What's With the Hook?

by CP Benedict

Exposition

WHAT'S WITH THE HOOK?

by CP Benedict

EXPOSITION

SPEAKING TO YOU FROM PONYVILLE, EQUESTRIA, it’s my honor to thank you all for the support you give the program portraying our city and how we Equestrians live. I’ve been able to catch a few episodes in my leisure time, and I must say I’m impressed. There have been interpretations of us in the past, but our image didn’t leave a very respectable impression to the media, and we’ve been portrayed as an overly happy, dead-eyed, and mostly female race; naturally, we were offended back then, and some ponies out there still are, but what the show we all know now has to offer outweighs that misdeed to our culture infinitely.

This show takes place during the Battle for Harmony, when I was a little school colt. It portrays the lives of most of Equestria's citizens and how they grew up, using their likenesses in actors and actresses. Our princesses, the ponies who fought in the Battle for Harmony, and the little dragon who became one the princess’s royal guard are some of the largest characters they chose to focus on. Mostly true stories, just romanticized a bit. There are, of course, a few differences in the show from what really happened. Sometimes the characters were a little different from how they really were. For example, I remember an episode where one of them had this weird tick whenever some kind of “doozie” or something was about to happen, like a super-sense of some sort. Also, that episode about the dark hero-type-thing was actually based on an infamous sighting of a similar looking creature that may or may not have slaughtered some of the cows of Sweet Apple Acres, but that's another story. I understand that it’s not meant to be historically accurate, but here and there, especially in the first season, they’ve made some perplexing choices.

I bring that up because, I’ve worried that the studio would change what might possibly be the most interesting story that’s happened in my city. In case something should happen in production, I would like to share with you what really happened. This story involves my old schoolmates. Before I begin, in case you’re reading this and are not familiar with the show, let me explain a huge part of our kind called Cutie Marks (Strange name, I know, but paramount nevertheless). When a colt or filly discovers what only belongs to them, makes them different from everypony, and what they will have all of their lives, a distinct symbol, that is a Cutie Mark, appears on their hind leg. For instance, if a pony’s purpose in life was to practice science, their Cutie Mark could be a beaker or an atomic symbol, or if your purpose was to be a professional flyer, your Cutie Mark could be a pair of wings.

The story I’d like to share with you is how my schoolmates earned there Cutie Marks. You may be wondering why these ones in particular are so special compared to others, but those of you reading this that are fans of the TV adaptation may already know whom I’m talking about, because they have pretty big roles in it. I myself have made a few short appearances; you might remember me as the “too young” pony, one episode had a musical sequence about Hearts and Hooves Day, there's a little colt, playing an arcade game that's supposed to be a young me from back then, I appeared onscreen on the line, “this one’s too young.” I don’t exactly remember what I was too young for, but whatever it was, I’m sure it’s no problem now.

Getting back on track, these three mares were as follows: Sweetie Belle, a comical, yet polite Unicorn whose parents, at the time, were away on sabbatical; so for a while, she was living with her sister, who was a dress designer, so she always had to look nice when she went anywhere; anyone who could have a relative like that, and act the way she did must have some significance, right? But who am I to talk, I know nothing of her sister besides the fact that she fought in the Battle for Harmony, I can't imagine what she would've done, though. Most times when Sweetie thought she had the chance to introduce any of her friends to her, she was always too busy franticly designing a dress. Sweetie had an almost reflective, white coat, and big, green, beady eyes. Unicorns, as mostly everypony knows are the magical type of Equestrians, using an enchanting aura from their horns to help them with everyday essentials, and the more highly trained ones can perform magic spells of countless varieties. Over the years, more advanced unicorn magic has mainly been used for art and combat.

Scootaloo, who was a Pegasus, sadly has a physical disorder in her wings, keeping her from flying, so she couldn’t feel that wide freedom other Pegasi felt as easily as she should have. On top of that, she lost her parents as a foal, leaving her with no one for her to look up to, not even the orphanage treated her very well. The only one who has ever come close to a parental figure was her friend, Rainbow Dash. Now her, I know a great deal about; she also fought in the Battle for Harmony, representing the Spirit of Loyalty. She later became a member of the world famous Wonderbolts, as she still remains to this day, ranked as a Senior Flyer, and one of their finest. Scootaloo may have had a constant enjoyment of the world, but her times with the one mare she can look up to were rather few, and felt like a miracle to her each time they got the chance. However, despite all of that, she made the best of it with her adventurous nature; she’d always ride around on her scooter after school, it took the town a while to get used to it, needless to say. She was blithely the roughest pony in the gang; her eyes always had a determined and concentrated look when she rode her scooter around Ponyville. Her coat had a fiery, golden glow as if she always enjoyed life to the greatest extremes.

Apple Bloom was neither a Pegasus, nor a Unicorn, but what they call an Earth Pony (which is what I am). That doesn’t seem very special, but in actuality, they have the greatest strength amongst the three types. She lived on an old farm called Sweet Apple Acres, and was an excitable little filly who worked hard at her job, helping her family work around the farm. Like Scootaloo, she too lost her parents as a foal, but she still had her older sister, Apple Jack, who was also a Harmony Warrior, her half-brother, Big Macintosh, and her Granny Smith to take care of her. I’d always see her with an innocent, emboldened look in her face at school. Being a member of the Apple family, her coat and mane were in colors that made you think of apples. In her case, she had a dark, red mane that curtained her light yellow coat, like how an apple’s red skin covers its bright yellow core. Like everyone else in the Apple family, she had that respectable, but relaxed, twang in her voice. Top it all off with a giant, pink bow, and that’s the Apple Bloom I remember. My Celestia, has is it been that long since I’ve seen them?

They were the only fillies in our class without their Cutie Marks, so they started a little club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders. They would always go to some outrageous apogees to find their talents, as if they were something to be physically searched for. I remember when they sang their theme song in a talent show, and they abrasively won for “best comedy act.” Then one day, despite all of the struggle and pain they went through, executed wonderfully in the show, may I add, they finally saw the biggest and most unique marks on their very legs, and, to say the least, the experience they went through to get their reward changed their lives just the same.

Author's Note:

I've been a casual viewer of the series for around a year and a half, and have read some interesting stories based around the continuity. I'd like to explain why the story is written the way it is. The biggest reason is I want to give this story a new feel; I understand that most fan stories give a different tone, with some being more adult oriented and darker, but this is an idea I've had for a while now. If you've read books or seen movies like To Kill A Mockingbird, The Body/Stand By Me, and The Sandlot, you'd know that nostalgic and youthful, yet serious and redeeming tone they give the reader/viewer. I feel that the Cutie Mark Crusaders would be great examples of characters that can represent the age a child enters when they get their first glance of what they will do when they grow up. Even though stories like that are told through a child's perspective, the whole thing feels like an adult reflecting on his/her childhood. Another reason is I want this to be written like an original story, which I know it isn't, but I want to reintroduce the characters to the readers; I know that most people reading this will already know who everyone is, but it is possible for someone to come across a fan's story before the original source material. Also, I wanted to say that the show itself is canon in this story because the way the CMCs will get their Cutie Marks is obviously not going to be like this, so with an alternate continuity that has the same characters, not everything in this story has to make sense in the show, giving the writer, that's me, more freedom and more material to work with. I wouldn't call that a cheat, but I know deep down it probably is. Also, the adventures of the Mane 6 being more like a battle in this continuity was a very last minute idea, which until any time it should be further expanded upon, whether it'd be within this story or a future story, will be left to the imagination. So as a fan of the series and a developing writer, I hope you all enjoy the story as it continues.