Author's Note
I was talking with RedRiddleDawm (the artist of my fantastic pfp) earlier and they mentioned their OC backstories. I brought up my OC and ponysona, Reinn, and how I haven’t given her a backstory yet.
It was then when I got an idea for her cutie mark story. So, here it is. Not quite sure how well such a 4th-wall shattering story will be received, but I wanted to write it.
Influences: Enola Holmes
The Drumming Pegasus
I’m Reinn. They call me The Drumming Pegasus. I’m in a fairly popular Equestrian band, and I serve as their drummer.
One of the more famous female drummers in Equestria, I think. But of course, I don’t know because I can never pay enough attention to sales.
Constantly distracted, constantly hyper, it’s just how I roll. And no, it’s not on 5 cups of coffee, either. Let me tell you, this is 100% normal for me. I used to be even worse, if you can believe that.
But, being a large musician has its shortcomings, and among those are the tedious interviews.
A lot of them ask a very— well— personal question. I don’t like answering that often. Anyways! As I was saying, these interviews ask very similar questions. You’ve got your usual culprits, the questions that ask,”What’s it like being a female drummer?” and,”what’s it like being in a band?”
It’s quite similar to being a male drummer, except you’re a mare, really. Wings help quite well with that. As for being in a band, it’s exactly like being in a group project in school, except most of the time you fight over who gets to do what. It’s fun.
However, the question I never get tired of answering, no matter the context, is,”How’d you get your cutie mark?” If I’m lucky, they even call me Reinn!
Anyways, it’s quite a fantastic experience, going back to that time. So, even though you never asked for it, you’re getting it given to you anyways.
Back when I was a young mare. Wait, no. Not that. Let’s try this again.
Back when I was a young stallion, I was very interested in music.
Yes, when I was a stallion, did you expect me to be born female? I wasn’t. Anyways, moving on...
Picture, if you can, a yellow, ehm, stallion. A pegasus who just learned to fly. Small, raiding his mother’s makeup cabinet to dye his hair red after Rose Thorn from that one ‘Music is My Remedy’ video, but only getting a small stripe of terribly applied hair dye in his mess.
I may have had a crush on her, I know I still have a crush on her from that era. She’s older now, but her shows are still great. I always enjoy myself a good Rose Thorn concert.
Anyways, I had a school talent show coming up. My family wasn’t particularly rich, but I’d promised my friends that I’d be there to sub in for drumming if they needed one. After all, it’s just banging on things, how hard can it be? However, drumkits cost a hind leg and wing. So, my family couldn’t afford to get me one.
I still insisted on being the sub, because I knew I’d never actually be the sub. When the school talent show came up, guess who was the sub?
When they called my name, Athen, I believe it was at the time, a far inferior name to Reinn. Not that either one makes sense, but at least Reinn’s one syllable. When they called my name, I was terrified.
So I went up there and absolutely killed it!
Actually just kidding. I somehow got my wings crossed, my hind legs swapped, and had knocked down a cymbal. I did this all while playing the absolute worst form of whatever my band played that day.
I joke, but only in part.
Suffice to say, my band earned nothing, and we broke up and never saw each other again.
But that pushed me to drive my drumming skills harder. I did a collection of odd jobs to finally earn enough money to buy a 4-piece akin to Mango Star’s classic kit.
By this time, I was, I don’t know, 15? Oh yeah, and an absolute mess. In fact, I’m still an absolute mess, but that’s besides the point.
However, I finally had enough money to purchase my very own practice tool.
I played those drums like they were the only thing in the world. I figured out feel, intonation, and especially how to play the hi-hat and snare without getting my feathers in a mesh.
I had a school talent show coming up, but this time I was dead-set on playing the drums correctly. When they called my name, which I believe was Reinn by that time, I was terrified. So, I went on stage, and the auditorium was dead silence.
I took my sticks, and slowly but surely, counted out a common time beat. I started drumming, and it wasn’t anything flashy.
We did another song like this, but right in the middle of the next one, my vocalist decided to pull my tail a little bit.
“And on the drums, give it up for Reinn!”
The audience gave it up, they seemed to like me. This didn’t make me feel better at all.
I continued my four on the floor, and the guitarist looked at me and mouthed,”Solo.”
The band dropped out, and I delivered a solo. It was a bit clumsy and improvisational, I now realize, but after I finished that solo, I felt something.
It was almost like a sensation of quicksilver running down my flank. Wait a minute, I thought ponies talk about this all the time!
At this point, the band had stopped. They looked at me like I’d suddenly gotten a tattoo. I had.
On my flank, there was a depiction of crossed drumsticks. I had gotten my cutie mark.
Being the super hyper mare I am, I may have taken a couple laps around the auditorium in excitement.
My band took home best musical act that night. I haven’t looked back since.
I love answering that question. It allows me to remind myself of what I’m supposed to do. My parents always used to say,”If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
And while these interviews may ask very personal questions about the transitioning process I went through, I still have to admit.
I haven’t worked a day in my life.
