Chapters “Hello… ahem, hello there classmates, Willow Bloom here, ready to do my presentation.” A young Pegasus filly stared at her classmates, no pony was listening, all of them caught up in their own business.
Willow Bloom clapped a single hoof on the ground, “Ahem!” She whinnied.
Her classmates turned and looked at her.
“Can I please start my presentation?” She asked.
“Yes class,” Miss Cheerilee said, “let’s keep noise to a minimum and listen to our presenter.”
Willow took in a breath, she had practiced all year for this presentation, studying the habits of Ursa Minors without actually seeing one was a difficult task, made her wonder why she chose it as her project in the first place.
“I chose to do my year long project on the mythical Ursa Minor.” She neighed, holding up a drawing she’d made of the beast.
The little ponies stared at it in awe.
“This is what they look like, they are bears made of stars, they are about the size of this very schoolhouse, and sometimes bigger.”
The ponies looked in shock, they’d never seen something that big.
“How could somethin’ be that big?” An earth pony asked.
“Good question Apple Bloom,” Cheerilee remarked, “Willow Bloom?”
“The large amount of magic they contain allows them to sustain a large body, and since they are made of stars and magic they weigh barely anything at all.”
The ponies were now intrigued.
“So big and yet they weigh barely anything? Sounds fake to me.” Diamond Tiara snorted.
Suddenly shouting could be heard outside, the foals turned to try and find out what was causing the ruckus. A couple ponies ran over to the window.
“Still think it’s fake Diamond Tiara?” Scootaloo asked, pointing out the window.
Willow Bloom ran over with another wave of fillies and colts. She stared in fear, it was even bigger than she thought it would be.
Surrounded by swirls of magic the creature stood tall above ponyville, towering over the buildings a thousand stars shining in its pelt. And it was then that it began heading at the school.
“It’s heading right for us!” Willow Bloom called to her classmates, we need to get out!”
Willow Bloom and the other fillies dashed out of the building. Willow spread her wings, they were very large for a Pegasus of her age, she darted into the air.
“Cover a tree in something shiny!” She called to her classmates from high up, “they like shiny things!”
Her classmates did as they were told, as Willow still sat in the air, it was strange, it took her so much longer than it should have for her to realize. She shouldn’t have been sitting in midair, even if it made it easier to talk to her classmates, it made her a glowing red target.
She felt the breath of the beast on the back of her neck, warm and powerful it almost threw her off balance. She turned slowly and stared at the beast. It made a small grumble, staring at her, it’s deep black eyes staring at her the way a foal might stare at a toy.
Willow gulped, staring at the creature. overrun by fear she couldn’t think straight. All that she knew of the creature was thrown straight out the window. She flapped her wings and attempted to dash away through the air, in an instant the creature had grasped her back legs and wings. She screamed in pain. Tears streaking her face. She turned back to look at the creature, her legs were scraped wide open and her right wing was crushed in it’s massive grip.
She kicked the creature with her front legs and flapped with her left wing.
“Stop struggling! You’ll only aggravate it!” A unicorn called from below.
Willow Bloom could barely hear her, the world was spinning, the pain was so close to overwhelming her, she felt she might pass out any minute. But she knew what to do even if she was panicked. She stopped moving, playing dead. Ursa Minors don’t like dead things.
The creature dropped Willow, Distracted by the Unicorn. She fell to the ground, and just before she hit it a strong Magic held her just above the ground for only a moment before releasing her.
A little teal unicorn ran over to her. “Willow Bloom! Willow Bloom can you hear me?! Stay awake! The hospital ponies are on their way, just hold on!” She whinnied, fear in her eyes. Her bouncy blonde mane waved in the gentle breeze as she stared at Willow.
“Cella-“ Willow barely managed to utter to her best friends.
“Shush! Be quiet and save your strength! You’ll be okay.” Cella neighed.
The last thing Willow saw before passing out was the concerned face of nurse red heart and then it was dark.
Willow opened her eyes to a dark room, electronic beeps and whirrs surrounded her. She flicked her ears gently at the noises, she looked around the room, she felt so sore. The room was painted light yellow, butterfly stickers covered the small window that adorned the left wall. She looked to her right, sitting in a chair fast asleep was her mother. It was no wonder, the moon shone bright outside the window, so it was clear that night had fallen.
“Mom…” Willow whinnied softly, her eyes glazed with pain.
In an instant Willow’s mother was at her side. Holding tight to her daughter, neither of them spoke a word, just sat there in a warm embrace for a long while. Then Willow’s mother spoke.
“Oh Willow Bloom I’m so happy you’re alive!” She whinnied.
“Barely,” Willow said with a small chuckle.
Willow turned an stared at her back, her right wing was torn to shreds. She gently pulled back the blanket with a single hoof. Her back legs were covered in bandages.
She touched them with a single hoof, wincing in pain.
“Oh Willow Bloom,” her mother said, setting a hoof on her daughter’s shoulder, “it’ll be alright…”
“What if it won’t?” Willow asked, fear in her eyes.
“It will.”
***
Willow was sat up in her hospital bed, the hospital food sat on a plate in front of her, it was gross looking, all slimy and sticky. She pushed it to the side with a scrunched up face. She heard small footsteps entering the room. Even without seeing her Willow knew who this was. She almost jumped out of bed in excitement.
“Cella!” she whinnied.
The little Unicorn trotted over to her bedside, her prosthetic back leg squeaking with each step, she looked back at it, and annoyed at all the squeaking took it off, then turned back to Willow as she set it against the wall with her magic.
“Good to see that you’re feeling better Willow!” She whinnied happily.
“Yeah, and I’m happy to see you Cella, I missed you.” Willow said.
“I’m glad to hear that, I brought you a gift.” She said floating a small box over with her emerald magic, she set it on Willow’a lap, “open it!” She insisted.
Willow looked the box over, a small light blue ribbon tied together the two sides on the white box. She gently grabbed the ribbon in her teeth and pulled it off. She gently pulled the top of the box off with a hoof. Inside was a small necklace with a pendant attached. A small Crystaline heart.
“I thought it might be nice for you to have a reminder that you will always have me as a friend. So that if you ever feel alone you always know you have me.”
“Thank you Cella,” Willow said hugging onto her friend.
Willow and Cella sat chatting for a while, laughing about old times and telling each other silly jokes. A pony might mistake the two for sisters they were so close, or maybe one might mistake them for young partners.
The two had always been best friends, when they were young they met at a playground, Cella fell off the swing and broke her prosthetic, while older foals laughed, well, Willow was different.
“Do you need help?” The Pegasus filly asked the small unicorn.
“I’m okay! Just a little scrape!” She whinnied.
“You’re really tough!”
“You really think so?”
“Yeah!”
“Oh look, three legs made a friend!” An older colt taunted.
“Shut up meanie!” Willow said, spreading her wings wide and puffing up in anger, “you leave her alone!”
“What you gonna do little fledgeling? I bet you haven’t even learned to fly yet!” Another Colt snorted.
“Oh you’ll see!” She said, flapping her little wings, now hovering in the air, she barely had to flap to stay afloat.
“Oh look the fledgeling can fly!” The first colt mocked.
Willow flew a little higher and dove at the colt, actually knocking him over. Now staring on top of him she turned to his friends.
“Who’s next?” She asked.
The two foals gulped and ran off.
“No wait! Don’t leave me! Guys!” The colt that Willow was standing on called to his friends.
Willow got off of the colt, “Run away little foal.” She said, gently nudging him with a single hoof.
The colt ran off and Willow turned back to Cella, “Are you sure you’re okay, your leg thing looks broken.”
“It is.” Cella said with a small sigh, “But I’m okay! All thanks to you.”
“Well that’s good. I’m Willow Bloom, Nice to Meet you,” Willow said, holding out a hoof on greeting.
“Nice to meet you too, I’m Cella Strings.”
The two fillies walked and talked for a while.
“So you were born with only three legs?” Willow asked.
“Yeah.”
“What’s it like? Not having a leg.”
“I can’t imagine it’s too different, I was born this way, I’ve never known any different.”
“Are you ever off balance?”
“Nope.”
“Wow, you’re really cool!”
“I’m just living my life.”
“That doesn’t mean you aren’t cool. And I’m not talking about your legs when I say that.”
“What are you talking about then?”
“Just you in general!”
***
Willow sat at the window sill of her hospital room, she had to use a wheelchair to get there because her legs were still hurt. She sighed, staring at the world outside. She heard a knock at her door.
“Miss Bloom?” A doctor asked from outside the door, “may I come in?” She asked.
“Yes.”
The doctor opened the door, we have some news for you about those scars on your flank. We don’t want to scare you, but we have some results that may not sound great. It’s noting dire, you will be completely fine physically. Would you like to know?”
Willow sat for a moment, “Yes.”
“Alright, now we can’t be sure, but some of our results suggest that your scars may be a cutie mark.” She said.
Willow sat still, “w-what?”
“We can’t be sure but that’s what it looks like.”
“I-but, A cutie mark represents your talent, your special purpose, I-I-I-“
“Willow Bloom please calm down.”
“I can’t calm down, what am I gonna do, Everypony has a cutie mark! It helps them know where to go! What to do!”
“You do have a cutie mark though.”
“A scar isn’t a cutie mark! And if it is, we’ll what does that say about me?”
“I’m good with physical therapy not cutie marks, so I don’t know. But whatever it is you should ask a cutie mark specialist, they’ll know best.”
“…okay.”
The doctor left and Willow sighed. I’m a wreck, and all because I was stupid enough to fly up high during an Ursa attack,” she sniffed, “I should have known! I did a project on them!” She scolded herself.
She heard the door creak open. Little pattering hoof steps approached her and a little colt hugged her front leg.
“Sistew!” He whinnied, holding on to her tightly.
Willow turned to see her little brother Spark Skygkider hugging on to her and her parents entered the room. They looked at her with love in their eyes.
“Willow Bloom sweetie how are you doing?” Her mother asked.
“Doing alright.” Willow responded.
“Well that’s good, because we’re going home, and on the way we have a surprise.”
Willow Bloom rolled out of the hospital with a sigh. She was going home. Finally, she was going home. She stared at the world, it was so much more bright and colorful than their hospital room. She stared around as her family walked out behind her.
“Close your eyes Willow Bloom, we have a surprise for you!” Her mother said.
Willow closed her eyes as she felt her mother set something small and fluffy in her hooves.
She opened her eyes to see a tiny owl chick sitting in her lap. She squealed with joy.
“You actually got me one!?” She whinnied excitedly.
“Yep.” Her father said.
“Thank you thank you thank you!”
“We just wanted you to have some creature to keep you company while you recover.” Her mother whinnied.
“But you could have gotten me a puppy, or a cat, or even a bunny. But you got me this.” She neighed.
“You’ve always wanted one.”
“I know I have.”
Willow and her family made their way home and she sat in her room.
“I’ll be okay,” she reassured herself.
She stared down at the little owl that was snuggled in the blankets of her bed.
“Hi there Lumius.” She softly whinnied.
Lumius, she chose the name by starting with Luminous, a term for light, and getting rid of some letters. It was a fitting name, the little owl was a light in her life.
The little owl shuffled a little, making himself comfortable.
“Yeah, I’m gonna be okay.”
***
Willow stared out her window, her legs were a lot better now, she was hoping the scars would go away sooner, but only time would tell if they were permanent.
She walked downstairs and stepped out into her lawn, she walked down the road of the town, she stretched her wings. Her stomach grumbled.
“Guess I could take a quick fly over to Sugarcube Corner for a snack.” She whinnied, fanning out her wings, she flapped once, and fell to her right.
She looked back to see what was holding her up. And all at once it struck her. She couldn’t fly. Her right wing… it was torn to shreds. Like a ton of bricks the weight of this realization crushed her. She stared at her wing, tears filling her eyes.
See, it would be okay, if the Ursa had just pulled out some feathers, but the base of the wing was the problem, a good chunk of it was completely gone.
Willow curled her legs together tears now streaming down her face. She didn’t want to walk anymore, she just wanted to cry. Suddenly all the pain she felt that she had learned to ignore came flooding into her in waves. She couldn’t think straight, the world seemed hostile and dark. She just sat there, crying, in the middle of the day, right in the center of Ponyville Plaza.
She felt a gentle hoof on her shoulder, and an unclear voice rang in her ear, she couldn’t make out the words but they sounded young. She looked up, and as blurry as her vision was with all the tears she knew who this was. Her best friend hugged her right, and almost all at once the hurt got lighter. She looked Cella in the eyes, still sobbing. She tried to speak but Cella shushed her.
“Willow, hey, it’s gonna be alright.” She whinnied, her voice soft and gentle, “C’mon, get up, let’s get you home.”
Willow nodded as Cella helped her up, the two walked back to Willow’s house and Cella explained all that she saw of what happened to Willow’s parents.
Willow sat down once she was inside, still sniffling.
“Willow Bloom, sweetie, why are you so sad? Did something happen?” Her mother asked.
“I-I…” Willow sat, tripping over her words, her breath uneven and her fur soaked by her tears.
“Take a breath honey.” Her father neighed.
Willow took a couple breaths then looked her mother in the eyes, fear and pain and sadness glowing in them. “Mom… I can’t fly.”
***
Willow sat in her room, curled up in the blankets of her bed. She’d calmed down, but with that calmness came clearer thought. She started to think of the consequences of not being able to fly. She’s always dreamed of being a wonderbolt, she was such a good flier before. Now all she could think was of her crushed dreams. She couldn’t even get in the air, and what good is a Pegasus who can’t even fly.
Willow sighed and pulled Lumius closer to herself, he cheeped a little she she gentle nuzzled his head.
She stared back at her flank and thought for a while.
“…if I can’t get a cutie mark… am I… purposeless?” She wondered aloud.
She set a hoof gently on the scar, was this her destiny? A scar, was that all she was supposed to do? Be in pain?
She tried to reject the thought, but thoughts like that don’t just go away, they creep deeper and deeper into your mind until they take over.
She set her hooves back on her mattress and sighed.
“What can a flightless Pegasus even do?! Weather and flying, that’s what Pegasi do! Not… not this.”
Tears came back to her eyes.
“So is this it? Is this my destiny, forever grounded, unable to do what I’m made to do?”
She got out of bed, “this can’t be all? Can it?”
Lumius stared at her, tilting his head.
She sighed.
“It is… isn’t it.”
*3 months later*
Willow Bloom wandered through Ponyville, she felt so tired. She couldn’t stay like this though. Lumius on her back she made her way to the school house and stepped inside. She sat at her desk. Cella scooted her desk closer to Willow’s.
“Hey! Willow! How are you?” She asked.
“Doing well, but we should really be focusing on school.”
Cella sighed and scooted her desk back.
Willow sat in class and did her work, it was boring, but at least it kept her mind busy. Life was so strange recently, so much less colorful than before. Like all the excitement and joy in the world had been drained from it.
Class ended at the ring of the bell and Willow trotted outside.
“Willow Bloom.” Cella whinnied, “why are you acting like this? Are you okay?”
Willow tensed up, “I’m fine,” she snorted.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Are you really sure?” Cella dragged the question.
“NO!” Willow spun around, snapping at her friend, “I am not okay!”
A couple ponies stared at Willow.
“Willow, it’s oka-“ Cella began
“No it’s not!” Willow shouted, “and it’s never going to be again!”
“Willow… what happened?”
“What happened?!” Willow asked the question almost hysterically, “what happened?! You saw what happened! I was attacked by a giant star bear!”
“But Willow, you’re okay now, your wounds all healed and-“
“No I’m not! I can’t fly Cella! Do you know what it’s like to be a Pegasus who can’t fly!?”
Willow stayed silent.
“I do,” a voice from the crowd spoke, Scootaloo stepped forward, “I know what it’s like Willow Bloom.”
“So then tell them what it’s like.”
“It doesn’t feel too different to me, I’ve always been this way. I’m still not always sure of myself, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.”
“But you don’t see it like I do! Like you said you were born that way. So you’ve never known any different.” Willow said with tears in her eyes, “you may long to fly but you’ll never have to miss it.”
Scootaloo stepped back, realizing that this wasn’t about Willow’s inability to fly, she was upset over something much bigger.
“So you can’t fly, neither can earth ponies, and I’m sure there are Pegasi just like you out there.” Cella said.
“That’s not the point Cella.”
“Then what is?”
“I-I-I… I don’t know, I just feel so broken, so helpless.” Willow said, ears drooping as ponies began to walk off. She sat on the ground with a sigh.
“It’s okay Willow,” Cella said setting a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.
“But it’s not Cella,” Willow Bloom said, turning to her friend with tears in her eyes, “it’s not okay. Look around you, every filly and colt here either has or will get a cutie mark, every filly and colt, but me.”
“What does a cutie mark matter Willow? So what if nothing tells you your special talent? You’ll find your own way! You always have.”
“Cella not having a cutie mark is like missing a hoof.”
“Willow Bloom do you not realize who you’re talking to?” Cella ask motioning to her prosthetic.
“Sorry, I don’t mean it that way.”
“I’m sure you don’t, surely you mean that having no cutie mark is barely more than an inconvenience.”
“Cella you know what I’m saying, it’s not like missing a hoof, it’s, it’s like being a pony without magic.”
“Earth pony then?”
“No, without any magic, earth ponies have earth pony magic, plants and stuff.”
“Willow you still have magic, you can walk on clouds even without working wings.”
“But I can’t even reach them.”
“I’m sure you could find a way.”
“But what can a Pegasus do without flying?”
“I’ll tell you what, I know Pegasus who can fly, but has an earth pony talent. Strawberry sunrise lives her life just fine farming strawberries here in Ponyville.”
“Okay, and?”
“And Scootaloo can’t fly and has her scooter.”
“But they have always had that, and you know what I always had Cella?”
“What?”
“Large wings. I was meant to fly,” Willow said, holding back tears, “and now I can’t. My destiny has been taken away from me!”
“Willow-“
“I’m going home Cella,” Willow said beginning to walk away.
“Wait!” Cella ran after her friend.
“I said I’m going home.”
And so Willow did, she walked home and sat in her bed staring at Lumius, he was still super fluffy but he was bigger now, his flight feathers starting to grow in.
“Hi Lumi,” she whispered.
He opened one eye and closed it again, he was very sleepy.
Willow sat down and sighed, “who am I?” She wondered aloud.
6 months later
Willow Bloom sat in Sugarcube Corner with tears in her eyes. She felt so useless, and now that Cella had moved away she felt so alone.
Pinkie Pie walked over to her table.
“Why so glum Willow Bloom?” She asked.
“I miss Cella.”
“I’m sure every Filly in ponyville does, she was very sweet.” Pinkie said, pulling up a chair to sit beside Willow, “Do you wanna talk about it?”
“I dunno, I just want her to come back.”
“That makes sense, if one of my friends moved away, oh I don’t even know what I’d do!”
“Yeah, that’s how I feel, I don’t know what to do.”
“Well I can give you a suggestion,” Pinkie said, sliding a cupcake in front of the filly, “have a sweet and go out to find some other foals to hang out with. I know it won’t be the same, but one friend moving doesn’t mean you can’t make more!”
“Thanks Pinkie,” Willow whinnied, taking a small bite of the cupcake, it was caramel swirl, her favorite. She watched Pinkie walk back behind the counter to serve another pony.
“I guess I can try…” she said, standing up and walking out the doors of the bake shop.
“Find new foals…” she whinnied to herself and looked around, “new foals, new foals, hmmm.” It was like there wasn’t a single foal in all of Ponyville at this moment.
She felt a quick breeze race past her, sending her toppling to the ground.
“Careful Scootaloo! You just knocked somepony over!” She heard a voice yell, she turned to see Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom standing in front of her.
Apple Bloom held out a hoof, “are you alright Willow Bloom?”
Willow stood up and dusted herself off, “yeah, I’m fine.”
“Well that’s a relief!” Sweetie Belle whinnied.
“Scootaloo! You knocked Willow Bloom over!” Apple Bloom called after her friend.
Scoots turned around and turned her scooter swiftly, zipping her way back to the other three fillies.
“Sorry Willow!” Scootaloo said.
“It’s alright.”
“I should have been more careful… hey, you look a little blue, you doing alright?”
Willow sighed, “…not really.”
“Missing Cella?” Apple Bloom asked.
Willow nodded.
“We completely understand,” Sweetie Belle whinnied, “must be really hard to watch a best friend move away.”
“If you want to get your mind off of it you can come hang out with us,” Apple Bloom offered.
“Thanks guys, what are you doing?”
“We’re headed over to Scootaloo’s Aunts’ house,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Are you sure I’m allowed to come?” Willow asked.
“Of course!” Scootaloo whinnied, “Auntie Lofty and Holiday love having guests!”
“Okay.”
The four fillies walked down the dirt paths of ponyville, making their way to the house.
Scootaloo opened the door.
“Hello You three!” Auntie Lofty said, “oh hello you four.”
“Did you fillies bring another friend?” Holiday asked.
“Yep!” Scootaloo whinnied, “Auntie Holiday, Auntie Lofty, meet Willow Bloom!”
Willow waved to the two mares, “hi there.”
“Why hello there Willow Bloom.” Holiday said with a smile, “welcome to our humble abode.”
“You’ve got good timing miss Willow, I just finished a batch of cookies,” Lofty said.
“Ooh! Yay!” Scootaloo squeaked, “Auntie Lofty makes the best cookies!”
The four fillies trotted into the house and sat down on the couch.
Lofty walked in with some cookies on a platter and Holiday sat down next to the foals.
“Any new cutie mark adventures crusaders?” She asked.
“Of course!” Apple Bloom replied, “we’ve been helping all sorts of ponies!”
“Uh huh!” Scootaloo agreed, “Like just yesterday! We met a griffon! Have either of you ever met a griffon?”
“No, I don’t think I have…” Holiday began.
“I have.” Lofty interrupted, “When your friend Rainbow Dash brought her griffon friend to town.”
“Right, Gilda!” Scootaloo said, “well we met another one!”
Sweetie Belle nodded, “her name is Gabby, she came looking for us!”
Willow Bloom looked over, “she did? Did you do something to her?”
Apple Bloom shook her head, “not at all, she came looking because she wanted a cutie mark!”
Willow Bloom stared, tilting her head in a confused glance, “but, Griffons can’t get cutie marks… can they?”
“No they can’t,” Sweetie Belle said, “but she realized it wasn’t really the cutie mark she was looking for.”
Scootaloo nodded, “she just wanted to know what she was meant to do! And we helped her figure it out!”
“And what was it?” Willow asked, eager curiosity glowing in her eyes.
“She wanted to help creatures, in any way she could!” Apple Bloom said with a smile, “and because of it we made her a cutie mark of her own, see!”
Apple Bloom set a photo on the table in front of Willow. Pictures were the crusaders and a small grey griffon, attached to her saddle bags sat a lovely wooden carving, set in the shape of a shield, it mimicked the very marks the crusaders bore on their flanks.
“That’s wonderful, you three really do know how to help everycreature don’t you?” Holiday asked with a smile.
Scootaloo nodded giving a bright grin, then she turned to Willow Bloom.
“So cool right?” She asked.
Willow nodded, she was smiling now, quite a bit happier. It was hard to be sad around the crusaders. They had this kind of joy that surrounded them, and it was very contagious.
“You know what ponies,” Willow said, “if a griffin can find their destiny without a mark, maybe I can too. I mean, surely these scars must mean something.”
“That’s the spirit Willow!” Scootaloo cheered her on.
“Want our help figuring it out?” Apple Bloom asked.
Willow nodded, “sure, couldn’t hurt right?”
The crusaders nodded, and the four fillies left Lofty and Holiday’s housed waving a friendly goodbye.
“So Willow Bloom, what do you want to try first?” Sweetie Belle asked.
Willow sat for a moment, “maybe let’s start with what we already know.”
“And what’s that?” Scootaloo asked.
“Whatever this scar means, it must have something to do with battle right? That’s how I gained it, so it must have something to do with my destiny right?”
“It’s a good start!” Apple Bloom said, “so what kind of fighting stuff are you good at Willow?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Well you have always been feisty.” Sweetie Belle mentioned.
“And ever since we’ve known you, you have fought against mean ponies!” Scootaloo added.
As the fillies spoke a small piece of paper floated to the ground in front of Willow. She picked it up with her healthy wing and stared at it.
“Everypony… I think I know what it means,” she said, turning the flyer around for the Crusaders to see.
“Join the royal guard trainees today…” Apple Bloom read aloud.
“If I’m good at fighting bad ponies, then that’s just what I’ll do.”
Author's Note
Been a long time since I’ve updated this. But hello again! Three more chapters and then this one will be finished! Stay tuned, or don’t lol, this may take a minute :P