Starlight slept soundly in her bed. However, as promised, as the clock struck 1, there was a bright light that woke her. As she woke, she looked to the light and saw a tall white alicorn standing there, her green, pink, and blue mane flowing like a breeze and her purple eyes gazing at her.
"Can you put out that light? I'm trying to sleep"
"Why put out the light that shines within all ponies?"
"Who even are you?"
"I am the Ghost of Christmas Past of course"
"Long past?"
"Your past. Come. Let's take a trip down memory lane." the alicorn offered her hoof to the mare as she sighed
"You won't take no for an answer will you?" she took the hoof without waiting for a response as the alicorn spread her wings and flew out the window, carrying Starlight in her grasp. All around them, the world seemed to change as they land outside a schoolhouse during the day.
"Wait a minute...I recognize this place...this was my old schoolhouse." She smiled looking around as the memories rushed back, making her giddy as a young foal again. Speaking of which, she would look inside a window and saw a younger version of herself inside working. Her younger self would sigh as she worked on. Soon, a young yellow filly ran in
"Starlight!"
"Bloom! My dear sister. What brings you here? Won't father be furious?"
"He's the one who sent me big sister. He's much kinder now, so I asked if you could come home...and he said yes" she smiled. The younger Starlight would get up from her desk and rush over, hugging her close before packing her stuff up into her saddlebag
Meanwhile the two spectators smiled as the spirit then spoke "such a wonderful filly, your sister..."
"I loved her dearly...It's a shame she couldn't live forever..."
"She did have children right?"
"One child...my niece...and after she passed on I promised myself I'd never love anyone again..."
"But you did...didn't you, Starlight?" She took her hoof again as it became night once more and the scenery changed once again to a counting house
"Why...It's Pinkiewig's! I used to apprentice here!..." she rushed to the window peeking in "And there's Old Pinkiewig herself! Alive again! Bless her soul!"
Inside, Pinkiewig and Scrooge were working as soon the clock struck 7 as Pinkiewig grinned nice and wide as she tossed her desk aside
"IT'S SEVEN O'CLOCK!" she then kicked Starlight's desk off to the side "No more work tonight Starlight! Aaaand it's Christmas! You know what that means!"
"I...uh..."
Pinkiewig then kicked the wall as decorations came down in perfect placement "Leeeeeet's PARTY!!!" The party then commenced on cue. Ponies were dancing, talking, laughing, and having an all-around good time.
"A pretty small get-together right?"
"Small?"
"Well it didn't cost much to put together that's for sure"
"Ah, but her parties never ceased to bring joy and smiles to pony's faces without needing to"
Inside, a yellow and white unicorn caught her eye as he came over and asked to dance "the name's Sunburst"
"Starlight Scrooge. It's a pleasure"
"The pleasure's all mine" the two would dance and gaze into each other's eyes.
"Oh Sunburst...how I once loved him..." the Starlight from the present stated
"Yes...but then you fell in love with something else..."
"What are you getting at, spirit?..." the scenery changed once again as it was daytime again in a park as Sunburst and young Starlight sat on that bench. "Oh no...no no no. Not again!..." she would already begin to tear up as she looked at the scene before her
"Starlight?..."
"Yes Sunburst?"
"I know we're engaged but...I'm afraid I'm going to have to back out on our marriage..."
"But why Sunburst?"
"It's clear to me that there's something you love more."
"Sunburst. Whatever do you mean?"
"I'm talking about money...I've seen it in your eyes Starlight. You've changed..."
"But my feelings towards you haven't"
"Oh really?...Looking back, would the you now have still taken me back then with how poor I was and still am?...Back when we didn't need money to be happy?.."
"I...uh...well..."
"Look...I'm doing this for you...I don't know when or why you changed but you have...and so with a heavy heart...and a love for the mare you once were...I hereby free you from your commitment..."
Starlight just nodded, giving him the ring from her horn as the two walked off.
Present day Starlight watched as tears rolled down her face like waterfalls "What are you doing you foal! GO AFTER HIM! You can't just let this happen! Do something! It's not too late!..."
"She cannot hear you, Scrooge. The past is the past. It's already done."
"Please spirit...show me no more...do not torture me any longer!...I demand that you take me home! These memories are too much to bare!" she began commanding, the anger in her voice returning as the pain all came flowing back
"Very well but remember...these are the memories that you, yourself, forged."
As Starlight closed her eyes in anger and she opened them again she found herself back in her bed. She huffed and went back to sleep "Bah, humbug!..."