//------------------------------//
// Pt.1 - Chapter 7 
// Story: The Starlight Broadcast 
// by ponyfhtagn 
//------------------------------//

Morning on the Rock Farm, and things were slowly returning to their usual routine. Their father had worked hard to clean and repair the attic room so the girls could go back to their normal beds. As a result of this, however, the children awoke to find their father had caught a cold and was confined to his own bed for the day.
“Finish your breakfast,” their mother said, pouring soup for each of them. “You four shall attend the fields alone this morn and noon, for Pa is sick and I must attend him, lest he worsen. All shall recover soon, though, I do believe. Today my eldest Maud shall watch over you precious three, and may her wisdom keep you safe.”
Limestone thumped the table. “Why does Maud get to be in charge? I want to be in charge!”
Their mother, Cloudy Quartz, narrowed her gaze at the loud filly. “Maud is your elder sister and it is her place. Finish your soup and attend to your chores.”
Cloudy Quartz took another bowl of soup and went upstairs to nurse her husband.
Limestone glared at Maud. “Why do you get to be in charge?”
“Because I’m bigger than you,” Maud said flatly.
“Nah-uh. Only a bit. I’m stronger,” Limestone tried.
“I think I’m still stronger,” Maud replied.
“Nah-uh! I win at wrestling!” Limestone protested.
“You win at wrestling because you’re small and squirmy and you sit on everypony.”
Pinkie snorted a laugh and giggled quietly into her hooves.
Limestone frowned. “Ugh. There she goes again. What’s wrong with her? Why is everything so darn funny?”
“Is she broken?” Marble asked nervously, hiding behind her dark-grey fringe.
“She’s not broken,” Maud said, putting a foreleg around Pinkie. “She’s just expressing herself.”
“Whatever,” Limestone groaned loudly. “I don’t even think she should come outside today. She’s been weird.”
Marble smiled mischievously across the table. “You’re just jealous because she got her cutiemark before the rest of us.”
Limestone’s cheeks puffed up. “So? So what! I don’t care.”
“Mm-hmm,” Marble said. “I know I don’t, since I’m the sister who’s actually a few minutes younger than Pinkamina.”
Limestone shook so much it made the table quiver. “Oh yeah?” she said a little too loudly. “Well who cares!? It’s not even a good cutiemark! What’s a bunch of crazy eyes supposed to mean anyway? It looks like she’s got pony-pox on her butt!”
“Limestone,” Maud said.
The bickering sisters flinched.
Pinkie hadn’t reacted the whole time. She playfully was chasing a parsley leaf around her soup bowl with her nose.
“Breakfast is done,” Maud told them. “It’s time for chores.”
She nudged her little sisters out of the house and towards the south field.
“Time to harvest the rocks,” Maud said. “The blast caused lots of damage around Equestria and many repairs are ongoing. We need the sturdiest rocks for buildings, and any misshapen rocks can be used to repair cobblestone roads. Anything too brittle can be broken down later and sold as gravel. Be careful and watch out for each other.”
“You’re not the boss of me,” Limestone growled, trotting away.
“Limestone, where are you going?” Maud asked.
“To check on Holder’s Boulder.”
“It’s right where you left it,” Maud teased. “It’s not going anywhere, Stinky.”
“Hey!” Limestone roared. “Don’t call me that!”
“I wouldn’t call you that if you would stop throwing such a stink all the time,” Maud said.
She heard a gentle giggle and thought at first it was Pinkie, but when she turned to look it was only Marble.
“You too, Twinkie.” Maud pushed her gently. “Stop standing around and start gathering rocks.”
Marble blushed affectionately. “Mm-hmm.”
“Hey!” Limestone roared. “Get out of the way, you!”
Maud turned back to see that Pinkie had gone over to be with Limestone next to Holder’s Boulder.
“It doesn’t love you,” Pinkie said, staring wide-eye’d at her sister.
“What?” Limestone snapped. “Move it, short-fluff.”
“It doesn’t love you,” Pinkie whispered again. “Don’t talk to it. It tells lies. It’s going to hurt you.”
“You think you can just pull your little crazy act and creep me out?” Limestone said. “I’m like six whole minutes older than you. You don’t scare me. Now move it or I’ll—”
“Enough,” Maud said in her usual voice.
Limestone winced.
“Both of you come with me to the south field and let’s get to work.”
“Alright, alright,” Limestone said, slinking away. “I hate it when you use that tone. I wasn’t even messing up yet. Geez…”
Maud looked at Pinkie. “You too.”
“It’s bad,” Pinkie said, staring at Maud now. “The earth is hungry. The earth is weak. The rock takes its chance to betray us. We gave it shelter, gave it a name. We did not teach it properly. Built this farm around it but it never asked for this. We think we know rocks but we don’t really listen. Should have thought it better. Should have taught it about manners.”
“Manners?” Maud said.
“No, not manners,” Pinkie said. “Dignity?”
“Dignity?”
“Gravitas…” Pinkie frowned and chewed over some sounds.
“Okay,” Maud said. “Let’s go to the south field. Is that alright?”
“South is safer shapes for now,” Pinkie said. “All things turn to dust in time. Now is not the time. Now is the memory. Work, work, work.”
“Yes, time for work,” Maud said. “Go with the others while I fetch the rock wagon.”
Maud watched the little ones scurrying off to gather rocks. She turned and went to the shed around the back of the house where the wagon was kept. But just as she was about to secure the familiar straps across her back she heard panicked little hooves approaching.
“Maud, Maud, Maud, Maud,” Pinkie was saying. She bumped into Maud’s legs and fell over. “Maud, Maud—”
“What Pinkie?” Maud said. “What’s happening?”
“Maud, Maud, stop it, stop it, stop it,” Pinkie was saying. She pulled at her big sister’s leg and tried to drag her. “Stop it, stop it, stop it.”
“Is Limestone sitting on Marble again?” Maud asked.
“Maud, Maud, Maud,” Pinkie was wailing. “Bad shapes! Bad shifts! Bad manners!”
Then Pinkie let go and bolted.
Something was very wrong. Maud picked up speed and shot off after her fluffy little sister. Around the front of the house the other fillies where nowhere to be seen. Pinkie was still running fast—towards the edge of the cliff overlooking the mine entrance below.
“Pinkie, be careful!” Maud called, running after her.
“Make it stop!” Pinkie cried, skidding to a halt. “Make it stop hurting in my knowing. Make it stop!”
Maud caught up to her at last. “Pinkie, where are your sisters?”
No sooner had Maud spoken than she heard Limestone and Marble whispering. The sound echoed up to her from the quarry below the cliff.
“Oh, those sneaky foals,” Maud said. “They’re going to try and hide in the mine.”
“Owww!” Pinkie cried suddenly, clutching her head.
“Wh—” Maud froze. Her coat bristled.
She looked to her right and zeroed in on the most chilling sound she had ever heard. That of stony earth gently cracking. Her educated eyes spotted the fault line beginning to give way. It must have been there all along and was only now reacting to the shockwave from last week. Holder’s Boulder began to shift and tilt, slowly leaning further towards the edge of the cliff and the terrible drop below.
Move.
Maud sprang from the cliff top and bounded down the ridges of the quarry. She had to be fast enough. She had to be strong enough. She saw little Limestone and Marble look up in fright as the shadow of the huge rock loomed over them and the boulder slipped free from gravity’s gentle clutches.
Maud shot forward with all her might, and as her hooves collided with the boulder’s enormous bulk she willed every ounce of love and strength she could hold within her into the single most important moment of her whole entire life.
Stone shattered around her and flew apart as she drove the giant rock back from her little sisters.
The broken pieces fell strewn about the quarry but Maud had succeeded in pushing the bulk of the thing away from its fatal trajectory. It thudded loudly against the entrance to the mine. She landed. Her legs shook and she collapsed.
“Maud! Maud!” Limestone ran up and clutched at her.
“Are you okay?” Maud asked, lifting her head again.
Marble came over and started to cry. The scuffling hoofsteps signalled Pinkie’s approach and soon all three of them were crowded around their big sister, hugging and sobbing together.
“Goodness granite!” their mother exclaimed from up on the cliff. She hurried down to meet them. “What happened? Is everypony alright?”
“We’re fine,” Limestone said. “Maud saved us. She…” Limestone sniffed. “She was watching over us, like she always does.”
Maud looked over at where Pinkie was hugging her. Would she have gotten here in time if Pinkie hadn’t come running? The thought sent a horrid shiver through Maud’s entire body. She couldn’t even think about it. But how had Pinkie known what was about to happen?
Limestone was right. Maud should have been watching. She should have been a better big sister. Big sisters are supposed to take care of their little sisters and protect them and always be there for them. Maud scolded herself for begin away and for always letting Limestone run wild. If anything had happened…
“Oh, thank goodness you’re all okay.” Their mother helped them up and nuzzled them each.
“I’m sorry I broke Holder’s Boulder,” Maud said, glancing back at the crater she had impacted into the huge rock.
When she turned back again she found everypony was staring at her.
“…sorry,” Maud repeated, lowering her head.
“Maud, dear…” Cloudy Quartz said. She smiled. “If mine eyes do not deceive… it would appear you have discovered your cutiemark.”
Maud blinked in surprise. She stared down at her flank and found a picture of three little crystals—like those from the quarry and the mine—safely nestled inside the crescent of a heart-shaped horseshoe the same purple as her mane.
“I am so proud,” Cloudy Quartz said. “Come, daughters. Let us go visit Pa and tell him of all that has occurred.”
Ma scooped up poor Marble, who was still shaking and sobbing, placing her across her back. As they all walked back to the house Pinkie danced around Maud’s legs and giggled as if nothing had happened. Limestone was walking on Maud’s other side. Her expression showed sobriety and timidity that Maud had never seen there before.
“Thankyou,” Limestone said, glancing between Maud and the ground.
Maud said nothing.
Limestone glanced at Maud’s new cutiemark and then at the ground again. “What do you think it means?”
Maud kept on walking. She knew exactly what it meant. “I means it’s my job to look after you three and keep you safe. No matter what.”
Maud looked down at the snickering pink fluffball that was currently glued to her left foreleg. And especially Pinkie, she thought to herself. Always Pinkie.