The Best Mare in the World
Well, you already know the story of how I got my cutie mark: Feisty filly Dashie did her super awesome Sonic Rainboom for the first time, and seeing those colors sweep over town was one of the happiest moments of my entire life! Life on the rock farm was never the same after I threw that party for my family and got them to see the bright side of everything like I finally did. Before that moment, things were all doom and gloom, and it was such a terrible time that I don’t think I could ever relive it!
But things weren’t always all party pooperish on the farm. In fact, there was a time when everything was cheerful and totally the opposite of dull and gray. Rock farming is pretty fun when you have the right mindset, and there are tons of cool games you can play while you’re doing it! There’s rockpony building, rockball, and pin the rock on the rock! I Spy is especially challenging because you never know which particular rock the other pony’s looking at.
I know that some of you have even decided to call that totally down and depressing side of me ‘Pinkamena Diane Pie’ instead of the name I prefer to go by. Well, sometimes I actually do the same thing. There’s a reason why I choose to go by ‘Pinkie’ instead. And that’s part of this story, too, so with this tale I can fill two bellies with one apple!
(I may have stolen that expression from Applejack. I hope she doesn’t mind!)
And despite how my story made my parents out to be, they weren’t Debbie Downers at all! I love them oh so much and please know that there’s nopony else I would have rather grown up with.
But I think that, for you to understand why things ended up the way they did, you have to know about the most fun and amazing mare who ever lived: My Granny Pie.
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One of my earliest memories was with my Granny. It's a bit fuzzy, so I had to fill in the gaps with the help of my parents. I was just the tiniest little pink filly when I managed to escape my house and crawl down onto the farm. I must have been quite the hoofful - and after taking care of the Cakes’ little ones, I can sympathize completely with my family!
Anyway, being the adventurous sort I am, I climbed my adorable little plot on top of a humongous pile of rocks! I must have been moving like a tiny little rocket over the heaps of stone, because my parents saw me from the house and started yelling at me to stop, but at the time I had no idea what they wanted. So I pressed onward, the brave little mountain climber getting ready to conquer Mt. Pie…
…unaware that over the next boulder was a sudden drop onto the farm! I stepped over and lost my grip, tumbling down until there was nothing left to stand on. I closed my eyes and winced as I felt myself lose against the force of gravity.
That’s the first time I wished I was born a pegasus!
I heard Twilight has a spell that can totally flip-flop gravity upside down. That’s incredible! What if there’s no ceiling, do you just fly up forever and ever? Ooh, maybe she could be the second mare on the Moon if she aimed right! Wait, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, back on topic.
Suddenly, I felt myself in a fuzzy, soft grip instead of cold, hard ground. Not trusting my senses, I opened my eyes and looked down at my hooves; in front of them was a pink coat a smidge lighter than my own. I looked up and saw the warmest smile I had ever known, along with two golden eyes and a curly white mane.
“Careful there, cupcake! You may be a skilled rock climber, but your rock diving needs some practice,” she said with a chuckle, making me giggle along with her. The two of us sat there for a moment, laughing.
“What say we head back to the house? I bet your parents are making something mighty tasty for dinner!”
She carried me all the way back home, and my parents did some heavy duty reinforcing on my crib before I went to bed that night. I’m pretty sure they still have it in one piece; that thing was built like Tank!
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Granny Pie was my dad’s mom, and she lived with us on the farm. I never knew my grandpa on that side of the family, and my mom’s parents lived somewhere else. They visited every now and then, but I never got as close to them as I did her. They were more of the old fashioned brimstone rock farming type, while Granny was… Granny!
Some ponies say I have a sweet tooth. I say that’s an understatement! I’m not sure whose genes I inherited to let me down all these sweets without any noticeable consequences, but I sure am grateful. Otherwise I could probably roll myself to work every day! I do know who got me interested on the whole baked goods scene, though.
…you know, rolling myself around town sounds pretty fun. Note to Pinkie: Make giant bubble.
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I was a bit older this time - a couple years, at least. I was able to trot around on my own and speak pretty basically. And I was still an adventurer, as always.
Mom had told me not to go into the kitchen whenever someone was cooking, and it was early afternoon so I knew that there was no breakfast or dinner being cooked, so I went in. But it turns out I wasn’t by myself.
“Add a teaspoon of vanilla… why not some more?” I heard from the other side of the counter. Uh-oh, someone was cooking in there! I turned around and started moving my haunches to leave before I got into any trouble.
“Hey there, cupcake, why the rush?”
Curse my tiny baby legs and their slowness!
I turned around nervously. “I’m not awowed.”
(Yes, I was super adorable!)
Granny Pie put on her radiant grin and bent down to look me eye-to-eye. “I won’t tell if you won’t, little one,” she whispered.
Granny then lifted me up all the way to the top of the counter to let me watch as she prepared a batch of cupcakes! She even went step by step so I could see everything that went into baking. She hummed this soothing tune the whole time that put me in a trance or something. If there was ever something that caught my interest enough for me to sit still and focus, this was it!
When she finished baking, she took one out, put frosting on it right in front of me, and slid it over to me with a wink.
“Thanks, Gwanny!” (So cute!)
It was one of the best things I had ever eaten! It was like suddenly the world made sense! All my life, I’ve tried to replicate that perfect cupcake.
When I was done, I was in cupcake heaven - so much so that I forgot I was on the counter instead of the ground! I walked toward the right to leave the kitchen before my parents noticed I was in there.
That’s when I heard, “Wiggly nose? Uh-oh!” from my Granny.
I didn’t pay much attention, but soon I felt my front hooves touch nothing but air as I tumbled face-first toward the ground. Not my adorable little face!
I found myself wishing for a second time that I was a pegasus.
But suddenly those light pink legs reached out and caught me, setting me down gently on my hooves.
“Ah yes, I remember my first cupcake. Lucky for you I have my Pie sense!”
“What’s dat?”
“It’s something that runs in the family - sometimes I can tell when something’s going to happen because my nose wiggles, or maybe my tail twitches, or my hooves start tapping. Maybe someday you’ll get your own Pinkie sense!”
I walked off, full and excited for what the future could hold!
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My sisters, Inky and Blinky, took after my parents. They were focused, hardworking, and dedicated to the farm… A lot like AJ or Rarity, really. But it was obvious to everyone who I took after: The wizened pink mare with the ability to bake your socks off and a penchant for singing.
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I came down with a really nasty fever one time when the weather got cold on the farm. My head was on fire for a week! I wanted to keep working the farm, but my parents forbade me from leaving my bed. It was soooooooo boring! How can anypony stand staying in one place like that for hours?
While I was stuck in that awful situation, Granny Pie had the job of taking care of me. She would come in just about every hour to check up on me, and sometimes she’d stay around to tell me a story. She always had the best ones memorized and ready at any given second. Whenever she recited “The Three Little Pigs,” she would let me be the piggies and she would play the big bad timberwolf perfectly. When we got to the third piggy, I would hide under the fort that was my covers and she couldn’t blow it down no matter how hard she tried!
It was also during that week that I really listened to her sing for the first time. She had done it before, of course, but I guess I was never in one place long enough to stop and really pay attention. Being stuck in bed, withering away out of boredom, I was given that chance.
Granny Pie had a beautiful voice, even if it was worn with age. I bet she could have been famous when she was younger if she chose to use those pipes professionally!
A few days into my fever, she came into my room like usual. She was holding a scrumptious looking treat!
“Cupcake for my cupcake,” she said sweetly as she held it out to me.
“Thanks, Granny!” I yelled as I grabbed it as tenderly as if it was a baby.
“So, little Pinkie, what story should I tell this time?” she asked with a smile.
I thought for a moment, then asked her, “Granny, could you sing for me instead?”
She seemed pretty surprised at that. “Of course! But what should I sing about?”
“Whatever you want! I just want to hear you sing is all.” I genuinely just wanted to hear anything that came out of her mouth.
I saw her smile that smile I had seen countless times before, and I knew everything would be alright.
When you find yourself down and out,
There’s no need to give up and pout.
Just chin up, put on a smile,
And throw those worries into a pile!
When working life’s got you down,
Leaving you with a stuck-on frown,
Just chin up, forget those thoughts,
And you show life who’s the boss!
If you think you’re just too slow
And your future holds nothing but woe
Just chin up, don’t give up the race
‘Cause I know you’ll win first place!
And if you’re sick and stuck in bed,
With a fire blazing through your head,
Just chin up, we’ll beat it out
Of that I have no doubt.
So don’t fret, little cupcake.
For this is not your mistake.
Just chin up, get some rest,
And soon you’ll feel your very best.
When at your worst, no will left to play,
A rainbow will come to cheer up your day.
A rainbow will come to cheer up your day.
It wasn’t her best song, and it may not have been her best singing, but it was exactly what I needed at the time. And I’m pretty sure she made it up on the spot! That’s my Granny.
I remember drifting off to sleep just a little while later, and when I woke up, my fever had nearly broken completely! Sciency folks may call in coincidence, but to this day I chalk it up to the power of Granny Pie’s music.
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By now you all know “Giggle at the Ghosties.” Obviously, Granny Pie had a pretty direct impact on that one! She helped me overcome some of my worst fears using her usual charms. I bet things would have turned out a lot differently if she hadn't convinced me to laugh at the darkness.
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The week had been cold and stormy. Every night it either rained or was overcast, so there wasn’t a star to be seen in the sky and the moon’s light couldn’t help brighten up my room one bit. It was way spooky, and little filly me was scared out of her wits!
I kept thinking I saw shadows moving around my room. One time I stared at a spot on my wall just to make sure nothing happened. I was terrified that something was going to jump out of the darkness at me, but I just couldn’t look away. It was mesmerizing!
Half the time I just stuffed my head under my pillow and tried to fall asleep. After all, if I couldn’t see the monsters, maybe they wouldn’t notice me. Or at least that’s what I was hoping.
A few nights into the darkness, Granny Pie came in to say goodnight like usual. But when she went to blow out the candle, I jumped up.
“Granny, could you leave the candle burning tonight?” I begged.
“What for, cupcake?”
“No reason, I just like to watch it flicker is all,” I replied sheepishly.
She wasn’t buying it. I could see that in her eyes, but the rest of her face remained a warm smile. “Is there any other reason you want me to keep the candle going, Pinkie?”
I knew I couldn’t lie to her again. She deserved my honesty. “I’m scared, Granny.”
“Of the dark?”
“Y-yes,” I replied with a bit of shame.
“It’s okay, Pinkie. You know, I used to be scared of the dark, too, when I was younger.”
“No way!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing!
“Oh, it’s true! I was terrified of ghosts and other such creatures when I was your age!” she replied sincerely. “But I learned to stand up tall and face my fears.”
Now I was really interested! “How’d you do that?”
“I learned to laugh!” she said with a grin.
“…laugh?” I had no idea what to make of that! I thought laughter was only for jokes and pranks and other funny things.
“That’s right! I learned that these fears can’t hurt me. They’re only in our heads, cupcake. I learned to laugh to make them just disappear!” She saw that I wasn’t quite convinced. “Here, let me show you,” she said as she leaned over to blow out the candle.
The room went black. Oh no no no, the monsters were free! “Granny?!” I gasped.
“I’m still here, cupcake. Don’t fret. Now, follow my lead.” I could hear her take a deep breath. “Ha! Ha! Ha!”
I still couldn’t see how this would work - how could a laugh do anything against the evil of the shadows? But I trusted my Granny Pie. So I took a breath and repeated her. “Ha… ha… ha?”
“Oh, I know you can do better than that, Pinkie. I’ve seen you laugh up a storm before!”
She was right! I was a laughing champion! Her words encouraged me, but I was still afraid. “Ha. Ha. Ha.”
“Again. Show this darkness who’s boss!”
“Ha! Ha! Ha!”
“That’s the spirit! One more time!”
I inhaled as much air as I possibly could. “HA! HA! HA!”
“There you go! There’s nothing to be afraid of, cupcake.” I had to admit that I was feeling a teensy bit better.
Suddenly, my door swung open as my father looked in worriedly. “What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”
Granny Pie and I looked at each other. I felt so embarrassed.
Then she spoke up. “Oh, nothing, honey. Pinkie just told me an especially funny joke. Sorry for waking you.”
After my father left, I looked at Granny with admiration and gratitude, and she looked back at me with that same warm smile I knew and loved. Not even the darkness of the stormy night could conceal it.
Then, she started giggling. And I couldn’t help but do the same. We broke out into laughter, careful not to alert dad again.
I slept like a baby that night.
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As time went by, I think I grew a bit apart from my sisters as I got closer to Granny. Inky and Blinky were an inseparable duo, and I always sort of felt like a third wheel (hey, maybe that’s why Trixie doesn’t like me!). I was always the jumpy one of the bunch, reaching for the clouds even when I knew my hooves would never stretch that far, while they were much more grounded. Maybe that’s why they didn’t have that connection with Granny Pie quite like I did.
When we started going to school, this separation became clearer.
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The teacher traced her hoof down the page to the next name. “Pinkamena Diane Pie?”
“Here!” I shouted as I waved a hoof from the back of the class.
When Inky, Blinky, and I walked into the classroom, there was only a hoofful of seats left in the room. There were two next to each other in the front, but the rest were scattered around the class at random. My sisters took the two seats together, leaving me to sit by myself. For the first time in my life, I was lonely and surrounded by ponies at the same time!
I can’t even remember what the lesson was for that first class, or what was for lunch, or anything. I just remember that the day dragged on forever! It may be hard to believe, but I went through that entire day without saying a single word. My mane was totally flat by the time the final bell rang.
When the three of us got home, my dad asked, “So, little ones, how was your first day of school?”
“Fine,” said both my sisters. They stuck around my dad to tell him about the day.
I just kept my head down and walked to my room.
Granny Pie must have noticed my mane, because about a minute later she came trotting in after me.
“What’s the matter, cupcake?”
I let all my emotions out over the next couple minutes. I told her exactly how I felt and how I didn’t have any friends at school. She was the only pony I could talk to about my feelings like that.
“There, there, Pinkie. Don’t fret.”
“But Granny, I’m going to go in tomorrow and be all alone all over again! I’m going to wind up as ‘Pinkamena, that filly in the back that no pony likes,’ ” I whined.
“No, you’re not,” she replied with an almost commanding voice.
I looked up at her, confused. “I’m not?”
“You’re not! You’re going to go in there as ‘Pinkie Pie, that filly that makes everypony smile!’ ” she reassured me.
“But… how can I do that?”
“Just be yourself, cupcake. You are such a caring and happy soul - I feel it every second we’re together. You’re exactly the type of pony that can make friends with anypony and everypony! You just have to open up a little, and those fillies and colts will see you for the amazing filly you are in no time.”
I sniffed, wiping away a tear with my hoof. “You think so?”
“I know so!” she said as she tapped me lovingly on the chest.
I brightened up all at once as a thought came to my head. “Laugh my fears away!” I felt my mane start to bounce back up.
Granny Pie smiled and nodded, “Exactly.”
The next day, everypony sat in the same seats as before. I started having second thoughts about the conversation from the day before. But I remembered that it was Granny Pie who encouraged me, and Granny Pie was never wrong! I looked over to the colt sitting next to me, looking out the window and probably as or less interested in the actual lesson as I was.
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I started to bring my head back to my desk when he looked over at me. I couldn’t pretend like I wasn’t just looking at him, so I went for it!
“Um, hi, I’m Pinkie Pie,” I said with a slight tremble.
“Nice to meet you, Pinkie. I’m Golden Oaks,” he replied. I felt my lips curl into a smile.
The rest is history, I guess!
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I guess you’ve noticed I’ve been getting a bit less hyper the further I go into my story. I think it’s because it’s the first time I’ve ever told it… and we’re heading toward the end.
As months went on, Granny developed a bit of a cough. I didn’t make anything of it; I was too young to really connect it to anything serious. I noticed that mom and dad seemed more downtrodden as the days went by. I overheard them talking about money one night, worried about the farm’s income and paying for something big - I had no interest in things like that so I didn’t really pay attention to what they said.
Granny was spending more time in bed than usual. It was now me who went to see her rather than the other way around. Sometimes she would still read me stories, but other times her cough got too bad and she couldn’t finish them.
So I started telling her stories instead. Sometimes I’d recite tales she had told to me over and over again throughout my childhood, and other times I’d make them up as I went. I was getting better at that on-the-fly thinking.
No matter how bad her condition got, she was always smiling. She never let the sickness take away from her personality or her general outlook on life.
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One night I went into her room and saw that signature expression looking right at me.
“Hey there, cupcake.”
“Hi, Granny,” I replied, returning the smile.
“Co- *cough* Come on over!”
I trotted up to her bedside and looked at her. I had never before realized how old she looked. The bags beneath her eyes, the wrinkles defining her face… She had been around for a long time, and she surely saw and experienced so many wonderful things.
“Would you like to hear a story?” she asked me graciously.
“No, I’m fine telling you one tonight, Granny,” I replied.
“You sure?”
“No problem! What would you like to hear?”
She lay there for a second, thinking. Then she turned her head to me. “Do you think you could sing for me tonight, cupcake?”
That took me by surprise. I had never sung before - at least, not to anyone. I had tried to copy my Granny’s songs sometimes when I was alone, but I didn’t think I was very good at it.
But it was my Granny, and I had to try. “Sure, Granny. What would you like to hear?”
“Oh, anything will do, Pinkie. I’d just like to hear you sing,” she replied earnestly.
I was a little grateful for that, since I didn’t really have any songs memorized. So I tried my best to come up with one on the spot, using the first memories that came to my head.
When you climb a rocky heap,
Uh… you best look before you leap!
Sooner or later you’re gonna fall,
But I’ll be there if you just call.
If you find yourself sick in bed,
Just rest easy on your head.
‘Cause no matter how hot things get,
With each other there’s no room to fret.
The darkness comes to snuff your flame,
But don’t you play its silly game!
It can’t scare you, not even half.
All you have to do is laugh!
A new day might find you alone;
Where you step no sun has shone.
Just open up and look inside-
There’s no reason for you to hide.
Sometimes friends will drift apart,
But they’ll always stay within your heart.
As you walk into the night
Know you’ll soon see the morning light.
As I finished, my mouth grew into a grin. I couldn’t believe I had just pulled that off! I looked over toward Granny for a reaction.
She was crying.
I didn’t know what to do. Had I done something wrong? “I-I’m sorry, Granny. D-did…”
“Don’t worry, cupcake. That was just so beautiful, is all.”
Something didn’t feel right to me. “Y-you promise?”
“Yes, I promise. Thank you so much, Pinkie. From the bottom of my heart.”
“It was no problem, Granny. Really.” I felt like I should be apologizing for some reason, but I couldn’t think of anything to say.
I leaned in and gave my Granny a good night kiss on the forehead, and turned to leave the room.
“I love you, Pinkie Pie. Always know that.”
My breath stopped as my heart suddenly felt heavy. I couldn’t understand what was going on, but I was sad. “I love you too, Granny.” I blew out the candle and closed the door.
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You may have already guessed what comes next, but I have to speak it out loud for my own sake. I’ve come this far, and I’m not going back. I want to thank you for listening to my story. Trust me, it means a lot.
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A mild autumn day followed. There was a new student in class, a light blue filly with with a purple mane and glasses. I... Weird, I can't quite remember her name. That never happens to me anymore.
She seemed to not know how to approach anypony, and she ended up sitting in the back corner just a couple seats away. I knew exactly how that felt, so I made the first move and introduced myself. By the end of class, she could say she had definitely made one friend at school. And I could add another smile to my collection, too.
Blinky, Inky, and I walked our normal route home. Everything was ordinary: Those two were chatting about classroom gossip while I thought over my day so I could tell Granny without messing any details up.
The three of us trotted into the house. My parents were in the living room. I trotted over to my room and threw down my school bag. Afterward, I peeked into Granny’s room, but it was empty. I remember thinking that she must have been visiting one of her old friends like she’d do on occasion.
“Blinky, Inky, Pinkie: Come in here, please,” I heard my dad request.
The three of us trotted into the room and were told to take seats, so we did. I looked around nervously, hoping I wasn’t in any trouble. I couldn’t remember doing anything wrong lately.
My dad stood up and looked at all three of us with red, sunken eyes. “Girls… I have some bad news.”
I hadn’t put two and two together quite yet. “What is it, dad?”
He looked down and sniffed, holding back a tear. I think he wanted to be strong for his daughters. “Pinkie… your Granny’s gone.”
“Gone where?”
That seemed to hit him hard. He exhaled quickly, then gulped back to keep a sob from coming out. I felt like I had done something wrong again.
He spent the next several minutes explaining to me that my Granny Pie was gone somewhere I couldn’t follow her, and she wasn’t coming back. I still didn’t understand fully what had happened, and I kept questioning the details. It must have been really hard on dad to keep answering me, and I am sorry for that. But I kept pushing to find out where it was she went, in case there was a way I could visit or write to her. My parents eventually told me that she had gone up to a place above the clouds, and I may see her again, but it wouldn’t be for a long, long time.
That was the third time I wished I was born a pegasus.
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You know what happened after that day: Things went downhill. There was no talking. There was no smiling. There were only rocks. I chose not to give this information before because I wasn’t ready to. But I am now. And I have to say, it feels good to get it off my chest.
Dashie’s Sonic Rainboom had more meaning than I gave it credit for. When I saw that blast of color sweep over the farm, my real first thoughts on the matter were the lyrics to my Granny’s song:
When at your worst, no will left to play,
A rainbow will come to cheer up your day.
I knew it had to be a sign! I couldn’t accept it as anything else! Maybe it was my Granny speaking to me directly, maybe not; but either way, I suddenly realized and knew that I had to live the way she would want me to live. She hadn’t raised me to be this down and out little filly with no hope, and I was only disrespecting her memory by doing so. I was not Pinkamena Diane Pie; I was Pinkie Pie, the filly who was there to make everypony happy!
Of course I couldn’t let my family stay down in the dumps either, so I set out to make a super spectacular party to return that spirit that Granny Pie took with her when she left! I was so very glad when it worked, because I don’t know what I would have done otherwise. I couldn’t stand seeing them unhappy, because it would only remind me of what we lost when Granny passed.
Sometimes life just throw things at you that makes you see everything a lot more clearly but a little too late, I guess. But things worked out for the best in the end. Now I have tons of awesomeriffic friends (even if Twilight hates when I say that since it’s not a real word), and they’re always there for me! Plus I have an amazing job under the Cakes where I can make my own cupcakes all day long! And eventually I may even finally get that recipe of hers down.
My family decided to stay back at the farm, and I’m glad for them as long as it makes them happy. But I found my special talent, and now I’m going to make everyone I can smile, because it’s how my Granny lived. And I don’t think I could follow a better role model.
Now that I’m done with my story: Who’s up for a party? I want to see everypony smile!
