HOME | DD

Description
Raven's babysitter was taking an opportune moment to have a nap on the bench overlooking the playground, so Raven decided to take a little walk. She wasn't planning on going far in case they woke up soon, she just wanted to have a look around. She hummed quietly to herself as she pranced through the grass, stopping just before she trod on a little grouping of flowers.

She smiled, cocking her head as she examined them, sensing something very familiar about them that she couldn't quite place. She gently plucked up the blue-petaled one, holding it up so she could look at it better from behind her long bangs. Something about the blooms was filling her with inexplicable happiness. Her hums started manifesting into a song, and although she wasn't singing very loud it seemed to spread all throughout the park, seeping into the ground and making the flowers perk up.

"She just wants to be, beautiful
She goes, unnoticed she knows, no limits
She craves, attention she praises, an image
She prays to be, sculpted by the sculptor."

~~~

"Do you hear that?" Limbo broke the silence he and Larynx had been sitting in for several minutes. Larynx stopped his pawing at the grass he'd been entranced by and looked up, his ears swiveling.

"Yeah." He said slowly, purple eyes squinting. "Someone's- singing?" The two colts stared at each other, their expressions of curiosity mirrored on the other's face. There was something magnetic about the voice, so strong that they almost felt the need to dig their hooves into the ground to avoid being dragged towards it. But they didn't want to resist it, it was much more exciting to follow the music than to resume their quiet, boredom-induced dirt prodding.

Synchronously they leaped to their feet, tracing the sound back to a bush in the middle of the park. They peered around it to see a dappled, mint-colored filly picking flowers. Looking closer, they noticed a strange fin located just above her tail.

"She's really good. Should we say something, Larynx?" Limbo whispered, glancing at the colt in front of him and seeing an extra blue tinge to his cheeks. "Larynx, you alright?"

"Oh, she don't see, the light that's shining
Deeper than the eyes can find it
Maybe we have made her blind,"

~~~

Catmint lounged lazily amongst the branches of a tree, tail flicking periodically as she purred in pure contentment. A soothing song serenaded her ears, making her feel even lazier. Relaxing all her muscles, she started to slide off the branch and plummet to the ground.

Yelping, she flapped frantically and landed on the grass, suddenly very awake. She was just about to fly back up to her branch when she faltered. Now that she was awake she was very intrigued by the voice, feeling a certain gravity about it, one she couldn't overcome just by fluttering her feathers.

Glancing back at her previous perch one more time, she bounded like a kitten through the grass and up to the other side of the bush from the voice. She peeked over the foliage to see the source of the voice, a pretty young filly.

"So she tries to cover up her pain
And cut her woes away,"

~~~

"Cupid, I don't think this is working. We've been trying for hours." Connor sighed in exasperation, slumping over so that his flank was in the air while his chin rested on the ground. He stared cross-eyed at the grass in front of his nose, tickling his nose as he inhaled. He flew back from the force of the sneeze, meanwhile all the grass that had been in a five-foot radius of him sprouted buttercups.

Cupid watched Connor fly through the air and land with a thud several yards from where he'd started. Tail held high, she trotted over to him and helped him stand up. "Maybe you're right." She said slowly and begrudgingly. "I just don't understand what's so difficult about it."

Connor dusted the dirt off his fur with his tail, looking even more downcast. "Well, neither does my dad." He said grimly, staring down at his cursed paws.

Cupid wasn't listening to him. All her attention had been grabbed by a mysterious music that was coming from somewhere in the park. Without saying a word she jumped up and started racing off towards the sound, leaving Connor scrabbling behind her.

"Cupid, wait up!" Connor called, skidding to a halt behind Cupid, who was transfixed by something on the other side of the bush. He laid down and crawled around her, finally seeing what all the hubbub was about.

Cupid waved a hoof around, trying to feel around for Connor without taking her eyes off of Raven. Once she found him, she tapped him rapidly in her excitement, beaming from ear to ear.

"Ack- what, what?" Connor squeaked, waving her off with a paw.

"'Cause covergirls don't cry
After their face is made."

~~~

The five youngsters stayed dead silent as they all listened to the siren's song, none of them any the wiser to the other's existences.

"But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark
You should know you're beautiful just the way you are
And you don't have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful
We're stars and we're beautiful"

"Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh~"

Raven trailed off quietly, still smiling.

Catmint shifted gently on her gentle perch in the bush, rustling the leaves and cracking a branch. Everyone jumped and looked around wildly, finally noticing the other spectators. They all took hesitant steps forward, a silent ripple of empathy spreading over the group. Larynx was the first to speak.

"You're a good singer." He said with a shy smile, still with that extra color in his cheeks.

"Thank you," Raven replied equally as quiet, lowering her chin coyly. "Er- Who are all you guys?"

Cupid stepped forward to shake Raven's hoof with much vigor. "I'm Princess Cupid Hearts of the Crystal Empire, but you can call me Cupid! Half pony, half kirin!" She spoke rapidly in her excitement, positively beaming. "This," She said, releasing Raven's hoof from her grasp and pushing Connor forward, "Is my friend Conundrum! He lacks even an ounce of self-confidence!"

"H-hey!" Connor stuttered, shirking off Cupid before looking back to the rest of them. "Hi." He hunched up, looking sorry for existing. "Please just call me Connor. I'm uh- half draconequus."

After another moment of quiet, Limbo spoke, averting his gaze. "I'm- Limbo." Since that seemed like all he was going to say, they all looked toward Larynx, who seemed to be not paying attention, still fixated on Raven. Limbo nudged him gently.

"Wh- oh, I'm Larynx Lyre. Lyre like the instrument, not like a liar. Ponies just call me Larynx. I'm actually only half changeling." He lifted his wing covers and spread out his wings slightly, showing that they were unlike normal changeling wings.

Sensing it was her turn next, Catmint straightened herself up a little, neck bell emitting a gentle tink tink. "I'm Catmint, half abyssinian, half griffon. I'm boarding in ponyville for school."

Finally, it was Raven's turn. She fiddled with her necklace anxiously. "Raven Melody, half siren."

There was an intense feeling of understanding in the air, unlike any of them had ever felt it before. Even the most nervous of them couldn't stop smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woo, let's get this story started! I probably could have done more leading up and diving into their lives before they all met, but there's always time for that later
Hope you all liked this and are as excited for more as I am!

Also, I came up with this idea after I drew Raven's reference, but here you can see that she has a fin above her tail that she covers with skirts in her later years.

Background: Vector - School Grounds

Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

Description
Raven's babysitter was taking an opportune moment to have a nap on the bench overlooking the playground, so Raven decided to take a little walk. She wasn't planning on going far in case they woke up soon, she just wanted to have a look around. She hummed quietly to herself as she pranced through the grass, stopping just before she trod on a little grouping of flowers.

She smiled, cocking her head as she examined them, sensing something very familiar about them that she couldn't quite place. She gently plucked up the blue-petaled one, holding it up so she could look at it better from behind her long bangs. Something about the blooms was filling her with inexplicable happiness. Her hums started manifesting into a song, and although she wasn't singing very loud it seemed to spread all throughout the park, seeping into the ground and making the flowers perk up.

"She just wants to be, beautiful
She goes, unnoticed she knows, no limits
She craves, attention she praises, an image
She prays to be, sculpted by the sculptor."

~~~

"Do you hear that?" Limbo broke the silence he and Larynx had been sitting in for several minutes. Larynx stopped his pawing at the grass he'd been entranced by and looked up, his ears swiveling.

"Yeah." He said slowly, purple eyes squinting. "Someone's- singing?" The two colts stared at each other, their expressions of curiosity mirrored on the other's face. There was something magnetic about the voice, so strong that they almost felt the need to dig their hooves into the ground to avoid being dragged towards it. But they didn't want to resist it, it was much more exciting to follow the music than to resume their quiet, boredom-induced dirt prodding.

Synchronously they leaped to their feet, tracing the sound back to a bush in the middle of the park. They peered around it to see a dappled, mint-colored filly picking flowers. Looking closer, they noticed a strange fin located just above her tail.

"She's really good. Should we say something, Larynx?" Limbo whispered, glancing at the colt in front of him and seeing an extra blue tinge to his cheeks. "Larynx, you alright?"

"Oh, she don't see, the light that's shining
Deeper than the eyes can find it
Maybe we have made her blind,"

~~~

Catmint lounged lazily amongst the branches of a tree, tail flicking periodically as she purred in pure contentment. A soothing song serenaded her ears, making her feel even lazier. Relaxing all her muscles, she started to slide off the branch and plummet to the ground.

Yelping, she flapped frantically and landed on the grass, suddenly very awake. She was just about to fly back up to her branch when she faltered. Now that she was awake she was very intrigued by the voice, feeling a certain gravity about it, one she couldn't overcome just by fluttering her feathers.

Glancing back at her previous perch one more time, she bounded like a kitten through the grass and up to the other side of the bush from the voice. She peeked over the foliage to see the source of the voice, a pretty young filly.

"So she tries to cover up her pain
And cut her woes away,"

~~~

"Cupid, I don't think this is working. We've been trying for hours." Connor sighed in exasperation, slumping over so that his flank was in the air while his chin rested on the ground. He stared cross-eyed at the grass in front of his nose, tickling his nose as he inhaled. He flew back from the force of the sneeze, meanwhile all the grass that had been in a five-foot radius of him sprouted buttercups.

Cupid watched Connor fly through the air and land with a thud several yards from where he'd started. Tail held high, she trotted over to him and helped him stand up. "Maybe you're right." She said slowly and begrudgingly. "I just don't understand what's so difficult about it."

Connor dusted the dirt off his fur with his tail, looking even more downcast. "Well, neither does my dad." He said grimly, staring down at his cursed paws.

Cupid wasn't listening to him. All her attention had been grabbed by a mysterious music that was coming from somewhere in the park. Without saying a word she jumped up and started racing off towards the sound, leaving Connor scrabbling behind her.

"Cupid, wait up!" Connor called, skidding to a halt behind Cupid, who was transfixed by something on the other side of the bush. He laid down and crawled around her, finally seeing what all the hubbub was about.

Cupid waved a hoof around, trying to feel around for Connor without taking her eyes off of Raven. Once she found him, she tapped him rapidly in her excitement, beaming from ear to ear.

"Ack- what, what?" Connor squeaked, waving her off with a paw.

"'Cause covergirls don't cry
After their face is made."

~~~

The five youngsters stayed dead silent as they all listened to the siren's song, none of them any the wiser to the other's existences.

"But there's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark
You should know you're beautiful just the way you are
And you don't have to change a thing
The world could change its heart
No scars to your beautiful
We're stars and we're beautiful"

"Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh~"

Raven trailed off quietly, still smiling.

Catmint shifted gently on her gentle perch in the bush, rustling the leaves and cracking a branch. Everyone jumped and looked around wildly, finally noticing the other spectators. They all took hesitant steps forward, a silent ripple of empathy spreading over the group. Larynx was the first to speak.

"You're a good singer." He said with a shy smile, still with that extra color in his cheeks.

"Thank you," Raven replied equally as quiet, lowering her chin coyly. "Er- Who are all you guys?"

Cupid stepped forward to shake Raven's hoof with much vigor. "I'm Princess Cupid Hearts of the Crystal Empire, but you can call me Cupid! Half pony, half kirin!" She spoke rapidly in her excitement, positively beaming. "This," She said, releasing Raven's hoof from her grasp and pushing Connor forward, "Is my friend Conundrum! He lacks even an ounce of self-confidence!"

"H-hey!" Connor stuttered, shirking off Cupid before looking back to the rest of them. "Hi." He hunched up, looking sorry for existing. "Please just call me Connor. I'm uh- half draconequus."

After another moment of quiet, Limbo spoke, averting his gaze. "I'm- Limbo." Since that seemed like all he was going to say, they all looked toward Larynx, who seemed to be not paying attention, still fixated on Raven. Limbo nudged him gently.

"Wh- oh, I'm Larynx Lyre. Lyre like the instrument, not like a liar. Ponies just call me Larynx. I'm actually only half changeling." He lifted his wing covers and spread out his wings slightly, showing that they were unlike normal changeling wings.

Sensing it was her turn next, Catmint straightened herself up a little, neck bell emitting a gentle tink tink. "I'm Catmint, half abyssinian, half griffon. I'm boarding in ponyville for school."

Finally, it was Raven's turn. She fiddled with her necklace anxiously. "Raven Melody, half siren."

There was an intense feeling of understanding in the air, unlike any of them had ever felt it before. Even the most nervous of them couldn't stop smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woo, let's get this story started! I probably could have done more leading up and diving into their lives before they all met, but there's always time for that later
Hope you all liked this and are as excited for more as I am!

Also, I came up with this idea after I drew Raven's reference, but here you can see that she has a fin above her tail that she covers with skirts in her later years.

Background: Vector - School Grounds

Scars to Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara