//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Marked // by Turtwig-Tales //------------------------------// Cherry sighed. She’d long since lost count, but she was pretty sure that was at least the tenth in the past five minutes alone. Outside, a steady rain fell over the city. The Pegasi in charge of the city’s weather made sure that it wasn’t too hard, but it was still a pretty good downpour. Enough for large raindrops to smack against her window, at least. Umbrellas dotted the sidewalks, with those without one darted any cover they could find. A few simply plodded along, seemingly unaware or uncaring about the rain. Ponies exiting the building below were hastily trying to wave down a taxi before they got too wet, to varying levels of success. She figured that the last few guests leaving her party were among them. It had been about a week since she’d gotten her cutie mark, and since then she’d been showered with nothing but praise. Her parents had told just about everypony they knew, and at school her teachers congratulated her too. Her classmates had been overjoyed, and even the ones who hadn’t gotten their marks yet were happy for her, without showing a single shred of jealousy. Alright maybe a little bit, but not nearly what Cherry had been expecting. When she had gotten home from school today, she was greeted by her whole family and a few family friends. It seemed while she was gone her parent set up a huge party for her, all to celebrate her getting her cutie mark. There was lots of food and games, and she got a lot of presents. Cherry enjoyed herself, she really did. All the attention was nice, but there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. Namely, the phrases she had heard repeatedly since she had gotten her mark. “You’re a big girl now!” “You’re all grown up!” “How’s it feel being an adult now?” When ponies asked her that, it made her feel…weird. All squirmy and fidgety and weird. She wasn’t sure how she felt being treated differently all of a sudden. Just because a dumb picture showed up on her flank didn’t mean she was a grown-up now, nothing had really changed. After all, she was still just a filly! …Right? Mom constantly bragging about how ‘her little Cherry’ is going to be a massively successful businesspony and calling her a ‘prodigy” didn’t help either. Again, she liked the praise, but wasn’t sure how she felt about the whole situation. When Cherry had asked her what an accountant was, Mom had launched into a gleeful lecture about the ins and outs of her job. After an hour or so she wrapped it with: “Well, those are just the basics. You’ll learn more soon enough!” If those were the basics, Cherry really didn’t want to find out what the rest of it was. She barely stayed awake for the first ten minutes! Cherry put on a brave face through it all, but truthfully? She thought the whole thing was just so BORING. She had never liked math. She was alright at it, but she never enjoyed that part of her education. Now that was supposed to be an integral part of the rest of her life? Pretty much the sole defining factor of her career? Her general lack of interest in money didn’t help matters. She only had a few bits in her piggy at any given time. Cherry sighed again, and watched the rain hit her window. Before her mark, days like this would have inspired her to draw endlessly in a whirlwind of paper and color. But now? Her imagination felt as gray and lifeless and the clouds above. She just felt…empty. She’d felt this way ever since her mark had appeared, and when she’d been told what it meant she was good at. She’d tried, oh how she had tried, but she couldn’t make more that a few random scribbles before giving up. It was as if her mark had drained her of her creativity. And there wasn’t anything she could do to change it! With yet another sigh Cherry trotted over to her open closet, looking at herself in the mirror that hung in the door. The filly that looked back was an Earth pony filly identical to her. Same reddish-brown coat, same curly mess of dark maroon mane, same bright blue eyes. The only thing that stuck out was that mark. That stupid pen and stupid gold line. Being there on her flank like she’d ask for it. Well she HADN’T! “Still getting used to that mark, eh?” a voice asked. Cherry whirled around to face to voice. It was Cast Iron, her father’s right hoof at the shop, and a close family friend. He chuckled. “I get it. Takes a while ta get used to it. Took me months when I got mine.” He laughed, looking at the anvil the adorned his charcoal-colored flank. “It’ll come.” “Uncle Cast…What if…” Cherry began sheepishly, “What if I don’t want to get used to it?” Cast studied her for a moment, affectionately tousled her mane. “Growing up’s scary. Believe me, I know it is. I had the same thoughts as you when I was your age. That doesn’t mean you can stop it, though. Can’t keep from gettin’ older.” He pointed to her cutie mark. “You got a destiny ahead of you. That mark’s proof of that.” At that moment the rain outside stopped, and shafts of sunlight began to pierce the clouds. Cast noticed it too. “Heh. Look’s like Princess Celestia agrees with me. Must be a bright future ahead. Now c’mon, your parents sent me to get you. Said somthin’ about tellin’ you more about your mark.” He smiled warmly and began to leave the room. Cherry looked back out the window at the light peeking through the sky. As the light grew, an idea began to form in her head. “Princess Celestia…can really do anything…can’t she?” she said, half to herself. Cast stopped and looked at her, slightly confused. “Well, I don’t know about ‘anything,’ but I’ll bet the list of things she can’t do is pretty darn short.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “What made this come up so sudden?” Cherry smiled and trotted past him. “Oh, nothing. Just thinking.” If I can’t do anything about this mark, maybe SHE can…