Doodle Dot's Journey

Dot stepped out of the shower, using her magic to dry herself off with a towel. This was her first night in the Carousel Boutique, and it was weird. She was in a new place that would be called her home, and it hasn't quite sunken in that it was home yet. Rarity was also getting up, while Sweetie Belle was still sleeping. It was the weekend, so Sweetie Belle didn't have school. Rarity was getting ready for another day of making dresses. Dot couldn't wrap her head around making dresses all day, but then again, Rarity would not be able to wrap her head around sitting at a computer drawing pictures all day either.

Dot wrapped the towel around her mane and set it on her head. She walked back to her room. Her room looked more homey now, with pictures of her family all over her walls, as well as some of her drawings, it felt more inviting. Her bed was messy. She didn't like making her bed. She always thought that the bed got messy every night, so why make it when it's going to be messed up in 12 hours?

The sun was streaming through the skylight in the roof. The computer would be able to recharge in solar power, while running on lunar power. She pushed a button with her hoof to turn the computer on. The screen flashed white and slowly faded up to her drawing program.

Sometimes it amused Dot how she was basically the only pony in Equestria who knew what she was doing. She had to do a lot of fiddling when the School of Gifted Unicorns fixed up the computer in the first place.

I can't believe that was only three years ago.

Dot shook the towel from her mane, and used her magic to grab a brush. She walked over to a mirror and she watched the mirror as she brushed her mane. The purple and red mane started forming into her normal mane shape, her bangs sweeping towards her right eye. She's had the style since she was a filly, but still loved it.

I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing right now. She continued brushing her mane as she thought about her family back in Hoofton. It had been an interesting year for her family. Her dad did not have the greatest time with his oats, wheat and peas. The year was a bit harsh, with summer being too dry and winter being too long. Small villages like Hoofington did not have a lot of Pegasi, so it was a lot of work for the Pegasi to get the weather correct. Luckily the Pegasi did not get much criticism because everypony understood why they couldn't keep up. The Pegasi would create a lot of storms to catch up for the rain, and sometimes that harmed the crops. Not only did the farm not do so well, her sister had a hole in her heart, which caused two open heart surgeries. Because of the delays of the surgeries, she had not been able to find her cutie mark. Her mom had to stop working as a nurse to take care of her sister. One of her brothers helped her dad in the harvest while the other brother would sneak away to play video games.

As Dot's mane and tail began to dry, she walked over to the picture hanging on her wall of her family.

Despite being different from her family, she loved them. She had two devoted parents and three loving younger siblings. And they did everything they could to help her find out who she was.

Next to that picture was a picture of her and Rain Rider.

Dot had met Rain Rider only a couple years ago. They were both in Manehattan at the same time at the same university. Dot became a case study for the top students and Rain Rider was trying out for their basketball team. He didn't make it, but because their similar circumstances, they became good friends. They both went to Canterlot, where he made the local basketball team and where she finally found out who she was. He had asked her out just a few days prior. They had been dating for three years now, and Dot was happy.

A sudden knocking rapped at the door. She jumped at the sudden noise. She cleared her throat, "Yes?"

The door opened to Rarity's head poking through, "My friend Twilight Sparkle wants to see you. She says it's urgent."

Twilight!! Dot had hoped that she would see Twilight, especially now that she had wings. "Okay, I'll come down."

"I tried yelling at you, but obviously you didn't hear me."

Dot's ears twitched. How long was Rarity yelling at her? She did not hear Rarity's voice one bit. But then again, she was think and day dreaming. "Sorry, I have hearing problems."

Dot followed Rarity down the two flights of stairs and through the kitchen. One quick glance at a piece of toast and Dot realized she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. But there was no time for that, Twilight Sparkle wanted to see her.

Through the door, Dot peered over Rarity's head to see the purple Alicorn standing by the door. She looked just the same as she did three years ago, except with a new pair of wings.

Twilight's smile beamed, "I knew it was the Doodle Dots I was thinking of! It's so good to see you again." Twilight trotted over to Dot and gave her a hug. "How has life been?"

"Crazy, Twilight, very crazy."

Rarity just stared at the two mares. "You two know each other?"

Twilight spoke, "She was a case study for me when I was in Canterlot. We became close friends from it. I moved to Ponyville shortly after she went home. Well, you certainly don't live in Hoofington anymore."

"That is true. Why do you need me?"

"Oh right. I got a letter from the Princesses, and they want to see you. I will escort you over there, since we know each other. A chariot is waiting for us. I'll explain a little more while we're heading there."

"Can't you teleport, or fly?" Dot shut her mouth right after, "Wait... you just became an Alicorn, I bet you don't know how to fly yet, I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I offended you."

Twilight put her off over Dot's neck, "It's okay, Dot. Normally I would teleport, but the Princesses were so kind to bring a chariot for us that I just can't refuse."

Twilight and Dot trotted towards the white and gold chariot, with two Pegasi guards at the end. They quickly got on and the chariot lifted into the air.

"So, what's going on?" Dot asked as Ponyville got smaller and smaller.

"From what the Princesses have written in the letter, they are still amazed at your talent. They love that you're the only one who does what you do, and they want to meet with you for an event. I guess to show who you are to Equestria because there could be more like you out there in need of encouragement."

Dot looked towards the front of the chariot, with the Canterlot towers slowly approaching.

"So I'm basically going to be a motivational speaker?"

"Not necessarily. At least, the Princesses haven't told me that. We'll just have to see for ourselves."

Dot eyed Twilight's new wings. It was hard to imagine that her old friend wasn't a unicorn any more. He had heard from the local newspapers about the new Princess of Equestria, but her exact title was unknown. What would she be the Princess of? Celestia and Luna were the main Princesses who ruled all of Equestria and who raised the sun and moon. Cadence was the Princess of Love and her domaine was the Crystal Empire. But what would Twilight be? The Princess of Magic? The Princess of Friendship? And where would she live? Where was she living now?

Dot finally opened her mouth, "You've gotten used to those wings yet?"

Twilight raised her wings as if she was going to take off, but she held them for a second or two and folded them back to her body. "Not really. I still need to learn to fly, Rainbow Dash is going to teach me that. I have to switch my mindset now, I don't have to use my magic to reach that tall book from the shelf, I could just fly up. But I still use my magic. But then again, Cadence told me it took her a long time to use her magic. She was originally a Pegasus, you know?"

"No, I didn't know that."

"Yeah, she had just gotten her horn before she started foalsitting me. So I'll be the same way, these wings will eventually come naturally."

"I see."

Dot felt the chariot lower, and she noticed that the castle of Canterlot was just in front of her. It wasn't a long time ago that Dot was in Canterlot. When her sister, Daisy Dots, was starting have chest pains, her mother took her to the Hoofington clinic, a small medical clinic with one doctor who travels throughout the other villages everyday, mainly run by nurses. The doctor noticed something was wrong when he listened to her heart, and send Daisy and her mother to Manehattan, the closest city to Hoofington. Manehattan was the place where the doctors told Dot's mother and Daisy that she had a hole in her heart and needed surgery, and only Canterlot did surgeries on foals, so in six weeks, the entire family went to Canterlot and waited for the surgery to be done. And the surgery was a success. But weeks after, Daisy showed signs of a dangerous, rare post-surgical symptom, fluid build-up in her heart. The doctors in Manehattan tried to stop the fluid for a year with many prescription drugs, but it did not help. A year after her first surgery, Daisy had a second surgery in Canterlot to stop the fluid build-up. And that had only been a few months ago.

The chariot landed on a strip of road for flying chariots. The Pegasi landed on the strip and trotted  toward the stalls on the side. When the chariot stopped, Twilight got off onto the sidewalk beside them. "Thank you, sirs," she said, giving them a bit each. Dot didn't bring money, so she avoided eye contact and followed close behind Twilight. Dot didn't know where she was going, and just followed Twilight. Dot looked up to see the castle just steps away from them. They crossed the moat and came into the entry way.

Dot got lost in thought as memories flowed back to her. She remembered in the winter when both her parents brought her here to be presented to the Princess. This was back when Celestia was the only Princess. The guards had escorted her and her parents to the throne room where they presented Dot's case. The Princess was baffled, but was determined to fix Dot's problem. She had gotten her School of Gifted Unicorns on the case, with Twilight Sparkle leading the case. Dot and Twilight became friends, but Twilight's importance on learning and books hindered their friendship to only talking when they were trying to help Dot. It took 2 months, until Celestia had suddenly gotten two machines from her travels, asked the Unicorns to create something similar.Another month later, Dot had her computer and drawing tablet.

She got lost in her thoughts while following Twilight that she suddenly realized they were in the throne room with Celestia and Luna standing in front of them.

"Welcome, Twilight Sparkle and Doodle Dots. It is good to see both of you again."

Twilight flapped her wings once, her face beaming, "It's good to see you again, Princess. I hope you're doing well."

Celestia looked at Dot, eyeing her cutie mark. "You may be wondering why you are here, Doodle Dots."

"Yes, I am."

Luna came towards Celestia, "We brought you here because of your story. We are in a new age, where ponies are using more machines to do what they do best. There could be other ponies like you who are adults and don't have a cutie mark because the thing they love isn't available. We want you to be an advocate to this new age by drawing pictures for a huge art convention that will be held in Ponyville this year."

Dot's jaw dropped, "You want me to draw? I haven't showed anyone my art except for my family and my coltfriend."

Celestia smiled, "But you can be an inspiration to those ponies who are searching and searching for what they want to do. You searched for years. You knew you loved art, but everything you tried something different, your cutie mark never came. You became an adult with no cutie mark. And it wasn't until we discovered your computer and tablet that your cutie mark came. You aren't the only pony who has come to me and they have no cutie mark."

I'm not the only one!?

"How disheartening must it had been for an adult with no cutie mark to walk around and have no idea what they are meant to do," Luna said. "I see their pain in their dreams. They like to do the things they love, but without the technology available, they are lost. They feel hopeless."

"You are the first pony in all of Equestria to have the talent that you do," Celestia spoke. "There may be other ponies out there with a future involving technology, and you will open their minds. Show them your digital art, show them that there is hope."

Dot was amazed. The Princesses were asking her to advocate technology into everypony's life. That there are others out there, maybe even older than her, who don't have a cutie mark because the technology isn't available. How she struggled to find what she was meant to do as a filly and growing into a mare. She tried charcoal, paints, sculpting, carving, pencils, pens, everything Equestria had to offer for art, but her cutie mark never came. For an entire year, she stopped searching, hiding in her room with her concerned family struggling to make her happy. She had contemplated suicide. She thought that she was handicapped, for the only ponies she knew who didn't have a cutie mark were severely handicapped ponies like her aunt. Her aunt couldn't talk, she could barely walk and she had the mind of a toddler. Her grandmother sends her aunt to a special place where handicapped ponies would build furniture and sell it. And although her aunt was good at making furniture, her mind could not process that this was what she wanted to do and that it was her special talent; therefore, she had no cutie mark. Dot had felt useless. She was a normal pony with an abnormal marking on her rump who was full grown and had a blank flank. She should have found her talent when she was a foal. But she didn't. How much bullying and teasing she went through as everyone in her class but her had their cutie marks and graduated. She had been to doctor after doctor trying to figure why she didn't have a cutie mark. She went to all the western cities: Manehattan, Fillydephia and Baltimare, but with no answer. Then in the winter three years ago, her parents took her to Canterlot, where her problem finally had been fixed.

"I'll try." Dot softly said.

"Excellent," Celestia said. "I am so excited for everypony to see your talent. You'll be an inspiration for foals and markless ponies all over."

Dot couldn't grasp the idea. She had always felt alone with her problem, and now she could inspire those who are in her exact same position.

Twilight had brought Dot home, and Rain Rider came to check up on her. Dot told him everything that happened.

"Wow, Dot. The princesses see so much potential in you. And that means you have to get to work."

"Yeah, but what should I draw? I have a month to draw inspiring pictures to show to the public, and how do I inspire others? There aren't many ponies out there who are markless."

"You were markless. I'm sure there are others out there too. And even if they aren't markless, I'm sure you can inspire other ponies out there even if they have cutie marks. I trust you, Dot. You have a way with ponies to know what makes them special. And I'm not just talking about how you make me feel special, but how you can make others feel special. How about for the next three days, go out and about in Ponyville. Find ponies that inspire you so you can inspire them with your drawings."

"I'll try," Dot shrugged. Rain Rider leaned in and kissed her cheek.