Trigger warnings child abuse
In Order to understand her motives and rules for bullying, you need to understand her past from before she came to this world and what she had to do to survive in this one.
Sunset was born in Manehattan, both of her parents where unicorns. Her mother’s name was Sunrise Shimmer and she was a doctor at the general hospital. She was also one of the best artists in Manehattan. Her father’s name was Starset Shimmer and he was an astronomer and writer, so her family was well off money wise. She had everything she could ever want and for years she was happy. That is until her mom got into a carriage accident.
Her father always seemed sad but he still told his daughter that things were going to be ok. Sunset wasn't stupid, she had sneaked some of the doctor's papers and knew enough of what it meant. The words that stood out to her was, coma, spinal injury and collapsed lung. She knew that her mom won't be ok, even if she woke up but she still put on an act for her father. Always trying to cheer him up. However it seemed like no matter what the seven-year-old filly would do, never worked. It went like that in a circle for weeks, doctors talk to the dad, the dad talks to the daughter and then the daughter would try to cheer up the dad. It only ended when Sunrise passed away.
That's when things got bad, it was tough when Sunrise was in the hospital but at least she was in the hospital. Starset could not cope with the death of his wife and he started drinking, nothing too bad just a bottle here and there. Of course, everything starts out small. His boss caught him drinking on the job and fires him. That meant no job and no more money. Starset starts to drink constantly afterward. The only time he was seen without a bottle in his hoof was when he was asleep. That meant Sunset had to care for herself, in the morning she went to the local bakery and helped there usually getting something to eat in return. She has inherited her mother's talent for painting so she would go to the library where they held arts and crafts activities in the afternoon. Then she made enough money for dinner, selling the art she made by going house to house. It was enough bits to buy both Starset and Sunset a hay burger for dinner and then she would return home and give the remaining bits to her father.
It stayed that way for half a year, this was the first time her birthday had come and gone without her father's knowledge, he had his eyes set on another mare. Another drunk he met at the bar with a lot of money. Barely a week had passed before she moves in with Starset. Suddenly they had more money, but Sunset still had to do her routes to survive. Now it was harder for her though because no one wanted posters of last years models or stars. Now everyone wanted self-portraits done by the best artists in all of Equestria not some little filly still school age. The bakery had hired an assistant so they no longer needed her help. Now she had to make enough bits to cover breakfast lunch and dinner. It seemed as if her father had forgotten her.
It was like that for a few weeks, until her father decided that beer wasn't enough. No with the money he and his marefriend had they decided to try the new Tartarus Springs Vodka 80%. Sunset would have preferred to have been forgotten. See, the beer had been enough to get her father passed out drunk. Anything stronger and he got mean, really mean. The other mare just didn't care what Starset did. It was no different to her if he kissed the mare or hit Sunset. He did both... a lot. When Sunset was eight all she had to do was behave and obey his strict rules, when she was almost nine it got worse.
She would wake up on the floor, Starset had sold her things weeks ago. Then she would try to sneak out the front door, if he was awake he hit her with his hooves. Celestia forbids she woke him up, but if she did she was hit with either a discarded bottle or a curtain rod or a switch. Anything that was at hoof really. Then she would have to grab a cloak to had her bruises and cuts from everypony. Then she would make her way to the park to draw portraits, or anything really for anypony willing to pay for it. Then she would stash some of the bits she made and she would leave the rest on the counter and try to make her way up the stairs without being spotted. Hoping she had made enough to please her father or she would get another beating. There were some days when the park was really busy and filled with poneys wanting a drawing of themselves done and she comes home with plenty of bits. This wasn't one of those days, and Sunset could hear her father yelling for her downstairs.
They rarely spoke with each other but when they did it didn't end well for her. This time was no different. She walked down the stairs, hooves shaking as she says the man which was once her father with a furious expression on his face and her bag of bits in his hand.
“WHAT IS THIS!” He yelled
“It's… a bag of… bits?” She replied timidly, not wanting to anger him further.
“DID I TELL YOU TO SPEAK!” He walked forward and struck her in the face
“N..No” Her answer was met with another strike
“WHAT WAS THAT!” He was towering over the cowering filly now. When Sunset didn't say anything he continued. “I know that this is a bag of bits” He repeated Sunsets answer “what I want to know is, WHERE IS THE REST OF IT!” Sunset looked down to her hooves, she must have stashed more then she realized. She almost had enough bits to leave, it tomorrow went ok then she would be in Canterlot by morn-
She way stars and landed on her side, her thoughts were disrupted by her father swinging the bag of gold coins at her head. “LOOK AT ME WHEN IM TALKING TO YOU” He roared “TWENTY BITS! THE. NEXT. TIME. YOU. AND. YOUR. LAZY. FLANK. PULL. SUCH. A. PATHETIC. AMOUNT. OF. BITS. AGAIN. IM. GOING. TO. PUNISH. YOU. SO. BAD. YOU. WONT. BE. ABLE. TO. WALK. FOR. A. YEAR!
Each word was met with another hit to the ten-year-old filly, who was trying desperately to cover her head and chest from the blows that were raining down upon her. “Keep our pathetic bunch of bits” He spat. “I want twice as much the usual tomorrow or you're going to regret it.” Starset threw the bag of bits at Sunset and brought both his front hooves down on Sunsets right back leg with the force of a stampeding buffalo. Breaking it, to make a point. The filly screamed and cried, but not just tears of pain. Tears of joy, she had enough for the train ticket to Canterlot! She could leave today. Even through the pain, she began to think of her escape plan.
It would take normally take her an hour to walk to the train station but, with her leg, it will take twice as long. The train would leave for three hours so she needed to get everything ready and buy her ticket in one hour. All she had was a saddle bag and a cloak which was by the door.
“Dad? I'm going to go see if I can make you some more bits ok” She asked hesitantly. She froze for a full minute, after no response she figured he had passed out again. Thankfully. She put on her saddlebag first, to hide her bits then she put on her cloak. Then she was out the door, taking care to not put any weight on her back leg. More importantly careful not to make any noise.
Then she left.