It was a snowy day in Sires Hollow, and many ponies were frantically buying last minute gifts and singing carols. However, most ponies who lived in the small town were off on vacation, you know, to get out of such a small area. You see, it was Hearths Warming! Anyway, Firelight and his daughter, Starlight Glimmer were staying in their hometown for Hearths Warming. Starlight was visiting him for the holidays, and they couldn’t be happier together, despite Firelight occasionally slipping up and saying cute nicknames to Starlight. However, instead of getting mad, Starlight would just roll her eyes and smile at her dad, which told him to stop. As the two were heading home from buying cocoa, they smiled and laughed all the way home, telling stories about their adventures since they last saw each other.
When they finally reached home, Firelight asked his daughter of she wanted to decorate the tree with him.
“Sure dad! You know, it’s been a while since we did this together!” Starlight happily replied.
“You’re right, sugarbun! It had been quite a while! Well, I’m glad we’re doing it now,” Firelight said as he levitated an ornament on the tree. “Just two more days until Hearths Warming Day!” He continued.
As Starlight was about to reply, the two ponies noticed the bookshelves appeared to be vibrating! Then, the whole room started shaking aggressively! It was an earthquake!
“Starlight! We have to get out!” Firelight shouted.
“Okay! We need to hurry! THE HOUSE IS FALLING DOWN!” Starlight screamed as the two ponies started running! Pieces of the house’s walls were caving in, and the ceiling was falling down bit by bit. Then, Firelight got his hoof stuck on a piece of wood from the floor! Starlight noticed that her dad was not following her, and then saw he was stuck.
“DAD! NONONO!! PLEASE, TRY TO GET OUT!!”
Starlight screamed!
“I can’t! I’m stuck! Starlight, JUST GO! LEAVE ME HERE! JUST GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!”
Starlight had no choice but to run. It was either her dad got buried alive in there, and Starlight could get help, or they both stayed in there and nopony would know! So Starlight chose to evacuate, in hopes her dad would be okay until she got some help.
When Starlight was finally out of the house, she could see that Firelight was free, bit the door was blocked and he was struggling to find a way out.
“Dad! Jump out the window! The window!” Starlight yelled as loud as she could to him! Firelight nodded and ran toward the window. However, just as he was about to make it to the window, a huge chunk of the ceiling fell right on top of him!! He fell and didn’t show up to the window again.
“DAADDYY!!!!” Starlight screamed at the top of her lungs in fright!
Starlight noticed the shaking had stopped, so she ran into the house window to find her dad. When she found him unconscious, she felt tears in her eyes. She quickly pulled him out of the house by his tail and brought him to the door, or, what was left of it.
“DAD! ARE YOU OKAY?! PLEASE, WAKE UP! Please!”
Starlight kept shouting phrases like this at her dad until she realized he had no heartbeat! He was....dead....
Starlight started to sob as she hugged his dead body. Even though she knew that he was gone, she still kept sobbing things such as, “Wake up!” and, “Don’t go!”.
After about 10 minutes of sobbing, a stallion finally came up to her. He was wearing a face shield and goggles. He saw Starlight and spoke into his walkie-talkie, “So far, we have 14 survivors, 5 injured, and 1 dead. Over.” Then, he tapped Starlight’s shoulder, and she instantly looked up, eyes bloodshot from crying. He asked her who this stallion was, referring to Firelight.
Starlight sniffled for a minute, then quietly cried, “My dad.” Then, the stallion with the mask asked how old she was.
“Why do need to know?!” Starlight asked.
“We just need to know your age, ma’am,” the stallion replied.
“Fine! I’m sixteen! Happy?!” Starlight said as she cried more. The stallion just thought for a moment, before asking, “Where’s your mother? You have another pony other than your father to be your guardian, right?”
“What are you talking about? I’m sixteen! I don’t need to have a guardian anymore!” Starlight said confused.
“Well, the law says that anypony under 18 needs to have a respected guardian. So, do you have anypony else?” Said the stallion.
Starlight just sat there, and looked up sadly, “No, I don’t. My mother left me and my dad for Las Pegasis when I was born. And my grandparents are both dead now.”
The stallion sighed and said, “Well, if that’s the case, I need to report you to social services.”
Starlight looked angry. “What?! No! I’m not being put into foster care. I’m sixteen! I can take care of myself! Just leave me alone!”
“Alright, but I’m afraid I’ll have to come back soon. But, for now, I’ll leave you be. And I’m sorry about your dad.”
Starlight said nothing as he walked away to check more buildings. However, what she didn’t know was that word had gotten to Ponyville about the earthquake.