-Of Those Without-
By Rachel Rayne
Chapter 1
Of Food and Farms
Sunlight glittered through cracks in the sky as the pegesi worked on preparing for the scheduled rain in that afternoon as Rainy Skies entered Ponyville after her 2 day walk from Canterlot. Tired and hungry, though she was used to it, she made her way through the town in search of somepony who looked like they could use the help of an earth pony. Hay, at this point she'd happily shovel manure if it would pay for her next meal.
The problem with being half-starved, though, is that one is too worn out to work, and the problem with not having a cutie mark is that ponies don't know if it's worth the food to feed the potentially useless mare. Also, not having anywhere a pony can check one's credentials at can also help deter an employer form hiring a pony, with or without a cutie mark, when said pony is 24 years old and has lived by herself for 6 years, as well as having a blemish in the shape of unpaid rent over one's head. With all this going against her, Rainy was almost positive that the trip here would be a waste of time.
As she walked into the Town Hall, she noticed that the place was a total disaster. It looked like a wrecking ball felt offended by the interior design and decided to break it. She almost felt sorry for the ponies that had to fix it, but soon realized that the pending rejection would just make her hate this place as much as all the others. Seeing she was at the front desk, she put on her best I-don't-bite face and got ready to go into another depression.
“Hi, excuse me,” she said, with years of practice keeping her from making any mistakes, “my name is Rainy Skies, and I would like to see if there are any places here that are hiring an earth pony?”
“Let me check,” the mare at the desk said, flipping her mane out of her face as she did so. After looking through a few papers, she asked, “You any good at farm work? 'Cause the Apples are looking for farm hands to help around.”
“I'll honestly take just about anything I can get at this point,” she replied, getting the address and preparing herself for another more pointless walking. Who in their right mind would accept a half-starved pony for farm work? It didn't matter her, though, because she knew her blank flank would be enough to drive away any potential job anyways.
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Nearing Sweet Apple Acres, Rainy prepared herself once again for disappointment, only to be dragged into a kitchen the second she neared the first apple tree. Before she even got her bearings together, a whole apple pie was placed in front of her while an orange mare with a blonde mane and a brown stetson on her head entered her view, from inches in front of her face at that, and asked “Now what the hay are ya doin' starvin' yerself like that? Go on, eat up.”
“Do wha?” was the only reply that Rainy could come up with, as her mind was still making it's way through the trees trying to get back to her.
“Ah said, eat up. Ya look like y'all haven't gotten a bite ta eat in weeks!” the crazy mare replied.
When her mind finally caught up with the rest of her, it noticed the pie directly in front of her, and immediately went to investigate, by way of pie-in-face, similar to hoof-in-mouth only tastier. Upon finally licking the remains of pie from the pan, table, and her face, Rainy looked at the pony who gave her the food and remembered formalities.
“Thank you,” Rainy said, “I'll do anything necessary to pay you back for the pie. My name is Rainy Skies, and I'm here looking for a job, and the reason I look like I haven't eaten in weeks is because I kinda haven't.”
“The name's Applejack, and as long as you can work hard, Ah don't mind hirin' ya. But first, we gotta get more food in ya. Can't go havin' anypony workin' on an empty stomach. Apples, get in here!” the now named Applejack called to her family after her introduction. “Apples, this here is Rainy Skies, and she wants a job, so after we eat, we'll see if she can help out.” Pointing to a large red stallion, Applejack began introducing her family. “Rainy, this here is Big Macintosh,” The stallion, upon being named said, “Eeeyup.” “Applebloom,” she said pointing to a filly with a cream coloured coat and red mane who said “Howdy!” “and Granny Smith.” who was an old, green mare, who replied with a snore, seeing as she was asleep.
“It's a pleasure to meet all of you,” Rainy said with a bow of her head, hoping that she could impress them enough before they discover her cutie mark, or lack thereof. “I hope I can meet your standards.”
“Don't sweat it, Rainy,” Applejack replied. Turning to the old mare, Applejack held up her ear and yelled, “Granny Smith, wake up! It's time fer lunch!”
“I'm a commin'! Hold yer horses.” Granny Smith said, seemingly unaware that she had just been woken from her nap, or that she even fell asleep in the first place.
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After the first meal she had in weeks, or 18 days to be precise, the Apples took her to the orchard to see if she could buck apples. After a quick demonstration, and a small explanation, Rainy examined the tree, mostly looking for a way she could buck the damned tree with out showing everypony there her blank flank. Finally finding a position she was comfortable bucking in, she gave the tree her best buck, thus causing a leaf to fall off and tickle her in the nose, creating a sneeze, that got the tree slightly more damp than it was a second ago.
“...” was the Apples' mutual response.
“I'm sorry, I'll try harder!” Rainy thought, not wanting to disappoint the family that had just fed her. Readying another shot, she bucked the tree with all her might, causing two leaves to fall, this time causing Applejack and Applebloom to sneeze.
“How about we try ya on somethin' else. Apple buckin' doesn't seem like yer thing.” Applejack consoled, not wanting to give up on the poor mare. It paid off too, because upon trying her out on working with the farm animals, Rayne proved that she could help out, earning her a job at Sweet Apple Acrers. Of course, just being able to do one job wasn't on Rainy's list of stopping points. No, she wanted to prove herself as useful as possible, by asking if there were any other jobs she could try her hoof at. By the end of the day, the Apple family had a new farmhand, housekeeper, assistant cook, babysitter (for when the CMC stayed over), and doer of anything that needed to be done that wasn't apple bucking.
That night at dinner, Applejack invited Rainy to stay with them in case she needed a place to stay, and insisted that doing so would be more benefit than burden.. By the end of the night, Rainy was certain that this was the best night of her adult life. The only thing that could worry her was...
“Miss Skies, why don't ya have a cutie mark?”
-Of Those Without-
by Rachel Rayne
Prelude
Who invented the cutie mark? Is it natural, or something that a higher being, like Princess Celestia, controls without the knowledge of other ponies? I've been wondering these things for a while, and now I, Raynestorm Lullaby, shall share with everypony my thoughts.
As a filly, I would always wonder what my cutie mark would be, but I usually spent my time doing unimportant things. I would waste my time with games while not thinking of my future other than to dream, or to wonder what I would be good at. As time wore on, my blank flank would start to truly get to me. My lack of cutie mark, showing that I had yet to find my special talent, was my greatest shame. I was a failure in my own eyes, as well as the eyes of others.
When I was in college, and still with out a cutie mark, I started to think, 'What is the true purpose of the cutie mark? Is it to show what a pony is good at? Or is it a way to worm out the useless ponies with no talent, and no reason to live?'
I wondered these thoughts for a long while, and used it as motivation to try all I could to find something I was meant to do, so I would not have to suffer life as an outcast with no meaning. I found that to be harder than I thought, as it became apparent that no pony would hire a blank flank like myself . Everypony wanted somepony who they could take a glance at and immediately know what they're good at, not somepony that had to be asked. No, that would take away from precious time that could be spent getting the job done.
I hated it! Everypony said I was useless without even giving me a chance to do anything! I would do everything I could think of doing, yet nothing got me hired. I did things better than ponies with cutie marks, yet THEY were hired instead! Why? Because they had proof of their skills, while all I had was a blank flank. I couldn't get a job, I was out of bits, and I sure as hay wasn't going to sell myself. I was just a simple earth pony with no special talent, and no way of making a living.
After I got evicted for not being able to pay rent, I decided to go live with my parents, seeing as they were still alive. My family wasn't rich, but they weren't exactly in poverty either. One could say they were in the low-middle class. Enough to get by and have a comfortable life. Unfortunately, they were cursed with the same thing everypony else had. All it took was one look at my blank flank for them to close the door in my face. Can you believe it? My own parents forsake me for something I couldn't even control! I hated it! They say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, but they don't say what to do when every lemon life throws in your face is rotten and unusable.
I don't recall much else that day, I think I managed to eat, but I'm not sure. The only thing I recalled was the rain. I guess that's why my parents named me Raynestorm, since my life seems to be perpetual gloom. Not sure why it's spelled differently though. Meh, who cares about what those backstabbing plot-heads think. All that matters is that ponies look down on me, and I can't stand it. That's all my life seems to be about anyways, just others looking at me and seeing some piece of trash that was left out on the curb. Something that not even the garbage ponies would touch.
As the time wore on, and I got further away from big cities, I heard of tales saying how kind Princess Celestia is, and how she is always willing to help a pony with nowhere else to turn. I had thought that perhaps I could find sanctuary in Canterlot, and by sanctuary I meant a job assigned to me by the princess so I couldn't be fired for my blank flank and thus actually be able to afford things. Things! Can you imagine being excited just because you can actually by the food you need to survive, and be able to afford a place to live? I felt like some cross mix between a foal, and a young adult fresh to the world of not-college. Do I have to say it didn't go as expected?
The princess said, and I quote, “I'm sorry, Miss Raynestorm, but I can not force anypony to hire you, and I'm not in need of assistance at the moment.” Can you believe it!? Not even to “oh so generous” Princess Celestia would lift a hoof to help me. Then she had the gall to “recommend” some back water town I never heard of to get me out of the hair of working people, and while that's not exactly how she put that's what I got from it. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve this, but I must've been a real bitch.
Don't worry, I'm almost done rambling. Either way, since I don't have any other choice, I decided to go to the place Celestia told me about. It's not like I have any other ideas, and I guess a small town may go better than a big city like Manehatten. So, here I am, setting off for what will most likely end up as another town I'm to be laughed at in. I just hope I'm wrong.
This will be my last time writing in my diary until I reach this place, so yeah, stuff... Seriously, who the buck has ever even heard of Ponyville?
