//------------------------------// // 3: Sunlight, Foals, and Needles // Story: The Antimark // by Dash The Stampede //------------------------------// The warming rays of Celestia's sun rose over the treeline, encasing a slumbering pegasus filly in its golden glow. Scootaloo lay atop Ponyville's tallest hill, the blanket of sleep beginning to fade. The orange shape stirred, the invasive sunlight launching a full-on assault on the filly's eyes. "Where..where am I?" She squeaked, voice still raspy from lack of use. She glanced up at the position of the hands on Ponyville clocktower, where a certain brown earth pony was in the process of fixing the gears. The clock read 7:45. She couldn't place it, but that time seemed really important to her. She stared at the tower, letting the sleepiness fade from her features. Quarter to eight. What could be so important today? Realization dawned on her face. "Oh horsefeathers! I'm almost late for my appointment with Redheart!" The young mare jumped into the air from the hilltop, spreading her wings and gliding down into Ponyville's town market majestically. Had anypony been awake to see it, they would have seen shimmers of light falling from her face as she flew. Scootaloo cried as openly as the sky around her, remembering the previous day's emotionally taxing events. Glancing back at her flank, she sighed. "Hopefully I'll get my cutie mark too...then Sweetie and Applebloom will HAVE to accept me as the awesome pony i really am." A soft clop sounded from below as she touched down on the cobblestone in front of the small doctor's clinic in the center of town. Walking in slowly, she was blinded by the bright artificial lights and sanitary scent that radiated from every corner of the room. On one side, a mare sat cradling her coughing foal. The opposite side of the room was home to the front desk. Scootaloo slowly approached the counter, as if it were a wild manticore, shaking slightly with each step. "Name?" The receptionist's voice was a calming drone. "Uh..Scootaloo..here for my 8:00 with Nurse Redheart?" The young mare replied softly. "Take a seat. She will be with you as soon as possible." That calming voice again. "O..okay." Taking a seat opposite the only other occupant in the room, Scootaloo glanced up to see it was none other than the town's resident benchwarmer, Lyra. The foal in her arms was a pale lime color with a pink curly mane. 'She looks a lot like Bon Bon. And Lyra. I wonder how they managed to-' "She came about because of the magical blessings of the Princesses themselves. And some gender bending...heh heh." Lyra spoke up, interrupting Scootaloo's thoughts. "But- how- why?" Scootaloo was surprised at how Lyra could possibly know what she was thinking. "That look you were giving me. I'm used to a glance or two from ponies who know about my relationship. Confusion, surprise, wonder. I've seen it all before." Lyra spoke softly, beginning to hum a familiar lullabye to her foal. "I'm..I'm sorry Miss Heartstrings..I didn't mean to-" Scootaloo tried to reply, but was met with a hoof pressed against her snout. "No need to apologize...uh...Scootaloo, right?" Lyra looked questioningly. "Yeah..so is she okay?" "Yes, she has a small cold. Nothing serious." Lyra stroked her foal's mane softly. "Oh..i see." Scootaloo tapped her hoof silently, awkwardly. "So what brings you here today? You look fit and ready to soar all day with that Rainbow Dash character. Unless..." the unicorn's eyes drifted to Scootaloo's backside, eyeing her lack of a cutie mark. "Did you burn off your cutie marks again? Sweetie Belle practically caught my lyre on fire last time!" Scootaloo's ears drooped and her head hung low, showing just how close that question hit home. "No...it's...it's nothing..." she trailed off again, feeling the sadness from the day before grow within once again. "I'm sorry, kid. I just thought maybe those crusades caught up to you again." Lyra's tone echoed sadness and a tint of regret. "No, its fine. It's...a condition i just discovered i have yesterday. It's called...the Antimark. It means that no matter how much i try, i will never have a cutie mark of my own..." tears began to well up in her eyes when she heard a familiar voice calling to her. "Scootaloo? Are you ready for today?" Nurse Redheart stepped through the doorway, a clipbboard tucked into her jacket. "Well..see ya, Lyra. I hope your foal gets better..." Scootaloo rose from her cushion and turned around. Only to feel a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. Everything will be okay. Besides, we're all your friends in this town. Maybe your solution lies within all of us." Lyra winked and Scootaloo as she started to approach the door, and a waiting Nurse Redheart. As the office door closed behind them, Redheart turned to face the young pegasus mare, a look of caring and sympathy, mixed with intrigue and hope. The last time Scootaloo had seen that face was whenever Twilight was assigned an experiment by the princess, and she would rush off saying "For Science!" That face brought back memories. It also scared the living horseapples outta her to see it on the face of a doctor or nurse. "Ready to begin the medical tests?" Redheart said, grabbing a small syringe from the counter. Scootaloo took a deep breath, and promptly fainted.