Plum Pudding

By AmberDust

• April 13, 2015
, No, Not Cast Mane 6 age

Plum is a dark brown earth pony with a curly purple mane and tail. Her eyes are brilliant green.

female Earth Pony A sugar plum. She got her cutie mark when she discovered her talent for baking and making candy. (In particular, sugar plums.)
There's not much of a story behind it--but she didn't notice her mark until AFTER she cleaned herself up. Her friend StromJumper was the one to point it out.
As a pony who was often conflicted with identity crises, Plum was so happy to have discovered her mark, she started crying.

Plum Pudding is sweet and generous, giving more than she takes. She's modest and a little shy (or at least her silence makes her seem that way), but she likes social gatherings--as long as she's not the centre of attention. She doesn't talk much, but would rather listen and contribute through nods and other such things--to accomplish this, she's developed a sort of tactfulness to shift conversation away from herself.
Plum tries to be optimistic, but its hard for her sometimes, and retaining her happy attitude in times of pain is a burden she often struggles to bear.
Plum is soft-hearted and friendly, cautious, and a hard worker. Although she appreciates help, she's more likely to have already finished the job by the time somepony offers.
She's somewhat of a romantic--Only somewhat--and often daydreams of fantasy and magic while she goes about her day.

 

When she was young, she was easily depressed and very sensitive, believing that, as an Earth pony, she was unspecial. (See backstory) Bullies helped imprint that thought into her mind, despite her friends' best attempts to drive it out. She knows better now.
Plum is rather sentimental and nostalgic, despite her sub-stellar childhood. Something about her makes her friends want to protect her from whatever harm comes her way--maybe it's because she's so cute. Maybe it's because she doesn't like standing up for herself. Maybe its because she's suffered enough already. She very much appreciates her friends.

Likes: Bullies, rudeness, loud ponies, fighting, crowds, being alone, hot weather.

Plum Pudding grew up in an orphanage alongside her best friend, StormJumper. The Northern village they lived in was cold and mainly inhabited by Unicorns, and because of this, Earth Pony orphans tended to stay for longer in the orphanage. (This is partly why Plum had such low self-esteem.) She doesn't know much about her birth parents, and never really asked questions about them.
Before she met StormJumper, Plum was all alone. Because of her shy and non-confrontational demeanour, she was often a target for bullies. (StormJumper was also targeted, but she was much more hostile--towards everypony. After realizing that other ponies besides herself were being bullied, she had a change of heart and stood up for Plum. They became fast friends after that.)
Besides StormJumper, her closest friend was a unicorn by the name of Amber Dust, who wasn't an orphan, but visited them frequently and went to school with them. Amber had a way of cheering them up whenever they were sad or lonely, and always made Plum feel more hopeful for the future. This cane from Amber's talent for telling stories of fantasy and adventure and all the great, wonderful things they'd do in the future, which Plum looked forward to every time she visited.
Plum and Storm spent most of their free time with Amber, who seemed like an expert on making them happy and excited about life, especially in times of struggle.

 

Among her friends, Plum Pudding gave more than she could afford to. She really loved her friends, and in the beginnong she had a bit of a fear of losing them or of not being "good enough" for them.

 

After Plum was out of the orphanage's care and living with her new Earth Pony family, (most of whom were either builders or farmers, from South of where she grew up,) she began getting herself accustomed to the kitchen, learning to bake treats of all kinds for her friends and family. Eventually, much to Plum's dismay, her family moved back to the south, away from Amber and Storm, as their success as farmers was very limited in the cold northern climate. It took Plum's adoptive older brother, Apricot, (the biological son of Plum's adoptive parents,) a little while to get used to Plum, but he became very attached to her as time wore on, and was very kind and supportive of her as she grew up. He was definitely the defensive type, taking StormJumper's place as Plum's new guardian angel. He was also the taste-tester for most of Plum's confectionary creations.
When Plum was old enough, and her friends had also left their hometown, she moved into a small purple house in Ponyville (a town slightly north of where her family lived) and tried to make her way in life as a café owner/baker. So far, she's purchased a building but is still working from home and selling baked goods in the local market while the building is being prepared. Plum has been keeping in contact with her friends via mail, and recently invited Amber Dust, now an explorer, to move into town, stating there were many wonders she could discover here...but of course, Plum really just wants her old friends back.

Plum was originally intended as a background character in Amber Dust's backstory...(but I became attached to her!)

 

Plum holds great reverence for Princess Celestia.

 

Plum's adoptive family runs an orchard that grows all sorts of soft fruit like peaches, plums, apricots, etc. Her adoptive father (an Earth Pony named Mahogany) carves miniature statues out of the dead trees and sells them, while her mother (Peachy Keen) and brother (Apricot) handle most of the actual farm work.