling, faced with the only pony she had ever called a friend now accusing her of being a traitor. Flurry's heart skipped a beat when the pegasus' jaw shook from sorrow, for a second she even thought Cozy was about to cry, but instead she seemed to channel that into anger, clenching her teeth and looking away.
"Whatever... If that's all it takes for you to think that, I don't know why I'm even trying to convince you..."
Cozy turned around, shaking, spitting out:
"I thought you trusted me more than your father... But turns out everyone here doesn't think I'm any better than eight years ago..."
She began to fly away, adding with a quivering voice:
"Screw that empire... and your whole family... You all should have left me in stone."
Flurry stayed there, unable to move, unable to think about anything other than the fact that her friend, her best friend, was leaving. She saw Cozy disappear at a turn in the hallway, leaving the young princess in utter silence.
What was the truth? Was this still an act? Or had she just broken the trust of her friend with those accusations?
The necklace she was wearing began to glow. Flurry snapped out of her doubts. The ceremony was about to start, she had to be there, she had to do something or the empire would be plunged into another millennia of darkness.
Arriving outside, in front of the Heart and the hundreds of ponies gathered here, she saw both her parents turn to her, a welcoming smile on their face. Once more, Flurry's emotional balance was thrown off, when realizing that her parents were, at least in appearance, alright.
"Finally, you're here," Cadance said.
"Did you catch Cozy?" Shining inquired.
They weren't evil. They weren't doing harmful things. Their eyes were perfectly normal.
Was this the act?
Who could she trust?
"N-No, I... didn't find her."
Her father looked disappointed by this information, but her mother waved it off with one hoof.
"It's fine, she won't be able to do anything against us anyway. Come, Flurry, take your position."
Flurry slowly nodded, walking up to the Crystal Heart. She looked at it, then at the crowd behind. All those ponies, waiting for the ritual that would allow their city to live for another hundred years.
The young princess took in a deep breath. She spread her wings and laid a hoof on her necklace. The gem in it began to glow, pulsating regularly, and she heard the sound of her mother and father turning on their horns.
"Now, remember," Cadance kindly said, the soft embrace of her magic engulfing Flurry. "Open your mind, focus on yourself and your subjects."
And her friend. Her mind could only focus on her friend, she had nothing else she could even think about. What was she doing? Was she really a traitor? Waiting in the shadow, to act?
Had all those years being... lies?
The Heart shivered, all the inhabitants held their breath. The lack of preparation, the hurry, was throwing the princess off. She had to focus, to try and calm her heart, her doubts, just so she could listen. Her own thoughts were so much, the stress of having to link herself to the Heart so overwhelming, that she didn't sense the slight change in magic around her.
Flurry felt it, the connection to this ancient artifact, its expectations, the memories of generations, the weight of an entire culture, and a choice. Purity or corruption, love or selfishness, peace or ambition, it gave those to Flurry. The young princess' heart in turmoil sensed it, the possibilities, the responsibilities, the promises. And, among them, she heard the distant voice of her mother:
"Now take it all for yourself."
Flurry's train of thought stopped. She opened eyes filled with uncertainty and turned them to the pink alicorn, stuttering:
"W-What?"
"Take it all for yourself," Cadance commanded, her voice dangerously calm. "All of that power, take it. Become the strongest alicorn there ever was."
Fear took over, as Flurry looked at her father in a hope to see him react, but he didn't. He stayed that way, stoic, empty of any remarks. What was happening?
"Come on, Flurry!" Cadance growled. "Take it! Absorb the power, let it corrupt your mind, and throw this empire back into the oblivion it came from!"
Oh gosh, it was real, wasn't it? What Cozy had said, about her mother being corrupted, the lieutenant of Sombra targeting her father, it was all true!
"No!" Flurry shouted.
She made the choice. The Heart pulsed, irradiating the whole city with its blue light, the necklaces around the royal couple's necks shining red, preventing them from being rejected by the artifact. Cadance clenched her teeth, as her daughter turned to face her, while the crowd and the guards were lost in confusion as to what was happening.
"You dare disobey me!?" Cadance shouted, the white of her eyes becoming green.
"You're not yourself!" Flurry replied, horn ready to raise a shield.
"And I thought you-"
"Now, now, no need for harsh words..." a sly and calm voice suddenly interrupted.
A silhouette emerged from the castle's doors, enveloped in shadows and seemingly hovering in the air in a coat of dark clouds. Face hidden beneath a hood, its cruel smile was still visible to Flurry.
Guards immediately stood in its way, but it brushed them off with a single spell, sending them flying.
The ominous pony went forward until it stood between Cadance and Shining, who were both staying in place, like paws awaiting orders.
"Free my parents!" Flurry commanded, stomping her hoof aggressively.
"I think you shall rather join them," the shadowy figure said, raising a hoof covered in darkness.
Flurry took a cautious step back, only to be caught off guard. Not by her pendant suddenly glowing a bright red, but by the pegasus swooping down from the sky, snatching the necklace and throwing it away before it could corrupt her.
The princess stood there, shocked, staring at her friend with disbelief, while Cozy Glow turned to her, a bitter look on her face.
"Do you believe me now!?"
Flurry only quickly nodded, finding but a slight comfort at the idea that her friend had come back, despite their previous argument. But they both turned again, facing the shadowy figure and the royal couple by its sides.
"You have any plans against them...?" Cozy asked through gritted teeth, leaning forward, wings deployed.
Flurry tried to think as fast as she could, looking for a solution.
"If he uses the same magic as Sombra, then the Heart's magic should be useful," she said.
"How naive," the clouded shape mocked. "What could you do against a whole empire?"
Cozy suddenly turned around and shouted at the still confused crowd:
"Run! All of you!"
Up until now, some had believed it to be a play, while others had just forgotten about their own existence, seized by the suddenness of all this. But this brought them back to their senses. A shiver ran through the gathering, before the crystal ponies began to scatter away, yelling, panicking.
"Evacuate the city!" the pegasus added to the guards. "Warn Princess Twilight!"
The stallions in armor nodded and quickly dispatched. Cozy faced the shadowy pony again, only to see a bright orange beam of light heading her way. She recoiled in fear, but it was too late. As she winced in advance, a shield was suddenly raised, deviating the shot and sending it to crash on a nearby house.
"Don't you LAY a hoof on her!" Flurry shouted with rage.
"Well, this will be interesting..." the hooded menace sadistically said. "You'll have to protect your friend, while fighting your parents..."
"She's not the one protecting me, I'm the one protecting her!" Cozy arrogantly replied, stomping her hoof.
"We'll see," the figure let out with a deep cackle.
Immediately, both Shining Armor's and Cadance's horns activated. The possessed princess of love began to rain down a barrage of magical beams at the young pair, while the prince threw himself forward, galloping in-between the spell of his wife.
Flurry's barrier held strong, even when it collided with her father's own raised wall of magic shaped like a shield. Cozy moved swiftly, going around the protection in a wing flap, sneaking her way up to Shining Armor, almost getting in reach of the pendant around his neck.
But she was suddenly struck by another beam cast by Cadance, throwing her through both shields. Yet, as she got back up, unharmed, she felt a weird sensation coursing through her and noticed. Her coat was glowing.
One quick glance at Flurry, and the young alicorn gave her the answer:
"Heart's magic. A personal protection for the ones that I hold dear."
Flurry's eyes stayed focused on her father, her horn pulsating stronger than before, trying to repel him. She was angry beyond reason, but also terribly hurt by the fact she had to fight him. Even if it was for everypony's good.
"If I see a chance to remove the necklaces, I'll take it," Cozy said, taking off quickly.
"Careful, the magic can only do so much against them," Flurry warned through gritted teeth.
The pegasus began to describe large circles around the scene, far enough to dodge the projectiles Cadance cast her way almost immediately, while Flurry looked for a solution to deal with them, without hurting her parents too much.
Shining Armor suddenly raised his front hooves, to the young alicorn's confusion, before slamming them down on the ground. A huge chunk of soil was lifted up and turned over, with Flurry on it, throwing her balance off. She had to deploy her wings, dashing up a few meters, until she met face to face with her mother. A cyan explosion blinded her, and Flurry was thrown down at the foot of the Crystal Heart.
As the dust settled and she winced from pain, she stood up, immediately getting her shield back up, just in time to block the large ray of blue light that was targeting her.
"Let's put an end to this farce..." the shadowy figure said with a displeased tone.
Flurry repelled her father away, then bounced Cadance's attack right back at her, only to hear a sudden:
"Watch out!"
An orange beam of light was heading straight for her. Flurry saw it, but it was too late, her shield was weak, her magic focused on returning her mother's attack, and, emotionally exhausted, her nerves froze. She couldn't move. The ray was coming at her fast, probably baring an unfathomable curse.
Cozy's shoulder collided with hers, suddenly throwing Flurry to the side. An impact sound was heard, followed by a cry of pain. Flurry caught sight of, as her head was frantically turning, the body of her friend being thrown on the ground and rolling for a few meters, before finally stopping, like a rag doll.
"Cozy!" the young princess shouted, hurrying by her friend's side.
She leaned over her, preciously taking the pegasus' upper body into her hooves, her heart racing.
Cozy Glow painfully opened her eyes, her gaze wandering and weak, her breathing hurt.
"Flurry..." she managed to say with great difficulty.
"I'm here," the young alicorn said in a reassuring tone, holding her with care, ignoring the rest of the world outside of her shield. "You're safe."
Their eyes met one another, Flurry angry at herself for not listening to her friend sooner, for doubting her. And now, putting her in harm's reach. Cozy moved slightly, extending her legs towards her alicorn friend.
Click
It took Flurry a second to understand what that noise was. The pressure around her neck wasn't the most surprising part, nor the fact her magic suddenly vanished, but that Cozy's face became more aware, the weakness fading, only to leave a mischievous grin on display.
"I told you it was too easy with you..." the pegasus whispered.
Flurry's heart sank at the unbearable realization, while Cozy slowly stood back up without any need for help, stretching her wings as if she was just out of a pleasant nap. The young alicorn touched her own neck, her hooves landing on the cold metal of a collar. The same collar she had removed from the pegasus' neck mere minutes before.
"C-Cozy...?" the princess tried, scared, begging for all of it to be a joke.
To which her friend replied with a smile:
"I was surprised when you removed it from my neck. I had to do a little detour to get it back while you were meeting with your mother."
Flurry's heart filled with despair. Her parents and the shadowy figure had stopped moving, confirming that Cozy was, in fact, the one in control. The dark pony removed his hood, revealing the empty face of Sunburst underneath. He too was wearing a necklace.
The young princess was at a loss for words, her jaw was shaking, her mind so cluttered with feelings that her hind legs abandoned her. She couldn't even use her magic, the red gem in the collar was preventing her from doing so on her own.
A hoof carefully lifted her chin, and she once more made eye contact with the mare behind all of this. Cozy Glow looked calm, smiling with a tenderness filled with a passionate sadism.
"Aside from that, you followed the script to a tee," she said in a low intimate voice, relishing every word. "I didn't even have to use any of my backup plans."
As the reality of this betrayal was sinking deeper and deeper into Flurry's heart, as tears were coming to her eyes, she asked the fated question:
"W-Why?"
"Because I'm a villain," Cozy simply answered, giggling, as if it was obvious. "That's what I do, Flurry."
"No you're not..." the alicorn whispered, more to convince herself than anything. "You've changed."
"Did I?" the pegasus said, arching an amused eyebrow, yet her tone turned slightly angrier. "Then why did you all make me wear chains for eight whole years?"
Among the hurt, Flurry felt a needle of guilt piercing through her. Yet, the pegasus continued, her tonne becoming angrier by the words:
"Always watching over me, always having two guards by my bedroom, even in the shower I couldn't be alone. Wary of my words, flinching at each of my gestures that were a bit too sudden for your taste. How many times did I suggest things, and you all tossed it aside because it was coming from that mare? How much did ponies despise the fact that I, an irredeemable monster, was friends with you, the perfect little princess? They all thought I would corrupt you in some sick and twisted way! They all hated me even more!"
Flurry's wings fell down and she was barely able to hold herself on her front legs. She was shaking so much, from all the harsh fury she had felt in every sentence from her friend. Yet, she couldn't deny anything. The side eyes, the whispered comments behind their backs, or sometimes outright in front of them. She had seen them, heard them, over the years. She knew why Cozy was still wearing chains. And the pegasus said it for her, bitter but finding back a bit of her slyness:
"None of you believed it truly. You've seen how your father reacted to me saying I would watch over the Heart. Your mother refused to explore the chamber with me, instead going on her own. And you, you doubted each of my words and warnings."
Cozy straightened back up, a mocking chuckle escaping her mouth.
"Turns out you were right. I'm an evil lovely little pest. Chain me up and, one day, you'll be the one wearing the metal."
"I'm sorry..." Flurry quivered.
"Don't be. Because I'll make you all pay either way," Cozy casually replied, before she turned around. "Cadance, destroy the castle."
The princess of love, corrupted and controlled, nodded, immediately taking off and beginning to rain down spells on the ancient structure. As the pieces began to fly and splatter all over the city, to Flurry's dismay, witnessing the aisle with her own bedroom being blown away, Cozy laughed. Not the kind, gentle giggle she would sometimes have when discussing with Flurry, but a large, loud one, finally unleashing after years of restrain.
"Oh it feels so good to fool everypony once again!" she let out maniacally, before turning around to face her friend again, her tone turning sweet. "And you... you were just the icing on the cake."
She walked up to the broken princess, teasingly following:
"Do you realize that, when you met her, your mother was fine? She only fell into my trap when you gave her the necklace. If you had listened to my warning, maybe her and your father wouldn't have been affected."
Flurry could only curl up onto herself, terrified and on the verge of tears, the cruelty of the one she called her friend now on full display.
"Well, Sunburst was already gone," Cozy suddenly added with a bit of an annoyed and despising pout. "He's the one who freed your mother from the chamber, even if she didn't realize it. He was so easily persuaded to try the necklace, it's not even funny. Oh hey, Shining Armor said you should try it beforehand, to make sure it works and that idiot simply said 'Oh, okay'. Tss!"
After her petty rant, the pegasus focused back on the princess, tilting her head slightly, intrigued.
"I thought you would talk more," she noted. "Is the collar choking you? It shouldn't, at least not too much, since it's based on my own. That's how it went for me, but maybe I didn't pay attention to it anymore. You know, after almost a decade. Honestly, when I got Sunburst to remove it, I almost felt exposed."
Flurry opened her mouth slightly, but she had no idea what words were going to come out. Yet, among the "why", the "how", the uncountable questions that were jostling each other in her troubled mind, one escaped her lips on its own.
"Do you hate me...?"
She needed to know. About those years, about all those times shared, the awkward moments, the laughs. Were all of this fake? Had she despised her this whole time?
Those simple four words stunned Cozy. She had to blink twice, surprised and shocked, before she replied, baffled, her eyes becoming even more terrifying:
"Oh no, no, no. You got it all wrong... I don't hate you."
She stepped back, hovering off the ground slightly, extending her arms while the castle was crumbling behind her.
"Do you think I would have set all of this up if I did? The play, the twists and turns, the pleading dialogues, the guilt-tripping, all the little hints I gave you today or yesterday. Do you really think I'd do that for someone that I hate? I even made your collar special so you're still conscious of your actions. The others just turn ponies into mindless slaves."
She flew back towards her, the voice dropping again to a more intimate one.
"No... No I don't hate you, Flurry. And you see..."
Cozy reached again for her chin, lifting it so she could admire her tearful eyes once more.
"... that's the problem. You made me care, Flurry. I became attached to my little princess of pouts, and for a villain, that's a no-go. I can't like a good mare like you, that won't do for my world domination. That's why I cheated a bit."
Her face eased up into a smile.
"You'll be able to stay by my side now. You'll even help me. I'll tell everyone you've been corrupted as well, all the inhabitants will confirm that. I was by your side, I told everyone to run away, I was on the good-guys side, and your parents had clearly turned evil. Otherwise, Twilight would be too suspicious of me when I explain the whole thing. Oh, speaking of..."
Cozy let go of Flurry's chin, fluttering back, rubbing her own chin with a devious smile, while the young alicorn had trouble breathing, realizing what kind of monster she was with. And had always been with. Yet, this wasn't the end of this nightmare, far from it.
"Do you think Twilight will be able to fight her sister-in-law, her brother AND her niece at the same time?" Cozy wondered.
Their eyes met again, Flurry straightening up in a horrified shiver, silently pleading. The pegasus' smile only became more sly, as she added:
"Don't worry, you won't be able to talk to her, that would ruin everything. But you'll still be conscious during the fight. I'll make sure you watch everything, that you see yourself giving the last blow to put her down. Won't that be fun?"
"Please don't..." Flurry begged with a quivering voice. "Cozy... Don't hurt anyone... Don't make me..."
"You're right, maybe I should corrupt her as well. But I'm running out of necklaces, that chamber only had a few."
"Stop..." Flurry said, her tears flowing on her cheek, pained beyond reason. "Stop it..."
Cozy raised an interested eyebrow. Deep down, the young princess knew this was pointless, that begging was all Cozy wanted from her. Yet, she heard a reply she wasn't expecting.
"You want it to stop? Well, maybe there's a way..."
Flurry sniffed loudly, frowning, wary but confused. Was this the moment where she would reveal it was all a joke? Was it the end of that horrible prank?
"Burn yourself," Cozy simply said, her tone cold despite the light smile on her face.
The young princess froze, those two words echoing in her head like a last violent slap.
"W-What...?" she stuttered, barely able to articulate.
"Burn. Yourself."
Cozy suddenly tossed a little box at her feet. A blue box of matches, with a flame on it and the words Did I change? written. If Flurry hadn't been broken already, this would have been it. There were only so many pieces her soul could be collapsed into.
"Go ahead," Cozy invited with an innocent smile. "Here, I'll even help you."
As she said that, Shining spilled a barrel of oil right at her feet, leaving the princess even more confused, lost and scared.
"It's either that, or all that I've said will happen," Cozy hammered coldly, seeing her hesitating. "I'll have you kill your aunt, I'll make you murder innocents, you'll be remembered as the bloodiest princess of Equestria. Oooor... you end it now. With your whole family."
Flurry looked at the pegasus, then down at the little box, bathing in the oil. She could feel the liquid already soaking her coat, and her heart beating loudly in every inch of her body. Cadance and Shining even came to sit down by her side.
Was this her choice?
Was this... Was this her fate? She looked up again at Cozy Glow, who was waiting with interest in her eyes.
Flurry looked down at the little box. She didn't really take it by herself, rather she saw her shaking leg acting on its own. But it wasn't the collar's fault, it was her mind disconnecting itself from the horrors, finally snapping, jumping at the chance to escape.
She opened the box. There it was, the little piece of wood with its red end. She reached for it with her feathers, spasms running through her body, feeling sick. And Cozy wasn't missing any bit of it.
Flurry stood there for an eternity, staring at the match, at her parents, at the kingdom that would surely be destroyed soon. That she would help destroy. Or she could... She could...
The first crack was hesitant, it failed to light the match. Which only caused more pain in the young alicorn's soul. She moaned, as a second rub didn't ignite it either. Her wing could barely be held in place, any second now she could accidentally snap the little wooden piece.
She tried again. Then again. And again. After a few attempts, she heard a chuckle and that made her stop. Cozy was biting her lips, trying to contain herself.
"It's just so sweet to mess around with you..." she said with the apologetic tone of a child who had just done a little harmless prank. "You're adorable when you're fooled..."
A spasm shook Flurry's eye, but she didn't speak. She simply let the fake match fall into the oil, her body and mind growing numb, while Cozy rose into the air, the royal couple standing up.
"Come on, you think I'd let my best and only friend burn herself? I'll give it to you, at first, even I couldn't decide whether you should live or die. But no, I'm going to keep you by my side, alive and well. Forever."
The pegasus began to laugh. And laugh, again and again, as Shining Armor shattered the Crystal Heart, as Cadance began to blast the city apart, she exulted like a crazy mare, almost losing her breath in the process. And all the while, a small alicorn had abandoned all hope, all trust, all feeling.
She had changed. For the worst.
Author's Note
Thank you Kat for your inputs as well.