As Starlight was sitting on the pathway to her dad’s now torn down house, still softly crying to herself, she thought about all the times she had with her dad. The memories started flooding in like a rampaging river.
A three year-old Starlight and her dad were playing on the swings together at the Sires Hollow playground. Firelight was pushing Starlight gently, and Starlight was laughing and grinning the whole time. She had always loved to play at the park with her dad, and he loved playing with her, too.
It was Starlight’s first day of school, and Firelight was making sure Starlight had everything she needed. Pencil, notebook, crayons, lunch, etc. He told her to be nice to all the fillies and colts and play games they wanted to play too. He also made sure Starlight knew where her lunch and supplies were. Starlight rolled her eyes and told her dad he was too overbearing. Firelight laughed and gave her a hug and kiss before walking her to school.
Starlight hated to admit it, but she longed for the days when she was still a foal, her only worry about what fun she would have today. She wished she could go back to the days when she would walk back home from school, her dad waiting for her with her favorite snack of milk and his homemade cookies.
Starlight came running home happily with a colt following along. They had just met, and had already had a lot in common. Their interest in magic, love of reading, and they even like the board game “Dragon Pit”! When they reached Starlight’s home, the colt by the name of Sunburst was introduced to Firelight. Firelight treated Sunburst like his own son, inviting him to dinner and even baking him treats to take back home for he and his parents.
Starlight briefly smiled at these memories, before closing her eyes again to reminisce more.
It was a tragic day for Starlight. Her only friend, Sunburst, had gotten his cutie mark in magic, and left her behind. Starlight was devastated. And even though her dad cared about her troubles, he just didn’t have the time to help her through it. He had just got fired from his job, and he was forced to find another job, one that had little pay and long hours. Starlight thought that her dad didn’t care, so her relationship with him faltered.
Starlight frowned at the memory. She wished she had understood his reasoning back then, but she couldn’t go back and make herself. She also knew time travel was not an option right now. She had known that for a while.
After coming home from a hard day of getting made fun of at school, Starlight ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. Firelight looked on at her in concern. After about an hour of crying from the bullying because she didn’t have a cutie mark, Starlight decided to pack a few supplies and jump out her window, and never come back home.
Starlight started to cry some more as she thought of this memory. She remembered about how she struggled to survive in the desert, and how hard it was to find ponies who didn’t like their cutie marks. If only she had just talked out her problems with her dad.
After being redeemed by Twilight and her friends after traveling back and time to get revenge on them, she visited the one pony she hadn’t seen in years, her dad. When she reached Sires Hollow, Firelight was overjoyed to see her. However, Starlight was nervous to tell him what she did. She finally did, however, and instead of her dad getting mad at her, he started smothering her with love and treating her like a filly. Once again, this messed up their relationship again.
One day, Starlight and Sunburst were called by the Cutie Map to solve a friendship problem in their hometown. They are both nervous about their parents smothering and trying to take control of their life. When they reach Sires Hollow, Starlight’s dad starts treating her like a filly, again. And Sunburst’s mom, Stellar Flare, tries to make all sorts of plans for him. Eventually, the ponies talk it out with their parent, and they both promise to stop being so overbearing.
Starlight cried again. She wished she could erase all her mistakes from the past. After all, her dad was just trying to make up for not being there much when she was a foal. How could she be so foolish!? To completely ignore his support and love. Starlight eventually cried herself to sleep on the cold sidewalk.