5 Gems

by LoveandEdify

Chapter One: Not Taken For Granite

Maud stepped into Spike’s room, not knowing much of what to expect she could do about

the situation at hoof. Especially after two ponies who immensely cared about him already seemed

to cheer him up. What could a rock farmer possibly have to offer?

A rock farmer. That’s all she ever was. And she wasn’t even a bubbly break from the normal like

her sister Pinkie-Pie. She was as mundane as the rest of them. From the soft, monotone voice she

was stuck with as long as she could remember to the ash-grey color of her body, to the faded

purple of her mane; no wonder she was more often seen with a frown on her face. Even during

all the good times.

One of those good times happened to be when she visited her sister in Ponyville for the first

time in a long while. After a series of misunderstandings and assumptions, Maud was finally able

to connect with the rest of the Mane 6 over how much her sister’s happiness meant to all of them.

Obviously it wasn’t the last time she was involved with their adventures. She enjoyed meeting up

with all of Pinkie’s friends whenever she was in town; and now that she lived closer to the small town

of Ponyville; she felt even mores truly happy that she could have a much-improved work-life balance.

Whether she was looking for rare gems and rocks for research, flying kites with Starlight Glimmer,

playing random games with Pinkie-Pie or just enjoying a relaxing night in her new cave-house, Maud

Pie seemed to finally have everything going her way. Graduating as a valerocktorian at her school,

making some of the best friends (that weren’t rocks) she ever had and her own home to finally

accomplish her dreams. What more could she ask for?

Well, there were four things she could ask for: to be as well-respected (if not moreso) than her

younger sister, to help others fulfill their dreams, find someone to love and share her life with them

forever. While she knew that the first one might not happen as quickly as she would like, the other

three she was accomplishing this very day. Out of all the males she had met; there wasn’t any that

intrigued her more than the little dragon known as Spike. He was a small purple dragon with

smaller green scales humping over his back like hills. His message-delivering fire was always

useful in a pinch, although obviously Spike had more than one type of fire inside of him.

In fact, it was the more mental, hidden fires that had taken Maud’s heart. The way that he stayed

burning bright for all of his friends whenever they needed him. Regardless of whether it was helping

save the world, assisting others with various errands, volunteering to be a pincushion (She was still

wanting to throw Rarity into a rockslide for that one) or simply just being there for advice

or a shoulder to cry on. The complete natural sense of exuberance and joy mixed with wisdom

that she loved, cherished and adored the most about him.

So when Maud was teleported to Twilight’s castle by Starlight at the end of a group adventure to hear

that something was wrong with Spike, her crystal heart was shattered into a million pieces for her

friend. But because she couldn’t show emotions as well as Pinkie, her emotions weren’t as easily seen

by just anypony.

Luckily, Starlight Glimmer knew exactly what Maud was trying to convey. She was even willing to bet

that Starlight was focused enough to see the tears coming out of Maud’s eyes while Twilight was

distracted while calculating what exactly Starlight’s friends were even doing there in the first place.

As soon as Starlight and Twilight were out of the room, Maud gently strode over to where Spike was

on the bed. She could see the pain in his eyes as he wiped his eyes on his blanket.

“I don’t think that blanket’s the best thing for your eyes. Maybe you should find something softer

and more comfortable.” Maud insisted, as Spike sat up and lifted his head from the blanket.

“Like what?” Spike asked, his voice still choked up from all the crying as he gazed towards Maud’s

eyes.

Spike then stared in surprise as he saw Maud stretch out in front of him, very much like a cat would,

and laying down on her stomach.

“Like my mane. Or my shoulders. Or both. I’ve been trying a new shampoo called Bubbly’s Bubbly

Bubblegum. I smell good, don’t you think?” As Maud finished her comments, Spike curiously

bent down and took a whiff from Maud’s mane.

“Whoa! Hey, you’re right Maud. This does smell good.” Spike affirmed as he rose back to his sitting

position after the aroma awoken his nerves.

“Did you think I would lie to you? You think because I’m a rock-farmer I would smell rather putrid and

I would look unattractive to you.” Maud replied, in the same monotone voice, but staring Spike down

as if she was here to collect a penance upon his poor dragon soul.

Spike stared at Maud and swallowed nervously. “What, no... I mean, I never expected you to... to...”

Spike then sighed in defeat, as Maud’s penance stare gazed into Spike in a way that could send

Fluttershy’s “Flutter-Stare” back to Magic Kindergarten.

Maud smiled, then sat back up next to Spike. “Are you comfortable enough to tell me what’s bothering

you now?” she sympathetically queried. As Spike explained the story of what exactly happened, Maud

sat silently, like a stone, and listened.

While she felt terrible for her crush; she was also happy for herself. Happy, in finally realizing

what good a rock farmer could be. The one who would prod him to not cheapen his life and its value.

Neigh, she would be a firm foundation as which to lay it down. Both the joys and the pain.

The triumphs and the failures. The insignificant, boring, mundane details of daily living and the

heroic, valiant majestic happenings. No matter the cost, no matter the trial. She knew that while

Spike’s other friends would be more than happy to care about him in a pinch, she knew what she had

that the others wouldn’t.

She was a rock. True. Solid. Constant.

“I care about you, Spike. Even when it seems like no one else does. If you don’t believe me, I will prove

it.” Maud informed the little dragon as he finally curled up in his bed to sleep. She gently put the

covers over him and fluffed his pillow before quietly exiting the room. Leaving him to finally get a

peaceful night’s sleep after a sorrow-filled day.

Maud must have lost track of how much time had went by because the first thing she noticed on her

way out was her hoof stepping on a piece of paper of some kind that was neatly rolled up right

outside the door.

Dear Maud, Thanks a lot for helping out with Spike.

I’m sure it means a lot to him to see somepony who cares about him that’s not around him as

much.

Anyway, after a brief discussion, we’ve decided to tell Spike that he’s earned a week-long

vacation at Scale Coves, a small island which he’s been wanting to go on vacation for a long time.

Probably because it’s located near one of the largest gem caves in the world.

You can probably sleep in Spike’s room because by the time you read this, we’ll already be

fast asleep. And by the way, on the floor or get him off the bed! Starlight already told me about

your crush on him.

I’m not mad at you, Maud. Silly me for assuming you’ll do something terrible. It’s just that Spike is

more than my best friend. He’s been my little brother ever since I hatched and raised him from

Magic kindergarten and, well, after what happened between him and Rarity; I would just hate

to see his heart demolished like that again.

I wish you the best of luck, and of course I’ll help you out with him. Just know that, and... oh

Celestia, I’m gonna be a terrible Princess of Friendship here... hehehe

KNOW THAT IF YOU EVER, EVER, EVER BREAK EVEN A SINGLE PEBBLE OF HIS CRYSTAL HEART;

NOT EVEN TARTARUS WILL BE SAFE FOR YOU TO HIDE FROM MY WRATH!!!

Sorry about that. Anyway, see ya tomorrow, Maud.

Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.

“Whoa. That was dark.” Maud thought quietly. While her voice was still in that cursed monotone,

you could still tell that the emotion in that voice was nervousness. What could she possibly do to give

Spike a trip to remember in such a short amount of time?

It was then she remembered something. One, she was a Pie. Two, Pies have weird physics-breaking

abilities for some reason. (An example of that was how she outchucked Rainbow-Dash in a

stone-tossing game, and how she ran an obstacle-course at unnaturally quick-speed and punched

through a boulder to save her sister. No, I did not stutter. Watch the Maud Pie episode yourself.

Right now!!!) And finally, she actually went and harvested gems from the caves of Scale Coves before.

With new determination, she threw the door open (somehow not waking anybody up) and tip-toed

across the room and gave Spike a swift and tender kiss on the cheek.

“Farewell, my amethyst. I will bring you a gift tomorrow, and you will remember it. Forever.”

she whispered, before riding off into the midnight sky.