How To Get Your Cutie Mark

Personality classifications in GenCut (General Cutie Mark)

Class C-20

Ponies that have potential in the ranges of 50-40 are able to trust others and generally accepting of a set of rules or guidelines put to them. These ponies are usually socially accepted and are more likely followers than leaders.

Class C-21

Such ponies are fairly conservative and often are more intelligent. Carefully considering actions before performing them. Generally more inhibited.  Often very reliable.

Class C-22

Individuals with low potential scoring 10-20 in regards to (GenCut)  are most likely to be impulsive and unreliable and often have a difficult time trusting others. They are not usually followers.  In studies, shown to question rules or guidelines. Usually socially accepted. They often express a very high level of rebelliousness.

“WOOOHOOO!!!!”  A blur of red zoomed past a couple of shocked ponies on the streets of Manehattan. A, bright red Pegasus  zoomed past the citizens…Holding a paint brush and a bucket.

This is Stripeshot.

He  was currently attempting “The most spectacular feat in Equestria.”  A few more shouts of protest from the onlookers only made Stripeshot’s cocky smile even wider as he gave another powerful flap of his wings, sending him even faster through the streets. He blazed past a few mares  carrying a few bags, before stopping to go back and wink at them, triggering involuntary giggles from the blushing ponies. He sped off again, dipping his brush every once in awhile in his bucket full of red paint and taking it out to brush the ground.

“That should do it!” He shouted, changing his direction towards the sky. He flew up for awhile before reaching a dark cloud. He trotted gently on the cloud. After making sure the cloud was soft enough he sat, fluffing up the cloud slightly with his hooves, and admired his work.

“You painted a giant face on the city??!!!!”  The disturbed father of the criminal trotted back and forth in the room, accompanied by the frowning mother and two very serious looking police ponies with Stripeshot sitting comfortably on a chair in between them.

“Not the whole city,” Stripeshot said, with amazing apathy. “…That’s for next week.” He added, nudging one of the officers, causing his mother  to frown profusely.  The father looked almost too angry for words.  “I was just kidding……..it takes a lot more time to plan than that.”

“His face to be more precise, Sureshot.” One of the officers gruffly but familiarly addressed the father through gritted teeth. His coat was partially splattered with red paint.

“Which fit the description of all 173 witnesses who bombarded the department with calls this morning.” The shorter officer chimed in, trying to wipe the same red paint off his horn.

“Ya have wings underneath those uniforms Chief? Kinda hard flapping your hooves for flying isn’t it? Couldn’t have seen my art without wings….” Stripeshot looked the officer up and down suspiciously. “Unless…gasp…You’re an Alicorn!!” Stripeshot looked incredulously at all parties in the room. Each of them giving him their respective look of disapproval.

“The daily weather patrol brought it to our attention, you little delinquent.”  The taller police, earth pony said, heatedly. Trying to stay professional was proving difficult.

“We are so sorry about this…” Stripeshot’s mother chimed in, bowing her head slightly to the officers.

“Don’t worry Miss…..Listen, Sureshot.” The taller officed approached Stripeshot’s father. “After all your years on the force with us I have come to think of you as part of my family, and I’m more than happy to cut you some slack because I know you can handle anything, be it troublesome boys…” The officer glanced back towards Stripeshot. He was eyeing his unicorn companion suspiciously, mock-looking for his wings. “Ugh…and he is troublesome… but there’s only so much I can do. This is the last time we can cover for him.”

“Trust me. He won’t be causing you guys any more trouble.” Sureshot said, with finality. He shot an angry look at his son, who smiled innocently, before looking back towards the officer with a sigh.  “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Don’t you touch an officer of the law!” The shorter officer smacked the colt on the hoof, Stripeshot had been poking at his back making doubly sure that wings weren’t there.

Sureshot sighed deeply, while seeing the two officers out. “Why don’t you guys buy a couple rounds of Cider at Joe’s. Tell them to put it on my tab.”

“Hey, thanks Sureshot.” The unicorn officer trotted out of the household, finding time to fire a glare back at the culprit, who waved merrily as the officer left.

The earth pony officer lingered at the door for a minute. “Next time it’ll be impossible for me to do anything, he might even end up in  juvenile hall. I hope for you sake that you can do something Sureshot.”  The officer whispered to the father, not wanting the mother to be any more concerned than she already was.

“If I have to borrow the strength from Celestia and Luna themselves, I’ll do something about this. Have a nice night fella’s Tell Mags I said hi.” Sureshot said, with another sigh.

“Bring Maggie over for dinner sometime, won’t you?” The mother said from across the room, smiling at the close family friend.

“I will, See ya later Stripeweave.” He tipped his paint-soaked hat to the lady of the house and left. “Later, Sureshot!” He said, already a little ways off.  Sureshot nodded briefly before closing the door slowly….a soft click a polar opposite of what was to come next.

“I OUGHTA CLIP YOUR WINGS AND MAKE A HAT OUT OF THEM!!! WHAT IN CELESTIA’S NAME WERE YOU THINKING??!!”

“Being a criminal doesn’t make me deaf, Sureshot!” Stripeshot, snapped back at him, suddenly losing his cheery disposition.

“Don’t talk to your Father like that!” The mother stood by her husband’s side, as if readying for a fight.

The three ponies stood in apprehensive silence. They were all ready to tear each other apart. A few moments passed and Stripeshot cracked a small grin. “You’re not really mad are you?”

“Of course not, you didn’t kill anyone did you?” The father said plainly. Both parents started calmly walking into the kitchen, both had content smiles. “Come on dear, dinner’s ready. I’m curious to know how you did it. It must’ve taken  a lot of work.” The mother said.

Stripeshot chased after them, catching up just as they were sitting at the table. “Well it wasn’t easy, I had to make tags all around a map of Manehattan then I had to take it to scale. Took me roughly a week and a half to do it. I mean this face is hard to replicate ain’t it?” He grinned confidently, making a pose.

“Just because you’re drop dead gorgeous like your father doesn’t mean you have to flaunt it son.” The mother said with a hint of pride. The father raised his glass to this. Her horn glowed a dark blue, magically spooning some tossed salad into Stripeshot’s bowl.

Stripeshot simply shrugged and began eating his meal. “Hey guys, I know you wanna keep up appearances and all but one of these days I’m actually gonna believe….” He was stopped by a spoon smacking on his head. It was lingering above his head in levitation, his mother giving him a half-stern look.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” She said, going back to filling her husband’s plate.

“Sorry.” He shrunk back and noisily chewed his food. His mother, satisfied with this, dished out the remaining food in the bowl onto her plate. There was a comfortable silence as he finished chewing the the mouthful of leaves. His father slowly took a sip of coffee and his mother sat down at the table.

“Oh Stripey, do you have to do that at the table??” Stipeweave said, shooting him her signature, disapproving look.

“What?? I’m not talking and chewing. What do you want from me?” Stripeshot said, his mouth full of food as he did.

“Ahem…” Stripeweave gave a pointed look towards her son’s flank, both sides were covered by his wings.

“Oh yeah, sorry.  Force of habit” He removed his wings from his flank, revealing nothing but a bright red color behind them.

Stripeshot had no Cutie Mark.

“That’s better. How was school today?”

“It was good.”

“You got grades today didn’t you?”

“A, A, B, C , A, A.”

“What was the ‘C’?”

“Geometry.”

All three of them laughed at this. A fourth party would’ve been clueless. The family’s regular conversation continued, settling into a familiar talk of work, school and the occasional Wonderbolt stats discussion. Before long, they each finished their respective meals and the mother started levitating the dishes to the sink.

“Hey dad, do you ever miss flying??” Stripeshot glanced at his father’s back. There were two stubs where wings should’ve been on the dark red pony that sat before Stripeshot.

“Not as much as I used to. I think in a way it’s help me accel as a pony. If it weren’t for the accident I wouldn’t have joined the force. “ He sat back in his chair, tossing a few manners aside for after-dinner conversation.

A deliberate cough came from the kitchen, a few, almost-indiscernable words thrown into it. “CoughwouldnthavemetmeCOUGH!” Stripeweave turned and winked at her husband, before returning to washing the dishes.

“You should do something about that cough, sweets.” The husband winked back before continuing. “Besides, son. I’d gladly trade my wings for a SMOKIN HOT MARE any day.” Sureshot finished, he growled at his wife across the room, she unenthusiastically growled back.

“Ever heard of four walls, a floor and ceiling?” Stripeshot cringed at his parents. They were never very subtle in expressing their affection for eachother.

“You’re just jealous, Stripey.” Stripeweave nonchalantly said, drying a dish.

“Stop being jealous, son.” His father wagged a hoof at Stripeshot. Mock reprimanding him.

“I’m not jealous of anything. I have….” Stripeshot froze for a moment before he slammed his front hooves on the table. “What time is it????”

“You’re probably late. Go.” His father sipped his cup of coffee, coolly.

Stripeshot needed no further convincing, as he flapped his wings, hovering in the air for a second before speeding out the door.

“No no no no no no no no no……” Stripeshot flew as fast as was pegasusly possible, his shouts, echoing into the streets of Manehattan.

The married couple looked at eachother and smiled. “I’m worried, sweets.” Stripeweave said, looking towards the open door. “He wasn’t really himself tonight.”

“I know, it seems he has something more important on his mind than girls and school.” Sureshot looked with apprehension toward his wife. “That doesn’t happen often.”

The two parents sighed heavily, almost in unison as they pondered their son’s strange behavior. Of course a normal pony might not have been able to tell. Seemingly small little changes may escape an aquaintance  or maybe even a long time friend. Not them. They were parents, after all and when something is wrong with your child. You just know.