September to Remember
Chapter 1: Tale of the Tape
I sat on the bench of the arena's locker room, wrapping my right forehoof up with some hoof tape with my left forehoof, which is already been wrapped earlier. The whole entire room is completely vacant and quiet as the other stars of the Equestria Wrestling Federation were not present at this time as they were doing other things before the start of tonight's PPV. Some of them wanted to have a private discussion about their spots in their ring while others had to rehearse their scripted promos against their in-ring opponents. For me, I had to film my promo live instead of it being pre-taped since it will create hype and tension for everypony in the arena for tonight's main event.
I finished up my wrapping and set the tape down. I reached underneath the bench and pulled forward my gym bag. I opened it up and took out a black marker. Removing the cap with my mouth and spitting out, I held the marker with my teeth and start drawing a black "X" on each end of the my taped-up forehooves.
The X symbol, of course, represents my straight-edge lifestyle. A life where I am dedicated to avoid cider, smoking, drugs, and casaul encounters with mares, whom I never met and had no relationship with. Not only does the X symbols deliver a strong message to anyone who sees it, it also brings back my past memories.
What do I mean? Well, allow me to rewind the clock and tell you the story about myself as I get myself off the bench and do a few stretches.
My name is Pepsi Plunge. I was born in the windy city of Equestria known as Chicoltgo. Throughout my life, I lived with my parents and younger brother in a poor area in this urban jungle. My parents worked at a Cider Factory where they earned enough money to pay off rent, utilities, and school for my brother and I. However, most of them time, they spent most of the earnings on cider with their use of employee discounts. What's worse that they became highly addicted to drinking it and that there's seems to be no end for them to stop. My parents try to offer my brother and I somedrink nothing but cider and try to force me into having some. I declined the offer and perfer to drink water and I even mention about soda pop. the money they were earning was not enough to purchase food and water. Another problem with them is that they're also ciderholics. This led to my brother and I finding work and odd jobs around Chicoltgo in order to get money. Such jobs include mowing lawns and delivering newspapers via carts. Somehow, the both of us were able to use this money to buy the food and water we need and clothing for us to wear.
As I grew up, I attended Latigo Port High School, where for the most part, I was mistreated horribly by high school jocks as they describe as an outcast. They bullied and harrass me on a daily basis with no explanation as to why but I believe it's because I have an interest in comic books and professional wrestling. Well, mostly wrestling because anyone who likes it gets the worst case of torment around campus. I even tried out for the hoofball team to see if I can fit in with these bullies so they can probably have a change of heart and most likely, become my friends. I thought, for the record, this could shed some light.
I was unlucky! During hoofball tryouts, the head coach decided to cut me because he doesn't see me as an athlete in anyway, shape, or form and yet, the bullying hasn't stopped. It wasn't until my sophomore year, there was a shed of light that got me out of my darkness. It was there that I met Coke Cabana. a member of the Straight Edge Stable. The Straight Edge Stable is a massive group of children, teens, and adults around Equestria that seek a poison, toxic free life and avoiding things that harm the pony body. Such poison includes Cider, smoking cigarettes, and taking illegal drugs. Every once a year, The SES host festivals and events celebrating their lives with hardcore punk bands from around Equestria that help spread the message to everypony about living a healthy life and stop harming your body.
Feeling like this is an opportunity to turn his life around, I joined the Stable and maybe I can fit in with these ponies. Surprisingly, they accepted me into their group and, unlike the LPHS jocks, gave me respect. During the time with the SES, Coke and I began to hang out all the time during and after school, talking about school, life, comics,and best of all: wrestling. We talked about being fans of the most popular wrestling organization: Equestria Wrestling Federation, owned and operated by Vince McMane. The both of us were fans of past legends like Hulk Hoovan, the Ultimate Pony, "Macho Colt" Rainbow Saddle, Bret "HitColt" Hearth, Andre Goliath, Bruno Samanetino, and others. More so, the both of us had dreams of getting out of high school and pursuing dreams of becoming EWF Superstars and Legends for ourselves. I gotta say, joining the SES and meeting Coke became a really great moment in my life. Soon after that, we became the best of friends.
During my time with the Straight Edge Stable, I attended a Sober festival with them, where they introduced me a beverage that I never had before: soda. I never once in my life ever drank soda since my parents kept telling me, at that time, that soda is "unhealthy." They told me to either drink water, juice, or cider. I am okay with water and juice but cider is out of the question. My parents went as far to state that "cider is the best beverage in all of Equestria", which of course is nothing more than just lies. There's no denying it.
While at the festival, I took one can of soda and brought it to my house. At the dinner table, my parents and my brother asked me on what I did today. As I answered, I presented them with a can of soda and placed it on the table. Suddenly, my parents freaked out and tried to take it away from me but I told them that there's nothing wrong with drinking soda. I took the can, opened it while my parents threatening to ground me, and drank half of the drink. Sure enough, my parents got angry and tried to discipline me with a belt whooping...until they stopped dead in their tracks as they saw something on my flank. I asked what they were looking at and they pointed towards my flank. I turned to my side to see what it is and my eyes wide plated. There on my flank: a circle with red, white, and blue curved lines! It looked to me like an actual brand logo for a certain drink though I can't put my hoof on it. That's right, everypony! I got a cutie mark!
In the end, I convinced my parents that they have drinking problem and that they need to seek professional help and find better jobs. Surprisingly, after seeing my cutie mark, they decided to just to take my word for it and soon left the Cider factory for an office job where they made great money and that we were able to find a better home in Chicoltgo.
As time pass by, Coke and I still had dreams of becoming Equestria Wrestling Federation SuperStars. Both of us thought in order to get started on our journey, we decided to look around the city and discovered a backyard wrestling organization, called Chicoltgo Street Wrestling. Our first task upon signing was to form a tag team and work our way up to become a fan favorite among the neighborhoods of Chicoltgo. In the next two years, right after graduating from High School and learning the ropes in backyard wrestling; Coke Cabana and I decided to try independent wrestling. As we did, we joined Windy City Championship Wrestling as a tag team once again, with the name "Cola Magnet Ponies", a tag team gimmick in which we love soda and hate cider and spread awareness of staying straight edge.
The Cola Magnet Ponies were a smash hit in the indy leagues and across Chicoltgo. Not only that, wrestling journalists had took interest and wrote articles about our success as a tag team. So much as so that we finally got the attention of EWF Owner Vince McMane. One day, Vince and Mr. Mareinlitis visited WCCW's training school and had a chat with us. Vince McMane told us that he was very impressed upon reading the news articles and believes that we had potential to becoming EWF SuperStars. Mr. Mareinlitis approached Coke and I with contracts and asked if we would be interested in pursuing the major leagues of wrestling. You can tell that Coke and I couldn't be any happier that our dream came true. The both of us signed the contract and that we were set to make our EWF debut in three months. When it came to that day, Coke and I made our debut on EWF's Saturday Night Challengers against the Dynamic Colts, in which we successfully won and that our match was praised by the crowd attending that night.
The next four years, Coke Cabana and I, as the CM Ponies, won the EWF Tag Team Titles on three separate occasions, making us one of the most dominant tag teams in the industry. Everything was going great in our career, with 5-star classic feuds with The Ugly Coltz, The Dodge City Gunns, The Lunar Express, The Trotting Ham Mutts, and others. With our catchphrases being "Pop Quiz, [insert opponents name]", "Pop One, Drink One, and Take None;" and "Stay Straight Edge" and our tag team finisher: the Soda Pop (Powerbomb by Coke, followed by Running Leg Drop by myself, and a bridge pin by Coke combo); we were above the ranks of being the most popular tag team in Equestria.
However, not all things can go as great as some might think. During our 3 1/2 year in the company, a tragic event happened during a house show in VanHoover. Coke and I were scheduled to take on the Glamourus Ones in a regular tag match. During mid-match, Coke Cabana had one of the Glamourous Ones on the mat and ran towards the ropes to do an elbow drop. However, our oppenent's tag tema partner struck Coke in the back with a powerful hind leg strike. Coke dropped to his knees and clutched his back in pain. At first, I thought he was just selling but it turned out that he was in extreme pain. This led to the ref to whisper at Coke to tag me in and have me win the match. Once the match ended, Coke was rushed to the nearest hospital for his back injury.
I found out the next day from doctors that Coke will require back surgery to fix a disc that shattered upon impact from last night's match. The surgery was a success and thank Faust that Coke can still walk. However, after receiving a nearly career-ending injury, Coke make the decision to retire from wrestling. If he continues to wrestle, he feared that he could be confined to a wheelchair. Instead of me protesting and whining about our dreams of being legends, I understood his decision and we both went to Vince McMane to discuss on what can be done. McMane, feeling generous, decided to let Coke Cabana retire and officially released him from the company. As for myself, I remained working for the EWF as a single competitor in dark matches, PPV Pre-shows, and Sunday Night Fighters. It was the best I can do but the bad news, I felt my chances of being a legend had been shattered.
A year has gone by after Coke's retirement and me working dark matches. I was then told by EWF officials that they would to repackage me as they are in desperate need to build and push a new Superstar that can carry the company over. They also told me that I will go under a new name but my motivations within my gimmick character will still be the same like in my tag team run.
During a week of working off the clock, I tried to come up with a good wrestler name for myself but I was unsuccessful. That's when my traveling agent came up with a better name by this unforgettable statement:
"You and Coke were known as the Cola Magnet Ponies, or CM Ponies. With you only and Coke out of the picture, you're just a Cola Magnet Pony, or a CM Pony."
And CM Pony was born! That was the name I should go by!
I thank my agent for the ideal name and send it straight to EWF officials and staff. Soon after, long story short: CM Pony became the hottest, most successful superstar of the EWF that had the company making billions of bits, drawing larger crowds, and generating new fans every day with his athleticism, gimmick, in-ring talent, and charisma.
"CM Pony!" A stagehoof called out from the outside of the arena locker. "You have an autograph signing to get to."
I sighed. "Coming."
I finished up my stretches and exited out of the locker room. I just followed the stagehoof and a security guard to the autograph signing area. My new life as CM Pony was only the beginning...until the end of my first year as being EWF Champion, I met the most wonderful and beautiful mare of my life: Aloe!
