Starry Darling

by Climaclysm

Emotional Control

"I just think you're overreacting a tad, Glinty."

Starlight's mother could barely suppress her sigh.

"I'm not sure having concerns over how our child behaves is overreacting, Fire."

Firelight chuckled. Bright Glint couldn't hold back her next sigh.

"Glinty-," Firelight swept up beside Glint, taking hold of her dangling hoof as she tiredly stared back at him from her stretched-out vantage on the couch, "she-"

"-has very powerful magic," Glint interjected.

"She is very talented. She's also a good kid. I know this little," Firelight motioned with his free hoof, "debacle has you worried but everything's fine!"

Glint pulled her hoof free from her husband's, shooting him as heavy a glare she could muster.

"I know Starlight and her magic is a novelty to you, but when you're away and it's just me and her it isn't something to be toyed with. Starlight is an angel, but she's also leaps and bounds above the other foals. It's not good that her first reaction is to use magic whenever her emotions get the best of her."

"Glinty, all she did was break a toy-"

Glint held up a hoof. Assured she wasn't going to be interrupted, she continued.

"She melted a toy. Do you not see the problem here, Firelight?"

Firelight turned his head away, frowning. He slowly nodded.

"So how am I overreacting?"

"She's going to have her little fits," Firelight said, "even when we're at our absolute best. It's a part of growing up."

"Starlight's getting to be so strong, Fire. We can't just let her 'have her little fits' because there's a very real chance-"

"She'd never hurt anypony."

"Not intentionally."

Firelight ran a hoof through his mane and gave Glint a disappointed look.

"You're making her out as some sort of violent animal."

Glint's chest constricted as a wave of frustration and hurt flowed through her.

"How can you say that? As if I'm calling my baby girl a monster-"

"It just feels like-"

"She could've seriously hurt another foal, Firelight!"

Firelight flinched. Shame filled Glint, and after a moment she sunk herself even deeper into the couch, the fatigue she couldn't seem to shake rearing its ugly head once more.

"She's capable of doing very bad things," she whispered. "It seems unfair but we can't be as lenient with her as other parents might be with their foals. She needs to learn restraint."

"I- I know. You're right, dear. It just feels wrong to go at her so harshly for something like this. She messed up but she knows that! She even went and apologized to Tall Wave herself!"

That was news to her.

"She did?"

Firelight nodded, smiling. "Tall Wave's mother told me she came over and apologized to them both!"

"That's..."

"It's great," Firelight said, working his way back to her side, "because it shows that Starlight knows what she did was wrong. I'm telling you, she's a good filly. As long as we keep her on the right path, things will be fine."

"I just... don't think knowing how to apologize is better than knowing not to do something, Fire."

"We've already given her a firm talking to, what more should be done when she's already gone and made up for it?"

Something buried deep inside Glint begged her to press the issue. She wanted to, really, but she was so tired, and Firelight's eyes were so earnest...

"Okay," she conceded.

"Okay?"

"Okay," Glint reaffirmed. "I'll trust your judgment on this, Firelight."

"Thank you, snookums." Glint rolled her eyes at the nickname but leaned into his affectionate nuzzle all the same.

Firelight pulled away, his hallmark goofy grin having returned.

"Now then, Star tells me you haven't been eating?"

Glint winced. "I... haven't been able to get much down."

"I know an old cabbage casserole recipe that should fix that," Firelight said as he clapped his forehooves together, "can't have you fading away, can we now?"

----

Starlight was in bed when Bright Glint stepped into her room. For a moment, she figured she was asleep, only for Starlight to roll over, staring her down with wide eyes.

"You should be asleep, Starlight."

Starlight hastily beckoned Glint closer. Glint shambled over and hauled herself into bed, wincing as Starlight pressed too close to her stomach.

"Dad makes his stories too silly. I like yours better."

"Thank you," Glint said, gingerly wrapping her hooves around Starlight's form.

Starlight wiggled in her grasp. When she finally stilled she looked up, expression somber.

"Are you still upset?"

"Not exactly," Glint said softly.

"That just means you're still upset."

"No, Star, I'm not upset. I'm... proud."

"Proud?"

"You did a good thing, going back to apologize. I'm glad you know what you did was wrong."

"I knew Waves wouldn't let me and Sunburst over if I didn't. Sunburst likes Waves a lot, so I just got it over with."

"...You only did it because of Sunburst?"

"You and Sunburst!"

"Not because you were sorry?"

Starlight ducked her head and said nothing.

Glint sighed, pushing Starlight back to stare deep into her eyes.

"It's not good to give insincere apologies, Star. You have to mean them. If you don't mean them..."

It means you don't regret what you did.

"I wouldn't have had to say sorry if he just let me play with it," Starlight groused.

Glint's chest tightened as she stared down her foal.

"Tomorrow," Glint said lowly, "you are going to give him one of your toys."

"But mom-!"

"But nothing. You did a bad thing Starlight, and if you're not sorry you're at least going to pay him back. Now hush, it's late."

"Fine," Starlight hissed out but pressed closer to Glint's side regardless.

Glint worked them both under the covers, and within moments Starlight was asleep.

Starlight was a good filly, but she would make mistakes. Bright Glint would always be there to make sure she learned from them.

I just need to start feeling a little better, Glint thought, and slowly closed her eyes.

Comments

[SuperPinkBrony12]

Very interesting story with a lot of implications for Starlight.

[Test4Echo]

Well done. An interesting way to show some of Starlight's early childhood, and I like the subtle hints at what was going on with her mother. Would be interesting to continue this with a sequel or the like.

[FanOfMostEverything]

An excellent look at what may have been the only restraining influence in Starlight's early life. I have to wonder what happened to Bright Glint. There are definite suggestions that it was something medical. Moreover, I have wonder what happened after she was gone. Her, then Sunburst (or possibly the other way around)... There's a lot of this story left untold. I hope you tell it.

In any case, thank you for this and best of luck in the judging.

[daOtterGuy]

Howdy, hi~!

L'oeuf. This one was beautiful in its telling. It really nailed all the different notes and little mannerisms between Starlight's family. I think this really nails the core root of Starlight's personality later on in the canon series. Thank you so much for the read~!

[Bicyclette]

Firelight chuckled. Bright Glint couldn't hold back her next sigh.

aww, that is a great name for the mother of Starlight! one can see how her parents' names combine to make her own

"Glinty, all she did was break a toy-"

Glint held up a hoof. Assured she wasn't going to be interrupted, she continued.

"She melted a toy. Do you not see the problem here, Firelight?"

and oof! it makes sense for Starlight being such a powerful unicorn as an adult, that her version of foalish magical outbursts are far more powerful than other foals. and unlike Cadance and Shining Armor, her parents are dealing with such a child as very ordinary ponies!

"She'd never hurt anypony."

"Not intentionally."

and oof, love those statements that become ironic years in retrospect!

"It's great," Firelight said, working his way back to her side, "because it shows that Starlight knows what she did was wrong. I'm telling you, she's a good filly. As long as we keep her on the right path, things will be fine."

augh, i love how this debate between her parents are a mirror of the debates around her actions as an adult! that is very fun, and the reflections are so well-done here

"Okay," Glint reaffirmed. "I'll trust your judgment on this, Firelight."

augh, well, now i wonder why Glint is nowhere to be seen in the canon-era episodes...

"Thank you, snookums." Glint rolled her eyes at the nickname but leaned into his affectionate nuzzle all the same.

love how consistent Firelight's love of embarrassing pet names for loved ones is

Starlight hastily beckoned Glint closer. Glint shambled over and hauled herself into bed, wincing as Starlight pressed too close to her stomach.

oof, love the manifestation of the story's theme as physical discomfort! very Literature

"Dad makes his stories too silly. I like yours better."

"Thank you," Glint said, gingerly wrapping her hooves around Starlight's form.

augh, that is too cute

"...You only did it because of Sunburst?"

"You and Sunburst!"

"Not because you were sorry?"

Starlight ducked her head and said nothing.

augh, so Starlight Glimmer! i mean, i guess it would be pretty weird for her to be more mature as a foal than as an adult

Starlight was a good filly, but she would make mistakes. Bright Glint would always be there to make sure she learned from them.

I just need to start feeling a little better, Glint thought, and slowly closed her eyes.

and oof, ending with just a hint of why Glint isn't around later... and augh, the heartbreaking irony of pretty much all of what she says and feels in this story!

and augh i'm going to take a bit of time to gush about how much i love Bright Glint! she really is the "missing puzzle piece" for how Starlight got to be the way she is growing up, and augh, painting that contrast with Firelight with the latter being less mature and tending toward being too lenient on a young Glimmy that clearly is foreshadowing growing up to lack empathy and honesty...

i think i'm going to have to steal this character wholesale. i can't imagine Starlight's mother as having been any character but this one now. and augh, i just really wonder what Bright Glint would have thought, seeing the mare that Starlight became and everything she had done and its consequences! augh. really feeling that right now, which is a testament to just how great this story is, moving me so. this is just fantastic stuff, thank you so much for it!

[Loganberry]

Hello! Have a review. A very interesting bit of "filling in the gaps in canon" here, and the little hints of what's up with Bright Glint were rather moving. I could see this having happened, so easily like-worthy. Well done on the honourable mention!

[Ko777]

Mate…. I actually came looking for another story admittedly but this is deep firelight’s not a bad parent but I can totally c him being that lax and bright having to be the disciplinarian also I have wondered if starlight’s recollection is a bit skewed (like goob from meet the robinsons)

[Ghost Mike]

An oddball ghost happened across your fic and read it. Have a review!