Chapter 20: Cutie Mark Chronicles
I could barely contain my excitement, as I sat under a tree, idly creating swirls and shapes of color before my eyes, now and again checking the time to see how much longer it was before I was to meet the girls at the Sugarcube Corner. It had been too late last night to tell them what I had learned after my visit to Canterlot, but in about an hour, I would be telling them about what I had learned from my ancestor, as well as apologizing again for worrying them all. That was going to become a habit if I wasn't careful.
I’d quickly looked up my family tree and still couldn’t believe that not only was I descended from Fore Sight the Uncanny, but that very ancestor had my color power. That gave something of a definite explanation about my strange power. While on the topic, I began looking up more the family trees in the library and also discovered, to my pleasant surprise, that Twilight was a distant descendant from Clover the Clever as I was from Fore Sight. The two had both been apprenticed to Starswirl in the old days and it made me wonder if the two of them had been good friends as well. It meant another kind of special connection between me and Twilight, even if it was by a thousand year difference.
I was still in my private musings when a loud crash brought me back to reality and something crashed out of the tree in front of me, I stood with a start when I realized it was the Cutie Mark Crusaders, wearing safety helmets and covered in leaves and tree sap.
“See anything?” Apple Bloom asked. They craned their heads and checked their flanks, which were stained from their fall.
“Tree sap and pine needles, but no cutie mark.” Scootaloo noted sadly.
Sweetie Belle turned to look at her friends. “Plan B?”
“Yeah. You know where we can find a cannon at this hour?” Not sure if the Pegasus filly was joking or not, I approached them, as they didn't seem to have noticed me yet.
“Are you three okay?”
“Oh, heya, Dusk!” Apple Bloom greeted happily. “Yeah, we’re fine. Don’t worry.”
“How did you even…” I looked skyward to see a long wire passing overhead. “Oh, tell me you didn’t try zip-lining like Spike suggested, did you?”
“Kinda.” Scootaloo shrugged, cleaning herself of tree debris. “We thought it might work to get our cutie marks, but no luck.”
“I didn’t think it would.” I helped to clean them, removing the leaves with a quick spell. “You really should be more careful with what you try to get your marks.”
“That’s what I said.” Sweetie Belle piped up. “I’d never even heard of a pony zip-lining before.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.” Scootaloo said dejectedly. “No matter what we try, we always end up without our cutie marks. And, surprisingly often, covered in tree sap.”
“Maybe we should do something less dangerous?” Sweetie suggested. “Like pillow testing or flower sniffing.”
“Dusk, what’d ya think?” Apple Bloom asked. “You’re pretty smart. Can ya tell us how we might earn our cutie marks?”
“I’m not sure what to say, other than to keep trying.” I advised. “Sorry I can’t be more help, but discovering your talents is something you have to find out for yourselves. After all, everypony else has.”
“Yeah, I guess.” she said sadly. Then, she perked up. “Hey, that gives me an idea.”
“What does?” I asked, curious.
“Well, like ya said, Dusk, this town is full of ponies who have their cutie marks. Why don’t we ask them how they did it?”
“That’s a great, safe idea…right?” she added to me, glancing at me for my approval.
I nodded. “That is a good idea. The more you learn how others discovered their talents, the more of a good idea you’d have of how to find your own. And it won’t result in being covered in tree sap.”
“Yeah.” Sweetie Belle giggled. “Thanks for cleaning us up, Dusk.”
“Yeah, and thanks for givin’ me that idea.” Apple Bloom added.
“No problem, girls.” I tipped my hat to them. “Well, good luck, Crusaders.” I was about to leave them to it when…
“Hey, Dusk. How’d you get yours?” Apple Bloom's question caught me off guard.
“You…you want to hear how I got mine?”
“Well sure. We need all the help we can get with this and ya gave us the idea, so why not?” The other two seemed to agree, as they were now gazing up at me eagerly.
I considered this idea, then shrugged and smiled. “Why not, indeed. It’s not the most exciting or thrilling of stories, but if you want to hear it…” I placed myself on the grass and let them gather around and get comfortable.
“It’s okay. We don’t mind.” Sweetie Belle glanced at Scootaloo who seemed less enthusiastic now I’d said that. “Well, me and Apple Bloom don’t.”
“Alright then.” I said, clearing my throat and casting my mind back. “Now, when I got my mark, I couldn't have been much older than you three. I was quite different back then…”
I sat alone under a tree in one of the Canterlot courtyards with nopony else around for a long way. I’d already checked as I didn't want to be seen doing this. Casting one last furtive glance around, I made a bunch of colors appear in the air in front of me, making them swirl around like the froth in a milkshake.
I was scared, scared of what might happen in my future. It didn’t help that my mane always looked so scruffy, that I was so shy, both with other ponies and at school, so I could barely speak, but there was this weird magic that I could do. The magic that I’d never shown to anypony. The only ponies who knew was my own family. It was great for them to know about it, especially my twin brother Husk. Whenever he was either sad or when we would play, I would make some lights for him to play with. Though my shyness wasn’t the only problem. I didn’t do well in school. Unlike the way I am now, I didn’t know much of anything and was getting bad grades in school.
I’d heard my parents talking about how I wasn’t doing well at school, how I didn’t speak up or say anything in class and that I had trouble with my work. They talked about getting me a tutor. I didn’t know what a tutor was, but it sounded like it hurt. I didn’t like making my mom and dad sad like this. I wished there was something I could do… But what could I do? All I had was my untidy mane, my stupid weird magic, and my shy feelings. I was a waste of space, a stupid pointless pony. I had no friends for I was sure nopony would want to waste their time on me. I could read and write and things, but what was so special about that? I didn’t even have my cutie mark yet and already fillies and colts in my class were starting to get theirs. Why couldn’t I? What was I talented in?
“Please, somepony, help me…” I whispered, already feeling tears beginning to fall down my face.
“Things seemed pretty bleak for me.” I went on, as the girls looked at me pityingly. “I had no idea who I was or what I was supposed to do. I didn’t have any friends to talk to and I didn’t want to talk to my parents. It seemed like I was going to give up. Then, that’s when I saw…”
BOOM!
I shot my head up and saw something wonderful. Waves of colors—red, blue, green, orange, yellow—all the colors of a rainbow. I saw that, not one, but two rainbows were flying over my head. I felt a powerful wind shoot through my mane and almost lift me off my hooves and claws. But never took my eyes off it.
They weren’t just any old rainbows. They were something far more beautiful and powerful. I followed them as they passed over my head, sparkling and shining as bright as the sun, until they faded away on the horizon, leaving me standing and staring at the spots where they had been.
Seeing them sparked something inside me. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew how to find out. So, I stood up from the grass and galloped as fast as I could to the library. My dad had taken me there once, but I hadn’t been there for a long time.
I found it pretty easy. Once there, I hurried to the section about weather and found a book called Strange Phenomena of Equestria. I grabbed the book, set it down on a desk and began to read through the pages. I soon found a mention of what I saw, something called a Sonic Rainboom, two of them to be exact. But that wasn’t enough, I had to find out more.
I started reading Legends of Cloudsdale and read more stories about the Sonic Rainboom. Then, I read a book on Cloudsdale and found out more about the pegasus city. Then, I read about weather control, how they made clouds, famous pegasi, famous unicorns, unicorn legends, unicorn history accounts. Soon, I lost track of what I was reading and just enjoyed and absorbed the wealth of knowledge and information that I found.
I had no idea how long I was there for, but I had a large pile of books that I had completed reading and many more that I still wanted to read. When it was time to close, I went to go and check them out at the desk. The librarian looked over them and raised her eyebrows.
“Are you sure you want to read these books? These are more for grown-up ponies.” she told me.
“They’re fine for me. Thank you, miss.” I replied in my high-pitched voice.
“If you insist, my little pony.” she said, stamping them out and handing them to me, eagerly dashing off home to read them.
From there, I surprised everypony by how much I was interested in reading, even my sisters were surprised by this. It wasn’t long until Husk soon became interested in what I was reading. In turn, whenever I was done reading one book, I would give it to him so he can read it too. Just like me, he got himself lost in books.
The following day, we were given a surprise test in our class. The others were nervous, even me. But when I looked down at my test paper, I realized that these questions were easy. I understood the knowledge that I had been reading in my books and could apply it to this test. Picking up my pencil, I effortlessly moved it across the paper, answering every question as best I could.
When it was time to go home, my teacher had asked me to stay behind at the end of the day for a bit. Feeling scared, I approached the table to see that she had a proud smile on her face.
“Dusk, well done. You got full marks!” She handed me my paper, where there was a big red A+ on the front.
“I…I…I passed?” I whispered.
“Yes, you did. You must have been studying hard to do that. Well done. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I…I…I…” I had no idea what to say. This was the first time I’d been good with anything before. It had just been so easy.
“Oh, would you look at that. That just proves it.” I looked up and followed my teacher's gaze to my flank.
But it was no longer blank. There, at the point where my leg connected by the bone with the rest of my body, was a rolled-out scroll, with little minute writing set on it. My cutie mark. Seeing this made me do something that I very rarely did, as I usually had no cause to.
I smiled.
“…and that was how I got my mark.” I finished, glancing at its place on my rump. “I’d never been happier in all of my life.”
“What about your parents?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Oh, they were so proud of me.” I said. “They didn’t get me a tutor when it became obvious I wouldn’t need one and made sure they got me a place at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”
“That’s good.” Sweetie Belle agreed. “What is a tutor anyway?”
“It’s a pony who can give extra help in a school subject if the filly or foal has difficulty with it.” I explained, chuckling at the memory that I used to think it was some kind of painful operation. The innocence of childhood, I mused to myself…
“Well, not that this wasn’t fun, but I think we need something with a little more…awesomeness to it.” Scootaloo said. “Thanks anyway, Dusk.”
“No problem, girls.” I assured, knowing that she would have said something like that. “So, who are you going to talk to next?”
“Obviously, we’re gonna ask the coolest pony in Ponyville.” Scootaloo said in an awed tone.
“Applejack!” Apple Bloom suggested.
“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle put in.
“Twilight Sparkle?” I asked, merely joking with them and smirking at the bemused expressions they offered me. “What?”
“Come on, guys, I said ‘cool’! You know who I’m talking about. She’s fast. She’s tough. She’s not afraid of anything!”
A moment of thought, then: “Pinkie Pie?”
“No! The greatest flyer ever to come out of Cloudsdale.”
“Fluttershy?”
“No! Rainbow Dash!”
“Oh.” Apple Bloom remarked. “Yeah, that makes much more sense.”
“Of course!”
“Let’s do it. Let’s find out how Rainbow Dash found her cutie mark.” She turned to me. “You know where we can find her?”
“Not currently, no. but she’ll be around. Somepony’s bound to have seen her.”
“Okay, thanks anyway. See ya, Dusk!” She and the others sprinted off together.
“Have fun, girls, and be careful!”
“Will do, Dusk, and thanks again!” Apple Bloom called back. That filly really seemed to have taken a liking to me, I’d noticed. Well, I liked to think that they all had.
I had a strange feeling that caused me to glance at my cutie mark. While I was proud of my intelligence, somehow this mark now felt kind of…wrong. Like it wasn't who I was meant to be, that I’d been hiding behind a facade for a long time and, only now, was my true self starting to show. But that didn't make sense. Once a pony got their cutie mark, that was that and instances of them changing were very rare. Maybe it was just me… Despite this, I couldn’t help but smile at the memory of the day. I could still remember that day clearly in my mind, from the moment I had first witnessed, not one, but two Sonic Rainbooms that only Rainbow Dash and Shield could pull off… Wait… I thought to myself as I realized it. Me, Shield, Dog, Leon, and the girls were roughly the same age and Rainbow had said that she’d performed the Sonic Rainboom when she was a filly. And Shield said that he performed his the first time when he was a colt. Could it be, that on the same day, they had pulled it off for the first time? It was possible…wasn’t it?
I stayed in that glade for about fifteen minutes, then stood up once more and made my way towards Sugarcube Corner, still feeling eager about telling the girls my proud news. And speaking of cutie marks, I also began thinking that there might be a connection between me and my team. I started thinking that after hearing the stories of our wind and lightning elementals. Seeing as to how me and the guys told each other how we got our cutie marks, I might as well learn how the girls earned theirs.
Rarity was first and it all started back when she was a filly. For the longest time, she couldn’t figure out why she didn’t have hers. While she was great with a needle and silk, Rarity still didn’t have a mark. She got hers back when she was in school and had designed costumes for the cast. While she did a great job, she believed that she could do more. With the performance coming the day after, she tried to make the costumes truly spectacular. She tried every trick she could think of, but nothing seemed to work. With the play’s opening night closing in, she was about to give up from not being able to get the costumes just right. Just then, her magic started acting on its own as it began to drag her away. She had no idea where her horn was taking her, but she knew unicorn magic didn’t happen without a reason. Being a unicorn myself, I knew that was true. She believed that this had to do with her love of fashion and would possibly lead to her earning her cutie mark, discovering… her destiny.
But… when her magic stopped, she was disappointed to find she was dragged out to the middle of nowhere and to the edge of a cliff where there was only a large boulder in front of her. Though, as she was fuming out her frustrations, a large explosion suddenly appeared, one so powerful that it caused the very boulder to burst open and reveal the multiple jewels within it. That was the day Rarity discovered the miraculous gem-finding ability of her magic. From finding those jewels, inspiration struck her as she found what she was missing to make the costumes spectacular. From there, she took the jewels and sewed them into the costumes, getting them the way she wanted in time for the play. Rarity couldn’t have been happier to help in giving the best play anypony had ever seen. Seeing how she had the potential of becoming a great fashionista, Rarity’s smile grew even more when she saw those three diamonds of her mark appear on her flank. Hearing that story, I was proud of my cousin that she never gave up on her dream as that’s the Rarity I’ve come to know as a member of my family.
Next was Pinkie Pie and was her story a gem. Much like with Rarity, Pinkie’s story began when she was a young filly, living on her family’s rock farm in Rockville where she and her sisters were raised. Back then, all they did was spend their days working in the fields. They barely talked to each other and didn’t even make a smile. Not even her father smiled and that was the lightning elemental before her. Needless to say, I was surprised by how grim things were, considering her family’s virtue was joy and, from what I read in my father’s journal, Mr. Pie always had a smile on his face wherever he went and was just random as his daughter. Funny how much one pony can change in such a short time. Anyway, though Pinkie did appreciate the training her father give, they didn’t really live up to their family’s reputation. Pinkie didn’t think her days could ever be as bright as she haves them now… that was until it all changed one day.
Her family was in the south field, preparing to rotate rocks to the east field, when all of a sudden, a huge explosion came out of nowhere. Looking up at the sky, Pinkie felt a smile grow on her face as she gazed in awe at a beautiful rainbow in the sky. She had never felt joy like that before and it felt so good that she didn’t want to stop smiling. She also wanted her family to experience this feeling as well. Though what she experienced wasn’t something she could share with them that easily as rainbows like that were rare. Seeing this, she wondered how she could make ponies smile like that rainbow had done for her. It was at that moment, she decided that she would throw her family a party. When her family found what she had done, they were caught by surprise and Pinkie became worried that she upset them. But, for the first time in years, Pinkie’s father actually smiled and it wasn’t long until the whole Pie family began to smile.
Though she got off topic a bit when she finished, I pieced everything that happened after that. Seeing as how much her family enjoyed the party made Pinkie Pie so happy that she decided that she would go on to be a great party planner so she could bring joy to Equestria, her cutie mark appearing on her flank as she went on to live up to her family virtue and follow her destiny as the joyful pony we all know and love.
With saying all of this, I remembered the time Twilight and I shared our cutie mark stories with each other. Her’s was different than mine. As a young filly in Canterlot, Twilight always wanted to go to the Summer Sun Celebration where Celestia would raise the sun. The first time she went, she was in awe of witnessing the princess raising the sun. Even I had to agree that this was truly amazing and wonderful. Celestia became her idol and Twilight decided to put her focus into her studies, hoping to become somepony as great as her. Twilight poured herself into learning everything she could about magic and managed to grow with it. She became so good at magic, her parents decided to enroll her in Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, much like how my parents did after I earned my cutie mark. For her, this was like a dream come true.
Though, much like how it was for me, Twilight had one obstacle before she became a student: she had to take an entrance exam, said exam being that she would hatch a certain dragon egg. She was so nervous. She knew it was the most important day of her life, that her entire life would be affected by the outcome of that day, and was afraid to blow it. She tried her hardest, made every attempt to use her magic to make the egg hatch, but she wasn’t able to do it. But just when she was going to give up… a huge explosion came pouring in, scaring Twilight so much that she unleashed a burst of magic that hatched the egg in an instant. Though she managed to succeed in the task, Twilight was so frightened that her magic went out of control. Luckily, Princess Celestia arrived and managed to calm her down. Twilight thought she was mad at her, but was caught by surprise when she saw the princess was actually impressed by the magic she witnessed. She saw Twilight had a very special gift and hadn’t come across a unicorn with such raw abilities.
Seeing how she needed to learn to tame these abilities through a focused study, Celestia then decided to make Twilight her own personal protégé at the school, an offer Twilight was happy to accept. It was the best moment of her life and it got even better when she looked to find her cutie mark right on her flank.
Remembering all of this, I was beginning to think that there was a connection between all our stories. While Shield’s involved his Sonic Rainboom, Dog and Leon’s story both had what the girls’ experienced: Dog with seeing a rainbow and Leon hearing a loud explosion. Could all the events that happened to us to lead where we are… be related somehow?
Dog’s view
“Oh, where’d they go?” AJ asked as we looked around for the little pests that escaped the farm.
Those pests were a bunch of rabbits that thought it would be okay to come in and steal some of the apples we just harvested. After chasing them to a field, we lost sight of them. After taking a look around, I managed to find them out on the road.
“Over there!” I said as we then ran after the three thieves. “Get back here, ya thievin’ varmints!” Jumping right at them, me and AJ accidentally crash into somepony on the road.
“Apple Bloom?” AJ said as I got up to see her little sister and her friends.
“Hey, sis.” The little Apple said before I used my magic to help her and AJ to their hooves.
“Y’all and the Crusaders still tryin’ to get your cutie marks, little Bloom?” I asked as AJ stood next to me.
“Yeah. What are ya doin’?” she asked.
“Oh, just chasin’ down some little thieves. Couple of rabbits took some of our apples.” I told her while looking around for the little thieves. “I keep tellin’ Leon to keep those varmints out of the orchard and they still swipe our apples!”
“Hey, Dog. How’d ya and Applejack get your cutie marks?” Apple Bloom’s question caught me by surprise.
“Our cutie marks? We never told ya that story?”
“Hey, I thought we were gonna ask Rainbow Dash.” Scootaloo said, just as surprised as I was.
“We need all the help we can get.” Apple Bloom said as she walked over to her friends.
“Ugh! Fine.” Scootaloo said as the three all sat down.
“So y’all want to know how we got our cutie marks, huh?” I said, happy to tell them. “Well, y’all are in luck. Since both me and AJ earned our cutie marks on the same day.”
“Really?” Apple Bloom said, surprised by this.
“That’s right. And we were just little foals, even littler than y’all.” AJ said.
“I still remember it like it was yesterday.” I said, looking back at the day AJ and I first left the farm. “It was just a while after my family moved into Sweet Apple Acres. Back then, I wasn’t exactly much the apple-bucker y’all come to know. When I was just startin’ out, I could barely buck a single tree. Helpin’ with the orchard, me and my pa would be gettin’ apples. I tried usin’ magic to get those apples, but my pa was against it and told me to only buck them out of the trees, sayin’ that it built character. After a while, I was startin’ to think I wasn’t much fit to an apple farm. I wanted to live the easier life like my Uncle Signal Flare and Aunt Summer Day.”
“Ya wanted to leave Sweet Apple Acres?” Apple Bloom was shocked.
“Eey-yep! And I wasn’t the only one.” I told her. “AJ wanted to leave too.”
“Ya too, sis?”
“Yes, I did.” AJ told her sister. “Back then, I didn’t want to spend my life on a muddy, old apple farm. I wanted to live the sophisticated life, like my Aunt and Uncle Orange.”
“Seein’ how both of us wanted to leave, the two of us talked with our folks and it wasn’t long until we both left the farm.” I added. “We set out to try our luck in the big city: Manehattan, the most cosmopolitan city in all of Equestria!”
“We knew we’d find out who we were meant to be.”
“Well… we had a lot of getting used to before we could really find out anything.” I admitted, remembering the time I first visit my aunt and uncle’s estate as a young colt.
“Howdy, Uncle Flare, Aunt Day!” I said to them as they let me into their home. “Thank y’all so much for lettin’ me stay.”
“‘Y’all’.” My aunt said with a laugh. “Isn’t he just the living end?”
“How quaint.” My uncle chuckled. “Where is that little friend of yours? Your father said that you were traveling with someone.”
“Oh, Applejack’s stayin’ with her Aunt and Uncle Orange.” I told them. “They got a place here in the city.”
“Oh, yes. The Oranges.” My aunt said with a gentle smile. “We have come to be quite acquainted with them. Don’t worry, much like the Oranges will with your friend, we’ll have you acting like a true Manehattanite in no time.”
No time was right, because before I knew it, I was all gussied up and going to all sorts of fancy parties. Even the one where I first got to meet AJ’s aunt and uncle. They were pretty nice to me too. I wasn’t the only one who had gone through this. When I saw AJ, I barely even recognizes her. Things went pretty well until we got to the dinner table after me and AJ’s aunts and uncles introduced us to the guests.
“And how are you finding good old Manehattan?” one of the guests asked.
“Oh, it’s simply divine.” AJ answered, speaking all fancy-like.
“Yes, life in the city has truly been a wonderful experience.” I said, using what my aunt and uncle taught me.
“Very well said, my dears.” AJ’s aunt said to us as my uncle nodded in approval.
“Although, I must admit the city noise took some time getting used to.” AJ told them.
“Yes, I too must admit that sleeping to such commotion hasn’t been an easy change to come accustomed to.” I added. “Where we’re from, nights are so quiet, you seldom hear a peep until the roosters wake you.” That last part I said turned out to be a big mistake.
“The… what?”
“I say, my dear boy, what in the world is a ‘rooster’?”
Right at that moment, I was suddenly in trouble. I had no idea what they were talking about or what to say. AJ was the same as she just as silent as I was. We were both racking our heads as we didn’t want to look like fools. Luckily, we were saved by the bell. Literally, we were saved by the fancy dinner bell.
“Dinner is served.” Just like that, we were all given trays with those fancy covers on them. I was actually looking forward as pretending to be a city pony really built my appetite.
“Thank goodness.” AJ said as the trays were set down. “Being a city pony’s hard work. I’m so hungry I could eat a…”
Both of us were disappointed as there was barely anything on our plates, just this little carrot was all there was to eat. A while after that, looking out the window as the sun came up, I couldn’t help but think about how everypony back at the farm was doing. I had to bet that Pa, Big Mac, and Granny Smith were apple-bucking their way through the Red Delicious trees. Oh, what I wouldn’t give for just one bite.
“I never felt so homesick in all my days as I did right then.” AJ said, looking as much depressed as I was from remembering that.
“I was much the same.” I added, knowing the feeling. “I really felt like I made a big mistake leavin’ the farm. For land’s sake, AJ and I barely even got to see each other because of our aunts and uncles. But those were the lives we chose and we had to live them.” I paused for a moment before remembering the moment where it all changed. “At least, that’s what I thought until… we saw them.”
Looking out the window, I watched as this rainbow appeared in the sky. What surprised me the most was that it ended at Ponyville. Looking at the place I left for the city, I felt a smile sneak onto my face as I was looked at it out in the distance, remembering that my ma and pa were there, along with Big Mac and Granny Smith.
“It was amazin’!” I said. “Just when we were gonna accept our new lives, we both saw a rainbow pointin’ right back to Ponyville. To Sweet Apple Acres. To… home.”
“In that moment, it all became clear.” AJ added as we remembered how we both then took off and went all the way back home. “We knew right then just who we were supposed to be.”
“So we both told our goodbyes and then headed straight back to Sweet Apple Acres, back to the ponies that loved us for who we truly were.” I added, remembering how our cutie marks appeared on our flanks. “That’s when these here appeared.”
“I’ve been happily workin’ in the farm ever since.”
“And maybe ʹcause it’s where I got my cutie mark is why I love bein’ back at the farm.” When I heard a raspberry, I looked over to see it was the rabbits. “The rabbits that stole our apples!”
“Get back here, ya thievin’ varmints!” AJ said as we chased after them.
Though, as we were running, I then thought back to the time I told Dusk how I got my cutie mark and he told me how he got his. We pretty much had the same thing happen, both of us saw a rainbow. Only mine got me to go back home while his made him study. Still, having that in common just makes us pretty good friends, especially one that is happy to have me as who I am.
Leon’s view
It was a beautiful morning and I was watching Fluttershy guiding some baby ducks across the road. When I heard something from up the road, I saw that it was Scootaloo on her scooter and her friends riding behind her in a wagon, speeding right towards Flutters. Acting fast, I teleported right in between them, causing the little pegasus to stop and fling herself and her friends into the air. From there, I quickly grabbed them with my magic and got them gently to the ground.
“All right, little ones. This way. This way.” Flutters said as the last of the ducks got out of the road, the pegasus flying over to standing beside me before speaking to the girls. “You really should be more careful. Somepony could get hurt.”
“Yeah, you were moving pretty fast, Scootaloo.” I said to the filly. “What’s the rush?”
“We’re trying to find Rainbow Dash so we can hear how she earned her cutie mark.” Scootaloo told us.
“Oh, that would be interesting.” Flutters said to them with her warm smile. “You know, I wouldn't have gotten my cutie mark if it weren’t for her.”
“Rainbow Dash? Really?” Scootaloo got excited from hearing that while I was just confused.
“You mean Dash actually helped you get your cutie mark?” I raised a brow at this because I didn’t think that extremist could show someone like Fluttershy her destiny.
“Oh, yes.” Flutters said as she started telling her story. “It all started at Summer Flight Camp. You’d never guess, but when I was little, I was very shy and a very weak flyer. Many of the other kids used to pick on me, especially Dumb-bell.”
“Dash’s old bully?” I asked.
“Yes. He and his friends made fun of me and called me ‘Klutzershy’.” She told me. “It was the most humiliating moment of my life. And then, out of nowhere, a young pegasus rushed right over and stood up for me.”
“Let me guess: the little pegasus’ name was Rainbow Dash.” I said, knowing well who she was talking about.”
“Yes. Rainbow Dash was so kind as to help me with Dumb-bell, she even challenged them to a race just for me.”
“That sounds familiar.” I said, seeing how this story was to how Shield earns his cutie mark.
“Everything was ready, but just when they started, I fell right off the cloud I was on and was falling right to ground.” She said. “But, just when I would hit the ground, a group of butterflies came in and saved me. I had never seen such beautiful creatures. Butterflies don’t fly as high as my cloud home and I’d never been near the ground before. Had no idea why, but I actually was able to fly for the first time and follow the little butterflies to an open filled with so many creatures. From there, I was so happy. Everything was so… peaceful.”
“That’s the beauty and calm of nature, Flutters.” I said, knowing the feeling before realizing where her story was going. “But wait, if you were with some animals at the time, how’d Dash help you get your mark?”
“Well, while I did enjoy my moment on the ground, it became less peaceful after this large explosion appeared.”
“Dash’s first Sonic Rainboom.” It didn’t take me long to realize what that explosion was.
“Yes. Her Sonic Rainboom was so loud that all of the animals were spooked. I felt so sorry for them that I tried to help them calm down. I told them that they didn’t need to hide, that there was nothing to be afraid of. Somehow, I had the ability to communicate with animals on a different level. At that moment, I decided to use my gift to help all the wonderful creatures big and small for when they need it most. That was when my cutie mark appeared.”
“That’s a wonderful story, Flutters.” I said to her before Scootaloo spoke up.
“Wait, wait, wait! What happened to Rainbow Dash? What about the race?”
“Oh!” Flutters said as she realized that Dash was part of story. “Well, I wasn’t there, so I don’t really know what happened.”
“I already got a guess on what happened.” I said, getting Scootaloo’s attention.
“You do? How?”
“Well, it’s because Dash’s story sounds an awful like how Shield got his cutie mark.” I said.
“Wait, you mean Shield got his cutie mark just like Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah, he did a race too, even did a Sonic Rainboom.”
Scootaloo then got up in my face with a look of anticipation. “Shield can do a Sonic Rainboom? How?”
“Not really sure. We’ve been trying to figure that out for years.” I told her. “But I bet he’d like to tell ya all about how he did it. That guy sure loves talking about himself. And you know, like Dash had done for Fluttershy, Shield actually helped me find my cutie mark.”
“Really? How?”
“Well, it’s quite the story.” I said as I started telling her how I got my cutie mark. “It all began when I was just a little colt. Back then, I was pretty shy and pretty much scared of anything.”
“You mean like Fluttershy?” Scootaloo asked.
“In a way, yes.” I felt a little uneasy saying that as I didn’t want to seem mean. “But, like her, I had a great love for animals. Besides the ones that could scare anypony, there was not a single animal I didn’t love meeting. One day, my mom decided to take me to a circus that came around. I was so excited to see what animals they had that I rushed right out ahead.”
Looking back to that day, I remember how scared and alone I felt as I tried to find my way out of the forest, all while looking for my mom.
“My excitement got the better of me and, instead of going to the circus, I ended up getting separated from my mom and got lost in a huge forest. I was walking all alone, trying to find my way out along with my mom.”
“Mommy?” I called out as I looked around the woods, walking with fear looming over me. “Mommy, where are you?”
I yelp when I heard a snap and backed away. Bumping into something, I yelped again and ran away. After I stopped, I crumbled down on the ground, too frighten to move as all sorts of strange sounds came and go. It was so terrifying that I instantly closed my eyes and covered my ears, trying to block out all the sounds coming from the forest.
“I was so scared. I thought I would never find my way out.” I said before smiling and remember what happened next. “But then, just when I lost all hope, something came fluttering over my face.”
Opening my eyes, I looked in surprise to find this little butterfly with these beautiful orange wings sitting on my muzzle. I was so entranced by it that I uncovered my ears and stood right up, moving gently as to not scare it off. After seeing it flap its wings a little, I smiled as it then flew off and started flying around me. It wasn’t long until more butterflies like it came around, leaving me in awe.
“Almost like they came to help me, I was surrounded by a whole group of butterflies. Never had I ever seen such a beautiful sight as this. It wasn’t long until I decided to follow them, having a feeling they could help find a way out.”
Keeping that smile, I ran after the butterflies until I found myself in an amazing clearing filled with all kinds of wonderful animals.
“I had never seen such an amazing place. I felt as though all my worries had been blown away and I could be… at peace.”
Having this wonderful feeling rushing over me, I soon began to sing.
What’s this?
A place with wonders everywhere.
What’s this?
It’s like there’s magic in the air.
I must be dreaming.
Wake up, Leon!
This isn’t fair!
What’s this?
There’s squirrels in every tree.
What’s this?
There’s birds flying free.
I don’t believe my eyes.
Little critters everywhere.
It’s so amazing to see.
Frogs are hopping,
Along with a cute bunny.
Buzzing away, there’s little bees,
Along with their sweet honey!
Oh, what a wonderful place!
Feels like I have a fresh new start.
All nothing but good everywhere,
Gives a warm feeling in my heart.
Yes, what a wonderful place!
Who knew the forest had this up its sleeve?
If I knew there was a place like this,
I would’ve come sooner and never leave!
For I’ve never felt more at peace.
“It was so great. I thought nothing could ruin it, until…”
BOOM!
Suddenly, a huge explosion came around and scared all the animals, every critter running and going into hiding. I felt really bad for them and knew I had to do something. So, going around, I looked around for the animals.
“Shhh! It’s okay, it’s okay.” I told the little bunnies I found hiding in the bushes, speaking calmly and quietly. “There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Moving on, I went to help the other animals and managed to get them to calm down. I watched in awe as, one by one, they began to gather around me, thanking me for helping them.
“At that very moment, I found out that I had the ability to talk with animals. It was thanks to that the critters were able to help me find my way out and get back to my mom. From that day, I decided that I would learn all I can in order to help all the creatures in need as I had done for the critters back then and like they had done for me.” After looking back at that moment, I then looked to three fillies as they sat before me. “Later on, I found out that explosion was actually Shield’s Rainboom. If he hadn’t done that, I never would found out my gift or get my cutie mark. I really owe the guy.”
“Okay, well thanks for sharing, Leon.” Scootaloo said as she then got back on her scooter.
“Don’t mention it.” I told her. “And, if it helps, Dash and Shield practically go everywhere together so you might have a chance of hearing both their stories.”
“Yeah, it does. Thanks.” She said as her friends got into the wagon. “Come on, Crusaders! We’ve got to find Rainbow Dash and Shield. Besides, I can’t take anymore more sappy talk.”
“Maybe my sister knows where they are.” Sweetie Belle suggested. “Bye, Leon! Bye, Fluttershy!”
“Bye, girls!” Flutters said as we waved goodbye, the trio leaving like they arrived.
“They’re going to Rarity?” I said as we both started heading back to the cottage. “Well, they better prepare themselves for some fittings. When it comes to Rarity, talking usually leads to putting on some clothes.”
Looking back at it all, I really did owe Shield a lot. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be the stallion I am today or be here with Fluttershy. As much as he is annoying at times, he’s a pretty great guy.
Shield’s view
After getting to Sugarcube Corner, me and Dash listened to what happened to our friends with the Crusaders.
“So let me get this straight.” I said, taking all this in. “The Crusaders are running around, looking for me and Dash, just so they can hear how we got our cutie marks?”
“Yeah, all so they can get an idea how to get theirs.” Dog told me.
“Well, I can’t blame them for coming to us.” I said, understanding why those three would go through all that trouble. “How me and Dash got our marks is pretty awesome.” It was just then that Dusk came by and just about everypony (except me and Dash) looked at him with worry.
“Oh, my, Dusk, are you okay?" Fluttershy asked, looking the most worried about me.
“Fine, absolutely fine, magnificent, spectacular, all of those positive adjectives.” Dusk said happily. “Pinkie, my usual please.”
“Coming right up!” She threw a cupcake at me hard, but it was too fast and splatted on the wall. “Oops! Sorry. Here.” She threw another one, which he caught with a spell and bit into. He noted, with amusement, Pinkie sneaking around him, her tongue snaking up the discarded sweet and chewing on it eagerly.
“Thanks and, just so you know, Rainbow, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are trying to find you so they can hear your cutie mark story.”
“Yeah, the others already said. I mean, it’s only natural they’d start looking for me for how I got my cutie mark. I mean, I am pretty awesome.” She nodded in self-satisfaction.
“Yeah, and they also want to hear how I got my cutie mark.” I said to him.
“Boy, Scootaloo’s gonna love that.”
“Yeah. Anyway, what was it you wanted to tell us?”
“Yes, you certainly seem to be in a good mood.” Rarity noted with interest. “What’s the occasion?”
“Gather around, ladies and gentlecolts, and all will be revealed.” He promised us, taking another bite of his cupcake, swallowing it and going on to tell us.
We were all pretty much shocked that he was descended from this famous unicorn that had the same power he had, even more when he told us that Twilight was descended from a famous pony too.
“Well, hot dang!” Dog expressed when I had finished telling them. “That sure no wonder y’all were grinnin' so much when ya came in here.”
“Dusk, this is incredible.” Twilight gasped. “The fact that you and I are both descended from the apprentices of Starswirl the Bearded himself, at the very foundation of Equestria itself, not to mention that you share a brand of magic with one of the royal pony sisters, that’s… that’s… amazing!”
“I second that.” Rarity remarked. “Though it would have been easier on yourself if you'd just told us this from the start, rather than keep it all secret.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry again for worrying you all again.” He apologized. “I just didn’t really know what to think of it myself and I wanted to be sure before I said anything.”
“Yeah, but friends shouldn’t keep secrets, Dusk.” Leon reminded him. “Remember what happened with Flutters and Rare?”
“I know… you’re right, I’m sorry.” I admitted. “I guess I still have a lot to learn about friendship.”
“Sure right you do, ya numbskull.” Shield chastised, rubbing my mane with his hoof.
“Looks like you were right when you called me Mr. Psychic Pony, right, Pinkie?” I glanced around only to see that Pinkie had vanished. “Where’d she go?”
“I’m right here!” She came back in through the door, like she’d left and come back again. I was about to ask her where she’d been, but then remembered it was Pinkie and shrugged. He’d probably just end up more confused.
Behind her came in the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo’s face lighting up at the sight of her idol. “Rainbow Dash! You’re here!”
“I hear you’re looking for my cutie mark story?” she asked, walking up to them in her confident swagger.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through today to hear that story.” With the act of looking like she’d just run a mile, Scootaloo parked herself on the floor as Rainbow began her tale.
“It all happened during the race at Flight Camp,” Rainbow said, “where I stood alone against all odds to defend Fluttershy’s honor. When I took off, I practically left Dumb-bell and his pal in the dust. I’ve never like that before. That freedom was unlike anything I’ve ever felt! The speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my mane… I liked it… a lot! Just when I was gonna reach the finish, Hoops knocked me off the course. But that didn’t stop me. Turns out the only thing I like more than flying fast was winning! Flying faster than anypony has gone before, I managed to do something unbelievable. Most ponies thought the Sonic Rainboom was just an old mare’s tale. But that day, the day I discovered racing, I proved the legends were true. I made the impossible happen! And that, little ones, is how you earn a cutie mark.” the three fillies were in awe at this. I will be honest, I was kind of blow away too. We all then looked at Shield as he spoke.
“Well, if you want to hear the coolest story yet, then come over here and I’ll tell you how I earned my cutie mark.” Shield said as the Crusaders got ready to listen to him. “Okay, so it all started back when I was little colt living in my hometown. I was minding my own business when I saw a couple of pegasi picking on my friend Ash. One of them in particular was Astro Train, a local bully in my town who thought he was better than everypony else. I wasn’t gonna stand for this so I rushed over and told Astro Train to beat it and leave Ash alone. He told me would only if I could beat him in a race. If I won, he would apologize to Ash and never bother anypony again; if he won, I would have to tell everypony that he was the best and never step hoof in town again. I knew it was risky, but I had to defend Ash’s honor, so I accept. I still remembered how that race with me alone against Astro Train and his Pegasus buddy.”
When the three of us started racing, the pegasi were using their wings to fly ahead of him. Being in the sky and me being an Earth pony, they had an advantage, but I wasn’t going to give up that easily. I tried to do the same by doing a slingshot to the finish line. It didn’t go exactly as planned, for I got shot a little higher than I wanted. I shot right through a cloud and thought I was gonna fall, but instead, I found I didn’t go through it, but standing on it like a Pegasus.
“I had no idea how was standing on that cloud, but I didn’t care for now I was on the same level as those two.”
Seeing this new power of mine, I began to run as fast as I could on that cloud track and was starting to get a lead.
“Running up there, I started to feel the rush. The speed, the adrenaline, the wind in my mane. Now I knew how a Pegasus felt while flying and I liked it a lot!”
I was about to win, until I reached the end of those clouds and it didn’t take long for those pegasi to catch up and regain their lead. There wasn’t a cloud closer to the ground, so I couldn’t get down in time. I saw one cloud above me, but it was too high.
It didn’t take long for me to come up with a plan. It was crazy, but it was my only chance at winning. I started jumping on the cloud until it began to stretch down like a rubber band. Then I used it to slingshot myself to the cloud, which did the same thing, and slingshot me downward.
“Right there, it turned out that the one thing I love more than going fast was winning.”
I manage to get ahead of the two and do something that seemed impossible. After crashing into the ground and jumping, I had done…a Sonic Rainboom.
“Much like everypony else, I only thought the Sonic Rainboom was only a legend, but I saw that legend was actually true. That very day of which I discovered the awesomeness of racing, by pushing myself to the limit and never giving up, I managed to make the impossible possible.”
After he landed at the finish line, I saw a rainbow above me before I looked over to my cutie mark appearing on my flank.
“And that, little fillies, is how you get a cutie mark.” I said, finishing my story and blowing the three away.
“Well, here’s the funny thing, Shield.” Leon spoke up. “I actually heard the explosion from your Sonic Rainboom. Without it scaring the animals, I never would’ve found out I could talk to them and get my cutie mark.”
“The same goes for me.” Fluttershy said as she spoke to Dash. “Rainbow Dash, if you hadn’t scared the animals, I never would have learned I could communicate with them and gotten my cutie mark.”
“I heard that boom and, right afterwards, there was this amazing rainbow that taught me to smile.” Pinkie told us, flashing her signature smile.
“When I got my cutie mark, I saw a rainbow that pointed me home. I bet it was your Sonic Rainboom, Dash!” Applejack told us.
“Same goes for me.” Dog said. “But, seein’ how I was on the other side of the city, I bet that rainbow I saw was Shield’s Sonic Rainboom!”
“There was an explosion I could never explain when I got my cutie mark.” Rarity put in.
“This is uncanny!” Twilight exclaimed. “If that explosion didn’t happen when it did, I would have blown my entrance exam. Rainbow Dash, I think you helped me earn my cutie mark too!”
At this point, they all turned to look at Dusk, where he was smiling in jaw-dropping disbelief at this news. He stammered for a bit, quite unable to take this all in.
“This…this is amazing! The Sonic Rainboom was the first thing I ever read about because seeing two of them sparked my enthusiasm for reading. Shield, Rainbow… Your Sonic Rainbooms… the ones we’ve all seen…” Dusk was now shaking his head and laughing.
“We all owe our cutie marks to you two!” Pinkie concluded, tackling her to the floor.
Fluttershy leaned in close. “Do you realize what this means? All of us had a special connection before we even met.”
“We’ve been BFFs forever and we didn’t even know it!” Rarity realized.
“Even us. We were friends and a team before we even met. We bonded not even knowing each other.” Dusk said, still unable to believe it.
“Ee-yep!” Dog agreed.
“Come here, y’all.” Applejack said, holding out her forelegs.
Dusk’s view
Caught up in the moment and emotion, I enveloped myself in the warm, loving embrace of the six mares and three stallions who had the kindness and patience to call me their friend, when I thought that I had never been worth much of anything, these wonderful ponies who had given me so much in my life, even if I wasn’t an Element of Harmony…or a girl for that matter. Nor they were Element Gang or not. They didn’t care; they just loved me for who I was.
“I’m so glad we’re friends!” Fluttershy said, happily.
Pinkie hugged them even tighter. “I love you, guys!”
I heard Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle let out expressions of happiness, while Scootaloo’s was one of disgust.
“Ew! Gimme a break. Come on, Crusaders! Maybe we just need to try zip-lining again.” Her suggestion, however, was ignored and she was pulled into a hug by her friends too, sighing exasperatedly.
“Hey. How about a song?” Fluttershy suggested, still caught up in the moment.
“NO!” Scootaloo cried, even as the others all agreed.
“I think I have the perfect one…if I may?” I asked politely. Nopony objected to my suggestion. Getting a music player and playing the record, the guys caught the music as it started, realizing what song I picked. Being caught up in the rhythm of it, I moved around my friends, smiling at them, wrapping my arms around them or just exchanging signs of affection:
So no one told you,
Life was gonna be this way.
Then Leon took the second verses
Your job’s a joke, you’re broke,
Your love life’s D.O.A.!
Then Shield with the third one.
It’s like you're always,
Stuck in second gear.
Then Dog took the fourth.
Well, it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month,
Or even your…
Then me and my guys sang together.
Year!
But…
I’ll be there for you,
When the rain starts to pour.
I’ll be there for you,
Like I’ve been there before.
I’ll be there for you,
'Cuz you’re there for me too!
Then I began to sing my own.
You're still in bed at ten,
And work began at eight.
You’ve burned your breakfast,
So far…things are goin’ great!
Your mother warned you,
There’d be days like these.
“Did she?” Pinkie asked, confused, ensuing with general laughter.
Oh, but she didn’t tell you when the world would,
Drop you down on your knees.
But…
Then we began to sing together again.
I’ll be there for you,
When the rain starts to pour.
I’ll be there for you,
Like I’ve been there before.
I’ll be there for you,
'Cause you’re there for me too!
Then I sang my verse.
No one could ever know me!
Then Shield began his verse, covering Rainbow’s eyes from behind as she laughed.
No one could ever see me!
Leon then sang as we passed our gaze over Fluttershy
Seems you’re the only one who knows,
What it’s like to be me.
Then Dog as we glanced at Applejack.
Someone to face the day with.
Then back to me as I bowed to Rarity.
Make it through all the rest with.
(I shared a hoof bump with Pinkie.)
Someone I’ll always laugh with.
Even at my worst,
I’m at my best with you, yeah!
My gaze lingered on Twilight, then we both looked away blushing.
Then Shield took his part.
It’s like you're always,
Stuck in second gear.
Then Dog took his.
Well, it hasn’t been your day, your week,
Then Leon.
Your month, or even your…
Then me and my guy sang together.
Year,
But…
I’ll be there for you,
When the rain starts to pour!
I’ll be there for you,
Like I’ve been there before!
I’ll be there for you,
'Cuz you’re there for me too!
I’ll be there for you!
I’ll be there for you!
I’ll be there for you,
'Cause you’re there for me too!
The cheers and the warmth of the second embrace we did were still in the forefront of my mind when I stood with Twilight in the library, as she made her report to the princess that day.
“Dear Princess Celestia, today I learned something amazing. Everypony everywhere has a special magical connection with her friends, maybe even before she’s met them. If you’re feeling lonely and you’re still searching for your true friends, just look up in the sky. Who knows? Maybe you and your future best friends are all looking at the same rainbow.” she finished, gazing up out of the window.
“Gross!” Spike voiced, making me laugh. “When did you get so cheesy?”
“Just write it, Spike.” she told him, shaking her head.
“How about that?” I said, joining her at the window. “The Wielders of the Elements of Harmony and the Element Gang, all connected before they even crossed paths… I didn’t see that coming.”
“That just makes you more special.” Twilight told me.
“I thought you would say that.” I turned to look at her. “I don’t think I say this often enough but…you girls are the most wonderful ponies I’ve ever met, just as wonderful as the guys. Especially you, Twilight.” It took up all of my courage just to say that, so I hoped she would take it well.
“Really?” Twilight asked, her voice bordering on a whisper.
“Absolutely. I mean, you’re just so…so…” I trailed off, averting my gaze from her.
Then, I felt a warm hoof touch my claw for a fraction of a second and saw Twilight, her smile saying more than her words could. “Thank you, Dusk.” All too soon, she remembered herself and retracted it, blushing. “I’m sure everypony else would be glad to hear you say that.”
“Yeah, I hope so.”
“What’s gotten into you two?” Spike asked disbelievingly. “Oh, Celestia, save me.”
We both blushed heavily and said nothing in response to this. Sharing a fond smile with her, but too embarrassed to say anything else that might be considered romantic, we returned gazed up into the sky together.