“I heareth that thou shall be accompanying thy father to the Pie Rock Farm today,” Stamp said with a chuckle.
Cloudy and him had known each other since they were foals, and even then, Cloudy found him obnoxious. Perhaps it was his pride or his tendency to propose to Cloudy at the most inopportune times. Which was every time.
He always carried himself with a little too much pride, but that is not to say that he did not have anything to be proud of. Like Cloudy, he descended from one of the more influential families in the area. Their massive physiques made them proficient at crushing and pounding ores.
Recently, the pair had seen each other less frequently since Cloudy began her next level of education. It was apparent that distance did not make her heart grow fonder.
“Aye Stamp. I look forward to departing in a few short hours,” she stated curtly.
Cloudy hoped that her short answer would ward off any further advances from Stamp, but he was never one to take the hint.
“Mine own cousin, Alluvial, works down at the bank. He hath said that the old Pie Rock Farm is in the red. It is only a matter of time before he and his dust container of a father art thrown out into the street.”
Cloudy rolled her eyes and scoffed. She was not surprised by Stamp’s cruelty, because she knew that most ponies were cruel when they thought there would be no repercussions. Even in places such as Rockville, where harmony and community were highly valued in accordance with the Principles of Providence, it often took little to no prompting for a pony to show their true colors.
“Farewell, Mr. Stamp Mill,” Cloudy concluded. She had no patience for those who derived pleasure from other ponies’ misfortune. And, she had a very important meeting to prepare for anyways.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The sound of rattling instruments shifting inside Burdock’s medical bag filled the air as the sun shined down on Rockville. His fine brown hat sat comfortably atop his balding head and, according to Rose, his matching satin necktie looked quite dapper. He moved with purpose and distinction, nodding to the few ponies that they passed on their way. The gesture was small, but an acceptable greeting in Plain communities. The Equish might not recognize the solidarity in sterility, but that is what made the ponies of the West so special.
Even Burdock could not ignore the infinite source of wisdom hidden in patches of gray. He looked forward to witnessing the indispensable lesson that would be bestowed upon his daughter courtesy of Feldspar Pie. It was important to know one’s neighbors and their strengths. Feldspar’s greatest strength was being a walking cautionary tale, an example to every filly and colt on how not to conduct themselves.
He could feel his daughter leave his side as they approached the Pie Family Rock Farm. He looked up at the cracked and dilapidated banister that confirmed that they had arrived at their desired destination.
It was eerie, the silence and lack of life. Other farms had large families that worked together to bring a sense of vitality to their lands. Burdock did not dare to imagine the dreadful state that the homestead would slip into once there was only one Pie remaining. At least, it all ends with the final Pie, putting the measly farm and its legacy out of its misery.
A gust of wind swept through the vacant fields, sending dust in all directions. Burdock hastily procured his handkerchief and covered his muzzle.
“Quite the breathtaking landscape,” he quipped, partially muffled by the cloth covering his face.
Cloudy ignored his sarcasm as she admired the diabase, diorite, and gabbro scattered before her. Her father could not see the beauty of the area, but she definitely could. At her hooves sat a black stone. She turned it over in her forehooves and she could see splotches of green deep within the stone.
“Peridotite?” she whispered to herself, admiring the majesty in between her hooves.
They continued along the path to the farmhouse where they ran into a young stallion moving briskly to meet them. Cloudy immediately recognized him as the pony from the market.
The young stallion lowered his hat to greet them, but Burdock cut him off. “Good morrow Igneous. I hope that thee doth not mind the early arrival and that I hast brought mine own beloved daughter, Cloudy, to accompany me.”
Seeing that the elder stallion had made his greeting, Igneous rushed to make his own. “And a good morrow to thee esteemed Dr. Burdock Boil. Thy presence upon our homestead is an honor. Mine own father and I oweth thee the greatest of thanks. If Providence wills it, may thy hooves of healing carry thee far.”
Igneous politely bowed to the doctor before remembering that there was somepony else present. He briefly locked eyes with Cloudy before pressing his hat back into his chest and launching into a formal first greeting, “And greetings to thee ma’am. I am called Igneous Rock Pie, son of Feldspar Granite Pie.”
There was a beat of silence before Cloudy realized that it was her turn to reciprocate. She watched him put his hat back on while he avoided eye contact. Despite the delay, she responded smoothly and gracefully, “Thou shalt know me as Cloudy Quartz, daughter of Burdock Boil and Rose Quartz.”
Igneous completed the introduction by closing his eyes and placing a hoof on his forehead. “May Providence favor thee well,” he moved his hoof to his chest, “And to thy quest for knowledge, may our humble homestead contribute.”
Cloudy bowed with a polite smile, then mimicked his motions of favor. “And may Providence favor thee Igneous, thy father, and thy homestead.”
“And may Providence favor me, for Celestia only grants us so many hours. Let us maketh haste young Igneous, thy father’s health is nay trivial matter,” Burdock interposed impatiently.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Cloudy had to admit that seeing her father in action never grew old. His focus and his professionalism were admirable and inspiring. It took patience to treat others, especially those as traditional and old–fashioned as the ponies of Providence and Plain.
If Cloudy had to picture an archetypical Rockville Plain Pony, she would imagine Feldspar Granite Pie. He was in and out of prayers to Providence, quoting every idiom that she had ever struggled to understand, and even occasionally slipped into Ponyslvanian Dutch mid-sentence. It was as if she was in the presence of her grandfather or even her great-grandfather.
Cloudy admired Igneous Pie’s benevolence. She observed that Igneous spoke little, and he was frequently deep in thought. Having seen the vastness of his property, Cloudy could only imagine how busy he was, trying to handle everything by himself. Despite this, he made the time to be by his father’s side. A dutiful son, a compassionate son, and a patient son.
She stood by Igneous at the entryway to the living room and watched as his grizzly father spat and argued with Burdock. It was amusing, but not what she wanted to see. She tried to think of a polite way to ask to see Igneous’ fields, but her father beat her to the punch. He dismissed both of them so he could speak with Feldspar in private.
As they walked, Cloudy could tell that the taciturn stallion was uncertain of what to do or say; luckily, she had no problem taking the lead. She did not mind that Igneous knew few technical terms and found him a capable conversationalist with a little coaxing. He politely answered all of her questions and gently deflected all of her praise.
After showing her his family's prize, Holder’s Boulder, he trotted behind her as she came upon a mineshaft. In her excitement, she moved to enter without further consideration, and Igneous rushed forward to stop her.
“I doth not wanteth to stray too far from thy father,” he explained anxiously.
Cloudy offered him a comforting smile. Aside from being humble, Igneous was also a gentlecolt. “Fear not, Igneous Pie. Dare I say, mine own father desires that I stray far, far away.”
Igneous grew visibly nervous as he scratched his chin in confusion. Cloudy cleared her throat and stepped closer to the entrance. “He sends me to an academy a great distance from Rockville. So far away, that I am the only pony of the Plain present. Everypony else is Equish. Thou might hast seen a few of mine own classmates at the market the other day.”
“Aye. I noticed that I didst not recognizeth any of their faces,” Igneous admitted, stepping aside to lead Cloudy through the mineshaft.
The walls of the cavern resembled the night sky, as fragments of crystals twinkled and shined from within the stone. She brushed her hoof against the wall while she followed Igneous further.
She opted to continue their earlier conversation, “I hadst assumed that thee were much too preoccupied with thy work to notice other ponies,” she joked, “I am certain that thou wast unsettled by how strange they looked. They madeth quite the ruckus doth thee think.”
For a second, Igneous’ stony face portrayed a deeper emotion. He stilled himself quickly and maintained his walking pace. “Nay. I found them quite agreeable. It is easy to stick out in a place such as this, they hast no chance of blending in. Although, I assume that thou knew this already.”
There was a glint of mischief in Cloudy’s eyes as she heard his words. He was a clever one. They were her classmates, but they were also her friends. She paid no mind to the attention she garnered while showing them around because she had nothing to prove to the townsfolk.
Igneous had done a good job with deflecting her first prod, but it was only a matter of time before he showed his true colors. She pushed him further. “Thee didst not consider their presence a distraction? How about an intrusion? Their kind tends to be vain and ostentatious. ”
“Nay. To think that way wouldst be hypocritical.” Igneous responded without hesitation.
Cloudy blinked, then pushed her glasses up. “Hypocritical? In what way?”
He was silent for a moment. “It is not a pony's place to cast judgment upon others. Especially upon those who conduct themselves so differently than us.”
Cloudy could do nothing but nod in agreement at his words. It was rare to hear such impartial words from anypony, Plain pony or Equish. She had thought that she knew everpony in this town, especially all those close to her age, but she could not recall speaking to Igneous before their meeting at the market. He was a bit older than her, but not by an egregious amount. It might have been beneficial to make his acquaintance sooner.
She came to his side and stood before a mound in the ground that caused her hooves to tingle as she approached.
“Feeleth the Earth before thy hooves. By Providence, we art not in service to it or above it. We art one with it; assembled from its ashes and destined to returneth to it in our final slumber,” Igneous serenely stated.
Heeding his words, Cloudy closed her eyes, feeling it intertwine with her hooves. “I-I believe that I feel something. It’s strong, to our right…a few meters below.”
Igneous nodded and removed his hat. Locks of his purple mane came loose as he rifled through his hat. It took him a second, but he retrieved two pickaxes from the confines of his garment.
“I hath felt it too. A deposit of arkose must sitteth there. Best to use this to retrieveth it.” Igneous explained, offering a pickaxe to Cloudy.
“Impressive, Mr. Igneous,” Cloudy admitted. She knew something was hidden in the depths, but she had no inkling of a guess.
Igneous bowed humbly. “Thank you, Ms. Quartz.”
They walked together, agreeing on the best spot to start digging. It was only after Cloudy had thoroughly dirtied her hooves that she realized something rather bizarre had occurred. She gawked at Igneous and spoke in disbelief, “I apologize…but, did thou just pull two pickaxes out of thy hat?”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
It was midday when Cloudy and Burdock finally returned to the Mills' homestead, and the pair decided to settle down for some tea. The illusion of peace was strong in those silent moments, as the they sipped their drinks slowly.
Burdock was the first to break the ceasefire. “I hope that thou found today's trip educational. In truth, I hadst ulterior motives in bringing thou there. I am certain thou saw the destitution inherent to their lifestyle.”
Cloudy took one last sip of her tea before placing the cup down. “I wast aware of thou’s intentions the whole time. Thou thought our trip would dissuade me from my convictions, but it hast madeth them stronger than ever.”
“Thee wish to be liketh Feldspar Pie? The stallion who hast failed in every conceivable way? His lungs art black! Infested with soot and dust! That is what his destiny has led him to, an early grave. And now his child will waste the remains of his inheritance in a futile attempt to postpone the inevitable. This is what you wanteth? To die as a victim to thy fruitless endeavors?” Burdock snapped, his teacup clattered as he dropped it on the table.
“How can thou speaketh so callously about those in thy care?”
“Callous? I am far from callous! I am one of the most compassionate ponies thou will ever meet. I hath devoted mine own life to caring for others. I treated Feldspar Pie despite his wretched reputation. I hath devoted money and effort to sending thou to one of the top academies in all Equestria!” Burdock shouted, no longer trying to maintain his calm.
He rose out of his chair, but spoke quietly, “Thou think that I wanted to spend mine only life in a place such as this? Thou art not the smartest pony in all the world. And thou art not the only pony who earned the opportunity to leaveth this town.”
His hooves clopped against the hard floors as he paced the tiny kitchen. “I couldst hast studied at the top universities and academies. But, I knew that other places have plenty of doctors. The ponies here art mine own ponies. They had nopony to help them.”
Cloudy pressed a defensive hoof to her chest. “I apologize that thy life didst not go according to thy plans or desires. But that is thy discrepancy to fix, not mine.”
She placed her hooves on the table to steady herself. “Ever since I wast a filly, thou hath done everything in thy power to turneth me against mine own home and ponies. Thou sent me away. To a faraway place full of ponies that were nothing liketh me, knowing full well that I wast happiest at home…And for what? Because of a natural brilliance that madeth me more worthy of opportunity, or because that is what thou wouldst hath wanted for thyself?”
“Hold thy tongue Cloudetta Desiree Quartz! I am thy father, and thou will speaketh to me as such! I hath madeth sacrifices on thy behalf to nurture thy aptitude. The other ponies of these towns see thy potential, why can thou not?”
“I am well aware of mine own talents. But I am no fool! I hath noticed that the townsfolk all speaketh liketh thou because thou hath manipulated them to obey thy will!”
“Preposterous. Thou intend to portray me as some evil enchanter?” Burdock mocked incredulously.
“Nay. I portray thee as thee art. An intelligent and powerful stallion with close connections to many important ponies. Ponies that regard thou so highly that they fear slighting thou in any way. They see my potential, and yet when I implore them for work the discussion always falls through. Some of them even repeat thy dismissive words verbatim!”
They both knew that it was true, that Burdock had effectively blacklisted his own daughter. He knew that if she could not find any work in the Plain communities, that she would have no choice but to build a life elsewhere. Despite its faults, it paid to be one of the only doctors in the area. Ponies had to respect him, whether they wanted to or not
Cloudy was disturbed by how cold her father looked. He spoke gravely and sternly, “Call me callous and call me cruel, but I will not allow thee to ruin thy life. There is nothing here for thee in Rockville. Nor is there anything for thee in Stoneburro or Sediment Town or any other Plain community worth its salt. Thou do not belong here.”
She looked at him with watery eyes, seeing nothing more than a stranger. She sniffed and turned away from him, and he did not call out to her as she forced her way through the kitchen door.
She stumbled around the property blindly. She was hoping that she might find a place to be alone, but Stamp Mill was a master at appearing at the worst possible times.
Stamp had never seen Cloudy this visibly upset. “A-art thou okay Cloudy?”
The young mare rubbed her eyes. “Nay Stamp. I find that I am a prisoner condemned to have everything in this life excepteth for what maketh it worth living.”
“Thou…speaketh of thy studies,” Stamp admitted, uncertain of what he should do in this situation.
“Aye Stamp. Nice to seeth that thou art well aware of mine own father’s scheming.”
Stamp swallowed as he considered his words, he knew that he was pushing the limit of what he could say, “I-I doth not understand why thou findeth such misery in thy position.”
Cloudy bit her lip. “I hath seen the world, and I know that I am exactly where I wanteth to be. It is rare for one to findeth a place where they are content, especially one so young. But I am at my happiest when I am here,” her voice quivered as she thought about it, “and every moment spent away from all this is unbearable. I doth not desire to waste my time or resources pursuing a life that I hath no interest in.”
“But thou still hath time. There art plenty of places thee couldst calleth home?” Stamp countered.
Cloudy shivered while thinking of all the places she had been. The endless snobbery and classism inherent to Canterlot. The overcrowded and labyrinthine streets of Manehattan. The gaudy vibrancy and frequent monster attacks that defined Ponyville. She had seen so many places, yet all of them made her feel insignificant and stupid.
Cloudy stomped her hooves defiantly. “This is mine own home! This is the home of mine own ancestors for generations. This is the ash and dirt and dust that I am madeth from. This is who I am. I am not me without this place.”
She glared at Stamp and stepped forward. “For the longest time, thou hath pestered me in every way imaginable to get me close to thou. And yet, I show that I need thy help, and thou art hesitating.”
Despite being significantly bigger than her, Stamp seemed to shrink under her gaze. His eyes filled with sadness as he reluctantly spoke, “Thy father… is very proud of thy academic prowess as am I. I wouldst hate to take thou away from the life that is owed to thee.”
Cloudy did not know why she was surprised. She looked away in disgust. “I see. Then I guess this a farewell, Mr. Stamp Mill.”