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Cupcakes and Cutie Marks

For the rest of the day the library was silent. Twilight, considering the book she had tested Mysteria on earlier, was drawing up formulas to test the discussed hypotheses. The grey mare in question sat alone in her room - she had tried many books, by many ponies yet none of them had sunk in.

Do I have some kind of learning block? She mused desperately, her eyes quickly scanning a page. Screaming silently in frustration, she picked the book up in her mouth, and threw it against the door.

The thump, was answered with a quiet knock. Mysteria sat bolt upright - it would never do for Twilight to see this mess. She quickly ran around the room stacking the books into piles.

“I’m coming.” She called, “Just a second.”

Then, brushing down her purple mane, she opened the door.

“I was just reading Celestia’s book on the Elements of Harmo... Oh, hello Spike” she finished, glancing down at the embarrassed dragon.

“Mysteria, could I have a word?” He asked, wringing his hands - he looked nervous.

“Sure, what’s up Spike?” She responded, stepping aside to allow him into the room. He nodded gratefully and came in.

“I just wanted to talk about something.” he said distractedly, setting himself down on the bed and looking around.

“Really? What?” she inquired, raising one of her eyebrows.

“About Twilight.” he continued, still avoiding her gaze.

“What about her?” Mysteria asked, slightly more sharply than she would have liked.

“Don’t let what she said get to you. She has high expectations, and is still learning how to deal with social interactions.”

She didn’t reply to this, just nodded, mulling over his words. He nodded to himself, hoping he had made her feel better.

“Anyway, I’ve got to prepare for tonight. Twilight’s friends are coming round - apparently Pinkie made a batch of rainbow flavoured cupcakes.”

They both shared a smile, and he turned to leave.
“The important thing is to have patience” he said at the door, “I’m sure you’ll find it a lot easier when you have your cutie mark.” With that, he left, shutting the door behind him.

Mysteria sighed, and looked at her flank, still blank. Back in Canterlot she had been the only filly not to have a cutie mark, and some of the more refined ponies had taken great enjoyment in pointing this out. She had seen her teacher’s cutie mark - it was, simply, magic. She wondered how she could compete with a cutie mark like that.

The sun sank slowly through the sky and as it’s last beams left the earth they were replaced by a pale radiance. Princess Luna soared through the night sky bringing forth the moon and stars. She paused briefly in her task over Ponyville, and gazed down at the library. What is my sister’s goal in all of this? she wondered to herself, then, whispered in her softest voice:

“Rest well, Mysteria.”

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Inside, Twilight opened the door for an enthusiastic Pinkie, though, she thought wryly to herself she’s never not enthusiastic. She turned back and welcomed in her other friends as well. Rainbow Dash was particularly excited - she hovered sporadically around the room, beaming hugely.

“So I was making cupcakes,” Pinkie told the others, “and I was thinking that Rainbow Dash is the coolest pegasus in Ponyville...”

At this, the mare herself punched the air.

“All right!”

“Yeah, so anyway, I was thinking, if only we could have cupcakes as awesome as Rainbow Dash. So I took some rainbows and put them in the cupcakes!”

Rainbow Dash landed and picked up one of the multicoloured pastries. Then, smiling at the others, took a bite, a grin spread across her face.

“Pinkie, you just made cupcakes about twenty percent cooler!”

They all laughed and were soon enjoying the tasty treats. Nopony noticed as the adjoining door creaked open, or as the pair of magenta eyes watched the enjoyment with sadness. Eventually Mysteria nudged the door open and walked in. Only Twilight noticed her entrance and turned to look at her, still eating cake.

“Could, I have one Pinkie?” Mysteria asked quietly, her eyes downturned, yet her expression hopeful.

“Sure thing Misty.” Pinkie responded smiling and began to pass the tray. Twilight raised her hoof in the way still looking at Mysteria.

“Shouldn’t you still be studying? She asked her student pointedly, gesturing with a quick headtoss towards Mysteria’s room.

“Well I thought I should finish for today.”

“Oh you did, did you?” Twilight rounded on the filly, “That is the attitude of fillies who come in second place. Who fail and get sent back to magic kindergarten. Not the attitude of a star pupil!”

Mysteria felt the tears well up, quickly running from the room, off into Ponyville. The moment she was gone the others turned to Twilight.

“Now what was that all about, Twilight?” Applejack asked her friend sternly.

“I agree, that was most boorish.” Rarity added disapprovingly.

Twilight glanced at her shocked friends, wondering about their reactions. She was just teaching a student - sure her methods were harsh, but they were necessary, weren’t they? She just need to explain that to her friends, and yet there was still that feeling of guilt. She quickly brushed it aside, assuring herself again that Celestia respected and agreed with her teaching methods, otherwise she would not have sent her a student.

“Well, I might be going a little tough on her, but no more that she needs.” she told them confidently.

“I don’t know if that’s how she feels, sugarcube.” Applejack said in a much kinder tone. “Think of her as one us, she shouldn’t just be your student she should be your friend.”

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Mysteria rushed through town, tears splattering on the road beneath her. She was so upset by the last two days that she didn’t register the fillies beneath her hooves before they were all tumbling forward to land in a heap.

“Looks like we won’t get our cutie marks in directing traffic girls...” a yellow earth pony with a shock of red hair exclaimed, disentangling herself from the pile and glancing at her blank flank.

“Oh I’m terribly sorry!” Mysteria apologised, rapidly blinking away her tears. The three fillies brushed themselves off and looked at her.

“Say, are you new in ponyville?” the white unicorn asked glancing round at her flank.

“Yes...” she replied hesitantly fearing further humiliation.

“Well, why don’t you join us?” the dark orange filly asked excitedly.

“And you are?”

“Applebloom”

“Sweetie Belle”

“Scootaloo”

“And together we are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” they all shouted in unison.

Mysteria shook her head slightly, her ears ringing. They all beamed at her, and despite her depression she couldn’t resist smiling back.

“I would be honoured to join this worthy fellowship.” she said, putting on a ridiculously posh voice and bowing low. They all giggled and she soon joined them, her face breaking into the first smile she’d had in weeks.

“Anyway what do we do as the ‘Cutie Mark Crusaders’?” Mysteria enquired as they began walking through town.

“All kinds of stuff.” Applebloom replied, “We figure the fastest way to get our cutie marks is to look for them.”

“Yeah, so we do all sorts of crazy things just in case that’s our special talent.” Scootaloo added, jumping on her skateboard. “Hop on, girls.”

They all piled into the cart being pulled by the skateboard, and Scootaloo, rapidly vibrating her wings, moved them along.

“I hate to spoil the fun but it’s kinda late isn’t it?” Mysteria asked when it became clear they were headed out of town.

“We won’t be long” Sweetie Belle reassured her. “We’re going on a little adventure in the Everfree forest, that’s all.”

Mysteria gulped and looked at the approaching wall of dark trees.

“Isn’t it really dangerous?”

“Zecora told us that there was this magic stream just north of her house.” Sweetie Belle continued, “And if you drink from it, then your magic powers get stronger. We thought that if we drank, we might get our cutie marks faster.”

Mysteria raised an eyebrow - this seemed too good to be true, and yet...

“But it’s still dangerous to go at night, isn’t it?”

The other fillies shuffled uncomfortably.

“Zecora said that we could go as long as we went with her or Twilight,” Applebloom finally explained, “and with you being her student we figured that would count.”

Mysteria smiled, it was the first time she felt truly glad to be Twilight’s pupil.

With smiles on their faces, the fillies entered the Everfree forest, vanishing under the leafy canopy.

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