//------------------------------// // Separation // Story: The Marriage of Heaven and Earth // by RoyalBardofCanterlot //------------------------------// For many a rock farm was a dull and dreary place. Days were spent gathering rocks then breaking them apart in the hope that jewels would be hiding within them. It was hard work designed for a special breed of strong and tough ponies adapted to endless struggle and rough, barren conditions. For Sue Pie it was home. She rocked back and forth in her chair working on her latest knitting project, a little purple doily. She was done with all her chores for the day and her husband was buying nails in town. She liked to knit, she loved weaving in colors and patterns. Sometimes she would sell doilies at market. She thought she’s keep this particular doily for herself. Maybe she’d put it on a wall. Her daughters were in town too, visiting friends. They’d grown up so quickly. She smiled. She was proud of her daughters, even Pinkie who was pursuing her destiny far away. She had dreamed of Pinkie that morning, which troubled her. Pinkie had been crying in the dream. A little bit of Unicorn blood gave her psychic abilities (and was the origin of “Pinkie sense”) and she always knew when something was wrong with her daughters. She felt the waves of dark energy before she caught the glimpse of pink approaching the farm. The pink, usually cheerful pony walked with her head bent low. Her mane was straight and lightly blew in the wind. Her gait was slow, barely quick enough to count as a trot. Depression radiated from her as she walked onto the ground of her childhood home. She raised her head and managed a weak smile as she walked towards her mother. “Hi, Mama.” Sue rose. “Hello, Pinkamena. I didn’t know you were coming to visit.” “I-it was spur of the moment. Just thought I’d visit. Would you mind if I stayed for a few days?” Sue wrapped her up in a hug. “Pinkie you are always welcome to stay here, you know that.” Pinkie rested her head on her mother’s shoulder and then began to sob. Sue held her. “Pinkie, what’s wrong?” “I-it’s always like this.” “Like what?” “I-I fall in love and they always leave. Always, always, always!” Sue stroked her mane. “What happened?” “I-I fell in love again. I’m so stupid, why can’t I learn? No one will ever love me! I-I’m too silly and I can’t sit still and I’m annoying and random-” “Pinkamena Diana Pie, you stop that this instant.” Sue said, wiping away her daughter’s tears. “You are a caring and wonderful mare who’s dedicated her whole life to making others happy. If somepony can’t see that, that’s their own darned fault.” Pinkie’s break-ups and poor relationship choices were legendary. Sue hoped this one wasn’t in the Manehattan Mafia like the last one. Pinkie sniffled. “I really thought this one was the one. I thought I loved her.” Her? Well, I can’t say she don’t try anything new, Sue thought. “What happened?” “I saw her kissing s-stupid Gilda! She said Gilda kissed her first, but it sure looked like she was kissing back to me!” “If she doesn’t see how beautiful and amazing you are that’s her loss.” Sue told her. “It hurts. It just hurts so bad.” “It’ll pass, child. I made some muffins. Would you like some?” Pinkie seemed to brighten somewhat. “Blueberry?” She asked, perking up a bit. Sue nodded. Pinkie smiled, a real and genuine smile then followed her into the house. “So, how have you been doing? And Daddy and my sisters? Is everybody doing okay?” Pinkie asked as Sue retrieved the muffins. How like Pinkie, she mused, to ask after everpony else’s welfare even when she was in the throes of emotional turmoil. If she ever ran across the mare that had hurt her she was going to knock her right in the mouth. “Everypony is doing well, Pinkie.” Sue answered as she placed a plat of muffins on the table. They sat down and began to eat them. Pinkie seemed to cheer up as she ate the treats. Sue figured they would get her mind off her troubles. … While Pinkie and her mother shared a plate of muffins, Dash soared in solitude over the splendor of the Bellephron Mountains. They rose up to scrape the highest clouds at the border that separated Equestria from the rest of the world. Some historians claimed it was here that the six founders had discovered the friendship fire that would help to forge their young nation. Only a few miles beyond the range was the Pony’s Democratic Socialist Republic of Flutter Valley, an isolationist and rarely visited country. Beyond that was Dream Valley, the cradle of Pony civilization and an autonomous province of Equestria. Dash, not being interested in any history that wasn’t between the pages of a Daring Do book, was not thinking about any of this. She was only thinking about getting far, far away. Away from her mistakes. Away from her stupidity. She wouldn’t face her friends, she couldn’t. What would she tell them? That because of her Pinkie left town? She didn’t want to face their judgement, their disappointed and disapproving stares. Twilight would lecture her and Applejack would buck her in the face. She knew she’d deserve it. She had met with Gilda that morning before going out on this long flight. Despite the situation being Gilda’s fault she retained a fondness for the griffin. It had something to do with her being an idiot. She looked down over the towns nestled in the shadows of the great mountains. From this high in the air everything looked so small, just a patchwork of browns and greys and greens. She could make out the pink and yellow flag of the Republic of Flutter Valley majestically dancing from a tall, spired palace. How far had she flown? She knew she had been flying at supersonic speed, but somehow she had left Equestria’s borders. She knew very little about Flutter Ponies and couldn’t speak their language. She landed softly on the grass of an expansive meadow. Two graceful butterfly winged flutter ponies, armed with spears, approached her. “Welcome to Flutter Valley. The punishment for illegally entering Flutter Valley is death.” The guard spoke in Equestrian. “And dismemberment.” “Not necessarily in that order.” Dash dodged the spear thrown her way and zoomed towards the clouds. She perched on one. The guards hadn’t followed her. She couldn’t go back and she couldn’t go forward. Dream Valley would be more welcoming, but it would take a whole day to get to. And she was tired. She curled up on that cloud intending to nap for a little while. … As Pinkie mixed the flour she reflected that it had been far too long since her and her mother had cooked together. They were huddled in the kitchen, her mother chopping up carrots and celery for a vegetable stew. Pinkie, being an expert baker, was busy making some bread to go along with it. “Ooh, ooh, you know what would be really good? Cinnamon! Cinnamon bread! Do we have cinnamon?” Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down. Sue rummaged around in the cabinets and tossed Pinkie a jar of cinnamon that Pinkie deftly caught it in her tail and began sprinkling the cinnamon in the bowl. “Pinkie, I think that’s enough cinnamon!” “No such thing!” Pinkie protested sprinkling more of it before stopping and pouring contents of the bowl into a pan. She then put the pan in the oven. “Why don’t you help me cut up this celery?” Sue suggested. Pinkie hopped over, took the knife her mother offered her and started chopping up the celery. As she cut she lapsed into silence. Sue found it hard to believe it was the same pony that half-an-hour ago had been bouncing around singing about bread. “What you thinking about, hon?” “Have you and Dad ever had a big fight?” “More than I like to think about.” “Me and Dashie had fights too. We fought a lot actually, but we always made up. It’s one of the reasons I thought we’d always be together.” The silence grew awkward. “Do you think this is something that y’all can work through?” “I don’t know. I ran away before we could talk it through. She tried to say sorry, but…” “Maybe y’all just need a break. Back when you’re Pa was courting me we stopped talking for a month one time.” “Ooh, what’d he do?” “That danged fool took me to a Hayshack.” “In my defense, I thought you liked Hayshack you silly mare.” Clyde said as he walked into the kitchen. Pinkie ran up and gave him a hug which he returned. “Not for an anniversary dinner, you silly old colt.” “So, Pinkie, this is a pleasant surprise.” “I, um, I sort of had a fight with my special sompony. I just needed to get away.” “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like.” “Thanks, Papa.” Pinkie said. Soon, the smell of baking bread and vegetable soup filled the little cottage the Pie family called home. Pinkie, her parents and her sisters gathered around the table and her sisters regaled her with tales of their own romantic fumbles. After supper she volunteered to help her mother with the dishes. She then passed the family altar upon which sat a photograph of Granny Pie and several other ancestors. But Granny Pie always took precedence in her heart. “Oh, Granny.” She prayed. “I wish I knew what to do.” Because as she looked around the cottage she’d spent her filly hood in she was finding it hard to remember why she’d left it. … Dash had never been to Dream Valley. She vaguely recalled a few history lessons about it. There was a war or something that happened there about a decade ago when the Flutter Ponies invaded or attempted to liberate it depending on what newspaper you read. Dash was flying without direction, without purpose. She was trying to figure out how, in the course of twenty-four hours, things had gone so terribly wrong. She didn’t want to go back to her friends. She wouldn’t know how to explain this latest screw-up to her family. She didn’t know anyone in Dream Valley. It was perfect. She landed in a small town ringed by fruitful, tree-laden hills. Pegasii and unicorns and earth ponies strolled the streets. Dash lost herself in a marketplace. The sun had begun to set, but Luna’s moon had not yet crested over the horizon. Dash needed to find a hotel before it got too late. She didn’t want to be in a strange town at night without any place to stay. … Pinkie Pie had been away from the land for a long time. Half a decade had passed since she had mined her last rock. That morning she had woken up, helped her mother cook and decided to help out on the farm. She had nothing better to do and it kept her mind off certain other things. She felt the energies of the rocks around her as she pushed them towards the pile. It was a boring task, but calming somehow. As she pushed the igneous she wondered if this was why some ponies meditated. A certain somepony used to meditate. She wasn’t thinking about that certain somepony. She dutifully rolled the rock into the pile of its brethren. Now that they were gathered she went and got a pickaxe. She brought the pickaxe down with such force that it crushed the rock, jewels and all. “Whoa there, Pinkie!” Her pa grabbed the pickaxe just as she was about to bring it down again. “We’re supposed to be getting’ the jewels out, not crushin’em.” “Oops.” Pinkie said, looking down at the powder that had once been rocks. “Why don’t you go help your sisters with their piles?” “Sure thing, Papa.” Pinkie said as she hopped away. She rolled a granite rock as she trotted beside Binkie. “Are you feeling all right, Sister?” Binkie asked as she placed her rock with the rest. Pinkie placed her rock next to it. They trotted back to the scattered rocks. “Oh, yeah I’m fine! I mean sure I was sad, but I’m fine now!” Pinkie said. Her smile hurt. Binkie patted her back. “I can tell when you’re lying, Pinkie.” Pinkie sighed. “I might not be as happy as I usually am.” For a half-hour they rolled rocks in silence. Pinkie tried to lose herself in the endless rolling of the rocks, pushed all other thoughts aside and immersed herself in the energy of the earth that flowed around her and through her. Her world was rocks. There was no place for rainbows. Then she took a pickaxe and gently tapped it. It fell open, revealing glittering jewels shining in the sun. They were sapphires, as blue as the sky. She bit back her tears and went back to rolling rocks. … Gilda was facing a decision. After her talk with Dash that morning she was feeling something unpleasant. She thought it was called guilt, but she’d had limited experience with that emotion so she wasn’t sure. Pinkie had left town, convinced that Dash had betrayed her. Gilda could use this to her advantage and woo Dash. Or she could find Pinkie and explain that it was she who kissed Dash. She flew high above the world searching for a rock farm. Once she located one she landed. The bearded patriarch of the farm placed his pick-axe down and trotted up to her. “Welcome, stranger. What can I do for you?” Gilda scratched the dirt with her talons, the Griffon equivalent to pawing the ground. “Is Pinkie Pie here? One of her friends told me she grew up here.” His eyes narrowed. “Yeah.” “Can I speak with her?” “Do you think she wants to speak to you? I’m assuming you’re the ‘meany, marefriend-stealling bird-brained bitch?’’” Gilda winced. “Yeah. That’s me. And I need to speak to her.” “Your funeral. Pinkie Pie, you got a visitor!” The elder shouted. Soon, the pink pony came into view. She was sweating and looked like she’d been crying. “What is SHE doing here?” Pinkie demanded as if the griffon had defiled the sacredness of her ancestral home by setting her talons upon it. “Look, Pinkie. We need to talk.” “I don’t wanna talk to you.” “I-” “She said she didn’t want to talk.” The elder pony said. “Look, if you’re hurting imagine how Dash feels. She’s a mess, Pinkie. I know you care about her.” “Why should she be hurting?” Pinkie demanded. “She betrayed me!” “No she didn’t. I kissed her because I’m an idiot.” Pinkie was silent as she absorbed this information. “She shouldn’t have to suffer for my stupidity. I love her too, Pinkie. But I know she only loves you. She told me so.” Pinkie lapsed into silence. “Just think about what I said, okay?” Gilda said. She spread her wings and took off.