"All aboard!" The train conductor pony was ready to go.
"Wait for me!" called out Cozy.
"Now departing: Last train to Ponyville, final call! All aboard!" announced the conductor.
"Wait! You can't leave without me!!" Cozy was stuck. "Professor! Anypony! Hold the train!!" she pleaded, but her voice went unheard.
The passenger doors closed and in a hiss of steam, the train began to chug off. The sound of the whistle trailed off into the distance.
"Golly, no!" said Cozy, sadly. All done, minutes too late, she opened the door to the outhouse stepping out into the cool, fresh air. The platform was now empty. It was going to be a long night alone in the Crystal Empire. 'Astral's gonna be so worried...' She thought to herself.
Cozy walked into the station cafe and ordered a hot chocolate with a few of her spending bits. She picked it up on the far end of the counter and sat at the bar in front of the window. With the station being so close to the border, it was much colder than the center of the city. Cozy slowly let the steam from her drink warm her face in between careful sips. She had a good view of the tracks and the frozen landscape through her reflection in the glass.
There was nothing else to do now other than to sit, bundled up in her winter clothes and try and figure out what to do next. She had no friends in the empire. She didn't have any way to reach Astral. Even if Astral tried, Cozy was way too far away for her to find telepathically, at least not without some kind of amplifying artifact or monument. Nopony would realize Cozy didn't make it on the train with the rest of the class until she didn't show up at the station in Ponyville later that night anyway. Even then, Astral knew she was going to spend the weekend with her notfriend, going over to his house straight from the station. It might be days before Cozy was discovered to be missing.
"Missed your train?" asked a young voice from behind.
Cozy saw a bundled-up filly unicorn appear behind her in the reflection; even her face was mostly covered. "It didn't wait for me," she replied, not turning to look.
The unicorn took a seat beside Cozy. "That stinks. Get stuck in the restroom or something?" She leaned forward onto the bar, her many layers of bundling making the perfect pillow.
"Yeah, actually."
The unicorn nodded. "It happens a lot here. What are you going to do now?" she asked.
"I don't know," replied Cozy. "It'll be days before anypony found out I didn't make it."
"You know... on hoof, you could probably get to Ponyville before they realized you were missing. It could be fun," suggested the unicorn.
"I don't know the way," said Cozy, sadly. She sipped her chocolate, the steam already faded as it began to cool.
"That part's easy! Just follow the tracks!" said the unicorn, happily.
"I don't want to go out there by myself!"
"Who said you'd go alone? It's dangerous to go alone. Take me with you!"
Cozy turned to the unicorn finally, "Who are you?" She could see more clearly now, that the unicorn was not a crystal pony.
"Just a friend. I'm Fl-- Flakey. Snowy Flakey. Yeah."
Cozy looked at Snowy suspiciously. She wasn't a snow pony, even through all the layers she could tell it wasn't a snow pony's coat under however many layers she wore. The fact that she needed so many layers to begin with was proof enough. She was being pretty friendly, though, and a friend was something she desperately needed at the moment. "I'm Cozy Glow." She decided that either way, Snowy was an asset, even if she might turn out to be flakey later.
Snowy extended a bundled-up hoof, "Nice to meet you."
Cozy returned the gesture, "yeah."
Snowy motioned to a bundled pile of stuff in the corner. It was all tied to some kind of over-stuffed pack. "I got my hiking and camping gear all ready to go already. I was hoping I'd find a friend or somepony to go with me. I'm glad I found you!" said Snowy.
"You're going to Ponyville?" asked Cozy.
"I'm going anywhere but here," she replied. "Come on, we should head out before it starts to get dark. There's a trading post not far from here, we should be able to make it by nightfall and set up camp there with the vendors."
"You sound like you do this often," remarked Cozy.
Snowy shrugged. "Eh..."
Cozy finished up her drink while Snowy collected her stuff. They left the station together, traveled down the tracks, and through the border shield, into the snow.
* * *
The snow blew in sideways. It was getting dark and the storm was getting worse. Cozy and Snowy pushed through with determination; Snowy was in the lead using her magic to create a shield in front of them.
"Are we having fun yet?" shouted Snowy through the sound of the icy wind.
"This sucks!" Cozy shouted back.
"Just a little further! I can see the light of the outpost from here. Good thing, 'cause I can't feel my horn anymore!"
"Tell me, Flakey, how was this a good idea?"
"I just wanted to get outta there, and you need to get home!"
They continued to shout at each other through the storm.
"I didn't think that there would be a storm coming through, though!" shouted Snowy.
They arrived, stepping in through the magical dome bubble surrounding the campsite. It was nothing like what the crystal heart could provide, but it at least kept the ground dry and the wind out. It was still quite cold, but it was peaceful.
Surrounding the edge of the outpost were the campgrounds. There were tents and wagons all around. Some had small campfires providing a small amount of warmth. Creatures of all shapes and sizes were seen all throughout the area, mostly minding their own business. There were some that Cozy had never even seen in person before. There were even some that she knew would have never been accepted or allowed anywhere near this far into Equestria back in her time.
"We made it!" said Snowy, excitedly. "The storm should pass by morning, and we'll head out again. I'm hungry, are you hungry? Let's see if any of these vendors are cooking anything good! First things first, Let's charge the shield stone, pay our dues."
"Shield stone?" asked Cozy.
Snowy led Cozy to the center of the site where hovering over a monument sort of podium, in the center of a simple fountain, a medium-sized crystal carving spun, emanating the shield which contained the campgrounds.
Cozy watched as Snowy approached it, touching her horn to the edge of the fountain. She produced a soft glow lighting the water that flowed, reaching the spinning crystal. The crystal began to spin faster and faster, the shield surrounding the area beginning to glow brightly.
"Oops! too much!" Giggled Snowy. "That's charge enough for a whole group of travelers." She looked up at the force field, "It might actually start getting warm in here too." She smiled at Cozy.
"What if you're not a unicorn?" asked Cozy.
"You just throw in a few bits. The money goes to help take care of this place."
Cozy peered into the fountain. The bottom was indeed covered in shiny bits. Not all of the coins were Equestrian bit. She recognized a few of the others, but many of them were quite new to her.
"Oh! Don't worry about paying, I think I got both of us covered. It's ok."
They moved from stall to stall, looking at the various wares the trader ponies were offering. A lot of it seemed like mostly junk, but Snowy explained how they could be valuable to the right pony, or creature even. "Sometimes you can even find enchanted artifacts if you know what you're looking at or looking for."
"Have you ever found any?" asked Cozy.
"No, not here. But I have come across a few in my travels. Sometimes they're the most expensive things out here, sometimes they don't even know what they have."
"Oh."
They stopped at a vendor that was tending a large pot hanging over a fire.
"Here!" said Snowy. She exchanged a hoof full of bits for two bowls of steamy vegetable stew. They took a seat on a log by the fire.
The bowl steamed with a hot comforting aroma that was well welcomed by the two filly travelers.
Snowy uncovered her face a little to eat. Cozy could see her eyes were a light blue, matching the streak in her purple mane. She could clearly see now that her coat was light pink. 'Those aren't snow-pony colors.'
The two sat and enjoyed their meal quietly together, feeling the warmth of the stew travel down into their bellies with each bite.
When they were done, they returned the bowls and found a spot to set up camp. Cozy watched as Snowy magically floated each piece of the tent together with grace and ease.
"You're really good at magic," commented Cozy.
Snowy shrugged, "I've always had strong magic for my age. It makes me special or something, I guess."
The tent was completed. Cozy rented a spare sleeping bag from a vendor that Snowy paid for. "You don't have to..." said Cozy.
"It's ok. It's my fault we're out here anyway."
Inside the tent, Cozy stripped off all her winter gear. Snowy suggested that she snuggle up with it in her sleeping bag to keep it warm for when she puts it all back on in the morning. Cozy agreed that it was a good idea and stuffed everything in the bag with her.
Snowy opted to strip off after climbing inside her own bag. "Tomorrow, bright and early. Ok? Goodnight Cozy!"
"Goodnight, Flakey."
* * *
There was a rustling in the tent. Cozy peeked out of her sleeping bag. It was morning already. Snowy's bundled-up face appeared in the narrow gap of Cozy's cover.
"Good morning! Rise and shine!" said Snowy.
Cozy retreated back under deep cover. Her muffled voice could be heard. "Ugh. Too much Flakey, too early."
"Nonsense! Come on out already!" said Snowy, as she levitated a grumpy Cozy out of her sleeping bag, magically dressing her in all the clothes she slept with.
Cozy was greeted with the cold air that filled the inside of the tent, but then noticed just how warm her clothes were and was glad it was good advice to sleep with them. She still didn't like being up so early in the cold if she didn't have to, though. "Okay, okay! I'm up. Now what?" pouted Cozy.
"Now we eat!" Snowy floated over a couple of bowls of steaming hot oatmeal.
They smelled delicious. Cozy couldn't resist. Her first bite was mood-altering. She couldn't help but smile. It was so warm and creamy. She could taste that real honey was used instead of sugar.
"Feeling better?" asked Snowy.
"Cozy nodded. She spoke with her cheeks full, "These are the best oats I've ever tasted."
"I know! I brought them from the empire. Fit for a princess, you could say. I traded some to the soup pony in exchange for her cooking some for us."
They sat together in the tent, enjoying their breakfast.
After breakfast, they broke camp and headed on down the tracks. In the daylight of the clear blue sky, Cozy could finally see where they were; at the base of the mountains. The track cut a valley straight through. Behind her, she could barely see the empire far off in the distance. She was surprised at how much ground they had already covered the night before.
They walked and talked. Cozy told Snowy about the school and the class trip to see the statue of Spike. Snowy just mostly listened and asked questions. As they reached the other side of the mountain, they were out of snow territory and began to shed layers of clothing. Snowy opted to keep her coat on and her flank covered.
"Aren't you getting hot?" asked Cozy.
"No. Don't worry about me," replied Snowy.
"Flakey, I can see you beginning to sweat."
"I'll be ok."
They reached a long section of track on a bridge. It was several stories down to a rushing river of freezing runoff from the mountain.
Snowy changed the subject. "We need to cross, carefully so we don't end up in the river down there."
They started their journey across the bridge. It wasn't until they were well over the river that ran far down below that they realized just how high up they were. Cozy wasn't worried, she could fly at any time.
"That outpost back there, I didn't know something like that existed." Said Cozy hurrying along.
Snowy didn't seem worried at all either. "They're all over. A hold-over from the pioneering days," said Snowy. "Trixie is still at your school, right? You should ask her about them. I'm sure she's been to a few on her travels. Do you hear something?"
"You know Counselor Trixie?"
"Not really. I've been stuck in the empire my whole life. Sometimes I get out, but I always end up back there."
"Oh. I'll try to remember when I get back. Yeah, what is that?"
"It must be nice to be free like you, go anywhere, do anything... There it is again."
"I'm not really as free as you might think. ...I have a history. What is that?" asked Cozy.
The tracks began to vibrate under hooves. They paused and looked at each other both with the same realization of knowing exactly what it was.
"...Run!" said Snowy.
Which way?!?" asked Cozy.
Snowy looked down both directions of the track, "Uh... Uh..." she was panicking.
"Which way, Flakey?!?" Cozy asked again. They were right in the middle of the bridge.
"You, fly! I will try to make it across. GO!" said Snowy as she took off down the bridge as fast as her hooves would carry her.
Cozy kept to her side in the air. As they raced together down the tracks, the train reared its face as it came around the corner towards them, quickly closing the gap from it to the end of the bridge.
"You'll never make it!" shouted Cozy.
Don't worry about me, just go!"
They were getting close to the end of the bridge, but at the same time, so was the train.
Cozy watched as Snowy's horn started to glow as she ran. 'A shield?' she thought. 'What is she doing?'. Snowy had abanded all but her bundling and saddlebags in favor of running faster.
The train's wheels began to squeal. Cozy looked ahead to the train just in time to see it barely lifted off the tracks, being let go back down again in a loud clatter. "Are you crazy?!?" she shouted at Snowy, her voice breaking.
"I got this!" Yelled Snowy as she tried again. The train once again lifted only a few inches before dropping back down in a shower of sparks as the wheels regripped the track.
"You'll crash it!" Yelled Cozy.
"I can do this!" argued Snowy, her horn beginning to glow once more.
Cozy dove in, interrupting Snowy before the train could dangerously lift off again. She Grabbed Snowy by the sides lifting her off her running hooves. Cozy grunted, "You're... a lot... heavier than Sandy!"
"Who?" asked Snowy, struggling to break free, "Don't worry about me, put me down!"
Cozy lost her grip and Snowy tumbled down the track. The open space at the end of the bridge closed as the train continued its approach. They had no chance to make it, now or ever to begin with. "Come on! Get up! I'll carry you down, hurry!" Yelled Cozy.
"I'm stuck! My hoof. I can't move!" Yelled Snowy, pulling on her back hoof.
Cozy flew in grabbing onto Snowy, pulling with all her wing power. The train blew its whistle over and over again. The sound was deafening. Both Snowy and Cozy didn't want to look up to see just how close the train was.
Snowy finally broke loose. Cozy lost her grip and flew up. She looked down just in time to see the train begin to pass under her; she had barely cleared the top of it.
"Snowy? Flakey!" she shouted, her voice lost in the sound of the roaring train as it passed by underneath her. All she could do was watch as the cars zoomed by, one after the other, her eyes filled with tears and panic.
The train passed and went on down through the mountain valley, its whistle periodically blowing.
Cozy looked down at the track. Snowy was nowhere to be seen. She glided down and landed on the spot where Snowy was stuck. "Snowy?" She shouted out, "Flakey? Where are you?" Her voice broke as she tried not to cry. She sat on the cross tie in between the steel rails. "I'm sorry, Snowy. I tried to help. I really did." She sobbed softly to herself.
"Don't worry about it..." Cozy could hear the faint voice of her companion on the gentle breeze. Nature was alive. Some ponies believed it to host the souls of those lost to tragedy.
"Wherever you are, I hope it's a better place now." Cozy said to the wind. She sat quietly, replaying the events in her head, and how she could have done better.
"Not really," the voice replied.
"I'm sorry." Cozy wiped tears from her eyes.
"Don't be. But to tell you the truth, I'm beginning to lose feeling in my withers."
"Is that what it feels like when you die?" asked Cozy.
"I'm not dead!" the voice yelled. "I'm down here, dummy!"
Cozy jumped up and looked around. She peered over the edge of the track and saw her.
Snowy was hanging just a little way down from the track, her hood caught on a protruding board, suspending her over the river below. It wouldn't be so bad to fall and hit the river from that height if she could dive just right; that is, if it wasn't full of cragadiles.
"Flakey!" yelled Cozy. "You're alive!"
"Of course I am! Now come down here and help me back up. I think I can climb it if you can reach me to the--" Snowy's hood tore off, dropping her down towards the water below.
"Snowy!" Cozy dove down to try and catch her, but weaving in and out of the bridge's structure from that angle to catch up was proving difficult. She'd never make it in time.
Snowy rolled through the air and shed her final winter layer in free fall. Cozy saw and flared her wings out, freezing in mid-air, shocked at what was revealed before her.
Snowy spread her wings wide, gliding off effortlessly. Her wingspan was easily double that of Cozy's, and twice as full. She flapped with little effort and flew up to the end of the bridge where it met with the land. Cozy flew up to join her.
"You're a... You're a..." Cozy was speechless.
"An alicorn. Yeah. I got wings." Said Snowy, sheepishly.
"But... the only alicorns in Equestria are... That means... You-- You're..."
Snowy nodded.
"You must be Princess Flury Heart!"
"Yeah." Flurry said lightly. "I kinda am."
Cozy reached up and bopped Flurry on the top of her head.
"Ow!"
"And you didn't bother to tell me?"
"I'm sorry! Princesses attract a lot of attention!"
"Not that! You didn't tell me we could have just caught a train to Ponyville in the morning when it came back!!"
"What?"
"I gotta get home!" Cozy started down the tracks.
"Hey wait! Wait up!" Flurry trotted to catch up to Cozy. "I'm sorry I had to keep it a secret from you. I didn't lie to you though."
"I didn't think I had to ask if you were a princess or not."
"We're still having fun though, right?"
"Princess, you have a weird definition of fun."
"What can I say? I don't get out much. You're not even the least bit curious?"
"About what?" Cozy kept on down the tracks at a brisk pace, not once looking back at Flurry trailing right behind her.
"Me!"
"That's just how it is with you princesses. 'Me, me, me...'" mocked Cozy.
"I didn't mean it that way. Look, there's a shortcut, but we have to leave the tracks."
"I'm listening."
"Up there. See Cloudsdale in the distance?" asked Flurry.
"I see it, yeah?"
"Head towards that. It's right in between us and Ponyville."
They change course and began walking away from the tracks into the fields.
"And... could we... slow down just a little bit?" asked Flurry.
Cozy slowed her pace some. They were both a little out of breath.
* * *
The walk through the fields was an easy one. It was getting to be the middle of the day. The sky was clear, the air warm. On this side of the mountains, the pegasi had precise control of the weather.
"Why didn't you just teleport off the bridge? I know you're strong enough to. In fact... why not just teleport straight to Ponyville?" asked Cozy.
Flurry kept pace side-by-side with Cozy. "Teleporting leaves a kinda scent. A magical one. If you're good enough, you can follow a pony from point to point. Each unicorn has its own, different from each other," explained Flurry. "Any magic use leaves it behind, but popping from place to place is the strongest because you have to clear the space you're going to fill, and you use the most magical energy to sorta open the 'tunnel' to it."
"What happens if you don't clear the space?"
"You just get pushed back. I was afraid at first, thinking I would become part of a wall, or another pony."
Cozy looked in surprise at Flurry, "That can happen? What if you clear a living pony? Or half of one?"
Flurry thought about it for a moment. "I guess you could if you tried hard enough. It's hard to explain. You just know if something is alive or not when you're using magic on it. Living things resist more. You just kinda meet in the middle. The pony or... whatever moves a little, your target destination moves a little. Worst case, you both just end up a little squished, I guess. You could probably concentrate hard enough and vaporize half a pony and teleport into it, but that would be so bad... and messy." Flurry shuddered at the thought. "Or maybe you would fuse with it... The thing is, teleportation kinda hurts."
"It does?"
"A little. It all depends on the destination. The easier it is to clear, the easier on your body, on your magic it is."
Cozy faced forward once again as they walked through the field. "Oh."
"Air is easy. it's more like a static shock. Water is tricky since it's denser, but not as bad as say, dirt or something solid like stone or even something living that refuses to budge." Flurry spoke with unicorn pride, as if she were giving a presentation. "It's all in the feedback, and you just sorta work with it; move it a little, adjust your landing a little, or like I said, just get pushed back. But your magic is still spent if you succeed or fail. Oh! And you have to know your spot! If you've never seen it before, things get really, really hard, or messy, or both." She paused for a moment before finishing, "...But not impossible."
"So this magical scent... this signature?"
"Right. Well um... Mine is sorta on file." said Flurry.
Cozy looked over at Flurry again, "What do you mean?"
"Mom and dad are so used to me getting away, that the empire's most powerful wizards are usually the first to go on watch, before the royal guards even. That's why I had to leave my magical scent on the train, so they'll just track it coming in, thinking I'm still somewhere around there or came back." Flurry looked back in the direction of the Empire, "Though the guards are probably all out in force by now too. If I teleport, it'll lead them right to us and they'll take me back again."
"Oh."
"They'll catch me, eventually. They always do. but until then, I'm free to run around and have some real fun and excitement!"
* * *
They sat at the bank of a small stream to eat their lunch. It was made from a mix of things Flury had bought at the outpost for the both of them before Cozy woke up. Consisting of mostly trail food, it was a mix of nuts and dried fruits, and an extra delicious something called jerky. Whatever it was, they couldn't get enough of it. It was unfortunately the most expensive part, so there wasn't much to go around. The best exotic foods always came from outside Equestria. Flurry loved finding them at the various outposts she'd visit on her little "outings".
Cozy gasped, "Flurry! Your stuff! You left it back there at the bridge, at the river!"
"Oh, that's ok. I'll go back and find it later. You'd be surprised at how much of my stuff I've lost over that bridge."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I should probably find a different way to cross whenever I leave the Empire."
"So what's so bad about the Empire?" asked Cozy.
"What's not bad about it? The weather is always perfect, the crystal ponies are all nice... Everypony knows me and treats me like royalty," answered Flurry.
"You ARE royalty, though," said Cozy.
"Yeah, I know."
"It sounds pretty nice," commented Cozy.
"Doesn't it? That's the problem! Everything is always so perfect all the time. The food, the ponies, the places. ...The expectations. I have to be perfect all the time too. It's all so tiring."
"Golly..."
"I have to walk perfect, I have to talk perfect. I have to eat perfect... See this?" Flurry tosses a dried fruit piece up in the air, catching it in her mouth. "I can't do that," she said as she chewed. "It's un-princess-like," she added in a mocking tone.
"Gee... I never thought being a princess could be so hard. ...and I thought the rules at school were tough." Cozy tried tossing a dried fruit in the air and catching it in her mouth. She missed and it bounced off of her nose.
"I've never been to school. Somepony always came in and taught me," she said, sadly. Flurry lowered her voice and said in a sneaky tone, "Sometimes, I would mess up on purpose, or get all the answers wrong just to make them go over it all over again!" She laughed a little bit, then sighed, losing the smile. "It's so much nicer out here, though."
It sounds like they still treat you like a foal, but you're older than Astral, though. Aren't you?" asked Cozy.
"Astral is your caretaker, right? I listened in on their discussions about her letting you stay free, and in Ponyville, Princess Twilight, Mom and the others."
"You know?" asked Cozy.
"I know you're THE Cozy Glow from the history lessons."
"Oh, You too, huh?" said Cozy, sounding down.
"Of course, I know! That's why I chose to go on an adventure with you! You're Cozy Glow, but you're not the same pony I read about. I just had to get to know the real you. You're cute, lovable!" said Flurry, with a gentle boop.
Cozy rubbed her nose. "But you still look like a foal. You kinda act like one."
"So do you!"
"I've been a statue for a long time. What's your excuse?"
"I've been an alicorn my whole life." Flurry stuck out her tongue at Cozy.
"Yeah? So?" Cozy was not impressed.
"We grow differently," shrugged Flurry. "Nopony really knows since I'm the first in all of Equestria. Even I don't know. But I'm not gonna find out sitting around a stuffy castle. I need to spread my oversized wings and fly!" she said, spreading her wings, purposefully knocking into Cozy, feathers all in her face. "Don't you ever just fly just to fly?"
Cozy pushed Flurry's feathers away, annoyed, "No."
Flurry gasped. "No? Well, we must do something about that!" She pocketed the rest of her pouch of trail mix into her saddlebag and grabbed Cozy by the hoof, her powerful wings flexed and thrusted grabbing huge gulpfulls of air as she took off into the sky, a very surprised Cozy dangled down from her grasp.
Cozy dangled in the wind as Flurry climbed higher and higher into the sky. "What are you doing?!? Let me go!" she yelled out.
"We're flying!" replied Flurry, continuing to climb straight up.
Their ears popped as the air began to thin. It was starting to become a struggle for Flurry to gain more altitude, the ground was so very far below. Flurry then backflipped in the air, releasing cozy straight up into the sky. Cozy flailed her hooves and wings trying to stabilize herself but was unsuccessful. Her upward momentum faded and she began to fall out of control.
Flurry relaxed her wings and fell with Cozy, keeping pace towards the ground. "Relax! Don't try so hard! Just let the wind carry you," she said.
"I can't! I..." Cozy continued to tumble and panic.
"You act like you've never flown this high before!"
"I haven't!" It was a shouting match just to be heard over the sound of the wind ripping past their ears.
"Here, let me help you." Flurry used her magic to envelop Cozy, stabilizing and steadying her tumbling. "Ok, you got it? Just spread out, and wait for your wings to grab." Flurry gently released her magical hold.
Cozy spread out and held stiff in her descent, the wind threatening to take her into another tumble.
"Just relax!" shouted Flurry. She fell freely, in complete control of her positioning, carefree and casual.
Cozy began to relax as the air thickened, gaining more control. She could feel the pull on her wings as they started to grab hold.
"There you go! Now fly!" said Flurry, as she angled her wings and took off into the distance, leaving a faint pink trail with a purple and light blue streak.
"Cozy angled her wings, and followed, leaving a fainter salmon-pink trail. She struggled to catch up.
Flurry looked back and slowed down to match Cozy and they flew side by side, hooves stretched out, weaving in and out of the turbulent drafts.
Cozy began to smile. Flurry never stopped smiling.
* * *
Cloudsdale was getting closer. Five blue dots appeared on the horizon. They got bigger as they approached leaving their own blue trails behind. Only seconds later they were already passing right through each other.
"Hi Flurry Heart! Hi Cozy Glow!" said one of the blue streaks.
"Hi Dashie!" said Flurry Heart.
The exchange was almost too quick to catch and was over before Cozy even realized it had happened. Moments later, the Bolts' draft caught up to Cozy and Flurry, causing them both to lose control and tumble. They bumped into each other a few times as they slowed down, regaining control. Looks were exchanged and they began to laugh heartily.
It was a soft touchdown onto the clouds. They both got the same idea to let the forward momentum carry them into a tumble, stopping on their backs sprawled out, breathing heavily.
"What... What was that?" asked Cozy with amazement and wonder.
"It was... Something you can't do in the Empire!" said Flurry, rolling to her side to face Cozy. "Are you having fun yet?"
Cozy caught her breath but stayed flat on her back. "Yeah. Fun. Don't do that to me again!" her tone betrayed her seriousness. They laughed together.
A simultaneous sigh later and they were back on their hooves.
"What now?" asked Cozy.
"We made good time. What do you say we hang out for a bit? Have you had cloudcandy? I know a place that sells it here. You gotta try it!"
"Well, ok." said Cozy, looking around. She hadn't visited the city very often, and never really had a chance to explore it. "...Maybe it'll be fun," she said quietly to herself.
* * *
"Your highness..." bowed a citizen.
Flurry acknowledged.
"Your highness..." bowed another.
Flurry acknowledged.
Cozy and Flurry walked through the cloud market.
"Your highness..."
"Your highness..."
"Ugh, I'm not even princess of anything in particular yet!" announced Flurry, frustratedly.
Cozy soaked it in, holding her head up high, nodding to the bowing ponies.
Flurry lowered her voice, "At least they don't seem to have gotten word that I'm not supposed to be here, yet." she said to Cozy.
They ate cloudcandy as they walked along. Cozy's cheeks ached from the sudden burst of rich sweetness that dissolved in her mouth. It was like nothing she had ever had before, and she loved it.
"Your highness..."
"Your highness..."
Flurry began to ignore the bowing ponies. Cozy continued to nod to them, "Your lowness..."
"No matter how far I go, I can never seem to get completely away from it all," said Flurry.
"Your highness..."
"Your lowness..."
"Stop that! You're just encouraging them!" she said, nudging Cozy in the side. Cozy giggled.
* * *
It was nighttime. The edge of the city was dark and quiet. More importantly, there were no ponies to bother and bow to them. Cozy and Flurry lay in their sleeping bags, looking over, down onto the land below. The soft lights from the night lamps and lanterns of Ponyville could be seen in the distance.
"We could go there now, get you home," offered Flurry.
Cozy took a while to respond, looking on at Ponyville in the distance. "...No. I want to sleep on a cloud tonight, under the stars." She didn't want to admit it, but she was having a great time and didn't want to go home. She began to understand the freedom that Flury sought. She also pondered the idea of bringing a cloud home.
"Uh-huh," smiled Flurry.
"I have a bed at home, but it's not as soft as a cloud."
"Yeah... But unless you have an enchanted bed frame, you shouldn't try to keep one for yourself on the ground."
"Really?" Cozy was going to try anyway. Maybe she could find a spell for Astral to use.
"Yeah. I tried it already. It only works for a little while."
"Oh." Cozy seemed disappointed for a moment. "Hey, Flurry?"
"Yeah, Cozy?"
"Thank you." She kept her gaze down at the town in the distance below.
"For what?" Flurry shifted her gaze to Cozy.
"For showing me... everything." Cozy looked over at Flurry, making eye contact.
"Any time I can get away," replied Flurry as she rolled over onto her back. "You know... Most ponies only think they're alive. They never feel it though. They just do the same thing every day. Wake up, eat, go to work or school, go home, eat, sleep... They have to be shown they're alive. They don't realize that the rules are pony-made."
"I see it now." She too rolled over onto her back to look up at the stars. "It's like going out with Tirek and Chrysalis, only... Different. I'm not afraid of anything this time."
"...So it's just pure fun."
"We are having fun," Cozy finally admitted and agreed.
"I knew you would. You should miss the train more often, see what other adventures await you."
"I'm sorry you have to be a princess."
"Don't be. It's not as bad as I made it sound, actually. Only some of it is as bad."
"Aren't you going to be in trouble for all this?"
Flurry waved it off, "Nah. I mean, I am. But it's totally worth it. I'll just be grounded, and castle staff will spin some story explaining my absence so I'm not a runaway."
* * *
Morning once again came too early. They packed up and decided if they hurried, they could skip breakfast and do brunch in Ponyville, or maybe just check in with everypony, and have lunch in Canterlot. Flurry would need to first lay low until she could assemble a new disguise once in Ponyville. She had confidence in Rarity's understanding and keeping of her secrets. Flurry also paid well for Rarity's works, not that Rarity wouldn't have helped out for little to nothing in her generosity.
After a few stretches and warmups, and a quick discussion on the flight path, they were on their way. It was to be a slow descent as they moved forward. They could just make one very long glide if they weren't racing their hunger.
They jumped off the cloud and took flight only to be halted by the sudden swooping in of the Wonderbolts. They looked around and saw they were being surrounded by royal crystal guards showing up in groups.
"I'm sorry, Flurry Heart, Princess, I didn't know," apologized Rainbow, quietly before the guards got too close. "We were summoned to help find you. I didn't know you were missing when I told them. I'm sorry." She backed off as the guards approached.
Flurry gave an understanding nod to Rainbow.
A lead guard spoke up, "Princess Flurry Heart, you are wanted in the throne room, immediately!" He placed a restraining ring on Flurry's horn, taking hold of her hoof.
"It looks like the adventure is over... For now," she said to Cozy, sadly. "Tell Starlight and Sunburst I said 'Hi'."
The guards began to surround Cozy, pointing their weapons at her, their shields up, "You are coming with us."
"What?!?" asked both Cozy and Flurry.
"Cozy Glow, you are under arrest for foalnapping the princess of the Crystal Empire," said a guard as he placed restraints on Cozy.
"What? No!" protested Flurry.
A guard activated a talisman and both he and Cozy popped out of sight.
"Cozy!" called out Flurry.
"Come now. We will escort you," said another guard.
Flurry reluctantly began her flight back to the frozen north.
* * *
Cozy and the guard popped into sight. Cozy had her eyes shut tightly, fearing the worst. The guard poked and prodded at her with his spear. She opened her eyes and looked around, much to her relief that it wasn't Tartarus.
"In!" ordered the guard with another sharp prodding on her flank. She quickly shuffled in and rubbed her flank as the cell door shut with a loud clatter.
"I didn't do anything!" shouted Cozy as the guard removed her restraints through the bars of her cell.
The guard remained silent as he walked off down the corridor, turning the corner.
"I didn't foalnap the princess!" she gripped the bars of her crystal cage.
* * *
"She didn't foalnap me, mother!" argued Flurry in a strong and defiant voice. She stared down her parents from the center of the throne room.
The guards had been dismissed as this was a private royal family matter. Cadence and Shining sat in their respective seats at the top of the steps.
"Well, of course, she didn't, Flurry. We know that. You are much stronger than any pony in the entire empire," said Cadence, calmly. She looked at her daughter with warm, loving eyes and a mother's disappointment that could break nearly any heart.
"Then why has she been taken to the dungeon?" demanded Flurry.
"Your image, Flurry," said Shining. "We can't have our subjects thinking we can't control our own daughter, or that we're raising a Wildheart turning rogue. It's bad for the empire to think such things about its leadership."
"You mean your image, Father," Flurry spat back at Shining.
Shining sighed.
Cadence stood up and stepped down to the floor, up to Flurry "Flurry, daughter, it's for your own good. You'll see. Maybe you'll understand when you're older." She gently touched Flurry's face with her hoof, wiping tears of defiance away.
Flurry stood her ground, stoic and angry, eyes burning with rage, fixed on Shining, not once glancing over at her mother who offered a loving gentle hoof.
Shining spoke, "A pony with a past like Cozy Glow's would be easy for everypony to believe she would be capable of taking you from us, and even demanding a healthy ransom. The castle staff is working on the story now and will have it to the press by morning. Nopony will think twice about it, or any lesser of you or us. By next week, it will all have been forgotten."
"And what about Cozy?" asked Flurry.
"What about her?" replied Shining.
"What will happen to her?"
"Well, as you know, foalnapping is a very serious crime. I don't think you will be needing to worry about her anymore."
"No!" worried Flurry.
Cadence reached over, putting her hoof on Flurry's back, trying to comfort her.
"You can't! She didn't do anything wrong!" said Flurry.
Shining countered, "Nopony has to know. You are safe, back in the empire, and everypony can rest now. That's all that matters. Now please, get cleaned up. Breakfast will be on soon, and I assure you, you'll feel much better after you've eaten. We've had your favorite prepared. Just forget all about that Cozy Glow."
"That's not my favorite! I hate it!! I only said I loved it because I saw how much work the cooks put into it!" screamed Flurry, throwing Cadance's hoof off her back, and angrily stepping toward the thrones. "I'm not a little foal anymore, father. You don't have to treat me like one. I can take care of myself!"
"Flurry, dear, we only want..." said Cadence, softly.
"But what about what I want?" Flurry began to break.
"Daughter, please," begged Cadence, extending a loving warmth from the magic of her horn.
"No!" defied Flurry. "This isn't my empire, not like this. Not if this is how it's going to be. I'm leaving! And I'm taking Cozy with me."
Flurry struggled and strained to use her magic against the restraining ring fixed to her horn.
"Flurry, you'll hurt yourself!" worried Cadence.
"I don't care!" said Flurry, pausing to take another breath. Struggling again, the ring began to glow with magical heat.
"Flurry, think about what you're doing," ordered Shining.
Flurry's voice was strained, "I know what I'm doing." She concentrated harder. The ring began to crack.
"Flurry, baby, we love you..." said Cadence, a mother's tears in her eyes.
The ring split in two, falling to the ground with a clink that reverberated and echoed around the silent room.
"I'm not a baby," said Flurry with fire in her eyes hot enough to melt dragon steel. A poof of pink magic and she was gone.
Shining shook his head in disappointment.
"Flurry..." said Cadance, softly.
"Guards!" called out Shining.
"No. Let her go," countered Cadence. "It's been long since the day we've both feared, I think, when our little Flurry Heart has become not so little anymore."
"It's because I love her, I worry," said Shining, defeatedly.
"I know," said Cadence, walking back up to the throne, and taking a seat beside her husband. She reached out and held his hoof.
"She's not wrong. She does very well on her own out there. I think we should give her the freedom she desires. There is so much more to learn than we or our staff could ever provide."
The doors to the room opened, and a collection of guards marched in, "You called, your highness?"
Cadence eyed Shining.
Shining held up his hoof to address them, pausing for a moment. "Yes. Send word to the press, our statements will be delayed."
"Yes, your highness," said the guard's spokes pony as he bowed.
"And one more thing," added Shining. "Our newest guest will be unexpectedly taking her leave shortly. She is not to be pursued at this time, she was never here."
"Understood, your highness." The guards marched out of the room.
Cadence rubbed her stallion, "I know you've made the right choice. Come now, I think we should stop by the royal bed before we eat."
* * *
Cadance pushed Shining down onto the bed. She used her magic to pull the chains that bound his hooves to the corners. "Are you comfortable?"
Shining nodded.
She put on a devious grin, "Not for long." She opened the nightstand and rummaged through the various items stored inside, setting out an assortment of highly polished clean versions of the tools found in the dungeon, and a changeling mask.
* * *
Cozy jumped in surprise as Flurry popped into her cell. "Flurry Heart?"
"We're going!" said Flurry; another poof of magic and they both were gone.
* * *
Cozy and Flurry popped into a large cave. It was dark and cold. Flurry transferred her magic to an assortment of glow stones positioned around the room. A soft aqua light covered the space revealing its contents.
The cave was filled with all sorts of items collected over the years. Cozy looked around in wonder. "This... This is all yours?"
Flurry took calming breaths, letting her anger reside. "Yes. From all over Equestria. Supplies too. It's my fillycave."
There was no entrance or exit, just small natural vents in the ceiling that presumably snaked their way through the stone. A fresh breeze could be felt coming from them. Icy water trickled in and flowed into a pond in the center of the space.
"Flurry, you teleported. Won't they find you?"
"I know," said Flurry. "Quick, move over." She used her magic to levitate a large boulder into the spot where they appeared. It was covered in a mystical cave moss that illuminated softly with its own shade of aqua similar to the glow stones that lit the room.
"What are you doing?"
"I discovered this when I found this place. The rock, the moss. It runs all throughout the stone and walls. Remember what I said about using magic on the living? It's like, this rock is alive, almost. But it's solid too. They can follow my scent, but they can't jump to it through here, not with this big rock in the way, and without first coming here, they don't even know where here is; they don't know just how big the rock is or how clear it is on any side or in what direction."
"They could just blindly guess at it, though," said Cozy.
"They wouldn't dare. It's too risky. They wouldn't have enough magic to jump out if they miscalculated and could be stuck in the stone."
"...But you dared, huh?"
Flurry grinned real big at Cozy.
Cozy sat on her haunches, watching as Flurry finished moving the stone into position. "What now?"
Flurry wobbled. "Rest. I'm beat." She slumped over onto her side from where she stood. "Just... A little bit. So... Drained. Used too much... Energy back there." She closed her eyes and began to snore softly.
Cozy watched the princess at peace for a while. It wasn't long before curiosity got the better of her as she started to explore the room and its contents.
She tasted the water from the pond. Her face lit up with delight as it was the best water she had ever tasted. It was revitilizing, it seemed to give her a recharge of energy. Cozy looked over at the sleeping princess 'I wonder why she didn't just drink this water...'
Her belly rumbled. Cozy found and sorted through a collection of packaged foodstuffs from around the nation. Some were ready to eat straight from the package, others just needed water. Some even required water and a bit of heat to prepare. She left those alone and tore into a package of trail mix similar to her lunch from the previous day.
The light in the cave slowly changed from a cool aqua to a warmer color. Cozy noticed and flew up to the ceiling to investigate. She could barely see light inside the vents, daylight. She figured the sun must be more directly overhead now.
Bored out of her mind, she went back to looking through everything.
* * *
Flurry began to stir. She stretched and yawned.
"Oh, Hi Flurry!" chimed Cozy.
Flurry rubbed her face, " Hi Cozy. Are you doing--" She stopped mid-sentence, looking around the room.
"Oh. I made pictures! do you like them?" asked Cozy.
Flurry looked around. "Umm..."
"Look! There's Me and you. There's me. There's another one of me. That one is you looking like me. Aren't they nice?"
Flurry smiled. Who could be mad at Cozy? "They're very nice, Cozy. Thank you for making them." She looked around at the scraps on the floor. "I see you've found my emergency rations."
"Yup. They were tasty!" smiled Cozy.
Flurry first went to the pond and drank from it. She let out a refreshed sigh and then went over to a pile of stuff, rummaging through it. She put on a hooded cloak she found. "That should do." She tossed one to Cozy.
"Do what?"
"Let's go. Get some real food. I'm starving!"
* * *
*Poof!*
The air was hot and smelled of sulfur, the land barren. There was nothing but mountain rocks and dirt in all directions. Lava flowed from streams and falls from the cliffs.
Cozy looked around, "The Dragon Lands?"
Flurry nodded. "Yep!"
"Why here?" asked Cozy.
"The empire won't come here. Even for me. It's an agreement with the dragon lord. I mean, they can, but only as guests. Same for the dragons; they can visit the empire, but any aggressive behavior can be considered an act of war. We're safe here."
A shadow swept over the land. Flurry ducked behind a large rock, Cozy saw and followed.
"Well almost," whispered Flurry. "Not every dragon has gotten the memo, or cares. When the coast was clear, Flurry stepped back out onto the path. "Come on, we need to make our visit official."
* * *
"Parents still treating you like a little foal, huh?" commented Ember. She sat high up on her throne of stone, holding her staff. "I can relate. ...Had to become Dragon Lord myself to prove father otherwise."
"I don't think that's an option for me, really," said Flurry.
"And what about you, Cozy? Didn't we defeat you at the battle of Canterlot? Yes, I remember. It was the first transfer of power in Equestria in over millennia."
"Um, I'm just along for the ride, your dragoness." Even Cozy was intimidated by Ember's awesome presence. The columns of flame and lava and the circling full-sized dragon guards overhead helped. "I really just want to get back home to Ponyville."
"I see," said Ember.
"And we're hungry," added Flurry. She felt completely comfortable in her hooves. "We will be going to Canterlot."
"We will?" asked Cozy.
Flurry continued, "I need to speak with my aunt, and I was wondering if we could borrow a dragon escort."
"A dragon escort? Well, you are a princess, after all, but I thought you could take care of yourself now."
Flurry scraped at the ground with a forehoof, "Well, I can, usually. But I think the royal crystal guards might be after us."
Ember laughed heartily, "Oh Flurry Heart. Never change. Whatever's got you in trouble now, you must tell me about it sometime."
"So you'll help us? Just name your price, and I'll pay it, or artifact, and I'll find it."
"No, no. I will help you out of friendship, for you, and your Aunt. I too would like to visit, and also see Spike while I am there." Ember waved her staff in the air. The two circling dragon guards swooped in for a landing with an earth-shaking thump that almost knocked Flurry and Cozy off of their hooves. The dragons bowed to ember.
Ember spoke to the dragons, "We will be traveling to Canterlot, It is a mission of goodwill. I will take the lead. Your job will be to carry and protect these two before me."
"Carry?" asked Cozy looking to Flurry.
"Carry?" asked Flurry to Ember.
"Yes, Carry. Unless you want to flap all the way there. I warn you though, even a Wonderbolt will have trouble keeping up with a dragon at speed over this distance. It's lunchtime now, you do want to get there before dinner, correct?" laughed Ember.
"Oh! Right. Yes, we would like to be carried, please!" agreed Flurry.
"Flurry!" whispered Cozy, fear in her voice. "Look at those claws. They're huge! And Sharp!"
Ember once again laughed heartily. "Silly pony."
"A... A loot bag then?" Cozy was worried.
* * *
"This is amazing!" Cozy held on tight, the dragon saddle just a bit too big to hold her completely securely. She called out to Flurry who rode on the other guard dragon "We're moving so fast!"
The dragons flew through the air with grace, speed and power.
"Tell me, Cozy," called out Flurry. "When you woke up today, did you ever think you'd be riding a dragon to lunch?"
Both Cozy and Flurry were all smiles. The wind ripped through their cloaks as they speeded through the sky. Never before had they covered such distance in such short of time. It was something to remember for ages.
"I can't wait to see the look on Astral's face when I tell her about this one!"
* * *
Cozy and Flurry's dragons held a circling pattern over the castle. Ember hovered in the middle.
"Do you think they know we're here?" asked Cozy.
Castle doors opened up as guards marched out, armed with spears and crossbows, lining up into a defensive formation around the castle.
"I think so," answered Ember.
"It's standard procedure. We didn't tell anypony we were coming," explained Flurry, "We should just hold here. They'll send somepony out to talk to us. I'll talk to him."
A familiar-looking purple and green character walked out onto the tower balcony looking up with a pair of binoculars. He then put the binoculars down and raced up to meet them. "Ember!" called out Spike.
"Spike!" replied Ember. They greeted with a chest bump and spike going in for an awkward hug.
"Ugh, I'll never get used to that," said Ember.
"...Or you talk to him," said Flurry, softly.
The two riders hopped off of their circling dragons and flew to the center to meet with Spike.
"Flurry Heart! You're getting so big! Cozy... You're... here," said Spike. "What's the occasion?"
"We're hungry!" said Flurry, enthusiastically.
"Oh, well come on down! We're just finishing up lunch ourselves, but there's still plenty to eat! Join us! I know a special aunt who would love to see you!"
* * *
The garden was peaceful and quiet. The dragon guards could be seen circling overhead. Ponies sat at wire tables eating and chatting happily. Along the wall were rows of tables and portable containers of prepared food set up buffet style. Some were heated while others were chilled depending on the food inside.
"This is a Canterlot royal lunch?" asked Flurry.
"It is now!" said Spike.
Twilight smiled, "It was Spike's idea. Why eat alone in a stuffy empty dining hall, with a table full of food I'd never be able to finish anyway?"
"This way, we help the Canterlot restaurants out by having them cater lunch here. There's less waste, and other ponies can come eat too when they have business at the castle," said Spike as he ate.
"It gives the kitchen staff a break too," said Twilight.
Ember and Cozy returned to the table, plates piled high with at least one or two of every bit of variety on the day's menu. They sat together on their end of the table, digging away at their food.
Twilight watched for a moment with a smile before turning to Flurry, "So. I hear you've been getting into trouble again?" asked Twilight.
"Me? In trouble? No, never!" said Flurry.
"The scroll Spike burped up earlier would say otherwise, bug."
"Oh. Maybe a little," admitted Flurry.
"Maybe a little," agreed Twilight. "Your mother thought you might come here."
"Oh."
"But I'm not going to send you back. They won't come and take you back either. We promise."
Flurry looked up at Twilight. "Are they mad at me?"
"Well, Flurry, they're not too happy about it. But they might be beginning to understand. To be honest, I don't much like it either, but you are becoming your own filly, now. Go home when you are ready to."
"Thanks, auntie."
Twilight looked over at Cozy who was happily stuffing her face. Speaking to Flurry, "Relax, get your fill, and take some to go. You two should then hurry on to Ponyville. I know another certain pony who might be worried sick over this little filly here."
"Actually, auntie... There's one more thing I wanted to talk to you about. It's why I came here, to see you today."
* * *
Flurry explained as she walked alone with Twilight through the statue garden.
"I see," said Twilight. "That is most unfortunate."
"I don't like having to tell on him. But Cozy didn't do anything. She even saved my life yesterday, that's a good thing. But what father is doing is wrong!"
Twilight looked down at Flurry with a raised brow, "She did?"
Flurry looked away sheepishly, "Well, not really. She didn't know who I was yet, but if I was actually in danger, she would have done her best to help me."
"Well, I am glad you came to talk to me about it, Flurry. I had no idea."
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to kill my brother," said Twilight.
Flurry gasped, "Auntie, no!" she took a step back in shock.
Twilight paused and laughed lightly, "No, Flurry. I didn't mean it like that. ...When you have a sibling, you tend to... fight, sometimes. It's a family thing." She sighed. "For you, being an only child has its blessings and its curses. Your parents, they are so strict because you are their only one. They can't lose you. I can't lose you. While I look at you and see my little niece growing up, so big, they see their little baby Flurry, slipping away from them. I will talk to them, both as their family and as their ruler."
"Ok," said Flurry.
"I'll knock some sense into your father too, even if I have to take him to the dungeon and spank him," winked Twilight.
"Flurry giggled. She looked around, "Hey, weren't there a lot more statues around here?"
"Twilight looked around, "Yes, there were. Before moving back to Ponyville and taking young Cozy in full-time, Astral worked to help redeem many of Canterlot's older stone prisoners. Some have paid their due and are free, others, the more difficult ones were moved to a location where they can at least live and eat and learn, and hopefully also earn their freedom. There have been a few that have agreed to live outside of Equestria and never return. Cozy has had so much to teach me, teach us all the real meaning of the elements of harmony, of friendship, so much more than she knows."
They paused reaching the end of the garden, turning to head back when Cozy came up behind them.
"Hey Flurry, Princess Twilight... I just came to let you know the food was--" She looked up and saw the final statue behind Twilight and Flurry, and just paused, falling to her haunches.
Flurry hadn't really been paying attention to the few statues that were left. She turned and saw what it was that could stop Cozy cold so easily.
Queen Chrysalis, reaching out, hissing in anger. Lord Tirek, once strong and powerful, now weak and cowering.
Twilight looked away. She knew what was there, she felt too ashamed to look Cozy in the eye.
Flurry turned to Twilight, "Did, did Astral try..."
Twilight looked down at the ground, "Once."
Flurry walked up to Twilight, touching her wing to hers. "What happened."
"Astral tried her hardest. Some ponies... just don't want to be saved," said Twilight, the sadness in her voice was deep. She cleared her throat, raising her head up high, "Come, Cozy. This is not a place for you, not anymore."
* * *
"It sure was nice of Ember to let us take the dragons to Ponyville!" called out Cozy from her dragon.
"Yeah, she's really cool for a dragon!" called back Flurry. "Where do you want to land?"
Cozy scanned the ground for a good spot. "Everything looks so tiny!" she commented. "There! That dirt field! That should be big enough."
They circled around making a slow descent when Cozy noticed a small dust cloud right in the middle of their landing zone. She squinted trying to get a better look before realizing what she was looking at. "...That little ponut. He still hasn't learned." She pulled back on her dragon, up into the air.
"Change of plans?" called out Flurry.
"New plan." She pat her dragon on the back before hopping off and flying to Flurry, nearly missing. Flurry reached out and grabbed Cozy just in time. Cozy's dragon flew alongside Flurry's dragon keeping pace while Cozy explained the situation.
* * *
"What do you say, Tenderhoof? A tail for a tail?" asked Allen as he stepped menacingly towards the downed colt, Allen's henchponies holding him down.
"I didn't do anything to you! I don't have your tail, just leave me in peace!" Begged Tenderhoof.
"Oh, we'll leave you in pieces, alright. Crazy Glue isn't around to save you this time. First, let's lose the boots, you frea-"
From above, seemingly out of nowhere, Cozy came down on Allen right in the side, hard enough to knock him down and send him sliding. "You were saying?" asked Cozy, landing in between Tenderhoof and Allen. Her head was low, eyes forward and wings up. She was ready to pounce. Her eyes seemed to glow with fire as a shadow crept over and covered the land.
Allen rose to his hooves, dusting himself off. "puh.. You don't scare me, Crazy Glue."
"Uh... Boss?" said one of Allen's friends holding Tender, a deep nervousness in his voice.
"Only one pony can call me that," growled Cozy. "Now how about you let my friend here go before I show you what Crazy can really do?"
"Get lost, small stuff. This doesn't concern you!" ordered Allen.
"Boss! I think we should scram!" said the other pony who was helping hold Tender down.
Allen marched past Cozy towards Tender. "Nopony's going anywhere!" demanded Allen to his friends.
"Oh Allen, you're right about one thing," said Cozy as she slowly turned to face him.
Fire rained down from the heavens surrounding them in a large ring of flames.
"What the..." asked Allen, looking up just as an enormous dragon swooped past, doubling back and landing behind Cozy, shaking the ground and the ponies to the core. In his shock, Allen began to trickle a bit of embarrassment that collect in a puddle under him at his hooves.
Cozy looked, "Oh Golly... Allen..." She smiled deviously. "Hey, Boots! Would you mind joining me and my friend here?"
Allen's friends released Tender and even helped to dust him off. Tender quickly trotted over to Cozy, standing behind her, making sure to step around Allen's puddle. Cozy pulled Tender to stand right beside her, head to head.
"Boss... what do we do? Boss?" The gang grouped up with Allen, but Allen was too stiff with freight. to do more than shake in his hooves while staring at the dragon behind Cozy.
"Now that I have your attention... Let's say we make a deal," offered Cozy. "You and your friends leave boots here alone, and me and my friends will leave you alone."
Allen snapped out of his daze and shook his head. "I'll get you for this, Crazy!"
Cozy sighed and stomped a hoof on the ground.
A second full-sized dragon landed hard behind Allen and his group, the sheer force of the thud in such close proximity knocked Allen down into his own puddle as well as the rest of his group onto the ground.
"New deal." offered Cozy. "Same as before, but now you have to now refer to me as the great and powerful."
Tender whispered in Cozy's ear.
"Oh," said Cozy. "Then the same deal as before, but don't call me Crazy. And I do suggest you take it this time."
"Uh... Yeah. Sure. Deal!" said Allen, growing incredibly nervous.
Flurry hopped off of the second dragon, gliding down and landing in the space between the two. She pulled the hood of her cloak back, revealing herself to the ponies.
"Princess Flurry Heart!" whispered Allen's friends to each other, bowing down. "Allen, she's a princess!" said one of them, tugging on his soggy hoof.
"This isn't the Crystal Empire," he said.
The princess spoke with confidence, "No, but do you really want to make this an international incident? Dragons, the Crystal Empire, Ponyville which falls under Canterlot... Things are about to get real messy for you if you don't make the right decisions here, Tailless."
Allen furrowed his brow, bowing down grudgingly, "Your highness," he said through gritted teeth.
"Very well. I hereby decree and make official and binding this deal struck here on this day, set now and forever that Allen and his friends will ... uh... will... Back off!" announced Flurry, sending a bolt of magic into the sky, exploding like a firework, sprinkling magical stars down. She looked down at Allen, "...Or else!" she said with a stomp of her hoof.
The two guard dragons took deep breaths and simultaneously roared into the sky, a sound heard all the way from Canterlot. Allen and his friends turned pale white and fainted. Cozy and Flurry fell to the ground, rolling around in laughter.
* * *
The flames were put out, and Cozy and Flurry waved farewell to the dragons as they headed back home. Tender was still shakey from the experience.
"Hey, um, Crazy?"
"Yeah, Boots?"
"Did you um, Did you really mean it back there?"
"Mean what?" Cozy turned to face Tender.
"When you called me your friend. Did you really mean it?"
Flurry smiled big at the two of them.
Cozy glanced to flurry, then back to Tender, extending her wing to his back. "Yeah. Friends."
Flurry sat back on her haunches, clopping her hooves together, "Yay!"
Cozy turned to Flurry, "...Did YOU really mean it back there?"
"Mean what?" asked Flurry.
"About making it official? Can you really do that?"
Flurry shrugged.
* * *
The three sat on a hilltop under a large tree, watching the sun reach the horizon. They snacked on the last of the outpost trail mix and jerky.
"So you're home, now," said Flurry. "Just like I said you'd be. "Are you glad I made the train leave early?"
Cozy went slackjawed, turning to Flurry, "You what?!?"
"How else was I going to get you all to myself for a few days?"
Cozy was speechless.
"Relax! I had it all planned out! ...Except for that thing on the bridge. Or you getting arrested. ...Or the trip to the dragon lands, but you gotta admit it was worth it to ride a dragon. ...And I didn't think we'd be visiting auntie Twilight today."
"Cozy threw a nut at Flurry, "You could have just asked!"
"Yeah," replied Flurry. "But this seemed better."
The sun began to touch the horizon and dip below.
"What are you going to do next?" asked Cozy.
Flurry shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'll go home for a little bit. Mom and dad do seem to worry a lot."
Cozy nodded.
The sun's trip for the day was almost complete. Lanterns were beginning to light up around town as seen from the hilltop. The first stars were beginning to make their appearance in the sky. Tenderhoof sat quietly next to his best friend, enjoying the cool evening air along with the view.
"One more," said Cozy, softly.
Flurry barely caught it. "Huh?"
"Night," said Cozy. "Before you go. Before it's all over, and everything goes back to normal. Just one more, under the stars. Boots should join us too."
Flurry smiled. "You know? I saw a perfect little cloud not too far from here."
"Thanks, Flurry. For everything."
"It wouldn't have been an adventure without you."