//------------------------------// // 3. Rarity Rocks // Story: A World Without a Rainboom // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// "A rock?! That's my destiny?! What is your problem, horn?!" Rarity shouted as she looked up to her own horn, "I followed you all the way out here for a rock?! Dumb rock!"  Rarity turned around and bucked the boulder, then began to walk away but stopped and sighed.   "Why a rock?  Of all the things in Equestria, I'm dragged all this way to see a rock?  Why?!"  Rarity fell onto her flank and looked at the boulder and sighed.  She got up, walked back to the rock and circled it, trying to find something special about it.  "Nothing. It's a rock.  A STUPID ROCK," she screamed. "It's actually a boulder.  Looks like 11 tons, and igneous in nature;  however, its location is suspect. It was probably moved by magic since there isn't any significant disturbance around its base."   "Um, who're you, exactly?"   "My name is Maud.  I like rocks.  Rocks are cool.  Do you like rocks?" she replied lazily. "I don't know.  It's a rock.  It's not special, but I guess I'm supposed to be here.  I just don't know why," Rarity sniffled. "Well, you're looking at the boulder a lot, and it is special.  The world is a big rock.  Have you ever dug down into the earth?  Ever notice how it's all dirt and rocks?  We live on a rock made out of smaller rocks." "Really?" she sniffled, "that's kinda interesting.  But, I thought I was going to be a something exciting?  Why would I be here?" "Well, you met me coincidentally.  Let me take you to my home.  We have a lot of rocks.  I live on a rock farm." "A rock farm?" she asked indignantly, "how do you farm rocks?" "It isn't easy, but it works.  Follow me."  Maud began ambling down the hill with a slightly less than excited Rarity behind her.   "Um, can we go any faster?  It's been like an hour and I still see the rock you found me at." "It's an igneous boulder, kind of like my father," Rarity raised an eyebrow at Maud, "we only go as fast as we have to. Rocks aren't in a rush to get anywhere, are they?"          "Well, I guess not," Rarity shrugged, stopping as she watched Maud take a slow step ahead. "Okay, I'll just follow you." So, this is a rock farm?  The sun is setting and we've walked a mile.  Here I am looking at rocks.  On a farm.  A rock farm.  Rarity sighed after her thought.  "So, what do you do on this farm?" "We move rocks and help them gather minerals that only our land has.  When rocks are coated with a certain amount, we sell them to other farms who crush them and spread them on their farms or mix them into their meals for nutrients. It increases the fertility of the ground without having to use chemicals or... Animal droppings," slowly a smile formed on Maud's face, "and it's healthier than the same for nutrients." "You talk so slow, Maud.  You could talk faster you know.  And was that a joke? Anyway, so, that's what you do?  Your family farms rocks to sell to ponies?  That doesn't sound so bad." "It is a lot of fun, because rocks are fun," Maud replied slowly.  "Come on in, I'll introduce you to my family."  Looking to the farmhouse Rarity sighed and rolled her eyes.  She trotted beside Maud, scooped her onto her back, and trotted to the house.   Panting but proud to have arrived before moon rise, Rarity let her legs give out. "You're as heavy as a boulder," Rarity mumbled. Maud slowly climbed over Rarity to open the door. "Hmm, boulder. I like that name. This is my home. And my family." Looking inside, Rarity was ready to be greeted by the slowest family in Equestria.  Instead, she was greeted by four emotionless faces, sitting around a dinner table.  "Greetings, mine name beith Cloudy, and this, my husband, Igneous.   "You've met Maud, mine eldest, yet you have yet to meet our other daughters; Pinkamena and Limestone."  They all nodded to Rarity as Maud walked into the kitchen while Rarity took a place at the table. "Our daughter, Marble, fares well though she is away on vacation.  And thou art who to us?  A friend of Maud?" "Well, I'm Rarity.  I guess I'm here to fulfill my destiny, or so says my dumb horn." "Nay, we have no fortunes to offer," Igneous said as he scooped some mashed potatoes onto his plate, small pebbles colored the potato with grey dots that made Rarity wince as she realized the family was crunching them in each bite. "We could useth some help farming, though.  Be thy interested in our offer?" "Well, I guess I can give it a try." "We start at sunrise and work 'til dinner.  Lunch beith on in the fields at high noon. Eat up if thou art hungry, for we rest soon until the morrow's light."   Rarity smiled awkwardly and took a seat at the table, she looked around at the others eating their rock intensive meal and wondered why Maud was so slow compared to the rest of them.  "Hi, Pinkamena, right?  I'm Rarity.  Wanna go play after supper?" "I don't have time to play.  I have to go to bed so I can move the rocks from the south west to the south east in the morning," Pinkamena replied between crunchy bites.   "Okay, well, what do you do for fun then?" "Well, we sit and read sometimes," the pink filly sighed, gazing into her pile of potatoes, "we also have a day trading at the market once a week," Pinkamena stated flatly, looking a bit sad. "But, I don't go to market because I don't wanna leave my sister alone. She's really easy ta spook without me around." "That, doesn't sound too fun.  What about parties, or plays, or concerts, or parades?"  Rarity asked, losing her excitement as she looked at the dull ponies around her. "What are those things?" Pinkamena asked, looking from the potatoes to a pile of overboiled vegetables. "We only have work, sleep, and each other," Pinkamena replied, sighing, before taking another bite. This is my destiny? Rarity thought, I said I'd give it a shot, so I will, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or stay. Rarity took a plate and scooped a little of each; vegetables and potatoes. She did her best to eat around the rocks, spitting them out onto the plate or swallowing them when she couldn't. The adults looked at the white coated filly and nodded to each other. "Iggy, doth we haveth a room she can stayeth in?" Cloudy asked. "She can room with Pinkamena, they art becoming acquainted already." Each member of the family nodded once, then continued eating. "Well, here we are on the southwest side.  Over there is the southeast. We gotta move these rocks, over there," Pinkamena said pointing as she spoke sadly. With a sigh, she walked to a rock, about as big as her head, and began rolling it with her nose.   The morning sun was warm and Rarity knew it was going to be scorching hot in the arid, unshaded, dusty farmland.  Rarity sighed as her horn began to glow, taking three rocks in her magic, she carried them behind her.  "Hey, put those down!  You can't carry them, you have to roll them." "What?  Isn't there a better way?" Rarity complained as she dropped all but one rock to save energy. "Nope.  This is how we've always done it and how it has to be done."          "How about if I do this?" Rarity lowered the rock to the ground and then rolled slowly in the dirt beside her as she quickly trotted a few paces.  Stopping and turning around she looked at Pinkamena, who was slack-jawed with awe.  "So, is that a yes?" she asked hesitantly. "That is the greatest idea I've ever seen," Pinkamena said as she formed a weak smile as trotted to Rarity.  "So, you're a unicorn?  I've never seen one of you use magic before," Rarity scoffed at the statement, "I have to tell pa.  You keep rollin', and I'll get him right now.  Be right back." Well, that was an unexpected reaction to a simple levitation.  I'm not even good at it yet. Wait, never seen a unicorn?!   A few minutes later, Iggy and Pinkamena arrived and watched as Rarity demonstrated her magic, rolling a rock across the ground.   A slight smile crept across his muzzle.  "Little unicorn, we needeth thy magic hither.  What say thee to an accord of boarder for thy magic?" "What?  Just like that?  I have a job, just like that?" Rarity tapped her hoof to her chin. Well, I don't need that much more schooling before I'm done, and it doesn't seem that education isn't that important here.  Would you be willing to give me an allowance?" "Done," he said raising a hoof, spit on it, then presented it to Rarity.          "Eeew, why'd you do that?" Rarity said with a disgusted look as she recoiled from the dripping hoof aimed at her. "It's how we maketh an accord."  Looking at her hoof, Rarity breathed in and did her best to spit, mostly she ended up drooling down her chin.  Igneous chuckled, and Pinkamena looked at him awkwardly.  "What's on thy mind, Pinkamena?" "What was that noise you made just now?" "It was a laugh, Pinkamena.  As you get older, they'll happen more often."  Pinkamena looked at the ground and coughed a couple times. "You can't force a laugh, it comes from inside you when something makes you feel happy." "Oh," was all Pinkamena replied before her expression flattened again and looked at Rarity. Wiping her hoof on her chin Rarity bumped her hoof to his, and they nodded.           "Six years now," Rarity hummed in a soft drawl as she rocked on a chair rested on the porch of the newly remodeled home she lived in.  She inhaled the dry air and smiled as minerals tickled her trained nose. "What's that about six years?"  Pinkamena asked softly with a soft smile to match as she brushed her long flat mane from her face. She looked down at the sleeping Labrador beside her as she pet it. "I've been here six years now.  I can't believe how much hath happened.  We're the largest rock and mineral farm in Equestria and life feels so perfect with thy here.  Thy're the best sister I could ask for."  Rarity smiled as she looked through her flat purple mane at Pinkamena and they shared a smile. "I want to go see my parents next week, if that's okay; it's mom’s birthday and I want to see her," Pinkamena asked Rarity. A hint of knowing and confidence in her soft voice told Rarity she knew the answer. "Well, I don't see why we can't take a trip; we have enough bits saved for us to go."  Pinkamena smiled at the thought and nodded to Rarity.  "Now, Pinkamena.  Thy know not to give them any more funds, right?  They retired and have a stipend from our sales to live off of." "I remember, Rarity."  Pinkamena got up and walked into the house leaving the door open and Rarity alone with the napping dog on the porch.  With a thought, a glass of lemonade poured itself into a cup and leveled at her mouth.  Tipping her head back with the cup, she swallowed and smiled.   "I never thought rock farming would be my destiny."  Turning slightly, she looked at her cutie mark and smiled.  Two igneous boulders; the same as the one she had met Maud at. Maud is at school studying Rockology and was on her way to getting her Rocktorate, at the youngest age in the school's history.  Limestone is at boarding school, taking classes in Art and Art History, and all our parents have retired.  It's all thanks to me, and I couldn't be happier.  I own my own farm!   With a giggle, Rarity hopped up on her rear legs and pumped her hoof before falling back into the chair and finishing her glass of lemonade with a smile and a refreshing sigh.     I will see my parents of the stone as well, as I owe everything I am and have to them.  And, I think it's about time they see what a real party is like, all these years and not a single balloon or cake without rocks in it.  This shalt be a party of the ages!