It was a bright, sunny day in Ponyville , and the town was very quiet. Starlight Glimmer, a young lavender unicorn with a purple and teal mane, was quite happy about this fact. Lately, due to the upcoming Running Of The Leaves, ponies had been running around the town preparing. They had often trampled all over her “home” leaving dents and creases in it. But today, however, was the day after the marathon, so there was no more crazy running. Things seemed a lot less hectic in Ponyville now.
It was around 8:00 in the morning, and Starlight had just woken up. She rubbed her eyes and fixed up her mane to make it look less tangled. She looked inside her cup beside her box and saw 3 bits in it! Starlight’s ears perked up as she saw them glimmer in the sunlight. She then lifted them with her mouth and nearly galloped to the fruits and vegetables stand.
“Excuse me, mamn, how much does this basket of carrots cost?” Starlight asked as the pointed to a small basket of carrots.
“Five bits,” the mare at the stand replied.
“Shoot,” said Starlight as her ears flopped. Her stomach growled as she was about to turn and look at more items.
“All of our items here cost at least 5 bits, unless you buy them individually, which I’m assuming you don’t want. Do you have any more bits?” Asked the mare.
“No,” Starlight simply said as her ears wilted more. She was about to turn away and go to another stand.
“Well, you look like you’re hungry, so, I’ll cut you a deal. I’ll give you the basket of carrots for 3 bits if you want.”
“Really?! Thank you so much, mamn!” Starlight exclaimed joyously as her ears perked up again, “And have a nice day!”
The mare simply smiled and waved at her gently.
Starlight trotted happily back “home”, as it had been a few days since she had fresh food. When she reached her box, she licked her lips in anticipation. Her stomach growled, so she quickly took a big bite out of a carrot. She sighed in contentment after finishing the carrot. It had felt like an eternity since she had eaten fresh food last!
After Starlight had finished around half the basket of carrots (Let’s be real, it came with like, 5 carrots) she walked around town to see if there were any jobs she could do for bits. This was a daily routine of hers, and sometimes she found work, sometimes she didn’t. However, it was extremely hard to find a full-time job. She didn’t qualify for a lot of them, and plus, there weren’t many jobs available in Ponyville. Starlight did find a job to do today. She was told to plow a stallion’s field in exchange for 10 bits. Starlight happily agreed, even though the pay wasn’t exactly fair for her. The job took up most of the day.
When Starlight finally got done plowing the field, she realized how long it had taken. She saw that it was already evening, which meant it had taken nearly 3 hours to complete. Starlight began to scowl.
“So I did all that work, and that pony practically robs me?! I mean, yeah, I did agree to it, so it’s partly my fault. And he at least payed me enough for a decent meal, right?” Starlight said annoyedly.
Starlight was exhausted from doing so much work on top of not having much energy. Her hooves ached, and she felt a tad dizzy. However, the dizziness might have been from hunger. All Starlight had eaten that day so far was a few carrots, so it was no wonder she was so hungry. She quickly ate the remainder of her carrots and then went to the store to buy a couple loaves of bread and a couple fruits. This was plenty of food for dinner and breakfast tomorrow, possibly even lunch in Starlight’s eyes!
As Starlight was about to go to bed, she started to think about her dad. You see, Sunburst, Starlight’s adopted dad, had disappeared from her life when she was only 11 years old. They had been going fishing together at the Ponyville pond (Not to kill, of course) and Sunburst had caught a rather big fish. The two were both thrilled, so much that Sunburst started to lean a little too close to the edge of the rails. Then suddenly, he slipped! Starlight panicked. She had to save him! So she ran off to find some help, as she could not swim. Unfortunately, when she came back with help, her dad was nowhere to be found. Starlight couldn’t believe it. She and he were so close, and they were always together. Now, they would be separated forever. Starlight cried and cried. She took the train back to the Crystal Empire with the little money she had in her little saddlebag. When she arrived home, she cried into her bed. She stayed isolated for a few days until she was able to show her face in public again. She was also told that she would be taken care of by the city until she was old enough to get a job.
Starlight felt herself cry a little as she went through these painful memories.
“Dad, I’m sorry I couldn’t be there sooner. There isn’t one day that goes by that I don’t think about you. You were best pony ever. I love you,” she said solemnly.
Starlight sang a little song to herself to soothe herself to sleep. It was a song her dad would always sing her to sleep with when she was a foal. It went like this:
“Starlight, Starbright, lay your head down, and have sweet dreams tonight. I will be right here, my little Starlight. You are the light I always find, shining bright in my eye.”
Then the two would share a great, big, warm hug together while giving each other goodnight kisses.
For more information on how Starlight Glimmer became the way she is now, this chapter will be devoted to her backstory on how she became homeless.
2 years ago~
As Starlight woke up after a good night’s sleep in her small but comfortable bed, she got ready to go to work. She worked in a grocery store as a cashier. She trotted through the happy town of Ponyville to her job, but was still a little tired. She would first, however, grab a bite to eat so she wouldn’t be hungry as she worked. She went to the Hayburger and ordered a hayburger and a hayshake. Starlight ate her breakfast at a near bench before she headed off to work again. When she reached her work, she stood at her cash register. Starlight eventually got bored when no customers came yet, so she used her magic to make a few bits dance in the air. She became a little distracted and accidentally bumped into the counter and fell. Then, she was startled at the fall and accidentally fired a beam of magic towards the button that activated the fire extinguishers. Suddenly, the whole store had water spraying everywhere! Starlight was terrified! Ponies must be mad at her! Authorities came and stopped the spraying eventually, but as for Starlight, unfortunately, she was fired on the spot. Starlight quickly ran out of the building, embarrassed and ashamed, while tears were forming in her eyes. She was devastated. How could she show her face in that store again? She was also worried about rent. She didn’t have much money left, and it wasn’t enough to pay for her house. And if she didn’t find another job soon, she might end up homeless.
A couple weeks after the fire, it was rent day for Starlight. She begged the owner to give her some more time to get the money, and finally, he gave her another week. Starlight searched for more jobs around Ponyville. She didn’t find any. She then tried to sell some of her stuff for money, and while it was some money, it wasn’t enough to pay for rent. And before she knew it, her time was up. Starlight packed her few remaining items up and left the house. She had around a hundred bits left, which, fortunately, would be enough for a hotel room for a couple weeks, but she couldn’t get a permanent place to stay with the money. Starlight found a quiet bench in the park and put her things there for the mean time while she searched for a job. When she arrived back after no luck, she was surprised to see that her items were GONE! Somepony must have stolen them! Starlight was angry, but then started crying as she curled herself up into a ball on the bench. Luckily, however, she had brought her bits with her, so they were safe and sound.
A little while later, Starlight decided to get a hotel room at the Ponyville Inn. She found that she could afford the room for around a week if she wanted to afford food and other supplies. A couple days later, Starlight decided to go out and find a job again. However, with the holidays coming up in a few weeks, most jobs weren’t hiring all that much, so she didn’t find a job. Soon, all her bits ran out, and Starlight had no other place to go. She was forced out onto the streets. She eventually learned how to survive on her own, and even though it was hard, she always tried her best to keep a positive outlook on life, even if she wasn’t all that happy.
It was the next day, sometime in the afternoon, and Starlight had been finishing her food from last night. She ate a fruit and a couple of pieces of bread. Starlight took a walk around the streets of Ponyville, looking at windows and buildings as she passed by them. Suddenly, she felt hungry, as it had been a few hours since she had last eaten. She then remembered that she had a couple bits left since last night. Starlight was going to save her two bits for more necessary supplies, as it was wiser, but she wanted to treat herself once in a while. So, she decided buy a small hayshake with the bits at the cafe. It had been a while since she had one! So she walked inside the cafe. She carried her bits with her mouth, as she had been saving her energy for a little over a year by not using much magic. Starlight chose a table to sit at, and she sighed in content.
When the waitress came and asked Starlight what she wanted, Starlight told her she just wanted a hayshake. She was actually wanting a meal, but two bits wouldn’t pay but for so much. The waitress nodded her head and walked away from the two-pony table. As Starlight was sitting patiently but yet bored, a young mare around her age came up to her table. She wasn’t a waitress. This pony was young with a lime-green coat of fur, light-yellow mane and tail, and a cutie mark that looked like a sun with rays coming down from it.
“Oh! I’m sorry, mamn, I didn’t see you there! I-I’ll move to another table,” the mare said as she pulled a book away from her face to look at Starlight. She had almost sat down with Starlight!
“You’re fine!” Replied Starlight, “You can sit here, if you want.”
“Oh, okay, thanks!” The mare by the name of Sunny Dae said a bit sheepishly.
“So, do you live here in Ponyville? I’ve never seen you around here before,” asked Sunny.
“Uh-uh, well, kinda. Yes, I live here. Hehe.”
“Uh, is everything okay? You seem a little uncomfortable.”
“Yeah! Everything’s fine. I-I’m totally fine!”
“Look, I’m not trying to overstep, but, you seem like you’re hiding something. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Just as Sunny asked that, the waitress came to their table.
“Alright, mamn, here’s your hayshake.”
Starlight hoofed her the two bits.
“Uh, miss, hayshakes here cost three bits, not two.
Starlight’s ears flopped. When did the price change?
“Oh, that’s all I have. Thanks for telling me,” Starlight replied with a sad scowl.
“Sorry, mamn. And you, are you with her?” The waitress asked as looked Sunny’s direction.
Sunny had a frown on her face. “Oh, no. Ok, I’ll have, uh,” she looked over Starlight’s direction as Starlight looked sad. “I’ll have two hayburgers and two hayshakes.”
The waitress wrote down the order in her notepad and walked away.
“I got that for you,” Sunny said to Starlight with a compassionate smile.
“W-what? Really? N-no, I can’t put you out like that. Please, take back the order. It’s okay. I-I’m used to it anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m used to being rejected when I try to buy stuff. The thing is, I, uh, I’m not exactly rich...” Starlight said shyly.
“So, wait, about that question when I asked if you live around here...I mean, I’m not trying to assume, but...”
Starlight finally found the courage to speak up. “Yeah, I’m, uh...........homeless.......”
Sunny Dae sat there, eyes wide for a few seconds, until she finally spoke.
“Really? You’re homeless? You know, you might not have guessed, but, uh, I am too.”
The two mares just looked at each other for a few moments in silence. Sunny finally broke the silence.
“Feel better now? You don’t need to be ashamed. You’re probably just down on your luck.”
“I’ve been homeless for about two years now. Are you really homeless?” Starlight asked.
“Yes, I am. It’s been about a year and a half since I lost my house.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” replied Starlight.
“No! Don’t be! I actually chose to be the way I am!”
“You did? Why? Where do you sleep?”
“I’ll usually find a grassy field and set up my sleeping bag there. However, sometimes, I do stay in hotels.”
Starlight was astounded. Could a pony really be crazy enough to choose to be homeless?
“Do you ever go hungry?” Starlight asked.
“No, I actually have a part time job working with plants, so I have plenty of bits to buy food with. Why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. *Sigh* I sometimes do. However, lately, I haven’t been as hungry as I usually am, so that’s good.”
“Hey, we never even introduced ourselves! I-I’m Sunny Dae. Nice to meet you!”
Starlight couldn’t believe she had met a pony like Sunny. Usually the ponies she had met would’ve been grossed out by the fact she was homeless, but Sunny was herself, even if she liked it that way.
“I-I-I’m Starlight. Starlight Glimmer. It’s nice to meet you too!”
Just then, the waitress came back with the food. Sunny gave the waitress the bits and then the waitress walked away.
“Sunny, you really didn’t have to do this. I-I mean, uh, well, the thing is, I guess I’ve just never had somepony show me this much kindness before,” said Starlight as she gave a sad smile. Then, she said quietly, “Well, my dad used to.” Then a tear she couldn’t control rolled down her cheek.
Sunny looked at Starlight with a confused look, which then turned into a sad one.
“D-did something happen to him?” She asked.
Starlight just looked down, her eyes sparkling more and more until she started crying uncontrollably.
“He fell into the pond when I was a foal! A-and after that, I had nopony else! I never had a mom because Dad adopted me, so I literally had NOPONY!” Then she slammed her head down on the table, her horn hurting with the impact.
Sunny had a surprised look on her face. Then, she went over to Starlight’s side of the table and hugged her, trying to calm her down.
“Starlight, please, listen to me. Please don’t cry. I-I-I didn’t mean to mess you up like this. I’m sorry about what happened. Please stop crying!” She pleaded.
Eventually, Starlight was reduced down to sniffling. She felt a little embarrassed about it. She had never let herself go like that, especially not in public.
“Sorry about all that. I-I don’t typically get emotional like that. It’s just, it really hurts. I miss my dad. He, he was something special. Like an angel in my eyes. I’m sorry you had to calm me down,” Starlight said with sorrow and embarrassment.
“It’s okay, Starlight. Look, I’ll be here for you. I promise. I’m just sorry all that happened. I, I don’t know what it feels like to lose a parent, but I hope I can still help,” Sunny said with a smile.
Starlight smiled too. “Thank you, Sunny.”
Sunny replied. “You’re welcome, Starlight. Now, let’s eat!”
The two young mares each ate their meals together and told each other funny stories for a few minutes, before they agreed to meet each other at the park later that day.
