The Prompt: The secret life of a background pony
I wonder if I’m the only pony who felt left behind because she got a cutie mark?
Ah-ha-ha… that probably sounds pretty whiny, huh?
I don’t like to complain, I like to make people smile. I guess that partly ended in me not wanting to complain, because nopony wants to hear somepony complain, especially about getting a cutie mark. I don’t like to complain because I want ponies to smile so I don’t complain so they won’t stop smiling.
But I feel left behind.
See, I never fit in with most of the foals at school. I always had one friend though - Apple Bloom. She was always sweet and nice, and she loved my candies, and we spent all kinds of time together!
And then I got my cutie mark and Apple Bloom doesn’t wanna hang out anymore. It’s always her, and Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo, and I’m not mad or anything! I… I really like Apple Bloom, and I like seeing her have fun, and Sweetie and Scootaloo seem like nice ponies too!
I guess… maybe Apple Bloom only liked me because we were both blank, and now I’m not anymore. And I can tell she likes the other two for a lot of reasons, not just because they’re all blank.
And I’m so, so jealous.
She’s barely talked to me since that day.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m friends with Truffle Shuffle and all and he’s really nice, but now… now I’m afraid. I remember Apple Bloom was always really nice, and….
It’s stupid, right? I feel like… like I’m gonna be left behind any time, just like before. And it… it wasn’t even my fault I happened to get a cutie mark that day!
Was it? I mean I knew I was good at it. And I loved it. A candy maker who loves candy and making people smile. That candy heart is who I am, and I’m so, so proud of it.
But if it wasn’t there, I….
You know, Pinkie Pie is my hero. She’s like me, somepony who makes wonderful things to eat, somepony who only wants to make everypony smile, and ponies are always happy to see her! I want to talk to her, sometime, and we can share recipes and maybe I can go to one of her great parties and maybe she’ll like me because we’re the same - we even look a little alike aside from color!
It’d be nice to have a grownup friend like Apple Bloom and her friends do.
For now, though? I’m busy.
I guess hiding in my sweets workshop isn’t the best way to make new friends. But my candies are the only way I know to make ponies happy, so I’m going to make them perfect - before I try to talk to Pinkie Pie, before I try visiting Apple Bloom more.
I’m learning to make edible bubbles, you know? And apple flavors, they’re hard to make perfect because somehow apple candies always come out a little fake-tasting. But I’ll make that and the bubbles and all the candy-cane flavors and I’ll learn to make sugared flowers and candied nuts and they’ll all be perfect and I’ll be the best sweets pony in Equestria!
Or in Ponyville anyway.
And maybe then - maybe then, ponies will like me, and they’ll smile just like they do when they see Pinkie, and I won’t feel so much like my cutie mark made me lonely.
That’s my secret, I guess - I’m Peppermint Twist, the pony who loves her cutie mark and everything it means.
And the pony who sometimes wishes it wasn’t there because of what gaining it meant.