//------------------------------//
// Family Matters 
// Story: Rocky Road Trip 
// by Metool Bard 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 1:
Family Matters


"A visit to Nana Pinkie's house?  Are you girls sure about this?"

"Yes, Father," said Marble. "Limestone and I agree that Maud should go see her before she leaves."

Igneous Rock Pie furrowed his brow and placed a hoof to his muzzle. "Hmm.  Normally, I wouldn't be against the idea.  I know how important Nana Pinkie is to y'all, and I think it's very sweet of you and Limestone to offer this opportunity to Maud."

"If that's the case, then what's the problem?" asked Limestone.

Igneous sighed. "Your mother here just predicted a surface rock shortage hitting us some time tomorrow.  And just as usual, we need all the hooves we can get to work through it."

"I'm afraid it's true, girls," said Cloudy Quartz solemnly. "The dirt trails don't lie."

Limestone groaned and buried her face in her hooves. "I can't believe this," she griped. "Of all the times to get a surface rock shortage, why did it have to be this week?!"

"I still don't see the problem," said Marble with a shrug. "A visit to Nana Pinkie's would probably take a day; perhaps less.  I'm sure we'd be back in time to help."

"These things don't wait for nopony, Marble," said Igneous firmly. "If the surface rock shortage hits us while you're gone, we're gonna fall way behind on production.  I don't think our clients nor the rocks would be pleased about that."

"Well, when's the shortage supposed to hit?" inquired Limestone.

Cloudy Quartz closed her eyes and sighed. "It's hard to say.  All I know is that it will occur tomorrow."

"Great, that's helpful," Limestone said sardonically. "Seriously, Mom.  Would it kill the dirt trails to be a little more specific?"

Cloudy Quartz gave Limestone a stern glare. "I can't make that sort of demand of the trails, Limestone.  That's not how geomancy works, and you know it."

"Alright, alright.  I'm sorry," said Limestone. "It's just that, we were all really looking forward to this, y'know?"

"I understand, Limestone.  However, surface rock shortages cannot be ignored," said Cloudy Quartz.

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that it's completely unfair," said Limestone with a pout. "I really don't think Maud would want to spend her last week on the rock farm working."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind," said Maud after swallowing a bit of hay. "But if given the choice, I would much rather visit Nana Pinkie."

Igneous gave Maud a quizzical look. "Are you sure that's how you feel about it, Maud?"

"Yes," said Maud flatly.

Igneous and Cloudy Quartz exchanged looks for a moment.  Cloudy Quartz shrugged, and Igneous turned back to his daughters.

"Well, alright," he conceded. "Since it's so important to ya, I'll excuse you from your chores to visit Nana Pinkie, Maud.  After all, you should probably go see her before you head out to earn your rocktorate."

"Thank you, Pa," said Maud, turning back to her meal.

"Whoa, whoa!  Hold on a sec!" exclaimed Limestone. "What about me and Marble?"

"I'm sorry, Limestone," said Igneous with a heavy sigh. "But you two are needed here.  Your mother an' I can't work through the shortage alone."

"So, what?  You expect Maud to go visit Nana Pinkie all by herself?" said Limestone.

"Don't worry, Limestone.  I wouldn't be by myself," said Maud, reaching into her pocket.

Limestone did a double take. "You wouldn't?"

"No.  I'd have Boulder with me."

To emphasize her point, Maud took out her pet rock and set him on the table.  Limestone stared at Boulder for a minute and then sighed.

"Maud, Boulder doesn't count," she said.

Maud tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Maud, Boulder's going with you when you leave," said Marble. "He'll always be by your side come what may.  However, the same cannot be said for Limestone and myself.  I think this visit would be a lot more special if we accompanied you."

"So, it's not because he's a rock," said Maud.

Marble arched an eyebrow. "What?  No, of course not.  Don't be ridiculous, Maud.  Boulder's your loyal companion, and nothing's gonna change that."

"Seriously, you've known us for how long?" Limestone giggled. "There's no way we'd insult Boulder like that."

Maud nodded. "Just checking," she said in her usual monotone.

Cloudy Quartz stroked her chin for a moment. "Hmm.  You have to admit, Igneous.  The girls do raise a good point."

"I never said that they didn't," Igneous growled. "Even so, it'd be mighty risky for them to head off to your mother's place when there's a surface rock shortage a-brewin'."

"That is true," Cloudy Quartz mused.  Just then, her face lit up. "Wait, I have an idea.  Girls, I think we can work this out."

"Yes, Mother?" asked Marble.

"The rocks in the North Field are a bit restless due to the impending rock shortage," said Cloudy Quartz. "If you girls will get them ready for bed after dinner, it'll be one less thing for your father and I to worry about tomorrow."

"And if we do that, we can go to Nana Pinkie's house tomorrow?" said Limestone, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't see why not," said Cloudy Quartz. "What say you, Igneous?"

Igneous rubbed the side of his head for a moment before shrugging. "Well, if your mother says it's okay, then I suppose it should be fine."

"You've got yourself a deal then," Limestone said with a wide grin. "Marble, you'd better get your best rock stories ready."

"Of course," said Marble. "Just as long as you and Maud take care of whoever needs a bath."

"Sounds like a plan," said Maud.

Cloudy Quartz chuckled. "They look so excited, don't they, Igneous?"

"Oh, ayuh," said Igneous, a faint smirk forming on his muzzle. "Then again, they always get excited about Nana Pinkie."


***


The Pie sisters were as good as their word.  Right after dinner, the Pie sisters went to the North Field and got right to work.  Marble gathered a bunch of rocks in a group and sat down before them.

"Alright, little ones," she said sweetly. "I know you all are worried about tomorrow, but I think I have a story that'll cheer you all right up.  It's called: 'The Talc as Hard as Diamond.' *ahem* Once upon a time..."

As Marble told her story to the rocks, Limestone and Maud listened in as they polished up a large, diamond-shaped boulder.

"Ah, Marble and her rock stories," said Limestone whimsically. "She always seems to know the right story for the occasion.  Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if she made up a few of them herself, huh Maud?"

"I wouldn't be surprised by that, either," said Maud.

Limestone snickered. "Well of course you wouldn't be surprised.  And even if you were, nopony would be able to tell."

"I suppose there's some truth to that," said Maud simply as she worked her way around the boulder.

"Hey, y'know what I don't get?" said Limestone.

"What?"

"This boulder we're washing right now."

Maud looked at the boulder for a moment. "You mean Tom?  What's so mysterious about him?"

"You mean besides the fact that he was an anonymous donation, and we still don't know where he came from to this day?" said Limestone, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm.  Touché," said Maud.

"Seriously, though.  This guy's probably the weirdest rock on the farm, bar none," said Limestone, dipping her voice. "Remember when he first got here?  Marble said that he scared the bejeebus out of her pet geode, Roxanne.  And honestly, from what I heard from the other rocks, I believe her.  Tom here seems to make them all uneasy."

"They haven't complained about him lately, though," said Maud.

"Yeah, but that's because they got used to him," said Limestone. "Still, I dunno.  Something about him just rubs me the wrong way."

"It isn't because he bares a striking resemblance to my Cutie Mark, is it?" inquired Maud.

"No, but that is pretty eerie in and of itself," said Limestone with a sigh. "I really don't know how to describe it, Maud.  I'm just counting myself lucky that he's too busy focusing on his bath to hear us."

Maud peered around Tom to give Limestone an odd look. "What do you think he would do, Limestone?  He's just a rock."

"Yeah, but like I said, he's not like other rocks," said Limestone. "For example, we've never had to rotate him to the other fields.  He's just content to stay here.  What's more, I haven't seen any hint of erosion on him since he got here.  Not a microscopic speck of him has changed.  Nothing about him makes a lick of sense."

"It is an odd phenomenon, to be sure," said Maud, knitting her brow. "Perhaps when I study for my rocktorate, I can find some answers regarding this."

"One can only hope," said Limestone.

"...and they all lived happily ever after.  The end."

At that moment, Marble had finished her story.  She then scooped them up and placed them in a small pile of pebbles.

"Sleep tight~," she said to the rocks.  She then walked over to Maud and Limestone. "Alright, those rocks are asleep.  How's Tom's bath coming along?"

"We're just about done here," whispered Limestone. "Let's move on to the next group."

With that, the Pie sisters headed off to another section of the North Field.  But as they left, they didn't notice a faint glow emanating from Tom, along with a sinister voice drifting through the air:

Mine.  All this will be mine.  Every rock; every pony; everything.  It'll be mine, mine, mine...