Maud And Boulder
"I have to go tuck in Boulder."
The monotone voice escaped the grey earth mare's lips as she slowly stood up from the dinner table. It was Hearth's Warming Eve, and the Pie family had just finished their traditional rock soup supper. One of the Pie sisters, Limestone, rolled her eyes. "Gawsh, it's just a pet rock, Maud."
Maud made no response. She only blinked her unmoving eyes and trotted out of the room quietly.
The Pie family has learned over time to not interfere with Maud's rock, whom she named Boulder, unless they were asking for trouble. Though Maud was a very calm and collected mare, at times she would become defensive of Boudler, to the point of defending him even when the pony would make an innocent sarcastic joke. To Maud, Boulder was her best friend. Not a pet; a brother.
Many ponies thought strangely of Maud. Many considered her almost lifeless personality and dry taste in style odd, leaving Maud with very few friends. Maud didn't care what others thought about her, however. The mare grew up knowing that it wasn't what others thought about her that mattered, but instead, it was who cared for her and came to understand her that truly knew and loved her. Strangers did not influence Maud's opinion on herself; her closest friends and family did.
"Boulder... Boulder, where are you?" Maud called to the air as she slowly paced herself outside. She wandered past large mounds of rock, trenching through the snow and sniffed the air, searching for Boulder as she made her way to a large cavernous area behind her home. Walking in, a soft winter breeze tickled her fur, sending chills up her spine as she entered the dark cave.
Maud blinked her eyes and stopped trotting. Looking to her left, then to her right, she bent her neck down in front of her and smelt the earthly floor. "Boulder, I know you're here. It's just me, Maud."
Faint hoofsteps could be heard feet away in the cave. A soft green light, similar to a unicorn's magical aura, suddenly became present.
Maud smiled softly before returning back to her blank, monotone face. "Hello, Boulder."
A young Changeling stood before her, almost as tall as her as his large green eyes stared at her. "Good evening, Maud." His quiet voice replied as he turned off the glowing aura around his horn.
Maud blinked. "Boulder, is something wrong?"
The Changeling shuffled his hooves in the dirt below him. "No..."
"I can tell something is wrong. Tell me, please." Maud sat down, not taking her eyes off of the Changeling.
"I-It's just... I have been thinking a lot about who I am. I'm a Changeling, Maud, an evil transforming shape-shifting creature who's only skill of survival is hurting others... I don't want to be that version of Boulder."
"You cannot deny who you were born as. You can't keep trying to hide yourself from it."
He glanced up at her angrily. "But what if I don't like who I am? What if I feel shamed living like this, in this bug-like body?"
Maud blinked slowly. "What you look like and what you are stereotyped as doesn't define who you are. It is your personality and true character that make you you." Maud stretched out her hooves and wrapped them around Boulder, pulling him close. "I love my little Changeling brother just how he is. Even if I have to keep him secret and call him my pet rock when around others."
Boulder sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I don't want to hide anymore, I don't wanna disguise as a rock! I want to be my true self around others. I want to run, I want to fly, I want to laugh, I want to talk, I want to make friends..."
"I want you to be happy. Will being a pony make you happy?"
Boulder shuffled his hooves in Maud's fuzzy grey embrace. "If I were a pony... I could do anything I wanted to do. I could have friends, get a job, buy things and own things, have a family, be a real guy..." Boulder squeezed his eyes shut even more, "But instead... I'm a bucking pet rock..."
"Such language," Maud commented, "And as I stated, you are not my pet rock. You will never be a pet to me. Pets are owned by a master and are under their control. No, Boulder... You are my brother. And I love you."
Boulder the Changeling leaned into the earth pony softly. "But what if... What if I was a pony? What if I... What if I could become a pony tonight? Maybe I could be a pegasus, or a unicorn... Possibly a mare if I wanted to get a bit crazy with it, or maybe I could be something completely different, like a griffon... Maybe... Maybe I could be the first male alicorn!"
Maud narrowed her eyes. "Just because a Changeling can become anything they desire does not mean that they should."
"That makes no sense."
Maud blinked softly. "What I mean is, I know and love the Boulder I saved and adopted. You are an amazing Changeling, and I am proud to call you my little brother. Just because I am different from you doesn't mean that you should be just like me. We both know you cannot be around other ponies because of what your natural instincts will do to you. Do you want to hurt others?"
"W-well... No."
"I only asked you to disguise as a rock so that nopony would become suspicious or attached to you," Maud wrapped her hooves around the small Changeling warmly and shifted her body to be curled around his, "I asked you to do that so I could help, love, and protect you."
"But Maud, I am a Changeling. I can be whatever I want to... A rock, yes, but also, a pony. Maybe I want to be who I want to be and not what you want me to. Maybe I want to be just like you... A pony, maybe even a dragon, or a..." His voice faded.
Maud lowered her head and shook it slowly. "Is that what you really want? To be just like me?"
"You seem to enjoy it. I know I don't like being a rock all the time. It's a bit embarrassing."
"Boulder," Maud's soft voice addressed him, "You seem to imply I like being a rock farmer, living alone with my two sisters and parents. Instead, I want to go off to college. I want to be a scientist, I would like to use the knowledge I have to help change Equestria. But we are poor, and I might not be able to do that just yet."
Boulder sighed and leaned into his adopted sister.
"Not everypony can achieve what they want. But that doesn't mean you should give up. Would you feel more loved if you were a pony instead of a Changeling?" Maud whispered.
The Changeling shook his head slowly. "I... I don't know. I want friends, I want to explore, I want to go places... I just want to be like you, Maud," He looked up at her with his large green eyes, "I want to be just like you..."
Maud pulled him close and hugged the small creature. "Then I promise you that we will explore. I will help you find friends, and I will take you all over Equestria."
"B-but I'm a Changeling... I'm not welcomed here... I live off of other pony's energy, I can't be around them..."
Maud blinked. "You live off my energy and love for you, don't you?" Her soft, dry voice questioned him tiredly.
"W-well... Yes. And I hate it... It hurts you! Y-you're monotone and sad and you never smile and you are always so weak-looking..."
"I do it for you, Boulder." Maud's voice was louder now, sounding more aggressive yet calm at the same time.
Boulder smiled, but then covered his mouth as he began to instinctively hiss. "Maud! P-please don't make me feed off you like that again... I-it hurts me to know I am taking your energy..."
Maud sighed and nuzzled her cheek against his. "I care for you. I will never let you hurt me, because I know that in return makes you sad."
"Maud...?" Boulder glanced up at her, "Why are you so nice to me?"
The earth mare stood up and trotted into the cavern, returning moments later with a fuzzy brown blanket in hoof. "Because you are my Boulder that I swore to love and protect. I'm not going to force you to listen to me if you do not wish to," Maud laid the blanket on top of the Changeling, tucking him in, "I will only let you know my opinion on the matter."
Boulder lifted his head. "Thank you, Maud." He smiled softly.
Maud smiled back. "You will always be my brother. You will always be my amazing, loving, caring brother," Maud smiled, "And no matter what shape you shift into, you will always rock." With that, she chuckled and trotted out. Boulder absorbed her sisterly love and fell asleep, leaving Maud with her monotone voice and blank facial expression. He lifted his head and watched her trot back to the large house, where she would join her real family before bed. He closed his eyes and grasped the blanket tightly, feeling loved and protected.
"Goodnight, Maud."
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Vanilla Mocha · 1.8k words · 24 2 · 585 views
- Vanilla Mocha · 19k words · 22 1 · 691 views
- Vanilla Mocha · 1.6k words · 56 1 · 1.6k views
- Vanilla Mocha · 5.5k words · 25 1 · 976 views
- Vanilla Mocha · 1.1k words · 36 1 · 694 views
- Vanilla Mocha · 1.1k words · 34 2 · 1.1k views
- Quillamore · 2.5k words · 32 0 · 1.1k views
- Violet CLM · 19k words · 74 6 · 1.7k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.598 seconds
Total duration
1,001 users online
2,658,290 hits today, 2,921,617 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
this story made me
rock hard
youve made me a believer again
thnx dad
That is all. Equestria is ours.
Very interesting theory!
7556254 Thank you! However, the credit must go to Dr. Wolf ^D^
Took it out to trade:
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/198512/the-shameless-self-promotion-bureau/thread/276149/the-sleeper-hit-of-the-new-season
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/209724/advertisements/thread/276148/the-sleeper-hit-of-the-new-season
7556260 Heh... Thanks. Though I don't own the idea behind the story or the art... I just wrote it
7556273 Modified advertising to reflect this.
7556288 Thank you!
7556254 You've been quoted as saying that in our new trade ads for the story!
That is probably the most intriguing headcanon I've ever heard, and you performed it wonderfully! It also adds a side to Maud that isn't often shown in the show. I love it!
That said, I did spot one typo:
"define who you are."
7556299 You've been quoted in our new trade ads for the story!
7556299 Thank you!
Ah! I shall fix that. Either that was me or it was autocorrect. Either way, I shall fix it! ^D<
7556308 ...trade ads?
7556363 The ads I've posted here for the story;
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/198512/the-shameless-self-promotion-bureau/thread/276149/the-sleeper-hit-of-the-new-season
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/209724/advertisements/thread/276148/the-sleeper-hit-of-the-new-season
7556353 Thanks!
A very nice story that changes perspective on the whole Boulder issue. Glad to see it worked out with the newer episodes.
7556654 Thank you! And yep, I did my best to make sure it fit in. Especially the latest Changeling episode- that one really makes this story make sense! (In my opinion, that is.)
7556258 Wouldn't hangelings be able to survive on ambient love?
7557451 I honestly wouldn't know. I'm just going based off The Times They Are A Changeling. I suppose that they can, but it's more direct and quicker if they feed off of a specific pony. (At least, that's how I interpret it.)
Aww... So sweet! It's fun to see a changeling relationship working out... and to see Maud's gentle side!
Imagining Maud saying all those things in her monotone was a bit of a stretch on the imagination though.
7558932 I imagined her to have the monotone because of Boulder, hence why she appears to be so weak when she's really strong. Plus, she said all of those nice things to Pinkie in her Season 4 appearance. ^_^ Glad to see you still enjoyed it!
7558007 Oh.
Why hasn't anyone written a story about some A-Hole pony like Blueblood who finds his metaphorical heart of gold and tries to help the Evil Queen Chrysalis run a brothel?
Oops? how'd that happen?
Fix it, perhaps?
7563754 Oops! Typo! Thank you for pointing that out!
Aww, an interesting theory regarding Maud's expression and monotone.
GAHK... Headcanon accepted!
Nice job, I approve!
7564875 Thank you!
7564956 Quite welcome!
Keep it up!
Brilliant story, fascinating idea for explaining a character, loved it. Pretty much now accepted as headcanon
7672958 Thanks!
No oooooo! Somebody got too this premise before I could! And I love it to!
For some weird reason, at Dr. Wolf's video, the URL sends me to this fic and not yours
This would certainly explain why "Boulder" is so amazing at Camouflage. For him and Maud, it really IS a game of true camouflage, and definitely more intense and harder than hide and seek. "Find the changeling" would definitely be a massive challenge without using revealing magic. Perhaps when "he" first met the other ponies and played the game with them, he actually WAS somewhere besides Maud's pocket, but she found him first, if only to avoid them knowing he was a changeling.
I adore this premise. Can we get some Maud/Boulderling love? Maybe see if Boulder accepted the transformation like Thorax and started GIVING Maud his love instead of taking it. We might see happy Maud!
7746616 Huh
7746627 I might write a sequel, but I'm still unsure. Either way, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Well. Okay then.
I am totally down with this.
An interesting theory. I prefer Maud as just an outwardly-blank totally normal pony myself, but this certainly isn't a headcanon I'd opposed to seeing.
7764760 *Fangirls*
You commented on my storyyyyyy 
Heh. Nicely done. I like stories where there's more to Maud beneath the surface. And ones where there's an unusually clever changeling twist (as in not the majority of the "who's a changeling?" fics out there).
7765537
So did Moriarty and Pascoite, gosh. :O
Finally.
The fic that has been so hyped since it was released- mostly by Dr. Wolf's reading, I'll admit -that I nearly busted a blood vessel in anticipation since I was always too busy, and I finally got to read it!
My view?
I like it. Honestly didn't see the twists coming, as I anticipated another backstory entirely. It was good.