The Cutie Mark Of 1000 Laughs
The birds were chirping as the sky was as blue as a gem. The clouds were hiding as the sun beamed onto the soft, delicate grass of Ponyville.
A young pegasus mare looked around the village, taking it all in. Her hooves hit the floor in a rhythmic pattern as she trotted along the streets. Her grey coat shimmered as the sun danced in the sky as her wings urged for a dance in the sky. Her cutie mark, a carrot, dazzled as the sun said hello. The scene around her made her feel very welcomed. She enjoyed the buzz of the bees and the smell of the flowers.
She, most of all, enjoyed the calm and the absence of sound that she had become used to in the big city.
"WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!"
The mare sprang from the ground, flapping her wings as she yelled in shock and fear. She turned around and locked eyes with a pink pony, who must have been the same age as her, with perfectly purple eyes.
The pegasus sheepishly smiled at the silly pony and raised her hoof to wave at her.
"Hello," the pony calmly said.
"My name," the pink pony started to excitedly say, "is Peppy Prattle! What's yours?" she asked.
The shy city pony replied, "Sydia."
Peppy smiled, beaming with delight.
"Well, Sydia, it's so very super duper amazing to meet you!" Peppy giggled.
Peppy looked at the pony, moving her neck down in the process. Her little wings, half the size of Sydia's, fluttered as she smiled.
Sydia looked up at Peppy, noticing her small wings. A shocked expression took over her face, but Peppy stopped her in her tracks.
"I know, right? Aren't they so cool!"
"Can you fly?" Sydia inquisitively asked. Her interest in the pony, for some particular reason, had strengthened.
Without saying a word, Peppy flapped her wings, lifting herself off the ground by an inch or two. She hopped back down, just like a bunny, with a smile etched across her face.
"Wow," the grey mare beamed, "you're pretty unique!"
It was at that point when Sydia noticed the yellow markings on the pony's multicoloured flank. Peppy, being the attentive pony she is, happened to see Sydia's reaction.
"Wanna know the story of how I got this bad boy?"
Sydia's head rapidly moved up and down, making Peppy dizzy.
The two ponies trotted towards the nearby park bench, with Peppy prepared to tell the story of a lifetime.
"Peppy! Cherry-Berry!"
The voice of a calm, loving mother rang through the house and into the well maintained garden. Starry Pie had finished making the supper her family was surely going to enjoy.
Consisting of herself, her wife Violet Song, and their two daughters, the family were extremely happy. Their daughter Peppy was rather shy, as her sister Cherry-Berry was the monotone pony everyone needed in their lives. But the couple wouldn't change them.
Adopting the two from the orphanage was the best day of their lives.
Unfortunately for Peppy, Cherry had already received her cutie mark: a book with its luxurious pages being written with a perfect phoenix feather quill.
The shy pony was the only pony in the house without a special talent. Her mothers had always assured her that her day would come.
Today's meal was hayburgers, which was widely regarded as Starry's signature meal.
"I do say Mama, these hayburgers are far from disappointing," Cherry calmly said, slowly closing her eyes and smiling.
"Somepony is using her big words!" Starry Pie happily said.
Starry, the sister of Pinkie Pie, was a calm, relaxed pony. An earth pony, she lived her young days on the Pie Family's rock farm.
"My love, Cherry has been saying big words for a long time," Violet Song giggled, making Starry very embarrassed.
"I must've forgotten!" Starry said lightly.
The family laughed at the mother, whose cheeks had reddened.
Peppy looked outside of the window, noticing a stray balloon flying away. Blue in colour, the balloon was heading towards the sun.
"A balloon?" Cherry commented quietly when she noticed, "That's weird!"
"I think it's coming from the bakery," Starry said.
The mention of the bakery had intrigued the young fillies.
"We can't go now. It's too late!" Violet said, a worried look taking over her face.
But nopony, including her wife, had listened to her. Leaping from their chairs, they were ready to visit their close relative.
"Auntie Pinkie Pie, here we come!" Starry said excitedly. She loved visiting her sister, even if she would forget to take the right turn at the end of the street.
"Pinkie Pie? Are you in there?" Starry called into the bakery, watching the pots and pans fly through the bakery from the kitchen.
Ducking down, the four ponies walked into the café area, watching a frazzled pink pony walking through.
"Auntie Pinkie!" Cherry happily cheered.
She and her sister hugged Pinkie Pie, receiving a tight squeeze in reply.
"Cupcakes anypony?" Pinkie asked, as her curley pink mane fell in front of her eyes.
The fillies immediately nodded their heads as their mothers sighed.
"Well, Starry, that's a sugar rush waiting to happen," Violet complained as her wife laughed.
The loving aunt gave the two fillies brilliantly blue cupcakes, with a delicious chocolate filling. She had offered two for the mothers, who immediately declined.
The fillies sat at two different tables, eating their cupcakes carefully and respectfully.
Tossing one into her mouth, Pinkie Pie decided to sit with Peppy. Peppy was arguably the smaller version of her aunt. Her pink coat and mane (despite her lighter markings on her coat) were almost identical to Pinkie Pie's. During the mare's youth, her hair was completely straight. At least, she would think, Peppy's had some bounce to it.
Peppy, however, reminded Pinkie of her younger twin sister, Marble Pie. The quietest pony she had ever known. Peppy was very shy and enjoyed hiding away. Pinkie had always tried her best to get her out of her shell, and today was no different.
Sydia looked at the pink pony sat before her in shock.
"You haven't always been this vocal, Peppy?"
"Nope! It was my Auntie Pinkie Pie who got me to be just like I am today. A few of her jokes, and a few too many cupcakes, and somehow I locked in!" Peppy laughed. "I always love telling this story. It shocks everyone!"
"Woah, that's amazing!" Sydia smiled, slightly confused.
The pegasus looked at the pony's flank. The yellow cutie mark of a thousand laughs made her chuckle.
"You're an interesting pony, Peppy!"
Peppy grinned, giggling.
The little filly looked at her aunt, smiling.
The chocolate filled cupcake was extremely yummy and had provided Peppy with some serotonin.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Pinkie Pie said gleefully, receiving all but a shy shrug in reply.
"Eating the cupcake! It's very yummy." Peppy said, grinning.
Pinkie laughed, smiling softly. The love and admiration she had for her niece was obvious.
Peppy loved Pinkie and wanted to be just like her. But, the small pony was extremely shy. Her sister, Cherry, wasn't much different. She, although she enjoyed talking, was an extremely monotone pony. She reminded Pinkie of her older sister Maud, who she loved very much.
"What's your new school project, Pep?" the party mare happily asked.
"Finding a pony to interview that we've never met before. But I don't really want to do it. So I asked Cherry to do two." the filly shyly admitted.
Pinkie Pie gasped.
"NO!" she exclaimed loudly, half concerned, half disappointed.
Everypony in the room turned to look at her, causing her to awkwardly turn away.
"Peppy! You can't do that! But I know just who you can speak with..." she said, a mischievous grin overtaking her face.
With Starry and Violet's permission, Pinkie walked along the streets of Ponyville as the sun started to set. The yellow and pink sky shimmered as the ponies trotted towards the world famous farm.
"Sweet Apple Acres!" Pinkie proclaimed happily as she and Peppy approached the door.
With a knock and a tap, the door swung open, with Applejack answering.
"Pinkie Pie! What the hay are you doing here so late?" Applejack gasped.
"Oh, don't be silly," Pinkie started, "it's only sunset!"
Peppy giggled, bringing attention to her.
"And who may this little pony be?" the farmer asked.
"This is my niece, Peppy Prattle!" Pinkie proudly said.
Nodding her head, she understood what was happening.
"The school project, Peppy?" Applejack asked, to which Peppy quietly said yes.
Moving to the side of the door, Applejack welcomed the pair to the next to the barn. It was very cosy, with its soft yellow lights and photos of the Apple Family plastered across the walls and shelves. It was reminiscent, in a way, of Peppy Prattle's own home, with pictures of both of her mothers' families plastered on the walls.
"Say, Peppy, what do we need to talk about?" Applejack quizzed the filly.
The pink pony stared at the floor as she was too timid to look Applejack in the eyes. Lifting her head with her hoof, Pinkie Pie pointed towards Applejack.
"See Pep, she's not scary at all!"
Peppy Prattle's eyes met Applejack's. She smiled, realising that she wasn't scary. She just wanted to help.
"We have to talk about what you do and who you are." she confidently said.
Nodding, Applejack replied.
"Well, I'm Applejack, a world famous Apple Pony who has saved the world more times than she has hooves," she joked, Peppy laughing in response.
"That was funny!" she said to her aunt, Pinkie Pie, as she nodded and giggled.
"I work and live on the Sweet Apple Acres farm. I usually buck apples. And make Apple cider and jam for y'all to enjoy. And I... Uh.."
The mares mind went blank.
"I think I've written enough!" Peppy said, "You don't have to say anything more."
Applejack laughed. Peppy blinked rapidly, extremely confused.
"Say, since when did you have a moustache and glasses?" Applejack said between her giggles.
Peppy was awfully confused.
"What?" she asked.
She turned to look at her aunt, noticing the props she was holding against Peppy's face. Pinkie was laughing at the prank she had managed to pull on her niece.
"Auntie Pinkie!" Peppy said loudly in shock.
But she wasn't mad. Seeing ponies enjoying the prank made her happy.
"You seem like you enjoy talking, Peppy!" Applejack suddenly said, "Although I was doing most of it, you seemed to enjoy taking it all in and enjoying it. You must seem to like happy faces. Your eyes lit up when you saw us laughing!"
Peppy realised that she was right. Peppy did enjoy the chat the two had. She realised that she enjoyed the prank.
"I think this is what I'm meant to be!" she said, leaping from the sofa and running back to the Sugarcube Corner Bakery.
"PEPPY WAIT!" Pinkie shouted as the little filly ran away.
Applejack smiled, beaming with delight.
"She's found her way, Pinkie. A destiny is calling."
Approaching the pink doors, Peppy smiled.
"I know what I'm meant to do!" she squealed with glee.
Opening the doors, she beamed, her family grinning as she did. The pony was flowing with confidence, as she felt her hooves rising from the floor.
A glow, a pink glow, overtook the pony.
A perfect yellow figure found itself sat on her flank.
"Is that?" Violet Song asked, a shocked expression on her face as she watched her daughter slowly fall down to the ground.
"A cutie mark!" Starry Pie exclaimed. "A cutie mark of happiness and laughter!"
Cherry-Berry's eyes were stuck wide open.
Applejack and Pinkie Pie approached the door, panting in an attempt to catch their breath.
"A CUTIE MARK?" Pinkie shouted in shock as she noticed the little fillies flank. She looked towards her friend, her hoof in the air.
"All thanks to us, AJ!" she boasted jokingly.
"And then, they hoofbumped!" Peppy said, giggling at Sydia.
The grey pegasus smiled at the pony, the silly pink pony, and started to laugh.
"You're so funny, Peppy! But since when did you have a moustache and glasses?" Sydia laughed, her cheeks aching and her wings bouncing up and down.
Peppy was awfully confused.
"No silly, that was a part of the...!" she paused, slowly turning her head around to see her aunt, Pinkie Pie, holding a silly moustache and glasses to her face.
"What a cool story, Peppy! Can I hear it again?" Pinkie Pie asked, jumping onto the bench and sitting between Sydia and Peppy, her new friend.
"Well, since you asked so nicely!" Peppy started.
"Once upon a time, in the small village of Ponyville, a small family were sat..."
