MLP Next Generation AU

Personality: Introverted, creative, resourceful, unaffectionate, and incredibly passionate about his work (if he can’t get good grades, the least he can do is pour his heart and soul into something that’ll make his parents proud, right?).

Fatal Flaws: Short-tempered, self-destructive, stubborn, brutally honest (to an insulting degree), and “unintelligent” (at least, that’s what he calls himself).

Special Talent: Knitting

Cutie Mark Story: To cope with his depression and anger issues, Patchwork was advised to pick up knitting as a means of distraction and meditation. 

After Bookworm entered his life, he gradually became more open about his problems, eventually dropping his old comfort habit altogether.

One day, as he sat alone in his bed, the young foal glanced over at the familiar shiny needles resting on his dresser... untouched for months. Patchwork decided that, as a gift to his mentor, he would knit him a cozy ruby-colored sweater as a small thank you for helping him overcome his aggression. He even added a sloppy multicolored heart overtop a tiny rip in the fabric. Bookworm claims it, “Gives more character to such a sentimental piece.”

The moment he proudly presented the token to his friend, a brand new cutie mark appeared on his flank, signifying that this “silly” side hobby of his was far more important than just a simple pastime... it was his destiny.

Design by Conspivacy on DeviantArt.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Studious, empathetic, intuitive, and generous (she’s probably the best gift-giver in Equestria and beyond. You want expensive? Done. You want hand-made with love poured into every stitch? Hell yeah!).

Flaws: Self-sacrificial, forgetful, easily distracted, socially awkward (even though she can easily tell what others are feeling, that isn’t always the case when those feelings are about her), and extremely overprotective of her friends and family.

Special Talent: N/A

Cutie Mark Story: N/A

Designed by ArexStar on DeviantArt.

Base by SelenaEde

Personalities:

Sugar High: Fearless, athletic, sarcastic, outspoken (translation: loud), and strong (she’s isn’t just muscular, she’s emotionally stable as well… or so she says. Nopony has ever seen her cry, cower, or back down from a fight).

Electric Spice: Carefree, sarcastic (he can dish out just as much sass as his twin), opportunistic, talented, and a devoted activist for those who are too afraid to stand up for themselves... like his sister’s timid victims.

Flaws:

Sugar High: Stubborn, selfish, temperamental, dishonest and disloyal (to the point where she’s incapable of maintaining a single friendship), and violent (she vandalizes/destroys other pony’s properties, physically attacks anypony who gets in her way, and bullies the weak).

Electric Spice: Ditzy, vain, spoiled (as the “golden child” for the family, Spice undoubtedly gains his parents complete and total attention; this usually results in his twin getting herself into trouble so she can get just a few minutes of their time), annoying (he neverstops singing), and often either oblivious to or unwilling to hear/take criticism from his peers.

Special Talent: Singing (Electric Spice)

Cutie Mark Story: Spice always held an immense interest in musical theater and preforming in front of others. However, the young foal was reluctant to share his abilities with the world out of fear for his classmates’ ridicule. Though incredibly extroverted now, Spice unfortunately shut himself away during most of his pre-teen years, something he’s never truly forgiven himself for.

One day, Pinkie Pie had an idea to boost his spirits and bring him out of hiding—a parade! At first, the overwhelming sights and sounds caused him to crawl even further into his shell... until he saw it.

“Young Singers Competition ... 5:00PM Tonight!”

This was his time to shine. This was his chance to prove to himself and, more importantly, to his family what he was truly capable of. That night, Spice sang his heart out on stage, dressed in the most eye-catching, glittery attire. A group of drag artists (including a friend of his parents’, Orchard Blossom) cheered him on throughout the performance, which eventually led to his boost in confidence you now see today.

*When they finally reach adulthood, the two decide to legally switch names (seeing as “Spice” better fits “Sugar” and “Sugar” better fits “Spice”).

Bases by SelenaEde

Personality:

Juniper Ashe: Athletic, quick-witted, brave, determined (they won’t take “no” for an answer, that’s for damn sure), and a total daredevil.

Swan Song: Shy, gentle, methodical, intelligent (he aces almost every test he takes), and organized (which doesn’t often go over well when it comes to his... clumsy friends).

Ginger Blossom: Energetic, spontaneous, extroverted, adventurous (like Juniper, she’s unafraid of most anything that gets in her way), and quick to learning unfamiliar athletic hobbies.

Flaws:

Juniper Ashe: Headstrong, loud, destructive (a very tony bull in a china shop), has little-to-no common sense whatsoever, and will often go behind their parents’ backs for nothing more than a cheap thrill or two.

Swan Song: Antisocial, emotional, a push-over, has a minor speech impediment that makes interacting with others increasingly difficult, and, because of his inability to say no to most things, prone to tagging along in dangerous situations with his so-called “besties”.

Ginger Blossom: Impulsive, dangerously competitive, messy, crass (how does she even know so many swear words???), and either the best or worst teammate you’ll ever have. Blossom is prone to both stabbing her peers in the back or becoming the most loyal companion a foal could ask for.

Special Talents: Competitive speed-skating, piano playing, and buckball (specifically the “attacker” position)

Cutie Mark Stories: WIP, though I’ll probably never get around to finishing them tbh.

Bases by SelenaEde

Personality:

Tough Cookie: Goofy, reliable, fashion-forward (they even hoof-stitched their signature bow tie), nerdy (their favorite past time is playing a little “O-and-O” with their siblings), and a great conversationalist.

Kindred Spirit: Affectionate, ditzy, generous, always willing to lend a helping hoof (even if it’s just a few simple words of encouragement), and a phenomenal gift-giver (or, in most cases, gift-baker).

Olive Branch: Encouraging, empathetic, transparent, can easily adapt her teaching/speaking style to accompany or avoid a client’s interests and triggers, and a great listener.

Flaws:

Tough Cookie: Childish, confrontational, frivolous, raunchy (their bio quote is probably the most PG joke they’ve got), and has difficulty knowing when to take life seriously.

Kindred Spirit: Naive, disorganized, parasocial (has developed a bit of an obsession with her idol, Jinx Lulamoon), highly sensitive to rejection, and overly-apologetic (she needs to learn that baking someone an entire batch of cookies just for accidentally stepping on their hoof isn’t necessary).

Olive Branch: Compulsive, very soft-spoken (to the point where she can be pretty difficult to understand at times), a major workaholic, allergic to pretty much everything, and struggles with being both an emotionally and logically driven pony.

Special Talents: Stand-up comedy, pastry chef, and psychiatry.

Cutie Mark Stories: WIP, though I’ll probably never get around to finishing them tbh.

Kindred Spirit was designed by HeyItsBlaze on DeviantArt and Olive Branch was designed by rosebuddity (their account has since been deactivated and I’m not on any other social media so idk where else to find them).

Bases by SelenaEde

Personality: Well-mannered (at least around adults), carefree, competitive, imaginative, and silly (she finds practically everything funny—as most children do—and easily finds herself stuck in an endless giggle fit).

Flaws: Buttercream struggles quite a bit with trying/learning new things. She hates “training wheels” (both literally and metaphorically) and prefers to do things on her own instead of relying on her parents for help.

Special Talent: N/A

Cutie Mark Story: N/A

Base by SelenaEde

Personality:

Pound: Creative, intelligent, imaginative, self-managing (every project of his was crafted intricately by his own two hooves, no help needed whatsoever), and loves trying new things.

Pumpkin: Spunky, honest, intuitive, highly opinionated, and prefers to show her affection through words rather than actions (usually through 14-year-old-sounding poetry she wrote at two in the morning).

Flaws:

Pound: Messy, frivolous, irresponsible, introverted (believes the only friends he needs are the cakes he decorates), and disorderly (“organized chaos” doesn’t even apply here, he literally can’t find his brushes if they slapped him in the face).

Pumpkin: Catty, moody, a perfectionist, confrontational (unlike her brother, Pumpkin isn’t afraid to throw hooves if anypony dares insult her family), and probably went through a pyromaniac phase in her teen years.

Special Talents: Cake decorating and pumpkin carving

Cutie Mark Stories:

Pound: Pound Cake never had the urge to follow in his parents hoofsteps as a baker—rather, he spent most of his days isolated in his room painting instead.

One day, the elder Cakes asked Pound and Pumpkin to watch over the shop while they were away, but advised strictly against touching any of their half-decorated confections. Since when did history ever get made by sitting on the sidelines or following the rules? Never!

As soon as they exited the premises, Pound spotted a large, triple-layer plain white wedding cake towards the back of the kitchen. The perfect canvas. Painting on fondant had to be the same as a regular canvas, right? Once he’d finished, the foal quickly threw a large baking sheet over his creation and zipped off to bed for the night.

Coincidentally, that cake was made for none other than Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash’s wedding, and it ended up becoming an instant sensation at the reception. Pound already assumed it went over well, judging by the looks of his brand new cutie mark.

Pumpkin: As Nightmare Night drew ever closer, Ponyville sprung into high-gear as hoards of cobwebs, bats, and apple-bobbing barrels filled the bustling streets.

The Cakes would take turns transforming Sugarcube Corner into a specific theme they’d chosen earlier in the year (yes, they are extra enough to begin their preparations for next Nightmare Night starting the day after). They decided to hand over the preparations to the twins one autumn, and Pumpkin Cake was quick to lead the charge ahead of schedule.

Ironically enough, the theme this time around was... a pumpkin patch. After weeks of careful planning and intricate blueprints, the storefront began its transformation into a hauntingly morbid wonderland. Knowing the young filly’s… unconventional interests, the seemingly innocent prompt was taken a little out of control. Now, all that was needed were a few large carved pumpkins to adorn the front porch. Ten jack-o-lanterns later, Pumpkin noticed how naturally the process came to her, and her cutie mark followed suit.

*Read Pinkie’s bio to learn more about her relation to the Cakes.

Bases by SelenaEde

Personality: Extroverted, sappy, optimistic, a hopeless romantic, and almost always knows exactly what somepony needs to make them feel better (“How did you know hyacinths were my favorite flower? You seem like a hyacinth kind of pony”).

Fatal Flaws: Nosy, obnoxious, clingy, has an accidental habit of interrupting ponies, and still has difficulty controlling her magic sometimes (when you possess the abilities of a full-grown alicorn as an infant, it’s not exactly easy to master them).

Oh, and she’s also cured… but we’ll get to that part soon enough ; )

Special Talent: Matchmaking

Cutie Mark Story: After her father, Shining Armor, passed away in battle when she was just a toddler, Flurry Heart was determined to find her grieving mother a new partner. Candance, once cheerful and full of life, had become a depressed shut-in who refused to speak to anyone outside the castle walls.

One day, the clever young filly hired a court jester—a cheerful party pony named Cheesecake—to entertain the sullen mare, and the two hit it off immediately. Cheesecake and her stallionfriend, Sediment Pie, both worked in the crystal empire as an entertainer and guards-pony respectively. All three of their personalities intwined perfectly, with just the right amount of playfulness and hardworking spirit to get the job done.

This is precisely why nopony was surprised when they finally made their relationship public. Sediment became the leader of the crystal guard, while Cheese worked as the head party planner of the empire.

And where was Flurry in all of this? Writing the invitations to their future wedding of course! All while being one of the youngest ponies in her family to get her cutie mark.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Creative, reserved, mysterious, confident (unlike her mother, Ophelia has no problem wearing her crown out in public, and takes immense pride takes pride in her title as heiress to the throne), and has a rule-breaking streak rivaling her Aunt Celestia.

Flaws: Stubborn, a workaholic, intimidating (she’s just about as careless with her “Canterlot Voice” as a certain other Princess of the Night), a suspiciously good liar, and rarely ever gets along with her older sister.

Special Talent: Creating constellations

Cutie Mark Story: From a very young age, Ophelia harbored an intense fascination with the raising of the moon. One night, while watching from her bedroom terrace in the Canterlot castle, Ophelia noticed just how bland the sky appeared that night. Come to think of it, hadn’t it always been that drab? Why, that simply couldn’t do!

Hoping to make herself useful, Ophelia attempted to imitate a simple constellation spell Luna taught her months prior and began shifting and rearranging the stars until they formed the distinct silhouettes of each member of the royal family.

By now, a large crowd of curious bystanders had begun to form, looking on in childlike wonder at the unusual light show appearing before them. This eventually caught Luna’s attention, and she looked up just in time to see a beautiful shower of shooting stars zipping through the night, illuminating the culprit in question as she leaned over the balcony in intense concentration. 

Before they could scold their daughter on the dangers of messing with the sky, a single falling beam of light struck Ophelia suddenly, and in an instant she jolted upright, joyously crying out, “I got my cutie mark!”

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Energetic, free-spirited, adventurous, addicted to shiny things, and is basically the “stuck-in-2009” scene kid stereotype someday.

Flaws: Clumsy, clingy, likes to bite people, easily hyped about everything (which opens her up to a lot of disappointment), and outspoken to the point of occasionally making those around her feel... uncomfortable at times.

Special Talent: Creating rainbows

Cutie Mark Story: “There’s something... missing, isn’t there?” Harmony had asked her mother one day as the sun began peaking through the misty rain.

“I could have sworn there was a rainbow scheduled for right about now. That’s odd,” replied Celestia. “I’ll go check and see if something went wrong at the weather factory.”

“I can do it, Mama! Pleeeaaase!!!”

While Celestia was gone, Harmony took matters into her own hooves, er, claws, and summoned her chaos magic to project a single streak of light into the sky. In an instant, the most beautiful rainbow appeared in the sky, showering all of Equestria in its splendor—though nothing shown quite as brightly as Harmony’s new cutie mark.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Cheeky, mischievous, charismatic, morbid (he has the most uncomfortable and immature sense of humor), and possesses a keen ability to sneak around without being seen, allowing him to scare the living Tartarus out of anyone unlucky enough to be standing near his hiding spot.

Flaws: Childish, crude, slightly insensitive, decently oblivious to the world around him (i.e. problems not directly involving him or his family/friends), and has a tendency to forget just how powerful he is, leading to some pretty severe outbursts magical every once and a while.

Special Talent: Combating the malevolent forces referred to only as the “Spirit of King Sombra”. Only Loki has the power to destroy the evil parasite corrupting his brother’s mind before it’s too late.

Cutie Mark Story: Headmare Starlight had been in the middle of explaining the dangers of the magical corruption, starting, of course, with the tale of the fallen King Sombra... when it happened.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the room as multicolored sparks began emitting from one young foal in particular: Prince Loki. Before he could even think to scream out in fear, the shimmering aura quickly fizzled out just as quickly as it had arrived. It was his cutie mark.

How? He hadn’t even done anything!

It was only years later that the meaning behind his mark became clear to him…

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Hardworking, eloquent (no one understands what he’s saying 90% of the time), persistent in his goals, highly intelligent, and very protective of his adoptive parents (you give them any sort of trouble and you’ll never be heard from again).

Flaws: Short-tempered, passive-aggressive/sarcastic, intimidating (the foals of his village once created a rumor that he could turn a pony to stone with a single glare), rarely lets his guard down, and, because of his manipulation via Sombra’s “curse” on his mind, Eclipse has become but a thin shell of his former self... cruel, calculated, and cautious around most newcomers.

Special Talent: Dark magic

Cutie Mark Story: Sombra first came to him in a dream... Solar Eclipse awoke one night to find himself enveloped in a hazy dreamscape, a voice echoing softly in his head urging him to “Hurt... Kill... Destroy...” The raspy calls quickly crescendoed to a roaring battle cry, piercing his eardrums and filling his senses with intense anger and hatred. Suddenly, a large, jet-black shadow materialized in front of him, stopping the boy dead in his tracks as he tried in vain to run from the voice. Looking up, he noticed that the stranger greatly resembled himself, from the uniqueness of his long, curved horn, down to his mane, which flowed like tar down his neck. “My name is King Sombra...” The figure hissed. “I am your father.” For the next two weeks, Eclipse dreamt only of this mysterious phantom-stallion. Each night, however, Sombra (whom he’d only known of through childish old mare’s tales) would give more and more insight into his child’s past. He was told of his cowardly mother, Princess Celestia, and how she had abandoned him as an infant to protect her “pristine” public image. Replaced... Forgotten... Unwanted... After the 14th night, Sombra wordlessly leaned over and lightly brushed the tip of his horn against Eclipses’s, causing him to instantly awaken in a cold sweat. Feeling a stinging sensation on his flank, Eclipse lifted the blankets to reveal a cutie mark rapidly appearing in a similar purple smoke that emanated from his father’s horn. Was this his true destiny? A premonition, possibly? Eclipse wasn’t entirely sure, though from that moment on he made it his life’s goal to seek out the mare responsible for casting him aside so carelessly—and simply ask her, “Why?”

*(TRIGGER WARNING: IMPLIED S/A AND ABUSE) Celestia, unbeknownst to her, had a brief “fling” with Sombra before the events of “The Beginning of the End”. Disguising himself as a member of the royal guard, Sombra tricked her into falling for him as a means of gaining useful intel on her strengths and weaknesses to use against her later on. Some time later, Celestia realized she had become pregnant with his child, much to Sombra’s utter delight at the prospect of having a future protégée to rule alongside him in his future empire. After Eclipse’s birth, he attempted to steal the child along with Princess Flurry Heart, but was caught in the act by Princess Cadance, who called upon the Mane Six to defeat him once and for all. Or so they thought... Scared and confused, a disheveled Celestia fled to a small, remote village on the outskirts of Equestria where she posed as a sickly young mare unable to care for her newborn foal. The kindhearted souls of the Acorn family soon adopted the tiny, helpless infant and raised him as their own alongside their eldest son Pistachio. Once the aspiring clothing designer moved to Manehattan to live with his fiancé, Star Tracker, the farm fell under a terrible famine, taking the life of their mother, Butternut Squash Acorn, along with most of their land. Eclipse made it his sworn duty to provide enough funds to move his elderly father into retirement, leaving behind his childhood home and traveling far across Equestria to the pristine city of Canterlot. It was there that he realized his birth father, who’d been communicating with him for years at that point, really had replaced him and started another life with someone else… as if her firstborn never even existed.

An an (out of character) aside, I know it’s a bit of a leap in severity to turn a fictional children’s character into a horrific abuser—and in most instances I’ve come across in FIM-fics, I’d 100% agree with that notion. But not for Sombra. Sombra, canonically, enslaved an entire empire and forced them into a centuries-long purgatory that eventually resulted in the incredibly visceral on-screen depictions of PTSD we see in “The Crystal Empire”. He’s, in my opinion, the least kid-friendly antagonist in the entire show. I seriously don’t know how the writers got away with some of this. If any character in this show is going to go down that route, it’s him.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Studious, orderly, empathetic, patient (he went through over five different drafts of his first novel before it had even touched the editor’s office), and a mentor figure to all who need it (he’s currently working with Marmalade’s younger brother, Patchwork Quilt, on his anger issues).

Flaws: Forgetful, depressed (though refuses to get an official diagnosis out of denial), stands up for others more than himself, doesn’t understand sarcasm/humor very well (much to the dismay of Loki), and easily manipulated by putting his trust in the wrong ponies.

Special Talent: Writing stories

Cutie Mark Story: Bookworm wasn’t the most... talkative foal in school. He rarely spoke in class, isolated himself from others, and had no friends to lean on whatsoever. 

This was precisely why nopony suspected him to enter his story into the “Celestia’s Young Scholars” competition, a top-notch program designed to shed light onto some of Equestria’s finest blossoming writers. The day Bookworm received his letter of congratulations from Princess Celestia herself, none of his classmates could believe it.

His prize (along with a one-on-one meeting with the princess herself) was immediate enrollment into one of the most exclusive literature-based schools in Equestria. Sadly, however, agreeing to these terms meant leaving his family (and newly made friends) behind. Because of this, Bookworm confidently declined the invitation. Celestia, surprisingly enough, applauded his decision to remain at home with his peers and encouraged him to keep doing what he loved most. As if on queue, his cutie mark appeared!

Even without a the scholarship, the princess still, to this day, remains penpals with the young unicorn, eager to read his next work before it hits the shelves. This eventually resulted in him meeting his future significant other, Prince Loki.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Introverted, gentle-hearted, caring, resourceful, and accepting of everypony, no matter their species or background (they know what it’s like to be bullied for something you can’t control and refuse to let anypony they know experience the same).

Flaws: Anxious, easily frightened, cries often, dislikes adventuring (unlike the rest of their friends, who cheerfully drag them along kicking and screaming), and rarely voices their opinions/opens up to anypony due to their irrational fear of burdening those around them with their “unnecessary” problems.

Special Talent: Gardening

Cutie Mark Story: When Honeycomb was around 12 years old, they went on a fieldtrip with their fellow classmates to a nearby nursery, where they, with the help of a chaperone, were allowed to magically plant a seedling of their own. 

At the end of the day, each foal went home with their sapling, nestled inside one of the many clay pots they’d painted earlier in the afternoon. Honey, unfortunately, was stuck with puniest sprout in the group, and assumed it’d only last a couple days at most.

Even so, the gentle student followed every instruction provided by their teacher in the hopes that their tiny tree would somehow survive. Miraculously, after a year of nursing the seedling back to life, it somehow managed to be the only plant in the class to survive the harsh winter (their other classmates either didn’t care or weren’t diligant enough to keep theirs alive). 

It was at this point Honeycomb realized that caring for nature was their passion—their destiny, and with that came a blinding flash of light, followed by a brand new cutie mark.

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Polite, well-organized, graceful, charismatic (like Rarity, she has a talent of charming whomever she wants to get whatever she wants), and hardworking (don’t underestimate her petite physique—she can certainly pull her own weight on the farm).

Flaws: Moody, vain, uptight, overly critical of others, and has a bit of a gossiping problem (she takes her mothers’ honest virtue a bit too literally when talking behind ponies’ backs).

Special Talent: Making jam

Cutie Mark Story: Every year, the Apple family holds a memorial for Pear Butter and Bright Macintosh. Everypony who came to the ceremony would place an offering of some sort against the heart-shaped tree planted by the two lovers decades before. 

When she was finally old enough to attend, Marmalade decided to whip up a jar of pear-honey crisp jam, combining the lineages of both families into one tasty preserve. As soon as she positioned the jar at the base of the tree, a shiny new cutie mark appeared on her flank. Gazing up at the arching branches, Marmalade smiled knowing that her grandparents were looking down upon her with pride. Turning around, she was immediately startled by her Applejack pulling her into a suffocating hug.

“Granny Buttercup would be so proud of you, Sugarcube.”

Base by SelenaEde

Personality: Outgoing, hyperactive, charming, innocent (Taffy doesn’t truly know how bad the world around him can get, he doesn’t ever want to), and friendly (he’s instantly likable; practically everypony who meets him wants to be his friend).

Flaws: Dangerously optimistic, naive, unserious, messy (he’s been known to leave behind a whirlwind of chaos in his wake, much to the dismay of any unlucky souls forced to clean up after him), and unable to see the bad in ponies, no matter how toxic of an influence they may be on him.

Special Talent: Swimming

Cutie Mark Story: At the age of ten, Pinkie Pie finally told Saltwater Taffy about his other biological mom. She explained how the hippogriphs had been in hiding for years during the Storm King’s reign, and how, even after obtaining their freedom, they still chose to remain disconnected from the rest of the world. Taffy was discouraged to hear that he could never have the power to take on the seas like his kinfolk, and, not letting that stop him from trying, spent hours each day practicing in a small pond behind Sweet Apple Acres in the hopes that eventually he would learn to swim just as good as any seapony. 

Eventually, Taffy qualified for the Ponyville Junior Swim Team, who were, unfortunately, the underdogs of their upcoming competition. After never winning a single round, the group felt all their hopes sinking to the bottom of the pool... until Coral volunteered to represent Ponyville in the last round of the games—the relay race.

Coming down to the final stretch, Ponyville held a shaky second place as the horseshoe was passed off to Taffy. Crossing the finish line in first, his teammates chanted his name loudly for all to hear, though he hardly even noticed over the sight of his brand new cutie mark.

*Pinkie and Skystar were forced to keep their relationship a secret from a disapproving Queen Novo, who’d already been planning an arranged marriage between her daughter and a wealthy hippogryph noble. When she eventually found out that the pair had eloped, Novo forbade Skystar from ever seeing her pregnant wife again.

Bases by SelenaEde