A lone house sat in the middle of a field, surrounded by a never-ending farm of rocks that touched the horizon. There were several ponies living in that house, despite them having no neighbors or pets. The rocks kept them company, and that was all they needed. There were no sounds coming from the house that day and everything was silent. At least it was, until a pink filly named Pinkie Pie became curious.
“Inkie, why are rocks so special to our family?” Pinkie asked her older sister while she was busy staring at her father’s book of rock identification.
“What do you mean, Pinkie?” the older sister, Inkie, asked, sitting in an old living chair. Pinkie sighed and closed the book.
“I mean, why rocks? Rocks are boring and plain. They don’t help anyone…”
“Pinkie, sit down over here and listen for a bit.” The filly did as she was told. “Rocks aren't just chunks of stone in the ground.”
“But Frost Flower said-“
“Who cares what Frost Flower says? She’s not a rock farmer.” Inkie got up and walked over to a shelf and picked up a grey object. “Pinkie, do you know what this is?”
“Yeah, a fossil. I learned that in school.”
“Right. What did you learn about fossils, then?”
“We learned that fossils are preserved bones and stuff from dinosaurs. Plants, too.”
“But there’s more.”
“There is?” Pinkie shook her head in confusion. Inkie smiled and pulled out a different fossil.
“Fossils are really old, right?”
“What does this have to do with rocks?” Pinkie asked. Inkie sighed and walked outside with Pinkie following behind.
“Maybe you’ll understand if I show you.” The view outside revealed rocks as far as the eye could see, some big, some little, some looking like walls. “A rock is the relic of the past. They saw the ancestors of ponies, and they've seen the creation of civilization. Kinda like fossils, they are glimpses into the past, to let us imagine things that seem impossible.” Inkie went up to one rock and touched it. “This rock has been here a long time…”
“How long? Longer than I've been alive?” Pinkie asked, looking up into the grey, cloud-covered sky. Inkie giggled.
“Much, much longer.” Inkie looked carefully at the cracks and crannies in the rock. “In fact, this rock was here when this place was underwater.”
“U-underwater?” Pinkie asked, her eyes large with wonder. Inkie turned to face her and motioned towards the surrounding scenery.
“Look at the tall rocks. They've been here before any of the rocks we've planted. They were here when there were creatures like the ones in the fossils, that lived underwater. That was a long time ago, before even Princess Celestia was alive, but these rocks are still standing, holding echoes of the ocean that was once here.”
“…Whooooaaaa.”
“Yeah. Cool, right?”
“Then why do ponies buy them from us?”
“Mostly for research or landscaping. But we only sell the newly grown ones. We keep the old ones here, to teach us about the world before ponies.” Pinkie stayed silent, still staring at the rocks in wonder.
“That makes a lot more sense… mind if I go back inside and doodle some rocks out of dad’s book?”
“Sure, but don’t forget what I said. Oh, and don’t forget about your chores.”
“Aaawwww, you’re no fun.”
“You’ll get no dessert if you don’t.”
“Fiiine…” the pink filly walked back inside, leaving Inkie with the rocks. She studied them, waiting to see what secrets they held.
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"Hey, mom! Mind if I ask you a question?" Pinkie greeted her mother as she drew some rocks. A gray mare with a dark teal mane stood at the sink, washing dishes.
"Of course, Pinkie. What is it?"
"How long have the tall rocks been here?"
"I can't say for certain how long, Pinkie. Now help me wash some dishes or you'll have to go out to mine some rocks."
"Yes, mom." Pinkie put down her doodles and got up next to her mother and stood on a stool. She began to wash dishes but continued speaking. "You know, with how old rocks are, you'd think they're no fun."
"Are you saying rocks are fun?"
"Well, no... I mean, yes...I mean... well... they aren't fun, but they're interesting."
"I'm glad you think so Pinkie. Rocks are the family business after all. Oh, you missed a spot on this dish. I'll clean it."
"Thanks, mom. I just... what if I don't want to work with rocks when I'm older?"
"Pinkie, honey, you're too young to worry about these things..."
"I promise I'm not." Pinkie's mother stayed silent for a while, then spoke up.
"Okay then, what would you do instead?"
"I would... uh... well, I like making ponies smile, maybe that's it?" PInkie's mother sighed.
"If that's what you want to do..." Her mother said, looking out onto the farm.
"...You sound sad."
"I just... the Pie family has been rock farming since the very first Pie. It'd be so strange for one to do something else..." She smiled. "but change is necessary sometimes. And someday we'll not be needed anymore."
"...Mom." Pinkie's mother found herself looking Pinkie in the face when she spoke. "You shouldn't be sad about this. You're doing what you love, I'm doing what I love. You should be smiling, but you aren't. Rock farming should make you happy, right? If that's the case, then don't worry about me. You've got Dad and Maud and Blinkie and Inkie who still rock farm."
"...I-I guess that's true..."
"There! All done!" Pinkie beamed, looking at the all clean dishes. "I'm gonna head up to my room now. Don't forget what I said, okay?" Pinkie went up to her room, leaving her mother by herself.
"I heard what you two were talking about," said Inkie, as she walked in. "I have a feeling she was feeling that way for a long time."
"What do you mean?" her mother asked. Inkie explained the previous event in full detail to her mother.
"...That's why. She might've not seen the interest in rocks and wanted to do her own thing, so she wanted to understand why we love rocks anyway."
"But... what if she really does choose a different path?"
"Then that's for her to decide. We just have to keep rock farming." Inkie's mother hugged her as she smiled. For once, the rock farm was alive again.