//------------------------------// // Pair // Story: Of Providence and Plain // by GrangeDisplay //------------------------------// “So the day hadst finally cometh, and I hadst madeth myself look quite presentable. And thy father. Well, he did look about as dashing as ever, but I knew that he didst not wanteth to be there. We cameth upon the Long Table and satteth across from each other, just liketh how hopeful couples art supposed to, and I knew.” “Thou knew what, mama?” “That I didst love him. And despite himself, that he didst love me too.” “And then thee got married, and then thee hadst me, right mama?” “Aye, aye. But not before we went to the Pairing Stone. We hadst to split up and go in alone into a mineshaft in the middle of nowhere.” “Oh, what typeth of rocks were there, mama?” “I am not quite sure, beloved, but we only did need to findeth one stone. Our stone.” “What ty-” “I doth not knoweth beloved, nopony knoweth. That is Providence’s miracle, the stones art unidentifiable and only illuminate in the eyes of the right ponies.” “Illumininminate?” “Il-lu-mi-nate, beloved. They gloweth. But only for the right pony. Thy soulmate's stone will gloweth the same color, and only thou and them can see them shine. Everypony else sees a regular old rock. Thy father and I’s stones glowed the most beautiful shade of blue.” “I wanteth to seeth! Where art thy stones, mama?” “The stones art sealed away for safekeeping… and then the couples get married…and then they have…” “Me!” “Aye, sweet Cloudy, and then we hast thee.” “Will I get mine own Pairing Stone mama?” “Perhaps, beloved. But I doth believeth that it is past somepony’s bedtime.” “Mama?” “Aye, Cloudy.” “I wanteth to stayeth here with thee and papa.” “I knoweth, beloved. Thou know it pains me to send thee away. I shall miss thee every single second of every single day.” “Then alloweth me to stayeth. I-it is too far… and I doth not knoweth anypony there.” “Thou shall be just fine in time Cloudy.” “B-but I am scared, mama.” “Thy father… believes that this is for the best, and I-I agree with him. Therefore, let us not wasteth thy last night at home bickering. How about another story?” ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Being forced into a corner by Stamp Mill was not how Cloudy Quartz wanted to spend her morning. But alas, Stamp was Stamp. “Cloudy Quartz, I wanteth thee to marry me,” he insisted a little too intensely. He was much too sweaty for this early in the day, and the proximity of his face to Cloudy’s face made her deeply uncomfortable. “As I hast toldeth thee many times before, nay,” she plainly stated. Stamp's eyes wildly darted around. “Please Cloudy. Is this not what thee wanteth? Thee hast madeth thy point, and he is trying to compromise.” Cloudy pushed Stamp back. “It is not enough. With thee, I shall never be free. Thou bendeth over backward to appease him. What more shall thee do to protecteth thy owneth interest?” Stamp’s brow furrowed. “I am doing the wise thing. Sometimes, we must maketh choices even if we doth not liketh them. I must consider mine own future!” He looked away from her. “Thou art sacrificing thy potential to spite thy father. It is petty, and it is stupid. Igneous pie is nay more than a mistake, but even he doest not deserve to be thy pawn. Thy father may hast his pride, but so doth thee.” Cloudy was growing sick of everypony acting as if they knew better. Perhaps there was some truth in Stamp’s words, but that did not make him right. She pushed up her glasses and put on her bravest face. “It is true, I do wish to wound Burdock as he hath wounded me. It is childish, but this is no mistake. Igneous is not a mistake. He is twice the stallion that thee shall ever be, and I wouldst be lucky to call him husband.” Stamp grasped at his chest and moved back with wide eyes. Part of Cloudy felt pity for him, but that did not stop her from continuing. “May thee inform Burdock that I intendeth to validate mine own union with Igneous at the Pairing Stone and that we shall wed in a fortnight.” ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// If one were to ask Igneous how he ended up in this situation, he could only say that Cloudy Quartz was very persuasive. He fiddled with his nicest tie to make sure it was straight. His father’s initials were embroidered on the back of it, indicating that it was a gift from his mother. Igneous would have avoided this tie like the plague had Feldspar not insisted he wears it. The elderly stallion even took the time to tie it for him. Igneous assumed Feldspar would fight this union every step of the way, but he calmed down considerably once Igneous told him about the Pairing Stone. The elder Pie had even insisted that he accompany Igneous to the ceremony despite it being a congregation night. He sat in the wagon as Igneous towed him along the path and loomed in the background as his son took his seat at the Long Table. The young rock farmer found an odd sense of comfort in his father’s stern glare boring into the back of his skull. He readjusted his hat for good measure and tried to avoid eye contact with the other young ponies at the table. Those in attendance were not all Rockvillians, but they were certainly Plain. Yet, they all knew that Igneous was the odd pony out. Word of his origin had spread far beyond Rockville as a cautionary tale. It also did not help that he was one of the oldest ponies there. He readjusted his hat again and then three more times to be sure. The nervousness was a byproduct of his mind buzzing with activity. He had made the unfortunate decision to follow one of Cloudy’s ‘unconventional’ plans. They were going to fake the age-old tradition. Her plan was simple. They would both collect a stone and then lie about having a true love connection. They agreed to claim that their color was blue, and then call it a day. It sounded easy enough, yet Igneous could not help but feel they would get caught. Cloudy clearly did not consider the ceremony legitimate, but Igneous could not say the same. He had seen many strange and fantastical things, and this tradition had to exist for a reason. Ponies filtered in and sat across from their desired match until everypony had their pair except Igneous. A new fear of this whole plan being a long-running prank began to wreak havoc in Igneous’ frantic mind. And then, Cloudy arrived. She looked nice, winded from the long walk, but nice. All eyes fell on her as she approached the Long Table. Igneous assumed that most ponies present recognized her due to her family’s frequent traveling. Even if they did not, they could not ignore the eloquent way she trotted. Cloudy held her head high and found her seat across from Igneous. The other hopeful couples looked surprised as the pair traded brief greetings. They both wanted to say more, but the chaplain overseeing the ceremony ushered them to get moving. Igneous gave Cloudy one last tentative look before he separated from her and entered the cave alone. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Igneous had spent a lifetime in mine shafts and caves, but he had never experienced one like this. He could not identify any of the stones that surrounded him, and his earthpony magic could not connect to the earth. It was as if his hooves were suspended high above the ground. He could not help but feel nauseous and light-headed as he blindly navigated the mines. Everything was so conflicted to him in this place. He could not tell if seconds or weeks had passed. He felt as if he was walking in circles, but he could not recognize any of the surfaces around him. He felt tired but energized. Hungry but full. Alone but surrounded. He traveled the tunnels by himself, but found other ponies reflected in the surfaces despite the absence of light. First he saw himself, then his father, and then Cloudy. Finally, he saw a mare with a white coat and a purple and yellow mane. Igneous did not know her name, but he knew who she was. He could never forget the face of his mother. The pony who abandoned him when he was a little colt, leaving him to survive alone with his angry and broken father. Her voice called out to him, but he refused to follow. The world was much brighter in the infinite darkness of the caves. Where everything was ambiguous and confusing, yet clear and understandable. He looked for a stone that he could take so he could escape, but there were none. He laughed at the idea of a mineshaft with nothing to mine, then cried at the implications. This place had its purpose, but it was empty. His weary hooves carried him aimlessly forward until the apparition of another pony appeared before him. He feared that she was a hallucination, but he could never imagine Cloudy as she was at that moment. She was disheveled, unkempt, and he could tell that she had been crying. Igneous ran to her without hesitation, and she immediately enveloped him in a hug. It seems that they both understood the flaw in their plan. Nopony had faked the ceremony because the cave would not allow it. It knew them better than they knew themselves, and it would not free them until their intentions were pure. They simultaneously slumped against a wall to rest. Cloudy rubbed her face with her hooves, paying no mind to the dirt she was spreading. “What didst thee seeth?” “Mine own mother,” he wearily answered. Cloudy looked at him with concern, but found him at ease. She spoke to him with caution, “Wouldst thee taketh offense if I asked what the she wast liketh?” “Nay…In all honesty, she was a mystery to me. She called herself a 'storyteller', but a 'liar' may be a more appropriate title...there was something in her blood. Something that madeth it impossible to stayeth in one place for too long.” “How didst thy father meet her?” “There wast this creature called a snallygaster. Parteth bird, parteth reptile, parteth…octopus. It wast snatching ponies up around these parts. Mother enlisted mine own father to help capture the thing. They were…fast friends so to speaketh.” Cloudy raised an eyebrow and leaned back. “A storyteller who catches monsters?” Igneous chuckled darkly. “Nay, a liar who catches monsters. She always seemed preoccupied by something, always keeping secrets. For all it is worth, she tried those first few years, and she did not leaveth for good.” Cloudy raised an eyebrow. “She cameth back?” “Aye, a few times here and there. But each time wast more unbearable than the last. I became so angry that I shouted at her the last time we spoketh.” “I doth not blame thee…perhaps thee shouldst take the same approach with thy father.” Igneous tilted his head. “What doth thee mean by that?” “He is quite short-tempered with thee, despite all thy sacrifices. Am I wrong to think that?” “Nay. Mine own father hast his temper. There hast been…dark times for us, but I struggle to findeth fault with him.” “And why is that?” “Because, he wast the one that stayed.” Igneous whispered with glossy eyes, “He was far from perfect, but he is tormented by the memory of mine own mother.” They ruminated on their conversation in silence. It was strange, this situation, yet Cloudy felt comfortable in Igneous’ presence. She spoke without thinking. “I saw…myself as a foal…I-I…Sometimes I fear that I only wanteth to live in Rockville because I associate this place with the joys of early childhood.” “In what way?” “There was a brief time before I went to school when mine own father, mother, and I had a permanent home in this town. Back when everything was normal. Not only was I sent away, but mine own parents abandoned our family home to travel the West. I no longer had anything to return too. We were happy here... I thought we were happy.” “Were thee not happy seeing the outsiders’ world?” “Away from home, I was the outsider. Nopony understood or respected our customs. They mocked the way I looked, the way I talked, the way I carried myself, the very way I lived my life. I was alone. I was nothing. I missed mine own mother dreadfully. I even missed Burdock and his bragging.” “Hmm. Thee and thy father art quite alike.” A part of Cloudy wanted to feel offended, but she knew he was right. “Aye, we hast a lot in common. That is why he sent me away, because he thought I wouldst hast a better chance then he didst.” “He entered the world of Equish as well?” Cloudy nodded. “Aye. But he hath found much of the same hardship that I didst. Perhaps he thought starting me young wouldst soften the bloweth. It hurt mine own mother deeply, but I feareth that she doth feel indebted to him. He stayed in this place because of her, and she knoweth it.” “But they art happy?” “Aye. I liketh to think so. They love each other dearly…but the more I learn about them, the less I wanteth to be liketh them.” “Hast thy changed opinion of thy parents altered thy perception of this place.” It was difficult for Cloudy to think about, especially under these circumstances. She did not want to cry in front of Igneous, so she took her time to collect herself. In time she came to a hefty realization. “Nay. I believe that I still love this place despite them.” “That is good, Cloudy. Thy love for rocks is real, it draws thee to this place.” “Aye, and something else I think.” “What?” Cloudy frowned. She wanted to explain, but could not understand what she was feeling. They looked at each other awkwardly until Igneous mumbled out, “Oh…” She laughed and laughed. She did not know why, but it was good to finally laugh. This was supposed to be her break from school, a time to destress, yet she was trapped in a magical cage with a near stranger. It was clear that this was not going to work. Her head fell back as she slumped over in a sigh. “I am truly sorry Igneous,” she whimpered. “It is okay, Cloudy.” “But it is not! I hath wasted thy time with mine own petulant actions, and now we shall both suffer the consequences. Thee must despise me. I am arrogant. I am proud. I truly hath led thee astray,” Cloudy shouted. Igneous flinched as Cloudy’s words echoed through the cavern. “Thou and mine own mother art much the same. Thou art headstrong and assertive. Thou hath thy convictions, and thee stick to them, even when it causes others to hurt.” “I-Igneous I-” “Nay, it is okay. Thou didst not cause this by thyself. Cloudy…we art both petulant fools. We hath gone this far, forsaking our worth, to prove that we art capable. For the first time, Igneous looked directly into Cloudy’s eyes. “That thou art capable of living the life of a rock farmer independent of thy father’s influence. That I am capable of maintaining mine own family’s legacy without help. What art we trying to prove, and to whom must it be proven?” She mulled it over before coming to an understanding. “Thou…art right. Perhaps mine own actions art more befitting of a rebellious adolescent than an independent mare. I am sorry for causing this mess and dragging thou into it. I understand if thou intend to reject my proposal and never speaketh to me again. Regardless of our relationship status, I promise that I shall help thou keep thy farm in thy family’s name.” “I appreciate thy words Cloudy Quartz, and I swear to thee that I shall help thee with thy ambitions. I shall not cast thee aside,” he promised with a smile. Cloudy lifted up her glasses and wiped her eyes. “Very well, Igneous. May we collecteth our stones and face the consequences of our actions.” “Aye, Cloudy,” he said as he stood up and pulled Cloudy to her hooves. Comforted by the knowledge that they would see each other again soon, they shared one last nod before heading in opposite directions. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Cloudy grimaced as the sunlight burned her unadjusted eyes, but she was happy to be out in the open again. She held a stone of brilliant color and vibrance; it had attracted her like a moth to flame because it reminded her of her mother. And by coincidence, her mother had found herself at the ceremony. Rose Quartz moved as briskly as her legs could afford and wrapped her daughter in a crushing hug. “My beloved,” she cried, “I am so sorry. I hast been a dreadful mother. To think, I wouldst abandon mine own child to endureth this momentous occasion by herself.” She buried her head in the crook of Cloudy's neck, while Cloudy struggled to console her and keep her grip on the stone. “It is well enough, mother. Though I must sayeth that I am overjoyed that thou art here.” “As am I! And…Ach! Look, thee hast recovered thy stone! Oh, please tell me, what shade is it?” she questioned, pressing her face against Cloudy’s to get a closer look. “It is pink, mother. A very affronting shade of pink,” Cloudy answered as the bright colors reflected off her glasses. Rose shaded her eyes with a hoof and surveyed the area. “Praise Providence, pink! A wonderful color beloved. Igneous must hast the same color.” Cloudy sighed, preparing to tell her mother the truth, “Nay mother, leaveth poor Igneous and his family b-” “Ach! There is Feldspar. Good afternoon, Feldspar!” Rose shouted with a wave, “what color might thy son’s stone be?” Feldspar’s ears perked as he glared in Rose's direction, it took a moment to register who was talking. “Ah, it is Rose Quartz. What color stone? Igneous? What color stone doth thee hast boy?” Igneous did not want to answer out loud, but his father pulled him closer by the neck and repeated himself, “What color stone doth thee hast boy?” There was a whisper. And then a shout. “Pink? Pink! By Providence, quite garish is it not?” Feldspar questioned a little too loudly. Rose, overcome with joy, hopped in place. “Pink! Pink! Wundarbar! Cloudy! It is a pair, it is a pair!” “It is a pair?” Cloudy mumbled in shock. Her month hung open as a pink light twinkled in the distance. It was the exact same shade as her own stone. The shine blazed brighter as the two young ponies approached each other. “We passed?” Igneous questioned as Cloudy’s stone reflected in his pupils. “Aye…we…did,” Cloudy muttered nervously. Igneous looked at her apprehensively. “Doest this mean that we art-” “Aye,” Cloudy answered dizzly. Igneous looked at his stone again. “Oh…”