It took Blueblood a surprisingly long time to track down Pinkie’s family. His secretary eventually found them using various tax records and the details of the grant the Cake’s claimed for training and housing Pinkie. Blueblood felt a little stab of shame about investigating his very special somepony, shame was a relatively new emotion to him, and he salved the sting by thinking how happy she would be when he surprised her with her parent’s presence on Hearth’s Warming day.
The Pie homestead was listed as a ‘rock farm,’ but neither Blueblood nor his secretary were entirely sure what a rock farm actually was. Pinkie made it sound like they literally grew rocks from seeds but he was fairly sure she was being Pinkie. Maybe it was a mine or quarry of some sort?
The farm was in the same province as Ponyville but only just. It was a good day’s travel by hoof and most of a day by carriage, no train tracks ran near, it was rather remote. After considering his limited options, Blueblood decided to take a carriage. If things went well he could travel back through the night and get home by the morning. Business at the court was quiet at the moment so he was sure his office could deal with anything that arose, and if any questions were asked about his absence he could claim he was investigating the possibility of introducing rock farming to his province. Maybe any curious busybodies would be as perplexed at the idea as he found himself.
As the carriage bounced along the rough path leading up to the farm, Blueblood surveyed the area. It was mostly barren with a few unhealthy looking trees scattered here and there. All around him, bizarrely tidy lines of rocks of near uniform size were laid out in the fields. Maybe there was some truth to Pinkie’s stories. The whole area seemed so dull to Blueblood’s eyes he had difficulty believing that somepony as bright and lively as Pinkie had come from such an area. In the centre of the fields were a few buildings, a tall windmill, some small barns and a sprawling farmhouse. Telling the ponies pulling the carriage to wait, he stepped up to the house. Making sure his suit and tie were perfect he put on his most winning smile and knocked on the door.
It was quickly opened by a mare of Pinkie’s age, although with a soft coat of light grey adorned by a straight mane of darker grey. Only her eyes displayed a spark of colour, a soft violet one of which was nearly covered by her neatly trimmed mane. On her flank was the shape of a heart outlined with a wavy rainbow. There was a distinct family resemblance to Pinkie despite the lack of vibrant pinks. “Hello?” she called, then did an odd double-take while looking Blueblood up and down with a predatory smile. "Well, hello handsome. Are you here for me?" Even her voice held a trace of Pinkieness in it, although buried deep
Blueblood was rather taken aback by this greeting, but quickly recovered. “Good evening. I am Viscount Prince Blueblood. May I speak with your parents, please?”
“You’re Prince Blueblood?” gasped the mare, “You’re real? Pinkie didn’t make you up? Why does she get all the best toys?” she muttered under her breath before turning and yelling into the house, “Mother, Father, we’ve got a visitor.” She turned back to Blueblood. “You’d better come in.”
Blueblood entered the building aware that the mare was staring quite intently at his flanks as he passed, feeling much like a Blueblood-shaped carrot being paraded past a starving rabbit. The inside of the dull building matched the outside, with the same blocky construction on the interior walls, although somehow the dull greys and green paint that covered them seemed to be more concealment than adornment.
“What is it Blinkastasia?” came a scratchy feminine voice as an older mare entered the room, she was a few shades lighter than her daughter although nowhere near the colour white. Even her mane, drawn up into a tight bun, seemed drab and colourless. The old mare glared at the new arrival through the spectacles balanced on the end of her muzzle.
“This is Prince Blueblood. Pinkie’s Prince Blueblood,” said Blinkastasia sounding jealous.
“Pinkie’s beau?” asked the older mare sounding suspicious, her eyes narrowed. “What brings you here, Lord Blueblood? You haven't gotten my daughter in a family way have you?”
Blueblood was rather taken aback at the forthrightness of the question, “No, that’s not why I’m here. I want to speak with you about something else.”
“You’re not going to ask for her hoof, are you?” came a masculine voice. His first thought was that somepony had carved a rather skinny statue of an older stallion with an old-fashioned brown hat and straight tie, and placed it inside the room as a joke of some sort. The absurd sideburns were what convinced him otherwise. That, and the sour look on his face that no sculptor would ever consider committing to stone.
“No, of course not!” exclaimed Blueblood.
“And why not?” demanded the stallion, “Are you stringing my daughter along? I’ve heard how you nobles treat your consorts, discarding them once you’ve had your fun. At least you haven't had relations with her yet.”
Blueblood coughed while trying not to blush. “No of course not.” Pinkie apparently hadn’t been entirely honest with her family about their relationship that was a mixed blessing. He looked at the ponies around him. Pinkie’s parents were glaring at him while her sister was stifling a laugh. He had heard that his station as a noble was supposed to intimidate the common pony but it never seemed to work when he needed it. “You’ve all heard of me then?”
“Pinkie makes sure she sends us a letter at least once a week,” said the older mare with pride, “She’s told us all about you and her, including how she met you at the Grand Galloping Gala. Our little Pinkamina seems very taken with you. Hasn't said a bad word about you at all.”
A large grin began to spread across Bluebloods face.
“But where are my manners? I’m Sugar Pie, but please call me Sue. This my husband Clydesdale,” the stallion nodded, “And my daughter Blinkastasia.”
“Call me Blinkie,” said the younger mare, “My sister Inkie should be about here somewhere.”
“Inkabella is working in her room,” pointed out Clydesdale.
Trying to get the conversation back on line, Blueblood brought up the topic he had come here for in the first place. “I would like to invite you all to my townhouse in Canterlot for Hearth’s Warming day. Now I understand that you don't normally celebrate the holiday, but Pinkie would—”
“Who said we don’t celebrate Hearth’s Warming?” snapped Clydesdale, “We’re proud Equestrians. Why wouldn’t we celebrate the founding of our nation?”
“Pinkie said…”
Clydesdale sighed. “Oh Pinkie,” he tutted, “Rock farming’s a full time occupation. We can’t just take time off for a holiday, we have to work the fields each day. We always celebrate for a few hours after the chores are done. If Pinkie had her way, we’d spend all day partying, and we don’t have the time for that. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time coming here Lord Blueblood, because we just can’t afford to visit you for Hearth’s Warming.”
“If money is a problem, I’m sure I can help. Maybe hire some extra help for the holiday.”
“Money is not a problem,” said Clydesdale icily, “We do well enough and I wouldn't trust some strangers with the farm. Rock farming is a highly skilled occupation, and some outsiders could ruin the whole harvest.”
“I meant no disrespect,” began Blueblood trying to calm the situation down.
Clydesdale open his mouth to reply but his wife butted in, “You must stay for dinner, Lord Blueblood. It’s the least we can do after you came so far to see us.” She glared at her husband who, knowing his place, backed down.
“There really is no need. I have a carriage waiting outside.”
“Nonsense, you can spend the night here and Clyde can give you a lift back to Ponyville in our cart tomorrow.”
“If you’re certain?”
“I insist. Now come along, the food is almost ready.”
Blueblood quickly excused himself and told his coach-stallions to go home, he would be making his own way home. So far things hadn’t gone to plan but he still thought he could turn things around, after all he was a Blueblood, once one of the most powerful families in Equestria. He was sure he could enforce his will on a few backwater farmers. Even if they were related to Pinkie.
He returned to the house to find quite a spread had been laid out in the houses small dining room. There was no cutlery, he assumed an earth pony family would have little use for it but the plates were china although they were a little chipped, presumably the families best set. At least Pinkie’s family were showing him some respect. The family was joined at the table by another mare of Pinkie and Blinkie’s age, but with a blue-grey coat and a grey-grey mane, although unlike her sister, it was cut in a more practical style ending just above her eyes. Her mark was a number of mathematical symbols.
“I’ve got the books up to date, mother,” droned the newcomer in a monotone.
“Inkabella has quite the head for figures,” noted Clydesdale with pride. “She gets that from her mother.” He nodded at Sue who blushed slightly. The older mare had just entered with a pie sitting on an insulated saddle on her back. Clydesdale took the pie and cut it into slices with a large knife.
“And what is it you do?” Clydesdale asked Blueblood passing a slice to him.
Blueblood though for a second. This was probably a trap. If Pinkie had written about him, she almost certainly mentioned what he did. “Well, I’m part of the Night Court,” he replied cautiously. He levitated part of the pie and took a tentative bite. Just like the farm, the pie was dry and terribly bland, almost like eating paper. He suppressed a brief coughing fit by taking a drink of water and glancing around the table, but nopony else seemed to be reacting adversely to the pie so he risked another bite. After all, he had eaten far worse while smiling at diplomatic receptions for some of the oddest ponies in Equestria and beyond. Lying in word and deed was good practice for this pie, and the expected compliment that was to follow.
"This is very nice, Mrs. Pie." The rest of the family looked up suddenly, looking between the pie and the guest as if he had said something wrong.
“Nice to see someone appreciates my cooking,” she replied, looking around at her family, all of whom promptly displayed a great deal of attention to their meal.
“Anyway I help run Equestria and administer the province of Hyasanguia,” he continued with pride. “Well my father does most of the day to day work with the help of various assistants. I mostly represent it at court.”
Inkie perked up, “I’d love to help run a province,” she announced, “The amount of paperwork and accounting involved must be astounding,” she sounded almost orgasmic at the prospect.
Blinkie rolled her eyes at her sisters reaction.
“Well, it sounds like you just order other ponies around,” pointed out Clydesdale, “Do you ever get your hooves dirty?”
“Well, I dug the first spadesful for a project to build a dam last month,” said Blueblood trying to make a joke.
“Like I thought. Nothing!”
Blueblood bristled at the insult but tried to ignore it, “Are you sure you can’t visit for Hearth’s Warming. I think it would really mean a lot to Pinkie if you did.”
“I’m sure Pinkamena is happy how she is,” mumbled Clydesdale, looking down while the rest of the family shuffled awkwardly. "She never really fit in here anyway. Moving away was probably the best for all of us, and I'm sure she doesn't need us cluttering up her life anymore." He sounded slightly unsure of himself.
Sensing a weakness, Blueblood pressed onward. "I think she really misses you. Wouldn't you like to be all together as a family for the holidays?"
“Maybe we could do with a holiday,” noted Sue, “The farm could probably survive without us for a few days.”
Clydesdale seemed to waiver for a moment, “No, what if there was a major shift while we were away? We could lose the whole crop and then where would we be?”
“It would be a major financial blow,” noted Inkie, “But with our accumulated reserves, it would only set us back a few growing seasons.”
“I’ve never been to Canterlot,” said Blinkie, “I’d like to see the sights.”
“No!” thundered Clydesdale, smacking his hoof against the table, “I’ve made up my mind.”
Blueblood held the older stallion’s gaze for a moment but Clyde did not blink. Discouraged Blueblood took another bite of the pie, it tasted like failure. What was he going to do now? he thought.
The rest of the night passed mostly in awkward silence, Blueblood’s attempts at light conversation were rebuffed by Clydesdale and Sue, although Inkie and Blinkie seemed interested in his tales of Canterlot and the Night Court.
Finally after the sun had set, Sue stood up and announced, "I think it's time for bed. We should show our guest to his room.”
“I can show him to his bed,” noted Blinkie excitedly.
Sue glared at her daughter, “I think Inkie should show Blueblood Pinkie’s old room.” Blinkie frowned.
“Come,” intoned Inkie leading Blueblood up to the second floor of the house and into a small room.
Blueblood could at a glance tell that Pinkie had once lived here, her personality seemed to have seeped into the wall themselves. Unlike the rest of the house, the walls were painted in a faded pink, peeling in a few places where exuberance in painting had failed to match her skill. Under one window he saw an earlier version of the mural that now decorated her room in Sugar Cube Corner. The version here only had a few ponies on it and he now recognised them as her family although there were a few other ponies on it as yet unknown to him. Apart from the colourful walls, the rest of the room was almost as spartan as the rest of the house. There was only a small bed, a single chair, a large wardrobe and a dressing table with a small mirror on the top. A few streamers and piles of glitter completed the room. Despite the dusty outside of the house, there was not a speck of dust inside the room. Obviously the room was still cared for even though its occupant was not present.
“This is the room,” noted his host, rather unnecessarily.
“Inkie,” began Blueblood, “Is it alright, if I call you that?”
She nodded.
“How are things between your parents and Pinkie? She doesn't talk about them very much, but I understand she writes to them every week."
Inkie sat heavily on the chair, “I don’t think Pinkie wanted to leave. She was never entirely happy here, and once she got her cutie mark, it only got worse. Eventually Father more or less drove her off, he said she didn’t fit in and found her that job with the Cakes. She’s tried to visit a few times or asked that we visit, but Father always says we’re too busy.” She looked down at her hooves awkwardly as if she wasn’t sure if she should continue or not, “But we could afford to hire more farm workers based on the current projections of our future profitability.”
Did the old stallion really hate his daughter that much? thought Blueblood, to drive Pinkie away like that was almost unthinkable. Still, family was always difficult. Just look at my own.
“Thank you, Inkie. I should be fine for the night." He looked down at the bed and tried to hide his first reaction. It seemed just small enough to make him stick out a little at both ends, and the blanket seemed thin enough to be nearly transparent to the winter chill. Still, asking for more would not endear him with Clydesdale. He already thought Blueblood was a foppish noble, and was probably right.
“You should lock the door,” noted Inkie in her monotone passing Blueblood a key.
“I don’t think your father is going to attack me in the night.”
“It’s not Father than you have to worry about." It could have been an attempt at humour, but he didn't think so. As she passed through the doorway, she paused and looked back.
"How is Pinkie?"
Blueblood was somewhat taken aback. “Well, as you know, she’s… Well, Pinkie. She’s hard to describe. She’s happy. Well, I hope she is. I do what I can to make her happy.”
A faint smile passed over Inkie’s face, the first Blueblood thought he had seen from her. “Good. I miss her sometimes, we all do I think. Blinkie tries to be her, but I think she tries too hard at it, and Mother and Father miss her. Father more than Mother. I’m glad she’s happy.” With that she left, closing the door quietly behind her.
Blueblood dropped down onto the too-small bed which gave a worrying creak under his weight. He wasn’t about to just give up, there had to be some way he could make Clydesdale respect him. To get the old stallion to accept his offer, if only for Pinkie’s sake. Suddenly inspiration struck, no scion of house Blueblood would be beaten by a group of rock farmers, he knew just what he had to do, it couldn’t be that hard. Feeling happier Blueblood placed the key on the chair and curled up before shutting his eyes, he had a busy day ahead of him tomorrow.
Blueblood was aware of a warm body pressed against his own. With a sigh he snuggled closer to the warmth, the rest of the room had a distinct chill, “Pinkie,” he mumbled half opening his eyes and burying his head in his lover’s dark grey mane. It was at times like this that he felt completely at peace without a care in the world. Wait a minute, dark grey mane? Blueblood’s eyes shot open and stared at the mare sharing his bed, “Blinkie!” he gasped.
The Pie sister gave a fake looking yawn, “Blueblood? I guess I got the rooms mixed up after I got up to go to the bathroom.” Blueblood just continued to stare in shock, “I should probably go back to my own room right? Unless you’d like me to stay? This room can get chilly by yourself.” She gave a lascivious wink.
Blueblood finally regained control of his mouth, “I think you should leave.”
“Fine,” sighed the grey mare.
Several minutes passed in silence.
“I can’t help but notice that you haven't left yet,” pointed out Blueblood.
“Oh right, are you sure I shouldn't stay?” said Blinkie drawing one hoof down Bluebloods chest, across his belly and then further down to his...
Blueblood leapt back as if electrocuted, he slipped off the side of the small bed and fell onto the ground with a thump. “Miss Pie, that is not leaving,” he gasped, his voice several octaves higher than normal.
“Fine,” sighed Blinkie huffily, “I’ll be going then.” She hopped out of bed and strolled over to the door swinging her hips, “But call me if you feel cold.” Blowing Blueblood a kiss she closed the door behind her.
Breathing heavily Blueblood collapsed against the bed, he was beginning to think that Pinkie was right when she said was the normal one in the family. With slightly shaking hooves he walked to the door and locked it. He thought for a moment then moved the chair under the door handle. He returned to the bed for a moment then had second thoughts and spent several minutes dragging the wardrobe over to block the door. Finally feeling secure he collapsed back into bed. An hour or so later he was awoken by the sound of the door being unlocked, then a thump followed by some creative swearing. Blueblood smiled and turned over before returning to Luna’s domain.
It was still dark when Blueblood next awoke, he cautiously opened an eye but there was no sign of any intruders in his bed this time. Listening carefully he heard the sound of movement in the house below. Groaning slightly he stretched and felt his back complain at being compressed in the bed before standing up and dragging the impromptu barricade away from the door. He carefully made his way down the hall on the tips of his hooves towards the bathroom and quickly washed, not wanting Blinkie to ‘accidentally’ catch him there, before returning to the bedroom. He looked at the clothes he had discarded last night, they would not be suitable for his mission today so he descended the stairs naked. He found the whole Pie family crowded around the table eating porridge in silence.
Sue was the first to notice him, “Lord Blueblood,” she said, “We weren't expecting you up so early. Clyde can take you back to Ponyville a bit later when he’s finished his chores.” The stallion grunted in agreement, “Would you like some breakfast?”
“That is very kind of you Mrs Pie,” said Blueblood taking a bowl of the gloopy porridge and sitting at the table as far away from Blinkie as possible, she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “However, I will not be returning to Ponyville today.”
The rest of the family looked at him in shock and in Blinkie’s case hope, “You have been very kind accepting me into your house, sharing your food with me,” he took a spoonful of porridge, it was just as tasteless as last night’s fare. “I feel I need to pay you back.”
“We don’t need your money,” interrupted Clyde scowling.
“I know that and I am not offering any,” continued Blueblood raising a hoof. “As Pinkie is my very special somepony,” he stared at Blinkie as he said this and she shuffled a little uncomfortably, “I feel I need to know her life and family better, so I offer you my services on your farm for the day. Do with me as you will,” he announced crossing his forelegs over his chest.
Clydesdale’s mouth dropped at this.
“Let me prove that I am capable of hard work and am worthy of your daughter.”
Clydesdale closed his mouth, then opened it again, finally he managed to laugh, “You’ve got guts, I can see that but you wouldn’t last two hours in the fields, let alone a whole day.”
“Let me try. If I manage it at least think about visiting Pinkie and I for Hearth’s warming, if I fail then I will never ask you again.”
The brown stallion seemed to think for a moment, then nodded, “You’re on,” he agreed, “But don’t expect me to go easy on you.” He spat on his hoof and held it out to Blueblood who shuddered for a moment then repeated the gesture bumping the slimy hooves together.
“You still want to do this?” said Clydesdale to Blueblood.
The two stallions were standing in the middle of a field of rocks which seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. Every dozen feet or so a large stone about as tall as a mare stood arranged in neat lines.
“Yes,” said Blueblood, “Now what is it you want me to do?”
“Well each of these rocks need to be moved about two feet anti-clockwise around this field.”
Blueblood stared at his task, surely that wasn’t possible in one day? And anyway what would that achieve? Was the old stallion just having a joke at his expense? “Why?” he asked cautiously.
Clydesdale look at him with a smirk, “You don’t even know what rock farming is do you?”
Blueblood shifted awkwardly, “I’d always assumed it was like mining or quarrying.”
“Mining!” snorted Clyde, “There’s no art in that, it’s just picking up stones, practically stealing. Rock farming is an art. A big wig like yourself probably owns a fair number of enchanted items, lights and the like.”
“Yes, to make the magic last it’s linked to a special piece of crystal or stone.”
“And where do you think those crystals or stones come from?”
Blueblood looked around at the rocks littering the fields, “Oh.”
“That’s right, from here and other farms like this one. You’ve got to keep moving the stones to keep the background magic of Equestria running through them correctly, arrange that magic in different patterns and you get rocks good for anchoring different spells, or so I’m told. I don’t have much to do with the actual enchantment part. It can take years, decades even, to get a rock ready for harvesting. And if you want to do this fool thing, today you get to move the rocks around to match the magic.”
Clydesdale walked across the field, “Now Blinkie is the one with the sensitive hooves in our family but even I can feel the lay lines have shifted over the past few days.” Blueblood followed, he couldn’t feel anything in either his hooves or his horn so he had to take Clydesdale's word for it. “Nopony understands why the lines shift, maybe it’s the Princess’s will, maybe something else. I can tell you the biggest shift I ever felt was when Corona returned, make of that what you want. Now I’m needed on the south field so I’ll leave you to this, If you want to give up just go find me and I can see about getting you back to Ponyville.”
“I’m not going to give up,” boasted Blueblood.
“We’ll see,” said Clydesdale as he walked away.
Blueblood stood for a moment staring at the mass of rocks around him, then he began to power up his horn before pausing. Pinkie’s family were all earth ponies, would they consider using magic as cheating? He couldn’t risk it. Putting his shoulder to the nearest rock he began to push. Maybe this job wouldn’t be as hard as it looked.
It was much, much worse, thought Blueblood as, teeth gritted, he managed to move a further stone into position one painful grinding inch at a time. He wasn’t sure if they were just heavier than they looked or if some strange magic was holding them down but these rocks seem much, much harder to shift than their size alone suggested, and it wasn’t like they were small anyway.
Still Blueblood persevered, he’d thought of giving up several times, just calling it a day and telling these stupid farmers where they could shove their rocks, but something stopped him. Maybe it was his own pride that he would not let himself be beaten in this way, if a nothing like Clydesdale could do this all day then so could a scion of house Blueblood, knowing himself it seemed likely. But once or twice just when he was feeling like giving up he thought he saw Pinkie out of the corner of his eye cheering him on, telling him she was proud of him and then he’d find the strength from somewhere to move just one more rock, then another, then another. It was probably just the fatigue. Indeed once he thought he saw his nemesis Trixie Lulamoon willing on his failure, that had given him the strength to move a whole line of rocks.
Before he knew it the sun was almost overhead, despite the wintery conditions he had worked up a lather and was aching in places he didn’t even know he could ache.
“Not bad Lord Blueblood,” came a feminine voice, Blueblood looked up to see Sue standing next to him a plate of sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade balanced on her back. “Come on, we should get under cover, it’s almost noon.”
Blueblood limped over to a small out building not far from the farm house, Sue pulled the door open and he staggered in before collapsing against one of the walls. Looking around to his surprise he saw a few decaying streamers draped over the beams.
“This was where Pinkie held her first party,” noted Sue her eyes looking back a decade. “Oh she’d helped out at her sister’s birthdays before and even got some tips from my mother in law but here’s where she held her first real Pinkie Party.” She lowered the food to Blueblood, who began to eat it in silence. “She hadn’t come home that night and when we found out we feared the worst,” she shuddered, “But no, she called us all in and she’d decorated this whole place and made food and everything, it was a bit of a shock let me tell you. Never did know where she got it from or what happened to her hair, she didn’t get that from my side of the family.” She smiled gently. “That’s when she got her mark, when she decided it was her job to make all of Equestria happy. That’s when I knew she wasn’t ever going to be content on the farm, that my little girl was going to go out into the big wide world and never look back.” She closed her eyes.
Blueblood was unsure what to do or say so he just rested an arm on the mares back.
“How is she? She seems happy in her letters, but I’ve always been afraid she’s putting on a brave face for us.”
“She’s... She’s Pinkie,” said Blueblood, “She’s always happy, she organises parties almost every day, she wants everypony to smile. She's spontaneous and crazy and annoying and beautiful and oh so very alive. She sees the best in everypony and makes me want to be better pony for her. She’s just so very Pinkie.”
Sue turned to the love struck pony, “Thank you,” she said, “I needed to hear that. I think Clyde needs to hear it as well in his own way.”
Blueblood snorted, “From what I have heard it was your husband who drove Pinkie away.”
Sue glared at him, “My husband had good reasons for what he did and those reasons hurt him and were for Pinkie’s best interests.” Her face softened, “Oh, Clyde might seem like a hard stallion but those girls have him wrapped around their hooves, he adores them, maybe a little too much sometimes. Blinkie could do with a little more discipline in my opinion, she’s the reason we can’t keep any help around for long, but that’s our problem,” said Sue.
“He certainly doesn’t show it,” said Blueblood.
“That’s not his way but he still feels, like when we sent Pinkie to Ponyville. We’d agreed to stay in town for a few days to make sure she settled in. That stallion just would not leave, two weeks we ended up staying, during harvest season as well, skulking around town keeping an eye on her making sure she was alright, I don’t know what the ponies there thought of us. But Clyde didn’t care, he just wanted to make sure our baby was safe and happy.” She sighed happily.
“If he feels that way, why did he send her away?” he looked out of the barn, above the sun was starting to make its way down the sky, at this time of year it would be dark in only a few hours now.
“You’d need to talk to my husband about that.” She picked up the empty glass of lemonade and balanced it on her back, she and Blueblood both exited the building and walked, or limped in Bluebloods case back into the fields. “I’ll leave you to your work Mr Blueblood, Oh by the way, you’re pushing them rocks clockwise round the field, they should be going anticlockwise.”
Blueblood stopped in his tracks and looked the endless lines of boulders, and swore very loudly.
It took Blueblood several hours to move the stones he had pushed out of position to the correct location then he started on the rest of the field. To his surprise it seemed his task was becoming easier, maybe he was just becoming more experienced, finding small tricks to moving the rocks or maybe the stones just wanted to be in their correct positions.
He looked up and realised that Blinkie was standing a short distance away watching him as he worked. The young mare was practically drooling as he exerted himself. Realising she was being watched she moved away with an odd shuffling gait.
“What are you doing?” asked Blueblood.
“Dowsing,” she replied walking over to him, “Using my hooves to feel the movement of the lay lines, I’m not as good as Pinkie was, she could feel it even before the magic moved, still I get the job done. There’s no reason I can’t enjoy the view while I do it,” she leered, “I have to make hay while the sun shines, we don’t get many visitors out here, and even less as handsome as you,” she sidled up closer. “Come on, how about a roll in the rocks? Pinkie wouldn’t mind sharing you,” she pressed against Blueblood, “Anyway, nopony would have to know,” she said breathily.
For the briefest of moments Blueblood was tempted, an old and decayed part of him rose and suggested that if he slept with her sister Pinkie would leave and they could return to how they used to be. He pushed that part aside with ease, “I would know Blinkie.”
She jumped back as if electrocuted, “You really do care for her don’t you?” she said with surprise.
“More than I once thought possible.”
“I wish I had somepony like you,” her face dropped for a moment then she turned and ran.
Collapsing to the ground Blueblood took several deep breaths to try and calm himself before standing and returning to his work.
By the time darkness was starting to set in every muscle in Blueblood’s body ached. It felt a bit like his workouts in his personal gym but those didn’t have any function except to keep him looking his best, this exercise actually had a purpose. He shoved a further boulder into position and led against it for a second before moving to the next.
“I think you’re done here for the day,” came Clydesdale’s voice.
Blueblood looked up to see the other stallion standing not too far away. The noble looked around he had relocated about a third of the rocks in the field, there will still many to go. “I haven't finished yet,” he said putting his back into moving the next stone.
“This isn’t a one day job, I’ve been working in these fields for over forty years, stallion and colt and I couldn’t get this done in one day. You’ve made a decent go at it.”
“So you accept I’ve done the job? You’ll visit for Hearth’s warming?”
“I said I’d think about it, there’s a lot of water under the bridge between my daughter and me. I don’t think it would be right for us to visit now, ‘cides we got a lot of work here needs doing.”
Blueblood scowled, “You won’t visit your own daughter because you need to move a few rocks around! Is Pinkie such a disappointment to you?”
Clydesdale’s eyes flashed dangerously for a moment and Blueblood though the older stallion might strike him. “Pinkie is a good girl, a good daughter, and I won’t let anypony tell me otherwise,” declared Clyde with fierce pride. “If she felt we needed her on the farm she would have stayed here and never complained, not once.” Then he seemed to collapse in on himself. “But it would have killed her, bit by bit, day by day. Rock farming’s a serious business, we enjoy ourselves when we can but that’s a rarity, Inkie thrives on organising this place and Blinkie at least enjoys the work. But Pinkie needed more than that to bring out her talent so when the sister in law suggested she move in with the Cakes we, I, made sure she’d stay away. They're good ponies, the Cakes, they treated Pinkie like their own when,” the stallion’s voice cracked for a moment and he blinked, “When I couldn’t.”
“You drove her away,” said Blueblood sadly.
“I told her we couldn’t have any dead weight on the farm and if she couldn’t give farming her all she should go somewhere else. It broke my heart but it had to be done.”
“You can’t let Pinkie go on thinking she’s a disappointment, if you won't tell her then I will.”
“No you can’t,” pleaded Clydesdale his composure cracking.
“I will or you will and I think you’ll put it in a nicer light than me,” said Blueblood staring down at the shorter stallion.
Clydesdale looked away, “You’re a hard stallion.”
“Comes with the job, I help run Equestria, it’s not for the faint hearted. Still it’s nice to see I have a secondary career if I need it, I think I’ve got the hang of this rock farming,” said Blueblood with a grin, “I did quite a good job.”
“Good job,” Clyde gave a barking laugh, “You’ve got most of them out of position by several inches and you even rotated some of them. It’ll take the better part of a week to fix your good job, you’ve put a whole field of rocks out of alignment.”
“Oh,” said Blueblood looking abashed.
“Oh, it aint that bad, rock farming’s not a job for amateurs and the biggest rocks are the least vulnerable, we break them down as they get charged. But I think I might have misjudged you, Prince, you put in an honest day’s work here and you didn’t complain, least not when you thought I could hear.” A smile broke across the stallions face. Maybe he really is Pinkie’s father thought Blueblood, “Still I noticed you haven't been using your horn, trying to impress me were you? Doing it the earth pony way?”
Blueblood nodded.
“Well that was dumb. It’s not like I farm with a hoof tied behind my back just to prove I can. Course unicorn magic can mess up a field if done wrongly, but done rightly you can improve a whole crop, many rock farmers are unicorns.”
“Well I didn’t just do it for you, I needed to prove to myself that I’m good enough for Pinkie.”
Clydesdale looked at the younger stallion, a range of emotions flickering across his face, “You might just be that Prince. You’ve forced me to do something I should have done a long time ago. Anyway, enough of my jabbering, let’s get you washed off and back to the house in time for dinner, Sue’s making a salad I’m afraid, but Blinkie’s making dessert so at least that will be edible.”
Blueblood looked at Clydesdale in surprise. “I sure didn’t marry that mare for her skills in the kitchen let me tell you. Course if you tell her that I’ll have to whup you.”
“I wouldn’t want that Clydesdale.”
“Call me Clyde, son. You know I don’t think I’d like it either.”
With a laugh the two stallions walked towards the farmhouse.