Are Cutiemarks Really That Important?

Blank Flank, A cruel name for a pony yet to get their Cutiemark,often used by foals as a way to bully other foal that had yet to get a Cuitemark. But most got over it once they got their cutiemark,found out their special talent after all it was just simple children teasing right?

Well on rare occasions a pony wont always find that special talent and that harmless name of Blank Flank turned into a weapon,like a knife cutting deep into their soul each time. One such pony now laid in the darkened Everfree forest sobbing as she laid under a tree tangled in sharp thorns,but her tears we not of the fear of the forest or its nocturnal creatures but of the pain in her soul.

She was used to the stares and name calling,she was a grown mare without a cutiemark she could normally just grin and bear it but today...it was to much. It had first started that morning when a colt had pointed her out  and complained to his mom that what if he ended never got his cuitemark like her?

Sweets had just paid for her apple and left without a word acting as if she hadn't heard anything. She ignored the whispers that followed her as she went about her business. It wasn't until she had visited her favorite cafe,the same one she recalled with pain that she had gone to with her old colt friend.

She had ordered that same meal and eaten it slowly,and had gotten ready to pay for it and leave when a group of colts walked in,the same group that had so harshly made fun of her that same day,the only difference was Recurve wasn't there to stand up for her,never to hold her as she cried into his coat and told her to pay them no mind. So when she stood up and made her way to the door they saw her and blocked her way.

"Well well If it isn't the Blank Flank mare,still no cuitemark I see? Oh are you alone,I guess that crystal pony could stand being seen around a blank flank like you after all. You know what? I bet you don't have any special talent at all that's why you don't have a cutiemark,Equestria doesn't need useless ponies like you why don't you go and die in a hole somewhere?"

He whispers to her softly the hatred in his eyes clear. She was used to ponies saying she had no talent at all,but that she should just give up and die because of it?

She couldn't hold back the tears that spilled from her eyes and ran past the group as their laughter followed her. She ran past the stores and ponies bumping into some but never stopping she didn't even stop as she ran past her home and into the Everfree.

Going deeper and deeper as the colts words echoed in her head and tears flowed blinding her vision. It wasn't until she tripped and fell down a steep hill that she stopped running. So here she still laid under the tree tangled in thorns and sobbing her voice shaking from the sobs "S-Somepony P-Please...I'm not useless,I'm r-really not.."

((Is this open? sorry I don't want to intrude if it isn't...))

(yes it is Open)

Captain Calico Blastsides went on his merry way at the edge of the EverFree Forest.

Dressed in his usual regalia, he hummed a tune an old sea dog taught him, a lively and spirited melody. Something about the Everfree stirred something sentiment in him. The danger, the unpredictability, and the distinct lack of law enforcement gave him comfort. Like that old stallion that would always try and mug him at the train station of Trottingham. His visits just wouldn't be the same without that venerable horse...

Despite his brash demeanor, however, Calico was not suicidal. He would usually skirt the edge of the forest, but never enter outright entering the Everfree proper.

"S-Somepony P-Please...I'm not useless,I'm r-really not.."

A pierced ear perked at the plea. Calico stood still and attempted to triangulate the exact location of the sobbing. It appeared to be emanating from within the forest.

"Well... nothing ventured..." The captain's face scrunched for a moment. He didn't really need to go help whoever was in distress. No doubt it might cost him something too. What could he possibly get from helping a complete stranger.

"Moral satisfaction." He answered, as he turned 90 degrees and begun to pick his way through the foliage. His clear whistle pierced the quiet of the forest.

Sweet Dreams ears perked up at a sound earning one of them to tear slightly from the throns making her cry out in pain as her life blood slowly flowed down the side of her face staining a part of her dark blue coat turning it black. She couldn't see much past the thorns nor could she move her head very well so besides her hearing she was very vulnerable in more ways then one.

"Is somepony out there?" She call out her tears still falling but her voice nolonger shaking. She didn't know why she called out, she didn't think anypony would be foolish enough or stupid enough to enter the forest,especially this close to sunset. Besides she was nopony important,why would someone risk their life for her?

The whistling came closer and closer to the brier, and stopped.

"Is somepony out there?"

The whistling began again, rising and falling.

"Hallo?" a voice called out beyond the thorns. "Any lasses in distress? I do so enjoy a good rescue." It was a rich tenor, one with a refinement and a rugged tone. All the down to earth-ness of Ponyville with the mannerisms of Canterlot.

Light orange hooves appeared just at the edge of the bush. The end of a patch worked justacorps swept the ground. "Wherever are you, Ms. Mystery voice? I can't help you if I can't see you." The stallion whistled again, as one would whistle for a pet. No malice intended, but there was a hint of ever present casualness for what could be a grave situation.

Sweets heard the calling and grunted as she tilts her head back crying out more as she does so the thorns digging into her neck and pulling at her mane. With all her night she shot a burst of magic light blue in color into the air like a firework to light up the area, but felt the crack in her horn grow larger as a result.


She let out quite a few loud colorful words at the pain that would make even a sailor blush.Her horn had been almost healed as it was and now she would have to go back to the hospital to get it looked at again...but then she would have to anyways because of her other injuries.The nurses and doctors wouldn't be too happy with her..

The hooves disappeared and a distinctly feminine yelp of surprise at the burst of magic sounded from outside the thicket. The hooves found ground again, and bent down to reveal a ruggedly handsome stallion with a subtle and tasteful beard in an assortment of odd nautical clothing.

"Well there you ar-"

He paused as the mare unleashed the string of slurs and swears. As a sailor, he did indeed blush, and blinked a few times in order to help his cat-like eyes adjust to the dark of the bush. A large smile appeared on his face.

"Ah! Ms. Expansive Vocabulary! I didn't notice..." The horse's brow furrowed as he started to notice the darker patches of the mare's fur. "You were... In this neck of the... woods..." His gaze fully adjusted as he noticed the gashes all over the pony in the thorn bush.

"Stop moving. Now." his face hardened in intensity and all jest left his voice. "I am going to cut you out now, Aye? The bush might shake but whatever you do, do not move." The face disappeared and the noise of steel being drawn sounded from beyond the bush. There was a pause, the sound of exertion, and a whack.

The nettle shook slightly, and a little more light came through its many branches.

"Don't stop talking." the voice commanded. "Appellation?"

A pause for an answer. Another command from the now cool and steady voice.

"Your name, lass."

Sweet Dreams pink sunset eyes stared up at the strange face right before she had let out her shout of many cruses causing her to blush much deeper the him.

She didn't like using such words around other ponies. "Ah...sorry bout that.." She spoke softly her endless tears still falling. Why wouldn't they stop? was it because of the pain? She wasn't so sure.

She stopped moving instantly at his command as she should as anymore moving and she might leave more then blood behind."Why is he risking himself to save somepony like me?" She thought,sure her flank wasn't visible...yet. That must be why..

She almost didn't hear him ask her name and her cheeks darken slightly with a blush. "O-Oh um...Sweet Dreams,My name is Sweet Dreams.." She says before pausing."Um...Thank you for coming to help,but you shouldn't put yourself in danger.." She says softly flinching as the shaking of the bush digs a thorn into a soft spot in her side.

"O-Oh um...Sweet Dreams,My name is Sweet Dreams. Um...Thank you for coming to help,but you shouldn't put yourself in danger.."

"Shouldn't put myself in danger! The very thought! I am all about danger, Miss Dreams." He grunted to signal another swing. This time, something silver could be seen slicing through the brush, and more light streamed through. The stallion had resumed his light tone.

"And regardless. I thought Equestria was all about community and friendship." A hint of disdain sounded in his voice at the thought. "T'would be a poor Equestrian indeed if I didn't help a fellow pony."

Another grunt and another whack and Sweet Dreams could make out the stallion assisting her and the cutlass he was using to fight the brambles.

"damnable bushes... always ruining my days." He muttered under his breath. "However did you end up in there, anywho? Either this is some clever ruse or you are one lithe and flexible mare!"

Sweets flinched as the light hit her eyes,why did it have to be so damn dark in this bush anyway?

"Yeah thats what it looks like on the outside,as long as you are normal everyone treats you great." She says sadly. "You are the first kind pony I've seen in weeks"

She paused to think about how she had ended up in the thorn bush in the first place. "I..wasn't paying attention to where I was going...tripped and fell down the hill and ended up here being stuck like this for a while now" She says chuckling half heartedly "I've always been a klutz" She really hadn't meant to trip and fall but teary eyes often do make it hard to see.

The stallion chuckled. "A funny joke that is. 'Normal.'" The stallion's eye peeked through the brambles at Sweet Dreams and squinted with incredulity. "Really? A lovely mare like yourself? Why ever would..."

He swung at the bush more, cutting until there only a layer of branches between him and the captive Sweet Dreams.

"Anypony treat you with ill regard?There you are. I feared you were eaten by this beast of a bush." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "The woods are a dangerous place. If I hadn't come along you could have... Well it wouldn't have been a pleasant way to go. Gunshot or sword or sea, that'd be the way for me~." He sang, he carefully took his tarnished brass cutlass and cut out the last few branches confining the mare.

"There. Be careful! There are still plenty of snags to get caught on."

As he said this, he looked to the canopy of the forest. the sun had dipped below the leaves, and was sinking slowly yet surely.

"I have never been in these woods at night, and I care not to. Come along, Miss Dreams! We can assess your hurts and scrapes once we are away from this vile thing." He turned and started to hop out of the bush, leaving a clear trail out of the bush.

Sweet Dreams stood up,her height much taller then that of an average mare,with a slight movement her tail moved to her flank hiding it from view. "Because some ponies enjoy bring pain to others, that is why"

She says simply "To think a stranger would hate me so much they wished death on me..."She says barely a whisper more to herself then any pony else. With a slight grunt of effort and a sparking of her long horn Sweets was able to create a small light that casted a soft blue glow on the darkening path,last thing they both needed was to trip and fall back down into the bush.

"My home is just outside the woods,I can fix myself up there and you may rest there if you wish"
She says putting on a smile and spoke up "Thank you for your help again. "she says before realizing this pony hadn't even told her their name."I'm sorry I don't think I ever got your name.."

To the Captain, ponies were many things: gullible, diverse, nonviolent (much to his benefit), heroic (much to his disadvantage). But not malicious? He knew a certain Black Mare who he would certainly think of as evil, and there historically are plenty of tyrants and despots and cruel ponies, but Calico read a subtext of not one bully, but many.

He tried to glimpse her cutie mark, mearly out of curiousity, but her tail was blocking the view.

"My home is just outside the woods,I can fix myself up there and you may rest there if you wish."

"Ah! Magnificent well!" His eyes snapped from her plot to her face, and he smiled brightly. "I may just." Never one to refuse offered hospitality.

"Thank you for your help again. I'm sorry I don't think I ever got your name.."

His cheery face held for a moment, and he blinked. In truth, Calico considered lying. It would be easy to, and no doubt Sweet Dreams would never know who he was.

But then however would he become famous?

"That is because I never gave it to you, Miss Dreams!" The captain gallantly removed his plumed hat and revealed a name of dark chestnut, with a distinct lock of Amber. With a flourish, he bowed.

"Captain Calico Blastsides. A pleasure."

Blinking she had heard that name before but couldn't remember where. "I know I've heard name somewhere..." She says tilting her head from side to side in thought. "But I'm sure that we have never met,as I never forget a face but....hmmm" She says but still the memory wouldn't come to her.

Ever the egotistical outlaw, Calico chuckled: "I'm sure you quite have. I have am told I have a very memorable face! I can assure you we have never met formally before." He reveled in the recognition for a moment. "But enough about my wants, lets see to your needs."

The Stallion begun to gingerly pick his way through the brush, and toward the receding light of the sun. He beckoned the mare to follow.

"We should get going, Sweet Dreams. The day gets dark awfully fast and I should like to see those cuts looked at, Aye?"