The train powered its way on the tracks, its big headlight illuminating the path ahead in the night. Looking out the window to see the landscape was not very rewarding at this time—there was not much to see. There were trees that did have lots of leaves but along with them were the barren ones. Rock formations were littered and scattered across the ground, creating a desert without the sand. With little grass and other greenery, this place was arid, almost a wasteland. With no houses or shops in sight, it seemed to be a tragedy that held not much in forms of life.
"Welcome to Rockville!" the hatted train conductor yelled from his spot. "Watch your step, everypony!"
The doors opened.
The two changelings stepped out into the dark night and onto the rocky train station.
Long Winded turned around to see the train. "Wow. The inside of the train is so bright compared to the...well, it's pretty dark outside." He looked around the train station. Nopony was there. "Hey!" he hollered at the train conductor. "Were we the only passengers on the train?!"
"Yes!" he gruffly shouted back.
The doors closed.
"Wait!" Long Winded called out. "Nopony went in, yet!"
"What do you expect? It's the early morning! Now, onward to Appleloosa!"
The train then went away.
"Phew!" Nastic sat on the cold, stony floor of the jagged station. "I can finally have some peace and quiet out in the middle of nowhere!" He took out a few comic books from his bag and picked up one.
Long Winded stood on the ledge and looked out to the gray landscape.
"Long Winded, can you go check and see if there's a newsstand anywhere? Doesn't matter if there's nopony attending it—this place seems abandoned."
He scanned the place. There was a wooden door, a little dusty.
Long Winded pushed it open.
A newsstand stood proudly beside one of the walls.
"Here's one!"
"That's good."
"What newspaper do you want?" Long Winded turned back to his friend.
"Any."
The changeling walked his way towards the newsstand. A sign strutted out of the newsstand—it read, "For Free!"
"Uh, it said that it's for free. You dont' have to pay a single bit!"
"That's even better. Just go get one."
Long Winded took a newspaper bundle by his mouth.
He walked out of the dark room and closed the door.
"OK. Now, let me read it and you can...not get lost or something."
Long Winded dropped the newspaper onto the floor.
"Thanks."
Nastic grabbed the newspaper and opened it wide. "Pretty up-to-date for a train station that looks to be away from civilization. This is the early morning edition."
Long Winded stood on the stony floor of the train station, looking out again at the scenery in front of him.
The sky brightened, turning from a dark blue and purple to a morning yellow and blue. The sun rose, first peeking out from the mountains, and then rising in its full light, shining onto all the land.
The light, just as it showed the true beauty of some things, also showed the true condition of others, placing it in full display for all to see and to behold. The gray of the ground and of the rocks became more visible. The dire state of the land was made more clear. A land that languished and thirsted for life, for water—the trees that did have leaves were the oases of this place. The terrain was jagged and craggy, unlike the smooth, rolling fields of grass that had permeated the landscapes and the countrysides of Ponyville and other such towns. The hard ground was just like the rocky train station and its stony floor—cold from the night, now to be heated up by the day.
"OK, natural sunlight," Nastic blurted out as he flipped through the newspaper. "How are you feeling, Long Winded?"
He gave one simple and straight answer. "Bored."
"Well, if you feel bored, then can you see if there's anywhere nice to stay?"
Long Winded's smile grew.
"As long as the ponies don't bother or irritate or annoy us to no end with their kindness, that is."
He hovered above the ground, rising to a good place in the sky. He surveyed the landscape and the surroundings, turning around and sometimes peering at certain places.
Then, he went back down. "There's a farm over there!" He pointed a hoof towards a direction.
Nastic smirked. "You know what? An idyllic farm in the middle of rocky wastelands doesn't sound strange anymore. I'm sure the ponies here are hardened to the harsh circumstances around here aren't going to make the effort of giving us lots of kind greetings and other annoying pony things." He sighed. "I know you're good with making ponies happy with us—whether I like it or not—so, your job is to make a good first impression. Just be, uh, cheery and friendly enough so they can let us stay there."
"Why not look further and get to Rockville's busy center?" Long Winded glanced at his surroundings. "I'm sure it's more exciting there than just some old boring farm."
Nastic shot Long Winded a nasty look.
"OK, OK! I'll carry your comics as we go."
The two changelings stood at the top of the gray, hard hill.
Not so far off, a farm. It was fenced off, but it looked slightly welcoming. The buildings' architecture and its brown and otherwise dull colors made the farm blend in with its environment. Rocks were disperesed throughout the farm's lands.
There was a tall, brown silo. A windmill stood near it. A nice house was near the windmill.
The two-floor hosue was simple enough—framed with wood and having windows with their curtains. Also, a few ponies were moving rocks.
Nastic nudged his friend.
Long Winded looked back at him. "What is it?"
"Do your best at impressing these ponies."
"Alright!" He saluted and made an enthusiastic smile.
And then, Long Winded flew off.
He landed in front of one of the ponies—particularly, an Earth pony stallion with a tall, traditional hat and gray sideburns.
"Why, this doth surprise us, but, to quicken the introduction—I am Igneous Rock Pie, son of my father, Feldspar Granite Pie. However, you may call me by my shorter name, Igenous Pie."
"Uh, OK!" Long Winded kept smiling.
"To be fortright with you, this is truly the first instance where a changeling, who hath devloped a drastic change of personality and attitude, hath visited this humble abode."
A mare walked up to his side; she wore a chained pair of spectacles and a bunned mane. "I am known as Cloudy Quartz. We hope that thy first visitation here will end up in that good and beneficial cheer for all within this place."
Three younger mares walked up to the lone changeling on the field.
Igenous Pie motioned a hoof towards the three. "These mares are three of our four daughters. Our oldest and our firstborn is Limestone Pie,—" He gestured towards the threatening blue-gray pony "—our second is Maud Pie,—" He made the same gesture towards the rock gray pony wearing a blue sweater, eyes half-open and accompanying a blank expression "—and our fourth and our youngest is Marble Pie." He made the same gesturew towards another gray pony, her long mane covering one eye while she looked sheepishly and shyly at the changeling.
She made a sound. "Mm-hmm."
"So, uh..." Long Winded scratched his head and looked around, laughing a little nervously. "Oh! Where's the other sister?"
"Do you mean our third daughter, Pinkamena Diane Pie," Igneous Pie replied, "who is also known and called by her shortened name, Pinkie Pie?"
"What?!"
"Yeah, typical reaction whenever visitors come by," Limestone Pie commented. "She lives in Ponyville, in the Sugarcube Corner bakery. She makes cakes and pies there."
"Actually, I met—"
"So, what's your business here, changeling?" she shouted angrily at him, planting her hooves firmly on the ground and giving him a terrifying stare.
"Aren't we supposed to ask for his name first?" Maud Pie pointed out in her deadpan, flat tone of voice.
The parents took a low bow. "We apologize for having forgotten to ask your name, kind changeling," Igenous Pie said. "Is it not but proper to know thy name first before any more activites are to be held and to be conducted?
"Uh, I think so!" Long Winded kept looking around the place. "My name is Long Winded!"
"So, we shall call you Long Winded," Igenous said.
He said to Limestone, "So, why do your parents speak like they're from another world?"
In the distance, Nastic slammed a hoof on his face.
Limestone grumbled. She menacingly took a few steps forward, slowly but sharply terrorizing the changeling as he shuddered with each step that went along with her hostile smile. "Is that how you changelings treat our parents?!"
"Um, I just, uh, wanted an e-explanation!"
Igenous stretched a hoof out, blocking Limestone. "We must display and exude understanding towards the changeling, Limestone."
"Alright!" She stepped away.
"Similar to what Limestone hath desired to speak of," Igneous spoke, "what is thy reason and purpose for being in our humble place?"
Long Winded gave a smile. "Relaxation, uh, Igenous." His grin grew.
"What form and mean of relaxation do you seek in this place?" Cloudy added.
"Uh, a place to relax in?"
The ponies were staring at him.
"A place to rest in?"
"Is that all you desire here, Long Winded?" Igenous asked.
"Hmm. Can you suggest what a visitor would do here in this farm?"
"You can buy some of our rocks, you can rest in the house, you can help us work in the farm." Maud Pie blinked, still showing that emotionless expression. "That's all you can do."
"Yeah, what she said!" Limestone appended.
"OK!" He nodded slowly while he grinned. "I'll try...all of them?"
Nastic groaned in the distance.
In the humble house, the dining room was filled with the delicious, delightful, delectable smell of rock soup—soup with a huge rock inside it. Hanging from the ceiling, a simple light fixture brightened up the room. Walls painted in a drab gray, floors made up of dull timber. A long wooden table held up the pot of rock soup and the wooden bowls that were there. A few smaller rocks were there, ready for being placed into the bowl and ready for being eaten. On the walls were somber paintings of various landscapes. On the side, there was a wooden shelf containing additional bowls both wooden and ceramic, a few vases, and several more plates.
Maud Pie stood in front of her bowl of rock soup. Beside her bowl was a smaller bowl—and in front of the bowl was her pet rock, Boulder.
"What does it taste like?" Long Winded asked cheerfully, looking down at the muted green soup with its rock.
Nastic took a bite of the rock. The crunches were loud and broken, rough. Then, there were more such crunches. Finally, he gulped down the rock piece.
"Good, right?" Maud asked.
"Tastes like rocks."
"Nastic!" Long Winded stretched out to him. "You might hurt Maud's feelings! I think she made the rock soup!"
"What feelings does she have? I haven't seen her face change ever since we've come here!"
Maud blinked at the heated conversation.
"Well, maybe she doesn't want to show her emotions because she has a good reason to! She might be OK outside, but inside, in her heart, she might be crying!"
"It's going to take an absolutely crazy pony for that to happen!"
"What about Pinkie Pie? You could call her crazy—and Maud's related to her!"
"So, whose side are you really on, Long Winded?!"
She took a sip of the soup as the shouting match went on. She nudged Boulder. "Go on. Eat your soup."
Nastic slept on his bed which was under a bed. Across the room was another double-decker bed. Between the two beds was a big rug. On the wall was one window with curtains.
Long Winded took a look at him as he slept.
Nastic was holding his newspaper and a comic book while he dozed on.
At the bottom of the deep, spacious quarry, Long Winded stood. Still amazed by the quarry's size and grandness, he looked around and took in the view. Steep, rocky walls; a twisting, circular rough dirt path towards the bottom; wooden and metal tracks that led to a tunnel that shimmered and glimmered with crystals—he beheld all this while Limestone groaned in frustration. "Can you stay focused on just one task, Long Winded?!"
"Oh, uh, alright, Limestone!" He saluted the pony.
"This task should be very easy enough for you!" She dropped a pickaxe onto the floor. "Pick that up and start picking and mining any outstanding rocks you see." She rushed up to one of the rocks that extended out of the ground. "Like this one!"
Long Winded carefully picked up the pickaxe. It wobbled a little under the grip of his mouth.
"Go for it!"
He struck the rock.
The pickaxe fell to the ground.
Limestone groaned. "This is not even a job, Long Winded. This is just the training part!"
"Don't worry, Limestone! I'll try!"
And, he picked up the pickaxe again and struck the rock again and the pickaxe fell to the ground again.
The pony smacked her face with a hoof. "How long are we going to stay here?!"
Nastic was still sleeping on his bed.
"Do you grow any food around here?" Long Winded asked rather innocently as he toiled and worked by pushing a large rock up the quarry, through the sloped path upwards.
Limestone grunted. "We buy from the market!" She pushed her heavy rock further up. "Now, will ya' stop talking and keep walking?!"
"Heh-heh-heh!" He was sweating profusely. "OK!" He forced himself to keep on pushing the rock.
"Any rocks you like?"
"Hmm." Nastic placed a hoof on his hat, thinking much about the decision placed in front of him.
On the dining table, there were now several rocks. They were of different sizes but of similar color.
"These are raw rocks," explained Maud. "Would you want to see the other rocks?"
"Sure," Nastic dismissively answered.
Maud brought up several more rocks, pushing away the other ones. "These are rock dolls, picked and crafted with love and care," she went on with a monotonus voice. She placed and presented them on the table.
They were indeed like dolls except they were made out of hard rock. All of them were rugged and ridged, but they looked somewhat like ponies, if only the shape of the ponies.
"Are you sure about this?" Nastic asked indecently.
"They are rock dolls." She blinked, staring straight at him. "You don't need to cuddle it while you sleep. You can just buy it as a souvenir."
"Uh, anything else?"
"We have some crystals."
Nastic's eyes went wide open. "You're kidding me, right?" He stretched out his front hooves. "You're telling me that there are crystal deposits and the like in a place as boring and as stale as this?! You're telling me that you're able to find crystals in your farm and that you have the means to actually mine the crystals?"
"Yes."
An awkward silence passed between the two.
"OK. Show me the crystals."
She grabbed a bag and poured out a bunch of pink crystals. The crystals plinked as they landed onto the table. They shone under the ceiling light. They reflected their surroundings, the pony, and the changeling that were there.
"Impressive," Nastic blurted out.
Maud grabbed another bag and poured out more of the pink crystals, making a louder sound as they went to the table's surface.
"OK," stated Nastic, "I can see that you're a hard-working family of rock farmers! Heh-heh-heh."
Maud grabbed yet another bag and poured out even more pink crystals onto the table.
"Maud, you can stop now!" Nastic demanded desperately.
She blinked. She dropped the bag. She looked at Nastic. "You said, 'Show me the crystals.'"
"Not all of them, of course! What do you have? A whole mine of crystal deposits?!"
"Yes."
Nastic blinked, surprised and astonished. "Tell me to never underestimate a pony like you, Maud."
"Never underestimate a pony like me."
"I didn't want you to actually say it!"
She blinked. Her face still showed no emotion. "OK. Do you want to purchase some crystals?"