Livin' In a Lonely World
Dawn's Glow headed back into her house after working all day. The twins, Harvest Time and Plow's Glory, were whining to Mamma about being bored and hungry. Swifty had returned at some point and was in her room, pulling a brush through her mane. Early Bird was in his room talking with another one of her many siblings, Rushing Flow.
She hung her head and sighed. Dawn poked her head into her room, relieved that Tide Dancer had not yet arrived back from the city. She suddenly felt the need to talk to somepony. She had been lonely all day. But who? What pony? Early Bird was busy with Rushing Flow, Swifty didn't like her, and Mamma was occupied with the twins. She was all alone as usual. She went to her window and gazed up at all of the stars.
Later on that night a star streaked past her window. Dawn's head jerked up and her eyes fixed on that star as if it was the only thing holding her on the earth. "Just one friend", she pleaded with it. "Just one." It fizzled out and she sighed. Just then, the screen door banged open at the back of the house. "Must be the wind", Dawn's Glow said to herself. She turned to push it closed and nearly ran into a seafoam green pony with a light green mane and tail. "Oh! Tide Dancer! Was that you just now?"
The unicorn stepped back and then rolled her eyes. "Duh! Do I look like Swifty to you?" She shook her head and plopped down on the bed. "Sheesh. How did you all survive without me? I'm obviously the brains of the family, though Swifty is close behind me." Tide leaped up. "What is all this?" she asked irritably.
Dawn blushed and looked down at her astronomy books and a half assembled telescope. "Um, nothing", she whispered. "Miss Brainiac."
Tide Dancer snorted and used her magic to pick it all up. "Next time, keep it off my bed!" With that, she dumped it all on the floor.
Dawn narrowed her eyes at her sister. "It's not just your bed, you know! Half of it's mine."
Tide faced her, a glare pasted onto her face. "Listen, twerp, I work all day in the city, I provide this family with the money it needs and then I come home to you telling me that I can't even have a bed? Some gratitude!"
"I said half of it was yours, Tide!" Dawn's Glow retorted. "And you get to sleep in your half."
"No, no!" Tide Dancer sneered. "I'll just sleep on the floor. You can have the bed all to yourself. Goodness forbid that Dawn's Glow should have to sleep anywhere but on a full bed!" She threw herself to the floor and snored theatrically.
Dawn giggled and peered down at her sister.
Tide Dancer leaped up and gave her twin a noogie. "Got'cha didn't I? Come on, admit it!"
Dawn laughed. "Sure you did, sure you did! You should go out for acting", the cream unicorn said, laughing all the while.
"If I do, you do", the green unicorn retorted. She fell back onto their bed, laughter subsiding. "I'm glad I came home."
Dawn's Glow flopped down beside her. "So am I."