Capes can't cover everything

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Prologue

prologue

"WOW!" Raspberry eyes widened as her friend, Taffy Tops wiggled her plot, showing off her flank. "Cool, huh?" She gazed happily at her cutie mark, which was a chocolate hearts. "I never knew that my super special talent was making delicious chocolate!"

" That's so cool." Raspberry grinned. She turned to look at her blank flank." I hope mine would come soon." She sighed.

Her friend placed a comforting hoof on Raspberry shoulder. "Don't worry. I bet you will get yours soon. And it will be so awesome that everypony will stop and look. You will be famous!"

Raspberry playfully gave her buddy a poke. " Yeah right!" She laughed. " And pigs will be able to fly and mice can dance!"

Taffy rested her hoof on her chin, pretending to be deep in thought. " Maybe...." She stretched her wings and darted skywards. "Last one who reaches school has puny wings!"

Raspbeerry giggled as she took off, chasing after the brown pegasus. "No fair!"

"Omigosh! You got your cutie mark!" One of the classmates gave a surprised yelp as Raspberry and Taffy landed onto the Manehattan Institute for Young Ponies school grounds.

The other fillies in the class gathered around Taffy, as if she was famous.

" You are so lucky!" one said.

"Your cutie mark is so cool."Another remarked.

" How did you get it?" A thin and bony unicorn, Pickle, asked curiously.

Taffy flashed a smile, enjoying the attention. Pretending to be a popular star, she tossed her long auburn mane and struck a pose. " I was helping my mum whip up some hoofmade chocolate truffles yesterday," She paused for dramatic effect, " And when I took my apron off, there it was, right on my flank!" She bursted out laughing, and the others followed, finding her impression hilarious.

"Come on class." The teacher, Mrs Inkwell, beckoned her students to the classroom. " Why why! I see somepony has already earn her cutie mark." She nodded at Taffy, who raised her head up high proudly. " That means all of you will be getting your soon."

Mrs Inkwell was right. Well, mostly right. The day right after that, two overjoyed fillies came to school with their recently earned cutie marks. The week after that, six of Raspberry's classmates were no longer blank flanks. By three months, the whole class had received their cutie marks. Except for Raspberry.

Raspberry ran up to her mother, tears welling up in her eyes.

Her mothers face creased with worry. " What is it dear?" She asked, while cradling her one year old foal in her hooves.

"Mum, why haven't I have my cutie mark yet! It is taking forever!" Raspberry whined, as salty wet tears rolled down her cheeks.

" It will not take forever, but it will take time. Everything has its own time for everypony." She assured her daughter. The foal in her hooves opened his mouth and started to howl. "Oh dear, I guess your brother is hungry."

~ Four years later....

"Why don't you have a cutie mark? Is it a birth defect or something?" The pony next to Raspberry commented, sniggering as she stared at her still cutie mark less flank.

"I....I don't know." Raspberry mumbled under her breath, her head hanging low in embarrassment and covered her face with her hooves.

Blank flank, Blank flank.... These words taunted Raspberry non stop. And it followed her everywhere she went.

Chapter 1

Raspberry Lemonade stared out of the window of the train, watching the peaceful scenery go by. Her family had decided to move to ponyville so her father could set up a raspberry farm there while her mother sells fresh hoofmade lemonade. Raspberry found it pretty ironic that she was named after her parents’ jobs, and wished she could have a simpler name like her older sister, Misty or her younger brother, Flin .

Rasberry wondered how she would cope going to a new town. Ponyville sounds so much different than Manhattan. Not that She had anypony to miss there. She was different, well, actually, Not different or special or whatsoever, Like everypony in school stated, as She still had not received her cutie mark yet.

She remembered everything so clearly. At Manehattan Hoofling Kindergarden, When fillies in her class was starting to get their cutie marks, How excited she had been. And her impatience when she was the last blank flank in her class. Her friends chatted excitedly about how they got their cutie marks and their talents, while Raspberry would trail behind them, left out. Raspberry asked her mother why she had not receive her cutie mark yet and was given the same response she had heard a thousand times. “ It will come when the time is right. You’re just a late bloomer that’s all.”

When Raspberry was moved up to Manhattan Middle school, none of her old friends were there, and she was teased often. Someponies were nice to her, but only behind closed doors as they thought it would be embarrassing to be seem talking to a blank flank. After school, Raspberry would rush back home, cover her face with a pillow and secretly cry, knowing that she would never fit in, before fixing herself a cup of ice cream berry swirl lemonade to cheer her up.

“Oh Blossom,what should I do?” Raspberry asked the family cat, Sitting on the windowsill next to her, looking at the scenery with his tail swishing restlessly from side to side. The ginger cat did not respond, and yawned, his eyes still fixed outside.

“ Hey, Ras? What’cha thinking about?” A orange filly interrupted Raspberry train of thoughts.

“ Nothing much,Flin,” Raspberry replied, “Just wondering if I would have any friends in Ponyville.”

“Oh course you will!” Flin said, “ You’re nice and fun to be with and mix great lemonade!”

Raspberry sighed. Flin would not understand. At his age, all ponies play together, and do not split into little groups or judge each other. He doesn’t know how complicated it is for Raspberry.

“ Never mind...” Raspberry muttered.

The rest of the ride was silent until the train screeched to a halt, waking Raspberry out of her sleep.

“ Come on everypony! Let’s introduce ourselves to the Ponyville folk!” Mrs Lemonade called out, being her usual optimistic self.

Oh no! Not now! Then everyone will see..... Raspberry panicked as she scanned around for something to help her. At the corner of her eyes, She spotted a simple Red cape hanging out from her suitcase. There! Raspberry picked up the cape and held it up triumphantly. She quickly placed the piece of cloth over her flank and securing it around her waist before dashing out to her waiting family.

“ Here we are. Seems nice.” Mr lemonade said, scanning the town.

“ Finally! The train ride was sooooo long.” whined Flin.

“ I wonder how our new house would be like,” Misty wondered.

“WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!” A Pony with a pale raspberry coat and a Cotton candy like mane appeared out of nowhere and squealed, jumping up and down with a big smile plastered on her face.

Mr Lemonade stuck his hoof out. “ Hello there, We are-”

“You’re new aren’t you? You are going to love it here! There’s lots of places to go. There’s Sugarcube Corner! OMIGOSH! Do you know I work there? We have lots of treats! Cookies, cakes, donuts......” The pony continued before he could finish his sentence.

Mr lemonade gave a faint smile. “ Well, that sounds nice. We would-”

“ Cool! PonyVille is a GREAT GREAT GREAT place to be! And I have to introduce you to everypony! And gummy, He’s a toothless alligator. He loves punch, Grapes, cake, whipped cream and well, almost everything!”

“ Um, Do you know the way to-” Mr lemonade began again.

“ Once I was at a carnival and I saw a bear juggling pineapples on a unicycle and I was like AHHHHHH A BEAR! And then I was like OOOOOH PINEAPPLES! PINEAPPLES ARE TASTY!”

Misty giggled at the hyper pony, “Looks like someone had an overdose of sugar.”

DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO BERRY BARN?” Mrs Lemonade asked, Raising her voice to make sure the pink pony could hear her over all her banter.

“OH! YOU ARE THE NEW FAMILY WHO IS GOING TO LIVE THERE? I can show you, It is not far from SugarCube Corner and- Oh silly me! I forgot to introduce myself! I’m Pinkie Pie, the greatest party thrower in all of Equestia! Follow me!” Pinkie Pie beckoned the Lemonade family with her hoof and bounced away.

Pinkie Pie basically greeted everypony on the way and they would greet her back. Some also glanced at the lemonade family and gave them a smile. Raspberry's parents would reply "Hello" or "How do you do?" while Misty would give a small smile and Flin would wave back. Well, for Raspberry, she hung her head low and glued her eyes to the ground when anypony looked at her. She was pretty shy and socially awkward, being nervous around new ponies as she did not have friends before.

Raspberry walked past a few places she thought was interesting. There was SugarCube corner, a gingerbread house. Well, at first glance, Raspberry thought it was. The walls of the bakery were the colour of dough and the roof looked like it was gingerbread. And at the upper part of the bakery looked like a birthday cake, even with fake candles on the top of the bakery. A sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies entered Raspberry's nostrils as Pinkie and her family trotted past.

Then, There was a library in a tree,with the trees thick leaves for a ceiling. Raspberry had never seen such building structures before, as in Manehattan, most of the homes were tall grey skyscrapers and the shops were small stalls in a shopping mall. Raspberry made a mental note to check out these places sometime soon.

“I like raisins more then grapes but I don’t understand, Grapes are raisins and Raisins are grapes!” Pinkie Pie did not continue to talk as she lead the Lemonade family to their new home.

“ And I love cookies and raisins, but I do not like raisin cookies! Isn’t that strange? How can I not like something that is a combination of things that a like? I was thinking about it all the way home. Speaking of home, Here we are at Berry Barn!” Pinkie Pie pointed a hoof at a cozy looking cottage. Behind was a slightly tattered barn and a patch of land that seemed to be abandoned, with weeds springing out of the soil.

“ Well, um, Thank you, Pinkie pie” Mrs Lemonade said gratefully. “ We best get unpacking.”

“Okie Dokie Loki!”Pinkie smiled.

As Raspberry walked through the doors of her new home, She instantly liked it. The walls were painted seashell pink, and the furniture seemed cozy and simple.

“ Wow,” Raspberry looked around the house. “ This is amazing.”

Mrs Lemonade smiled, “ Well, if you are impressed by this, You should see your room.”

Raspberry gave Misty a smirk. They did not get along well when they had to share their own room in Manehattan.

“HEY HEY HEY!” Pinkie poked her head through the door. “Nice house you got there!”

“Thank you,” Mr Lemonade gave a genuine smile.

Pinkie’s head suddenly jerked up as if she remembered something.“Oh YES! I have to throw a welcome party! I’m so sorry I can’t have one now. Too many parties to throw, too little time.And I only heard about your arrival an hour ago....”

“ It’s nothing. We-” Raspberry broke off as Pinkie started speaking again.

“Oh!It would be the best party you will see! We have cake, games, pin the tail on the pony, dancing..... OH OH OH! I will invite all the ponies I know, and I know everypony in Ponyville. And Gummy can serve the punch!”

“We really don’t need a welcome party.” Raspberry repeated, but Pinkie had already bounced out of earshot.

e0A“Well, finally she’s gone. Your room’s upstairs, Off you go!” Mrs lemonade said as she started dusting the kitchen counter.

Raspberry couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her room. Her parents must have know her better than she had thought.

The ceiling was baby blue, the colour of the sky on a sunny day. The floor was golden brown, the colour of the sand. Glow in the dark stars were plastered the ceiling, So she can gaze at the stars even in her room. Seashells hung on the walls, and Raspberry couldn’t help but think of the beach. She liked how her bed was next to the window, So she can gaze out and dream all the time.

Raspberry lay on her bed and looked up at the plastic star3 and decided to do her favorite thing : Reflect and dream. Misty calls it sulking but Raspberry loves to think about everything.

Well, might as well think positive.What are the things that I would not miss from manehattan... Raspberry thought. Sharing rooms with misty , dressing up well all the time , the pea sized food servings they give in restaurants , Shasha......

Shasha. Raspberry would definitely not miss her. The tangerine unicorn would not live her alone. Hollering “ Here comes the useless one!” When Raspberry entered the hallway. Tripping Raspberry when she walks by and spreading horrible rumours about her.

There was one time when Shasha convinced eveypony that Raspberry was cursed by a witch. The story was that Raspberry was cursed when she was a filly and not having a cutie mark was one of the symptoms of the curse. And if Raspberry touches another pony

during a rainy day, The pony may get the curse and his cutie mark will disappear and he would have bad luck forever. The story spread around like wildfire and nopony dared to go near Raspberry for several weeks. Raspberry had to get a letter from a doctor to prove that she was not cursed and it died down. Shasha couldn’t stop smirking at her, as she knew that nopony would listen to Raspberry but believed whatever she says. Raspberry was so glad she wouldn’t see her again.

Chapter 2

“PAR-TAY!” Pinkie hollered, firing a pink cannon. Confetti of all sorts of colours blasted out of the cannon and showered the whole house.

“What is going on?” Mr lemonade looked rather confused. The cottage was filled with dozens of ponies, the walls decked with colourful(mostly pink) banners and now, the floor is covered with a layer of rainbow glitter.

“Surprise! It’s your Surprise Super Duper BEST Party you ever had in Ponyville yet Welcome party!” Pinkie laughed as she blew into a red blowout, the shrill and loud sound making Mr Lemonade jump. Mr Lemonade sighed, couldn’t he bring his family out for dinner for a few hours and come home peace and quiet?

“Wait, I thought you said you didn’t have time to throw a party today? You said it this afternoon,” Raspberry panicked. She was not prepared for a surprise party and to socialized. She snatch a glance at her flank, and felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw not an inch of it was uncovered by her cape.

“Yeah! I thought so but then I realized today was Wednesday, not Tuesday! I always have a time for party on Wednesday!” The cyan eyed earth pony pointed to a small light green alligator, standing next to a tray of punch. “And like I said, Gummy’s serving the punch!”

The Lemonade family did not get Pinkie’s answer, but decided not to question it.They fixed their gaze at the punch server, with question marks in their eyes.Raspberry squirted her eyes at the strange creature. It had pale violet eyes were half the size of its head and looked as if it was staring into space, expressionless. It was dressed in a mini silver disco top, and a golden sequin hat.

“Odd outfit that thing is wearing” Flin commented, tilling his head as he took a step closer to inspect the reptile.

“Don’t touch it!” shrieked Misty, taking her brother by the hoof and pulling him back. “ The crocodile could bite!”

Raspberry rolled her eyes. Oh Misty, scared of almost any animal, even a grasshopper.

“Oh you mean Gummy?” Pinkie Pie screwed her eyes together in surprise. “ First, he is an alligator, not crocodile. Alligators have a broader snout, whereas crocodiles have a thinner-”

“Same thing!” snapped Misty, eyeing Gummy carefully.

“And Gummy is harmless, I’ll show you! Here Gummy!” Pinkie beckoned her pet over, waving her hoof frantically. The green alligator seemed oblivious to Pinkie’s calls, his eyes wide and distant, not moving from his spot.

Pinkie picked up a popcorn kennel from the snack table. “Here Gummy! I know you want it!”

Gummy continued into do nothing for about half a minute, but after Pinkie’s pleas, the alligator started to sniff the air. Locating the area where the smell is coming from, he stared to idly waddle towards its owner.

Misty left out a shrill and frighten squeal and ducked behind her parents. Flin sniggered.

Gummy eventually reached the poofy maned pony and stopped, its purple irises dilating, like it was back into a world of its own.

“C’mon Gummy!” Pinkie waved the kennel in front of the alligator’s eyes.

Gummy opened up its mouth and snapped it shut. Except it did not eat the popcorn kennel, it bit Pinkie’s hoof.

The lemonade family gasped. But instead of howling in pain, Pinkie burst out laughing. “ Hehehe! That tickles!”

“Heheheh....” Raspberry and her brother faked a laugh to ease the awkwardness.

“See?” Pinkie pointed her hoof at Misty, with the green alligator still hanging on it, causing Misty to take a few steps back. “ He has no teeth! A bite is harmless!”

Mrs Lemonade decided to change the topic back to the party, rather than discussing on the bubblegum pink mare’s toothless alligator. “Pinkie, why didn’t you tell us when and where you were going to hold the party? It would have been better.”

Pinkie chortled. “ But then It wouldn’t be a surprise, silly!” She placed Gummy back onto the punch tray.

Raspberry nodded. Pinkie made a sensible point. Another important question invade her head that brought question marks in her mind. She looked at Pinkie suspiciously. “How did you get in here anyway?”

Pinkie Pie fixed her gaze on Mr lemonade. “ Did you lock the door?”

“Yes, I’m sure I did.”

“Windows?”

“The windows were shut tight.”

“Did you lock your chimney?”

“Chimneys do not have locks.” Mr lemonade pointed out.

“Exactly!”

Raspberry opened her mouth to ask something but thought twice and shut it again. Another answer she should not question.

“Anyway,like I said earlier, let’s party!” Pinkie started to do a short chicken dance and skipped into the sea of ponies in the living room.

“Well, I guess I shall tidy up the house and be a good house host,”said Mrs Lemonade, as she grabbed her duster and trotted into the kitchen, humming a tune.

Raspberry decided to stay and join in on the party. She squeezed her way into the living room, where the large snack table stood. She craved for some chocolate cake. The route from the door to the snack table seemed like a mile. The room was filled with ponies and every step Raspberry took forward caused her to bump into another pony.

“Hey watch it!” A sunset yellow unicorn grumbled as Raspberry’s leg accidentally tripped her. Her half eaten strawberry cupcake fell onto the floor with a splat. “Look what you made me do?” The unicorn pointed to the cupcake, with icing smudging the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Raspberry apologized in a small voice and hurriedly pushed her way past her.

Get to the snack table, take a slice of cake and then hopefully I can lock myself in my room, where it is peace and quiet. She thought to herself as she headed closer to the neatly decorated snack table.

At last, Raspberry had managed to get to the snack table without getting another flea in the ear.She was about dig into the cake when a light turquoise pegasus with a light blue mane approached Raspberry and smiled. “ Hey, you are the new pony in Ponyville, right?”

Raspberry did not reply. She stared at the ground, thinking of something smart and witty to say. “ Yeah.....” Was all she came up with.

The pegasus tried to strike up a conversation. “I’m Aqua. So what do you do?” With the red cape covering Raspberry’s ‘Cutie mark‘, the pegasus had not a single clue on Raspberry’s talents.

Raspberry cringed. Out of all the questions, why this! She lamented in her head. “Nothing much.” She admitted. Aqua looked at Raspberry, confused. “ My mum is going to run a lemonade stall and my dad is going to turn the plot of land behind our house into a Berry farm,” Raspberry quickly added.

“Right, I knew that.” Aqua seemed like the conversation was boring her out of her skull. “So you do Nothing?”

“ I help out at home here and there,” Raspberry started pawing the ground, nervous. No talent, no cutie mark, no interesting hobby she has. She was being such a bore.

“Okay.....”The unicorn’s voice was now a dull drone. Aqua decided to escape out of the chat. “ I better go.” She went off, Raspberry sighing at her failed attempt to make a friend. “Guess I’m not interesting enough.”

Back to the cake then. She looked up at the three layered mouthwatering cake in front of her. It towering above her, probably a head taller than her and was sprinkled with chocolate hearts with vanilla frosting. Raspberry carefully took a slice of the cake and was about to take a bite when she saw two huge eyes staring back at her.

“GAH!” Raspberry jumped back in shock,as Gummy started to lick the vanilla frosting off the cake.

“Don’t!”A frantic voice cried out. Pinkie Pie was at the door of the living room, her eyes glued to the alligator, with cream all over his snout.

Gummy seemed to hear his master’s voice and looked back at the worried looking pony.

“Gummy can’t eat too much vanilla cream! Or he will become hyper!” She shrieked. “ Stop, Gummy!”

Gummy slowly took another big mouthful of cream and as Pinkie Pie rushed to catch her cream frosting loving pet, Gummy did what seemed impossible. Instead of moving at his usual snail like pace, he speed off as fast as light, darting between pony’s legs.

“GET BACK HERE GUMMY!” Pinkie growled and the chase ensued. Pinkie barged through the crowd to find her now zippy alligator, occasionally crashing into something in her way. The shattering sound of glass was heard when Pinkie dashed out of the living room.

Mother’s favourite vase. She won’t be too happy about that. Raspberry thought as she lifted her cake up and bit into it. Sweet and rich flavours filled her mouth and rocked her tongue. “Mmmm!”

“ Come back! You know vanilla filling makes your poop purple and runny!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she zoomed through the corridor. Raspberry gagged, instantly losing her appetite.She did not need to know that. She hastily put down her half eaten cake, Enough cake for now.

Raspberry leaned against the wall and observed the surrounding around her. She spotted Misty, with three other ponies, flirting with a persian blue unicorn with a fringe that covers half his eyes. Raspberry felt a growing jealousy engulf her up as she watched Misty, flutter her long lashed and giggled with her new friends as if they knew each other, not just an hour. Even Flin had found a friend, and was deep in discussion about baseball.

Suddenly, Raspberry felt extremely self conscious. She seemed like the only pony friendless, akwardly standing next to the snack table, while the others laughed and chatted with their friends.

Just like in Manehatten. Deserted and still friendless. She felt a lump of tears form in her throat and she quickly forced them down.The last thing she wanted to do is to break into sobs and attract unwanted attention. Raspberry had never ever felt so alone.

Authors note: Thanks to my friend AthiyahTA for helping check for grammatical errors. Hope this pleases you grammar nazis. :P