//------------------------------// // Proposal // Story: Of Providence and Plain // by GrangeDisplay //------------------------------// There was sunshine and light everywhere. That is what every day felt like when she was still around. In those early days, when everypony was trying to make things work. Those days were fuzzy and hard to see, but he could remember her smile and her hugs and her laughter. She lit up their world just by being there. No wonder everything became so dark when she left. Perhaps he would have seen it coming had he not let the light blind him. He would have seen her pain and her unhappiness and her yearning. He wanted nothing more than for her to love him, for her to choose him, but her heart always belonged somewhere else. It was all a lie, too good to be true. When things finally fell apart, it left them all in shambles. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Despite the pitch-black outside, Igneous' body obediently awakened at its conditioned hour. He cursed himself for his discipline; there was no way that he would coax himself back to sleep, yet he felt that staying awake was pointless. He was not quite expecting a miracle, but he never would have wasted so much if he knew that the truth would cause him such sorrow. His father was dying. That was not surprising to Igneous. He had spent his entire life by his father’s side and watched each day as the illness took more and more of him away. But Dr. Boil's diagnosis made it all the terrifying. Feldspar’s condition could not be cured, it could only be managed. He needed money. He needed to work harder. He needed help. But who could he count on? His father deserved to live his last few years unaware of the darkness looming over their household. Igneous knew nothing of his extended family and he had no friends. He recalled the lessons of community taught in congregation, but he knew they would never consider the Pies their own. He rolled over and off of his cot. The floorboards creaked underneath him as he ignited the kerosene lantern on his nightstand. He could not shake the feeling that something unexpected would happen to him soon, which was unfortunate since he hated surprises. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Cloudy did not care for relationships. Whether in Rockville or away at school, she primarily focused on her studies and work. Not to say that she was completely friendless, quite the opposite really. She held cordial acquaintances with most ponies in Rockville and was ingrained in an adequate friend group of like-minded ponies at the academy. In the realm of romance, she had received her fair share of gestures. Ponies were attracted to her; she was intelligent, carried herself with dignity, and descended from a respectable family. Cloudy had become masterful at evading other ponies’ attempts at courtship over the years. In the past, she had appreciated her parents for never pressuring her to conform to any standard. Other Rockvillians her age were in the process of, if not already, getting married. Despite what one might think, the differences between her and her peers did not bother Cloudy in the slightest. Although she might admit she was a little jealous of all the gifts and the nice-sized checks that newlyweds received, the commitment was not worth the momentary festivities. But now, she was finding great discomfort in her solitude. Not because she was lonely per se, but because it was forced upon her by her over-controlling father. Cloudy was neither ignorant nor arrogant, she was a realist. She was capable and qualified to work most jobs in the area, and it paid to be well acquainted with the daughter of Dr. Burdock Boil and Rose Quartz. She spoke to the ponies around town and found them amicable at a surface level, the greetings were genuine, and the inquiries into her studies were good-natured. But any push further was met with stark resistance. Word of the vacancy at Mr. Gangue’s farm had spread throughout the town, yet when Cloudy offered her services, he suddenly had no idea what she was talking about. When she spoke to Blossom Rock, her childhood friend and the inevitable successor of the Float Family Rock Farm, she found no solace. Blossom explained that Cloudy might be, "too overqualified,” for any work on the homestead. Mr. Sluice said his work only required one pony. Mrs. Bonanza said she got all the help she needed from her nieces and nephew. The twins, Rocker and Cradle, insisted that their parents’ farm was too far out. Blind Lode claimed that he did not need any help with his stall. She wandered the emptying streets speaking to anypony she came across, finding the same over-rehearsed replies that she received in every town her father had touched. It was not a new experience, although she still ridiculed herself for not picking up on the pattern sooner. Cloudy could almost pinpoint the date at which other ponies' advances and friendliness vanished from her life in the West. She walked the streets for some time before she saw the peculiar sight of Alluvial marching through the streets, while Igneous Pie followed close behind grasping papers. It appeared that Igneous was trying to carry out a conversation with Rockville’s resident banker, but Alluvial was dead set on ignoring him. Cloudy knew it was not her place to intervene, but she had nothing else to do at the moment. She waved her hoof at Stamp Mill’s cousin. “Good evening, Alluvial. It is a pleasure seeth thee.” Alluvial’s expression changed drastically as he greeted her. “Ah! Good evening, Cloudy. I hath heard that thee were backeth in town. I apologize for not returning to mine own uncle’s to greeteth thee and thy family properly.” “I assure thee, it is fine,” she stated with a dismissive hoof wave, then turned to Igneous, “and how art thou, Mr. Pie?” Igneous pulled on his tie, clearly overwhelmed and exhausted. “I am well, I thank thee Ms. Quartz.” “Well, Cloudy, wouldst thee liketh an escort home? Mr. Pie and I art finished with our conversation,” Alluvial harshly clarified. After hearing his words, Igneous almost stopped in his tracks, but Cloudy used a hoof to gently prod him forward. “Nay, nay. Doth not alloweth me disturb thy discussion. Mr. Pie is a business owner, I am certain that he requires thy expertise,” she assured. “Aye, he certainly doest, but not at this hour,” Alluvial sneered. “I understand that it is an inconvenience, but one look at these numbers maketh his impropriety quite reasonable,” Cloudy declared while peering over Igneous’ shoulder. Both stallions stopped dead in their tracks. They were both horrified at Cloudy reading Igneous’ bank statements for very different reasons. Despite his efforts, Cloudy had managed to apprehend Igneous’ papers. She studied each page with growing revulsion. “I wouldst think one wouldst at least double checketh their math. And what is this additional fee here? And thy consultation fee seemeth a tad higher than normal.” Alluvial fidgeted where he stood. “C-cloudy, this is unacceptable. This business is between Mr. Pie and me.” Cloudy feigned shock as she finished calculating numbers in her head. “Not at this hour it is not. I wilt sayeth, raising his mortgage by this percentage then punishing him for being late on a payment, especially after thy lackluster job is…duplicitous.” She flipped to another page, and her jaw dropped. This was the most egregious scam of all. “And thou expect him to pay this much, or his assets will be seized? Be sensible Alluvial, this is robbery! One week to pay all this?” Igneous bit his lip. “Ms. Quartz, it is fine.” “But it is not. And thee knoweth that Igneous. Doth not alloweth him to do this to thee,” she turned to look at Alluvial with disappointment, “Giveth him at least a month to rectify this.” “I-I will not,” Alluvial nervously insisted. Cloudy intensified her disappointed face, and Alluvial began to feel as if he were melting. "Okay, okay. Two weeks.” Cloudy shook her head. “Maketh it three so that thee may hast time to fixeth thy mistakes too.” It looked like the ‘nay’ was on the tip of Alluvial’s tongue, but he finally relented after an impossible staring contest against Cloudy Quartz. “Fine. Igneous, thy deadline is now three weeks. In the meantime, I shall look over thy bank statements. Good day to the both of thee,” Alluvial grumbled with forced friendliness. He did not wait for a response as he galloped away from them. They watched him go, unsure of how to recover from the situation. Igneous rubbed the back of his neck and avoided eye contact. “I-I, thank thee for the help Ms. Quartz." Cloudy tried to reassure him with a smile, “Nay, nay Mr. Pie. I must say, I do not wish to hold thee any longer, but consider this a thank thee for thy guidance the other day.” “The pleasure wast all mine Ms. Quartz. Mine father and I owe thy family a great amount. Thy father hath given us a way to manage mine own father’s illness, and thy mother’s piety is an inspiration," Igneous admitted. “Thou art well acquainted with mine own mother?” “Aye. I often accompany mine own father to congregation. She has shown him and me great kindness over the years whenever she visits. Her voice is a true gift of Providence.” Cloudy could not help but smile at the compliment. Nopony could deny that Rose's voice was magnificent. Her mother was often invited to sing solos and partake in choirs during congregation. Hearing her mother’s singing was often the highlight of attending congregation, especially as Cloudy’s natural skepticism grew more astute. Like her father, Cloudy appreciated the teachings and followed them accordingly, but whether or not she truly believed changed on a coin flip. Thinking of her mother’s quirks was the first thing that brought Cloudy any semblance of joy that day. She felt oddly at ease when she was in Igneous’ presence. Perhaps she would have met him sooner had she attended congregation whenever she was home from school. She stretched out one of her hooves as she thought it over. “I appreciate thy kind words, Mr. Pie, perhaps I shouldst attendeth congregation while I am home.” She could practically hear her mother thanking Providence from afar that her prodigal daughter was finally returning to congregation. Cloudy recalled that Rose had spoken highly of Igneous’ character when her father invited her to visit the Pie Rock Farm. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// As the sun set, Igneous guided his father along the arduous journey to Corner Stone’s homestead. He opened the door to let his father into the dimly lit room, and everything looked about the same. None of the few attendants present bothered to greet Igneous or his father, except for Cloudy. The young mare noticed them from the front of the room and swiftly rose to join them in the back row. Corner Stone tapped the podium with his hoof and began his sermon. Igneous could have sworn that he had heard this exact speech several times before, a testament to how many services he had sat through. His focus fluctuated as he ran through his responsibilities, only returning in full when Rose Quartz began to sing. Since he was small, he enjoyed hearing her singing voice whenever she came to town. The rest of the choir was not present, but Rose was perfectly capable of handling it on her own. The song established a sense of coherence throughout the room, which Corner Stone utilized to power his sermon. As Igneous listened to Corner’s impassioned words, a sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him. He tried to remain awake, but his head periodically lulled and drooped without permission. He knew that his father was watching him, and that the older stallion was furious. Feldspar flashed his son a grave expression and might have scolded him right then had Cloudy not interfered. She grabbed Igneous’ forehoof. “Igneous? I think I need to step out for a moment, would thou care to accompany me?” she whispered, already pulling him out of his seat. “A-aye ma’am,” Igneous mumbled thankfully. They walked outside to find that everything was illuminated by moonlight. Cloudy unceremoniously sat down on Corner Stone’s porch, resting her back on the wall and beckoning Igneous to do the same. They silently studied the Mare on the Moon together for a few minutes before Cloudy tentatively spoke. “I am sorry…about thy father,” she offered kindly. Igneous was not expecting that. He shut his eyes to stifle his growing sadness. He swallowed and rested his head on the wall. “I…thank thou for thy concern. We will do our best to manage.” Cloudy played with her hooves. “I saw that thou were struggling back there, and I thought it best to get thee to a space where thou couldst rest…Thou look tired. Forgive me, but I am certain that thy father couldst survive staying away from congregation for one evening. And mine own mother would not hold thy absence against thee.” He shook his head and sighed. It was clear that Cloudy knew nothing about him or his father. She had spent the majority of their youth away at a boarding school and then at the academy. She was too kind, and it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Cloudy looked at him and frowned. “Well…if thou must be here, thou might as well rest. I shall not judge thee for being a pony, Igneous. Even if thy father looked quite displeased, nopony can fault a young stallion for accompanying a young mare outside. There art many dangers that lurk in the darkness,” Cloudy explained with an inkling of playfulness. Igneous hated the idea of falling asleep in the company of another pony, especially one as new to him and well respected as Cloudy. But the calm of the night coaxed his eyes to flutter shut as Cloudy stood guard beside him. Cloudy’s thoughts began to wander as she listened to Igneous’ soft snores. Her return home was not going as planned. Her father was still being controlling, and she was incapable of finding a stability independent of him. Her situation was simple in concept but tricky to solve. She wanted to stay with her fellow Plain ponies and devote her life to rock farming. She just had to find a rock farm and a Plain pony willing to give her a shot. Igneous’ hat tilted forward atop his sleeping form, and Cloudy absentmindedly readjusted it for him. It was nice to see him at peace. It was then that Cloudy had an exceptionally mischievous idea. She waited for the end of congregation to grow nearer before nudging Igneous awake. He sat up with a start, straightened his hat, and cleared his throat. His cheeks grew pink. “I-I apologize Ms. Quartz; it was rude of me t-” Cloudy waved her hoof to quell his apology. “No, no Igneous it is fine. Thou simply didst what I asked of thee.” His amber eyes seemed to relax as a pregnant silence developed between them. Cloudy knew it was rude to stare, but she reasoned that she and Igneous would, hopefully, get to know each other much better over the next few days. She rubbed her hooves together and spoke tentatively, as if cornering a skittish animal, “Igneous…I have… a proposition for thou.” Igneous raised an eyebrow. “And what might that be ma’am?” “I apologize for my lack of propriety by discussing this matter so brazenly but…” Cloudy ears twitched as she considered her words, it was not like her to be this nervous even if her idea was crazy, “It is unfortunate circumstances that have befallen thou Igneous, and I assure thou that mine own knowledge of thy hardships doest not impact mine own perceptions of thou.” “If anything…In the short time that I have cometh to know thee, I hath found thou quite agreeable. Thy humility, perseverance, loyalty, and expertise are truly exceptional. Thou shouldst be proud of thy accomplishments and vigor,” Cloudy finished with a resolute nod. Igneous’ blush grew more noticeable; he was not used to this type of flattery from anypony. He was not sure what to say in this circumstance, so he went with the first thing his malfunctioning brain could muster. “A-aye…okay ma’am.” “I am certain that thou find mine own words extremely confusing and discomforting. Once again, I apologize. But…my words do come with another agenda.” It was endearing to see Igneous so flustered. Cloudy continued with a soft smile, “Much like thyself, mine own future is in peril. And so, I propose an unconventional solution to both of our respective struggles.” She took a deep breath, knowing there was no going back. “I-I believe that arranging… a marriage between thou and I wouldst alleviate both of our hardships.” “I-I am…I…what?” “I know, I know. This is all absurd but think about it, Igneous. We wouldst be guaranteed a nice payment if we wed. The traditions of the Plain indicate that newlyweds receive money from the communal pool to celebrate their union. Plus, if there is a significant wealth disparity between spouses, the wealthier in-laws are to pay bits to the newly-weds to promote marital harmony.” “I-I guess bu-” “Therefore, thou will receive money from this town and mine own father. A pay-out good enough to secure thy homestead for the time being.” Cloudy placed a proud hoof to her chest, “And I will live out mine own destiny of rock farming. I suspect that thou cannot afford to hire assistance on thy farm, but under these conditions, it is no longer an issue “B-but would thou not prefer to wed somepony that thou art at least acquainted with?” “It is not unheard of for the ponies of the Plain to wed with little-to-no interaction. If anything, marriage between two ponies rarely ever blossoms from mutual affection. Thou seem to show little interest in marriage, and I am much the same. Although we hath not known each other for long, I recognize that thou art an upstanding gentlecolt who shall treat me fairly. That is all I can ask for in a partner. In return, I assure thou that I shall serve as a dutiful wife, who will treat thee fairly as well.” Igneous was silent for a good few minutes before speaking, “I-I am honored…but I cannot accept. It is unbefitting for me to marry thee.” “And why is that Mr. Pie? Hath thy found thyself firmly under the controlling hoof of mine own father?” “I know not of what thee speaketh of. I assure thee that thy father has nothing to do with mine own reluctance. Thy proposal is absurd, but I agree that the benefits are appetizing. However, I will not allow thee to defile thyself by associating with the likes of me. Thou say I shall treat thee fairly; well, this is me being fair.” Igneous removed his hat, taking a soft tone, “I cannot give thee everything that thee deserves. Thou art brilliant, and thou cometh from good stock. Thou will never be happy among us Pies. The work is arduous and grueling, and I fear that we wouldst never have enough to live comfortably. Please, I beg of thee, reconsider and find someone more befitting of thy station.” Cloudy shook her head. “Igneous…I do not care for riches or wealth. I am not afraid of hard work or getting my hooves dirty. I am not troubled by the idea of living my life coupled with an acquaintance rather than a lover. I simply wish to farm rocks. In my years, I have found that peace is found in simple stability. The strength and resoluteness of firmly formed stone brought into our unworthy hooves by the grace of Providence. A simple marvel; the odds so infinitesimal and small. That is what I live for…surely, thou understands?” “Of course, I do.” Igneous could not think of any other objections. He hated that he was not completely opposed to the idea since he did need money to help his family. He had never entertained the idea of marrying. He scratched the back of his neck. “It becomes more and more apparent that thou know nothing of mine own family’s reputation, Cloudy Quartz. I live this way for good reason.” “I care not for thy family’s reputation, Igneous. To me, thou stand alone as a unique individual. An individual deserving of peace… I hope that thou see the merit in mine own words fore they art the truth. Please, please honor me by considering this proposal.” “Very well Cloudy. But I urge thee to look for other solutions in the meantime,” he offered hesitantly. He wanted to say more, but he was distracted by the sudden influx of light pouring onto the porch as the front door opened. The pair were quick to stand up and separate as the attendants of the congregation filed out of the parlor. The illusion of privacy for the two was firmly destroyed and neither knew how to carry themselves in the public eye. Crickets chirped as ponies pushed past them and entered the cool night’s air. Minutes passed before Igneous came to his senses. His father was still waiting for him inside. The young stallion pulled his hat low enough to cover his eyes and stumbled back into the parlor, but not without a fumbled farewell to Cloudy. She watched him go with a mixed feeling of wretchedness and relief. She felt like a fool for asking a stranger to marry her on a whim, but he did not shut her down completely. She could only imagine the look on her father’s face when he heard the news. He had such a disdain for everything that represented their home, and Igneous was the epitome of all of it. Rose Quartz used a hoof to tuck a loose strand of Cloudy’s mane away and flashed her a look of faux disapproval. “And what trouble hath mine own beloved daughter gotten into instead of listening to Providence’s good word?” Cloudy had always considered herself tactful when breaking big or important news. But, on this night she might have gotten too caught up in the euphoria of a ridiculous idea almost working. She smiled to herself as the Mare in the Moon frowned upon her. “I hath requested Igneous Pie’s hoof in marriage. And he hast agreed to consider.” There was a moment of silence between the mother and daughter as the gravity of the confession bore down on them. Rose’s normal cheer and warmth all but disappeared as she took on a grave expression and tone that Cloudy had never witnessed before. “Thou what?”