…
…
In the halfway house they were forced to live in as part of their guilty plea, Tirek and Chrysalis were attempting to settle into their new lives as reformed criminals of Equestria. Cozy was now at the School of Friendship and Tirek and his beloved Chrysalis were in the midst of trying to figure out what to do.
Today, they were waiting for Cozy to come home for dinner and she still had not arrived.
"Cozy Glow is late." Chrysalis muttered as she sat at the dinner table while Tirek cooked some more food.
"She works too hard for a filly," The centaur replied, bringing the food over to the table and setting it down. "I can only imagine what goes through her mind these days. We all have a second chance and need to make the best of it."
Tirek then looked at the clock and could see that Chrysalis was right…Cozy Glow was late coming home. "You're right," He said while turning back to face his girlfriend. "She is late. She should be back by now and she's not."
Tirek then made his way to the door and opened it, looking out for his daughter figure. "Cozy! Cozy Glow!" He called while trying to see where she was. "Come in! Dinner's ready!"
Of course, the ponies and creatures in the vicinity thought Tirek had another thought in mind and left quickly. With no response, Tirek shut the door of the halfway house.
"Maybe she's running late for some reason," Tirek sighed, a hint of concern deep in his voice. "I mean…maybe something must have happened. She probably needed to stay after school for something…"
"Why are you worried?" Chrysalis asked, sensing her boyfriend's anxiety. "I can see you are starting to sweat all over the food."
"Knock it off, Chrysalis!" Tirek snapped. "I mean it! Something's going on here and I want to know what it is! It isn't like Cozy to be this late without a reason! She's always come home by now, she's never been this late!"
No sooner did Tirek sit down at the table than there came a knock at the door. Immediately, both Tirek and Chrysalis made their way over to it
"Who is it?" Tirek called.
"It's Fair Chance, and Cozy Glow is with me." A deep voice replied.
Confused, Tirek opened the door and saw Cozy Glow clutching onto the probation officer's back, and shaking.
"Cozy Glow, where have you been?" Chrysalis sharply cried out in a slightly angry tone of voice. "Your father and I have been waiting for you for over an hour now. Explain yourself!"
But Fair Chance silenced the changeling by raising his hoof and Tirek picked up a sense that something had happened at the School of Friendship.
"He picked on me again," Cozy Glow whispered. "Teddy picked on me at school today."
"Teddy?" Tirek whispered. "What's going on here?"
"I think I'd better explain everything to you." Fair Chance said, and he came inside with Cozy Glow still clinging to his back.
…
…
"So that's the whole story," Cozy Glow said as she explained why she was late. "He forced me into a locker, and still believes I shouldn't even be allowed back. It's been like that ever since I started going to the school."
"Teddy is a student who comes from a family that still believes you three should not have gotten a second chance." Fair Chance added.
"Of course he is," Chrysalis sneered, her horn glowing a sickly green color. "Whoever this classmate of yours is, Cozy Glow, he will suffer my wrath! No one hurts my daughter and gets away with it!"
"Wait!" Tirek replied, standing his girlfriend down. "Does Starlight Glimmer know about this?!"
"She does," Cozy Glow meekly answered. "But the more she warns Teddy, the more he rebels against her saying that he has the right to express his opinions about me. And she's too busy running the school to do anything about it, especially when his parents keep protecting him."
As he listened to Cozy Glow, Tirek couldn't help but think back to his own childhood whenever his father, King Vorak, physically abused him. Now it seemed like he was supposedly relieving the moment via his daughter figure.
"Where does he live?" Tirek asked, a scowl developing onto his face. It was a scowl of hatred.
"How should I know?" Cozy Glow asked while shrugging her hooves. "All I know is he's from Canterlot. He's an exchange student, like those creatures Sandbar hangs out with."
Then Tirek suddenly noticed something, a bruise on Cozy's right foreleg. "Where did that bruise come from?" He inquired.
"From when Teddy pushed me into the locker," Cozy answered while trying in vain to cover up the bruise. "It doesn't hurt bad…honest!"
However, Tirek could see that his daughter figure was in pain and gestured to Cozy to reveal the bruise to him. Upon inspecting, he could see how blue the bruise was. "Well, he isn't going to get away with this!" He declared as Cozy quickly covered up her bruises. "Chrysalis, I need you to see for yourself what is happening."
"I beg your pardon, Tirek?" Chrysalis gasped. "Do you want to get turned back to stone or end up in Tartarus again?!"
"I want you to follow Cozy Glow, see for yourself who this Teddy is and why he is throwing our daughter figure into lockers!" Tirek ordered while looking intently at Chrysalis. "But you are not to blow your cover, understand?!"
Although it was against both her judgment and her character to be taking orders from a subordinate, Chrysalis had no choice but to comply for the sake of her daughter figure.
…
The next morning, Cozy Glow arrived at the School of Friendship. But she wasn't alone. Chrysalis had managed to sneak into the back of the school and assumed the form of Trixie.
"Nopony picks on my daughter and gets away with it," Chrysalis whispered in Trixie's voice, leaning against the back wall right behind the rear entrance. "Although I don't like taking orders from subjects!"
"Trixie!" A voice that belonged to Starlight Glimmer called. "What are you doing back here?"
"Oh, uh, just having some 'me' time." Trixie sheepishly replied.
"Uh huh," Starlight guessed, her left eyebrow rising in suspicion. "Well, you might as well save it for after school. The day is just starting and we're going to be very busy."
"Of course, Starlight!" Trixie nodde as she trotted away. But Chrysalis kept her cover and quickly assumed the role of a reformed changeling. Heading into the crowds of students, she soon followed Cozy Glow down the hall and there, at the corner of the hallway, was a light blue colored pony with an orange mohawk mane and tail with a pair of black sunglasses on his head and a hair comb for a cutie mark.
"Hmm," Chrysalis thought to herself. "I'm sensing that this pony is the one Cozy Glow fears. This must be the Teddy she was talking about yesterday."
Once the students had gone, Chrysalis ducked into a closet and assumed another form, this one of Starlight Glimmer herself.
"Um, Starlight?" Trixie asked as she walked by the closet as her "friend" emerged from the closet. "Why are you in a closet?"
"Oh… just looking for something to fix that hole in the track." The disguised Chrysalis answered, much to Trixie's confusion.
"Just because you are headmare doesn't mean you can take on everything," Trixie replied. "Let the janitors handle it. It's what they're there for."
"Y-yes, of course." The disguised Chrysalis nervously chuckled as Trixie walked away.
Acting fast, Chrysalis leapt into the air and took on the form of an overhead lamp, waiting for Cozy to go about her day. It was obvious her usual disguise methods weren't going to work at the school.
…
As the day went on, Chrysalis quietly followed Cozy from class to class, assuming whatever form she could think of, living or inanimate. Eventually, she returned to the spot she'd started from as Cozy went about her business of preparing to head home. Suddenly, she saw the pony known as Teddy approach Cozy Glow.
"Hey Cozy Glow!" Teddy called, as Cozy developed a fearful look on her face. "What are you still doing here, you traitor?!"
"Um, golly Teddy!" Cozy nervously replied as she prepared to leave, not looking at her instigator. "I'm just here to learn like you like I've been telling you all the time."
"And with each time I tell you what pony kind thinks of you, you still come back!" Teddy declared, cutting Cozy off from leaving. "You just don't get it, do you?! Headmare Starlight made a mistake letting you come back! You don't belong here, the school's better off without you!"
"Teddy, please! Don't…!" Cozy cried as Teddy pushed her into her locker and slammed the door shut!
"Now you can just stay in there until you decide to leave and not come back!" Teddy snickered, placing the lock on the locker and leaving Cozy trapped inside. "See you later, traitor!"
"Let me out! Let me out, Teddy!" Cozy screamed as she pounded on the locker. "Please!"
From above the ceiling, Chrysalis was horrified that Cozy was being treated in such a terrible way!
Not wanting to blow her cover, Chrysalis waited and waited for somepony or somecreature to help Cozy Glow.
At last, somepony did in the form of Luna.
"Let me out! LET ME OUT!"
"What the…?!" Luna gasped and immediately casted an unlocking spell to free Cozy Glow from her locker. "Cozy Glow, what are you doing in there?! Did he do this to you again?"
"Yes, Professor Luna, he did!" Cozy cried, throwing herself into her former enemy's forelegs. "Why is Teddy still doing this to me?! All I did was desire power! I never wanted to hurt anypony! I wanted ponies to befriend me, and I thought becoming empress was the fastest way to do it. Haven't I suffered enough from everything Grogar put me through?!"
A scowl befell upon Luna's face that Cozy was being treated in this manner again. Unknown to the princess, Chrysalis had seen enough and silently disappeared.
…
Later that night, as Cozy was fast asleep in her bed, Chrysalis and Tirek were discussing what had happened.
"Nopony wants us to get a second chance," Chrysalis sighed as she drank a cup of tea while sitting with Tirek. "It's almost like we don't even deserve to live in a way and every time that somepony approaches us, they have the intention of killing us, or at least hurting us."
"Can't say that I blame them for thinking that way," Tirek replied. "But there is no excuse for taking an innocent filly and throwing her into lockers. And who knows what else is being subjected onto Cozy Glow?! Did anypony come to her aid?"
"One did, Luna. She seems to be the only one who cares," Chrysalis pointed out. "She should be the headmare instead of Starlight, what kind of headmare can't protect her students from being bullied? Does she not know, or does she not care?"
It was then that Tirek began to get himself an idea on how to deal with Cozy's tormentor. He needed a weapon and something to show his dominance. Something to let others know that he and his new family weren't going to take their torment lying down. Rising to his feet, Tirek proceeded towards the door of the halfway house.
"Where are you going?" Chrysalis asked with concern.
"I'm not going to wait any longer for Starlight Glimmer and her staff to help Cozy Glow," Tirek firmly declared. "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"
Grabbing a black cloak, Tirek proceeded out the door and made his way towards the Castle of Friendship.
Standing outside the castle, Tirek saw two guardsponies standing guard at the entrance and if he was going to stand up for his daughter figure, he needed to act now.
"This is only temporary," he thought to himself and taking a deep breath, Tirek began to absorb the magic out of the two guards and once they were drained, they collapsed onto the ground as Tirek assumed his third form. "Now to teach that colt a lesson he'll never forget!"
Meanwhile, Starlight Glimmer was meditating on possible approaches to the situation with Cozy Glow. The young headmare could only think of the possible ramifications she could take as a result of her decision making.
"I've warned him many times," Starlight whispered to herself as she looked down at a written piece of paper containing a list of possible punishments for Teddy. "Teddy does not represent the value of what being a student of friendship means. I'm afraid that I have no other choice. I must expel him. I should've done this sooner, I just hope it's not too late to undo the damage he's caused to Cozy, and to the school's reputation."
Burying her face in her forelegs, Starlight continued to feel the weight of her decision crush her mentality. Would Twilight have taken this long to act on such an obvious problem?
"Starlight?" A voice called as she turned to see Luna enter her room. "It's the middle of the night, you should be asleep."
"Sorry Luna, it's just Teddy," Starlight sighed. "He just doesn't seem to get the fact that throwing students in lockers or whatnot is not going to stand in our school. I know someponies have problems with Cozy Glow, but she's changed now. Picking on her won't undo any damage she caused when she was evil."
"Yes, we might be left with no alternative, Starlight," Luna sighed, remembering herself in a similar situation long ago. "We may have to exclude him from the school if this behavior continues. We can't tolerate this kind of behavior from any of our students, regardless of how well connected their families might be."
Both headmare and teacher could only think of what needed to be done. To them, Cozy was a student and all students needed to be protected.
…
Little did either pony know that at that moment, Teddy was fast asleep in his home in Canterlot, not knowing of the unexpected visit he was about to receive. As Teddy slept, he suddenly began to feel a warm breathing sound on top of him. He tried to turn sides in his bed, but he couldn't escape the warm feeling. He then proceeded to open his eyes and found a scary sight before him!
"WHO ARE YOU?!" Teddy cried as Tirek looked down crossly at Teddy. "MOM! MOM!"
Tirek then grabbed Teddy by his neck and lifted him out of his bed and into the air!
Struggling, Teddy was forced to direct his attention to the angry faced look of Tirek. "If…you…want my strength, take it! Just leave me alone!"
"Now you listen to me, you little maggot!" Tirek cried, pulling Teddy towards his face. "I don't want to hurt you, but I want to teach you a lesson! Do you know who I am?! DO YOU?!"
"You are…are…" Teddy gasped while trying to breathe.
"I'm Lord Tirek," Tirek hissed. "Cozy Glow's adoptive father! And you've been picking on my daughter at school! Why?!"
"Because…she doesn't deserve to be in our school. She should have stayed in stone." Teddy whimpered even while he tried to sound confident.
"And me too?" Tirek growled.
"Yes, you too…" Teddy replied with a whimper.
Tirek then proceeded to drop Teddy back onto his bed and look down intently at him. "Well, let me tell you something, Teddy!" He growled. "Your picking on Cozy Glow ends now! Whatever fate you have planned rests in the hooves of Headmare Starlight and her team, I'll let them decide whether to kick you out of the School of Friendship. But tell me something, what did Cozy ever do to you that drove you to torment her? Is it the fact that she got a second chance upsetting to you? Did you ever get a second chance yourself at something?!"
Teddy was too scared to answer Tirek's question.
"I should have known," The centaur sighed in disgust, turning around to leave Teddy's bedroom. "Well heed this…if you ever come near my daughter again…the consequences will be greater than what you experienced tonight. Next time, losing your strength may be the least of your troubles!"
Teddy took an enormous gulp at Tirek's demand. "And don't worry about your mother, I will return her strength before I leave. So be warned of what I have said to you! If you hurt my daughter again in any way, I'll find you and you'll wish more than anything that I hadn't! You will experience pain beyond anything my daughter has had to endure because of you! So play nice if you know what's good for your health."
Leaving the frightened Teddy alone, Tirek left and proceeded to return the strength he stole from Teddy's mother and the two guards before returning to the halfway house.
Back at the halfway house, Tirek returned and joined his girlfriend, who had been waiting all night for him to return.
"It's done," Tirek firmly declared. "Cozy's tormentor has been dealt with." Sighing, he sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his hands through his face in exhaustion.
"Did you take his magic?" Chrysalis asked.
"No, because I believe in second chances now," Tirek answered. "But I warned him that he will suffer greater consequences if this behavior persists. Now it's up to him to heed the warning."
"Will it work?" Chrysalis asked.
"If anything…it might." The centaur replied. Falling asleep, all Tirek could think of was whether his intervention would make Teddy realize the error of his ways.
…
The next morning, Teddy sat nervously in Starlight Glimmer's office as the unicorn headmare looked over at him with an angry glance. "Do you know why you're here?" She asked him.
"Because I threw Cozy Glow into lockers and injured her." Teddy meekly answered.
"And?" Starlight added.
"I disrespected the School of Friendship and everything it stands for." Teddy answered, his encounter with Tirek still fresh in his mind.
Sitting back in her chair, Starlight pondered what to do with Teddy. "Teddy Buzzcut," She slowly declared. "Ever since Cozy Glow arrived, for some reason you've had this notion that she doesn't deserve a second chance."
"But, she…she doesn't Headmare Starlight! Not after everything she did to us! Somepony's got to take a stand!" Teddy firmly insisted! "And the only way she's going to learn is if she realizes that staying at this school will only hurt her!"
But Starlight was unfazed by Teddy's words. "Indeed," She murmured. "You clearly have a strong dislike for Cozy Glow, which is obvious. However, throwing her into lockers just because you are still upset with her actions prior to Princess Twilight's Coronation, doesn't do anything to make your right. You are only making yourself into a fool in the eyes of the students and teachers. To this end, Teddy Buzzcut, you are hereby expelled from the School of Friendship forever! Do I make myself clear?"
Sighing, Teddy rose to his feet and slowly walked out of Starlight's office feeling ashamed and embarrassed by his actions.
"I'm sorry, Headmare Starlight." Teddy sadly answered.
"I hope you are, Teddy. For your sake. Your parents sent you here because they had high hopes for you. I can't imagine how you'll explain to them that you disappointed those expectations." Starlight acknowledged.
Once Teddy was gone, Starlight slumped in her desk feeling exhausted of what she had done. After a moment, however, she began to get herself an idea. It was apparent that Cozy Glow needed more than just Diamond Tiara, she needed more friends to accept her for her changed ways.
Taking a quill and a piece of parchment, Starlight began to write down the names of the students who were more than qualified to be there for Cozy Glow, beginning with Luster Dawn.
…
…