It was a cool summer night alongside a mountain road that was at the beginning stages of being over grown and forgotten. You sit outside your one coach caravan watching the black forest around you, rasping every now and then when the gentle yet uncontrolled breeze blew the smoke from the dying fire into your face; such was nature without weather ponies.
Shifting yourself round the fire you eye the road you came from. Leaving Mareheim and bound for Manehattan a few wrong turns put you farther east than you planned. Now farther up the mountains of the Everfree forest you can hear the sounds of wildlife in the thick brush around the old path. Not just the innocent sounds like owls and crickets, but those of timber wolves. Their howls seeming to fade back and forth in the dark. You keep alert, inside your home on wheels are the only things that you value more than your own life.. the lives of your wife and kids.
A short time passes when a rustle in a bush triggers your instincts and starts pumping adrenaline into your system. Slowly you grab your rifle and raise it toward the bush, the rustling growing even louder, and your finger tightens around the trigger. Then the creature comes out into the open and you quickly jerk your aim high off into the air. What you thought was a beast turns out to be a young satyr boy in the fire's light.
"Damn it Presto," you whisper harshly at your son.
"Dad, ow-let go, dad!"
Dragging him by his ear, you lead your son back to the fireside where you proceed to scold him.
"Son do you know how close I came to shooting you?" You ask not giving enough time for an answer. "What in God's name were you doing out there anyway? You hear the wolves don't you?"
Presto looks at you trying to come up with the right words to say before looking away with a simple, "Yes dad."
"So why were you out there boy? What's so important that you couldn't wait till morning?"
"I-I uhh" He falls silent again.
"Do you want me to get your mother?"
"No,no." Presto stammers as he tries to gain some composure. "I was trying to earn my cutie mark again."
"Is that all?" You ask not convinced you're being told the entire truth. "...What talent did you try this time?"
"...Knife throwing." He says as looks back down to the ground.
"Usually that involves knives," you say as you reach out your hand to confiscate the daggers he got his hands on. There was a slight pause before you clear your throat, "Well?"
"I lost them...sorry dad."
You give a sigh as you take back your outstretched hand. "...Did you have any luck this time?" You ask changing tone.
"No." He sighs as he looks up to add, "It's not fair. Everypony back home got theirs already, and I've tried everything and still nothing."
"Look, Presto.. it might be that you can't get one. Not that I'm doubting you," quickly saying to make yourself clear, "its just the way you were made is all."
Presto looks at you strangely, tears starting to build up from his hurt pride. "But you and mom have one. Why can't I?"
"Wait, what?" You look at him for a moment before he points to your left arm. Then it dawns on you, you never talked about it around him before so can understand why he'd think it as one. "Son this isn't a cutie mark." You state as you pull your sleeve back to show it in its entirety. "It's a tattoo."
"What's the difference?" He asks as he rubs one of his eyes.
"Well, for starters it doesn't magically appear. Someone with a very sharp needle has to stab ink into you over and over until it's all done.... and yes it does hurt."
"If it hurts so much why did you get it?"
"I got mine when I got back from my first combat drop, it's a rite of passage among my people."
"Oh, ok." He doesn't understand fully what you meant by 'my people'. perhaps it's better that way.
The two of you sit together in silence for a while listening to the forest. By the time the sun started to rise Presto had fallen asleep against you. Soon enough the door to the wagon opened as a blue mare stepped down to join you. "Was he out here with you this whole night?" Trixie asked looking down at the boy.
"Mostly. I caught him running around in the woods last night trying to earn his cutie mark in knife throwing." You sheepishly say as you shake him a bit to get him up. "Hey, get up. It's time to hit the road."
"Huh.. oh about time." He says a yawn; getting up and heading for the wagon.
Before you can get up Trixie walks over and settles into the spot her son had left, "You know we could of taken turns Anon. You don't have to do the lone warrior bit anymore."
"Pfft, I didn't think a great and powerful pony like yourself would resort to something as pitiful as 'guard duty'. Besides, what sort of person would I be if I let something happen while I was asleep?"
"You don't think Trixie is capable of taking care of some puny timber wolves?"
"Well unless you were planning on taming them with a fancy card trick I don-" Trixie drives a hoof into your stomach.
"You know I can handle myself," Trixie interjects. "I was doing this sort of thing before you came along you know."
"...Getting lost in the woods?" Another hoof punch.
"No feather brain. I'll have you know I fended off beasts far greater than a few wooden wolves."
"Oh yea?" You start to say in a menacing voice, " How about the swift cunning of the dreaded human!?" As you voice this you slide out from under her and nimbly pin her to the ground, making mocking animal noises whilst harassing her with a bit of aggressive love. She giggles as you tickle her with kisses around her neck and chest area, only stopping to let her catch her breath.
"Cunning would imply you had a brain." She teased.
"Well... half of one at least. I did marry you after all."
The two of you gaze into each other loosing yourselves in the moment, one leaning in the kiss the other when you're interrupted by your son coming to tell you that the wagon was ready to go before expressing how gross it is to see his parents doing "adult stuff."
As much as you want to stay where you were Trixie gives you a gentle nudge and whispers that you can pick up where you left off once they arrive to the city. Not really having a choice you have to agree with her this time. You gather you things and head inside, passing you son sitting sheepishly on the couch in the main area. Clapping him on the shoulder you tell him, "No more crusading when I'm guarding camp unless you keep me informed understood?"
"Yes dad." He says still shying away thinking he's in some sort of trouble.
"Look at it this way. A cutie mark bounds you to only a few roads in life, but without one you're free to pick your own path." You continue to the small bedroom in the back, opening the door you hear Presto ask, "How do you know if you'll pick the right one dad?"
"You don't." Is all you think to say as you close the door and lay on top of the bed. You feel a small jerk as Trixie's magic sets your house on wheels in motion, falling asleep shortly after.
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