Black and White
A heavy mist relished the air, just above the ground and around her hooves. It was a cold and rather quiet morning, the atmosphere adding to her growing anxiety.
Starlight was not usually one to feel apprehensive or uneasy about the meeting of new ponies. In fact, she had already heard quite a bit about this particular character. Not just word from mouth, but from documents and history too as she recounted the notes that she had packed.
She cantered out of the castle and rechecked to see if everything had been packed correctly, rolling her eyes at the thought of Twilight’s old habits which had seemingly been passed onto her.
That morning, the pastel purple unicorn was not heading to her school, she was instead on a different sort of mission. She stopped by the hot-air balloon and gazed up to the great city that should have been visible in the sky... The fog was too thick. But not to worry, she thought to herself as she idly paid the balloon mare for her quick ride up. The weather was nothing to be put off by! And so holding her head high and taking a deep breath, she took herself up and out of that heavy fog and into the sky where the beautiful city of Cloudsdale began to reveal itself.
Sadly, the beauty of the city was not something to be distracted by this time. She had strict instructions, a strict time schedule and a demanding pressure at the back of her conscious.
This was not something she could mess up.
The weather factory was where the pony apparently worked. She had already booked in early so she could be seen before its gates opened to the general public. Schedules had been made for this particular -and usually very busy- pony to have time for an independent meeting before he got back down to work with making preparations for the next hail storm scheduled for Canterlot. As Starlight looked back to her notes, it was clear this pony had a high and very important role in the business of the weather factory.
“Miss Starlight Glimmer! We have been expecting you! Come right this way!” A pegasus receptionist glided over to Starlight as soon as she spotted her coming through the door, kindly offering a hoof. Starlight went to shake it, clumsily dropping a few of her notes onto the floor in the process.
“Thank you for arranging the appointment for me,” she smiled, hastily stuffing the papers back into her bag. “I will try to keep my visit as brief as I can.”
“It’s not a problem. As long as it rains on time, we’re all A-okay! We have quite a big hail storm scheduled for later on.”
“So I heard.”
She then followed the mare through a series of corridors while burying her anxiety. At this point she just had to bite the bullet.
The mission wasn’t a task by Twilight this time. After a year of her latest teacher easing into her new profession, occasionally a subject had been brought up. As the new headmare, she realised that there was something else she wanted to get to the bottom of. Twilight began the mission and, for a time, it had been regarded as a success and an accomplishment. That is all but--
The pegasus mare knocked on the door thrice. The strange quick yet mechanical rhythm of the knock caught Starlight off guard for a moment.
“Enter.” A voice came from behind the door.
It swung open, the mare giving a quick apologetic bow of the head.
“Your guest is here, sir.” She smiled to Starlight and then left the room, closing the door gently behind her.
“Ah, so you are the pony who made the appointment...” A stallion pegasus looked up from his paperwork on his desk and glanced over to her, analysing her head to hoof. “...You are a unicorn?”
Starlight’s anxiety almost washed away as fast as it swept upon her earlier. In front of her was just... a pegasus.
His body was a pale sky blue with a stripped mane, wishy-washy hues of greys and darker blues. His face was painted with freckles and Starlight felt struck by the resemblance he shared with his daughter! Well, all but his colour and the glasses that sat neatly upon his nose. And she felt struck by how passive his demeanour was.
...Especially when she had been warned otherwise, after the few times they had spoken about him in the teachers’ lounge.
“Oh! Uh, just a spell to be able to walk on clouds. Its nothing.” Starlight couldn’t help but smirk just a little. She didn’t want to boast but she gave in to the ego... Just a little. “Fairly simple for a unicorn my level.”
The stallion smiled back, an eyebrow arched.
“Impressive skills then, I assume.” With his hooves he scooped up his paperwork and placed it neatly in a tray, tucking the corners so they would not overlap. He then patted it into place in a strange rhythmic pattern of three taps, an unusual quirk that Starlight had observed for a second time now.
“So, what can a mere head of the weather factory pegasus pony do to help such a highly skilled unicorn such as yourself?”
The charm was conflicting. Starlight was almost disappointed that she would need to break the mood. She rubbed the back of her neck, eyes shifting around the room as she pursed her lips. There was a hesitation until she grounded herself once more, something that felt hard to do in the clouds.
She then cleared her throat.
“Mr Glow, my name is Starlight Glimmer, and I am headmare at Princess Twilight’s School of Friendship. I am actually here to talk about your daughter who was there for a while during my time as student counsellor.” She stepped forwards without looking up, eyeing a chair opposite his desk instead. “Please may I take a seat?”
“...Of course,” He gestured to the seat. “And yes... I heard of the sort when she was sentenced to Tartarus. I was so sad to hear that she lost her opportunities like that so soon.” The stallion leaned his elbows on the table, pressed his hooves together and rested his chin on them, a meaningful frown painted across his face. “It was such a shame that she followed her mother’s hoofsteps there. My daughter Cosy Glow had such great potential as a hard worker. She won’t be forgotten.”
Starlight bit her tongue at the mention of Cosy Glow’s mother. Little did he know that she was no longer cooped up in that awful room at the psychiatric facility; little did he know that she had come to terms with the way she had been used in Cosy’s game play, seen as a weak player. No. She had moved on. She still held a deep sadness that she would miss the chance to see her daughter grow and bloom with a ‘lesson learnt’ ending... but she had accepted that her daughter chose her path and it wasn’t to be. Not for now. Perhaps not even ever...
Mrs Glow had discovered that she needed to move on herself to step out of the past.
That discovery led to hope and a spark of happiness once more; that discovery led her to the opportunity of a lifetime. She became a teacher and she now taught those around to keep moving and keep self-care, no matter what as self-love is a vital key for maintaining healthy friendships, as well as understanding what a true friend is.
For a moment Starlight reminisced on the growth of Mrs Glow. It shouldn’t have shocked her that Mr Glow would have had tensions with Mrs Glow, she had heard the marriage wasn’t the happiest, but she couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled by his un-phased manner towards his once wife... that and the fact he only seemed to mention about Cosy’s potential rather than emotional welfare.
...Perhaps the counsellor Starlight was just protesting in mind.
“I can gladly say that Mrs Glow has moved on from things now.”
Mr Glow leaned back in his chair. He gave a light chuckle and raised an eyebrow.
“I’m surprised.”
“Excuse me?” She almost found it hard to tell if he was being sarcastic or truthful.
“Mrs Glow had issues from the very start. Her personality was always unstable and volatile, violent outbursts here and there... over emotional, over sensitive... over dramatic... and of course, her downfall being that of a mare who could not say boo to a goose.”
“I don’t quite follow you, Mr Glow. Mrs Glow has proven herself to be quite capable and--”
“My ex-wife had no boundaries. And just because she plays victim, it does not make her a saint. But Starlight Glimmer, we are not here to discuss her. Are we not here to discuss my daughter?”
His response was so sudden yet smooth. His levelheadedness in such a discussion ignited her with a fire... she already began to understand it.
This stallion was clever. This stallion was playing her to agitate her. She was told some wise words before she left for this task, and she took a moment to remind herself of them: don’t get in the ring. Don’t get off subject. He will enjoy it.
He IS enjoying it!
But she shivered as she realised, and what frightened her most, was that she enjoyed the strange thrill of getting angry. It was a response that helped her feel as though she would win the game. She wanted to bite back; she wanted to prove herself as a pony that should not be messed with! SHE wanted to win.
But he could see that and she had to take a breath to stop and once again lower her position in the game.
“Yes...” she finally said, taking a deep breath. “Yes, we are here to discuss Cosy Glow. Not Mrs Glow.” Starlight then with her magic began to take out a few of her notes, realising that she was shaking even with the grip of her magic.
Why was this stallion calm? Why was it she felt as though she wanted to argue with him? She had barely even begun and she already felt a fool in front of him, knowing she could not banter back!
Yes... that was it. She felt a fool. She had been provoked.
She took another deep breath. One step at a time! Her mind reeled back to her preparations. She was glad she had been warned to now be taking the time to think.
“I have a few questions here. Would you be prepared to answer them?”
“That would depend on what they are.”
“What made you decide to sign the form to enroll her into the school of Friendship? Reports read and explain that Cosy was an exceptional star pupil in her original school. Accounts of bullying by her had not been on record and weren’t seen, and it states verbatim on her last school report from the Cloudsdale Primary School for Pegasi...” she rifled through some papers before finding the right one, “Mother presses the matter that Cosy Glow’s social skills are not adequate or appropriate in home life. Father disagrees and reports have been taken about the tension and concerns between father and over protective mother. The school wish to investigate her home life with the mother but have otherwise assured her father, who agrees conclusively, that Cosy Glow is otherwise thriving and doing well at the school and is ready to continue studies into her next year.”
Starlight almost slammed the paper down onto the desk, leaving the copy of the paper for Mr Glow to take a look. He looked down at it for a moment but did not pick it up. His eyes fixed back placidly to the mare sat in front of him.
"Did you lie to her previous school!?"
“Are you trying to interrogate me? After everything I’ve been through as it is?”
Starlight once again felt lured into the ring, a flaring temper ready to punch him back.
Other ponies may have felt sorry for him after hearing those words, but Starlight knew. She knew what Cosy did. She saw the state her mother had been in. And of course, Starlight herself had been a master at manipulation herself in the past. She knew the tricks.
“Will you answer my questions or not!? What made you sign the form when you agreed that her current school was fine for her!?”
He laughed quietly and airily, rolling his eyes a little.
“Calm down, all what happened is Cosy wanted to go there. Why would I not accept an opportunity like that for her? A school run by the Princess of Friendship had opened its gates. Success was around the corner for her. It’s just unfortunate that the school was unable to provide her the right guidance to stir her into that success. She could have achieved but do you not think perhaps the school failed her on that part too? I understand you are upset over it but she was a child after all.”
Starlight’s heart almost sunk... it was true, she had often blamed herself, and so had Twilight. But Cosy knew between the right and wrong! Cosy constantly took delight in the wrong doings and used what good she learnt for her own power! Hurting other ponies in the process –including her mother- was wrong and Cosy was still able to have a second chance in the future with the fate of being stuck in time, locked in stone if--
...No.
No. This was another distraction.
Starlight retraced her steps. The questions had been turned around to her instead.
No. She wouldn’t play it like this.
“Don’t turn this around. As a father, you had a responsibility--”
“My responsibility was to work and gain an income when Mrs Glow couldn’t. She was too depressed and mentally messed up from the start to even get a job after Cosy was born. It was on me to keep money coming in and Mrs Glow was another burden constantly trying to disturb the status quo of things, including taking my money and disabling our daughter by labeling her when she was a perfectly normal child. You’re a headmare, surly you of all ponies understand the heavy workload that is thrown upon you? It’s hard for ponies like you and I to manage everything and keep earning so we don’t fall under.”
He sympathised with her?-- No. He was turning this back to Starlight. Again.
“I understand the stresses of heavy workload, but--"
“But on top of my workload, I am still processing the loss of my daughter. It has been difficult for us all, I am sure. But if you have come here just to throw accusations at me, then I will not respond to the things I do not like to hear; be thankful that I have answered thus far, because in the positions we are both in, I am not obligated to answer anything. You were not even her teacher back then.”
She wracked her brain –and quickly!- to try and find a solution to work around this game play and before her time ran out! It was becoming complicated to get a simple answer, and she knew it would lead into a different conversation altogether. She had questions waiting and they needed answering. She couldn’t lose this opportunity!
She quickly glanced around the room, searching for some sort of inspiration when her eyes suddenly settled upon something on a shelf nearby.
“Mr Glow...”
“Starlight Glimmer.”
“I have heard rumours that you used to play chess?”
His ears perked up. A response of surprise. The first physical response that seemed natural and... quick.
“I did and still do play a good game of chess from time to time.” He adjusted his glasses and gave his chin a rub, perhaps thinking back to the many games he had won.
“Well, it turns out I’m a pretty good player myself,” she lied, glancing up quickly. She almost saw a look of emotion through his façade...
Fear.
“I challenge you to a game of chess. Here and now. Every piece I take of yours, I ask a question and you have to answer as an answer. And no answering with questions! Just an answer. A yes or no or a real explanation. Every piece you take of mine—well, ask me anything you wish back. One question per piece.”
His emotions were hidden once more, all but a calm and very convincing genuine smile upon his face.
“Do you accept?”
“Why would I accept your little ploy to keep pressing questions at me?” he laughed lightly through his teeth, one eyebrow arched as he looked down at her ridiculous on-the-spot and desperate plan to keep the conversation going.
“Because I know that you enjoy competitions and winning.” She spoke the words slow and smoothly, savouring her quick answer like a treat.
He thought about it... and then smiled again, warmly.
“Sure. I accept. I enjoy chess and I haven’t played in a while anyway.”
He then stood up, heading towards a large shelf in the office and for the first time Starlight noticed his cutie mark: a king chess piece.
Uhh, perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to challenge a game of chess when that seemed to be his special talent! But loser or not, she would be able to get some questions hopefully answered.
He took a chess set box off the shelf and placed it onto the table. Starlight helped set the game up, her magic quickening the pace to set the game and put pieces in place.
Her incredible skill and impressive speed with her magic made her want to show off before her inevitable failure for the upcoming game, and she straightened herself, giving a quick glace over to Mr Glow as she finished it before he could even attempt to beat that skill in any sort of way.
She felt a streak of competitiveness and smirked herself. If she was not going to win the game, she at least wanted to boast her talent, and the expense of her own power was one worth boasting to a pony like this one.
He raised an eyebrow skeptically, smirking back... and then tucked in a chess piece that she had placed down, nudging it just a millimetre into the line of the black square on the board so it did not overlap.
Ready!
“Black or White?” Starlight’s question was simple and yet the stallion still held his smile.
“I am a very black and white pony, so I’ll be generous.” With a hoof he turned the board around. The white pieces now faced Starlight. “White goes first. Feel free to take the first move. You are wanting the questions after all.”
Starlight wasn’t quite sure what to think or how to make her first move. It had been years since she last played a game. When she was young, Sunburst would usually be the winner, but the two soon moved on from chess to play other games like checkers or kite flying. Chess was too intense for her liking.
Her pawn skidded across the board.
There was a silence between them as pieces continued to shuffle and move across as they both took their turns. A series of tense moves as she felt threatened by Mr Glow’s responses which were quick. Very quick.
After about a minute into the game, a slow process on her part, he suddenly swiped away her Bishop. The sudden swift movement of his hoof caught her off guard as he calmly dropped it to his side of the table and off the board.
Starlight scanned the board desperately suddenly noticing his Bishop also ready for the taking. With her magic she lifted a piece when--
Mr Glow put a hoof on the piece she was about to take.
“I believe that this is my turn to ask you a question.” It was a statement. Starlight opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. He was right. That was the deal. And so she sat back, releasing the magic and gave a small serious nod. She cleared her throat and tried to regain a professional demeanour.
“I have heard much great things about your school... am I right in thinking the school is a wonderful place for students to study, learn and progress with life?” His tone was genuinely curious and his smile seemed warm.
Keep professional, Starlight reminded herself.
“Well... as all schools are, but we aim to teach our pupils about the elements of friendship, expanding their social skills and how to accept diversity as we enter the new era of Twilight’s reign.”
“...That’s great to hear, then.” His response confused her. She was unsure how long she was staring or what look she gave because shortly after, his eyes aimed to the board and back to her, silently reminding her they were still in game.
“Oh! Right, right...” she awkwardly mumbled.
She remembered her move and quickly took his piece.
“So, why did you stay with Mrs Glow for as long as you did? Why did you not consider divorce in order to prevent and protect Cosy from witnessing your arguments and issues with Mrs Glow!?”
He gave a sigh, his eyes almost fluttering as they rolled and he shook his head.
“So that is what the mother tells you, hmm...”
“The game won’t continue until you answer this. Cosy’s manner stems from you. I have already worked much with Mrs Glow and it is time I ask you the same questions to hear your side.”
“The mare was in a state. She needed me. And I felt sorry for her. She was desperate. We did consider divorce when she nearly jeopardised my whole career with the Weather Factory. But a divorce would ultimately be ludicrously expensive and I am not exactly made of money. She and Cosy were expensive enough. I gave into her demands.”
Liar.
Starlight frowned, took out a piece of parchment and wrote it down. She was unsure how to take that all in. He was so matter-of-fact about it. He seemed so unemotional and yet charming all the same... he was black and white with the logistics of things.
The next move on the chess board was made... a few turns, a few shuffles and taps...
Another piece of hers was taken.
“Did Mrs Glow send you here?”
Starlight shook her head side to side, almost afraid that he wouldn’t believe her. She had indeed mentioned about the mission but never had she encouraged it. If anything she expressed how fearful she was, constantly pressing on the matter that all her old friends from Cloudsdale used to ‘side’ with him. She explained that he would lie but not like a normal lie; a truth that did not tell the story in full like a half painted picture. She also felt threatened over the fact that he had hurt her in many confusing ways that she could not comprehend or feel able to fully explain... but she almost begged for Starlight not to take his word on everything.
Mrs Glow called him a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Mrs Glow said that Cosy became alike to him, especially towards the end.
Starlight reassured her that nothing will change from her trip and that she would not let him know where she was. She understood that he was part of her past that traumatised her, part of the reason she ended up in hospital for as long as she did. And when Cosy began her misbehaviour towards her, Mrs Glow was absolute that Mr Glow had condoned, if not helped inspired and encouraged it to begin with. And when Mrs Glow went to discipline her daughter for fair reasons, Mr Glow would discipline Mrs Glow with words that cut and stuck, to the point she was scarred and led to believe them in the back of her mind.
The mind games were endless. But if he could do it to his wife, then he could do it to anyone.
“No.” Her answer was short and simple. He didn’t need the reason for the answer. A simple no was enough.
He raised his eyebrows.
“I see.”
Turns continued to be made—she found another opening to take one of his pieces!
Snatch. Swipe. Tap.
“Mr Glow, what made you condone Cosy's behaviour? She was in the wrong and you helped encouraged it.”
“What makes you think you have the right to say that?” he snapped a little.
“The rule was to answer without questions, Mr Glow.”
She could have screamed checkmate in her head at that moment just to celebrate her second quick response. But sadly the feeling was short lived.
“Well, I certainly don’t believe anyone has the right to assume that when they weren’t even there. Mrs Glow was the one to mostly raise her while I was at work on long shifts all the time. Mrs Glow was the one to condone behaviours, all the while blaming it on how ‘something wasn’t right with Cosy' or ‘Cosy needs this support or that support' which, don’t you think, would not only disallow her to grow on her own but also label her? If you are here to blame me, then you have very much been brainwashed and used. Mrs Glow was clearly a very mentally unwell co-dependent. Read the records.”
Starlight’s eyes widened. This took her slightly by surprise. She didn’t know how to respond.
She awkwardly and sadly looked to the floor when she heard the next swipe. Another piece of hers had been taken.
“Why are you really here, Starlight Glimmer?”
“I am here for a friend. I am here for Twilight Sparkle. I am here for the students at my school, and for all of those who were hurt by Cosy! I am here to prevent anything like that from happening again! I am here to try and knock some sense into you! You are not taking responsibility! Mrs Glow did; Mrs Glow also took on YOUR responsibilities when you weren’t around as a father by the sounds of it, too!”
He did not react. Starlight had stood, hooves thumping onto the table in a burst of anger as her stern eyes glared down at the cold pony. She had snapped. She had lost before the game ended.
His stoic face did not move. It was somewhat like talking to a brick wall and he just stared at her in silence... until she sat down again.
Starlight absentmindedly moved her next piece, her eyes still fixed and glaring at the stallion who no doubt relished her reaction- her violent ‘lashing out’; her ‘drama’! Oh, she was sure he’d enjoy telling his co-workers about this later on that day...
A swipe was heard and the added light tap with it. Beneath her nose he had taken another piece without her even noticing.
“Checkmate, Starlight Glimmer.”
Her eyes widened, suddenly noticing her king had gone.
She had lost.
No more questions.
Did she get the answers she wanted or needed?
Perhaps.
Or maybe not. He did not answer clearly, she suddenly realised as she sadly looked upon her notes and upon the chess board. The game was over, but her bottled anger was not.
“Did you ever even love Cosy Glow?” her voice was raspy and her brow kneaded at the centre of her forehead. Sadness was amongst the anger. She remained stern but her tone did change a little in that moment of asking.
Packing up the chess board and collecting all the pieces, Mr Glow suddenly stopped. His gaze unfocused a little.
“...Mrs Glow hindered that relationship. Mrs Glow got what she deserved, Starlight Glimmer. The hospital is where she needs to stay.”
He put the chess board along with its pieces back into the shelf.
“I am not daft. You are here because you are trying to get her out of there,” he said, not knowing the half of it.
Starlight felt her tense muscles loosen to this comment.
“My daughter could have remained here if it weren’t for Mrs Glow.”
“Why are you obsessed with blaming Mrs Glow!? Why are you not ever going to take accountability for what happened!? Or even admit that Cosy did wrong and hurt others! It’s one extreme to the next with you!”
Her temper flared.
He remained calm.
“One extreme to the next? I think you should look in a mirror, Starlight Glimmer. I could say your emotions are rather extreme, not mine.”
Starlight went to respond but her open mouth shut itself after no words came out. She crossed her hooves tightly into her chest and scowled.
“I nearly lost my job and status in life. Mrs Glow is rightfully held accountable in this matter; she used me and took all my money... she then played the guilt trip and dramatics...”
He stepped up to her, his eyes seemingly dead yet somehow piercing into hers.
“And I let her. That is the only mistake I’ll take responsibility for. Never in my life will I marry a mare so emotionally unstable like her again—never will I even commit like that again. And never will I let a pony make me look like a laughing stock in my career. My reputation was ruined; all my money taken by her, as well as my status. She labelled Cosy as... socially ‘disabled’, ‘different to others’ and so on which was, as you quoted from the school statements, inaccurate. I let the schools about Mrs Glow's drama and told them that Cosy had no issues and was a normal child.
“I only married Mrs Glow because she asked me. I only had a life with her because she wanted that. Is it not generous that I gave her that? But then everything I gave her she was never grateful for. You can ask all the ponies in Cloudsdale that knew her. They’d tell you the same. You could say Mrs Glow is a narcissi--”
Starlight slapped him. Her hoof stretched across the desk before she stomped down against the desk, and a burst of energy forcefully rippled through the air from her horn. His items of bits and bobs that were lined up neatly on the desk and shelves around all clattered onto the floor in a quick loud mess. A clear forming crack creaked from beneath her hooves.
“THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU! THIS IS NOT ABOUT MRS GLOW! THIS IS ABOUT COSY GLOW, YOUR DAUGHTER!! THIS IS ABOUT ME SPENDING MY TIME TO GET THE FULL PICTURE!! THIS IS ABOUT YOU ACCEPTING THAT COSY WAS IN THE WRONG AND HURT OTHERS! AND BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS, YOU TOO!!”
He did not react.
He calmly picked up his items that had flown off the desk and began strategically lining them back up again one by one. He focused on the fine details, not even taking the time to bother looking at the unicorn or tend to his now red cheek.
Suddenly from behind Starlight, the door swung open.
“I heard a noise! Is everything...” the pegasus who led her into the room earlier stood in the doorway and looked at the mess in the room all the while Mr Glow was still calmly putting various items back in their place. “...Mr Glow, are you okay!?”
“...Perhaps you could escort Miss Glimmer back out of the weather factory. I believe our meeting has come to an end. And perhaps she could do with a little fresh air.”
Mr Glow shot a disappointed look towards Starlight, his demeanour changing as quick as a switch to a light bulb as soon as the pegasus had stepped in.
She looked to Starlight, mouth agape and eyes wide, but gave a quick nod to Mr Glow.
“Of course, Mr Glow... Come follow me please,” she quickly said.
“Oh! And one last thing,” Mr Glow called out. As Starlight walked towards the door, she turned to face Mr Glow one last time. “Cosy Glow loved me very much in our time together. I shall never forget my daughter, in spite of everything that happened. My life changed forever. I understand its been hard for all of us but... as a father who no longer has a daughter, learning to move on and accept the future is a valuable lesson to learn from it all.”
The pegasus behind Starlight pressed a hoof to her chest as her and wiped a tear.
Starlight however glared at him as he calmly held his head high and held his firm gaze upon her. She felt like a school filly in that moment, reprimanded by the head teacher.
How ironic.
The pegasus then left the room and already started making her way down the hallway and out of earshot.
“Admit it, Starlight. You lost the game. I won. Its over.” His voice was still mellow.
Starlight gave a sigh, trying to calm herself. But with her last statement managed to muster the darkest and coldest glare she could.
“And my last words to you; you lack empathy, love and understanding of emotions and family. You are self-absorbed with your own needs and job... obsessed with painting things in YOUR own way.” She once again savoured her next words, the last words she’d ever need to speak to him.
Realising Starlight was still in the doorway, the pegasus stopped and traced back a few steps before overhearing her last statement as well...
“I won’t be seeing you again, but after everything, you should be ashamed of yourself for not wanting to change or admit to your mistakes. My meeting with you has been... insightful. And it seems you are imprisoned in your own room. A room filled with many delusions of grandeur...” she eyed the broken chess pieces that had been shattered by her magic, still on the floor, “and many broken toys.”
She glared back up to him.
“You may have won, but you didn’t break me. Nor did you break Mrs Glow.”
His eyes remained placid as the pegasus’ behind her widened.
“You are forever imprisoned... in your own head. Mrs Glow got out. Cosy perhaps might one day get out. But you never will by the looks of it.” She finished with a curt nod and quick sarcastic bow of the head, “Goodbye, sir.”
She continued her way out.
As she was led by the pegasus mare again, there was a long heavy silence until the pony awkwardly braved to break it.
“Ma'am, Mr Glow works very hard! He was absolutely devastated when his wife ruined his daughter! He was in a terrible marriage and did everything to try and stop things from escalating when his daughter was being abused by his wife! You can’t just blame things on a pony like that, I’ve known Mr Glow for years and he wouldn’t hurt a fly! Cosy’s downfall was not his fault! And to put guilt on an innocent pony like him... like I say, that’s completely despicable!”
Starlight bit her tongue and side glanced towards her.
“If Cosy Glow had been in his custody from the start, none of it would have happened. Up here in the weather factory, Mr Glow has helped numerous ponies and has done a wonderful job! The last thing he needed was some pony like you coming up and throwing accusations when he has already just lost his own daughter!”
They both stopped by the door and Starlight turned to face her.
“Haha! Well. We will just have to agree to disagree with that one!” Her energy at that point had worn down. “I don’t have anymore time for this, I’ve learnt all I needed for today. My mission is over.”
“Your mission to just brutally come in with false accusations? How dare you! You should be ashamed! You might be a headmare and be close friends with Princess Twilight Sparkle, but you’re certainly not welcome here again, understood?”
“Oh, absolutely. I don’t intend to return.”
Starlight stepped out of the main entrance, her hooves stepping onto the soft clouds.
“GOOD! Now why don’t you go try and brainwash another town or something!”
The door slammed in her face.
That last comment stung Starlight’s gut... but a lesson she taught herself, and had learnt from friends, was that the ponies that want to change can do it.
Starlight had changed a long time ago. For the better. She admitted to those mistakes.
She then pondered if the mission had been a mistake itself...
Well... the meeting certainly didn’t go as expected, but it didn’t go as badly as it could have either.
////////
Back down at the school, Starlight had planned to speak with Mrs Glow privately in the teachers lounge about things to help calm things over and explain what happened. She knew how apprehensive she had been beforehand about Starlight seeing him, and so she had also asked Tempest to be with them.
With hot coco and coffee in their hooves, each felt the atmosphere weigh heavy on their chest, even the calm and collected Tempest seemed tense as she watched her friend’s reaction, ready to be there for if she needed a shoulder to cry on.
...
But the room was silent for a good five minutes or so after Starlight explained and expressed everything. They listened to her rant about her visit but accepted how she felt, all the while processing what happened.
Mrs Glow turned to look out the window and up at the city in the sky which Starlight had just journeyed back down from. The fog had gone by that point and the city was in view.
...She then grimaced.
“As much as I dislike him for what he did to me, you can’t solely blame him. Neither of us were the ideal parents for Cosy,” Mrs Glow spoke, the first one to break the silence.
“Don’t go back into blaming yourself again, you have come so far. It was a long journey for you to learn about self love. Don’t let him set you back,” Tempest replied. Her tone was formal and quote firm.
Starlight also nodded.
“I’m sorry. Maybe I should not have told you what he said--"
“No. I’m glad you have,” Mrs Glow took a final sip from her drink and put her mug down gently on a table. “It has put things in perspective. Ever since teaching, I have learnt so much about psychology, friendship, healthy boundaries and so much more... I was, and most likely still am, a complete co-dependant. I needed to love my family and I then feared Cosy might grow feeling the same way I used to; compelled to love others over herself. I wanted Cosy to love herself. And I wanted her to have everything that I couldn’t as a child. I believed love was the answer.
“Mr Glow couldn‘t show love in the same way though. Our personalities were... opposite. But to the extreme. It was detrimental to our relationship and to us as a whole family. I may have forgiven myself for things, but I am always half responsible for her upbringing. I am her mother. And I accept that.”
She then closed her eyes and gave a heavy sigh. The memories of everything that she had been through. The abuse... the hospital room she was bound to... her fears and grief after she heard about her daughter’s fate... and finally, the feeling in that moment when she knew all had reached beyond her control and how she wished she could have re done so many things.
But then her eyes opened.
“Both of you along with Luna and Twilight all showed me that I needed to forgive myself and explained that Cosy was old enough to make her own choices and how she knew right between wrong... she still chose her path.”
“You are a wonderful teacher here at the school and I don’t and won’t let others continue to blame you!” Starlight sparked a bit of spite again, fury once again bubbling and boiling within her. It was as though she hadn't heard her properly. “He was infuriating! He would not let his anger towards you go, he wouldn’t even answer my questions straight and he was completely self absorbed, didn’t even say if he LOVED his daughter, LIEDand- and!!-"
“Was a narcissist?” her voice was calm.
...
Starlight flushed with rage still. The initial epiphany reflected a widened gaze for a split second, but still stubbornly feeling disgust at his behaviour, she turned her face away and glared back into her hot coco which she then continued to drink.
Her face scrunched into a disgruntled scowl. She wasn’t happy with that being the ‘outcome’ of her mission. It felt too much like an excuse, but she knew that Mrs Glow was right.
“I had accepted that a while back now, and it was a difficult long road for me to take. But colour has come back into my life and I need to live to the fullest. Mr Glow is a very black and white pony. You either do things right or you do things wrong. As a pony that wanted to please and save him, but at the same time clashed with him... Cosy witnessed some of that.”
Tempest raised an eyebrow. “some of that?”
“He was usually away, working... came home very late... He was always obsessed with routine and things being in his order. If he wanted to work late, he would. But he was controlling as well. All at the same time, he was obsessed with having this perfect image; he didn’t want to consider the possibility of Cosy needing any extra help or being labelled with having anything ‘wrong with her'. He was worried about how he’d look and his reputation. Countless times I tried to say and explain that having issues or struggling to make friends is nothing to feel ashamed about. I wanted her to get the right help and that should not be seen as bad...
“But as you know, all the same, Cosy had her ways of manipulating too. Maybe she learnt it from watching her father manipulate me because I lacked the ability to say no to him. Or maybe perhaps her brain was just... wired in a different way to most other ponies. I noticed her behaviour towards her peers from a young age and it always concerned me.”
Tempest rolled her eyes. “I’ve met many of those who manipulate before. There are more out there than you think. We adapt to being around them and then there are levels when the line is crossed. Such as Cosy. And such as your ex husband.”
“Exactly. When Cosy became manipulative towards me, I did try to discourage it... but without me being able to strictly say no in my relationship with Mr Glow, she learnt to use each of us to get what she wanted. It is called triangulation. She was even able to spark our arguments as mother and father at times. And she knew it and played on it.”
“...Did Cosy Glow ever truly love either of you?” Starlight asked.
The room fell silent as Mrs Glow hesitated with answering.
“I thought she did... to begin with. But then for someone to hurt and disown a pony, their own family, without giving reason like she did... her silence and ghosting me was the cruellest form of punishment in the end. Someone that has the ability to do that, without giving a fair reason, surely doesn’t understand how to love the way we know. But I cannot truly speak for her. Ponies like her perhaps love in their own way. Or maybe just love themselves before anyone else if they are under the narcissistic umbrella...”
Starlight knew it was all still a touchy subject, but continued anyway. She knew she had healed enough and she knew it was okay to talk about it now.
“I reckon Mr Glow has the potential to be JUST as dangerous as Cosy Glow! He’s lucky I’m not reporting him to Twilight or sending him to Tartarus myself!” Starlight snarled.
Mrs Glow darkly chuckled.
“And that is where the game gets dangerous. Don’t let him get to you, Starlight. Nothing is personal. It’s all for their own gain.”
“You both have a point though,” said Tempest, stepping into the conversation. “But to be fair, there is a difference with tension between a wife and husband and then a mother and daughter. That was what Cosy used and knew. That is what the main issue was. Society isn’t quite as understanding when they hear someone’s daughter is becoming controlling over the mother than if it were just the spouse. In your case, you were truly deemed crazy. I'm presuming Cosy lived with him alone when you were in hospital...”
Nodding, Mrs Glow continued to explain things further. Much of it already known, but maybe it was just a therapy session for her at this point.
“Parents are always responsible for their children. Ensuring that relationship is healthy is important, but not always realistic. At the end of the day, Cosy was unable to empathise and was pleased when the hospital took me out of the picture. There was so much friction and tension that formed by that point. Cosy became completely narcissistic but also angry towards me. When I did begin to see what she was doing, when I tried to set boundaries, she would hate me because she didn’t get what she wanted. If I let her get her way, her attitude only got worse. All her attributes combined led to a very toxic personality that would clash with anyone without the full understanding of what psychopathy is. With it, no one can win.”
The room fell silent once again.
“So, you have concluded she was a psychopath?” Tempest asked.
“No. Because my brain still can’t comprehend that a little being who I loved so much, cherished, raised and gave birth to could possibly be. I still love her, but I will no longer live my life trying to think on it or being a victim to someone who I raised. But logic no doubt could conclude it to anyone else.”
Tempest raised an eyebrow.
“What about Mr Glow?”
“Hah, any day. But psychopathy is complex and no longer will I ever waste my energy being angry at him now. The past is gone. He out of my life. My feelings will always be more complicated with Cosy.”
“Mr Glow is the same as her, huh...” Starlight said as she rubbed her chin.
“Yes and no. She just learnt from what she watched. And so, this conversation has gone full circle just as my head used to when I lived with it full time.” Mrs Glow looked at her friends. “I may have let Cosy go, but like I said, I shall always be held partly accountable. Just as he should be too. And I’m okay with that. And that is where I can gladly say we are different.”
Her friends both warmly smiled at her, proud that she had bravely stuck through with listening and remaining firm in what she had learnt from before.
Blame was not the lesson Starlight had concluded. She initially felt that way and maybe acted upon those angry thoughts a little too much towards Mr Glow, but it hit her after speaking about it again...
Some ponies just can’t change. They don’t know how. Or they are simply not wired up in the brain correctly to do so. And whether that’s their fault or not;
It is what it is.
“Let him...” Starlight finally said after silence graced the air yet again. The other two looked up at her, amused and slightly confused where the comment came from.
“Let him be imprisoned in his own head. Just let him...” she then leaned back in her chair and for the first time in that morning gave a genuine content smirk.
“Yeah... You saw through him and saw his true colours today anyway. We shouldn’t waste our energy on him.”
“Colours? Hah. I only saw black and white. Which is ironic considering he is manager at the Rainbow Factory,” Starlight snorted.
They each let out a small chuckle.
“It sounds as though his head will always be stuck in the clouds.” Tempest was the last to put down her mug and finish up.
“And that is why I am thankful to be here to help the young grow into ponies or creatures who will always understand what a healthy loving relationship should be, whether that’s friendship, family or loved ones... I wouldn’t want anyone to be the way I was or in my previous situation. I love to know that I’m teaching students to realise that they can change for the better if they wish to do so.”
Mrs Glow then went to stand up and looked at the clock which hung on one of the nearby walls.
“Speaking of which! We better start teaching now. Fizzlepop and I had plans to do a lesson together today.”
“And you are sure you’re okay after everything we’ve talked about?”
Starlight placed a hoof on Mrs Glow’s shoulder. And Mrs Glow smiled, putting a hoof atop of hers.
“Thank you for everything. I am good. I am grateful you were able to see through him. You have a spark in you that I’ve always admired, Starlight! I am also glad you stood up for yourself. Sometimes with these ponies, I understand it isn’t always worth fighting back because it goes in circles. But other times, it is relieving to get your voice in... regardless to whether its heard or not is another story. And it was also one thing I was unable to do with Cosy...”
Her gaze saddened for a moment but quickly brightened up again.
“But yet something you did on my behalf, whether it was intentional or not!” she smiled.
Starlight smiled back warmly, but with a slight glimmer of guilt hidden behind her gaze. She remembered back to that enticing thrill of game play; bantering on and off, the competition, the showing off and finally, having that last word. It was for selfish reasons. It was a knee jerk reaction. And if Mrs Glow had to live with that? Well... Starlight couldn’t even begin to imagine.
Starlight stood up and gave her a hug.
“Have a good rest of the day, Curly Whirl. I’m always here if you need to talk. And also I meant to congratulate you for the official name change. Your maiden name suits you better, in my opinion.”
“Thanks. Have a good day too, Starlight. We'll see you later!”
Tempest then gave a nod too. Words didn’t need to be spoken with her, her eyes said it all and Starlight smiled back as a thank you.
Tempest had remained her friend since her coming out of the hospital. She knew Curly from a young age and had been there as a massive helping supportive role for her growth in getting better and healing.
And so the two ponies left her office leaving Starlight with good faith that her students were all learning friendship, the elements of harmony and general kindness all for the greater good.
What happened before would not happen again.
//////////
Later that evening, within the home of the Glow family, a lone stallion pegasus opened the door and entered.
Mr Glow had a long and interesting day at work, to say the least.
He stepped up into the living room where on a shelf was a picture frame, where within was a dusty photo that had remained their since before Mrs Glow left. Not usually did he look at it, nor could he be bothered to move it, but after what that pony had mentioned, something somehow drew him to it automatically like a magnet. He gazed into his daughter’s eyes and traced along the picture to where he and Mrs Glow had stood during that captured moment in time.
A false smile spread across the three of them. And easily misled it all was, too.
The father smiled, although annoyed with the fact that the photographer had him late for his 5 o'clock dinner that evening.
The mother smiled, although drained and tired from looking after and taking care of the child that she held in her arms by herself.
The daughter smiled a big beam, desperate to be the prettiest in her photo... although just minutes before, the girl had screamed an hour long tantrum when she saw, yet couldn’t comprehend, why her favourite toy shop was shut.
He recalled the argument on the journey back home that day and when Mrs Glow placed the photo in that very spot. He didn’t want it there. He remembered the irritation he felt as he had to straighten the photo on the shelf all the time and how angry he was because he had been sold the pricier frame by the photographer he couldn’t say no to during the sales spiel... and as Mrs Glow tried to calm their young daughter at the time when Cosy was complaining and screaming about something else pointless and pathetic, he recalled yelling at the young child to stop, wishing she was older so she would at least be able to understand him better... and then the argument about him yelling at Cosy and so on...
She wanted the child, was what he retorted each time he came home from work when she expressed that she was struggling.
As a child, why was Cosy always crying, moaning or kicking up a fuss when he clearly needed to rest? Or during other inconvenient times for him? Why would Mrs Glow or Cosy never just understand that he needed to be alone? They couldn’t expect him to always be there. He didn’t like the loud noises of children screaming. Nor did he like the commitment of his new family life... He didn't like kids...
It was ‘sad’ that she had been turned to stone. But why did he not miss her?
He aligned the photo just a fraction to straighten it again until it was perfectly straight.
It was a shame. But at the same time, it wasn’t too much of a problem.
It was a time no one enjoyed, he concluded. Why should he miss them? Why dwell on it? It was the past.
He continued his evening, leaving the room and letting the eyes of the past in the photo continue to watch him in the present and future to come.
END.
Author's Note
This story was actually a difficult one to write and was even nearly abandoned at one point as it is based on some personal things. In other words, it turned into something quite raw for me and because of this, I'd just like to gently say that I'm not looking for any harsh criticism on my actual writing skills. I am still though of course happy and open for any thoughts about the storyline as a sequel to my comic, 'A dim glow'. I hope it lives up to expectations.
Thank you for reading, it means a lot! 
....*shyly disappears into the shadows like a ninja*
