Offboarding began.
The jenny and her grandson were almost to Maud’s row, so she had to get out of their way. Maud did her best to hop up and march off the bus. Instead she was lethargically getting to her hooves right before the grandson got to her.
Even at the best of times Maud wasn’t a fast trotter, but with her left hind having fallen asleep during the ride, her hobble was agonizingly slow. Especially for the poor donkeys behind her. Maud’s expression stayed flat as she trudged, even though each grunt of impatience from the grandson hurt her more than if he’d kicked her in the ribs. An actual kick might’ve at least made her move faster.
After an eternity of being an inconvenience, Maud was outside and out of the way.
The rest area was a wide, squat building. Its sign out front promised public toilets, travel guides, and vending machines. The driver was leaning on the edge of one of the many surrounding picnic tables, puffing a cigarette. He took a deep drag and courteously held it in as the old jenny and her grandson passed him on their way to the bathrooms. Once the door shut behind them, he blew out again. Maud meanwhile stood alone in the grass, the only other pony who’d so far stepped out.
She glanced behind her, trying to see Vinyl Scratch. No detectable movement in the vehicle. Well, since Maud had already committed to coming out here, some fossicking might ease her nerves. There was a layer of decorative gravel strewn around the main building’s perimeter. An appropriate place to start.
Maud trotted unhurriedly over, then scooped up a hoofful of pebbles.
“Metamorphic,” she observed softly. “Hornfels lattice, judging by the irregular grain.”
“Ha! You weren’t kidding about that geology job of yours.”
Startled, Maud reflexively adjusted the collar of her frock. The speaker was Haberdash, satchel bouncing as he breezed towards the rack of travel brochures.
Maud stared jealously after carefree the half-zebra.
Why can’t you be like that? She mused bitterly. Pivoting around, she saw Vinyl Scratch had finally disembarked. Or like that?
The target of Maud’s envy was taking small, four-hooved hops along a yellow parking line in the lot. The unicorn smiled contentedly, uncaring that she looked like a foal playing hopscotch. Her headphones still rested around her neck as she pranced aimlessly along to her own beat. She was so lively. So unashamed. So very clearly not made of stone.
Feeling the base of her neck growing hot, Maud emptied her hoof of gravel and planted in back on the ground.
All this apprehension was so stupid. Maud was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by strangers, all of whom were heading to their own destinations, unlikely to see or even think about one another again. How many of these busy ponies would spare a condescending thought for her, the taciturn rock collector? What was Maud afraid of? A simple “Hello, didn’t we go to school together” was the easiest phrase in the world to say. Even a golem like her could handle that.
Maud bent down, tore a mouthful of grass from the pavilion lawn, and chewed resolutely. She took her first somnolent steps towards the pony from her past.
She was doing this.
Maud swallowed and exhaled through her nose.
She was one nopony approaching another, a stoic statue about to talk to a blank slate.
Maud was nearly to the edge of the grass. She opened her mouth.
“Hey, aren’t you DJ Pon-3?!”
Maud closed her mouth. That shout had not come from her. Galloping past with enough speed to make even Maud blink in stolid surprise, the little donkey skidded to a halt in front of Vinyl Scratch. He had a huge excited grin on his muzzle. The unicorn tousled the mane of her young fan, nodding to affirm she did indeed go by that stage name.
"Cloven! Leave that nice unicorn- ah, fiddlesticks." The old jenny, moving considerably slower than her grandson, came up and stood next to Maud.
“I’m so outta touch with the young’uns and their pop idols,” she remarked. “You’re a well-looking yearling type though. You familiar with that one there?”
Maud didn’t answer. She felt like her throat was being choked with cement as the little donkey continued gushing.
“Gram and me are on ‘r way to Seaward Shoals for vacation. You ever do any shows at Seaward Shoals?” Vinyl Scratch curtly nodded, causing the foal to bray with excitement again. It was a sound that hurt Maud’s heart as well as her ears because not even Princess Twilight, the most famous pony Maud knew, could make children so bright-eyed. And Maud was already nothing compared to Twilight.
“Oh dear, I apologize” the old jenny chortled. “My name is Winnie Withers. May I ask who you are?”
Winnie’s smile faltered as the gray pony turned its head towards her. The pony had been placid before, but now she was moving with less life than a cockatrice victim. Winnie shivered when she saw how utterly blank its eyes were, as if no one was behind them looking out. No one at all.
“Who am I...?” Even the pony’s voice seemed empty, like stale air moving through a desolate cave. “Who cares.”
Stiff, robotic steps carried the gray imitation of a mare past Winnie Withers and back up the bus ramp. Frock folds followed, swishing like leaves so dead one could barely imagine they’d ever been alive in the first place. Winnie stole a quick look back at her grandson, whom DJ Pon-3 had momentarily gifted her pair of oversized headphones.
“Oh,” he exalted. “Oh oh oh! I know this one. The Smile Song! Come on everypony, smile smile smile…”
Winnie turned back to see the defeated gray pony seated again, slumped against a window and staring vacantly into space. The raucous singing of a still braying donkey foal mingled with the barking announcement of the driver.
“Back on board, everycreature. We’re on route to stop number 10, Baltimare suburbs."
“Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine, from these happy friends of mine…”