What my Cutie Mark is Telling Me

by MelancholicMemory

Chapter 1: A Birthday to Remember

Near the outskirts of the humble town of Ponyville, where the shadows of the Everfree strike terror into anypony they may touch, there lived a small family. It was a simple enough family. It had a father and a mother and two fillies. However, for the elder of these two fillies, life was going to change forever.

“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, Coal Dust! Happy birthday to you!” sang all of the family, as a pale blue, middle-aged mare with a wispy, silver mane placed a small cake with a single lit candle on top of it in front of a small unicorn sitting near the center of the table. This unicorn was an odd shade of burgundy, with innocent, silver eyes and a coal-black mane. He blew out the candle with vigor, exited for cake and presents. A much older, red and brown unicorn with a large, muscular build sitting at the far end of the table tapped his glass with his fork.

“Now, now. Before we dig into the delicious cake your mother made for all of us, I’d like to say a few things. First, I cannot emphasize how proud your mother and I are of you, Dusty. You’re getting so big, and soon enough you’ll finally be of age. Next, I’d like to remind everypony just how momentous of an occasion this day is because in this past year, Dusty finally got her cutie mark! You’ve done so well, learning the family business, and I’m sure you and your sister will be fine when you finally take over for me. Although that’s not going to be for a long time!” he said with a laugh.

“Well, that’s the thing, dad. I don’t want to be a blacksmith like you and mom.”

The noise of the room went from a cacophony of laughing and celebrating to complete silence. Crickets could be heard chirping outside in the twilight.

“What did you just say?” asked her mother.

“I…I don’t want to be cooped up here my whole life. I want to go out and see the world! I want to adventure!” exclaimed Coal Dust.

“But…but your cutie mark! It’s your destiny!” replied her mother. “And you’re so good at it!”

Dusty looked down at her cutie mark to see the silhouette of a hammer on an anvil.

“Well maybe it’s wrong! Maybe my destiny can change! I-“

“Enough of this nonsense, Dusty. We’ll talk about this later. Right now let’s just try to enjoy ourselves today,” her father said flatly, with a disapproving glare. “Besides, you’re upsetting your sister.” Coal Dust’s younger sister, a light-gray pegasus with her mother’s mane was sitting beside her father, looking nervously between all of her family members.

Coal Dust sat back anxiously, for the sake of the celebration.

After the cake, Coal Dust opened her presents. “A hammer…thanks, dad,” muttered the unicorn, hiding her discontent. All of her presents were the same. Blacksmithing tools. A leather apron. Fate served up on a silver platter. After the last gift, Dusty thanked her family and wandered outside.

“Where are you going, honey?” asked her mother

“I…I need some fresh air,” she replied. She sat out in the cold night air, gazing up at the stars for a while until her father joined her.

“Listen, Dusty. I know you’re upset. I know you are thinking about all of these dreams of adventure. But that’s all they are, honey. Dreams. You’ll outgrow them soon enough. Everypony in our family has been a blacksmith since Celestia first became princess. Just look at your cutie mark. You were born for this. It’s a good life. Trust me…. You understand?”

Dusk sat there in silence for a while before replying solemnly, “Yes. Yes, I understand exactly what you’re trying to say.” She hung her head in sadness.

“Now, are you going to come inside? It’s getting cold out,” said her father, a bit more cheerfully.

“No. No, I’m going to stay out here for a while. I need to get my head straight.”

“Okay, darling, I’ll give you some time alone,” he said, patting her on the back and trotting back inside.

Dust wandered along the edge of the Everfree Forest, staring at her front hooves and thinking about what she would do. After a while, she felt her head bump into something soft and squishy. She looked up to find herself face to face with a young, blue mare with dreamy eyes. She looked…tired.

“Who are you?” asked the filly. The mare smiled.

“My name is Moonbeam. What’s your name?”

“I’m Coal Dust.”

“Well, what’s wrong, Coal Dust?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don’t know? You’re crying, silly filly. Now, what’s wrong? Maybe I can help.”

Dusty touched her face to find it moist and puffy. She was pouring her eyes out and she didn’t even realize it until now. “I…I…My family wants me to be a…a blacksmith like them…but I don’t want to,” she stuttered out.

Moonbeam touched a forehoof to her chin. “Well, what do you want to do?” she inquired.

“I’m not sure exactly, but I want to adventure. I want to do exciting things and meet lots of other ponies. I want to see new places. I…I just don’t want to be stuck in my family’s shop my whole life. But my family…and my…” she turned to show the mysterious blue mare her cutie mark.

“Hmm, well if that’s your cutie mark, then that’s your destiny,” muttered the mare.

Dust shrunk down, resignedly.

“However,” she said, causing Dust’s ears to perk up again. “Nopony ever said that you can;t change your destiny. Pursue your dream, little filly. Take the road less chosen. A famous poem comes to mind.

'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.‘”

Dust stared up at Moonbeam questioningly.

“Good luck, little filly,” said the blue mare calmly, walking off into the shadows.

Coal Dust realized at that moment, what she would do.

The next morning, at dawn, the burgundy unicorn’s family awoke to find an empty bed.

Author's Note:

"The Road Not Taken" (C) Robert Frost

Special thanks to DrawMe on MLPForums.com for drawing the cover artwork.

This is my first MLP Fanfiction, so please go easier on it. There isn't much action in this first chapter, but it will pick up as the story progresses. It's going to be a pretty long fanfiction.

Comments

[Sleepii]

Hmmm... Not bad at all....

[My_Pony_OC]

Can't wait to read more, I love the addition of Robert Frost's poem!