//------------------------------// // Fulfilling Her Destiny // Story: The Markless Mare // by StormLuna //------------------------------// Meeting Celestia After leaving the apartment and boarding the train, Twilight, Starlight and Minuette were headed to Canterlot to see if cake baking was her special talent. The ride up there was rather quiet and with Twilight being nervous, the tension was thick, very thick, so thick that one could easily cut it with a knife. Once they arrived in Canterlot, the first place they headed was the palace. Everything seemed so familiar to Twilight yet at the same time it felt so different. It hadn't been all that earlier that her brother was escorting her to the train station, hoping that nopony would harass her over her blank flank. This time, it would be Starlight and Minuette escorting her to the palace to see if maybe, just maybe, her dreams of finally getting her cutie mark would come true. When they arrived at the palace, Starlight would be pleasantly surprised when the guards allowed her entry without questioning her, Minuette or Twilight. As they continued through the palace, everything seemed so familiar to Twilight, things from just earlier in the morning. When they arrived in the throne room, Celestia was sitting there just as regally as she was that morning. When she saw Starlight she gave her a smile, "Starlight, Minuette, what are you doing here?" Starlight replied, "Well as you know you had asked Minuette and I to help this pony, Twilight Sparkle, to get her cutie mark." Celestia took a look at the mare in front of her and noticed that she still did not have her mark. She shook her head and asked, "I take it neither of you could help her find her talent?" Starlight replied, "Well Minuette thinks she might have but she will need to use the kitchen to see if she truly has discovered her special talent." Celestia gave Twilight a curious look and asked, "You need to use the kitchen, what for?" Twilight approached Celestia, bowed and replied, "Princess Celestia your Majesty, while I was down in Ponyville I discovered that I really enjoy baking cakes and that I'm pretty good at it. I was wondering if maybe I could have the chance to make you a cake and see if I might get my mark." When Celestia heard her mention making a cake, her ears shot up. She gave Twilight a smile and said, "Of course you can!" She leaned down to where she was at eye level with Twilight and continued, "If there is one thing in life I truly love, it is cake!" Twilight gave her a nervous smile knowing that very soon she would be able to do what it took to get her mark. Celestia gave her a smile and continued, "Alright Twilight, I will lead you to the kitchen and we'll see how good you are at baking cakes." Twilight nodded as Celestia led the three to the royal kitchen. Celestia had been there plenty of times but despite being her protege, even Starlight had never seen it before. Once they arrived, Celestia requested that Twilight make a cake for not just her, but all three of them. Twilight nodded and began to work on making a cake that Celestia would absolutely love. When they returned to the throne room, they began to talk about Twilight more and what all she did during her time down there. Celestia asked, "Starlight, so what all did you have her do while you were down there? What sorts of things did she try?" Starlight replied, "When she first got down there, I had her try out re-shelving books in the library but that didn't turn out very well for her. Then she worked with Lyra to see if she was good at playing the lyre but she wasn't." Minuette added, "And it was after that when I took her to the kitchen to see how good she was when it came to baking." Celestia replied, "Well, we shall see how good she is before too long." Baking a Great Cake In the kitchen, Twilight had gathered together what she thought would be ingredients good enough to make a cake. She had found the same ingredients that she had in Ponyville when she made the cake down there. Like it was in Ponyville, she did not follow any specific recipe. What she did do though, was put the exact same amounts of ingredients in the mixing bowl that she did in Ponyville. She was bound and determined to make a cake that Celestia would love and with any luck, it would cause her to earn her mark. About an hour after beginning work on the cake, Twilight emerged from the kitchen holding four slices of chocolate cake with strawberry frosting along with a fork for each of them. Celestia's eyes grew wide when she saw this. She asked, "Are those for us?" Twilight replied, "Yes, these are for us." Celestia was the first to start eating her cake. She couldn't believe how good it was. She got a huge smile on her face and asked, "Twilight, where did you learn to bake like this? It is delicious!" Twilight replied, "I just figured out how to bake, I never learned how to make it!" Celestia continued to eat her cake until she was finished. She approached Twilight, got down at eye level with her and continued, "Twilight Sparkle, that was by far the most delicious cake I have ever had." She put her wing around her and continued, "I'm going to be honest, I could really enjoy more meals like......." As she was saying this, Twilight began to levitate, had become encircled in light and very soon, something magical happened. When she returned to the ground she looked at her flank and no longer was it bare. Her flank now had a piece of chocolate cake with strawberry frosting on it, she got her cutie mark! When she saw this, she began to jump up and down and celebrate, "Yes, yes, yes, yes! I can't believe it, I got my cutie mark!" She put her hooves around both Starlight and Minuette and continued, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I never would have got my mark without you two!" Starlight replied, "You're welcome Twilight, hopefully now nopony will make fun of you anymore." Twilight then turned to Celestia before adding, "And thank you your Majesty, thank you so much for giving me a chance to make a cake for you!" Celestia couldn't help but giggle, "Oh Twilight, you don't have to refer to me as 'your Majesty,' you can just call me Celestia." Twilight asked, "Really, you're going to let me be informal with you?" Celestia replied, "Yes I am but now I think that the time has come to discuss your future." Twilight's pupils shrank as she asked, "My future?" Celestia replied, "Yes, your future. Today you proved that you are excellent when it comes to making cakes and I have a question. What would you think about moving into the palace and becoming my personal baker?" This completely shocked Twilight. She had never once imagined that not only would she finally get her cutie mark, but that she would also finally have a chance to move out of her parents' house. She gave Celestia a huge smile and replied, "I would love to be your personal baker!" Celestia replied, "Very well then. You will move into the bedroom right across from me and become my personal baker." She then turned to Minuette and Starlight and continued, "Thank you ladies for doing this for her. I know for so long that she faced so much heartache and hardship but because of you two, she is finally free." In unison the two said, "You're welcome Celestia." It would not be long until Celestia got back to discussing Twilight's future with her so Starlight and Minuette figured the time to go had arrived. Starlight yelled, "We'll see you later Celestia!" Minuette added, "Bye Celestia, we'll see you soon!" Celestia yelled back, "Bye ladies!" As the two left the palace, they both were happy that they were able to get Twilight her cutie mark. Minuette couldn't help but be ecstatic that she had helped a pony who seemed so lost and sad finally discover her true talent in something that she loved. Starlight too was happy but for different reasons. Starlight was thrilled because finally she would not have to worry about a pony from her past finding a way to alter the past and preventing the present from ever coming to be.