Clear Skies, Clouded Hearts

My name is Nightingale, sound familiar? No of course it doesn't. Few ponies know of my existence, let alone what I am called. Before you start getting weird ideas, I'll tell you why this is the way things are.

As I said my name is Nightingale. I was born in a small town by the name of Ponyville. My dad is an earth pony named Heavy Stride, as for my mother, she's a unicorn, her name's Star Weaver. Despite my heritage I was somehow born a pegasus.

I had an average foalhood, growing up in Ponyville. I went to school, I liked to hang out at Sugarcube Corner, and I was obsessed with trying to find my cutie mark just like everypony else.

That, however, is where the similarities end.

I've always been wary of other ponies, I don't know why, but I just get nervous around large groups. As you can imagine this has made it a little difficult to make friends, and trust me I've tried. This coupled with being an only child resulted  in what some might call a lonely upbringing. Maybe they're right, but in truth I enjoy my solitude. I know this may seem a little bit strange, seeing as how us ponies tend to be very sociable, I don't know what to tell you, this is just the way I am, has been for as long as I can remember, and I doubt that it's about to change anytime soon.

There are some... other things that make it somewhat difficult for me to socialize with other ponies. Most ponies find work based on what their special talent is, and as everpony knows, your special talent is reflected in your cutie mark. That's fine for most ponies, I however am presented with bit of a problem... I, um... I don't have my cutie mark.

I've tried just about everything I can think of, from racing to mountain climbing. For whatever reason I just have not found my special talent, and it's starting to seem like I never will. I shouldn't have to point out that not having a cutie mark certainly hasn't been very helpful in the friend making department.

I know this doesn't immediately sound like such a big deal, you wanna say that I'll find it eventually, or that I just have to be patient. Well, I would normally agree with you, if I was 6, however I am already 19 years old. That's right a 19 year old “blank flank”, go ahead and laugh I'm used to it, just get it out of your system.

Now that we got that out of the way I can tell you a bit more about my current situation.

I still live in my foalhood home in Ponyville. My parents wanted me to move to Manehatten with them, but I didn't like the idea of living in a big city. I opted to keep the old house because it was simpler than trying to find one of my own, plus I didn't like the idea of some other pony living in the place that I had always called home.

Like many pegasi living in Ponyville, my job is to help coordinate the weather. It's not the greatest job in the world, but it pays the bills and keeps me fed. My main job is to help keep the nighttime sky clear, or to bring in late night thunderstorms. This obviously means that I normally have to be awake at night and sleep during the day, which is fine by me. If you have a coat as dark as mine you know what I mean when I say that working outside in the middle of the day is absolute torture, plus there are fewer ponies around.

My social life is virtually non existent. I normally spend my free time reading, or flying. I'm on good terms with a few ponies around town but I wouldn't call them friends. I don't have parties, and I don't celebrate the holidays, don't ask why, I just don't. That is except for Nightmare Night, because, come on who doesn't love to dress up and scare other ponies.

I've already explained who I am, and where I come from, so now I feel like I can bring some other things to light. I have a slight problem, by which I mean a HUGE problem, even bigger than not having my cutie mark, though that certainly doesn't help.

I kinda, sorta have a crush on somepony, she's on the weather team like me but we work on different shifts. In fact she's technically my boss, which I know, that's typically a big no no, but I can't help it, it's just the way things are. Now who is this mare you may ask, well I don't really want to say, but I guess I don't really have a choice. Her name is Rainbow Dash.

You're laughing aren't you, I knew this was a stupid thing to do, oh well no going back now.

Yes that's right, the quiet, blank flank, introvert has a crush on possibly the most confident and outgoing pony in all off Equestria, not to mention she's one of the six Elements of Harmony. Trust me I'm just as surprised as you are, but you know what they say, opposites attract. Though I doubt she would ever have any sort of interest in me, she probably doesn't even know I exist.

So now you know, I admit I might be over reacting... probably not though. I honestly have no idea what to do, I've barely ever spoken to a mare before now, let alone asked one out on a date. Even if I some how managed it, I wouldn't know what to do after that. No pressure. Despite this, with Celestia as my witness, nothing will stop me from at least trying... I hope.

Now I'm sure you all want to get to the real story, so you can read about, and laugh at my idiotic attempts at romance. So lets get this over with.

Without further ado I grudgingly present possibly the most pathetic excuse for a life story in the long history of Equestria.