//------------------------------// // Ch 1: Gifts and Goodbyes // Story: Pinkie's Guide to Greater Equestria // by GrangeDisplay //------------------------------// It was overcast, the day that Pinkie left. Which wasn’t too surprising since almost every day on the rock farm was overseen by a gray and cloudy sky. “As above, so below.” Was something Granny Pie always said when she came around to visit. According to Granny, in Equish towns, the weather was controlled by pegasi who ensured that cloudy days were few and far between. Almost all members of the Plain were earthponies, so they were out of luck. Not that they would want to change the sky if they could, it was a part of Providence after all. But Pinkie still liked cloudless days. The clearest sky that Pinkie had ever seen was the day she saw the rainbow. An explosion of light that spread color across the sky. It revealed the bluest sky, the yellowest sun, and the pinkest Pinkie that Pinkamena had ever seen. The vibrance from above was replicated by what was below it. That was a good day for Pinkie, unlike today. Where the difference between good and bad was harder to discern. On this day, the sky was the same as it always was, devoid of light and color. And everything below it followed suit. To the untrained eye, it would appear that the members of the Pie family conducted themselves normally. But to Pinkie, it was obvious that everything was off. “Do you have your compass?” Maud asked for what must have been the fifteenth time. They were sitting in their living room waiting for Pinkie’s departure time. Pinkie sighed and riffled through her blue-gray saddlebags. Despite their small size, Pinkie had stuffed just about everything she had into them. Another family might have asked how the bag could hold so much, but the Pies had long since grown past such trivial questions. She showed Maud the heavily rusted but still functional compass. Maud blinked a few times before rechecking Pinkie’s packing list. “How about your maps? And the encyclopedia, Ma’s guide on medicine, and the hat Nana made you?” By the time Pinkie had relocated her bit pouch, toothbrush, and dandelions for the twenty-seventh time, Marble had found her again. Her little sister quickly hugged her from behind, burying her face into Pinkie’s coat. Don’t be mistaken, Pinkie adored her little sister, but over the last few days, Marble had maintained a tight grip on Pinkie that rarely went away. It was a little painful, and sometimes it made it hard to maneuver properly, but it was wonderful nonetheless. “Hey, Mar-mar? Could you move your hoof a bit? I need to show Maud my calendar,” Pinkie requested, trying to loosen one of her hooves. Pinkie felt a tickle on her back as Marble mumbled a response before marginally loosening her grip. Pinkie returned to her work of dutifully sifting through her saddlebags when Limestone sauntered over. The eldest Pie mockingly gagged at the sight of the twins hugging. “Just a reminder, don’t wear yourselves out by being too emotional. Now that Pinkie’s leaving, we have to work even harder to complete our commission. We will not fall behind,” Limestone lectured gruffly. The arrival of Limestone added to the peculiar ‘off-ness’ that all her sisters had shown over the last week or so. They were just like themselves, but even more so. Maud was being extra precocious, Marble was being extra affectionate, and Limestone was being extra, well, Limestony. Limestone took her responsibility of being the eldest very seriously. She could be high-strung, a trait worsened by two major changes. The first being Pinkie’s departure, and the second being the sudden demand for stones, metals, and minerals. Pinkie was told that the Equestrian railroad was undergoing expansion and that the Plain communities’ materials were integral to its construction. All farms played their part in completing the commission, which inadvertently turned Limestone from stern to an adolescent tyrant. All in all, their mother had proposed that Limestone’s behavior was rooted in worry more than anything. Per usual, Maud was the one that handled things. She didn’t try to hide her sarcasm. “Thanks. We appreciate you coming here to tell us what we already knew.” The older Pies exchanged icy glares, an occurrence that had been happening more frequently since they had gotten older. Eventually, Limestone scoffed and turned her attention to Pinkie. “And you, make sure to watch your back out there. Hammer Mill said his cousin never returned from his journey to greater Equestria. He was foalnapped by a band of vapid soul-sucking monsters.” One look into the intensity of Limestone’s eyes told Pinkie she wasn’t joking. The pink filly shivered at the thought. Limestone had been making a lot of comments like that over the past few days. Little ‘facts’ about the Equish, like how they sacrificed ponies for sneezing too loud and ate stray foals with butter because it was “more savory than with margarine.” While Pinkie frequently found herself unnerved by Limestone’s warnings, Maud wasn’t so convinced. She gently placed her hoof on Pinke’s shoulder. “Hammer Mill’s cousin went to Manehattan where he works as a stockbroker. Speaking of which, do you have your abacus?” Maud said simply, ignoring the nasty stare Limestone gave her. Pinkie had no idea what a stockbroker was, but she was happy to hear that Limestone's comment was largely exaggerated. Sometimes other foals teased her and said she was gullible, but she liked to think that believing in other ponies was always worth it. The beads of Pinkie’s abacus rattled as she presented it to Maud, while Limestone rolled her eyes and grumbled to herself. As Pinkie tucked the abacus back between her sundial and sewing kit she hoped that they finished checking and rechecking. Unfortunately, Maud wasn’t the only one fretting over Pinkie’s belongings. “What about paper? ‘Tis best to have paper on hoof to not worry about procuring more.” questioned the much deeper voice of Igneous Pie. Despite knowing that she had it, Pinkie quickly found it for her father’s sake. Over the past few weeks, her mother had bombarded her with hundreds of rules to follow, while her father only gave her one. “Make sure to write,” Igneous reminded as Pinkie showed him the stack of paper she had packed away. “I will pa, promise!” Pinkie assured, attempting to alleviate the poorly hidden worry on Igneous’ face. Igneous offered Pinkie the best smile he could, even if it didn't reach his eyes. Pinkie knew that her father was the more reluctant parent when it came to letting her leave home. He had always been so adamant that their family stick together, so when he told her to go, it genuinely surprised her. It also hurt. Pinkie knew she was different. It was easy to notice, and plenty of ponies reminded her if she had somehow forgotten. Despite her best efforts to blend in, she often found herself on the outside. Her parents insisted it was for the best, and she chose to believe them. Even if they were probably just trying to get rid of her, she couldn’t deny her fascination with the world around her. She struggled to reconcile these feelings to herself, but her mother was highly component at persuasion. “Pinkamena? I have thy quilt,” Cloudy said, entering the room with the aforementioned item. She unfurled the quilt, allowing all in the room to marvel at its intricate geometric pattern sewn in dull pinks, purples, and grays. Looking at it brought a smile back to Pinkie’s face. Like all her siblings, Pinkie had had her quilt since she was born. Over the years, it had grown bigger alongside her as Cloudy expanded it with each milestone and growth spurt. “I made a few adjustments,” Cloudy explained, “Thou will grow, as thou have seen thine older sisters do. In time it will fit thee again. Thou art approaching the age where thy body will start changing in various ways.” A chorus of groans sounded throughout the room, but Cloudy stood firm in her statement. The older Pie children had changed a lot in a short period, and even Maud had been arguing and glaring a lot more. It was strange to think that Pinkie might do the same. Pinkie hugged her mother and accepted the quilt. “Bleh, I don’t wanna do that,” Pinkie whispered to her mother. “Their legs are all spindly, and they got kinda mean. I won’t do that, I promise.” Cloudy looked at her daughter fondly, savoring the sweet face she wouldn’t recognize in a few moons. “I fear that is a promise not easily kept. Allow thyself the room to change. If thou do right by others, it will come as a blessing.” For a brief moment, everything felt normal again. Pinkie felt at peace standing in the house she was born in, where she had spoken her first words and taken her first steps. She was surrounded by her family, whom she had spent almost every day living with and loving. She had everything she needed in that room, and not because she had packed everything she had into two small saddlebags. She had her family and the warmth they provided simply by existing. It was good, her life as it was, was good. But then they heard a squeaking outside that stole all of Pinkie’s warmth. From the window, they could see somepony coming up on the property, and they rushed to greet him. Pinkie came outside to see the barren landscape, an overcast sky, and an incredibly old stallion. Ponies around town called him Mr. Mine Hutch, he was an olive-green stallion with a massive frame and saggy skin. Pinkie and her siblings believed he was older than dirt. He often wheezed along with the wheels of his rusted cart, guiding fillies and colts on their journeys to greater Equestria in his spare time. “I hope my early arrival is not a nuisance,” Mr. Mine Hutch huffed while wiping his milky-blue eyes. “Not at all, Mr. Hutch. Punctuality is a quality that all should aspire to possess. Thine arrival will give Pinkamena plenty of time to join the caravan,” Cloudy stated. Mr. Hutch nodded a few times and studied the family. “To be an aspiration to anypony is certainly an honor. Speaking of which, is the little one over there the traveler of the day?” Marble Pie grew flustered when Mine Hutch pointed a sore hoof in her direction, she scrambled to find cover behind Limestone. The older sister remained impassive as her little sister trembled behind her. “No sir, this is Marble,” Limestone corrected, placing a hoof on her youngest sibling. “You’re looking for the pink one over there.” Pinkie’s eyes widened in bewilderment, but not because she was flustered. The pink foal's face began to contort in discomfort. “Ah…” Pinkie sputtered and stepped back, “ah…ah..AH… *ACHOO*!” Pinkie sneezed with power, kicking up dust as she launched herself backward. Cloudy sighed as the filly rolled for several seconds. Eventually, Pinkie was able to reorient herself. She sat up and shook her head furiously, hoping her face wasn’t too dirty. It was her goal that she get through at least a quarter of the day without making a mess of herself. She wiped her face a few times and greeted the old stallion politely. “G-good morning Mr. Mine Hutch. For thy guidance with my passage, I am infinitely grateful. May Providence take us far.” “Indeed, and gesundheit, little one,” Hutch muttered with a squint, training his ghostly pupils on the correct foal. “Apologies for the mistaken identity. Neither colors nor sight art my strong suits. I simply move stones where my sister tells me.” “A sibling that knows how to listen and do what they're told? Imagine that,” Limestone sneered just loud enough for Maud to hear. “I imagine that having a sibling that speaks coherently and intelligently elicits compliance, although that is only in my imagination,” Maud replied. Limestone scowled at her sister again, and hissed out, “Hey, listen here yo-” “This is not the time to squabble. I believe thee both have a much more important contribution to today’s affair,” Cloudy snapped, prompting her daughters to focus and step forward. The pair begrudgingly moved together, leaving Pinkie somewhat flabbergasted and a little scared. She watched cautiously as Maud retrieved a small bag of bits and presented it to her. “Pinkie,” Maud started, “we got you a going away present to help you on your journey. It's not a lot, but every bit counts when building a life away from here. I’ll miss you, but I’ll be rooting for you every step of the way.” “You are leaving, and I guess that is very sad,” Limestone muttered with more sincerity than she intended. "So, we got you this. We went from home-to-home offering to help other farms with their commissions. I thought it would be more beneficial than a necklace made out of rock candy. It's not a big deal.” Pinkie slowly accepted the bits, unsure of what to say. Having money to spare wasn’t common in the Pie household, so to have it and then give it away freely was an extraordinary gesture. It was a big deal, and everypony knew it. Pinkie leapt up and pulled her sisters into a crushing hug. As they hugged, Pinkie could hear her father speaking in the background.  “Go ahead, Marble,” Igneous encouraged, directing Pinkie’s attention to their youngest sister. Marble spent a few moments fidgeting before offering Pinkie yet another pouch. When Pinkie looked inside, she found dozens of delicately crafted teal marbles. “Marble’s marbles,” Pinkie whispered in awe, studying the orbs’ semi-transparent centers. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes as she examined each marble, eliciting a prideful blush from her younger sister. “‘Twas thy sister’s idea. I taught her how to work with feldspar and glass. Then she applied it and spent weeks perfecting her technique,” Igneous explained, brimming with pride. Pinkie wiped her eyes and wrapped Marble in a tight hug. “I love them. And I love you. Thank you, Marble.” Pinkie took a moment to savor the embrace before remembering her own gift. She hesitantly released Marble from her grip and looked around. “Oh,” she exclaimed, “I also have a parting gift for you girls.” Out of thin air, she pulled out a bundle of discolored and poorly sewn fabric. The three Pie siblings looked at it in deep confusion, a stark contrast to Pinkie’s beaming smile. “It’s…” Limestone muttered, cocking her head slightly. “Uh…” Maud attempted before realizing she didn’t have a clue either. “Rug!” Pinkie shouted, unfolding the ‘rug’ to show it off. Despite providing plenty of enthusiasm, Pinkie only received blank stares in return. It wasn't the reaction she hoped for, perhaps they needed a little bit of context. “You know,” Pinkie said, trying to stay confident, “to replace the one I had a tinsy-winsy spill on? Now your hoovsies won’t be so cold when you get out of bed in the morning.” A rug? Was all that everypony, outside of Pinkie, was thinking. The “rug” was ugly, covered in patches of shoddy work, and incomprehensible as any usable item. The three Pie siblings exchanged looks of skepticism. It was true that they no longer had a rug in their room due to Pinkie breaking the ‘no food outside of the dining room’ rule, but was this the solution? Limestone grimaced at the horrendous item. It’s abhorrent color scheme and messy and uncoordinated craftsmanship. It would be a garish splotch of color in an otherwise colorless room. It would stick out like a sore-hoof just like the pony who wrought it onto this earth. Limestone warily took the “rug”, holding it at a distance as if it might attack her. “This…is poorly made. But it will do for now.” The nervousness Pinkie felt immediately melted away at her older sister’s response. It was rare for Limestone to speak so highly of anything Pinkie did. She squealed and hopped around before scooping all of her sisters into a hug. After a few moments, Limestone broke the hug, pulled Pinkie close, and gave her an intense stare. Her face seemed to shift through multiple expressions as she considered what to say. Eventually, she spoke, saying, “Listen… I won’t be with you to protect you, so you’re going to have to toughen up. As my sister and as a Pie, it is your job to carry yourself with dignity and strength. If those outsiders treat you like trash, don’t be afraid to show them why us Pies are tougher than stone.” Limestone pressed her hoof into Pinkie’s chest with enough force to cause her to stumble backward. “Tougher. Than. Stone,” She repeated fiercely. Pinkie’s ears folded in uncertainty as she floundered slightly. Not due to the pain from the push, but the queasy feeling it generated. She held a hoof to her chest, patting where Limestone’s hoof had impacted. “Owie,” Pinkie whimpered and pouted, “Stones are super duper tough Limestone.” Any attempts at a reply were disrupted by the other two Pie children. Maud placed a comforting hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder while Marble embraced her. “They are, but you don’t have to be like them, Pinkie. If anypony gives you trouble, I’ll take care of it,” Maud affirmed with a confident nod. If Limestone was trying to hide her irritation, she was doing a poor job of it. She rolled her eyes. “And how do you plan to do that if you’re here and she’s all the way out there in Manehattan or something.” Pinkie looked directly into Maud’s eyes as Maud squeezed her shoulder. “Family finds a way. Always.” Pinkie smiled at Maud’s assuring words. She made a point to return Marble’s hug, pulling her little sister close. “‘Always,’” she repeated as she nuzzled the side of Marble’s face. Although summer days are the longest, time slips by as quickly as ever. Cloudy watched her daughters converse among themselves as a unit one last time, then broke them apart. “Pinkamena? ‘Tis time to begin thy journey. Thou know what to do,” Cloudy explained gently. “Yes,” Pinkie answered with a nod, “Travel to Gravel Gate with Mr. Mine Hutch, pair up with Gentle Smithing Caravan, then walk to Ponyville. Be polite, be careful, and ask for help. Oh! And never, ever, ever, ever go to Los Pegasus.” It was rare for Pinkie to take something so seriously, but she was committed to this. She wanted it to work, it had to work. It hurt to leave home, but she would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited. There was a whole world out there, one she knew so little about. She looked around with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation before trotting to join Mine Hutch. At times like this, Pinkie recalled the lessons of her Granny. When afraid, it was better to laugh in the face of danger than freeze and cower. She did her best to smile as her mother reminded her of one last thing. Cloudy lowered herself to Pinkie’s level and spoke softly, “And remember, that thou art belov’d. There is always a home here for thee. And seriously, do not go to Los Pegasus.” “R-right,” Pinkie murmured. Cloudy’s tone was grave but sincere. Pinkie caught another glimpse of the sadness welling in her mother‘s eyes and rushed to give her a final hug. The feeling of Cloudy’s tight embrace quickly quadrupled as the remaining Pies joined in. When the hug finally ended, Pinkie gave them all one last look, before taking her first steps in pursuit of the outside world. Her family stood by like statues as she shrank into a tiny pink dot on the vast horizon. Once she was gone for certain, Limestone turned to Maud with a frown. “You could have done more to keep her here, you know,” she complained, kicking at the dirt. Maud blinked a few times as she comforted Marble. “I did. I just did it in the right way. Being mean won’t get her to come home.” “And you think giving her a bunch of sappy gifts will?” “I do. She’ll take one look at Marble’s marbles and be back by the end of the week.”