//------------------------------// // Destined for Greatness // Story: Sweetest Taste of Fate // by Draconian Soul //------------------------------// Life in Ponyville generally isn't a difficult one to live. Follow your dreams, reach your destiny, and act upon it. That’s how life has always worked. That’s how life will always be. And for many of the citizens, it was a very enriching life, filled with wonder, happiness, and friendship. Each new generation learns their talents and gain their cutie marks; and while every pony achieves these things through time, only a certain few rise to something greater and become the embodiment of order and peace. The Elements of Harmony. One of these elements, the Element of Laughter, resided in the home of some of Equestria’s greatest bakers. While the Cakes were cleaning up and checking recounting their inventory, a certain pink mane pony was making a wide variety of silly faces towards the two twins giggling gleefully in their cribs. “Where’s Pinkie?” she playfully said while covering her face. “Here I am!!” It was the big reveal that elicited fits of laughter from the two twins. Cup Cake turned towards the source of laughter and let a gentle smile creep upon her face. “Carrot?” she turned towards her husband who was still stocking up the remaining flour left. “Yes Sweetie?” he responded, making eye contact with his lovely wife. “Ever since we had Pound and Pumpkin, I have always wondered…well…what do you think they’ll grow up to be?” Carrot Cake pondered on her question for a moment. “I honestly haven’t put much thought into that before,” he answered truthfully. “But seeing how Pound is the first Pegasus in our family tree for quite some time, I’m sure he won’t fail to disappoint. And if Pumpkin is anywhere near as sweet and lovely as you are…” “Carrot, please,” Cup interrupted showing a hint of red on her blue tinted coat. “Oh, but it’s true my sweet, sweet petite cupcake,” Carrot continued flirting with Cup walking towards her and planting a soft kiss on her lips, lasting briefly before they parted. “But as I was saying, if Pumpkin is anywhere near as sweet and lovely as you are, then I can see great things coming her way, especially since she’s a unicorn.” “Yeah I know,” she said still a little crimson from the kiss and Carrot’s emphasis on compliments directed towards her and looked back at a now passed out Pinkie and twins, most likely exhausted from all the laughing and playing they’ve done. “It’s just I’m eager to know what they will do with their lives.” “Well sadly, I can’t predict any of that,” Carrot said walking towards his wife and wrapping his forelegs around her watching his children sleep. “However, I have a very strong feeling that our kids will grow up to do something extraordinary. I just know they will go off and do great things in their lives.” ~10 years later~ “Principal Apple Bottom,” Cup Cake began, annoyance flooding her voice. “What did she do this time?” It was the afternoon and all of the young ponies were headed back to their homes, all except for one little filly. Her mane was scuffed and muddy, tiny scars covered her body and her blue ribbon that she wore on her hair was nearly torn apart completely. Pumpkin stared daggers at the principal, obviously angry that her mother had to be involved. “Well as you know Mrs. Cake, Pumpkin has had a history of violence towards the students here…” “And they all deserved it,” Pumpkin muttered under her breath. “But this recent violation is far more serious than any other she has done in the past.” “Oh really?” Cup Cake responded looking at Pumpkin with a mixture of anger and disappointment, causing Pumpkin to slump into her chair. “Not only did she elicit a fight and carried on with it, but she proceeded to beating one of our students with a blunt object even when the victim pleaded her to stop.” “Hey,hey hold on!” Pumpkin exclaimed seeming offended by the way the principal worded her statement. “One, she was not a victim, nor did I elicit a fight. She started it! And second, I hit her with a lunch tray, which wasn't even that hard!” “You threw the first punch Pumpkin. That means you started the fight and she was merely defending herself.” “Well she threw the first verbal punch when she said I was a mentally challenged blank flank throughout the day, so I think my punch was justified.” “That doesn't equal…” Principal Apple Bottom was on the verge of snapping, but quickly regained her composure and pushed her glasses up. “Mrs. Cake, could you please handle your child?” “Pumpkin, go sit outside the office until I’m done talking,” Cup demanded. “We’ll discuss this on the way home.” “But Mom,” Pumpkin began to whine. “She’s not even trying to see it from my…” “Go outside now!” Cup Cake’s patience was wearing thin, and Pumpkin knew it from the way she was looking at her. She quickly got off the chair and scurried outside the office. Cup Cake let out a strong sigh. “Listen Ms. Apple Bottom, I've tried so hard with her, but it seems like…” “Please Mrs. Cake,” Principal Apple Bottom stuck her hoof out to indicate that there was no need for an explanation. “ I've known you for a while now and I know what a good parent you are. I’m not questioning your parenting skills, and I am confident that you are doing everything you can. However, I am worried about your daughter.” She saw that Cup Cake’s eyes were sinking with sadness and it pained Apple Bottom to see her old friend like that. “Listen, I care about Pumpkin, and I want to believe that she can be civil and calm much like her brother, but she has a tendency to…overact, to put it lightly and not think before she does things. As a result, she has had more detentions and suspensions, both in school and out, than any of our students. This can be potentially dangerous if not dealt with early on. I've seen too many of my former students get into criminal activities for maintaining such habits, and neither I nor you want to see little Pumpkin go down that route. Now she was provoked and called a whole bunch of nasty things from what I've heard and because I know you’ll handle it, I’ll let it slide this once, but if she does this again, I’m afraid we will have to expel her.” “Thank you Ms. Apple Bottom. It won’t happen again,” Cup Cake apologized, failing to convince even herself that her statement was true. She has lost track of how many times she said that. “I sure hope not,” Principal Apple Bottom responded. “Please have a nice day Cup.” Pumpkin was sitting outside the office tracing her front hoof in a circle along the floor waiting for her mother. When the door opened, she looked up at her mother. Her facial complexion has softened since she left the office, but she still held that face that screamed disappointment. “Pumpkin, let’s go. We’ll discuss this on the way home. *** Cup and Pumpkin Cake began walking home. The first few moments were painfully quite, which led Pumpkin to believe she was sinking in hot water with no way to swim out. She kicked a pebble all the while avoiding her mother’s gaze, and eventually decided to break the silence. “So, how long did she kick me out this time?” she hissed, still kicking the pebble around. “She didn't suspend you” “Yeah that figures. I knew she wouldn't…wait what?” “She said because the fault ran both ways, she was willing to give you another chance.” Cup stated, lacking emotion in her voice. “Hah! Bout time some pony saw things my way!” Pumpkin smiled triumphantly. “I might stop leaving marbles outside her office from now on.” “You’re not off the hook yet young lady!” Cup Cake retorted. “You’re still in trouble for…wait a minute, what do you mean stop leaving marbles?” “Oh, nothing! I was just teasing!” Pumpkin dismissed, sporting the best smile she could. “Mmm hmm,” Pumpkin’s mom was not too convinced by her daughter’s words. “Anyway, that’s not the problem. The problem is you constantly getting into fights over and over again and I’m about fed up of it.” “It’s not my fault Ma!” Pumpkin defended. “They keep insulting me day after day and won’t let up. I have to defend myself from verbal assaults!” “Not by fighting them constantly! Your brother doesn't get into fights every time some pony teases him.” Pumpkin felt as if she was going to be sick just by the mentioning of her brother. Every time she got into trouble, she was reminded of what a Celestia-send Pound Cake; the perfect child. “Pound is a chicken livered pansy who runs away from all his problems!” Pumpkin humphed, gaining a displeasing look from her mother, “Beside, if I had magic lessons, maybe I would be able to find my cutie mark.” Cup Cake sighed a little, her voice becoming more sympathetic. She understood how frustrating it was for Pumpkin and Pound to be the only ones in their class to not have their cutie marks. At first, the teachers described them as being late bloomers. However, as the years went by, they still failed to get their cutie marks. It was very rare for ponies their age to not have found their special talent by then. “Pumpkin, we've talked about this before. Getting you into a magical academy takes time and money, money we don’t necessarily have. You’ll have to be patient and wait. And trust me sweetie, you’ll get your cutie mark in due time. Things come to those who wait.” “So I have to wait but Pound gets to go to his stupid summer flight camp? I don’t see how that’s fair!” “Well you answered the first of my reasons by stating it was a summer flight camp. A school for magic would take much longer and therefore is more expensive. Second, Pound needs to build confidence, and me and your father figure that this would be the best way to do so. If he can fly, maybe he won’t act like a ‘pansy’ as you put it. Third, and most importantly, you can’t even act right in regular school. How are you going to behave at a magical academy?” “Come on Mom, you don’t think your darling little angel can behave herself at an academy?” Pumpkin then gave a wide toothy grin, wishing she could do the tiniest bit of magic to make a halo appear on her head. “No, I don’t.” “Well I can! Besides, I’m 11 with no magical abilities. How am I going to look if I become an old and wrinkled unicorn who can’t even levitate her spoon? I want to learn from the best, that way I can do all sorts of magic tricks! Then no pony will mess with me because I can make them all vanish, or dump dirt all over them, or better yet turn them all into frogs! Small insignificant frogs!!” Pumpkin let out a maniacal laugh. Any impression of her being an angel she was trying to pull off was shattered. “And you wonder why we are always on the fence about getting you into a magical academy,” Cup Cake sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about mama.” *** At Sugercube Corner, Pound was helping his father with some of his orders that needed to be filled. Being a Cake gave him the natural skills as a baker, so he was pretty good at making pastries and treats. Then again, so was his sister, and it didn't really help him feel any better about being a blank flank. Though that was the last worries on Pound Cakes mind. “Yo dad, how high will I be?” “Well,” Carrot began after placing the first layer of the three layered strawberry cake into the Dutch oven. “Seeing how it’s going to be in Cloudsdale, I’d say pretty high up.” “So, that means that if anyone was to fall from that height, the impact could be fatal?” Pound asked passing his busy father a container of cinnamon. “As morbid of a question as that is, I would say yes.” Carrot didn't want to rush the answers, but he was multitasking four different orders at once. “But with trained professionals watching, I doubt that will happen.” Pound swirled his hoof around the rim of a cake bowl and eats some of the leftover mix that was left. “But what if they don’t catch that some pony? I mean, wouldn't that be kind of traumatizing to their family member?” “Pound, you’re not talking your way out of this. You’re going to the summer flight camp.” Saddened by yet another failed attempt to coax his parents out of making him go to the flight camp, he planted his head on the table, sending floury dust into the air. “Why do I have to go? Just waste your money on Pumpkin since she actually wants to do something.” Carrot let a sincere smile beam across his face. Compared to his wife, he had a lot more patience, even with Pumpkin. “Now Pound, how are you going to get some good self-esteem if you can’t do something Pegasuses can normally do?” “I could just sit in the corner and fade from existence. Then every pony will forget about me.” Pound answered nonchalantly. He tilted his head slightly to the side, showing his powdery face. The orange colt put down the roller he was using and went over to pat his sons head. “Now now, that’s not the way to look at things. I want you to be confident in yourself and your abilities. You’re a Cake, and Cakes go around with pride and their heads held up high!” “But Mom told me that when you first asked her out, you were sweating and shaking furiously as if you had seen Hades!” “Oh details, details.” Carrot dismissed waving a hoof at Pound. “She also told me that when we were born, you were pacing the hospital floor panicking and questioning yourself about being a good father.” “That’s not the point and you know it!” Carrot shoved a chocolate truffle into Pound’s mouth hoping it would keep him quite for a while and let him talk. By the look of son’s smiling face as he was chewing on the flavorful candy, he was right. “Yeah I may have been nervous a few times, and yeah I might have panicked on…multiple occasions, but I pulled through didn't I?” Pound gave an affirming nod, too lost in sugary bliss to even try to speak words. “Listen champ, confidence and self-esteem go a long way, and it builds good character. If you find you are not good at flying yet, or find the flight camp a waste of time afterwards, then fine. But at least you tried, and you gave it your best effort. That matters more to me than anything else. Now son, will you at least give this camp a shot instead of trying to convince me and your mom why you shouldn't go?” Pound Cake pondered for a moment. He desperately wanted to find a way out of his situation, but at the same time, he didn’t want to make his father disappointed in him. He nodded his head and swallowed his truffle, grinning at his father. “Good, now let’s finish up these recipes. Pinkie will be running the store while Cup and I are gone with these deliveries and we want to get as much done as possible. Um, but first, wipe that flour off your face. You look like you dove headfirst into the stuff!” “Yes sir!” Pound saluted, using a rag to wipe his face returning to helping his father. Shortly after they resumed working on their projects, Cup and Pumpkin walked into the door still talking. “Really Mom! But that’s a long time! Can you please shorten it?” Pumpkin begged her mother. “You’re lucky I didn't make it longer!” Cup Cake refused. “Oh hey honey. Hey Pound.” “Hello Cupcake,” Carrot answered raising a doughy hand and waving, Pound doing the same thing. “Umm, Pumpkin, what did you do this time?” “Oh this little ‘angel’ beat up a student with a lunch tray…” “Like I said, did not even hurt her much,” Pumpkin groaned. “…and now she is going to be grounded for 2 months. She will be doing most of the chores around the house, and she’s not allowed to have any sweets or go with her friends during her punishment.” “Why not sell the customers my sweat and tears, too?” Pumpkin exaggerated. “I’m pretty sure the customers would love the taste of child labor with their snacks!” Carrot could not help but softly giggle, while Pound slowly rolled his eyes at Pumpkins unnecessary statement. “Pumpkin, my patience is running thin. You are lucky I’m letting you still go to Nightmare Night with Pinkie while we’re gone. In all reality, you should be scrubbing the floors with a toothbrush right now, for how many times you've been in trouble. Now if you want to give me more lip about this, I’ll be glad to give Pound your share of the candy while you scrub away at the floors. Do you want that?” Pumpkin let out a loud defeated sigh. “No mam.” “Then I suggest you trot on upstairs and think about what you have done for the rest of the day. And don’t think about leaving either! Carrot, sweetie?” “Yes honey bun?” Carrot answered his wife’s call. “I need to talk to you for a minute. Meet me in the living room okay?” “Sure thing!” Carrot responded. “Pound, hold the fort down until I get back okay. Oh and Pumpkin, try not to cause any more trouble ok?” Pumpkin simply nodded as she watched her father follow his wife into the living room. With her head hung low, she began to trot upstairs to her room while Pound watched her with questioning looks on his face. “So…” Pound began, “they didn't suspend you for the umpteenth this time?” Pumpkin then stuck her tongue out at her brother. “Oh, just shut up!”