As Lanzenreiter departed, the Crusaders looked over the first page of their notes. "So we got the who and the what. When and where don't really matter; a Cutie Mark could happen anytime and anyplace. Now we need the how and the why." Scootaloo said.
Sweetie Belle looked to Cheerilee. "At the risk of sounding stupid, how do ponies get Cutie Marks?"
Cheerilee smiled. "You don't sound stupid at all, Sweetie Belle. Curiosity and inquisitiveness are signs of intelligence. And to answer your question, ponies earn their Cutie Marks by realizing what their special talent is. I suppose that would be your next line of questioning."
The young unicorn chuckled. "Ok then, how do we find our talents?"
Cheerilee took a tulip from a nearby vase. "There is no simple formula for finding your talent. However, there is a logic to it." She plucked one of the petals and chewed it before continuing. "Talents are not unique. It's possible for multiple ponies to have similar talents, but diifferent Cutie Marks. For example: Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, and Lady Lyra. Scratch is good at composing electro music, Octavia provides the base rhythm for her quartet, and Lady Lyra keeps the old Ipponian and Etrotscan songs alive."
"So they all have talents relating to music, but their Cutie Marks are different." Sweetie Belle added.
"Hey, you forgot to mention me." A purple pegasus complained. "I also have a musical talent."
Cheerilee chuckled. "You girls remember Starsong, don't you?"
"Of course we remember." Scootaloo replied. "You're one of Rarity's fillyhood friends."
Starsong cantered into the room and sat on one of the empty seats. "Scoot's dad owns a game and comic store, and I used to play some of the games with Scoots and 'Belle."
Scootaloo crossed her front legs together. "Yeah, until Raindrops drafted her for a season of weather duty."
"Hey, maybe we can start that again." Sweetie Belle offered. "I mean, we could add it to our list of things to do."
Applebloom looked to Starsong. "We're learning about Cutie Marks. Can ya tell us about yours?"
"Oh sure." Starsong shifted position to expose her Cutie Mark. "Whatcha wanna know?"
"I was just explaining about how different talents can be related." Cheerilee added. "So why don't you tell them about yours."
"Yeah, I heard you talking about that. While those other ponies are good with the musical side of things, I can get the audience to feel the emotions within the song."
"It also has the side effect of allowing you to understand the intent behind other's words." Cheerilee added.
"What?" The three fillies looked confused.
"I'm a living translator." Starsong clarified. "I can speak and understand any language. Doesn't apply to reading or writing though."
"Kinda like how my Sis can detect when a pony's lying?" Applebloom prodded.
"Not quite like that, but things like code words, slang terms, and ambiguous phrasing, don't work on me."
"So it's always on?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Yep, and I've gotten into a little trouble because of it. Used to argue with my literary teacher about the meaning of the stories she had us read. She kept trying to pass off her interpretation as the author's message."
"But that has been helpful." Cheerilee added. "Starsong's frequent conflicts with our teachers gave me an idea of how to teach, by avoiding the mistakes they made. You three have mentioned numerous times how I'm not like other teachers."
"Yeah yeah." They nodded.
"You try to present the lessons in a fun way." Applebloom added. "And you encouraged creativity. Even if someponies were sticks in the mud."
"I take it that you have some fellow students who aggravate you?" Starsong asked.
"They used to." Sweetie Belle replied. "Diamond and Silver mostly ignore us now. They have other ponies to focus on."
"Your third lesson, girls."
"We're ready."
"One's special talent is fueled by their innate mana, which connects with the external mana of the world."
They scribbled out the words, then looked to Cheerilee. "Can you simplify that?"
"Allow me Cheerilee." Starsong stepped over to the group. "Like most pegasi, I use wind mana. Since my talent is always on, I'm tapped into one of the manastreams of the world. Side effects include a windy demeanor, weather influenced mood swings, and feeling the flow."
"How does it feel?" Scootaloo asked.
"Ever been whitewater rafting? Imagine standing in a shallow spot while the water is rushing past you."
"That sounds exciting and a little bit dangerous." Sweetie Belle stated.
"Yeah, but it's a thrill that I never get tired of."
"Can ya unconnect?" Applebloom wondered.
"Disconnect." Sweetie Belle corrected. Applebloom glared at her and the unicorn offered a conciliatory smile.
"I could, but why would I want to?" Starsong replied. "I've gotten used to it."
"So there you have it." Cheerilee replied. "Your talent is one that draws upon your mana."
"So that covers the how." Scootaloo scribbled out the notes. "Now we just need why."
Starsong chuckled. "Why do ponies get Cutie Marks? A better question would be why do Cutie Marks exist."
"You see girls." Cheerilee began. "There was a time millenia ago, when ponies didn't have Cutie Marks."
"This changes everything." Applebloom replied. "Maybe it's connected to Cutie Pox." She said to her friends.
"Perhaps we should have somepony look into that." Cheerilee replied. "But what I wanted to mention was the history that I've learned."
Scootaloo set the pen down. "Mrs Cheerilee, do you really think that would help?"
The magenta mare grinned. "Scootaloo, I am telling you things that you won't find in any book, because they aren't in books." She held out the flower. "The Merae have records carved onto slabs of granite. These slabs are kept in a palace near one of the ocean gyres. The oldest records speak of how all of ponykind was once a single breed."
"So there weren't such things as unicorns or pegasi?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"And everypony was an earth pony, except that they didn't have a connection to the land." Cheerilee added.
"So how did the breeds gain their magic?"
"Now we get to the root of the issue." Cheerilee finished the flower. "How did the breeds come about? When did ponies gain their magic? Why do we get Cutie Marks? Why ponies, and not other species? These questions are all connected."
"We're all ears." Scootaloo said, picking up the pen again.