Cottonwood Jack (Goes By Cj)

By Cottonwood Jack

• August 15, 2013




Age: 20

Gender: Male

Species: Earth Pony

Appearance: Cottonwood Jack is a large (just smaller than Big Mac) strong Earth Pony, with a light brown coat, tri-coloured green mane, bright green eyes and almost never takes off his neck bandana.

Cutie Mark: Three trees with a hatchet laid over top. He earned his cutie mark when he found his special talent by cutting down his parent's prized Cottonwood, Oak and Cherry trees.

Personality: A yokel but a gentleman, always willing to help, Cottonwood never leaves his friend's side no matter the situation. He never had many friends so the ones he does have, he protects fiercely. He is very trusting...to a fault actually. Sometimes he doesn't understand other ponies and tends to keep to himself to avoid being confused and hurt. He also has a rebellious streak, one that started him on his journey in life.

Backstory: As told by Cottonwood Jack: <br /><br />"Well it all started on the day I got my Cutie Mark." Recalled Cottonwood Jack. "I was the middle foal of my family. My older brother was training with Father to take over the family vineyard after Father retired. (Not that Father did much physical work, as my family is extremely wealthy, so Father hires ponies to work the vineyards for him.) My little sister was still small and so Mother coddled her."<br /><br />"When my parents weren't spending time with my brother or sister, they were attending social gatherings with other rich and powerful ponies. They left us to our private tutor, meaning that we never got to go to school like all the other normal ponies."<br /><br />"I spent most of the days away from all that, spending time in the forests listening to the songs of birds, animals calling each other, the wind rustling leaves or streams trickling down their rocky beds. I would watch the pegesi fly to and fro, moving the clouds here and there. I often would dream of another life, one filled with adventure, flying and magic. I seen many Unicorns and Pegesi, as they would come to the vineyard to speak with my father about business and other things I was never interested in. But mostly we were surrounded by the Earth Ponies who tended the grapes."<br /><br />"My father and mother would spend the rest of their time tending to their prize ornamental trees. I despised those trees, as they received more attention than I. I didn't despise my brother and sister, because my brother was interested in the business of the vineyard and so received Father's time in training and my sister being little needed Mother's attention...but those trees. They even seemed to mock me, or so I thought."<br /><br />"One day when Mother and Father were attending a gala in nearby Vanhoover, I decided something had to be done. So I went to one of the work sheds and got an axe. I then chopped down each and everyone of those ornamental trees. My Cutie Mark appeared after I fell the first two, but I just kept going. It was fun. It was rebellious. It was satisfying. Afterwards, I thought that my parents would spend more time with me now that the trees were laying on the ground. But when they returned later that night, they pushed me out of sight and wept over their beloved trees."<br /><br />"Rejected I decided to do something even more drastic. I decided to run away. If I wasn't wanted, then I would leave and find my own way. So I packed my saddle bags with enough food to last a few days and the axe with which I fell the trees. I left after my parents had consoled each other to sleep. Making my way into the darkness of the forests. I walked and walked and kept walking for two days." <br /><br />"I did odd jobs, provided lumber, helped raise barns and anything else I could do for a mouth-full of oats and a few bits. I always left the places I had worked with more trees than when I arrived. Many of the ponies were grateful for the extra trees and gave me a few extra bits for my thoughtfulness. It was then that I had decided that I would save every bit I earned until I had enough to buy a large plot of land, where I could plant my own trees and start my own lumber mill. I have saved enough to buy it and I should have enough leftover to buy what tools I will need to get things started!"<br />