//------------------------------//
// Getting Acquainted 
// Story: The Markless Mare 
// by StormLuna 
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When Twilight and Shining arrived at the train station ponies immediately began to stare at Twilight and make comments about her lack of a cutie mark.  Some pointed their hooves and others snickered until Shining Armor lit his horn up in anger and warned them to not say a word about her.  Given that most ponies knew who he was, they quickly went silent and did their best to turn their attention away from Twilight.

Once they boarded the train and everypony noticed that Shining Armor, captain of the Royal Guard was accompanying a mare without a mark, they knew it would be best to remain quiet, completely quiet so the ride to Ponyville was a rather quiet one.  Neither pony had ever been to Ponyville before so they were unsure what to expect. 

When they arrived in Ponyville and disembarked from the train, it would not be long until they saw the pony they were looking for.  Despite not being given a description of who she would be helping, when she saw a mare without a cutie mark, she knew that she was the one she was looking for. 

She approached the two and the first one she greeted was the pony she knew who was, Shining Armor.  She gave him a salute and asked, "Captain Shining Armor, what brings you to Ponyville?"

Shining Armor replied, "This is my sister, Twilight Sparkle.  She is the pony that Princess Celestia wants you to help get her mark." 

Starlight took a closer look at Twilight and was in a state of shock yet she also felt a sense of elation.  While she had a feeling that she may run into Twilight again at some point in her life, she never once imagined that this would be how it would happen.  She never imagined that her nemesis from before she altered the timeline would be seeking her help in getting a cutie mark as a full grown mare.  

For Starlight it was difficult to simply act like somepony that she knew quite well was a complete stranger.  She said, "I'm sorry to hear that you have yet to get your mark."  She motioned for her to follow her and continued, "Follow me Twilight and we can see what you can do.  If I can't help you find your talent, I'm sure my friends can." 

Before following Starlight, Twilight turned around to embrace her brother, "Thanks for riding down with me big brother, I really appreciate it."

The two embraced and Shining Armor saw Starlight tapping her hoof impatiently waiting on her.  He broke the embrace, pointed in Starlight's direction and replying, "No problem Twily but it looks like she is getting impatient so I'll let you get going." 

Twilight nodded and headed off in Starlight's direction.  Once she got up to where she was by her side she asked, "So Starlight, what are we going to do?  What would Celestia want you to do to help me discover my special talent?"

Starlight replied in return, "Well how about you tell me about yourself, what you enjoy in life and what you are good at."

Twilight began, "Well as a filly I had a love of learning.  At first it was a love of learning about magic when I saw Celestia raise the sun up until I was granted an entrance exam for Celestia's special school." 

Starlight continued to look forward with a smile on her face.  She asked, "What happened with the entrance exam?"

Twilight replied, "Well I was given the task to hatch a dragon's egg but I couldn't.  It was weird though, it felt like there was some sort of force field preventing me from discharging any magic and then there was this explosion.  After the explosion, I no longer felt the pressure on my horn but I couldn't do anything so I failed and had to go to public school." 

As Starlight was hearing this she couldn't help but think, "Oh I think I know what that force field was!"  She knew that she couldn't just go saying anything so she asked, "I'm sorry to hear that.  What happened after that?"

Twilight replied, "Well like I said, I had to go to public school.  I did ok, I liked reading about things such as history but other than that, I simply didn't care.  I honestly think failing that entrance exam caused me to lose interest in just about everything."  Her voice became more sad as she continued, "And ever since everypony else got their cutie marks and I didn't, everypony has made fun of me.  They've mercilessly tormented me."

From the moment Starlight saw Twilight without a mark right up until that moment, she was ecstatic.  Twilight's telling her about being tormented changed that feeling entirely as one of the things Starlight utterly despised was when ponies were made fun of for one reason or another.  She gasped, "What?  Ponies have been making fun of you because of your lack of a cutie mark?"

Twilight's voice began to break, "Yes, they have....."

Just as she began to say that a couple of fillies, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, were walking by.  They began to point and snicker, "Oooh, look at the blank flank!  Blank flank, blank flank....."

Starlight light up her horn in anger, grabbed the two in her aura and growled, "What did you fillies say?"

Despite being held in Starlight's aura, the two did not lose their attitude.  Diamond Tiara laughed, "We were pointing out the blank flank!" 

Starlight intensified her hold on the two.  It was all she could do to not unmark them right then and there but knew that she couldn't let anypony know about her ability, not Twilight, not the fillies, nopony, so she contained her urge.  She got in their faces and snarled, "How would you feel if somepony said that to you?"  She then looked at their marks, marks that appeared to be status symbol marks and continued, "OR brought up the fact that you have no real talent!  What if they said you only got those marks for your parents being rich?"

Despite Starlight's increasingly hostile behavior towards them, they kept their attitudes.  Eventually Starlight let the fillies go before she did something she might regret.  Once she turned her attention back to Twilight she asked, "Is it things like that?"

Twilight was in a state of shock seeing that the pony who was going to help her not only had that kind of temper but would also go as far as to use magic to immobilize a couple of fillies with her magic in public.  She replied, "Yeah but you didn't have to do that to them." 

Starlight decided the time to get back on topic had arrived, "Ok, back on topic.  As a filly you enjoyed reading.  Are you still into reading and increasing your knowledge?"

Twilight replied, "Well somewhat but not as much anymore.  Anymore I just wish that I could get my mark, find something that I'm good at and finally be able to move out from my parents' house." 

Starlight nodded and asked, "So what do you do as far as a job goes?"

Twilight replied, "I work at a bakery up in Canterlot.  Normally I'm just a cashier but I have done some baking once or twice and it turned out alright." 

This began to give Starlight some ideas on what she may have Twilight try but needed more information.  She asked, "Do you have any interests or hobbies other than reading?"

Twilight replied, "Well I do like to listen to music and have always dreamed of maybe playing some sort of instrument, like maybe a lyre or a harp." 

Starlight got a smile on her face and said, "Perhaps one of my friends could teach you because playing the lyre is her special talent."

Twilight's eyes grew wide hoping that maybe her friend could help her.  She asked, "Really, you think she would be willing to help me?

Starlight replied before asking, "Yes really.  Do you have any other interests or dreams?"

Twilight replied, "I know this may sound really silly but I have also always thought being a librarian would be fun too." 

Starlight gave her a huge smile and suggested, "You know what, I live in the local library so maybe I could see how you are at arranging books."

Twilight was ecstatic upon hearing this.  She threw her hooves around Starlight and exclaimed, "Oh thank you, thank you!  I think a book cutie mark would be so amazing!"

Starlight never did care much for physical touch so she shied back a bit when Twilight embraced her but luckily, they had finally arrived at the library.  Starlight pointed her hoof to her left and said, "Here is where I live, The Golden Oaks Library.  Follow me and we'll see if you have any talent involving library work." 

Starlight motioned for her to follow her in, hoping that she would be able to maybe find what she is supposed to do right away.  Starlight was not thrilled that Twilight was being made fun of because of her lack of a mark but was not about to expose Twilight to anything overly magical in the event that she was born to be something special but just hadn't been exposed to the spark that would help her become powerful.