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// Minty and her Shenanigans 
// Story: Tales of Another Ponyville 
// by Paradise Oasis 
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"Ahhhhhh! Shenanigans, help me!" Her voice cried out, legs kicking frantically as she tried to get herself down. "This tree's trying to eat me again!"

Oh wow, Minty's gotten herself into another fine mess! You know, it's really cool being married to the klutziest mare in all of Ponyville. You never know what she's going to smash, break up, or destroy next! See, I live for that kind of chaos and insanity, it makes life so much more interesting. Certainly more interesting than anyone else in this boring old town is! 

"Good grief Mints! How the heck did you get yourself stuck up here?"  I ask her, putting a ladder up the tree with my hooves to get her down. "What were you doing, hang gliding or something?" 

"No, Shenanigans... I accidentally ate some magic candy cane bits that made me float away." My poor beleaguered spouse laments. "I didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

She's right, of course. Minty never does mean to cause the havoc she wreaks, unlike this blue stallion with this hot air balloon cutie mark. I've been playing wacky pranks and goofy antics ever since I was a little colt. Would you believe the looks you can get when putting a whoopee cushion under princess Wysteria's chair at a royal dinner? Or the wackiness of slipping something into Fiesta Flair's cooking that gives her the trots?

It's so much fun to play pranks on ponies... even if those same ponies don't appreciate that humor. I can't tell you how many times I've wound up in hot water, and been yelled at by Pinkie Pie and the other mares from court. But Minty never comes down on me for my pranks, even when she ends up being their target. My wife is one of the sweetest ponies in this town; quick to laugh and chuckle, and even quicker to forgive any wrongdoing.  That's why she and I get along so well, as I have never met any pony quite like her.

"Oh. Shenanigans... I can't ever do anything right." Minty whines, as I pull her out of the tree. "I should go out to someplace in the woods, and let a troll eat me! Ponyville would probably be better off!" 

"Now you just hold on a minute!" I protest angrily, stamping my hoof on the ground. "You know there isn't a single pony in town who wants that.  All of your friends love you too much to see something like that happen to you!" 

And neither could I. My sweet Minty is the love of my life, the only mare willing to put up with my childish antics. We first met when I was trying to play a prank on some mares in the park. She was the only one who thought the spider I was dangling from the thread was real, and when the other girls ran away, she trotted right up and tried to start a conversation with it. It was incredible... every time I tired to pull a fast one or a joke on her, she would naively and innocently stumble through it, her bad luck backfiring and causing the gag to blow up in my face. Do know how many times I've been bitten by wind up chattering teeth, or how many times I've slipped on a banana peel after a prank pulled on her turned around and got me instead? 

But that's when I actually got to know Minty, and discovered she had a wonderful sense of humor, and a kind and gentle heart. I always love how her terrible luck causes such chaos and hilarity in Ponyville, and the excitement she always bring to my life. Yeah, with this little filly around, things are never ever boring around here. 

"I-I guess you're right, Shen. I should stop whining now." She replied, drying her tears with her hooves. "Boy, I can really be a big crybaby sometimes, huh?" And then, she smiled that wonderful smile at me. "Thanks for cheering me up, hun. You're always a really big help, wherever I'm feeling blue!"

And just like that, she's back to her old, cheery self again; the mare whom I always see a smile on the face of, and the mare I truly love. She always manages to bounce back from her little pratfalls and clumsy mistakes with a smile, and rarely, if ever, gets angry about all the terrible things that seem to happen to her. How can any stallion not love such an adorable mare? You have to have a pretty hard heart to not at least find her endearing. 

"Hey, Shenanigans? Wanna go get something to eat?" She yelled excitedly, galloping on ahead of me, as fast as she could go. "I could really go for some cookies... all mint green, of course."

"Of course.But I think I'll leave the green sweets to you. I'll just grab a chocolate sundae." I reply with a smile, trotting along after her. I'm just glad I can be here for Minty, when no other stallion will risk her 'bad luck' rubbing off on them. But I believe that this little green jinx is the most precious and valuable emerald in all of Ponyville. "But hey, I had a really neat idea! Why don't we mix up all the flavors in the soda fountains together, when Sweet beery isn't looking? I can't wait to see the other pony's faces when they go and try to take a sip of their root beer floats!"

Okay, yeah, I'm an incurable stallion prankster that'll never change. By the way, watch out for the whoopee cushion on that chair you just sat on!