The Marked Ones

by Final Draft

Hope

What do I want to be? What do I want to do?

Twilight, in her infinite wisdom, had compiled a list of professions that could utilize my talent. Granted, the list only contained three things, it was still more than I ever thought existed.

"You could be a veterinarian, a science teacher, or a mortician," Twilight suggested. She levitated a scroll with three series of squiggles on it for me to look at.

"What do they do?" I asked. The squiggles on the paper meant nothing to me, so I looked at her instead.

"Well, a veterinarian helps sick or injured animals," she explained. "A science teacher, well, is one who teaches science, and a mortician finds out how somepony died and makes their corpse presentable for burial."

I liked the sound of mortician, because it meant I could take apart other ponies, but if they were already dead, there wasn't as much fun. Science teacher was probably the most ill-suited for me; I didn't want to teach, I wanted to learn. Veterinarian seemed like the only suitable profession for my talents—but to only work on animals?

"Veterinarian," I replied after some thought. My answer made Twilight smile. She rolled up her scroll and stood up from the cushion she'd been sitting on. I remained seated, watching her hips sway as she trotted away from me. Orange stood by the door, watching Twilight as well.

After my meeting with Celestia, I had been escorted to another chamber of the palace. It was much smaller, but infinitely more cozy. Twilight informed me it was her private library, and I would be receiving my lessons there. She had set out plush cushions on the floor for us, so very close together. I looked at the indent Twilight had left on her cushion, and thought about burying my face in it to feel her warmth.

Just as the urge passed, Twilight returned, levitating a stack of books that she set down in front of me. She took her seat and I flinched as her side pressed up against me. "Oops, sorry," she said, readjusting herself so we didn't touch.

No, no, no! Why did I flinch? I want her to touch me! I want to feel her against me!

"Okay, so let's start with basic anatomy," Twilight said, opening the first book. She didn’t realize how much anguish I was in. "Here, you'll see the diagram of a bird."

There was indeed a black and white picture of a bird, but the indecipherable squiggles of text around it meant nothing to me. I felt embarrassed that I couldn't read, but I couldn't lie to Twilight. "I can't read," I whispered to her.

She seemed shocked, but understanding worked its way across her face. "I feared that," she said, lowering her ears. "I looked over Mrs. Chalk Dust's lesson plans. It's a flawed way to teach, allowing for no student/teacher interaction. She never showed you the letters, did she?"

I shook my head and averted eye contact. Twilight used her magic, and I heard the sound of a quill scratching against parchment. When I looked over, she had fifty-two squiggles written across the parchment. "Is that the alphabet?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. She hovered the quill over each of the squiggles as she spoke. "A, B, C, D, E, F, G—"

"H, I, J, K, L M N O P," I continued in song. We went through the whole song together, and a smile spread across both of our faces.

Orange remained silent as he watched us, but his wings twitched a little every now and then. It was something I remembered seeing in birds. Their wings would twitch right before they would attack one another. It usually happened when an unfamiliar bird attempted to join the flock. Is Orange going to attack me, I wondered.

Our lesson went on and Orange did not move from his spot. I bet he wanted to, though.

It took me a little while, but I could finally identify all the squiggles, even after Twilight added numbers as well. Suddenly, everything Teacher had ever taught us took on shape; rather than formless, scattered information, it was clear and vivid. I felt happy. And that made Twilight happy. But of course, there was one who wasn't happy.

"Your highness," Orange said, interrupting me while I read a phrase aloud, "Might I remind you of your other duties?"

Twilight thought for a moment and then jumped up so quickly that she knocked over the pile of books in front of her. "Ah! The tax committee meeting!" she exclaimed. She looked to me in panic. "I have to go! We'll officially start your lessons tomorrow!"

Before I could say a word, she'd already bolted past Orange and out of the library. The door slammed closed, leaving just Orange and I to each other's company. I remained seated on my cushion, but Orange walked over to me.

"Get up," he commanded. He had to be about my age, and I knew he was just a rookie, so his command didn't really intimidate me. However, I obeyed, looking him in the eyes as I got to my hooves. There was no fear in his eyes, nor in mine, only an unspoken dislike for each other.

He commanded for me to follow him, and I allowed him to lead me out of the library. I thought about snapping his neck, real quick like. My magic had been good for lots of stuff, but there were some things that had always been more satisfying to do with my own hooves. It's one thing to hear bones and cartilage snap, but a complete other to feel it.

I refrained from ending his life then for several reasons. First off: he was in amazing shape, and even if I had the element of surprise, he could have easily bucked me to the ground. Secondly: half a dozen guards fell into formation around us to see me back to my cell. Lastly: I had to be good…for Twilight.

They brought me back to my cell and threw me inside unceremoniously. The door at the top of the stairs closed, leaving me to my old routine. I had no idea what time it was, or when the next meal would come.

The other Marked Ones looked at me with wide eyes from their cells, but said nothing. In all the years we'd been there, the door had never opened as many times as it had that day. We knew change was coming, or at least I did.

When third meal came, I was almost asleep. My mind was busy digesting all the information I'd learned and all the events of my day. I heard the clang of my plate being placed into my cell, but I ignored it.

I drifted off to sleep and dreamed of Twilight, and Celestia, and all the guards, and Windy Loo—it was the most vivid dream I'd had since being marked. The context of the dream escaped me by the time I woke up, but I recall it being a good dream.

When I awoke, it was to the sound of my cell being opened and several guards rushing me. This happened every morning for two months. They would shackle me up, lead me for a bath, and unshackle me once I was safely in the command of Twilight.

She was always happy to see me, and would indicate for me to sit next to her. I always made sure to get as close to her as possible. She never flinched when our bodies met, and in fact, she seemed to enjoy the closeness. Nowhere near how much I enjoyed it.

Our lessons progressed at an impressive rate, and one day, she had a surprise for me. When the guards unshackled me, and all of them left the room except for Orange, I noticed a large table set up where our cushions usually were.

"Today, we're going to have a lab!" Twilight said excitedly. She led me to the table, and indicated to the arrangement of medical instruments. "I had my friend Fluttershy give us some specimens to work on," Twilight continued.

In the center of the table was a mound covered by a piece of fabric. Twilight used her magic to lift the sheet, revealing a dead rabbit. My heart started beating rapidly and my breathing became heavy. Twilight didn't notice, and she levitated a scalpel in front of me.

"We're just going to dissect it, okay? There's nothing wrong with what we're doing."

I looked at the scalpel and then to the rabbit. At that moment, I realized just how useless I was. "I can’t do this," I said with a whimper.

"No, it's okay," Twilight tried explaining, but I just shook my head. "Why, what's wrong?"

I brushed my mane aside, indicating to the base of where my horn once was. It was a major oversight. What good is all this knowledge if I can't perform my talent?

"Oh," Twilight whispered. "You can still use your hooves, it's not that different."

Not that different? I could do things with my magic no tool could do! For the first time, I was angry with Twilight, and I looked her in the eyes. Without realizing it, I had picked up the scalpel in my hoof, and light gleamed off the sharp edge. Twilight looked at me and then to scalpel.

"Macabre," she said carefully, calmly, lovingly, "let's just see what you can do without your magic. This is only our first lab, okay?"

So, does she have a plan to give me my horn back? I bet she does, oh, I shouldn't have gotten angry! I let the scalpel fall onto the table and I started shaking. "I-I'm sorry," I apologized, looking down to the dead rabbit.

"It's okay," she said, but I could tell she was uneasy. All it would take is another slip up and I'd be back in my cell for life. I had to trust Twilight. She loved me, after all. "Let's just open up the rabbit, and you tell me what everything is."

I picked up the scalpel again and made an incision just above the rabbit's sternum. Everything looked just as it did from my medical books, and I could visualize the labels next to each organ. "There's the liver," I said, pointing to a brown sack. "Heart, lungs, kidneys, stomach—"

My hoof slipped and the scalpel punctured through the rabbit's stomach. A mixture of partially digested carrots and fluids leaked out. I took a deep breath and backed up from the table.

"I need my magic," I said adamantly.

Twilight took a deep breath and walked over to me. I could see in her eyes that I wasn't going to like what she had to say. "Only Princess Celestia can restore your magic, Macabre. And she won't do that until I can prove you're not a danger to society."

Hadn't Twilight begun to suspect there was more in my past than a few dead birds? Would I have really been locked up if that's all I had done wrong? How did she still not know about Windy Loo? Were they afraid to tell her, or did they think she already knew?

"I'm not a danger to society," I muttered. Orange thought it was funny, and a cough escaped his throat. He didn't even know what I'd done. I bet it was killing him to find out, though.

"No, you aren't" Twilight agreed. "And you weren't even back when you were a colt. If only some pony had taken time to explain to you what was right and what was wrong, this all could have been prevented."

"Then tell Celestia," I said bluntly.

Twilight bit her lower lip and looked over at Orange. If the guard could have voiced his opinion, I bet he would have. No one cares what a rookie has to say anyway. Instead, he just stood still, looking at Twilight and waiting for an order.

"Flash," Twilight said to the guard I will forever refer to as Orange, "watch Macabre while I go speak with Princess Celestia."

"Understood, your highness," Orange replied. Twilight gave me one last smile before the door closed behind her, leaving me alone with Orange once more. He walked toward me and stopped a few feet away. "I'm watching you," he said slowly.

"I'm aware," I replied. I turned from him and looked back at the rabbit. It would have died from the puncture wound to its stomach, but I wondered what actually killed it. There was only so much poking around I could do with my clumsy hooves, and with Orange still hovering over me, I didn't feel like getting too into it. Instead, I grabbed a book off one of the shelves and opened it.

"How did you get marked?"

I looked up to see Orange still staring at me. His gaze was clearly directed at the scars across my flanks. The big, burnt X's of scar tissue probably looked more sinister than my cutie mark had.

He was curious, and I thought about obliging him. But I knew that anything I said to him could be used against me. So instead, I flipped the pages of my book and read about the circulatory system of dogs. I didn't find it terribly interesting, but it kept me from being completely bored.

I heard Orange's hooves walk across the library and over to the dead rabbit. He looked at it and then to the sharp instruments still gleaming on the table. Go on, say something, I thought.

The awkward silence between us only intensified as the time passed, and I began begging for Twilight's return. My mind began forming ways to surprise Orange and take him down before he could react. I'd cut him open and decorate the walls with his blood—hang the entrails from the ceiling—make a hat out of his wings—That could be why he stood separating me from the operating tools. He didn't trust me one bit.

Finally, the door swung open and both Twilight and Celestia walked in. My knee bent without my consent, and I lowered my head to bow at the princesses. I caught the faintest glimpse of Twilight's horn still radiating magic as I raised my head. She'd made me bow to make a good impression.

Celestia looked to me with a smile, but I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. "Princess Twilight informs me that you are doing well with your studies, and she wishes for your ability to perform magic to be restored."

I nodded. "That is correct."

"I will restore your horn, but there will be increased precautions that need to be taken. If for any reason you use your magic to harm another pony, there will be severe consequences."

I nodded again. "I understand."

Celestia then turned to Twilight. "I leave this matter in your capable hooves now, Twilight." She smiled and her horn began to glow brightly. All the light collected at the tip, and she tilted her head toward me. Her horn tapped my head, and a searing pain erupted from the base of my horn. I could feel it growing back to its full length, and all my magical abilities returning. When the process was complete, I lifted my hoof to feel the horn for myself.

This time, I bowed without the assistance of Twilight. "Thank you," I said humbly.

Don't screw this up, a voice in my head hissed.

--

Additional precautions had to be taken now that I had my magic back. That came in the form of an extra guard watching me around the clock. And what better guard than Twilight's own brother? He attended my lessons and stood in the corner with Orange, but he was much more relaxed than the pegasus. Not because he trusted me, but because he trusted his sister.

However, the first time my horn began to glow, every pony in the room was on edge. Maybe even me. It had been so long, I wasn't sure if I could even use magic like I was once able. But as I worked on the rabbit, all my fear was set aside. It came as naturally as breathing.

Twilight and the guards watched in fascination as the dead rabbit seemed to unzip and shed its skin off of its insides. Maybe fascination isn't the word, but they definitely couldn't avert their eyes. I listed everything I pulled out as I did so, giving information about the health of each organ.

Then, I put it all back inside and closed the rabbit up without so much of a trace it had ever been touched. It almost looked like it could have gotten up and hopped right off the table. Twilight was pleased, and rewarded me with a hug. I wanted to hold her forever, but she broke from me and started excitedly explaining all of her plans.

"Okay, you need to go get some sleep. Tomorrow, we're going to get you an apprenticeship! I've already talked with Dr. Plasters, and he said he'd be interested in seeing your talents. Of course, Shining and I will be with you, oh, and Flash too, but only until you're capable of being on your own."

An apprenticeship? Capable of being on my own? But, I need you…

She must have seen the sad look in my eye. "It'll be okay, this is what we've been working for." She smiled and gave me a reassuring hug. I took a deep breath of her mane, and allowed her to step away from the embrace.

"She sees something in you," Shining Armor said, later that night. He stood outside my cell, keeping a magical shield up to prevent me from using magic. "I don't know what it is, though. I heard what you did to that little filly, and I don't know if I could ever look past that."

It's because she loves me, I wanted to reply. I rolled over to look through the bars and found the guard staring at me. He didn't blink, nor shift as I looked up at him and said, "Hope. She sees a hope."

Author's Note:

Eh, I may have to add a romance tag.
I feel I could have put more work into this chapter, but I'm tired, and I needed a good stopping point to set up the final chapter. So, comment with any flaws you see, any speculation you have, or just things you've noticed. I have thrown in a decent amount of foreshadowing each chapter, and I'm hoping some of you picked up on it.

Comments

[Kaitlynn Genevieve]

Anyway, next chapter is the last of it, and it will contain a mature amount of gore and the death of several characters.

Well fuck

[Qussar]

Really? You had to spoil it like that...

[ThatBatJess]

4883056 I concur. You summed it up pretty well.

[ThatClosetBrony]

Ooo, death. One of my most beloved and most hated words.

[Full-time_Introvert]

Anyway, next chapter is the last of it, and it will contain a mature amount of gore and the death of several characters.

God damnit.

[IAMCHEEZY]

Anyway, next chapter is the last of it, and it will contain a mature amount of gore and the death of several characters.

NOOOOOO.

Er, sorry about that.

But.... who else wanted a happy ending?

[Bluetree650]

I must bring up two points that... bug me.
One was in the last chapter. If Celestia knows what Mac (i'll call him that becouse I don't know the real name) did than why did she okay him working with Twilight? I know you said becouse she trusts her, but this is like taking a killer off death row and saying he could be rehabilitated. She should know that.

The second is Mac getting his horn back. Why would Celestia give it back so easily? Just a request from Twilight? Really?
I think Celestia would cave in about letting Twilight teach Mac after a while, but the horn i'd think she wouldn't budge on.

[Retroberrii]

I'm looking at the comments and everyone in story's reactions and.. am I the only one who realises that up to this point he hasn't actually done anything wrong?

[Captain Ford]

I know it's been almost a year since all this was posted, but I'd still like to reply to these

5447631
Celestia is the kind of sentimental old fool who would dare to hope that Twilight Sparkle could find a way where no one else can.

Edit: Also, I bet she has doubts about whether or not she's doing the right thing with the marked ponies. I'm sure it's one of the things that keeps her up at night, and she's dreamed many a time about one day finding a way for all of her ponies to live in harmony. Twilight has already fulfilled several of her dreams -- she reunited her with her sister and reformed Discord -- this is right up her ally, isn't it?

5648369
Well, uhh ... he did kill a filly. She wasn't quite dead yet when he ripped her open. In his defense, he did want to save her, but a normal foal would have thought "I need to get an adult!" instead of "I need to cut her open!". Not to mention that if he knew how to perform a vivisection without killing a bird, he knew enough to be able to treat the gash on her forehead and save her life. It just didn't occur to him because saving her life wasn't his priority.

Admittedly, I didn't even figure this out until I rewrote this response for the third time. The way the story is written, it's easy to miss the options that he never even considered. But once you see what he could have done, his choice was very damning.