The Story of Zenno Clownie

by EspressoThePony

Chapter 1: The First Prank

Our story begins with with a young colt eagerly waiting at home for the return of his sister. The young colt had been waiting all morning for his sister to return from work, She had promised him another fun day filled with pranks. The young colt had a black and spiky mane that parted in his face followed by a puffy tail which also ended in a few spikes. He had white coat that almost resembled that of snow, It was common for ponies in his family to have such a light coat during their younger years but as they grow older it begins to change into an off white color. Last but not least his big yellow eyes that sat behind some strands of hair. The young colt was named Zenno Clownie although he went by the name Zen. Zen was the nickname his sister had given to him the very first time she took him out to go pranking. He remembered it just as if it were yesterday.

//Flashback to Two Years Ago//

With a situation almost like our current a younger Zenno sat at home in his room, but this time he didn't seem to be waiting for anything. He had not a look of anticipation but of boredom for he had been home all alone the entire morning. Due to his age he was not yet eligible for school, there also had not been a babysitting service available in their small town. So with this inconvenience Zenno would usually spend his mornings alone until his sister would get off work in the afternoon. His mother had a job as a school teacher while his father actually worked two jobs. The first job was an entertainer which sometimes required him to leave town quite often. Luckily his second job was located right in the center of town. His father ran a joke store which carried all sorts of items and materials for comedians and Clowns alike. His older sister worked part time at the store as well, cleaning up and occasionally working the register. She use handle the items but their father wouldn't allow it anymore due to the time she spent goofing around rather than working. Not only would she slack off from work messing around with the various props and materials but she would often use them on customers. So not to long ago their father put an end to her playtime at work.

It seemed that everyone had something to do but zenno, then again what was there for him to do? He wasn't allowed to leave the house without anyone watching him, and he didn't really have much of a fascination for toys. The young colt was stuck with no options. But just like always when noon came so did Giggles. She entered the house with her usual silliness acting as if she were making a grand entrance.

"Zenno I'm Home!" She said as she then trotted up the stairs to go greet her little brother.

Ever since zenno first learned to speak he had given his sister the nickname GG. At first it was because he had a hard time pronouncing Giggles, but as he grew the name grew with him. Giggles like zenno had a white coat but given her age it had already gotten to the off white color that their family was known for having. She also had long black silky hair that fell down the side of her neck to match with her long flowing tail that nearly touches the ground. Unlike her family GG had golden like eyes instead of the natural bright yellow. Finally to top it off the cutie mark that resided on her flank. It was a big bright red tomato and within it lied a rose colored heart. Though today something was different, when he turned to greet the mare she had a big bag filled with some odd looking materials that resembled some things that could be found in their fathers shop.

"Hey there Oh brother of mine! How was your day?" She happily sways back an forth popping her head in his room

"The same... whats in the bag"

"Oh! just some stuff i borrowed from Dads shop. I had a plan for something and the shop had just what i needed." She giggled looking into the bag filled with various props and items. "So I'll be heading out again in a bit, try not to get into any trouble okay?" The mare said closing the bag about to take her leave.

"Yeah sure... not like i can do anything. I'll just be here as always..." He lets out a sigh and begins to stare out the window.

GG's happy demeanor quickly changes upon hearing the words of her brother as she then enters his room now concerned. "Are you telling me you just stay cooped up in this room all day? Why not go outside and play?"

"Mom and Dad said I'm not allowed to leave the house when no ones here..."

"Well what about your toys?"

"Playing with them gets boring pretty fast especially since I'm playing by myself... can you play with me?" The colt looks to his sister with a bit of hope.

"Nope" The mare cheerfully says as she begins to exit the room. The young colts ears then droop as he really wasn't expecting his sister of all people to give such a blunt answer.

"But..." The mare said in her happy tone as she stopped in the doorway. "You can come with me and help with my little assignment" She turned back to her brother with a smile.

"Y..you really mean it?"

"Yeah of course! no brother of mine is going to be some boring stick in the mud. You gotta go out there and make the action happen! And luckily little brother you have a sister who knows just how to make that action happen!" She says smiling as she begins dancing in order to make the colt smile. Just as she planned the little colt began to laugh as he hopped off his bed to follow his dancing sister.

"So what assignment do you have to do?"

The mare stops at the front door to jump and face toward Zenno with a look of excitement. "Zenno my brother today you can consider yourself a stallion because today my brother... is the day you pull your first prank!"

"...W-whats a...Prank?" The young colt says with a puzzled look.

"Whats a prank!? Has dad never told you what a prank was!?"

"Um...no"

GG The puffs out her cheeks and sighs "why does he always have to take the fun out of everything. Oh well i guess it'll just be up to me to teach ya!" She happily scoops her brother up and heads straight into town to educate him on the basics of a prank.

"Alrighty then lets start off with something simple" GG reaches over into the bag of random items and pulls out something quite familiar. It was a shiny bit. "Here take it" She tosses the colt the bit and his face brightens up.

"I'm gonna go buy some candy!" He began to head off to the nearest stand as his sister called out for him.

"I wouldn't do that if i were you"

"What do you mean? Then why did you give this to me?"

"Take a good look at that bit" She smiles pointing at it. The young colt was puzzled at first by her words but then noticed the logo of their fathers store on it not only that... but it was made out of plastic.

"Hey!" The little colt ran up to his sister red with embarrassment looking as if he were almost on the verge of tears.

"And that my brother is the basics of a prank" She giggled a bit at the little colts expression.

"But that was mean!"

She shook her head "No no no little brother it would have been mean if i let you go to the vendor to find out it was fake. I would never do something like that especially to my own brother." She hugged the little colt trying to calm him down. "But that's basically the basics of a prank, it's just a practical joke.

"You mean like the ones dad tells when he's on stage?"

"No not something that puts you to sleep! and that's a different kind joke. a piratical joke is a trick you play on someone to make them look silly...you do know at least what a trick is right?"

"You mean like that magic show we went to last month and that pony did all those magic tricks?"

"Well...not exactly but close enough. We'll be doing something like that just minus the magic though. Although your little reaction there gave me the perfect idea" She says with a smile.

"It did? What is it?" The young colt began to bounce in front of his sister trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Alright little brother it looks like your ready to pull your first prank"

"I-i am?"

"That's right now here's what you have to do" She pulls the colt close and begins to whisper the plan to him.

Moments later as a tomato salesmen scans the area for potential customers he feels a light tap on his leg. The stallion looks down to see a young colt with yellow eyes staring up at him.

"Uh... yes little one how may i help you today?"

"I lost something very important and i was wondering if you could help me find it"

"I'm sorry kid but i gotta run my cart, i can't really leave unless its urgent"

"But it is urgent my father gave me it and if i tell him i lost it he'll get mad" The young colt begins to tear up. The stallion uncertain of what to do sighs and asks

"What did this thing look like?"

The colt began to lead him away from the cart as he gave a vague explanation of this so called missing item. as soon as they where out of sight GG made her move.

A few moments later after zenno was sure he gave his sister enough time he took out the fake bit and yelled out. "I FOUND IT!" as he held up the fake bit.

"W-wa...was that really it? just a bit?" The stallion sighed

"Yup that's it"

The stallion a bit annoyed at the situation kindly says "Im glad you found your... bit but if that was all i could have just given you one if it was that important to you"

"Yeah i suppose so... anyways thanks mister" The colt then dashes off without another word.

"Yeah...no problem kid" The stallion made his way back over to the cart. Luckily from the looks of it no one had disturbed the cart. as the stallion waited for more customers behind a wall not to far away sat a giggling GG with a basket filled with tomatoes.

"Hey GG!"

"Shhh!"

The young colt covered his mouth then noticed the big basket of tomatoes. he then whispered to the mare.

"Why do you have all these tomatoes?"

"It's apart of the prank"

"Oh...why are we whispering?"

"So we don't get caught that's the last part to a..." Just before she could finish she noticed a mare heading over to the stand. "Alright this is it let the prank begin" She grins awaiting for the plan to unfold.

"Hello Ma'am how may i help you today?"

"Yes i would like three tomatoes please" The mare uses her magic to hover over three shiny bits.

"Coming right up" The stallion grabs a tomato with a puzzled look. The mare quickly notices his reaction and questions the stallion.

"Is something wrong?"

The stallion chuckles a bit "No i just grabbed a display tomato..." The stallion says with a bit of confusion "although i don't recall ever having a display tomato" He says to himself quietly.

"Huh? i didn't quite catch that"

"Oh nothing here let me get you another one" The stallion grabs another one but like the first one it was just a plastic fake.

"Heh heh... uh..." The stallion nervously smiles as the mares expression begins to turn a bit serious. He then throws the fake tomato back as he reaches for another one but to his surprise... another fake.

"Sir is this some kind of joke?" The mare sounded a bit annoyed now.

"No no no i.. i uh" The stallion frantically begins to toss tomato after tomato in order to find a real one. But before long his cart had been emptied of all tomatoes.

"I don't understand... WHAT HAPPENED TO MY TOMATOES!" The stallion yelled to the sky as he felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned he was greeted by another mare with golden eyes holding a tomato. Behind her sat a basket filled with even more tomatoes and next to that a familiar looking colt.

"Hey you're that kid from earlier and are those my.."

"Yeah I'm sorry but it was just a small joke sorry to have disturbed you" GG Smiles as she brings the basket forward.

"Oh thank Celestia for a second there i thought i had gone crazy. I gotta admit that was pretty good!" The stallion began to laugh at the silly situation not only that but even the mare who seconds before was annoyed joined in on the laughter. Zenno watched as his sister joined in on the laughter, he had to admit he felt good about everything that happened. It was a feeling of joy that he had never experienced before, the young colt soon joined in on the laughter as well.

Moments later after everything was cleared up GG bought some tomatoes from the vendor in return for taking up his time. GG and Zenno then proceeded to head home for the day had been coming to an end.

"So Zen how did you like your very first prank?"

"Zen?" The young colt was puzzled was she calling him that as a joke?

"Yeah Zen" She repeated with a smile "Has a nice ring to it huh. I figured you call me GG all the time so i might as well come up with a nickname for you too. So do you like it?"

"Like it... i LOVE IT" The little colt hugged his sister. Sure in retrospect all the name was is just a shortened version of his actual name but then again that's kinda how GG's nickname is. Irregardless the small colt didn't care about the details the only thing that mattered was it came from his sister and that was enough to make him happy.

//Back to the Present//

Zen eagerly awaited his sisters return although... something seemed a bit off. it had been way past the time she normally got out of work. Also their fathers shop isn't that far of a walk from the house. It would only be about a one or two minute walk. Zen looked at the clock and noticed that an hour had already gone by. What could be keeping her?

Comments

[Limelight02]

Great story!