Moon Dancer, Luna, Chrysalis, and Duskfall were all discussing the implications of the data The Doctor had dropped off yesterday when Harmonia notified them that a lone filly was approaching the castle.

“Is it one of the Crusaders, come for bloody revenge?” Duskfall asked jokingly.

“It is not. I do recognize the filly, but I have not yet familiarized myself with the names of Ponyville,” Harmonia said apologetically.

“I’ll take care of it, you guys keep talking,” Duskfall removed herself from the chair she had been sitting on and grimaced as she discovered her back right leg had fallen asleep.

Dusk made her way to the front door and opened it to see a small pink filly. It took a second, but Duskfall recognized the filly. Diamond Tiara if Dusk didn’t miss her guess.

“Oh! Uh, Princess Duskfall, were you just leaving or..?” The filly asked.

“I came out to see who it was that was coming to the castle. Diamond Tiara, right?” Duskfall asked to make sure.

“Yes, Princess,” Tiara told her.

“You don’t have to stand on formality with me. Now, what brings you to my doorstep?” Tiara’s eyes flicked about while she worried her lower lip. It was clear that whatever it was, it was bothering Tiara greatly, but Duskfall knew better than to rush her.

“Can I…would it be too much to ask if I could talk with you in private?” Tiara finally spat out.

“Of course. Follow me,” Duskfall instructed. She led the filly to one of the myriad of empty rooms and for good measure threw up a host of privacy wards, “Now, what is it you want to talk to me about?”

“You don’t have your Cutie Mark!” Tiara shouted. The small filly then flinched as if expecting to be smote. Duskfall forced herself to take a deep breath before responding.

“What does my lack of Cutie Mark have to do with whatever’s bothering you?” Duskfall inquired.

“I…I don’t know how to put it into words, I guess,” Tiara wilted, “Sorry for wasting your time.”

“No, whatever it is, it’s bothering you enough that you sought out royal help instead of going to your parents or friends. I’m perfectly willing to wait while you get your thoughts in order. Even if it doesn’t come out perfect or you don’t know the right words to use, as long as it comes from a place of sincerity, I think we can figure it out together,” Duskfall told her gently.

“It’s just…I’ve always been told a pony’s value comes from their Cutie Mark. That Earth Ponies are better than Unicorns or Pegasai. That because of who my parents are I’m better than everyone else. Yet you, well, Twilight, was born to a minor noble family of Unicorns, went on to become Princess Celestia’s student, and then an Alicorn Princess in her own right. Even now, after you’ve lost your Cutie Mark, you still have your friends, your princesshood, and your happiness,” Duskfall chose not to mention how happy she actually was nor her brush with madness after Twilight’s Cutie Mark shattered.

“I’ll admit I don’t know Filthy Rich all that well, but that doesn’t sound like him at all,” Duskfall noted.

“I love my dad and you’re right, he’s never said anything like that. He’s just…never home enough,” Tiara said sadly.

“Ah, the great debate of providing for your family vs. spending time with them. I guess then all those things you just listed off come from what your mother has told you? Speaking of, I don’t think I know who your mother is,” Which was odd. Twilight might not be Pinkie Pie levels, but she knew most of the citizens of Ponyville.

“I have the oddest feeling you’d hate each other if you met,” Tiara snarked.

“Well if she’s preaching tribalism to her kid, then I think you might be right. But I think we’re getting off topic,” Duskfall remarked.

“Yeah. I guess what I wanted to ask was, what’s the point of a Cutie Mark? All the other species of Equuis get on just fine without one. What do they even mean? I got mine for being a bossy, bullying, brat. Is that all there is to it? I…I guess I’ve taken a look at my life and…I’m not happy with where I am. If all my Cutie Mark means is being good at pushing people around I- I- I’d rather be a Blank Flank!” Tiara started crying.

“You’re a little young for the existential crisis, but you’ve stumbled onto something philosophers have been debating since the dawn of time. ‘What is a Cutie Mark’? ‘Is there more than one meaning to it’? People have been trying to identify the meaning or meanings of every individual Cutie Mark for as long as Cutie Marks have been a thing. I could tell you what Twilight believed, if you’d like,” Duskfall offered.

“I think I’d like to hear that,” Tiara said quietly.

“She believed that every Cutie Mark had at least two meanings. Let’s take Applejack’s Cutie Mark as an example. A trio of apples pretty plainly states that her Special Talent has something to do with apples. In her case, it’s working her family’s apple farm. However, her three apples are arranged in a triangle and not a flat line. Triangles are a strong geometric shape, six of which create a hexagon, the strongest geometric shape. This could be taken to mean Applejack is strong or stable. Indeed, Applejack is often the voice of reason amongst the Elements. There are other things one could note, such as how Applejack’s Cutie Mark consists of whole, red apples, but I’ll content myself for now,” Dusk lectured.

“Then what do you think my Cutie Mark means?” Tiara asked hesitantly.

“Well, let’s start with the obvious first. Headgear like crowns, coronets, and tiaras are considered to be worn by leadership. Queens or members of the royal family, things like that. What you call ‘pushing people around’ can easily be redirected into becoming a motivational leader, if you learn to care about those around you. Use your talent the right way and you could earn great loyalty from others. People would flock around you because you know how to inspire action and give encouragement,” Duskfall began.

“That sounds really nice,” Tiara sighed wistfully.

“Tiaras are worn by a bride or married women in tradition. This could symbolize a loss of innocence. However, this loss of innocence is not to tragedy, but to love. In your Cutie Mark, it could mean that you have the potential to love deeply, holding nothing back. Is there any cause you feel devoted to or anyone you feel attached to?” Dusk questioned.

“NO!” Tiara instantly denied.

“Diamond Tiara, this is a safe place. Nothing said here will get back to your mother if you don’t want it to. I suspect you’ll feel much better once you speak the truth,” Tiara squirmed for a bit before speaking.

“I…I have a crush on my best friend, Silver Spoon. I’ve had this crush for a long time, but I know it won’t work out. Silver is only interested in colts. I can’t help it! Everyone just assumes she’s my little lackey, but when we’re alone she’s just…breathtaking. She’s smart, she’s sassy, and she’s beautiful… I don’t know why she hangs out with me. I just drag her down. She would’ve been perfectly happy to ignore the Crusaders, but I made it a point to bully them. I’m a terrible pony!” Tiara fell to her stomach in remorse.

“You have done and said some pretty terrible things to the Crusaders. I won’t try and sugarcoat it. Even so, recognizing what you did was wrong, of your own volition, is a huge step in becoming a better person. We cannot go back and undo the mistakes of our past. That’s why we have to make amends in the present and work to not repeat those mistakes in the future,” Dusk said soothingly.

“But what if they don’t accept my apology? What if my mother finds out?” Tiara asked piteously.

“We can’t control what others do. As far as the Crusaders, I think once they have a little bit of time to wrap their heads around the fact that their arch nemesis is apologizing, they’ll accept you. As for your mother… there comes times in everyone’s life where they must choose between what is right and what is easy. For some, this choice is only once in a lifetime. For others, they have to make that choice every day. What do you care for more? Is it the wrath of a mother who has done her best to fill you with toxic thoughts and ideas or doing what you know to be the good and decent thing to do?” Duskfall interrogated.

“I…I want to be better. I’m tired of carrying around all this hatred. I don’t even know why I was holding on to it in the first place. I want to let go of it,” Tiara decided.

“I personally believe that is a very good choice. You are young yet. You still have your whole life ahead of you. You will continue to face struggles, but I am confident that if you surround yourself with good friends, you’ll conquer them all. A few final words before we end here, if you don’t mind,” Duskfall said.

“Of course not,” Tiara said instantly.

“First, while things may not work out between you and Silver Spoon, that’s just how it is sometimes. You just have to find it in yourself to move on and find someone who will return your love. As I said, you are young and will have plenty of time to find that special someone. It could even happen in the last place you expect. Talk to Lyra and Bon Bon if you don’t believe me. Lyra had come to Ponyville for a school project and literally ran into Bonnie. To hear the two of them tell it, it was love at first sight,” Duskfall chuckled.

“I…I think I will talk to them. No offense, Princess, but even I’ve heard you aren’t exactly the Alicorn of Love,” Tiara snarked.

“Cheeky little- after I lend an ear to your woes, this is how you repay me?” Duskfall fake growled. Tiara giggled.

“Don’t worry Princess, I won’t tell anyone about your lack of romance skills,” Dusk huffed in false annoyance.

“Well, before I kick you out for your insolence, one final thing. If there should ever come a time where you fear for your safety, be it physical safety or emotional safety, and your father is unable to help, come directly to me. I don’t care what time of day or night it is. I’ll see to it you get the help you need,” Duskfall instructed.

“But I- my mother isn’t abusive,” Tiara protested weakly.

“I reiterate I care just as much, if not more, for your emotional health as your physical. Someone doesn't have to be directly abusive to be a toxic person. I would personally prefer if you came to me if you ever felt your mother was being anything other than loving and supportive, but if I did that, then any minor argument in a family would be grounds for child protective services to step in. So I’ll just have to content myself with saying that if you feel threatened by your mother in any way then come directly to me. Understood?” Duskfall asked pointedly.

“I just…she’s my mom, ya know?” Duskfall’s heart broke for the vulnerable filly, “How can I turn her in like that?”

“I haven’t met your mother, so I can’t say. Maybe she believes she’s teaching you what’s best with her tribalism and insults. Maybe she just enjoys the feeling of control she has over you. What I can say is that, whatever her reasons, it is clearly putting you under a lot of stress. That is never OK. Maybe you should have a talk with her. Let her know what she’s doing to you. She may not even realize what she’s doing,” Duskfall counseled.

“I don’t know if I’m brave enough to confront my mother like that…” Tiara said timidly. Duskfall thought that just Tiara’s fear of her mother was grounds enough for removal from her mother’s care. However, she didn’t have the full picture, so she restrained herself.

“If you feel the need, I can be with you when you talk to her,” Duskfall offered.

“But you’re a Princess! Surely you have better things to do with your time!” Tiara protested.

“I am a Princess that is true. However, I believe a Princess should be the servant of her people. What kind of servant would I be if I ignored even the least of my people? I can’t be everywhere, but when I can be somewhere, there I will be. I can make the time to be with you when you talk with your mother, if you so desire,” Duskfall wasn’t going to budge from her position.

“Thank you,” Tiara said in a quiet voice, “I think I will talk to my mother and I’d like you to be there…when I work up the courage.”

“And I’ll be waiting for you when you do. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?” Dusk asked kindly.

“No, not right now at least. I need to go apologize to the Crusaders…and come clean to Silver,” Tiara looked filled with trepidation, but also a growing feeling of DETERMINATION

Duskfall watched as Tiara headed back into Ponyville proper as the sun was just beginning to set.

“Harmonia?” Duskfall called out. Harmonia materialized an avatar next to her.

“Yes, Duskfall?” She asked promptly.

“I hope your Weave of Fate doesn’t show any crisis needing me in the near future, does it?” Duskfall inquired. Harmonia was silent for a moment while she consulted the Weave.

“No, Duskfall, there are no pressing issues for at least two weeks. However, I would like to send Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash on a more…personal mission,” Harmonia confessed.

“Oh?” Duskfall was intrigued.

“Yes, Rainbow Dash has long harbored a desire to correct a perceived wrong concerning her Loyalty. An opportunity to do so has presented itself. I am unsure of how much I should tell Rainbow Dash before sending her on this mission. Do I tell her nothing at all except that she might be needed in Griffonstone? Do I tell her exactly why I am sending her, but risk damaging her personal growth? I am at a quandary,” Harmonia said helplessly.

“That is a tough one. If you want my opinion, then you should give these options to Rainbow. Tell her she has a chance to make amends, but learning more could make it harder for her to do so with pure intentions,” Duskfall offered.

“I see the wisdom in your suggestion. I should not take the ability for Rainbow Dash to exercise her Free Will away from her just because I believe I might know better. As history has proven, I clearly do not know better,” Harmonia looked disappointed in herself; as if she felt that she should’ve come up with that solution on her own.

“You’re learning and that’s the important thing. How’s your body coming along?” Duskfall inquired.

“It should be completed in three day’s time. I hope you all will find it appealing,” Was it Dusk’s imagination or was Harmonia blushing?

Author's Notes:

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, but Spoiled Rich isn't a homophobe. She's probably be fairly pleased if DT brought SS home as a marefriend, given Silver's family seems to be pretty well off and possibly high on the Ponyville social ladder. I'm not the type to reuse every old note. Just some of them.

Also, if it wasn't obvious, Crusaders of the Lost Mark isn't happening. I personally really like the episode, but having Duskfall losing her Cutie Mark be a catalyst of self reflection in Diamond Tiara was simply too juicy to pass up. Now I just need to figure out how to get the CMC their Cutie Marks without that episode... Oh, I just had an IDEA~!

If everything goes according to plan we'll have Griffonstone directly followed by Magic Sheep. Once that's dealt with, we'll see a certain salvage effort pay off.

After that we should have:

Scare Masters

Make New Friends but Keep Discord

Appleoosa's Most Wanted

Slice of Life

Brotherhooves Social

Canterlot Boutique

The Mane Attraction

Tanks for the Memories

And finally Hearth's Breakers.

Starlight will be dealt with probably between Slice of Life and Brotherhooves Social. The final chapter of the book will take place while the Apples and Pinkie are off doing their thing in Hearth's Breakers, because that will be the Winter Solstice.

Of course, there's going to be a number of chapters that will come out as inspiration strikes me as has always been the case, but this is a rough outline of events as pertaining to the show's timeline.