Aftermath of A Fallen Star
By Rated Ponystar
Edited by The Unnamed Pawn and Commander X5
Pre-Read by: Magic Man and Chaotic Note
The Harsh Truth of Cutie Marks Part 2 (Apple Bloom’s POV)
NOTE: For some reason a blog post I put up didn't get notified. I changed Diamond Tiara's dream from being a teacher to an actress at the advice of my editors.
***
After her little outburst, Diamond Tiara needed a few minutes to calm down, and I needed a moment to get my mind sorted through everything that had happened today.
The one thing that I was finding very hard to believe the most was the concept that anypony could hate their cutie mark. It was unheard of to me. However, the real question in my mind was about this horrible truth about cutie marks that Diamond Tiara wanted me to know.
We sat on her bed in silence, staring over the wreckage left in the room. Despite my need for answers, I kept quiet until Diamond Tiara was ready to talk. I think that was the first time we ever had a moment where we weren’t trying to rip each others heads off.
The awkward silence passed as she finally started to speak,. “What do you know about cutie marks?”
“Um, ain’t they yer special talent? What yer meant to do in life?”
“You have the first part right. They tell us what our special talent is,” she pointed at her own flank. “My talent is making jewlery. So my future is suppose to do something with jewelry, right?” She then growled and stomped her hoof on the bed. “But I don’t want to be a jeweler! I want to be an actress! I wanna be a star in Applewood!”
“No offence, Diamond Tiara, but Ah hardly ever seen ya act, well except when yer lyin’ to adults,” I pointed out.
“That’s because I keep it a secret...” muttered Diamond Tiara. “You know that theater studio on Greengrass Road? I’ve been taking lessons there without anypony knowing. I’ve been lying to my dad, and everypony, by saying I’m taking jewelry making classes at Mr. Cutter’s! I’ve had to bribe him every week to lie, and if they found out I would be in trouble!” Diamond Tiara shouted, panic clear in her voice. “But I love to act. I love the idea of performing in Applewood. Getting rich and famous for my skills while being loved by everypony. I want the whole world to look at me as an idol! But I can’t have that if I’m so nopony jewel maker or distributor.”
I kinda rolled my eyes when I heard this. She was still a diva, even when she was pouring her heart out to me. It even made me wonder how much of her being a bully was just acting itself?
“Apple Bloom,” Tiara said, gritting her teeth, “let me ask you a question? Let’s say you want to be a politician when you grow up? You love dealing with politics, and you want to do it for the rest of your life. However, your cutie mark is something that is related to animals. You have such high ambitions and dreams, and you’re good at what you do when you play the political field. Maybe you even have enough talent to be a mayor of a city. Do you think you’ll make it?”
“Well, if Ah love it so much, and Ah try real hard, then Ah’ll be able to do it, right?” I asked, but Diamond Tiara shook her head.
“No, you won’t. Because our society will not let you become a politician. They will force you to do something in animals,” answered Diamond Tiara, much to my shock. “Whatever mark that you have on your flank is the destiny you’ll have to live with whether you love it or not.”
“W-what?” I asked, growing paler. “Th-they can’t force anypony to do that? Can they?”
“I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. I even had to have my private teachers explain it to me,” said Diamond Tiara, grimly. “No pony in Equestria is allowed to have a job, career, or even a lifestyle that doesn’t relate to their cutie mark. The law claims that it’s to keep harmony in our world, and to ensure that each job is done by the best pony possible due to their talent.”
“That doesn’t seem so bad-”
I was interrupted as Diamond Tiara growled and stomped again. “But what they don’t tell you is that you have no choice in the manner! You have to do that specific job for the rest of your life! The moment you get your cutie mark, your fate is decided without you choosing what you want to do! You want to be a doctor? Tough luck, you’re a farmer because you got a plowing cutie mark! What about police officer? Too bad, you are a construction pony because your flank has a nail and hammer on it! You can’t even join the Royal Guards if your cutie mark can’t be used in someway for the defense of Equestria.”
“That can’t be true for every job out there!” I shouted in denial. I wanted to think this wasn’t true, that I had no choice in what I was going to become in life. “What about Derpy Hooves! She’s a mailpony, yet her cutie mark is a bunch of bubbles!”
“There are jobs that anypony can take regardless of your cutie mark, but they are ones that are all custodial or public service jobs such as janitors and mailponies. Those jobs are there for the ones who can’t make a living off their cutie marks because of these laws. The reason Derpy Hooves is a mailpony is because there is no job that requires bubble blowing. She could be a great baker because of those muffins of hers, but she doesn’t have a baking or cooking cutie mark. She’s stuck in that mail job for the rest of her life, along with every other pony who had the rotten luck to get a talent that’s not associated with a decent job.”
My eyes widened as what Diamond Tiara said started to make sense. I never did think about what I was going to do with my life, I was a filly after all. All I wanted was a cutie mark so I could feel special like the rest of the fillies and colts. But what if I did get a cutie mark in something other than what I wanted to do with my life? What if I was forced to do something I didn’t like? “But... but plenty of ponies love havin’ their jobs be related around their special talent! Like Rarity and Fluttershy!”
“Rarity’s skill in gems can still be used for fashion. You have seen her clothes, right? And last I checked, Fluttershy took care of pets for free. She’s not a licensed vet or anything. I don’t know how she lives off her cottage without a job, but she does,” replied Diamond Tiara, “I’m not saying that everypony hates the idea, but it’s not fair for those of us that have no choice. I should be free to choose my own destiny, not have it decided for me,” whispered Diamond Tiara, crossing her forelegs. “That’s why I supported Princess Twilight Sparkle. She wanted to give all ponies a chance to explore new areas outside of their cutie marks. A chance to adapt and change our lives by being free to choose what they want to be.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad, so why not have that?” I asked.
“Do you ever read history?!” she asked, which made me rub the back of my neck in embarrassment. History wasn’t one of my favorite subjects. Most of the time I spent that class doodling. “When Equestria was formed, ponies were forced to work to survive. They decided that everypony should be given a job based on their cutie mark since their special talent would make sure they could get the job done perfectly. That’s understandable for the start of a nation, but even two thousand years later, nopony changed that stupid old law.”
“Why?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. “Why would anypony want to keep things so... the same?”
“One word: control,” answered Diamond Tiara, shaking her head. “Which race does most of the labor, farming, and down and dirty jobs? Earth ponies. Most earth ponies get cutie marks related to their physical strength or something earth related. Many pegasi get ones with military and weather so they often are in charge of that. And unicorns? Politics, teaching, and magic. They are always the ones who make most of the laws in everything. And almost all of the nobles in the Council are unicorns, save for a few.: She paused to take a quick breath. “And guess who makes most of the laws of our society along with the princesses? Who else besides her has power to change the country? After Luna’s banishment, she needed their help to run the nation for a thousand years, and who did she give power to? The council, and any of those ‘traditionalist’ ponies.”
The gears in my head were starting to turn. “Wait a darn minute, are ya sayin’ that... they keep it this way on purpose? Why?”
“They claim that the way we live our lives is fine. Having this system where we keep our professions tied to our special talent makes us happy, and keeps Equestria moving with the best possible ponies there are. But in reality, it’s to make sure that nopony rises above the status they were born into. Very few ever break it, like Miss Cheerilee...”
“Miss Cheerilee? But her cutie mark was that she made students smile when she taught, right?” I asked in disbelief, still remembering the story she told students many times. “Are... are ya sayin’ she lied?”
“She has to in order to keep her job, and not get arrested for falsifying her credentials,” muttered Diamond Tiara. “I told her my problems when I got my cutie mark, and she confessed that her cutie mark was centered around gardening, not teaching. She sympathized with me when I told her I wanted to be an actress and she explained that she lied to get the job she wanted. It was tough, but they were convinced when they saw students smiling as she taught during her training.”
“What... what would happen if she was caught?” I asked, frighteningly. Miss Cheerilee was one of the nicest adults I knew, and one of the best teachers ever. She had won many awards for Celestia’s sake. I never wanted anything bad to happen to her.
“She would be taken to jail... just like my nanny,” said Diamond Tiara as she gazed back at the photo of Strawberry Star. “My nanny... she was my first friend. The one adult in my life who I could count on for anything. My mother...” she growled, “... left us for some richer stallion in Manehatten. My dad loves me, but he’s always busy working. I was all alone until I had Strawberry Star. She read me stories at night, played games with me during the day. And she even took care of me when I was sick. Before I met Silver Spoon, she was the most important pony in my life.”
“What... happened to her?” I asked, but I had a bad feeling in my stomach.
“... one of the butlers said that she had a fake cutie mark when he saw her take it off in her room. It turned out her special talent was ice cream making, but she wanted to be a nanny. So she faked her cutie mark to have a chance to live out her dream because she was denied every nanny job. Having a fake cutie mark and falsifying your credentials is illegal, so they arrested her,” muttered Diamond Tiara, tears flowing down her eyes as she hunched over. “I tried to stop them from taking her away. I begged and screamed for them to stop, but my dad refused to do anything. The last thing she said to me was... was that she loved me like I was her own daughter, and to be a good girl...”
I started seeing Diamond Tiara in a new light as tears slid down my cheeks. Bully or not, that was a horrible thing to go through at such a young age. A few seconds later, I found myself hugging her as she cried on my shoulders. While I felt pity for her, I also felt rage at the thought of arresting a pony who was clearly good at her job, even if she faked her cutie mark to get it in the first place. There was also fear. Fear for myself and my friends for when we will get our cutie marks. What if our talents won’t be related to be the careers we wanted in our lives? What if we will be stuck in jobs that weren’t our dream?
“... I’ve tried to learn where she is now, but my dad still refuses to do anything out of embarrassment,” muttered Diamond Tiara, shaking her head. “When that happened, I realized that cutie marks were not as glamorous as I thought they would be. Ponies have the right to be different, and have their own passions. It’s who we are as individuals, yet, we shouldn’t be forced to have our lives decided by them. We should be free to choose what we want to be, regardless of our cutie marks.”
Diamond Tiara sighed, “But with Princess Twilight dead, her efforts to make such a world exist is gone. She was my only hope to give me, and others, a future where we wouldn’t be subjected to fate...”
It was all a bit much for a filly like me to deal with. I realize now that Diamond Tiara had grown up far faster than the rest of us because of what happened to her. And the actual revelation that we lived in a world where one single thing determined your future was just... scary. I wondered how many other ponies were like Diamond Tiara’s nanny or Miss Cheerilee, hiding their passions in fear? How many ponies forced themselves to live a life they didn’t want to have? How could Princess Celestia agree to something like this? I felt my world had shattered a bit, and I didn’t know what to do.
But then I remembered something that Applejack told me when she came back from the trial. My face grew into a smile as I shouted out, “Yes, it can still happen!”
“Huh?” murmured Tiara, raising her eyebrow.
“Diamond, mah sister was at the trial for those that killed Twilight. She said that Princess Celestia was goin’ to make sure every plan Twilight had was gonna to come true. She swore it!” I nearly shouted with joy.
“She... she did?” asked Diamond Tiara with wide eyes. “You mean... there is a chance?”
“Ah know there is a chance, but ya can do somethin’ as well. Yer gonna inherit some o yer Pa’s fortune and contacts when ya become an adult, right? Why not use it to help make those changes happen?”
“Wait... you... want me to do it? Don’t you hate me?” asked Diamond Tiara.
“Ah...” I bit my lip. “Ah don’t like ya, but Ah guess Ah don’t want to see ya be miserable about not chasin’ yer dream. Beside, we both wanna honor Twilight, right? If yer stickin’ up for her like ya did to Silver Spoon when she was bad mouthin’ her, then Ah guess that makes us out on the same team.”
For a moment, Diamond Tiara stared at her hooves for a bit, pondering on what I said. “Do you.. really think things will change? That I can be an actress regardless?”
“Ah guess so...”
“... thanks...”
The two of us stared at each in silence. It was... it was the first time she ever thanked me for something. We sat there, looking at each other with uncertainty on what this meant. Maybe if I had done something, we could have become friends, but instead I just nodded and said, “Um, well. Ah’m glad yer okay now... Ah’m going to go now.”
“Y-yeah, sure... bye,” she replied as I slowly left the room.
***
The next day, I told the other Crusaders that we needed to have an emergency meeting at the clubhouse. When we arrived, I looked at my two friends and all that we had in our special fort which was for the purpose of one thing: finding our cutie marks. I didn’t know if we would still keep such a goal in mind when I told them the truth I had learned.
“What’s up, Apple Bloom. What was so important that you wanted to talk to us about?” asked Scootaloo as she and Sweetie Belle sat down.
We were all wearing our capes... the last day we ever wore them.
“Girls... it’s about cutie marks... what they really are in today’s world...”
***
The Little Apple would sometimes see the Jeweled Diva occasionally
Between the dozens of photographers they would stare at each other
They would give a small nod of respect and smile
And turn away back to their own lives.
Wow, I hope she succeeded.
5972713 I think it was implied in the aftertext...thingie
5972713 5972727 It was
1. actress
2. Didn't she say she wanted to be a teacher last chapter? (of course, that means changing the previous chapter)
5972766
I changed it. Didn't that blog about it get posted?
I will wait for the next chapter
5972778 The blog post? Appeared in the feed now that I checked it (one posted about an hour ago), I could have missed that notification (the small number of unread entries on it).
5972791
No, I found out that it didn't go through. I made it before I posted this chapter two days ago. So now I hope to lesson the confusion by alerting people
5972757 Oh now I get it. The cameras are because she's a famous actress now. Gotcha.
This should read "But with Princess Twilight dead, her efforts to make such a world exist are gone."
Also, I've been meaning to say this for a while now; this Equestria you've conjured up is a real s***hole isn't it?
Besides the fact that Twilight's dead, murdered by the Royal Guard who both knew her as a child and swore an oath to protect the Princesses, but you've painted the vast majority of Canterlot to be full of unsympathetic, sociopathic douchebags, who not only cared more about themselves while the nation was mourning and then felt offended when their hooves weren't kissed, but were too stupid to live to the point they openly insulted the late Twilighe Sparkle within earshot of Shining Armor, who is both a prince and more than magically skilled to turn them inside out. The way I see it, if this Canterlot was nuked off the face of the planet, and the few survivors were the Princessesr, Twilight's family and a very small group of ponies like Fancy Pants barely totaling over fifty souls, then nothing of value would be lost (Twilight's persevered body would have been brought along of course.)
Plus, I call complete and total bull**** on the idea that ponies are forced to take jobs adhering to their special talents. While it's true that most people/ponies would go into a career at what they excel at, I'm fairly certain no one in their right mind is going to go "So, between the two of you, you have years of qualification in your field, but we can't hire you because your cutie mark is wrong. We'll just hire the guy with a related cutie mark who has zero experience, a criminal history longer than I am tall and will more than likely bankrupt us within less than a year. Have a nice day!"
Also, you failed to mention Pinkie Pie, who has a cutie mark related to parties but works as a baker. Even if you argue that the two are related enough to count through a leap of logic, then by that same logical leap it isn't hard to imagine an actress with a tiara cutie mark. Never mind the fact that both the show and the comics have several cases of ponies's cutie marks being literal to their names, yet having nothing to do with their line of work. Hell, one of the comics mentioned an honest-to-Celestia aptitude test, something that would be superfluous if your life was already decided by your cutie mark. That's not even getting into everything that has been brought up in S5 about how cutie marks represent who you are and aren't a hard fast rule.
Not only that, but having a "fake" cutie mark is an arrestable offense?! What?! That sounds more like something out a police state in a Cyberpunk story than the Sugar Bowl of world that Equestria has been painted as. At least when stories like FO:E paint the world in a more realistic/gritty state it makes sense, this feels more like you're trying to be dark and edgy solely for the sake of being dark and edgy.
Ignore my rantings if you will, I just felt I had to get that off my chest.
Move down a line.
__________
Cap. [Group / Organization]
defense
_____________
ya
[y'all = you all [dictionary link] plural pronoun.
___________
Bubble Blowing Special Talent for Derpy?
Anyways. This was an interesting chapter. Although I did like Deets as a Teacher more, but nonetheless, good chapter.
5972839
Nah, you can rant about it and you do make fair points, but creating the dark Equestria world is what I'm doing. I'm doing it because I want to deconstruct, in my own views, the Equestrian society. And to also be fair, I had this all in my head even before Season 5 came along. Before that, it seemed that your cutie mark was kind a caste like system to me. Has Season 5 changed my opinions on it, yes it has. However, this is an Alternate Universe. I an make things less sunshine and rainbows. Maybe it's not as well designed or planned out as Fallout:Equestria, but I think for the most part it is okay.
I can probably guess what sort of burr is under Everyday Idiot's saddle: the fear of some oddball with bubbles on her flank getting a decent job.
Either that, or we're dealing with Pony Pretending To Be Archie Bunker: some jerk pissed off at Twilight because nopony
he takes seriouslyever complained before about how things are.5972848
Ahhh, the cutie mark caste system. Before S5, I was kind of thinking they were a little like that too. Forced destiny and all.
I am thinking Starlight Glimmer (was that her name? Can't remember) would do well in this Equestria.
5972919
You'll be surprised what I have planned for her
I know this story is not of the...lighter...variety, but this line made me laugh.
This chapter was great. And added some dimension to a character who has less than none.
yeah, the girls had a chance. Heck Applebloom could have met the Princess herself and boy would she have a fit.
Before Twilight's death I think she treated noblilty like figures on a chess board except they moved themselves most of the time. She might move one occasionally or introduce a new piece. After Twilight's death she sledge hammered that.
Geez, if Equestria is really this corrupt, why have the earth ponies not rebelled yet? No earth ponies tending the soil means no crops, and no crops means no food for anypony. Gurantee that would get things to change, or did the earth ponies just stupidly decide to suck it up and hope things would change on their own?
5973010
What's the best way to keep things as they are? By making it be believed that it must be this way to be right
5973018 But if that's true, then Diamond Tiara, Cheerilee, and her nanny, must be the only ones who've ever been discontent with their cutie marks.
Hm, now this makes me wonder what will happen in this universe if Starlight Glimmer ever shows up. Personally, if she started out in Ponyville and worked her up to this version of Canterlot, she'd find a lot of support. Maybe even enough to topple Equestria's government.
I don't mind deconstruction/dark Equestria fics if done right, but I think this is one of the weaker chapters. All the exposition and telling borders on preaching the lesson of the story/chapter instead of showing. .
5973132 the only noted difference between this and the show is the fact Twilight's dead. Everything else is rough to canon.
I can't be sold on this idea that ponies are forced into it. Literally can't. I've used all analytical tools available to me and it just doesn't work. If they WERE that'd actually be fine with me (can't have everyone growing up to want to be in the spotlight and wildly wealthy, then there's not enough ponies doing more necessary and less vainglorious jobs that are far more important to society than something pointless like being a celebrity), but I can't reconcile it with what we know of Equestria. From what we can tell from context, a cutie mark isn't just "this is what you are good at and what you will do", it's "this is what you like doing and are exceptionally skilled at". Even if it doesn't conform to a job, it's still what's meant to be most important to you and what you're best at amongst all your skills.
The CMC wanting cutie marks not in what their obvious special talents are is played off as the stupidity of youth not realizing what's obvious and in front of them.
5973105 I agree. And on top of that, this entire two-parter has been a huge departure for this story in general. Until now, it's stayed true to the show's characterization and world-building, and only been different in tone. But now it's throwing away that consistency. This isn't Diamond Tiara, and that isn't how cutie marks work.
5973232 This is also fan fiction, not licensed fiction. Ultimately, the author has the call for the story, not Hasbro. Or did you not realize that killing Twilight made it an AU?
and the story takes a rather steep dive.
........... that isn't what a cutie mark is. this isn't even a concept of interpretation. cutie marks are the refleciton of a pony's soul, not something as mundane as their skillset. it is not even destined. it is created through experience. every singular time we have seen a cutie mark come into being, be it the flashback of the mane six or twist's plot twist, their cutie mark was something that they discovered during a moent of self comprehension.
twist does not have her cutie mark because she is Good at making candy canes, even if she is. she has it because she Loves the joy the candy brings to others, sweet flavors elliciting smiles.
rarity's cutie mark is not about her talent in finding gems. that is just surface value. its true meaning is her love of finding the beautie inside of other htings and expressing it to the outside world.
seriously, this is just a contrived way to make an already dark story unnecessarly darker. this ain't how cutie marks work.
5973335 it is one thing to kill off a character. it is another to contrively make an already dark sotry unnecessarily darker.
you can figure out a lot of potential ideas for ponies and how their magic works. personally i can see pegasi doing things like creating clouds out of water and using wind to blow away enemies. that is because mlp is complex enough to show there is a system going on here yet vague enough to let us interpret how this system works.
cutie marks are not such an example. we know enough about it to understand what they truly are. they are not something as mundane as their special talents or even abilities. they are reflections of their very being, their identity and soul. each one is a metaphor for who a pony is, what they enjoy, and what they are capable of as well. and they are things that are crafted through experience, as no cutie mark was something a pony woke up to.
its not really open to too much interpretation ever since bloom and gloom. luna herself said it. a cutie mark is hwo you are. you cannot get a cutie mark you can reject, because a cutie mark is You. to reject it is basically a manifestation of self doubt and even self loathing.
and it is not some horrible thing either. there is no dark connotations to a cutie mark. it is nothing short of your reflection, of your experiences, personality, desires, and what means the most to you.
5973399
To be fair, I outlined the stuff for this chapter before Season five where cutie marks are more explained and I didn't feel the need to really change to much. I do get your frustrations, I do, and I was trying to go somewhere with this but I feel from the comments I'm getting I didn't succeed in this one. I'll just have to continue onward without mentioning this cutie mark thing when I can. I'm not gonna get read of it since it would only be one aspect of an entire story
5973412 it does not change that it is a contrived method to make a dark story unnecessarily darker. it really is unnecessar and completely so. utterly so even.
and even then it was kinda obvious before season 5. the marks only appeared during some experience, and there was a level of complexity to their meaning outside of simple talents. we even had an example of fake cutie marks, where they artificially gave a talent yet had no meaning behind them in the slightest. we also had Real cutie marks exchanged, and the only esult was deep confusion in part of the pony and an inability to replicate the cutie mark's 'talent' and even more so a lack of understanding of its meaning.
the most that could be said that there might have been a destiny edge to it all, but it is clear that cutie marks were far more than just special talents.
this isn't asking how strong earth ponies normally are or if celestia and luna's manes glow. it is something that could be deduced as early as season 1.
5973487
I guess it is when I read your comments and others, but I'm still not removing it. I don't remove anything even if it's disliked because its still part of the story. And good or bad, I let it stay because I want people to give their opinions on it, good or bad.
"You can't get a job in X if your cutie mark isn't X" kind of makes sense. Employers want to hire the best pony for the job, and someone who's enthusiastic and talented is going to be very attractive.
"...or else you'll be arrested" is taking it a bit too far. I mean, it's kind of what happened to Troubleshoes but only because he was wrecking things accidentally.
Then again, this is already a much darker Equestria than canon.
5973553 Exactly so. As by way of example, we have a wide swath of ponies condemned to menial labor because their special talents aren't going to get them work.
Actually there was a part you could have added from the comics.
In the comics, Fluttershy while her pashion is animals, she actually wanted to be a dentist. This would fit in your story since she never achieved her dream since she had medical training but was forced into veteranary instead of what she wanted.
5973656
I never knew that
5973671
I don't remember the name, it was something with a mirrior that delt with alternate universes. I nickname it the mirror darkly story. Anyway, all the ponies are gather talking how as kids they were unsure what they wanted since Twilight made a comment that she didn't want to be a princess and Fluttershy mentioned she wanted to be a dentist, which caused the others to stare and she looked confused why the others didn't know that.
5973671
Correction, foud it... it was issue 18 and the comic is in the youtube video below.
5973335 Brush up on your reading comprehension skills, kiddo. Pointing out the fact that these latest two chapters are a massive change in direction for the story does not mean I don't understand that it's a fanfiction. And in the future, keep in mind that I prefer *intelligent* replies to my comments.
Finally! I can't wait to read it!
5973772 I have that comic. Reflections was one of my favorites.
5973917
Mine too
5973942
That actually can be reflective in the parents if you read about what the bullies parents said regarding Regal
HEY! i liked the idea of diamond wanting to be a teacher.
technically cheerilie can be a teacher legally if she becomes a botany teacher.
and diamond could have become a teacher of all things jewelry, like jewelry history and stuff like that
5974202
Fixed
Well, it's more in character for DT to become an actress... For the first time in forever, Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara aren't at each other's throats.
5974295
https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/471215/the-remaning-aftermath-povs
I'll never look at ponies cutie marks the right way ever again.
And at the end there did that mean the Cutie Mark Crusaders have been disbanded.
I'm afraid I don't by Diamond Tiara's claims here. It just doesn't work with the Equestria we've seen on the show
While I don't 100% agree with your take on cutie marks (mostly cause it clashes with my own headcannon and some of the stuff I've established in previous stories I've written), I think that for this story the concept that you have to get a job based upon your cutie mark or take a 'public service' job because you don't have one that relates to something works very well within the context of the story.
It would also go a long way to giving credence to another reason why Twilight would be wanting to change things and why the nobility wouldn't want her to; or at least some of them wouldn't.
Good job!
5975018
My editors convinced me to change her into an actor. Said it fit more to her personality.
5974863 Well, this story IS tagged as alternate universe.