The Ideal Cozy

Down The Hall

Before Feather could manage a response, Starlight had already harnessed the light in her horn and whisked themselves before the front of the Canterlot castle. The moment was so instant that Feather flinched and fell to the cobblestone floor.

"Get up," Starlight said. "You want to get your answers, don't you?"

Feather picked himself and swept away mild dust that collected upon his coat. "You could have at least warned me before deciding to teleport a pony."

"I don't have a lot of time," Starlight argued. "And this is the last place I would want to be right now. So I just want to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"We can't just waltz in there and expect the princess to talk with us," Feather said. "There's a matter of request and scheduling that would have to take place."

"She'll make time," Starlight stated. "I know she's been wanting to talk with me for a long time now."

At the brink of daylight, she and Featherweight approached the entrance of the castle. He was anxious about being turned away given their lack of reservation.

However, the royal guards were quite lax about their entry. In fact, they seemed joyous to see Starlight enter the halls of the castle. It was a rather cautious joy going by their nervous smiles.

Their walk to the throne room was unnervingly quiet. Starlight hastened her walk towards the end of the hall. Feather hardly had time to observe the grand furnishings that he could only afford with a full year of his salary.

A large door blocked their path. Within it was the throne where their Princess lied.

Guarding the door was a stallion and griffon, clamored in pearl toned armor. The blue griffon that initially bore an indifferent face, gaped astonished when he noted Feather and Starlight.

"Headmare Starlight," the griffon voiced. "What're you doing here?"

"Hello Gallus," Starlight greeted him. "I'm here on a short errand. I'm hoping that this doesn't take long."

"Oh...well, it was great to see you again. I don't really get that many opportunities to leave Canterlot. Being the Princess's personal guard takes up a lot of my availability."

"I know," Starlight said. "And I'm sorry."

"Yeah..."

The atmosphere somehow felt melancholic. Feather could sense an undertone of drama. There was a deeper conversation going on that felt completely out of the loop. How many times will they do this before he's finally let in!?

"Well, I guess I should let you finish your errand," Gallus said. "I'm sure Twilight will be grateful for it, I hope." At Gallus's nod, he and the stallion with him stepped aside from the large door.

Without another word, Starlight entered the chamber and so Feather followed. A long scarlet rug extended through the center of the chamber and led to the throne of the Princess.

There she was. His regal majesty stood aloof amongst the two on her throne chair. Her tall stature and starry mane was a mesmerizing sight that he never figured to see up close. The years have certainly made a stark change from how Feather remembered her back when he was a young colt.

The Princess unfurled her wings. She appeared to want to say something, but her mouth splayed open long before she finally spoke, "Starlight, you've come."

"Hello Princess," Starlight greeted her with a monotonous voice. From Feather's short experience with this, he could detect a hint of poison from in her words. "I have a pony that is in need of your audience."

"Featherweight," Twilight observed him. He was rather surprised that the Princess of Equestria could recall the name of somepony as irrelevant as him.

"He has many questions pertaining to Cozy Glow," Starlight voiced. "I figured that you were the best suited to answer them."

"Cozy," Twilight voiced, though not in the tone one would define of fascination. Her eyes arched upon Feather fitting of strong royalty. It shook fear into Feather's heart as it felt the incessant need to step away from the situation. "I see." The Princess closed her eyes. At least that gave him a moment of calm.

"Good," Starlight said, sharing no sign of anxiety as Feather had. "Then I'll leave you to the matter. I have my own duties to attend to."

"Starlight, wait," the Princess's eyes gaped open and raised a hoof toward the two of them. "There's no need to leave so soon. Why not stick around? It's been so long since the last time we've talked."

"And the reason for that should be obvious," Starlight pointed out. Her concealed poison was naked within her voice now.

"Please, Starlight," the Princess urged. "If only for a spare moment, that is all I will ask."

"How can you stand there and ask that of me?" Starlight glared at the Princess. An act out of line toward royalty that made Feather fearful standing by the headmare's side. "Every day I'm always confronted with it. And now you have me be compliant to fiddle with this pony's emotions."

"That's not what we're doing," the Princess retorted. "What he feels is genuine and I believe it's the same for her."

"Sure," Starlight said. "Just keep telling yourself that."

"Starlight, all I ask is for your time. We both need this."

"...Take responsibility, and maybe I'll consider it."

"Thank you, Starlight," the Princess smiled. She then descended upon her throne and strode past the two. Feather looked back to see the Princess. Their gaze met and she spoke, "Come with me, I'm sure you have much you would like to discuss."