//------------------------------// // Return home Maud // Story: Returning Home // by Short-tale //------------------------------// Chapter 1 “Are you sure that’s what I should do, Dr. Maud?” the little changeling asked, looking up at me with emerald-colored eyes. Their facets reminded me more of quartz but they were definitely emerald in color. “Yes.” “But I don’t even like stones.” The changeling scrunched her nose like I had asked her to eat broccoli. Young fillies seemed to hate broccoli. “The cavern is filled with crystals. When the sun shines in through the hole in the top, the topaz glows a deep yellow. Yellow has a pleasing effect on the mind and increases serotonin levels producing a much more cheerful disposition.” It was rock science. “Oh.” The little changeling’s face brightened. I think she was blushing. It was hard to tell with the red ones.  “I am sure your friend is probably experiencing a depressed state because she has left home for the first time. It is common in first-years.” The student seemed to consider my words. It was strange seeing so many younger ponies and creatures looking to me for advice. Most didn’t understand the advice I gave but the things I said they took to heart and thought about. I wasn’t used to that.  “Thanks. Dr Maud,” the changeling said happily. “I’ll bring Thicket there as soon as I can.” “Please bring an adult to supervise.” Student safety was paramount. We didn’t want to risk another cockatrice encounter.  The door closed and I was alone in the room again. As the student counselor of Twilight’s School of Friendship, I had to continually study the latest advances in student psychology. It was different from rocks. Rocks were more stable.  The style of the counselor’s room had  finally changed over from Trixie’s; the performer had filled it with magic tricks. It took me a while to find all the flowers she had stashed to bring out at a moment's notice. I had replaced them with rocks. I looked at Boulder in his snuggly little bed. It was easier to keep calm by stroking his back. I thought the students would have responded more positively to a pet. Most of them ignored him.  A knock on the door lifted my head as it echoed through the room. I had to add some sound absorbing rocks. “Come in,” I said to the blue-and-white doors. They opened in response, and a ghost walked in. At least I thought it was at first. The grey coat and dark brown hat immediately struck me as familiar. It looked like Pa. It was startling, so startling my eyelids raised a little further.  Pa? It couldn’t be. Pa had died of disease this past year. I wasn’t there at the end but attended the funeral. Did he need me to complete some sort of life’s work? The apparition raised their hatted head, and I saw green eyes peer from in the shade of the brim. Those eyes used to be filled with an unquenchable malice for the world. Marriage and age had mellowed my sister out. “Hello Limestone,” I said.  “Maud,” she answered, and tugged at Pa’s hat on her head. “It’s time.” “It’s only noon.” I said looking at the clock. “My day doesn’t end until 3.” “That’s not what I meant.” The old glare returned, if only for a moment. “You and Starlight are engaged. We heard about it from Pinkie.That’s not tradition. It’s not how Pa taught us. You have to ask the choosing stone first, then you can get engaged. You haven’t even brought this Starlight home yet.” I was quiet. Limestone had started to act more and more like Pa since he’d died. She even wore his hat. But there were times that the fire burned within her, not cooled by time. Like an active caldera.  “Ma wants you to come home. All the family is gathering for it. Will you come?” She lifted her eyebrow. But I knew the question was a challenge. “Yes.” “Have you told Starlight about the choosing stone? Is she at least ready for it?”  “No.” Limestone grit her teeth. The grinding sounded like a boulder moving up a hill. It was the sound of home.   “Have you told her anything about us?!” she spat through her teeth. “No.” “And you’re engaged to her?” Her disbelief was palpable. It was inconceivable to skip the steps in the process for her. There was a right way and a wrong way, no in between. “Yes.” Limestone opened her mouth fully and filled her lungs, while I waited. But she stopped and looked at the ground instead. “I’ll tell Ma you’re coming, then. It’s about time Starlight met the family she’s about to marry into. If the stone approves of it of course.” She wordlessly turned and made her way past the remaining students. They looked at her with wonder, but she gave them no cause for any further interest.  I sat still in my room for a while. Home was so far away from where I was now, or so it felt. The distance didn’t actually change.  I’d deliberately never told Starlight about the choosing stone. I didn’t want to think about it. I didn’t know how she would feel about something like this. The stone was an old tradition. I thought my family was always too focused on it. They clung to traditions like old mares did with the past.  But marriage was very final in my family, divorce was rare. I was a widower. A widower in my family normally didn’t marry again. Their mate was gone and they were supposed to be thankful that they found a pony at all. The idea of finding another mate afterward seemed greedy. Did the stone think that? Would it bless me or curse me? I didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t ignore my family because of it anymore. It wasn’t right. They didn’t deserve to be ignored because I felt uncomfortable and afraid. I had to tell Starlight but I didn’t know what to say. *** “Starlight?” I asked after being welcomed into her office. She was methodically signing things and cross-checking through a castle of paperwork. She looked like two hooves moving through paper-made towers.  “Mmm? Oh, Maud!” The hooves disappeared behind their ramparts of documents and Starlight appeared, wrapping me in a warm hug. No matter how many times she did it, I still lingered with that warmth. “What’s up? You normally don’t see me until after the work day is over.” Starlight leaned her head on my shoulder.  “It is over,” I reminded her. The day had ended a while ago but I knew Starlight was busy. I didn’t want to bother her flow, but the work would have to wait. Limestone would track us down if we didn’t show up.  “Is it? Oh well. Maybe just a few more papers before we go home...” Starlight’s eyes drifted back to her fortress of parchment.  “We can’t.” “Why not?!” She was concerned. I normally didn’t disagree with her. Her face was immediately set for some battle she longed for but which never came. “I… I have to go home.” I finally told her. “We can,” sighed Starlight, now that the battle seemed trivial. “I mean, if you want me home that bad, I do have a sofa in the back …” “We have to go to my home, at the farm.” I didn’t want to be as tempted by the sofa idea as I was. Starlight brought out a part of me I wasn’t as aware of. I found it was something the unicorn could access quite easily.  “The farm? Like your rock farm?”  “Yes.” “Umm, is there a reason?” Starlight cocked her head in that cute inquisitive fashion. I had to fight the couch idea again.  “Yes.” “And that reason is …?” Her hooves prompted me to elaborate. I stared at her a little longer than I normally do. It was hard to put into words what my family and I believe. Most just nodded and smiled and I didn’t want to see her do that. She was one of the few that actually got me. I didn’t want her to be like every pony else. “We have to go to the choosing stone,” I finally sighed. It sounded strange telling Starlight something like this. Lately my love life and family life had been separate and the idea of bringing them together was surreal.  “The choosing stone? I thought that was if you couldn’t find a mate or whatever.” Starlight looked a little taken back. “You already found me.” “No. It’s to bless the couple after they find who they want. You take the pony you have chosen to the stone and the stone lets you know if the match is good. It’s not very scientific, but it’s tradition. If you don’t feel comfortable–“ “Uncomfortable? No, no,no! I want to meet your family and understand your traditions.” She stood alongside me, giving more hooffuls of hug.”I was waiting for you to tell your family. My father has been chomping at the bit to meet you. ” I leaned into her, craving that warmth.  “I would have met him if you’d asked. Why didn’t you say anything?” “Because you seemed to be avoiding your family. I didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable by bringing you to mine. But Dad’s kind of big deal to me. He’s the only family I have. Sunburst’s mom never looked at me the same way again after I married Trixie.” I couldn’t see the look on her face, as nuzzled into her soft mane as I was. I didn’t want to see her as she talked about Trixie.  “I thought Sunburst was okay with it.” I pressed into that soft silky hair further, soaking in its comfort. “He was. He knew I liked mares but his mom had planned for us to be together. Things didn’t work out that way and she kind of got mad.” Her voice drifted off. “Starlight?” “Mmm? Oh, well, I guess you’re not the only one with family baggage.” She squeezed me and broke contact. It was like turning off the sun. I fought the urge to shiver. “We should probably face it.” I stood up straighter, knowing what we had to do but it was difficult. My family had a long history of being as stubborn and immobile as the rocks they grew. “Yeah, well, I’ll marry you no matter what your family or a stone says.” Starlight placed her hooves around me again, and the cold evaporated.“I love you.” “We will see what the choosing stone says, hopefully it approves. It’s a rock based decision.” I hid my face in her mane again, I didn’t want her to see the fear in my eyes.  “Is it really? I think it’s kind of a you-and-me thing.” Starlight lifted a critical eyebrow. She didn't know our ways.  “In my family, the choosing stone is important. It measures the various traits that make relationships last. Stones know how to last.” The Starlight smell was so strong. I wanted to curl up in it and sleep. “Just don’t think a stone knows more than you. I want to marry you, and I know you want to marry me, don’t let a rock get in the way of our happiness. It’s been so good for so long.” Starlight squeezed me with such excitement I felt a small blush on my face. Luckily I blush in grey, so nopony ever noticed, except Starlight.  “We have to get going. Limestone is waiting for us.” I said it but didn't let go. I hoped that her mane could stop time and I could stay in it indefinitely. “Your sister?! She’s here?! Why didn’t you tell me she was coming?! We have to pack! We don't want her to get angry! I have heard what happens!” Starlight let go and frantically collected random things around the office. They raced into her saddle bag at breakneck speed. None of them were things she really needed except her plant. I sighed, feeling reality seep into me, pushing out the parts of Starlight I absorbed. “Starlight … My farm has a stapler.” I began to pull out some of the office supplies, she wouldn't have time to do any office work. “Right…” Starlight sat down, taking deep breaths. Was she nervous about the farm or Limestone? Both sounded reasonable. “You don’t need anything. My sisters and I will provide it all, including staplers. You should take Phyllis, she and Boulder can share a room.” The plant and pet rock had gotten along after I officially moved in. Twiggy took a while to get used to the new pet, but they got along well. “Right! She hasn’t been out in a while.” Starlight floated Phyllis into her bag. “So what do I need to know about this stone? Is there a test or questions or something?” “It’s kind of a test.” I looked at the floor, I didn't want to think about the stone now. “How does it work?” “I can’t tell you that yet. You’ll see when we are there.”  Starlight’s face fell and she swallowed hard, but she nodded. It was something we had to face together. Our first real challenge. I saw Pa’s hat from across the train station. It made her stand out from all the other ponies there. It was like a dark blip on a sea of pastel colors, Pies were like that.  “So, umm, will your whole family be there?” Starlight asked, wide-eyed. She hadn’t met them all. She knew Pinkie, Cheese, and their foals but Marble, Limestone and their wives were a mystery to her as was Ma. Ma was scarier to me than the stone. “Yes, it’s tradition they all come to see the new couple and share the joy of choosing the stone.” I walked to my sister, holding my mare’s hoof. It wasn’t something I used to do with Mud Briar. My sister noticed it immediately and scowled. “Maud,” Limestone said with a nod. “So, this is Starlight Glimmer, huh? I didn’t think my little sister would find anypony else after Mud Briar died.” I paused momentarily. Limestone can be very blunt but she was right. I was different, there were few ponies that could tolerate, much less date me. “Well, here I am, heh heh.” My mate’s nervous laughter died with only a glance from my elder sister. Starlight instinctively backed up a little behind me. I stood protectively in front of her. “Let’s go. The rest of the family is already there, well,  they should be if they know what’s good for them. My wife has a habit of flying off but she’ll be back by nightfall.” Limestone sighed, her jaw clenched with the sound of cascading boulders, and walked on to the train. We followed in silence.