I woke up in the pre-dawn light. The sun’s first rays poked out above the mountains. Light streamed into my purple bedroom, and onto my face. I opened my dark blue eyes and squinted in the light. The light made my white coat look even brighter than it did in the dark.
After a few minutes of coaxing myself, I got out of bed, and put my hooves on the carpeted floor. Once I got to my mirror, I looked at myself. My flank was as blank as ever. Everypony in my class has gotten their cutie mark, except me. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Apple Bloom got a cutie mark in building, Sweetie Belle got a music note cutie mark for her singing, and Scootaloo got a scooter cutie mark after she perfected her triple-spin flip on her scooter.
“Dawn! Breakfast if ready, honey! It’s your favourite! Hay pancakes!” my mom shouted from downstairs.
My eyes lit up. I love hay pancakes. “I’ll be right down, Mom!” I yelled back at her. I picked up a brush with my hoof and brushed through my light blue mane and tail.
Running down the stairs, I skidded on the floor and almost ran into my mother who was about to come up the stairs to get me.
“Oh, sorry Mom. Ahah. Maybe I need to slow down a little…” I laughed.
Her purple eyes looked at me with pleasure. “Maybe just a little bit, honey. Pancakes are on the table, help yourself. You have 45 minutes before you have to go to school, so use your time wisely,” she said over her shoulder.
I nodded in acknowledgement. As I ate my breakfast, I thought about the fun things I would do later on. Maybe I would discover my super special talent, and finally earn my cutie mark. Then I wouldn’t be bullied by those two evil ponies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
Soon, I had finished my food, and was going upstairs to get ready for school. After a few minutes of trying to do something with my hair, I frowned. “It sucks being an Earth pony. No wings, or horn. You can’t fly, you can’t do magic. It sucks,” I whined to my reflection.
I turned away, and put on my saddlebags, and trotted out the door, and went to school. Normally, I would rush to school, that way I could play on the swings, but today, I slowly made my way to the schoolhouse.
I didn’t have many friends, except a small green pegasus filly named Cloudy Skies. She has a cutie mark of some rain clouds. She is pretty much the only one who talks to me, and since she doesn’t like to fly, it’s nice to have a friend who likes to stay on the ground, even if she is pony who can fly.
“Heya Dawny!” I heard Cloudy yell.
I looked up. “Hey, Cloudy. How’s it goin’?” I asked politely.
Cloudy flapped her wings. “It’s been good. My parents want me to fly more than I do. But I hate flying. Why should some ponies get special abilities, while some get another one, or not any at all? I don’t think it’s fair,” she commented.
I nodded my head in agreement. “Yeah, I know how you feel. I get to see all these unicorns doing magic, and all the pegasus ponies flying around. All while I am stuck on the ground, not being able to do anything. I absolutely hate it,” I pointed out.
Cloudy walked up to me, and gave me a hug. “ I know it’s hard. But you can’t change yourself. And even if you could, finding a unicorn that could do that type of magic, would be near impossible. I don’t even know if the Princesses could do it-” Cloudy’s sentence was stopped short by the ring of the school bell.
I sighed. “I’ll you at recess!” I shouted behind me as I raced to my classroom.
Once I got into the classroom, I took my seat in the front of the classroom. As the lesson started, I looked around the room at my fellow ponies. Cutie marks adorned their flanks. Scrolls, Leaves, Moons, Gems, and Animals everywhere. I let out a loud sigh.
“Is there something wrong with my lesson, Dawn Shadow?” Miss Cheerilee asked. Giggles erupted from the class.
“No, Miss Cheerilee,” I answered.
Miss Cheerilee returned to her lesson about jobs. Of course, I wasn’t paying attention. I was thinking about cutie marks, as usual.
The sharp ring of the bell alerted me out of my thought. “Have fun at recess!” Miss Cheerilee called out after the mass rush of the students making their way to the playground.
I got up out of my seat, and slowly made my way to the grounds. I met up with Cloudy in front of the fresh, green grass.
“Hey Dawn!” Cloudy exclaimed to me.
I let my head down. “Hey Cloudy.”
Cloudy rushed up to me. “Dawn? Dawn, what’s wrong? Is it because you don’t have a cutie mark yet?” Cloudy invited.
Lifting my head, I nodded slowly. “It’s just, why can’t I be like the other ponies? Why do I have to be the only filly in the class who is still a blank flank? Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders have gotten theirs!” I demanded.
Cloudy looked around. I could tell she didn’t know what to say. I turned away from her and started to walk towards the schoolhouse. Right now, I just wanted to be alone. Cloudy was one of the first ponies to get a cutie mark. She would never understand. And she was a pegasus. She wouldn’t understand the hard life of an Earth pony. Sitting, watching magic, and flights, while you are stuck on the ground, doing nothing but farming, and owning a small business.
Most pegasus ponies worked up in Cloudsdale. Unicorns often owned shops, usually the ones that Earth ponies can’t do so well, or don’t have the stuff to do it with. With no magic, it’s hard to put small part together; so the unicorns usually owned electronic shops.
I heard Cloudy rush up behind me. “Go away. I don’t want to talk right now,” I stated.
“But, I just want to help,” Cloudy urged.
I turned around quickly. “How could you possibly help? You were the first pony in your class to get a cutie mark! You are not an Earth pony! You can fly! You don’t know what it’s like to have to be on the ground, with nothing special to mark you out of the crowd!” I pointed a hoof at her in accusation. A blue light shot out from my hoof and struck Cloudy in the wing. Next thing I know, Cloudy is on the ground, looking at her wing.
“What did you do? How-” Cloudy stammered.
“I- I don’t know. I’m so sorry! Are you okay? My Celestia! I feel so bad!” I stuttered.
Cloudy looked up. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. But I think I know a pony who could help us. Princess Twilight Sparkle. She is good with magic. Maybe she can help you. Lets get you out of here,” Cloudy instructed. With that, we turned and raced to Ponyville Residential Library.