//------------------------------// // Believing but Not Feeling // Story: Fundamentals // by FerociousCreation //------------------------------// Moon Dancer scratched at her paper with her quill, the ink leaving its markings for a future reader. “I am surprised you didn’t take any pictures when we were out and about,” said Moon Dancer, her eyes not leaving her notes. Minuette was on her belly, the pony resting easy after almost getting into a hoof fight with another mare. “The reason why I didn’t is because one, I didn’t want my camera to be damaged in the process, and two, I want the memoir of you and your research to not be reminded of a fight that almost happened. In other words, there was nothing good to take a picture of.” Minuette tapped her chin and thought about what she had just said. There was one thing, or rather pony, she would have liked to take a picture of. “Okay, I take back what I had just said.” “You would rather have taken a picture of me getting punched?” Moon Dancer asked. “No!” Minuette laughed. “I mean I would have liked to take one picture of that birthday mare, Humble Bundle.” “Oh, her.” Moon Dancer had nothing against the mare, but didn’t see why taking a picture of Humble Bundle would be helpful for a possible bibliography. “If you did get her picture, then I wouldn’t mind either way.” “Maybe I will eventually, and I hope Humble is wearing that cute scarf of hers.” Minuette figured now would be the time to mention Party Favor’s standup. She could be certain that the stallion’s notes that mentioned, “mares with cute glasses,” was the cause of the entire fiasco, both good and bad. “And I hope to get a picture of you two together as she wears her scarf, and you have your cute accessories on as well.” The researcher couldn’t keep her attention to her notes and snapped her head at Minuette. “W-what cute accessories?” Moon Dancer blushed. “Exactly what you are wearing,” Minuette winked. The color in Moon Dancer’s cheeks made Minuette press even further, “Your glasses, your black jacket, and your two beads you have in your bun. Those accessories. Humble Bundle told you you had the cute bookworm look.” The compliments were beginning to overwhelm Moon Dancer and her mood became hysterical, “W-who said I looked like a bookworm! If I was a bookworm, I would be some scrawny, spineless, gray worm being smashed in between two pages and be used as a bookmark. Maybe then, I will be a bookmark bookworm! Instead of comparing me to a worm, I’m more of a messy and unattractive researcher! Yeah, that it. Much better. Messy and unattractive. More litteral.” Minuette furrowed her brows, “Don’t beat yourself up like that, Moon Dancer. You are very cute.” The cream mare’s sanity returned to her and she sagged her head low, “I am not…” “Do you not believe Party Favor when he has told you that you do look cute?” Minuette asked. “I remember him taking a picture after saying you have a cute smile, and that was yesterday.” “I do believe him…” Moon Dancer wiggled in her chair uncomfortably, “But I don’t find myself that attractive.” “If you do believe in Party Favor, than maybe he was trying to say something in his stand up,” Minuette suggested. “That being what?” Moon Dancer asked. “That you are the messy, but attractive researcher.” Minuette couldn’t contain herself and giggled into her hoof. She knew the obvious: Party Favor likes Moon Dancer. Of course, Minuette needed to confirm her suspicions, but the fact that the stallion’s stand up notes specifically said, “mares with cute glasses,” sent a lot of red flags flying. “You are only assuming,” the messy flustered researcher argued before returning her attention back to the research at hoof. “Please drop the subject. Now. I have research to attend to.” The demand cut Minuette deep, but she obeyed her friend’s request. It bothered Minuette that Moon Dancer was so against being called cute because of her accessories. So many questions flooded into the blue mare’s mind, the amount of them causing Minuette’s head to cramp. The study remained quiet for a long time as Moon Dancer stuck to her notes while Minuette found herself taking a nap. Moon Dancer didn’t know how long she was writing, but in the time of silence, the mare had concluded her current research on removing cutie marks from unicorns. Aside from the inability to cast magic when a cutie mark is removed from a unicorn, the change of attitude was something to note. Moon Dancer could assume that removing a cutie mark would make somepony feel like they are missing a part of them. But the drastic change of behavior and mental process was the most important part of removing cutie marks. When Moon Dancer herself removed her mark for only a short amount of time, the mare had a difficult time piecing her sentences together as Minuette took notes. The only thing Moon Dancer did not experience was a change of character. Her assumption was because she did not experience not having her cutie mark as long as Minuette and Party Favor had. And Party Favor has experienced not being with his cutie mark for Celestia knows how long before; a question that needs an answer for later. Another simple, but fascinating event that had happened was how Moon Dancer’s cutie mark was attracted to her while it was in a jar. It knew who it belonged to and where it needed to go when it returned to her flank. This was far from unicorn magic. Unicorn magic can be a mysterious thing, acting in unpredictable ways. Moon Dancer then remembered the day when Twilight Sparkle auditioned for the Canterlot School of Gifted Unicorns and transformed four procters into plants, and aged Spike into a fully grown dragon in a matter of seconds. And even to current day, she did not understand what truly unlocked such power. Moon Dancer stopped scanning her notes and began to think about Twilight’s day of orientation. The day Twilight lost control of her magic was also the day she got her cutie mark. Moon Dancer knows that cutie marks are magical on their own and appear when a pony’s special talent is discovered. In a quick motion, Moon Dancer grabbed her quill and wrote down the question: does the day a pony obtain their cutie mark foreshadow a potential future? The question was more theoretical, but it may reap results. The amount of questions Moon Dancer was mustering up made the mare overwhelmed with glee. There was so much not known about cutie marks that she now possessed! And the more questions she had, the more that needed to be researched. And that was something Moon Dancer wanted: more research. A knock on the door snapped Moon Dancer from her concentration, “Come in!” she called. She looked to the entrance and saw Twilight Sparkle and Party Favor walk inside the study. Moon Dancer noticed something different about Twilight Sparkle and saw a crown atop her head. And behind them, entered Humble Bundle and Grace.