Starlight Glimmer looked upon the throng of ponies that made up Ponyville’s market today, each individual engaged in their own schedule. That was good, because she had one of her own to follow as she trotted into the market square, eyeing each stall down. Her brow furrowed when she spotted the asparagus stand. She beelined towards it and waved, the attendant returning a dark glare that sent a chill through Starlight as she approached him.
Starlight cleared her throat, then smiled. “Hello, I’d like a bundle of asparagus.”
“Twenty bits,” the clerk said while rummaging through his wares.
“E-excuse me?” Starlight asked, “I don’t think I heard you right. It sounded like you said―”
“Twenty bits, take it or leave it.”
She clenched her jaw as she grasped twenty bits in her magic and offered it to the pony. “Here you go. Twenty bits.”
“Much obliged,” he said as he angled a bag which Starlight dropped the payment into. He rifled through his stock and slapped a bundle of asparagus on the counter. Biting her cheek to keep herself under control, she left without a word.
Okay, that was weird. Maybe he’s just… the unfriendly type. Starlight located her next destination. Maybe the cherry salespony will be more amicable. She put on one of her award-winning smiles and walked up to the stand.
Starlight nodded. “Hello, there―”
“Fifty bits.”
Starlight inhaled sharply, then narrowed her gaze. “You’re joking.”
“I’m assuming you want a cherry, don’t you?” he said before he sniffed.
“You can’t honestly expect me to pay that much for a single cherry.” She felt her veins fill with fire.
The cherry clerk brought his face close to hers. “Look, lady, I’m guessing you came to my stall because you wanted a cherry. You can either take the cherry I’m offering you for fifty bits or leave cherryless.” He leaned back. “Up to you.”
A vein in Starlight’s neck throbbed as she pulled out fifty bits and shoveled it onto the stall.
Remember, Twilight told me to mingle with the townsfolk. It’s not my fault if everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
“Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” the salesman asked as he fished out a cherry and lobbed it to Starlight. She caught it in her glow, placed it in her saddlebag, and curty walked off.
It was the same at each stall she went to; each clerk charging exorbitant prices for simple goods. By the end of it, she was only able to purchase a single meal’s worth of food with the entire weekly allowance Twilight had given her. Her jaw was also sore and her vision felt like lava. She swore she’d clock the next pony who even looked at her funny.
A hoof touched her shoulder. “Hey, there―”
Starlight swiveled around and raised a hoof. “I don’t have any more money!” she yelled only to lay her eyes on Applejack, who motioned to block. Starlight let her hoof fall to the ground and took a deep breath. “Sorry, Applejack. I’ve had a bit of a rough day.” She forced a weak chuckle. “Apparently the townsfolk think I’m made of bits.”
“About that.” Applejack sighed. “I’ve been trying to find you so that we could go shopping together.” She grinned. “Y’know, so ponies wouldn’t take advantage of you.”
“Why would ponies take advantage of me?” Starlight asked pointedly as she raised an eyebrow.
Applejack pursed her lips. “Well, it seems that a pony might’ve overheard Pinkie and Dashie talking about some of the things you might have caused, and word gets around fast in a small town like this.”
Starlight glared at Applejack. “Those never happened.”
“Shucks.” Applejack shrugged. “I know that, and you know that, but I’m pretty sure most of Ponyville ain’t going to be thinking no two ways about causality when they hear things like ‘eternal night’ and ‘lifeless wasteland’.”
Starlight screwed up her face and put a hoof to her chest as her breath caught in her throat.
My one chance, destroyed by gossip and hearsay. She’s going to be so disappointed in me.
Applejack slapped Starlight’s back. “Don’t be so down. The best thing you can do is what you’re doing right now.” She leaned into Starlight. “Now what do you say we ask some ponies for your bits back?”
Starlight nodded tentatively. “I like the sound of that.”
“Course ya do.” Applejack chuckled. “Now, who first?”
Applejack watched as Starlight pointed at the asparagus pony. “Well, he charged me twenty bits for a bundle.”
“Did he, now?” Applejack cocked her hat and waltzed up to him, Starlight in tow. He was busy with another customer.
“Thank you, have a nice day,” he said before he laid eyes on Applejack and smiled. “Applejack! What brings you here?”
Applejack leaned in. “Hello there. Now I have been led to understand that you may have overcharged my friend here”―she pointed at Starlight―”a teensy bit more than the usual.” She flashed a grin. “Now, if’n you would be so kind as to give her the difference back, we won’t be having any problems.”
The clerk glared at Applejack. “She caused Eternal Night.”
“Uh huh.” Applejack chortled. “That’s funny, because I could’ve used a little night time when it was hotter than a chili pepper on a stove a few hours ago.” She winked at him.
He reached into his bag and pulled out the bits he had overcharged Starlight, her grasping them in her glow and putting them back in her saddlebag while sticking her tongue out at the salespony.
“She could stand to learn some manners, if you ask me.”
Applejack nodded. “One step at a time. First she needs some friends to use those manners on, then we’ll get to that. Now you have a nice day, y’hear?”
He grumbled back in recognition as Applejack and Starlight walked away.
“Now, who else?” Applejack asked.
“That pony made my pay fifty bits for a cherry.” Starlight pointed at the cherry stand.
Applejack glared at Starlight. “...Why did you pay that much?”
Starlight shrugged. “I didn’t want to make waves or hurt potential friendships.”
“Well then.” Applejack growled. “I’m gonna have to give a stern talking-to to Cherry Cobbler.”
Cherry Cobbler finished up a sale. “Thank you, have a nice day!” He noticed Applejack stomping up to his stall. “Ah, the wonderful Applejack! What can I do ya for?”
Applejack grabbed him by the bowtie and pulled him in close. “I am under the impression that you have grievously overcharged one of my friends for the pleasure of owning one of your fine cherries.”
“My cherries are indeed the finest in Ponyville,” Cherry Cobbler confirmed as he glared at Applejack. “But I didn’t overcharge one of your friends.”
“Yes you did!” Starlight shouted. “You overcharged me!”
Cherry Cobbler looked at Starlight, then at Applejack. “She one of yours?”
Applejack nodded and snarled.
He barked a laugh. “She ain’t nopony’s friend. She caused changelings to take over Equestria.”
“Alright, then.” Applejack let go of Cherry Cobbler. “That’s not how I remember it. How I recall it happening is that Princess Cadance and Shining Armor repelled the changelings.” Applejack looked around the market. “There ain’t a changeling for miles around now.”
A changeling walked up to Cherry Cobbler. “Could I have a cherry?”
“Sure thing, Kevin! That’ll be one bit.”
Kevin gave Mr. Cobbler a bit and he grabbed his cherry. “Thank you, Mr. Cobbler,” he said before scurrying away.
Cherry chuckled. “Great kid, that one.”
Applejack leveled a glare at Cherry Cobbler. “I think you know what I’m going to say next.”
“What? He’s a nice boy.” He rifled through his wares. “Certainly didn’t kill everyone in Equestria.”
“Gee whiz.” Applejack snorted. “I sure as sugar know that didn’t happen, seeing as how you and I are having this conversation. Now give her her money back.”
Cherry put his hooves to his face and took a deep breath. “Fine. But if she fouls up, it’s on your head.” He pulled out the bits he owed Starlight. She put them in her saddlebag and winked at him.
Applejack sighed. “Who’s next?”
Starlight looked around. “Well…”
“Alright, let’s make this easier.” Applejack trotted to the center of the market and cleared her throat.
“Anyone who overcharged my friend Starlight Glimmer here, give me the bits you fleeced her or I’ll let Big Mac know what you think about fair and honest business!”
One by one, salesponies filed up and gave Applejack bits: some two, some twenty. When all was said and done, everyone except Golden Harvest had repaid Starlight Glimmer.
Applejack smiled at Golden. “Well, it’s nice to see you didn’t gyp her.”
“I didn’t overcharge her because I refused sale.”
Starlight snarled. “Oh yeah. You’re the mare who refused to sell me carrots!”
“I didn’t sell you my wares because you need to know stealing cutie marks isn’t okay.”
Starlight sneered at Golden Harvest. “I only stole six cutie marks and they’ve forgiven me.” Starlight looked around the crowd. “Yet I’ve never harmed any of you and you treat me like an outcast!” Starlight seethed for a few moments, then took a deep breath. “Fellow Ponyvillians, I understand that through pettiness I attempted to exact vengeance. Princess Twilight has decided to give me a new lease on life when I myself would have punished anyone else were I given the chance―or worse.” She walked around as she addressed the crowd. “I expected to be given a chance at friendship because that’s what Twilight promised me. And yet.” Starlight raised a hoof. “That experience lets me now understand why you all cheated me. Because it feels good to exact some manner of vengeance, no matter how petty it is. I’d even go so far to say that all vengeance is pettiness, no matter how one feels about it.
“And that makes us the same in a way I’d not prefer to be like all of you.” Starlight eyes wettened. “I would prefer to have a common bond over the good times I foresaw sharing with all of you, as opposed to being treated like I deserved.” Starlight sighed. “I just want to make friends. Is that so hard to understand?”
Golden Harvest walked up to Starlight and offered her a bundle of carrots. “No, it isn’t.” She chuckeld as Starlight put the carrots in her saddlebags. “Just know that we’ll be keeping an extra-sharp eye on you.”
“Thank you.” A single tear escaped from Starlight’s eye. “From the bottom of my heart.”
Applejack groaned. “Now was that so hard? C'mon, Starlight, let's get back to the castle before I do somethin' I might regret.”
With that, Starlight and Applejack took the trek to Twilight’s Castle.
Applejack looked at Starlight. “How long have you been preparing that speech?”
Starlight wiped the tear from her face. “Ever since Twilight and I came back from the time-travel shenanigans.”
“Eeyup.”
