That party was a defining moment in my life.
No really, if it hadn't been for that one party, I'd probably not be here today. It sounds silly, right? Like something Pinkie Pie herself might say. But I know, I know for a fact that, as crazy as it sounds...
If it wasn't for that party, you'd never have even known I existed.
---
It was the start of a less-than-standard day in Ponyville. This was a special day, and everyone had woken up later in the afternoonin anticipation of a long night ahead of them; the Summer Sun Celebration only happened once a year, and this year, it was happening here. In Ponyville. Plain, boring old Ponyville, where mares ruled the roost and little of interest seemed to happen.
Despite the best wishes of my family, I decided I wanted to come to the Celebration this year. I knew I mussed-up a lot, but...maybe if I just stayed in the background like a good mare, no one would think twice of an accident-prone filly who just wanted to watch a fantastical event unfold in Ponyville? Maybe. Probably. If nothing, I could at least prevent myself from doing anything that might draw attention towards myself. Everyone seemed pretty distracted, anyhow.
I didn't really see much else to do but walk at the time. Preparations were on-going around me, fillies and colts even pitching in to get everything ready for the arrival of our Princess of the Sun. I'd have helped, but...I knew better. Sometimes the best thing to do was what you were good at. In my case, that was staying out of everyone's way.
Still, I enjoyed watching everypony in action. Houses not attended to in years were receiving fresh coats of paint, whilst gardens were pruned with pride and care. The skies were still cloudy, but that was of no concern; soon enough, my favorite mare would take care of that. Not everyone would be so confident in her unless they understood just how much pride she took in her job. That pegasus was worthy of respect, and I only wished I could do more than just fawn over her skills. I wished I could help.
My ears went alert as I heard the familiar sound of clouds popping into thin air. Sure enough, the prismatic mare could be seen with her signature mane and tail, soaring through and destroying every cloud in sight. Someone must have told her they doubted her abilities, I thought. Like I said, not everyone had as much confidence in her as I did.
The sound of her cacophonous laughter could be heard from here. I imagine she came down hard from a landing and splattered some mud on somepony. Storms had been pushed before and after the Celebration, so the roads were still damp from a previous day's rainstorm. I only knew this after accidentally ruining a few manes earlier when I'd come in for a landing. They forgave the moment they saw who it was. I both relished and loathed this fact.
I felt my mood slipping and decided it was best to head to Sugarcube Corner, as eating something tended to help distract my mind. Nopony questioned me there; they accepted me as a regular, and would not tolerate any discrimination against me. Not that there was much in Ponyville, but mares have loose gums and gossip flies in small towns. Either way, it was a safe place for me to go.
Maybe later, I could find a party to go to. Something big, where I'd not be seen, where I could...pretend I was accepted for a little while, whilst waiting for the main event in the early hours of next morning. For now, there was a muffin with my name on it, calling me away from my worries. I hoped, if nothing else...it would pass the time.