The Ideal Cozy

Reformation

Feather followed Princess Twilight into the luscious gardens of the castle. Despite how breathtaking the air and elegance of exotic plants he has never known to exist, his priorities were dead set upon the Princess.

He wanted to say something, but all he could manage was to follow behind his Princess. Her flowing mane stretched above him, casting a shadow that hid his face from the beaming sun.

His vigor was ample with a pressure that pushed him down. He had grown tiresome of the silence the two shared, but couldn't push through his anxiety to break it.

He needed her to speak.

Instead, Princess Twilight stopped. Her gaze met upon a statue, laid in the center of her gardens.

It was them. The infamous duo that had once spread disharmony through the stretches of Equestria. To see them up close was an appalling surprise that he never yearned for.

The rage that coursed through the former changeling queen made him uneasy to approach her. From what he had learned, this creature was plagued with too much pride and ego that should smite upon those that dare threaten it. He could never come close to fathom the rage that she must have stored over the decades.

And the feeble minotaur that desperately tried to himself was a pitiful sight. This creature infected his Cozy with his greed and nearly ruined her from becoming the mare he loved today. Though Feather held spite for this minotaur, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the fate the minotaur led himself to.

Both were misguided souls that lost their chance for happiness.

"These were the creatures that Cozy paired herself with long ago," Princess Twilight began. "They have wreaked havoc upon our land on numerous occasions. And upon each time, we would have to rise and put a stop to their evil. But I'm certain you're well aware of that already."

"Yes Princess," Feather nodded. "I'm certain every creature is aware of her association with them. Though, it's still so hard to imagine how she ever grouped herself with them. Not after knowing the pony she is now."

"I was saddened to learn of her true colors," Twilight confessed. "Never had I seen a pony lust for friendship for the sake of power. It was disturbing. And what's worse is that never took notice of it. I wonder if this was what Celestia felt long ago."

"But you succeeded in mending her from her evil ways," Feather argued. "She's now a happy mare that educates young creatures on the true aspects of friendships. At least, that's what I want to believe."

"And what is it that makes you believe otherwise?" Twilight asked.

"It's from how she describes herself," Feather answered. "She talks about serving a role and purpose as if she is a tool. It's even stranger when all of her co-workers are so dismissive of it and she shows no issue with it at all."

"I see. And what of her students?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. She's like the perfect teacher as I always imagined her to be and her students know that for themselves."

"She has a talent for being an inspiration to others," Twilight said. "It's one of her qualities that I found to be the most valuable about her."

"...Princess Twilight," Feather started. He was going to do it now. No more deflections, no more walkarounds. Just the truth. "I've been wondering about something for quite some time. How exactly did you manage to redeem Cozy Glow?"

The Princess didn't meet his gaze when he finally asked that question. Her eyes were heavily set upon the statues. They were dull and lifeless.

And then they sprouted back to life when she met Feather's again. "Cozy Glow," Twilight began. "Was a very unique matter that bore all sorts of conundrums to resolve. Her outlook upon friendship was the antithesis to my own. Trying to change her was the same as trying to invert a creature from your opposite political spectrum. And then there were her parents that added on to the task."