Sugarcube Corner was the designated meetup spot after school, and Cozy got there late. Her instructions were that she was supposed to catch up with Sunset after classes to be introduced to more of the human world. But Cozy wasn’t in a rush – there was something to be said for basking in a plan well executed and enjoying the victory. It had been a while since she’d been able to do that. The Rainbooms would be there waiting no matter how long she took.

They were. That all seven greeted her entrance with cold stares and crossed arms was an ill omen.

But this was hardly the toughest crowd Cozy had faced, and her gormless cheerful grin didn’t falter. “Hiya there, friends! Golly, what a crazy first day!”

Applejack’s eyes bored into Cozy’s skull. “Weren’t ya supposed ta be comin’ here with my sister?”

The first hint of trouble itched at the back of Cozy’s mind. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t find them after class. I thought maybe they came here first!”

Rarity raised her phone, inspected the screen for a moment, and turned it towards Cozy. “They did not. I expect then that the text from my mother that Sweetie Belle has been given detention for a month because she and her friends were caught stealing test answers is somehow unrelated to you?”

Oh, right. Instant communication across any distance. That was a thing here. Cozy gasped loudly, not giving up even though she knew she was in trouble. “They did what? Oh dear oh my, what ever could have made them do something like that?”

Normally it would have been Rainbow Dash that took up the next part on behalf of Scootaloo, but she didn’t seem in much of a mood to talk. Just glare angrily at Cozy, lips curled into a snarl.

Instead, it was Sunset. “You can drop the act, Cozy Glow. I already told them about your past.”

The younger girl twitched, almost breaking character as her anger boiled to the top. “Awww, Sunset. I thought you promised you wouldn’t ruin my chances at friendship by saying mean things.” Cozy frowned extra-wide. She considered some tears, but those might be needed later.

Sunset kept her arms crossed and expression stony. “I said it wouldn’t be the first thing I told them about you, but I did say I’d let them know. And now they know everything.”

“Eeeeverything?” Cozy batted her eyes playfully, knowing for certain that Sunset didn’t know all of what was planned. She couldn’t.

With a frustrated sigh, Sunset stood and grabbed Cozy’s hand. There was a momentary flash of white in her eyes, followed by a smirk. “Her plan was to trick other students into doing things so she could rat them out. She’d make herself Mr. Doodle’s prize stool pigeon, and use him to get into Principal Celestia’s good graces. Then she’d have access to Celestia’s office so she could open the portal, sneak back to Equestria and disappear into one of the bigger cities to plan her revenge.”

The other six shifted uneasily – the raw, smug sarcasm that dripped from Sunset was a worryingly familiar to how she had been before the Formal. “Not bad. Deductions for your plan being so simple – the whole thing’s pretty low effort. And you made a rookie mistake by not checking your end goal and just assuming Principal Celestia had control of the portal. Eff-Why-Eye, it only opens from the other side and nobody but me can communicate back to Equestria and ask them to open it.” She paused, tapping her chin in mocking thought. “But more complicated isn’t always better, and you get bonus points for taking the initiative and launching your first attempt less than twenty-four hours after coming into the dimension. Six out of ten.”

Sunset stepped back from Cozy and mimed dropping the mic.

Cozy Glow didn’t get that part at all.

Not that it would have mattered if she did – Cozy was too busy being absolutely livid that Sunset somehow knew everything and was condescending enough to actually grade her on her escape plan. “How did you just—”

“Time to put the cards on the table.” Sunset gave a little nod to the other girls – they nodded back. “So, you remember how I told you that this dimension’s got no native magic? Well, it doesn’t. All the magic here leaked in from Equestria. Or it was put here on purpose – that portal’s been used as a dump for Equestrian criminals and dangerous artifacts for a long time. Most of it doesn’t matter right now, except these.” She took the gem on her necklace between her fingers, holding it out slightly. “These geodes are this dimension’s versions of the Elements of Harmony. Mine lets me see your memories.”

The others knew their cue. Seven girls glowed with a bright light – hair lengthened and pony ears sprouted from their heads. Nobody else in Sugarcube Corner batted an eye.

Until Cozy Glow started screaming.

“NO. NO! <span class="caps">THIS</span> IS <span class="caps">NOT</span> <span class="caps">HAPPENING</span>.” She let out a ragged, primal screech. “<span class="caps">YOU</span> <span class="caps">CAN</span>’T DO <span class="caps">THIS</span> TO ME! I’M <span class="caps">SMARTER</span> <span class="caps">THAN</span> <span class="caps">YOU</span>, <span class="caps">THIS</span> IS <span class="caps">CHEATING</span>! <span class="caps">YOU</span> <span class="caps">CAN</span>’T <span class="caps">BEAT</span> ME! IT <span class="caps">ISN</span>’T <span class="caps">FAIR</span>!” Cozy’s saccharine persona disintegrated as she dropped to the floor and flailed. Now the rest of Sugarcube Corner was paying attention, and decided it was time to finish their coffee elsewhere. It looked like Those Girls were up to something again, and nobody wanted to be too close.

The seven girls waited it out, letting Cozy exhaust herself. It took several minutes, but eventually the energy of her tantrum simply ran out and left her in a panting heap on the floor.

“That was half the reason I was asked to take care of you, Cozy Glow.” Sunset crouched beside her charge. “You can’t trick me. You can’t get a plan past me. Every time something seems off, or I suspect you’re up to something, or you just seem too smug? All I have to do is touch you and I’ll know everything.”

History repeated itself. Cozy looked up at Sunset from a heap on the floor, eyes red and tired. “So you are my jailor.”