Story of the shadow pony

It was a rainy night in Manehatten. It was the late hours of the day, so the only ponies out where the late night workers, drunks and the home going workers of the afternoon. Under those home going ponies was an actress of one of the many theaters of the city. Starlight Glimmer was a unicorn mare, with a lovely peach coat and an orange mane, pretty cyan green eyes and a shooting star cutie mark. She maybe wasn't the most famous actress, but she wasn't also the most unknown. To be precise, her show this evening had been pretty popular. More then the half of the hall was filled with ponies, nearly sold out.

The ponies had cheered the act and many threw flowers on the stage, clapping eagerly to show how much they have liked it.

But still, Starlight wasn't as happy. She was happy the act was a success, but it was her love life that made her frown.

For a couple of years, she had countless dates with all kinds of stallions, but never found one who truly loved her or the opposite.

It would actually be no big deal, but Starlight wished to have a family. Since she was young, she knew she wanted to become actress as for a loving mother, but she didn't knew it would ever be so hard to have both, especially in Manehatten.

Somehow, most stallions here didn't wanted a long time relationship, neither a foal and those who did freaked Starlight out.

She really had her problems finally get the second thing she wished for most in her life, but it just didn't wanted to happen.

And slowly, she got older and older. She feared, that if she wouldn't hurry soon, she would be to old to carry fully for a child and her career. But maybe she was just to much thinking. So she carried herself back to her small apartment in a smaller area of Manehatten. Here, most actors lived. On her way, a lot of drunk stallions tried their strange pick up lines on her, but she just kept walking until she was finally in the safety of her shelter. The receptionist as for many other ponies in the building where good friends as for fellow coworkers. They were like a very big family by now. "Oh hi Starlight!" Said the stallion at the reception. Starlight looked up at him and smiled "Hello Jazz Radio." "I heard your show tonight was a success. Congratulations for that.".

Jazz Radio was a coffee brown pegasus with an up going, curly blonde mane and a saxophone with a yellow music note for a cutie mark, who always knew everything about really everything that happened in Manehatten and mostly what happened to his friends. And while he wasn't working as a receptionist or when he found the time, he was working for a local jazz radio station, due to his love for that music genre. Even now, he had headphones around his neck and just as he saw Starlight coming in, he had paused the song he was listening to. Starlight smiled and said in a gentle and kind voice "Thank you. I am sure we will make it soon under the top 20 of the most popular theater shows in the whole city.".

Jazz leaned forward, having his head resting on his hoof. "Still sad about the last mean stallion who broke off with you?" He said, sounding both concerned as taunting. Starlight dropped her gaze off of him, giving him the answer he needed.

He sighed and said "Come on, I know you will find the right one someday. A mare like you should be every stallions dream.". That made Starlight giggle a bit, as she went for the stairs. She said a kind "Thanks", giving him a small kiss on his cheek and then going for her apartment. He blushed and giggled a little awkward, as he returned to listening to his music.

As she finally stood in front of her door, going through her saddlebag for the key, another familiar face greeted her.

"Hey Star, how's it going?" her next door neighbor Tailor said, dressed in her violet blue dressing gown. Her name pretty much suited for what she did: Making dresses and such, especially costumes for theaters. She was an earth pony, had a bright and creamy yellow coat, a red and black mane and had a harlequin face with thread and needles as a cutie mark.

"Oh, hey Tailor." Starlight said, forcing another smile, hoping her neighbor wouldn't also spot the sadness she felt.

"The boss send me a message. Seems like your acting and my costumes where the hit of the show?" She said, smiling proudly as she thought about her work. Starlight nodded "Yeah, you should have seen the ponies. They loved it." "That is great to hear.

After all, we give our best for a great payment!". Tailor laughed a bit. Starlight really was relieved that she didn't came to the last date she had and was about to open her door, before Tailor told her something. "Hey you know what sweetie?" "W-What?" Starlight asked a little surprised, voice also a little cracking. "Billy told me, that your boss gave you a free day tomorrow. The poor guy sadly didn't got to tell you yourself, because you ran off so quickly." "And how did Billy told you that so quickly?".

For that question, Starlight could have face palmed herself. Billy was a unicorn and knew how to send letters with his magic.

He also was Tailors coltfriend at the moment. Tailor hold in a laugh, as she said "Oh, you know Billy. That stallion can never keep a secret.". With that, Tailor finally let Starlight go into her apartment and get some rest. They said each other good night and closed their doors. With a deep sigh, Starlet lifted the saddlebags off her bag and dropped them beside her couch and let herself drop on it. She was pretty exhausted and needed a short break. She looked around her little apartment. With the payment of an actress, she really couldn't effort much, but on the other hoof, she was happy about the nice neighbors in the house.

But she wished sometimes she could effort a ride back to her old home, so she could check on her family in person. Lifting a picture frame close by, she looked at the photo which was made when she left for Manehatten and her career.

There was her old granny, her little brothers and her parents. She really missed them, even they wrote each other nearly every day. After a while of cradling in memories, she placed the frame back to where it was and made herself dinner, followed by getting ready for bed and dozing off into dreams.