//------------------------------//
// Cutie Mark - Starlight Glimmer 
// Story: A Glimmer of a Cutie Mark 
// by Silver Shadows 
//------------------------------//

It had only been a day since Sunburst had been rushed to magic school after he gained his cutie mark. His cutie mark was a sun and its rays, almost blending in with his fur. Me? I looked at the mirror. I was just a plain old purple unicorn with some natural blue highlights in my hair. And without any sort of cutie mark. Every other colt and filly my age had one. 

It was morning and I was eating a cucumber sandwich that was leftover from the previous night, where I didn't have an appetite. My stomach still felt like a rock had tumbled over it and my brain felt like it had been through the laundry. Every bite I took was one that I had to swallow. I couldn't taste it at all, not even with my favorite toppings on it. My mother and father were already in work.

I levitated the sandwich and dropped it in the trash without any thoughts of finishing it. I put my plate into the sink and went to the library to practice my magic with- Well, nopony. I attempted to brush any stray thoughts of Sunburst out of my mind but I couldn't. 

I levitated a book over and began to read,

The theory of cutie marks is indeed a wild thing that everypony should be able to get. I wish that there was a cutie spell. I am currently thirty years old and I still don't have a cutie mark. I tried. Trust me, I did try to earn a cutie mark but I couldn't. I tried for my whole life. Cutie marks are special to each and every single pony. Maybe I'm destined to never have a cutie mark.

I sighed and set the book down on the table before looking outside. It was a clear blue sky and I saw fillies my age playing with a ball. Sometimes, I wished that I would join them but it would be an uneven match. Most of them had a cutie mark that would help them play a game. I wished for equality so nopony would have to ever bear to be alone.

Wait... equality. I took a couple books and set them on the table, my eyes scouring for any information I could savor. I remembered a couple times where the theory of the removal of cutie marks were proven, yet nopony had ever achieved it prior. I looked around the library, wondering which book to choose. Unlike most ponies, I could not find anything in a blink of the eye, especially when it's staring right at my face.

I levitated random books off the shelves and flipped through pages, scanning them before throwing them into a small pile of books. 

"Starlight," my mother's voice called, "Are you all right there?"

I sighed, "Yeah mom! I'm just reading right now."

"Okay! Lunch is ready on the table," my mother replied, "Please join us as soon as you clean up." I really didn't have an appetite or any taste buds left in my mouth. How was I feeling? I didn't even know at this point. I wished that I could be feeling something. I should be sad that Sunburst was gone. I should be sad that Sunburst left me without a single though. I should be depressed without any friends. That's all the books say anyways. So how was I feeling? 

I paused, thinking for a moment.

I was angry. He left me behind without a second look and I was his only friend, and vice versa. I would drop anything to help him and I meant it. Anything. Without me toppling over the book, he would've had discovered his cutie mark. He would've found it eventually but I just wished that it wasn't yesterday.

My mother called again, "Starlight?

I shouted back, "Coming!" I galloped to the bathroom and washed my hooves. Nothing was going to stand in my mother's special dishes and I. Not even Sunburst.






I should've known that I couldn't taste the food of the savory soup that my mother always made every Tuesday. Still, I smiled and pretended to enjoy it, which surprisingly fooled my mother into thinking that I was feeling better. She usually saw right through me. 

I excused myself, "I have some books about magic that I've got to read. I'm thinking of creating a new spell."

My mother raised an eyebrow, "Are you trying to create a spell to get your cutie mark to attempt to get into Princess Celestia's school?" I hesitated. I couldn't tell my mother that I wanted to remove all the cutie marks in the world to make everyone equal.

I shrugged, "Kind of."

"Oh honey, I know that you miss him but the last day of auditions to get into the school was over yesterday."

"Next year?"

"You'll be too old next year," my mother looked down, "Besides, I always wanted you to go to school around here. There's a lot of good education around here."

My mother flinched as she looked at the clock, "Starlight, I'm going on a date with your father tonight. It's to celebrate the first time we had met. I want to go but if you need me..." 

I sighed, "Just go. It doesn't matter anyways."

"Maybe you can write a letter to him," my mother suggested before kissing me on the forehead, "Bye sweetie. I'll see you tomorrow. Don't stay up too late!"

My father poked his head in the door, "Hey sugar plums! How's school?"

I replied without thinking much, "It was okay."

"Homework?"

"Still have a little. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to write a letter." I trotted to my room and I levitated a sheet of paper and a quill. I dipped it in ink before writing,

Dear Sunburst,

Hi! This is Starlight. Hopefully, you can tell by my horn writing. Anyways, how is school so-

I stopped and stared at the paper. It wasn't good enough. I crumpled it up and tossed it into my trash can. I took another sheet of paper,

Sunburst,

This is Starlight (duh). Congratulations on getting your cutie mark. How's your new school? Have you made any new friends yet? Are you ever going to come visit me? 

- Starlight Glimmer

I stared at the paper before setting my quill down. It was perfect. I would be able to find out if anypony had replaced me yet and see if he missed me. I knew that long distance friendships usually didn't work too well. I put it in an envelope and put Canterlot on it, along with the other information needed.

I stared out the window. The truth was that I actually didn't have any homework left to do. I wished that there were some because I needed to take my mind off of Sunburst. Equality. My hope.

I quietly said, "I miss you Sunburst." The sun shone at me in the clear sky and I slammed the curtain shut. I continued searching for a book, and when it was the wrong one, I tossed it aside. Soon, the whole reading room was full of books and I stomped over to my working desk and looked down. 

Oh....

So that was the book I was looking for. I flipped through the first couple pages.

Based on the calculations of spells, the removal of cutie marks should be a difficult one, nearing impossible. However, Star Swirl used his measurements to start to create a spell but he never finished the first word before a plague of darkness began to spread. He dropped everything and disappeared forever after a couple days. There isn't any doubt that the spell could be completed anymore but nopony should have any want to remove cutie marks of other ponies. 

That was where the entry ended. All it proclaimed was that the spell was possible. I threw the book across the room. It looked like I had to complete the spell myself.




One week later...



I announced, "I'm moving."

My dad blinked, "What did you say, pumpkin?"

I scowled, "I said that I was moving." I had completed the spell and the theory should work. It was very complicated, yes, but I couldn't stand being in this town anymore. Everywhere I looked were myself and Sunburst together: playing with books, legos, hide and seek, and everything that we had ever made up. I couldn't stay here any longer, especially with the spell.

My mother touched my shoulder, "Starlight? Are you-"

I shouted in her face, "Yes! I am!" I had enough. I levitated my bag over and stormed out of the house and towards the unknown. 

When the sun began to set, I saw a pony. A white one to be exact. He had blue eyes and three snowflakes as his cutie mark. Even his hair was white, blending in with his fur. 

Carefully, I approached him, "Hello? My name is Starlight Glimmer. Who are you?"

He sniffed, "Double Diamond."

"Why are you crying?"

"M-My cutie mark. My village casted me out because I have a stupid, useless cutie mark!" He stomped his hooves in irritation. Internally, I began to smile. He could be the first one to accept equality.

I pretended to sigh in sympathy, "I wish that everypony could be equal."

"How? It's impossible?" His last sentence sounded like a question. 

I shook my head, "I have a spell that could remove your cutie mark. Think of it, we could all live together in equality! Everypony in Equestria would thank us for making everypony equal."

Double Diamond looked at me with his bright and hopeful eyes, "Really?"

"I'm not forcing you to try this spell."

"I'm willing to do anything to be equal again." I nodded once and focused the magic on my horn. I thought of the spell and my horn began to glow brighter and brighter. Then, I blasted all of it at Double Diamond. He slowly was forced into a standing position and his cutie mark was ripped off of him. I put it into a jar before returning it into my bag. My cutie mark appeared after that. It looked like a blue swirl with a small purple star attached to it. 

Double Diamond seemed a little bit out of color, even for his pale skin, "You did it!"

"Yep!"

"Are you going to do yourself now?"

I gulped, "Yes, but if you don't mind, I want to do it alone." I trotted to a place where he had no chance of seeing me and I put some makeup on my cutie mark before putting the same equal sign. I found a staff lying on the ground and trotted back.

Double Diamond smiled, eager, "We can finally spread equality in Equestria now."

I nodded, "Yes, yes we will."

"I'll respect your wishes."