“According to Celestia, all six of them disappeared, but there’s no sign of disintegration in the crater,” Captain Tempest Shadow explained to Princess Twilight. “The teachers are nowhere to be found. She believes it’s possible the Elements transported them to safety, but we don’t know where yet.”
Twilight closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She rubbed her forehead with her hoof and waited a few seconds before responding.
“Is the evacuation still working out as planned?” she asked.
“The news is being broadcasted to all of Equestria as we speak. Only problem is, the Sorceress appears to be jumping all over the entire countryside in a rather erratic fashion. Almost a thousand citizens have been confirmed kidnapped since these incidents started, while some are just missing in action. We’re looking at possibly two thousand citizens already gone and thousands more to come throughout the rest of the day. The good thing is, she doesn’t appear to have the ability to sense where parents are, so we’ve told parents to hide out in undisclosed locations. The rest of the parents we were able to locate in Canterlot have been moved into the crystal caves. Other cities have moved their parents to bunkers.”
“And Discord?”
“Still nowhere to be found since the Crystal Empire. Luna said he’s too overwrought after learning the Sorceress is Cozy Glow.”
Twilight walked slowly over to one of the stained glass windows in her throne room. She stared out the window.
“Your highness, is there anything else you need to know?” asked Tempest.
“Just continue with the evacuation plan,” she said, turning around. “Let me know when there are any other developments. If Discord doesn’t show up in the next half hour, I will call in Scorpan and Tirek with the Staff of Sacanas and the Absorption Stone. I’ve already got Starswirl and the rest of the Pillars on standby. That will be all for now, Captain.”
Tempest and the guards behind her all bowed and exited the throne room. Twilight turned back and looked out the window. She put her hoof against the glass and watched as several guards walked through the streets shouting orders for ponies to stay inside and direct any remaining parents to the crystal caves. The sky had darkened with thick black clouds. There was thunder but no rain. Those clouds had most likely come form the Sorceress herself.
She closed her eyes and concentrated her magic. Through the power of the Elements, she was able to sense Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She reached out harder and was able to see them inside the Sorceress’s prison realm. It was a dark and dreary environment with terrain that resembled a volcanic region or a black mountain. There were storm clouds in the sky and black smoke everywhere. Lightning and thunder was present and the sound of the Sorceress’s laugh could be heard at times. Applejack and Tex were in a cage together with Rainbow Dash and Thunderhead next to them. Not far away were Shining Armor and Cadance and tons of other husbands with their wives. Most of them were weeping and holding each other while others were trying to break free of the cage bars. In the center was a smaller cage with Cozy Glow inside. She appeared just like she did the night of her defeat with the Alicorn Amulet, only dirtier. She sat still with tears constantly streaming.
“Applejack, we’ll find a way out of here. I promise,” said Tex to Applejack.
“I just hope Chip and Annie are okay in the meantime,” she replied. “I’m more worried about them right now.
“Cozy, can you fight it?” asked Cadance. “Please try, dear. It can’t be that powerful.”
“I have tried,” Cozy replied, weakly. “I can’t do it. She’s too powerful and it’s all my fault.”
“Cozy…look, we forgive you. I mean that,” Rainbow Dash said, walking over to the edge of her cage. “Is there anything we can do to help you see that?”
“You might forgive me, but what will your kids say? I’ve taken their parents from them. Who could forgive me for the things I’ve done.”
“Cozy, it’s not you. It’s the Sorceress,” Shining Armor reminded the little filly.
“And don’t worry about our kids. They’ll forgive you too,” Thunderhead added. “We’ve all taught our kids the importance of forgiveness.”
“The first time I met your son, I left a terrible impression on him,” Cozy told Thunder as she turned around. “I’m sorry, everypony, but it doesn’t matter what you think. I allowed the Sorceress to fester in me, and now it’s too late. I just wanted two loving parents, or at least one of them. If I can never have any, then I guess the Sorceress will keep doing this.”
“Cozy…” Twilight said.
The others ears perked up and they looked in Twilight’s direction. In their vision, they saw a blurry image of their friend. Twilight concentrated her magic harder and was nearly in the realm.
“Twilight?” said Applejack.
“Twily!” shouted Shining Armor.
All the parents turned their heads to see their fair princess starting to materialize before them. They began to smile. Cozy was the only one who didn’t turn around.
“Cozy, it’s me: Twilight!” Twilight called to her.
“Don’t bother, Princess,” Cozy told her. “I’ve given you enough trouble.”
“No, Cozy, I forgive you as well. I will find a way to free you, and when the Sorceress is gone, you-”
Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke appeared before Twilight and the Sorceress appeared, knocking her back.
“Who dares enter my realm?!” The Sorceress bellowed.
“It’s me,” Twilight said, struggling to stand up.
“Princess Twilight? How did you get in here?!”
“You underestimate the magical connection I have with my friends, Sorceress,”
“You cannot take anyone out of this realm! Even Discord is not powerful enough! BE GONE WITH YOU!!”
The Sorceress blasted Twilight with a magic spell meant to transport items, and in a moment, she was back in her throne room, lying on the ground. She yelped and then panted. She wondered if it was a dream she just saw, but she still felt the painful twinge on her body from the Sorceress’s spell. She couldn’t take it any longer and broke down.
“Cozy Glow…I’m sorry,” she wept. “I should have handled this better. If you can hear me now…I can’t find them. I can’t find your parents. Please, let go of the hatred. I’ll find you someone that can love you. If I have to, I’ll take care of you.”
She then heard the sound of hoofsteps getting closer to the throne room. The doors swung open and the same guards reentered.
“PRINCESS!” shouted Tempest. “Princess, we have urgent news!”
“Tempest, what is it?”
“There’s a pony that has important news about the Sorceress!”
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Melody Heartsong. Believe me, you need to meet with her now.”
“All right. Bring her in.”
Gallus remained motionless on the ground. His eyelids began to slowly open as he heard his friends groaning around him. They were lying down in front of the Treehouse of Harmony in the Everfree Palace ruins.
“Awaken, my children,” said a familiar voice.
“Ugh…Twilight?” Gallus said as his vision became clear.
He noticed Twilight before him. She was not wearing her regalia and sparkled like diamonds. It then dawned on him who this really was: not Twilight Sparkle, but the Spirit of Harmony taking on this form as She often would when speaking to them.
“The Spirit of Harmony?” said Sandbar as he stood up and rubbed his eyes with one hoof.
“Spirit, what happen? Elements didn’t work on Sorceress!” Yona said.
“Are we really the new Elements of Harmony, or is there something wrong with these things?” asked Smolder, angrily. “We can’t do this if we don’t-”
The Spirit put Her hoof in the air and Smolder stopped talking.
“You did not heed my instructions,” She said. “I used the map to direct you to Canterlot.”
“But the Sorceress wasn’t in Canterlot,” Silverstream replied.
“You are not to go head-to-head with the Sorceress. The Elements do have the power to exorcise her as they did Nightmare Moon, but it is not that simple.”
“But she’s taken so many parents already, Spirit,” Ocellus told Her. “How can the Elements not be the answer in such a dire time?”
“I did not give you the power to wield the Elements for every disaster that comes your way. Sometimes there are better ways to win a battle. Look at how Scorpan managed to humble his brother after the Elements refused to work on him. Much like Tirek, Cozy Glow must also be humbled. She is sad and alone because of her abandonment, but she can find happiness again. She must.”
“How?” asked Gallus.
“Go to Canterlot. Her mother is waiting there for her.”
“Her mother? What about her father?” Silverstream asked.
“Go now. Flurry Heart will be joining you there shortly.”
“Flurry?” called Gallus.
“Farewell, my children.”
“Wait…SPIRIT!”
They were all engulfed in a blinding light. The light faded slowly and they all found themselves standing on the Cutie Map back in the Crystal Palace. Everyone that was there earlier was staring at them.
“Guys? What happened?” Spike asked.
“Did you stop the Sorceress?” Buttercream joined in.
“Also, where is Princess Luna?” asked Sunburst.
The teachers all stood in shock until Sandbar finally spoke up.
“Luna and Celestia didn’t just get blasted like we did so they’re not here. I thought we were goners at first, but we…we just had a visit from the Spirit of Harmony.”
“We have to get to Canterlot. The Spirit said Cozy’s mother is there!” Ocellus added.
“Her mother? So we do know where one of her parents are!” said Pound.
“Well we don’t know who she is yet, but we’re about to,” Silverstream answered.
“So…you didn’t stop the Sorceress?” Trixie asked.
“The Spirit said the Elements aren’t supposed to be used on Cozy. Whoever her mother is…well, I’m guessing that’s her cutie mark,” Gallus said, pointing to the map.
All the teachers hopped down from the map table and looked to see the orb over Canterlot had turned into a cutie mark of several musical notes.
“That’s her mother’s cutie mark? Anyone recognize?” asked Yona.
“Uh…well it’s not somepony we know,” said Ocellus.
“Whoever it is, we’re going to have to fly on quickly over to Canterlot,” said Gallus.
“Wait a second…” said Pumpkin, studying the cutie mark carefully. “I’ve seen that cutie mark before! It…it can’t be…”
Back in the Crystal Empire, Flurry sat at a large table with several royal advisors present. Starswirl the Bearded and Mistmane were among them, being trusted confidants of Shining Armor and Cadance. Aventurine addressed them all, reporting on the events of that day.
“As of right now, Gallus, Silverstream, Smolder, Sandbar, Yona and Ocellus are all missing in action. Princess Twilight is considering using the Staff of Sacanas with King Scorpan’s permission to drain the Sorceress’s power.”
“And I’ve just received correspondence from the remaining Pillars of Equestria that they are willing to meet up with us to see if our Element powers can help,” explained Starswirl.
“And Twilight still has some of her friends left over who can combine their Elements. Aside from Discord, it could be the only way to stop the Sorceress,” Mistmane added.
At the other end, Flurry lay her head down on the table.
“This has not been a good day,” she sighed. “First Discord and now the Elements. There’s got to be a way to stop her.”
“Everyone, we have an update!” said one of the servants as he pointed to a large rectangular crystal in the room that acted as a television monitor, reporting on the news.
“We are coming to you live from San Horsé right now! That does appear to be the Sorceress walking by. She entered this building earlier and…hold on, let me hide real quick…”
The reporter mare ran off screen and the feed showed a dark figure walking out of a building with a cloud of smoke fading out around her. She was humming a rather foreboding tune. Flurry thought this tune sounded like a song she had heard before, but it was not coming to her at the moment. The crewmembers scattered as the Sorceress stood in front of the camera and moved it to center on her face.
“Hello, Equestria,” she said. “This is the song my mother would sing me when I was a baby. I don’t even remember the lyrics, but I can barely remember the tune. If you’re missing your parents, this will be the only form of comfort you will get from the Sorceress. I’m sure you all know, but my parents abandoned me when I was too young to know them. Maybe all you poor children should be thankful you knew yours. I’ll never properly remember the warm touch of a mother or father. I never got to celebrate my own birthday since I didn’t know it. Cozy Glow may not even be my given name. That little brat made it up herself as a coping mechanism!”
As she spoke, the blue marks on her cheeks began to flow again like tears and float around her face. She got angrier as she continued.
“I’ve read the newspapers! I’ve seen what you politicians and celebrities have said about that child in stone: how she deserves to stay like that and is no different from the centaur or the changeling next to her! Well now poor little Cozy Glow’s actions have caught up to her! You’ll never accept me for anything other than a villain, so that’s what I’ll be for all eternity! Every child in Equestria will now grow up an orphan and will become criminals just like Cozy Glow did!”
“Turn it off!” shouted Aventurine as he noticed the look on Flurry’s face.
“NO PARENT IS SAFE, EQUESTRIA! YOU CREATED THIS MONSTER, NOW REVEL IN IT!”
The screaming coming from the Sorceress horrified Flurry. She jumped out of her chair and ran away as the Sorceress shot the camera with a magic blast and the live feed was cut. The screen showed black and white static dots and then colorful bars with a beeping tone. The servant then shut the crystal monitor off, seeing what effect it was having on Flurry.
“PRINCESS!” shouted Aventurine as he rushed to her before being stopped by Starswirl.
“No, Aventurine. Let her go. Flurry has dealt with enough stress for today.”
“Starswirl, what will we do? Without a king or queen, the burden of leadership falls squarely on her. I don’t want to force her into this position, but we have no choice.”
“We should probably elect a temporary regent until this is all sorted out,” one of the other advisors recommended.
“We would need the princesses’ permission to do that,” said Mistmane.
“Then we will get it.”
“We will not need a regent!” Starswirl said, raising his voice a bit. “Look, this has been a rough day for all of us, especially Flurry. She was supposed to stay in Ponyville for the whole summer with her friends, and now she’s suddenly found herself having to lead an entire empire without her parents to guide her. We will find a way to deal with this. Mistmane and I will go with the other Pillars and see if we can use the Elements that reside within us. Even without Applejack and Rainbow Dash, Twilight still has several of her other friends available.”
“Starswirl, with all due respect, Celestia’s letter said the Element pendants were refusing to work on the Sorceress earlier.”
Starswirl paused to think. He closed his eyes and continued.
“I understand, but every adversary that has stood up to us has been defeated somehow; whether by the power of the Elements or not. This too shall pass.”
The doors to the royal bedroom swung open and Flurry rushed in. She landed on her parents’ bed and buried her face in the blanket, sobbing. She could not be in her father’s office with the advisors any more. Today’s events had taken a toll on her, and the video of the Sorceress made it worse. She felt like a failure for not being there for Cozy and allowing this to happen.
“I shouldn’t have let her run off into the forest,” she said. “Why did I let this happen? Cozy, I’m sorry.”
Flurry wept for a few more minutes until she finally calmed herself down. She lifted her head and saw a CD case on the end table next to Cadance’s side of the bed. It was the same Melody Heartsong CD that she and Pumpkin got from Rara. She used her magic to bring it over to her. She remembered how Melody’s music calmed her down and helped her to reflect. Perhaps such music was what she needed at the moment. Flurry opened the case, put the CD in a nearby entertainment system on Cadance’s desk and played the album starting with the song Always Love You.
I love you, sweet child
My baby, my darling
As long as you’re with me
We’ll both see it through
I love you, sweet child
Please never forget me
No matter what happens
I’ll always love you
As the song played, Flurry’s ears perked up and her eyes widened. She pressed the pause button. It had just dawned on her that the song the Sorceress was humming earlier had a tune that was very identical to the one in Always Love You. Flurry looked down at the case and took the lyrical booklet out. She opened the first page and saw a message beneath the lyrics that she did not notice the first time she looked at her own copy.
This song was written years ago when I was raising my baby daughter Half Note. I would sing it to her every night when putting her to sleep. She is no longer with me due to my own foolish actions, but I have decided to put this song in my first album with hopes I can reunite with her one day. Half Note, wherever you are, I’ll always love you no matter what.
Your Mother,
Melody Heartsong
Flurry dropped the case on the bed. She was in complete shock. She then picked the album back up and took a closer look at Melody on the front cover. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door that made her jump and catch the case in her hoof.
“Flurry?” asked a muffled voice.
“Er…um…come in!”
The door creaked open and Starswirl slowly stuck his head in.
“Flurry, are you alright?”
Flurry still had the case in her hoof. Everything she just realized was still going through her head, rendering her speechless. She looked back to Starswirl and jumped down from the bed.
“Starswirl, I know this sounds crazy, but… both you and I know my teleportation spells aren’t as effective as yours so you…you’ve got to teleport me to Canterlot right away!”
“To Canterlot?”
“I need to find Twilight! I have to tell her something very important! I know who Cozy’s-”
Starswirl used his magic to take the case out of her hoof. He took one look at the front of the album and then read the message on the first page. His eyes widened and he and Flurry shared glances. He had also figured it out.
“Starswirl, I have to let Twilight know. We need to find Melody.”
Starswirl smiled and put his hoof under Flurry’s chin.
“Princess, in all the years I’ve known you, I have never known a filly as gifted. You have such a bright mind. You would make a fine leader, but even I know you are not ready for that right now. I will send you to Canterlot and inform the others. I have no doubt we are already on our way to stopping the Sorceress.”
“Thank you, Starswirl.”
“Hold still.”
Starswirl’s horn glowed and he closed his eyes. He cast the spell and Flurry vanished. He stood for a few seconds, thinking heavily about everything he had just learned. He looked back down at the CD case and turned it around. He noticed one of the songs was titled Come Home, My Child.
“So we’ve finally found her. I just wonder what happened to the father,” he said.
Flurry lurched and felt a faint zap go through her body that she was not used to feeling when teleporting. There was a quick moment of brightness around her, until she found herself in the courtyard before the Canterlot Palace. She looked up and saw the spires before her, indicating that she had been sent to the right location. She looked around and saw some guards nearby. One of them noticed her.
“Princess Flurry Heart?” the guard asked.
“Guards! Where’s my aunt?” Flurry called.
“Princess, what are you doing here?” asked another guard as they all rushed to meet her.
“Please, I need to see Twilight right away! I have urgent news!”
“Flurry?” asked Twilight behind the guards.
Flurry saw Twilight and rushed in to hug her.
“TWILIGHT!”
“Flurry Heart! How did you get here so quickly?”
“I had Starswirl teleport me. Twilight, I need to talk to you! I…this is going to sound really weird, but we need to find a mare named Melody Heartsong.”
“We’ve got her, Flurry,” said Gallus, walking in with the rest of the teachers behind him.
“Gallus, you guys have found her? Where is she?”
They all parted and a pegasus mare stood before Flurry. It was Melody Heartsong just as she appeared on the album.
“Princess Flurry Heart?” asked Melody.
Flurry walked forward and bowed politely. She was nervous not only to meet a pony she admired, but also because of how frantic she was to ask her the burning question on her mind for the past few minutes.
“Melody! Miss Heartsong, I’m so sorry we had to meet like this. I’m a big fan of your music, but I really need to talk to you about something. I saw the Sorceress on the news earlier, and she was humming what sounded like your Always Love You song. I…I think…I mean I don’t want to assume anything, but…Melody-”
“Yes, Princess. It’s true.” Melody said as she nodded her head up and down.
Flurry stopped talking and could already tell Melody had everything figured out too. What came next would change everything.
“I am Cozy Glow’s mother.”
Noooooo! Why post right before I am seeing John Wick 4! Today is going to be super busy
Wow, I did not see that coming.
next chapter pls
When you posted that image of Melody Heartsong, the one about her having written a song for her daughter, a daughter she lost, and said that she would play an important role in this story, a couple of ideas began to form in my mind, but I wondered if the more striking of those ideas could really be the case. The other was that she'd simply be another of the Sorceress's victims, but then, how would she know she was a mother if she was separated from her child?
But now I see that my other hunch was right...
She's Cozy Glow's mother.
Cozy's real name is Half Note.
Mind-blowing, to say the least...
I'll be very intrigued to know what happened to separate them, but there's no longer a doubt in my mind that our pony and creature friends have found the way to stop the Sorceress, free the parents, and put Cozy Glow's troubled mind and heart at ease...
11538806
lol, it’s ok. Save it for later.
11538816
Truly a big reveal just like Vader! XD
11538820
It should be out next weekend.
11538827
You got it! People started to notice once I put Melody in this story and they saw how she had the same hair color and all. And yes, Half Note is Cozy’s real name.
But the better question is can he still kidnap soon to be parents if the mother is pregnant I've always wondered about that
Dang it Discord
That's actually a pretty good idea since that thing is kind of magic sort of maybe this time we can actually get rid of it somehow
Oh man ok kid I can see that you are upset but for once it's not your fault that thing tricked you and I'm sure we'll find another way
But the thing is cozy is somewhere in the realm with the other parents it's just that thing floating around she's not even with that thing at least that's how it works I'm not really sure
Technically that's not true sure I can't say much about how the children will go through in the future and how are they will turn out to me but not every children would not be like that in the future they can still find a way to be in a better future
I know it's not really the same song but it's kind of reminds me of this one
and I thought it's a pretty sweet one
Okay after seeing what the Sorceress' realm and Cozy's Mother. I got a question to ask, is the Sorceress really evil? Before anyone say because of her actions and she is nothing but the negativity created from Cozy's Heart which is true. But what if its how she feels. I mean what if if its a theory, The Sorceress is showing how Cozy feels to everyone of Equestria? I mean Luna turned into Nightmare Moon because she felt like she didn't exist to the ponies in the past and making eternal night was her way of getting all to remember her and see that she exist & Human Twilight Sparkle who became Midnight Sparkle was her hidden negativity that became obsessed with magic and wanted it for her experiments. Maybe that's why Sorceress is doing to all the kids feel by taking their parents, making every last one of them feel her pain and loneliness & The Sorceress is nothing but the image of a child that is sad and angry at she's all alone in the world and wants others to love her? If that's wrong, than what is the Sorceress anyway?
yeah that's how I pretty much felt
Ok wow I was not prepared for that at all but I knew something was up I guess anyway the reports of the teachers have gone to miss it and Twilight trying to find the location of Rainbow Dash and Applejack which it turns out they have found them there's somewhere in the world or some sort but it also turns out that cozy is there as well she even blame herself for everything that was happening but the elders try to really short that nothing could have seen this coming and she was not to blame but then the sorcerer showed up and attacked Twilight breaking the concentration losing them again meanwhile in the realm the teacher were in fact okay but it looks like the tree of Harmony showed up and she saved them the teachers were confused why the elements haven't been working lately especially in these kind of situation but apparently she said something that not everything can be solved with just the power of the Elements of Harmony it has to be resolved the other way which I guess I can agree with that but then told them to head for Canterlot the mother is there and they return to Ponyville and told him about the infinitation if there was a cutie mark on the map but it feels like they knew who's that from at least pumpkin does meanwhile flurry heart is dealing with a lot of stress knowing for the fact that the sorcerer is still out there and it felt like it was her fault that she could have just reached out for cozy more often and out of stress she just listen to the music of Melodies music but during that song she heard that music during that news that the sorcerers was humming and apparently she knows who's cozy glows mother so she went to Twilight to talk with her and it looks like the others were here as well including Melody and apparently seen basically drop the bomb and said that she is cozy glow's mother once again I did not see that coming I hope this will help the situation well I guess we'll find out next time
11538889
She’s not going after pregnant mares. That’s a bit too much for me.
11538910
Not all but some might.
11538916
I can definitely see Melody singing a song like that. That's her style of singing. The Always Love You song has a different tune that my mother actually came up with. When she would read the book "Love You Forever", she would sing the song in a certain tune, but I have yet to compose it in Garage Band.
11538918
THat's exactly what is happening: because Cozy has felt so lonely without parents, it created the Sorceress. I like to think of Nightmare Moon and the Sorceress as Darth Vader type characters. They are essentially demons that are created from those negative feelings and become a physical being with insane power and they focus their power on the one thing that will make them feel better. In Nightmare Moon's case, it is making the night last forever, in the Sorceress's case, it is taking all the parents away from young kids so they can feel Cozy's pain. Cozy is not in control anymore, but the Sorceress can be defeated.
11538920
That's the reaction I expected. XD
Damn, if that isn't a bomb drop I don't know what is.
I saw your image of Melody you posted and I was wonder what role she was going to play. I had a feeling she was important since she appeared in the very first chapter. However, since she said that her child was "no longer with her" and that it was "all her fault", I assumed it meant the usual way that saying is meant, in a more tragic sense of her child died. I certainly wasn't expecting her to be Cozy Glow's true mother!
To quote Ducktales: Wait, WHAT?! Okay, I need to see what happens next!!
11538965
So... in translation; Nightmare Moon, Midnight Sparkle and The Sorceress are like Vanitas.
static.wikia.nocookie.net/kingdomhearts/images/e/e7/Vanitas_%28Black_Coat%29_KHIII.png/revision/latest?cb=20200705043932 The Sorceress is the Dark half of Cozy Glow who cares for her and wants to protect her from all who harmed her physically and mentally and is taking Cozy's revenge on them but doesn't show the caring side since Cozy can't see it in The Sorceress.
Ah, Cozy trying to impress Rainbow’s boy huh?
Felt a little rushed since I thought at least they would search for the mother rather she appearing already since won’t she gone to Cozy already?
11538955
I mean yeah I guess I thought that sorcerer will cross the line of Cruelty just to make them suffer
11538978
That's why I had her also say she hopes to meet her again. That daughter "Half Note" is Cozy Glow.
11538997
That's a good way to put it. The Sorceress is all Cozy's negative personality traits and feelings made into a physical form.
11539008
Well what she means is he's scared of her now since she screamed at him and threatened to turn him into a newt. Now she thinks everyone else will hate her as well.
I actually wasn't going to include any of the parts of them being told about her mother before hand. Last chapter wasn't supposed to happen, it was just going to be the teachers going straight to Canterlot. Flurry also wasn't originally going to be in the Crystal Empire and wasn't originally supposed to come to the realization that Melody is Cozy's mom, she was just going to be in Canterlot and then Twilight comes in with Melody and Melody tells her the truth to which Cozy gasps in shock. To me, that was feeling more rushed and too short for this story, so I added some meat to it. The Sorceress won't last much longer, but she should be around long enough to have an impact and steal enough parents, but once she is eventually defeated, it will have been built up.
So they finally found the mother. I did notice Melody's name prop up in a previous story. I wonder if she ever suspected that Cozy was her daughter before this. Either way, I'm curious as to how this mess happened in the first place. Maybe some issues with the father? Either way, I do hope they won't just let Cozy run off again after this.
Kind of sounds like an open door Tartarus with smoke replacing the cave ceiling. Very ironic.
Yea, the fact that they didn't help Cozy in the past probably contributed to this. I do wonder though, how much does the Sorcerer consider herself as a part of Cozy? Half the time she's talking as if she's her and the other half she's mentioning herself as her own being.
11539028
Because she comes from Cozy Glow and Cozy Glow had some restraint to her evil tendencies (I would like to think she did at least), that keeps the Sorceress from going too far, but she will gladly take every single pony parent in the world.
11539065
Yeah I guess but still it would be very cruelty if she goes that far to kidnap the parents while they're still a baby or soon to be parents
11539080
Well she has gone far enough with things like Rainbow Dash's daughter Misty Blitz. Misty is less than a year old, but if Dashie never came back, her parents would probably take care of the kids.
11539040
Why she didn't come forward before and if she knew this entire time will be told in the next chapter.
The Sorceress is not really Cozy, it's more of a reflection of her, but she still talks like she is Cozy even though she claims that Cozy is "gone". It's a lot like how Anakin Skywalker is Darth Vader, but in reality, the spirit of Vader is controlling his body even though he talks like he is the same person with quotes like "I am your father" or any time he calls Luke "my son".
Is Melody Heartsong an OC or is she from somewhere? I can't seem to find her anywhere.
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She's an OC. I had to make her up myself since Cozy doesn't have any canon parents. What's funny is there actually is a pegasus named Melody in G1 that I didn't know of back when I first designed Melody in 2020. There's also character named "Baby Half Note" that has the same colors as Cozy and even a cutie mark that doesn't have anything to do with music. I was searching G1 characters the other day and realized how similar she is to Cozy and decided to make that be Cozy's true given name. That way I'm kind of revisiting another G1 character in G4.
So we finally got a parent figure for Cozy showing up, how they got separated till now it's something we need to see next chapter!
Anyway you slice it I really hope the Sorceress gets squashed into oblivion after all of these, also glad the Teacher 6 are well & now have a real plan of attack!
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Neat!
It seems the light is starting to shine at the end of the tunnel.
I will confess I feel kind of sorry for Discord, considering he was very clearly affected by the reveal that the Sorceress is Cozy Glow... but in a sense, it is kind of his fault. While he did have good intentions both for the Mane 6 and for the Legion of Doom (as seen in Dream of Alicornication), he really could have thought this through a bit better. That said, I do know what he did was an honest mistake, if a very big one... and if nothing else, in this 'verse at least he clearly learned from it, and that's all one can ask for.
Also, that was quite impressive of Twilight to be able to teleport into the Sorceress' dimension. Props to her. And props to all the parents... I'm not proud of it, but at best I would have a much harder time forgiving Cozy Glow after everything she did not just in the series, but in this story's verse. I do know the importance of forgiveness, but... well, it's easier said than done sometimes. Although on the flip side, that doesn't mean one shouldn't try to do something difficult.
And speaking of doing... I do think the Spirit of Harmony was perhaps a bit unduly harsh when scolding the Student Six, but it does make sense that Harmony would be upset considering She told them the solution to their problem and they tried to follow a different path. And it's true that they can't fall back on blasting rainbow lasers at every problem they come across for more reasons than one. Still... this does leave me to wonder what the rainbow lasers would do in this universe to someone who is simply was "naturally pure evil", for lack of a better term.
And poor Flurry and Twilight alike. The situation is clearly being difficult for them both, although I have to say, they are both taking it like pros. And good job on Twilight in particular for already having the Pillars on standby and for being ready to call Tirek and Scorpan with the Staff of Sacanas and the Absorption Stone. The parent series always had a bit of a problem with characters seemingly forgetting very powerful tools and allies, and while I do get it to some extent, I also think they went too far sometimes, so it's nice to see it tackled on a more balanced angle here. :)
And on a lighter front, at least they do have a more possible path to a solution now, and considering all that was said about the Sorceress, it does seem to be a viable path, for lack of a better term.
And whoa... was I surprised when I read about Melody Heartsong's reveal. When I first saw her, I definitely DID NOT expect this to come about. I don't know what it says about me, but I thought she was and would just be a background pony for this fic. Nice and enjoyable for sure, but I didn't expect it to go past that. But did she go, and in a way that makes perfect sense too! That was definitely a GREAT introduction of a seemingly-innocuous but still overall nice and enjoyable character who would turn out to be tremendously important farther down the line.
Kudos to you!
Twilight herself entered the realm everyone was trapped in and gets kicked out by the Sorceress, as I suspected she would. However, it now seems that Cozy's Mother has now been found. Hopefully, she can get through to her Half Note and end all this.
On the note of Always Love You, I listened to your Google Drive file and I must admit that it sounds familiar. What song was the inspiration for it?
There's only one question I have for Melody, and I hope she answers it.
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That song tune was something my mother came up with back when she’d sing the “Love You Forever” song from the book of the same name. There’s no official tune for it to my knowledge so I went with that tune and changed the lyrics to be more fitting for this. I don’t know if my mother took any inspiration from an already-existing song or not.
That question may be answered in the next chapter, but you’ll see.