What's Wrong With Being Different?

Mrs. Cake opened the door to the Sugarcube Corner when she saw Skittle Twist standing right in front of the door. The purple mare, who had a frown on her lips, now was smiling at Mrs. Cake as she opened the door.

"Skittles dear, you got up mighty early." Mrs. Cake said as she let Skittles come inside.

"Oh, yeah." Skittles chuckled nervously as she sat at a stool in front of the counter. "I guess I wanted to be the first pony here. I'll take a chocolate shake with extra chocolate. The sweeter the better."

"Coming right up." Mrs. Cake said as she started making the shake.

"Is Pinkie around? I kinda hafta talk to her." Skittles asked as Mrs. Cake finished the shake and handed it to her.

"Oh yes. She's getting ready for her big day. She gets to run the shop today by herself, besides Applejack, who is selling her cider and apple desserts. I just hope they do okay alone." Mrs. Cake said worriedly.

Skittles winked at her. "Don't worry I'll be here for a while ta keep an eye on her." Skittles said and took a sip of her shake.

Just then Pinkie came bounding downstairs.

"Hi girls! I'm ready for my big day Mrs. Cake!" Pinkie said with a huge grin.

"Howdy y'all!" Applejack called as she came through the door hauling large boxes of her apple treats.

"Oh good, Applejack is here." Mrs. Cake said.

"Hiya AJ, Pinks." Skittles nodded at the ponies. Applejack was setting up her apple stand, filled with delicious treats and cider.

"Thanks fer lettin' me sell my apples here Mrs. Cake." Applejack told the baker when she was finished.

"No problem. Now if you'll excuse me girls, I have my errands to run. Good luck!" Mrs. Cake waved as she went out the door. They waved her good bye.

As the baker and farmer set up for the day, Skittles watched them intently. She new that were hardly ever busy in the morning, so that they could spend a little extra time getting the shop ready for the day.

When they finished, Skittles took a sip of her shake.

"So guys, I want your opinion on something." She said to them.

"What 'bout?" Applejack asked.

So Skittles explained to them about meeting Zecora and her offer. But Skittles left out the fact that the zebra saved her from a timberwolf and that she was taking a walk in the middle of the night.

"What? But your eyes aren't a bad thing." Pinkie said when she was finished.

"And the fact that ya can 'member everythin' perfectly comes in handy. I'm mean you remember everythin' about everypony." Applejack said.

"Yeah," Skittles frowned and swirled her shake with the straw. "But would you want to remember everything? Your nightmares, your mistakes, all the embarrassing moments, why and who hates you. Every fight you had with your family and friends." Skittles looked at the window outside. Although it was a sunny day, Skittles saw a vision of herself as a filly, crying on a bench in the rain in the middle of the night.

Skittles looked back at her shake, and started slowly mixing it again. Applejack and Pinkie Pie exchanged worried looks. They both new that there was something strang about the purple mare sitting in front of them. She had an entire life that they could only try to figure out for themselves. The mare was often the first one up in the morning. A few times she could be nowhere to be found, only to turn up in the strangest places. Like on a faraway hill, or underneath a park bench.

Applejack had once found in her a large apple tree, having no idea how she climbed up to the branches. The branch was strong enough for her to lay down with ease. She had watched the sun come up, and had smiled sadly when the sunlight glistened on the apples and through the green leaves.

Skittle Twist was.....different. And everypony in Ponyville knew that.

"I guess, but you could also remember the happy times. Like the time you got Richard, and then I helped you build a pond for him. And that time you came to Ponyville and met all of us. Wasn't that fun Skits?" Pinkie asked.

Skittles have a small smile and nodded. "Eeyup." She said, sounding like Big Macintosh.

Just then a few ponies came in. It was now lunch time, and ponies liked to add something sweet to their lunch. Sugarcube corner became very busy, with Pinkie taking orders and serving cupcakes and other treats, and Applejack talking about Sweet Apple Acres.

While Pinkie was taking orders, she quickly handed another shake to Skittles, knowing she would want another one. The purple pony took with a smile and a nodd.

When the crowd had taken care of, both workers turned back to Skittles, only to find that she was gone. Only her first empty shake dish and the bits to pay her shakes remained.

........

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Skittles looked around and found herself in incomplete utter darkness. Suddenly she was surrounded by mirrors, a nasty looking reflection of herself in each one.

"Hello?" Skittles called again. Her reflections laughed at her.

"Whatcha gonna do scaredy cat?" One said.

"She's just going go to cry to her parents. Or what's left of them." Said another.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Skittles cried. She backed up but found more mirrors behind her. She quickly moved to the middle and huddled.

Her reflections only laughed at her more, causing Skittles to start crying.

"Stop it! Stop it! It's not my fault! It's not my fault! I didn't mean to!" Skittles sobbed. "I'm sorry for being different! I'm sorry! It's not my fault....I didn't mean to...."

She continued to sob as her reflections continued to laugh and point at her.

Skittles gasped and sat up violently in her bed. Her mattress was damp from sweat. She wiped her fore head and found that her head was moist too.

Skittles continued to sit there for a moment, catching her breath. After a few minutes, she changed her bedding and went downstairs. She tip toed past Richard quietly and then slipped outside into the cool night air. The pony took a deep breath, gazing at the sky, then started walking.

She walked into the park and took a seat on a park bench. Fireflies buzzed before her. She watched them swirl and dance. When she was a filly, she had though they were little star fairies, coming to grant her wish. Often she close her eyes, scrunch her nose, and wish. Wish for more sleep, a more beautiful night then tonight's, that she would get along with everyone, that one day everyting would be okay, or that she could meet the Night Princess herself. Now, as Skittles sat on the bench, she closed her eyes and scrunched her nose. There were too many things to wish for tonight, so she picked one. Please, let me make the right desicion. Even if I don't agree, or even if no pony else will agree, please just make it the right desicion.

When the pony opened her eyes, she saw the same bat from nights before. She smiled at kindly, and it smiled back, her fangs showing in the moonlight.

"Back here again I see." Skittles told her. "I was about to take a walk. I guess you can come with." The pony got up and started walking. The bat followed her, and a after a few minutes she started tugging on Skittle Twist's ear.

"Huh? Wanna show me somethin?" She said to the bat. "Alright."

The bat grinned and flew ahead of her. Every few minutes, the bat would check to see if the pony was coming.

"I'm comin' I'm comin'." Skittles said. "Sheesh."

After ten minutes of walking, they came to a large field of brown flowers. They seems to go on forever.

"Yeah? What about it?" Skittles said.

The bat tugged on her mane and lead Skittles to the very edge of the field. She pointed at the flowers with her winged claw.

"Want me ta smell 'em?" Skittles asked. She slowly touched her nose to one, and it suddenly gave a beautiful light blue glow.

"Oh my Luna." Skittles said, her eyes getting as big as wagon wheels. She touched another gently, and the flower lit up with the same glow. Skittles giggled and ran her hoof through a patch. Then she started jumping in the entire field.

"This is amazing!" She told the bat as she dances around. "Thank you so much for showing me this! I wish I could show the others....but they're all asleep." Skittles frowned for a minute, then suddenly started smiling again. "Ah well, more fer me!" She giggled and started running, doing summersaults and cart wheels. She did flower angels and jumped all around as the field began glowing everywhere. Skittles scooped up a bunch of flowers and tossed them in the air. "This is great!" She announced as she flopped onto her back.

......

Skittle Twist woke up and rubbed her head. She looked around and saw that she was surrounded by bright yellow flowers.

Sunflowers.