My name is Candy Cane. I live in Fillydelphia, and I make candy for a living. That's it. I'm nopony. Really.
I'm just a candy maker, and that's all.
Why can't I just be left alone?
Pre-reading and editing by The Dobermans, Sigawesome, and Dopamine Agonist.
Hit the feature box on November 3, 2015!
6597191 Thanks, but could you please spoiler-tag your comment?
[edit] Thank you!
My god. This is some good writing. Well done
6597305 Thank you! I had fun writing it.
6597323
This is a really good story, I like it a lot.
...I’m not Current Resident, I’m Candy Cane....
Because in Equestria, Current Resident is probably somepony's name. And they get a lot of mail.
6597459 I'll bet it is, and I'll bet they do get a lot of mail.
Sorry, hi, I'm new here, and don't really know how things work, except this, and reading stories.
I feel like an idiot...
6597508 Nah, don't feel bad. We were all new once! If you need help, feel free to ask.
okay
6597459
On the other end of the spectrum, Mr Undeliverable As Addressed is left wondering why his monthly subscription to Foreign Fancy Fruitbat Fancier's Forum never makes it to his flat...
6598815 I like to imagine that name resolution causes a lot of mail routing headaches in Equestria.
...Maybe there's a story in that.
6598832
Well if you ever go that route and need advice concerning the mundane minutiae of mailing manifests...
On an unrelated note, did you know that "the candy maker" is an anagram of "hardtack enemy"?
Back on topic with the story: that ending still gets to me, even after reading it again. It just feels so bleak, what with the implied offscreen inertia... She does not get help because she does not want help because she believes she does not deserve help...
6598815
And Celestia have mercy on anypony named Sender: he never sent any of this stuff, so how in Equestria can it all be returned to him??
6598815 And his wife, Return to Sender. And their children, Fragile and Time Sensitive. You know, there has *got* to be a story or two in here.
Sad, and kinda tragic in all honesty. It's really well written. I have no idea whether this could be continued but I must admit I'd love to see it , to see where candy cane goes from here.
This is very well written. A pervasive heaviness and despondency seeps out of every sentence. The developments are ambiguous, subtle and slow enough in their beginnings to build in the reader naturally, but finish with enough certainty to not be a too-widely open-ended wishy-washy thing. The perceptions of the park are beautiful.
If you do further this story, I would like to follow that.
Sad, wonderful and beautifully illustrated.
Approved for The Goodfic Bin
i.imgur.com/GizVyc0.png
6598832 Can you make a Sequel?
That was fun to read.
This was emotionally hard to read.
I reread this, is that okay if I make a sequel?
6600705 If you really want to, sure.
6600316 Thank you. I don't know if I'll do more with this particular story right now, but as this was a fairly short one-shot with length dictated by a contest, there were some things I couldn't fit in the space I had and an expanded exploration of this character and her situation is a project I might be interested in doing eventually.
6600508 Thanks!
6597191 Yeah. If you've seen enough of these it was obvious where it was going. Still, quite a well-written example.
Perfect. DO NOT CONTINUE! This is perfect. It had closer. It had emotion! It had conflict and resolution! It is a perfect dance of a story. DO NOT CONTINUE!
6601504 Well, alright then! No need to worry, it's complete as-is. Glad you liked it.
This was a nice read.
6601543 Yes yes. I very much did like it. It was perfect. now if only i could do that to my own stories. XD
6601504 One problem with that:
All ends are beginnings.
Speaking of the story, it was a nice read, figured out where Starbeam was fairly quickly. Surprised how the pony at the door didn't piece it together with Candy Cane's choice of words near the end.
I seem to have a sixth sense for feature-box stories. Before a story gets featured, I read it and think "I wonder if this will get featured". Then it gets featured.
6599474
6599505
If you really want to flummox the post (assuming the Equestrian Post is like the USPS) you can also use a fake barcode or DPV error...
Mum and Da "Return to Sender", and "Undeliverable as Addressed", eldest son "Current Resident", the DPV twins "Invalid Primary" and "Missing Secondary", and finally their youngest daughter ╹╹╻╸┃┃╻┃╸╻╹╻╸╹╹╻╹╹╸┃╻╸╻╻╹╹╹╻╻╸╻╸╸╻╹┃╹╻╹╻╻╻╸┃┃┃╻╻╸╸╸╹╻┃╹╹╹╻┃╸╻╹╹╻╹ (she typically goes by "Dot")
Hey, pony rpg? C-can I join?
6601662 I think she did. But ... well, as she said, it wasn't Starbeam there.
Ya know, if yer trying to disappear, staying at the same address ain't the best way to go about it.
Just a hint from someone who's changed locations and identities hundreds of times since becoming an Eternal!
(That's me, by the way!)
I will gladly accept the blood money. And kill for Equestria. Especially if it's those damed cherngelerngs...
A pity Candy Cane didn't met Pinkie Pie. Apart from those two being able to bond well, it would've done her well to get a smile from Pinkie.
Kinda reminded me of One Hour Photo.
I like the soldier's story we get from this. Just a brief glimpse into what happened and then all the trauma and grief that follows. A person who doesn't want to be themselves since they truly hate what they are and what they have done.
No doubt they’ll soon get well; the shock and strain
Have caused their stammering, disconnected talk.
Of course they’re ‘longing to go out again,’—
These boys with old, scared faces, learning to walk.
They’ll soon forget their haunted nights; their cowed
Subjection to the ghosts of friends who died,
Their dreams that drip with murder; and they’ll be proud
Of glorious war that shatter’d all their pride...
Men who went out to battle, grim and glad;
Children, with eyes that hate you, broken and mad.
This was a wonderful look into the tormented, guilty mind of a soldier. Great job!
6602230 Sorry, but at the moment we're actually quite full on players.
I wonder if there really is a pony named Current Resident, and whether she's forgiven her parents for it.
6603253 I'm sure there is, and I'm sure she hasn't.
Very nice work, well done.
This reminds me of my Pop, he fought in Papua New Guinea on the Kakoda track; he loved telling stories about his mates and all the jokes and times they shared, but he never once talked about combat, even to my Nan.
Omg, i love this so much. Makes me think and its just... Idk how to explain it. But really good job on this its really good, although i kinda wish there was more
Btw who the hell gave this a thumbs down! This doenst deserve any thumbs down
Ahh, the struggle is real for us old-timers
Nobody understands
A quiet, moving piece. I doubt the family is going to just give up when the military pony tells them about "Candy Cane," so I expect more visitors in Fillydelphia.
6602003
6599505 I feel really sorry for the pony named "Next of Kin," you know they've developed a drinking problem at this point.
6603211 oh? oh...