The Cutie-Marky Tales

by CrowMagnon

Pinkamena's Poem

The Cutie-Marky Tales
by CrowMagnon

As Applejack finished her story, Rarity held a hoof over her heart and let out a swooning sigh. "Taken under the wing of a mature, considerate, ravishingly handsome stallion... do you have any idea how jealous I am of you right now?"

Her lip quirking into a small smirk, Applejack replied, "I can't imagine why, darling. I was a filly when we first met, and I know that you're aware my weathervane doesn't even turn in that direction."

"That's even worse! Such wasted opportunity," Rarity protested, a blush tinting her pale cheeks as she lost herself in fantasy. "If it were me... oh, he would see me as a little sister at first. He would be far too much of a gentlecolt to even think of anything beyond that, but my little heart would be captivated. For years, I would nurse dreams of marrying my beloved, but would be too shy and embarrassed to ever express it. But it would be there... wistfully gazing at him when he isn't looking... a touch that lingers longer than it should...

"As I blossomed into marehood, he would find his own eyes turning toward me more often, but would find himself confused by his growing attraction, unable to reconcile it with the image he held of the sweet, innocent filly he had first met. Feeling guilty over it, he would distance himself for a time and attempt to find comfort with other mares, but none of them would ever be quite right for him. Then, at a masquerade ball, he would meet... her. A refined and elegant lady, her body a work of sculpted beauty lovingly caressed by the perfect dress even as her identity is hidden behind a mask.

"He would walk over to her from across the room, drawn by some unexplained feeling of connection, and ask for the privilege of a dance. She would play a little hard to get, but would soon join him on the dance floor. They would gaze into each others eyes, their movements in perfect harmony as the rest of the world vanished from their minds. He would finally realize it. This was the one! The one perfect mare for whom his soul had yearned his entire life! The dance would end, and the time would come for everypony to remove their masks, and..."

Without warning, Fluttershy suddenly jumped in. "And it would be Derpy Hooves! He would swear his undying love for her beautiful golden eyes right then and there, and they would live happily ever after."

"Wh-what? No... what?! I... why Derpy?"

Fluttershy pouted and replied, "Why not Derpy? She's a sweetheart!" Leaning in, she whispered, "besides, you were starting to drool," which turned Rarity's face as red as a tomato.

Not being as tactful, Spike said loudly, "Mommy does that when she's reading her speshul books!"

Rarity looked around the room, seeing the looks on everypony's faces as Rainbow and Sunburn in started snickering behind their hooves, and lowered her head. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle just stared, and little Scootaloo couldn't even look at her, hiding her face beneath her hat. "Yes... well... it's a good thing I don't mind getting my hooves dirty. I can just dig myself a nice hole to bury myself in." Turning to the stoic Pinkamena, she said, "at least you won't make fun of me."

"Sorry, Rarity, but I'm laughing on the inside," she replied, her deadpan delivery causing the two pegasi to lose it and start rolling on the floor in mirth.

Getting back to the more important topic, Apple Bloom took stock of things. "Okay, so Fluttershy got her cutie mark after a long time..."

"And Rainbow Dash got hers after a life-changing accident," Sweetie Belle added.

"Sis got hers by stickin' with her childhood dream..."

"... And Rarity got hers by giving hers up."

The two fillies looked each other in the eye, and Apple Bloom finally threw her hooves up in frustration. "Well how in the wide, wide realm of Harmonia is a filly s'pposed ta get her cutie mark?! There ain't nothin' in common 'tween any of 'em!"

Sweetie Belle let out a little sigh and looked down at the floor. Then, as an idea struck her, she began rubbing her chin in thought. "It's like it's not even about 'how', but... more like a choice. Like everypony has to find a moment of... self-discovery or something like that."

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow and looked over to Scootaloo to see what their pegasus friend thought of that, but she was lost in her own thoughts, so she just asked, "What're ya gettin' at, Sweetie Belle?"

"I'm thinking... we should ask Pinkamena!" Turning toward the pink pony, she smiled brightly and asked, "You're all about expressing yourself and things like that!"

"Hey, yeah! Pinkamena ought ta know a trick fer gettin' our cutie marks!"

Pinkamena blinked a few times, then looked away. "I'm sorry, girls. I know enough to know how much I don't know... and that my story wouldn't help you..."

"Pleeeeeeeeeease?" Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle pleaded in unison, pouting at her. "We've already heard everypony else's story! 'Cept fer Sunburn, there."

Hearing her name, Sunburn picked herself up. "Huh, what? Oh, right. I flew too close to the sun when I was a filly. Broke the flight camp altitude record, big whoop," she hastily replied, patting the sun-shaped cutie mark on her burnt orange flank. "Come on, everypony else has told theirs, so now I really wanna know your side of the story, too!"

Pinkamena shot Sunburn an odd look and sighed. "I told you, my cutie mark story won't help you... because I don't remember getting it."

This caught everypony's attention, and all sound seemed to vanish from the room save for the faint, wet squelching sound of Gummy blinking. At least, it did until Fluttershy cleared her throat and said, "Okay, I think I speak for everypony here when I say, 'Whaaaaaaaaaaa?!?!' ...Soooo, could you elaborate, please?"

Pinkamena sighed and twisted her body to reach back behind herself. "There's a hole in my memory. All I remember is what happened before and after, not what actually triggered it."

Seemingly producing them from thin air, (a feat which no longer took anypony in the room by surprise) Pinkamena pulled out her bongo set, on which Gummy was now perched.

Nopony had even seen the toothless alligator move.

Pinkamena picked Gummy up and placed him atop her beret, then tapped the bongos a few times until she settled on a slow, dreary rhythm. "Well, I suppose you won't stop being curious now, so I'll tell you what I do remember. I don't think you'll like it, though."

-----

Pinkamena's Story

shining cold 'pon barren stones
move them to the western field
sunshine cannot warm my bones
move them to the southern field
life and color muted, dull
move them to the northern field
screaming echoes in my skull
move them to the eastern field

no smiles

no laughter

only rocks

drab and dreary, aching, weary
move them to the southern field
tiny pink hooves chipped and worn
move them to the northern field
I wander from the path set for me
move them to the eastern field
since the moment I was born
move them to the western field

I beat the stones in my frustration

aggravation

syncopation

then, temptation

celebration

and elation

the beat flows through me

listening
the rhythm of Harmonia

it is approaching
my eyes open wide

it's found the quarry
and see

WHAT IS THAT?

AS
I
WAS
WALKING
UP
THE
STAIR
I
MET
SOMEONE
WHO
WAS
NOT
THERE
HE
WAS
NOT
THERE
AGAIN
TODAY
OH
HOW
I
WISH
HE'D
GO
AWAY

drip

drip

drip

drip

sorrow wets my cheeks

see again as others see

calling me to return
parents standing over me
see again as others see
cadence of other ponies
shadow play of reality

"What happened to me, Father?
Why do you and Mother weep?"
"I cannot tell you, child.
This is a secret we must keep.
Lost in a trance, you whispered
truths which made it all too clear
that whatever fate awaits you,
you can not find it here."

They showed to me my cutie mark
which had appeared upon my flank.
My true destiny set in stone
on a tablet left quite blank.
Mother hugged me tightly while
tears streamed from her eyes.
Father gently touched my head,
and I knew they told no lies.

a search for meaning without end
take the order dutifully
fill the void with word and pen
pour the coffee carefully
to keep from being empty again
deliver it with artistry
seek the wisdom of my friends
the source of all my poetry

-----

Pinkamena's drumming gradually wound down, and she punctuated it with one last beat which brought her audience back out of a fugue state that they hadn't even realized they had slipped into.

"That's all I remember of that moment. While working on the family rock farm, I began drumming on a stone out of boredom. It made me feel a connection to something that I can't describe, and..."

Pinkamena hung her lead low. "... And that's all I remember. The next thing I knew, my parents were standing over me, crying. I could never get them to tell me what I said or did, but it changed everything. Eventually, my father took me out here to live with his old friend, Mr. Joe, and I've been here trying to make sense of it all ever since."

Rainbow Dash was the first to approach and wrap her forelegs around Pinkamena in a tight hug. "Hey... if you ever need to talk to somepony... uh... well, y'know..."

She was quickly joined by a teary-eyed Fluttershy, who practically tackled them both. "That goes double for me! I'm so sorry, Pinkamena... I had no idea!"

"It's okay. I never--" Pinkamena replied before finding Rarity, then Applejack joining in on the group hug. Even little Spike found a spot to reach his stubby arms around her back. Completely surrounded by the love of her friends, Pinkamena nuzzled them back. "I never told anypony but Mr. and Mrs. Joe about it, so you couldn't have known. But don't worry about me, I'm alright. I promise."

Meanwhile, Sunburn gently nudged the fillies, who still seemed to be a little out of it from the poet's tale. "Hey... hey, you alright, squirts?"

Apple Bloom slowly stammered, "Ah... Ah think Ah need ta go home an' hug Winona... lahk, right now."

"Y-yeah... I'm not sure I want to hear any more cutie mark stories," Sweetie Belle replied.

Scootaloo, however, lifted her head with a steely glint in her purple eyes. "No, girls. We're not done yet!" She reared up onto her hind legs and resolutely pointed toward the window. "There's still one pony we need to talk to... Twilight Sparkle!"

Author's Note:

Well, this was fun.

Comments

[RanmaChaos]

Well, this was fun.

More like scary. Sounds like Pinkie made contact with an Something. Anyway, good chapter.

[RanmaChaos]

Went back on a whim. Found hidden text. Does Pinkie's experience have anything to do with Tirek?

[Hopeful_Ink_Hoof]

I know that you're aware my weathervane doesn't even turn in that direction."

combination of countryism and indication toward Applejack's sexuality (or lack thereof).

6145478 Glad you pointed that out. I would have missed it. Just figured it was a long dramatic pause to indicate the blank spot in Pinkamena's memory, and not her (re-dacted due to possible consequence on future point of story line and yet to be revealed by CrowMagnon).

[Comickook]

Not much I can say other than. As usual, excellent job on this latest chapter. The emotional content, humor and future chapter set-up were all well done in all the right places. And, given the tendency toward alliteration in this story's chapters, I'm going to guess the next chapter is going to be called "Twilight's Tale" or something similar. Well, at any rate, I will be looking forward to the next chapter as soon as time and inspiration will allow.

[CrowMagnon]

6145716

And, given the tendency toward alliteration in this story's chapters, I'm going to guess the next chapter is going to be called "Twilight's Tale" or something similar.

*glares and starts furiously erasing his scribbled notes*

Heh, thanks for enjoying it so far, though.

6145478

Does Pinkie's experience have anything to do with {redacted}?

Spoilers! And good on you for finding the hidden text! I was just about to make a mention of it in the author's note, but you found it first.

6145657

combination of countryism and indication toward Applejack's sexuality (or lack thereof).

At this point in the story, Fluttershy and Applejack are currently the only two of the Mane 6 in steady relationships. Unless somebody volunteers to take care of it for me, I'll eventually get around to AJ introducing her marefriend to her friends and family in Ponyville.

[Winter Quill]

6154226 I've been a bit behind on reading, but I'm trying to catch up :)

I'm really enjoying this story, it's a nice change off the original episode and I like the new back stories. I also like it wasn't one key change that did it, but a lot of smaller ones.

[EvilDustMan]

A+ on the fancy pants formating, it helped the mental picture.

[FoldabotZ]

6154731
Hi, Ryoma! Been killing Invaders lately in Getter Valhalla with Hayato and Benkei?