"Where shall we start? I've chosen a few fabrics that I think will be stunning with y–"
As Rarity excitedly chattered about the latest fashion trends and designs, Maud Pie stood quietly, her expression inscrutable, as if enveloped in a world of her own. If Rarity had noticed that Maud seemed distant and aloof during their conversation, she had generously attributed it to a reserved nature. However, as she attempted discussing fabric textures and colour palettes she couldn't help but sense a disconnect with Maud, especially when she noticed her guest seeming to be examining a filthy scrap of cloth draped over the edge of a workbench.
"Choices, choices, choices!" Interrupted Pinkie Pie.
Maud sensed Rarity faltering in her attempt to connect. Given that Pinkie's sister was one of the rare ponies that habitually wore clothes she had probably hoped Maud would share her enthusiasm for fashion, but it seemed like her efforts were falling flat. She took a deep breath, deciding to address the matter directly.
"Of course, if you don't see anything that speaks to you," Rarity continued, "I would be happy to suggest-"
Why can't I just share what I'm feeling, Maud pleaded silently, this white unicorn would obviously love to make something amazing for me.
She could feel the weight of expectations bearing down on her. The more she tried to engage the harder her alexithymia clamped down on her ability to show emotion and express how she was feeling. In desperation she picked up the cloth from the workbench.
Maud glanced at a scrap of fabric and nodded slowly. "I like this one," she replied in her typically calm tone, her face devoid of any noticeable emotion. Inside, many thoughts were racing each other around in her mind though.
"Pinkie Pie didn't tell us you were so funny!" Trilled the white unicorn.
"What do you mean?" Maud enquired, as if unaware of anything being odd.
Argh, a cleaning rag, she cursed inwardly, oh Maud, what are you doing? What is she going to think?
"Oh, well, it's just... I believe that is a dishtowel," Rarity gathered herself, and gave an uncertain smile, "B-b-but it does go very well with your complexion. I'm sure I could work my magic and turn it into something fabulous."
Oh where's my old friend geology when I need it, thought Maud, just one sinkhole to open up and swallow me, is that too much to ask for?
"Rarity and my sister," cried Pinkie, "working together to design something amazing! This is the best day ever!"
The white unicorn had gathered a number of the cleaning cloths together. Ironically enough, these rags were made from the leftover scraps of dressmaking. There probably weren't finer rags in all Equestria. In truth there probably was the making of something, if not a dress then a shawl or shemagh.
"Perhaps I could sew all of these together and make you something you'd like," she said hopefully.
Just let her do it, Maud scolded herself, let this kind unicorn make something nice for you.
"No thanks. One is enough." Argh!
"Doesn't Maud make the coolest scarves?" Pinkie was blissfully unaware of the acutely awkward atmosphere in the room.
"Quite," intoned the white unicorn, utterly unsure of what to make out of this encounter.
The sunlight filtered through the thick canopy of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor as Angel Bunny and Fluttershy strolled along, gazing happily about the wonders of nature. Pinkie's bubbly laughter echoed through the woods, and Fluttershy's soft voice harmonised with the gentle rustling of leaves and chirping of birds. But trailing a little behind them, Maud Pie walked with her usual calm and composed demeanour, her eyes occasionally darting around the surroundings, and her expression subtly revealing her inner struggle.
Pinkie Pie, seemingly oblivious to her sister's unease, continued to dive from bush to bush, occasionally looking back to ensure Maud was still with them.
Fluttershy, ever attuned to her friends' emotions, noticed Maud's discomfort and decided to slow her pace, allowing Maud to catch up. A brightly coloured hummingbird flew to the yellow pegasus and seemed to speak with her.
"Hello there, Hummingway," the pegasus said, "I'm ever so happy to see you."
The bird appeared to twitter in response.
"What's he saying?" Asked Pinkie, as she bounded over to join them.
"He says hello," replied the pegasus, "and he's happy to see us too."
"I wish I could speak hummingbird. Humm! Hum-m-m-m-m, hum!" Buzzed Pinkie.
Maud admired this yellow pegasus's gentle and empathetic nature, and witnessing this special talent only deepened her admiration. Underneath her calm exterior, a pang of jealousy tugged at her heart. Where the pegasus could talk to any creature, she longed for such a natural connection with just her fellow ponies.
She had always felt more comfortable among rocks, finding solace in their simplicity and reliability. Yet, deep down, she wished she could bridge the gap between her reserved nature and the effortless communication that this pegasus seemed to possess.
Maud shifted her gaze from Fluttershy to the ground. Fluttershy smiled warmly as her eyes followed Maud's gaze down onto the large stone that lay on the path and the large red-eyed spider that was crawling its way onto it.
"These spiders only live in Ponyville, and even though they may look a teeny bit scary, they're actually very sweet and help keep other, more dangerous insects away!"
As if to illustrate the point, the quite large spider produced a mini bouquet of flowers. There was no doubt that the influence of the yellow pegasus's cutie mark was affecting the creature's behaviour though, as Maud had never witnessed any spider acting like this before. Was this pony aware that it was her who was causing these animals to act in an unnatural manner?
Say something nice, thought Maud, ask more questions about the spiders.
"I was looking at the rock," was all Maud said.
Ugh!
The pegasus looked quite deflated. She spent the rest of the afternoon talking to Pinkie.
Within the cosy embrace of the Golden Oak Library, Maud Pie stood alongside the purple alicorn as her sister rode around the library on a wheeled ladder. The warm sun filtered through the library's windows and created a gentle glow on the warm, honey-hued walls and towering bookshelves. Maud's quiet and reserved nature seemed to contrast with the alicorn's friendly and curious aura, creating an intriguing visual tableau.
At least I will remember this one, thought Maud in relief, only one purple alicorn in Equestria.
Maud's slate-gray mane cascaded gently around her neutral expression, her eyes observing the world with an unyielding calmness beneath their shaded lids. Next to her, Twilight, with her flowing lavender mane and sparkling amethyst eyes, exuded an aura of magic and knowledge. The two together made an absolute juxtaposition of introvert and extrovert.
It was Pinkie who took the lead, again, "Maud is a total bookworm. She loves poetry!"
"I've got lots of poetry," enthused Twilight Sparkle, "Do you read anything by Quill and Ink? Or Flourish Prose?"
There was barely a breath before Maud spoke, "I prefer to read my own poetry."
Oh, that sounds so pretentious, agonised Maud, why can't I just admit that poetry books are hard to find on a rock farm.
Thankfully Twilight didn't appear to notice. She leaned forward, hoping to show encouragement towards this reserved visitor.
"Oh, I'd love to hear some of it!" She said, inviting her guest to continue.
Maud cleared her throat.
"Rock. You are a rock,
Grey. You are grey.
Like a rock. Which
you are. Rock.
"I've written thousands," she concluded, as Pinkie gave an entirely unironic round of applause.
This was true. When Maud started composing poetry, or indeed getting involved in anything she was truly interested in, the rest of Equestria just faded out. She was well aware that monotropism was another consequence of her atypical mind. These countless lines of poetry were just another way in which she appeared to have weird obsessions and tunnel vision to ponies who didn't know her.
"She's so prolific!" Pinkie shouted as she careened by.
There was almost an audible clack as Twilight Sparkle realised her jaw had been hanging open, once Pinkie's outburst had broken the air of disbelief that Maud's poem had left in its wake.
"This next one is about rocks," Maud's monotone filled the silence in the library, "They're all about rocks.
"Rocks; these are my rocks.
Sediments: make me sentimental.
Smooth and round, asleep in the ground.
Shades of brown and grey."
In the heart of Sweet Apple Acres, the aroma of freshly picked apples filled the farmhouse kitchen, where Applejack was hard at work preparing her famous apple cider. With practised precision, Applejack expertly tended to the mixture warming on the stove, her movements fluid and confident.
Maud's usually calm and composed demeanour seemed to waver slightly as she focused on the task at hoof. She was, however, struggling to keep her apraxia hidden as she attempted to prepare the fruit. She could feel her hooves resisting the commands of her mind, a telltale sign of her impairment. Desperately, she tried to conceal her difficulty, not wanting to reveal her challenges to the farmer pony.
Why does everything have to be so hard, thought Maud miserably, I can only just manage a geologist's chisel tip hammer.
"You 'bout done peelin' them apples for the cider, Maud?" The orange pony asked cheerfully, as Pinkie picked the last few fruit they needed
"I think this one is done," she intoned flatly, trying her best to hide the growing anxiety that was threatening to overwhelm her. Maybe Pinkie sensed a little of the stress her sister was feeling, as she manoeuvred to be in a more supportive position.
"Oh, uh, yep," said the orange pony awkwardly, looking at the smashed remains of the apple, "That's a very interestin' method you got there."
Maud Pie could feel the embarrassment building, her humiliation at the challenge that lurked beneath her unshakable composure. She always felt shame about her apraxia, which caused her fine motor control to falter. In those instances, as she watched her friends effortlessly perform tasks that required delicate precision, Maud couldn't help but feel hopelessly self-consciousness. The simple acts of manipulation and coordination sometimes felt frustratingly out of reach, casting a shadow over her confidence around others.
She longed to flawlessly execute tasks that others took for granted, wishing she could erase the persistent stumbles that caused her to be heavy-hooved. Maud's strength was unusual, even by earth-pony standards. She simply had no way to fine tune her movements to do something as trivial as peeling an apple.
"Should I peel another?" Her level tone gave nothing away of the burning humiliation she felt, looking at the clumsy destruction her hooves had unleashed on the fruit.
"No!" Exclaimed the orange pony, just a little too emphatically, "I mean, nah. I'm sure there's plenty apples in it already."
Pinkie leaned in excitedly from a perch above the stove, "Can we taste it now?"
"Sure, why not?" Said the farmer with a relieved chuckle.
Pinkie took her place beside Maud, as the orange earth pony poured out two mugs of cider. Maud's sister immediately grabbed the mug in her mouth and tipped the entire contents down her throat in one go.
"Wow! That's the best apple cider I've ever had!"
"What do you think, Maud?"
Ok, thought Maud, maybe my apraxia isn't the worst thing here. This pony wants me to consume something new again!
Once more the prospect of trying an unfamiliar food, makes her stomach clench in a knot of apprehension, anxiety swirling into a tempest that threatens to engulf her thoughts. The mere thought of deviating from her usual dietary choices sends nausea racing through her. Her mind spins, conjuring scenarios of distaste and discomfort, amplifying her inner turmoil.
With a resolute breath, Maud acknowledges the tumultuous battle within her. As she takes that tentative sip, the texture and taste of the unfamiliar beverage teasing her senses, a surge of vulnerability washes over her. For a fleeting moment, her anxiety reaches its crescendo, threatening to overwhelm her. She expertly masked her inner maelstrom of emotions, focussing on the one thing that was undeniable about the orange pony's cider.
"It tastes like apples."
Yeah, thought Maud, let's just pretend I hadn't stated the most obvious thing.
Once again it was her sweet, manic and utterly sugar-rushed sister who came to her rescue, "Told you she was super honest, just like you!"
The orange pony was clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. The inscrutable nature of Pinkie's sister clearly left her at a loss over what to do. "We're practically twins, heh," she intoned nervously.
At a serene lakeside near Ponyville, Rainbow Dash and Maud Pie found themselves engaged in an unexpected stone-throwing competition whilst Pinkie bounced around nearby. The calm waters of the lake mirrored the clear blue sky above as the two stood side by side, ready to showcase their skills.
Rainbow Dash grinned mischievously, her competitive spirit ignited. With a flick of her wings she flew into the air. Spinning as fast as she could to put as much energy into the throw as possible, she sent her chosen stone soaring through the air. It made a loud splash as it hit the surface of the water. "Yeah! Let's see you beat that!" she boasted, clearly proud of her strong pegasus throw.
Maud, her expression as stoic as ever, nodded calmly to herself, unfazed by the blue pegasus's seemingly impressive display. There was no doubting that she was an amazingly strong and athletic pony amongst pegasi. She might even be a match for a few earth ponies in events that didn't rely on brute strength.
With a practised eye, she carefully selected a rock from the lakeside. A random chunk of hard, dense basalt that had been stranded in this serene location by ancient glaciation. It's shape and density made it a geological missile.
In contrast to her competitor's wing-assisted throw, Maud relied solely on her earth pony strength. Maud wasn't just any earth pony though; she was a rock-farmer's filly. Her strength, like that of her sisters', was far beyond what most ponies could imagine.
With a subtle flex of her powerful muscles, Maud sent the rock hurtling through the air and whistling by the blue pegasus's ear making her jump in surprise.
"Woah!" The blue pony yelled in surprise.
Finally, she thought, something that won't show up my impairments.
The stone arced gracefully, propelled by the sheer force of her strength. Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise as Maud's stone sailed effortlessly over the hillside, disappearing into the distance. Out of sight of the group of ponies, the hard rock smashed into a crumbling cliff face. The force of the impact set off a landslip that splashed into the river below.
The wave created by tonnes of rock splashing into the river built to a frightening wall of water as it squeezed through a cataract and then tore across the lake towards the ponies on the far side. Rainbow Dash was knocked out of the air by the wave, before the water receded back into the lake.
"That was amazing!" Squealed Pinkie, who was somehow balanced on a log that was floating on the water.
Rainbow couldn't help but feel awe at what she'd just witnessed. As a pegasus, she prided herself on her speed and agility, but Maud's earth pony strength was on a whole different level. Apart from being soaked from head to tail, you'd have no idea that Maud had lifted a hoof.
"Whoa," repeated the cyan pegasus, "How'd you do that?"
Because, thought Maud, I'm an Equus Sapiens Terra Petra. You're an Equus Sapiens Volans.
With a sidelong look through her wet fringe all Maud said was, "I threw it."
"I guess you won this one, Maud," said the pegasus with a good natured smile.
The grey earth pony looked down, uncomfortable under even this warm hearted attention. "I'm not really into... winning," she said.
The cyan pegasus's jaw dropped open in horror. As a highly competitive individual she was comfortable with the idea of being beaten by a better pony, but to have it so dismissively delivered as if it meant nothing at all. She could hardly believe that anypony would be so casual about such a comprehensive victory.