Selling Tears

There was a great crash of thunder as another satisfied customer left a little tent sobbing. At first look the mare was nothing special, and all the tent had was a small sign with a frowny face. At second look the tent began to look rather ratty.

You wouldn't need a third look to know what was going on. The sobbing mare and frowny face meant that a sad maker was inside. The rattyness just meant that the sad maker was on her last leg. This wasn't the last leg of a race or a test, this was the last attempts to starve off complete destitution. Such things were rare, but a sad maker went hungry before they let their tent fall apart.

In fact, Teardrop had been going hungry. She'd been getting sick from lawn grass for months. She'd sold the last of her raiments five weeks ago. She was deep in debt. She was the epitome of a failure.

"Stupid fucking elements." She cursed for the umpteenth time as she packed up her single customer's payment. Ever since the Elements had returned to Equestria, Ponyville had been hit by disasters every month or so. Ponies were sad without even having to hire Teardrop, and that left Teardrop useless.

She'd tried working for somepony else, but Ponyville businesses wouldn't hire a sad maker. Sad makers are bad for any business. She didn't blame them though. She didn't blame the elements either, not really. This was just her "destiny."

Teardrop let out a soft pitiful laugh at that.

Teardrop had tried moving, but other cities had sad maker guilds that kicked her out every time she tried setting up there. She couldn't afford the entrance fees anymore. Like Ponyville, she couldn't find a job, and for the same reason.

There weren't many homeless in Equestria, all anypony with a cutie mark had to do was move to a town that needed that job filled, or get a job working if they didn't want to move. Consequently, ponies like Teardrop were too uncommon to even warrant homeless shelters.

Teardrop ignored the rain pouring through holes in her tent. She was lucky to have a tent. She'd almost lost it to a gust in the last storm.

Teardrop cursed Murphy as the wind tore a hole in her tent, but she knew she should have known better. With a defeated sigh Teardrop lay under the remaining scrap of tent.

Twilight groaned as the wind blew open a shutter. She was sure she had locked it, but there was no use grumbling while the rain poured in. With a magical flick the shutter closed. Twilight got back to grumbling.

Twilight paused as she heard a soft... something. It was repetitious like a clock, but it wasn't uniform. It changed each time.

It was... sobbing?!

Twilight frowned, but didn't rush outside to investigate. Any second now she'd hear Pinkie running out to cheer up whoever was crying.

Any second now...

Twilight knew Pinkie was in town, so why was there a pony crying still. Pinkie was usually on that faster than she could process.

Maybe... maybe Pinkie didn't come rushing because... no Pinkie wouldn't even let monsters cry. Something was seriously wrong.

Twilight peaked out a window. Across the park she could see a broken down tent. Who would be camping in this weather?! Who would camp in the park?

Twilight froze with a sudden remembrance, but it couldn't be...

She knew Celestia said that some ponies ended up in dire straights, but Twilight never thought that there would be a homeless pony in Ponyville. Surely somepony was going to help whoever was out there...

Twilight stopped, and she wondered why she wasn't helping the pony out there. She considered the situation.

Twilight stepped outside.

Teardrop looked hungrily at the grass underneath her. She knew ponies walked on this grass, but even it was starting to look good. Green and lush and... free. She had bits, but her tent was a wreck.

It wasn't even a question then. A sad maker never let their tent fall apart. If another sad maker saw her she'd never be let into one of their guilds. She-she was going to fix her tent first thing tomorrow.

Tonight she'd have grass. Grass wasn't too bad.

Twilight stared in shock as a mare probably her own age ate grass. Didn't she know they would get sick from that?! Ponies had walked... Twilight looked around at the tent. It was just scraps now. But ponies had... Twilight looked down at the mare before her. Twilight knew what to do.

"Miss?" Twilight started, but the mare's whole body flinched away.

"I-I promise I won't sleep here again." Twilight froze. "I-I'll move tomorrow honest!" Twilight stepped back in surprise at the outburst.

Teardrop didn't even look up. She'd been talked to by guards mares before. They-

"Y-you should come inside." The voice wasn't angry, or commanding? Teardrop looked up.

It was... Twilight Sparkle?

Twilight blinked as the mare started glaring at her. Was it something she said. Maybe this mare didn't like help, but what pony wouldn't accept help over eating grass?

"YOU!" The mare screamed in a anger causing Twilight to backpedal. The voice was haggard and hollow, and Twilight didn't stay cowed long.

"Miss... you should come inside. I-I have food." This time the mare flinched.

Teardrop felt the resistance drain out of her. Already she felt hunger rumbling in her stomach. She couldn't afford missing a day of work being sick. A potential customer might trip and decide they weren't so unbearably happy anymore. That was the life of a sad maker. always working. Every missed customer was a missed meal.

Teardrop didn't want to be a sad maker anymore.