Friendship isn't just Magic, it can heal hearts too

by Raumo

Marks (EDITED)

Author's Note:

To answer officially Starlight Nova's question: Yes I will be using flashbacks/nightmares. Matter of fact this chapter has one.

I watched as Twilight practiced her magic. I was impressed. She had quite the variety of tricks. Still, they were just tricks. Not sure what she would do in a dangerous situation. I raised an eyebrow at Spike thinking a mustache could woo Rarity. That reminded me. "Hey, Miss Sparkle?" She looked at me. "Did you ever ask your mentor about the spell-infused gemstones?"

"Yes, I did. Strangely, she hasn't replied."

"Huh. Well, I'm in no hurry."

"Maybe you aren't, but I would love to see if they worked on you."

"Patience." I saw her looking at one of Spike's gems. "How about we take a walk about town. See what your friends are up to." I pushed her out the door.

"Fine." She said sullenly.

"Hey, those were quite some tricks you did. Wouldn't you agree Spike?" I said this in hopes he could distract her from them gem theory.

"Yeah! 25 tricks and counting. I thought unicorns had only a little magic that matched their special talents." Special talents?

"That's true for unicorns whose talents are singing, math, or cooking, but what if their special talent is magic?" Twilight replied.

"Like you, Twilight, and you know a ton of magic." She opened her mouth to no doubt protest, but before she could, we heard yelling.

"Make way. Coming through!" Two colts came galloping by, taking Spike with them. Snips and Snails. Interesting names. A new unicorn? With more magical powers than anypony in Equestria? I scoffed. Then how come we haven't heard of her before?

Spike then defended Twilight as the one who had the most powers. "Where is this unicorn?" Twilight asked.

"In the town square. Come on." They all galloped off. I sighed and followed. Might as well see what all the fuss is about. At least Twilight is no longer thinking of the gems.

We arrived at the square. Twilight and Spike went to the front while I stayed back from the crowd a bit, near a tree. A tall human is a bit obvious around short ponies. A voice sounded out about the Great and Powerful Trixie. A blue unicorn came out and did some fancy light show. Ah. A traveling show pony. One who exaggerates their feats in order to make ends meet. No wonder she isn't widely known. Plus she sounds more of a boaster than one who does tricks for a living.

There was nothing here except some tall tales and some more tricks, so I turned to walk to the library. Maybe I can find a book on special talents. There has got to be more to it than just as it sounds. I was almost to the library when Rarity ran by sobbing in a fancy dress. Was her hair a bird's nest and green? With her purple tail? No wonder she was sobbing. A fashionista like her. Guess Trixie was doing tricks on ponies, not just showing them. I paused. Should I go and comfort her? Never mind. I don't know how to comfort a sobbing girl.

As I walked into the library, I scanned the shelves for the book I wanted. Why is there nothing on special talents? And what about those marks on their flank? Not a single one is the same. I meant to ask this sooner, but it slipped my mind. I'll have to ask Twilight later. The door slammed open and Twilight ran in. Well, that's convenient. "You look worried."

"I am. What would happen if my friends think I'm boasting if I do my tricks?"

"If they really are your friends, then they'll know the difference between you boasting and you just wanting to share your talent with them."

She sighed. "Maybe." She looked at me curious. "What are you doing here? I thought you followed us to the square."

"I did. Wondered what the fuss was about, saw it was just a show with a boasting pony, lost interest, and left. Came here to find a book on special talents and the marks on your flanks."

"Our cutie marks? You don't know what they are? Do humans not have them? I thought they did. You have a mark on your chest."

I froze. The library fell away.

I was 18 again. For 3 years I had been trying to stamp out SCORPIA. For those same 3 years, they had been trying to stamp out me. I had escaped them time and time again, as I sought to wipe them out. This time though, I didn't think I could. They had stripped me to just pants, chained my hands high and my legs far apart. The chains were tight, almost cutting off my circulation. Not even a chance of breaking my hands to get through them.

Then he walked in. My clone. He was originally made to look like me. When I was 14, it worked. Now, though, I was taller, and where his face had smoother edges mine was sharper. We could pass as brothers, but I hated him. He was the one that killed Jack.

"Julius," I spat out.

"Alex," he replied calmly. "I see you're quite chained up. Good. This time, you won't escape. I came to give you one last present, before you die." He then took a knife out of his pocket. He began cutting my chest, in a specific formation. I could feel blood running down my chest. I didn't dare struggle. It hurt enough already, I didn't want to add to it. He finished, then brought a pot of ink and smeared it into the picture he had made. "There, something to remember us by and to show whoever finds you. SCORPIA never forgives, never forgets. Never Alex, never.

"ALEX!"

I snapped back to the library at Twilight's yell. "How do you know of the mark on my chest?" My voice shook and my breathing was ragged. I could usually keep my flashbacks to when I was on my own or not at all. I wasn't expecting her to ask about my chest, though. She shouldn't know of that mark. I always change in the bathroom...except in the early mornings to work out, when I think she is asleep.

Her words confirmed my thoughts. "I saw it once when I woke up earlier than usual. You were changing. I looked away, but I saw your mark before I did. I thought nothing of it, because I thought it was just a strange cutie mark. Based on your reaction, though, I'm guessing it's not," her voice trailed off.

I worked to suppress the memories and calm my breathing."It's not a cutie mark. Not that I know for sure what one is. What is a cutie mark?" It was an obvious deflect but I was slightly desperate. I didn't want to talk about it, or keep thinking of it.

She complied with my silent plea. "Ponies are born without their marks. When they find something unique to themselves, or their special talent, their cutie marks appear. It's a representation of who we are and what we're meant to be."

"Makes sense. I see the connections between most of them." I saw she had pulled out a thick tome. I was about to ask what she was studying, when the door opened. Spiked walked in looking grumpy. He started trying to convince Twilight to stand up to Trixie. She kept saying no. My eyes widened as Twilight made a door out of nowhere. I smirked as Spike slammed the door closed, then had to open it again, to walk to the real door. "He is right you know. There is a difference between you and Trixie."

"Not you too." I shrugged at her. "Ugh!" She then turned to her book.

"What are you reading?"

"Trixie mentioned she had once vanquished an Ursa Major. I wanted to read about them."

"A constellation? She vanquished a group of stars?" Twilight looked at me in surprise.

"Is that what an Ursa is, in your world?" I nodded "Oh. Well, in ours it's an actual creature. They're big magical bears that look like the starry night sky."

"That description doesn't surprise me," I commented dryly. She turned back to her book, and I grabbed a book on pony physiology.

Hours later, I heard a faint crash outside. I got up and walked to the window when Spike dashed in, shouting "Twilight! Quick! You gotta come!"

"I already told you Spike, I don't want to show up Trixie."

I quickly spoke with urgency, "That's not why he wants you to come Miss Sparkle." A roar punctuated my words.

"Uh, is that what I think it is?"

"Majorly," was Spike's reply. Really? A pun? Now? We ran outside and to the source of the noise. Ponies ran the opposite direction. Why is it that I always end up running to danger? We stopped next to Snips and Snails.

"What's going on?"

"We brought an Ursa Major into town," one of them said, Snips by his mark.

"You what!?" Twilight and I yelled at the same time. I focused on the Ursa not too far away. Strange. It's not breaking anything. Well, anymore. I noticed Trixie's broken wagon. It's not even going after the villagers. It wasn't really doing anything. Just mostly roaring. It's like a kid having a tantrum. It then came nearer to us and roared, making nearly everyone yell in fear.

Spike nudged Twilight. She looked at me. I nodded. As she walked forward I slipped my hand to my back. Ready to grab the gun I hid there, in case my hunch was wrong.

She cast her first spell. As the lullaby passed through the Ursa's ears it immediately relaxed. I did too. I hope I'm right, I think this a baby Ursa. It doesn't have the ferociousness, or hardness of an adult. The eyes are too soft. As Twilight gave it the makeshift bottle and floated it to the forest. I huffed out a laugh Yep, just like a baby.

As her friends reassured her of their love of her magic as a part of who she was, I smiled. Then Twilight explained that the Ursa had been a baby. The last bit of tension drained out of me. I thought so. Nice to have it confirmed though.

After Trixie ran off and Twilight doled her punishment, I walked up to Twilight. "Told you, your friends know the difference. Excellent job taking care of the Ursa as well. I was skeptical of your tricks, but it seems that they do work in certain situations."

"I'm just relieved everything turned out well." She yawned.

"Go to sleep, Twilight." She looked at me in surprise. "What?"

"You called me Twilight."

"It's your name isn't it?" She huffed at me. I gave a small chuckle. "Don't get used to it. Now, go to bed."

"Aren't you coming too?"

"Soon." She nodded and left with Spike.

Truth was, I dreaded going to bed. My sleep had been somewhat normal. No major nightmares. My flashbacks had been nonexistent. This world was so different from mine, there was very little triggers. It seems though my grace period had ended.

I walked into the library. Bypassing my bed to head to one of the balconies. Twilight's telescope was there. I sat against the railing staring at the stars. My mind drifted. The memory wasn't particularly terrible.. The slight torture I could take seeing again. It was the fact that it was Julius there, and the hallucinations.

Against my best efforts, I began to fall asleep, one thought prominent. I've become soft. I could stay up far longer than this before.

Julius left with a manic and triumphant grin on his face. My chest burned. I tried to pull at the chains again. I hissed as it pulled the skin on my chest. Nothing was giving. So this is how I die? Slowly dying of heat in a cell in a desert.

Hours passed. As the heat got to my mind, people appeared. Jack with her bright red hair, frozen in a laugh. Sabina crying, asking why. Tom giving me one sad last look back as he walked away. Mr. Blunt looking at me with his bland look, a triumphant gleam in his eye. Mrs. Jones with her apologetic look as she handed me another mission folder. Yassen telling me to go to SCORPIA, to find out about my father, as the life faded from him.

Then, as black was closing in, they appeared. K-Unit came in and released the chains and carried me out.

Weird, why am I imagining K-Unit rescuing me? They hate me. Then the black fully encompassed me.

I woke with a gasp. I shook my head, wanting to shake the memory away. Didn't work. I sighed, and let my thoughts flow.

K-Unit did come and break me out of the cell. I had been surprised to find that out later. Thankfully they hadn't recognized me from 3 years earlier. I had been rushed to the nearest hospital. I had been dehydrated, had heat stroke, and slight blood poisoning. The mark on my chest was permanent. No amount of work could remove it. I had a permanent scorpion on my chest. The mark of SCORPIA. I had eventually destroyed them, but they left marks on me. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

I thought of my mark, and then the pony's cutie mark. A representation of who they are.

Wonder what my mark would be if I had one. I know who Alex the Spy is, but who is Alex the Man?

I was scared to find out.