//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven: The Choosing // Story: Heart of Stone: Recovery Light // by TheCrimsonDM //------------------------------// Heart of Stone: Recovery Light Chapter Seven: The Choosing Written by TheCrimsonDM The hours blurred together, and most of what Trixie remembered from it was a few oddities. She remembered asking, ‘wait, that thing is supposed to fit in where?” she also wet herself a few times, which although embarrassing did nothing to derail the ride she was on. By the time everything was said and done, if she was not pregnant, then the universe was broken. She was going to try again as soon as her limbs worked properly anyway. This had been fun. That said, she could feel it. Something changed. During the course of all this she felt something inside of her, a strange little sensation. Like a flower growing a bulb, or a fish entering a new tank of water. Even more she felt the warm, strange sensation inside of her. Next to all the sticky grossness, she felt something pure, wonderful, and full of hope. Somehow Trixie knew she was pregnant. There was a little baby sitting inside of her belly, and she was responsible for it. Its life was entrusted to her hooves, and hers alone. Trixie shot out of bed nearly shouting, “I’m pregnant!” Her limbs were still weak, and she was sure that she was gross, but she limped into the living room to give Maud the good news. Inside she saw Maud wearing her dress again, although her belt was tied a lot lower than usual. Twilight and Sunset were discussing the noise level, and how that might contribute proof to the spells efficiency. That made Trixie’s face heat up a little. It was Maud talking to Inkie that made Trixie stop in her tracks. “Are you sure?” Maud said, her tone serious. “Um, D-d-dad won’t w-w-wake up,” Inkie said. “I’ll come right away,” Maud said. Valiant stood up and jumped onto her mom’s back. When Maud saw Trixie she first smiled, and then she looked down at Trixie’s filthy fur and cringed. “You will want to shower.” Trixie nodded and limped to the bathroom. She stopped just long enough to look back and say, “I’m pregnant, I can feel it.” Maud’s smile grew. Valiant took off her eye patch and with that milky eye she examined Trixie. The filly began grinning like a madmare. “Little sister?” Trixie smiled. “I sure hope so.” Trixie made sure to take a quick shower, and did not bother to pretty herself up afterwards. She actually exited the bathroom with a wet mane and a hairbrush in her telekinetic grasp. The four ponies swiftly made their way to the Rock Family Farm, leaving Sunset in charge of Twilight while they were away. The entire trip, Maud was tense. Valiant stared onward with one determined eye. Trixie hadn’t heard about what happened, but if Inkie was willing to speak than it was serious. It was obvious that Maud’s dad was in trouble, and Trixie just wanted to help. When they did finally arrive at the rock farm, things were quiet and still as ever.  They walked up the front porch, and were let in by Blinkie whose red tear stained eyes couldn’t stay open for longer than a few seconds. She was trying to desperately hide her pain from them, blinking away the tears didn’t work, but she kept doing it anyway. This left Trixie pitying the poor mare. She had always been so headstrong, and even if her abrasive personality pushed Trixie away constantly it did leave Trixie with the impression that this mare was unbreakable. Just as with Maud, Trixie now saw the façade in Blinkie’s strong personality. She was just as weak and scared as Maud was. They were very similar, maybe that was why they never got along? “He’s upstairs,” Blinkie said in a rough voice that cracked. “What happened?” Maud asked. “He was repairing the roof and it broke underneath him. We found him but he didn’t wake up… if something happens to him…” Blinkie choked. Maud went for the stairs, but Blinkie stuck out a leg and forbid her. For a moment Trixie saw Maud consider forcing her way past. She didn’t. “Maud, I just want you to know that I don’t hate you. I love you okay? You’re my sister and even if you don’t like it I am going to love you no matter what. I give you tough love a lot, and make fun of you a lot more, but… I’m sorry.” Maud nodded, leaned over and kissed the top of Blinkie’s gray mane. “I forgive you.” “I just want to be as important as you…” Blinkie admitted. “Mom and Dad are always talking about how much they love you, and how proud they are of you. You got your degree, you got your own home, a well paying job, and even a family… I just wanted some of that.” “They… do?” Maud asked, in disbelief. “Just because they were upset that you married a mare at first doesn’t mean they hate you. They said some words they regret okay, and so did I, and… they just want you to be happy and they don’t think you can if you don’t go to that stupid rock. I don’t care if you do or not, but they do, they still love you and want to be a part of your life. Just like we do… I… I promise I won’t be so rude anymore if you promise to come back more often.” Maud smiled down at her. “I promise.” Blinkie lowered her leg and took a step back. This let Maud and family walk up the stairs and to her parents’ bedroom on the top floor. Once inside, Trixie saw Cloudy sitting on the floor and holding a smooth prayer stone in one hoof and Igneous’s hat in the other, both clutched to her chest. Igneous was lying unconscious on the bed, his head was wrapped up in bandages stained with red. Maud stopped dead in her tracks. For a long moment Trixie stood next to her and stayed quiet. When Maud did finally begin walking again, Trixie followed. Valiant had already removed her eye patch was staring at Igneous with a serious expression before Maud came to a rest at her mother’s side. Cloudy looked over and offered a sad smile. “You came?” “He’s my dad,” Maud said, her tone brittle. Valiant looked down at the old stallion, and frowned. “Will he be okay?” Trixie asked. “We don’t have any healers down here, and the doctor said that Igneous might be okay, and that if it were a younger stallion he would already be up and at it. But he’s not young anymore…” Cloudy stopped talking, clutched the items tighter as though if she could only hold them hard enough, that would be enough to save her husband. Valiant spoke in that quiet voice of hers, “Concussion.” Trixie looked up at her. “How do you know that?” She looked down at her and put a hoof over that milky eye she usually kept covered up. Trixie nodded. “Can you fix him?” Valiant’s shrugged and patted the top of Maud’s head. Maud picked the filly up and set her down on the bed. “I won’t be mad if you can’t help. You’re a filly, you can’t do everything.” Valiant looked down at Igneous and set her expression into grim determination and nodded. She took a few steps on the bed and sat next to his head. Cloudy reached out, but Maud stopped her. In a very soft tone Maud said, “Let her try.” Cloudy looked confused. Valiant reached out with her hooves and a bright, warm light filled the room. Trixie saw a plant in the corner of the room grow taller and bloom with little flowers. Slowly Igneous’s face scrunched up and he coughed once, twice, and then he blinked open his eyes. Valiant fell back off the bed but Maud caught her. She smiled up at her mommy. “Maud?” Igneous asked. Maud nodded. “Yes, I’m here.” He smiled at her and then looked at Trixie. “My daughters came to visit me? What has this old stallion done to deserve such favor?” Maud held up her filly. “This is Valiant Heart. She doesn’t talk much.” “Like Marble then? Thou hast found a perfect family, Valiant Heart,” he said kindly. The filly smiled, yawned and her eyelids dropped. Maud cradled her and the filly swiftly fell asleep. Igneous smiled at the filly. Cloudy wrapped her legs around her husband and pulled him close. She kissed him deeply. From the doorway Trixie heard Blinkie make a retching sound. The other sisters walked in and took seats on the other side of the bed. Igneous stayed in bed and smiled at all of his children. Sadness touched his eyes though. “If only Pinkamena were here, then our family would be complete.” Maud’s lip quivered. “Dad?” He looked at her with all the tender love that a father should feel for their child, and the need to keep them safe no matter what. “What is it, Maud?” “I’m sorry,” Maud said as she closed her eyes. “I should have tried to meet with you sooner; I should have tried to explain how I felt. I am so sorry.” He nodded. “It is fine. I made my mistake when I attacked thy for choosing to love whom you did. Trixie is a good child, thou deserve each other. Please do not hate me for what I said.” Maud shook her head. A few tears ran down her face. “You’re my dad. I could never hate you.” He looked down at the sleeping filly. “So this is my first granddaughter?” Maud nodded. “Yes… wait, first?” He gave a knowing smile to Trixie. “Thou art glowing, it is I presume because of thou art with child?” Trixie’s jaw dropped. “I just got pregnant like a couple of hours ago. How could you?” “A father knows when one of his own has become a mother.” “Yes,” Maud said. Blinkie laughed. “Yeah, it was really weird when you ran off to the bathroom for a few minutes and your husband went outside to catch some fresh air. You came back and dad predicted you were pregnant. Heh that was actually really funny.” Cloudy looked down at the filly. “How did she do that?” “She’s special,” Maud said. Something that Dreamweaver had once told Trixie came to mind. Trixie was a Guardian Heart, her goal was not to protect Equestria now, although she still could, it was to guard and inspire somepony that would one day become the hero to save Equestria. It struck her that perhaps, Valiant Heart was that very pony. After a while things calmed down and the other sisters went back downstairs to start dinner. This left Maud with time aplenty to talk to her parents; which she did. Trixie only managed to pay attention for a little bit of it. Her body was slowly beginning to grow hot all over again. Some of what they spoke about was why Maud didn’t tell them she was dating Trixie at first, some of it was about how Maud felt about the Choosing Stone. Eventually Valiant Heart woke up and the five of them descended to the table below. Dinner was a classic of rock soup, with rocks for dipping. Trixie ate greedily, along with Maud, and Valiant proudly showed her disgust for eating rocks. The filly did like the soup part though. Before they left, Igneous told them that no matter what the Choosing Stone might have said, he would have respected their marriage either way. Especially now that he’s had time to get to meet his first granddaughter. Maud nearly cried when she heard that. They were about to leave the farm when Inkie stopped them. She held a guilty look in those timid eyes of hers. She held out a hoof and revealed a tiny pebble in it. “I-I’m s-sorry,” Inkie said. “Y-you left him here w-when you got m-m-mad at mom and dad.” Maud looked down at the rock. “You’ve taken good care of Boulder.” “I t-take him for walks and f-feed him. He’s b-b-been a good friend.” Maud looked up at her sister and smiled. “I think you’ll continue keeping good care of him. Remember he likes to play camouflage and his favorite place to ride is on your back or in your pocket.” Inkie smiled. “You m-mean I c-can keep him?” Maud smiled. “Yes.” Inkie squealed excitedly and wrapped her legs around her sister. After all of that was said and done Inkie went back inside and Trixie followed Maud. They did not head straight home, rather they went somewhere off into the back of the farm first. A small old wooden building stood in slightly better care than the house itself. Maud pushed open the door and just inside they found a perfectly round stone the size of Maud’s head sitting on a purple velvet pillow. Trixie felt the invisible pressure of intense magic as she neared the stone. Maud looked at the thing and frowned. “Maud what is this, and what are we doing here?” Trixie asked. Maud gave her a glance. “Trixie, I… I need to do this for my dad’s sake.” “Do what?” Trixie asked. Maud focused on the rock. “Oh choosing stone, hear my plea; I have lost the one I was chose to wed for many years now. I have found somepony else in which true love was found, but I must ask, for my father’s sake, did I make the right choice?” Trixie shot her wife a dirty look. “Right cho-“ The rock started glowing with a soft white light and a voice as deep as the earth and as old as the mountains themselves reverberated from it. “There is no single soul mate. There are many, for many ponies. True love can be found anywhere, but it is one of life’s greatest challenges. You, Maud Milkie Pie have found one such mare. You have found your chosen one.” The rock dimmed and then went out completely and Maud stood there shivering. She looked down at her hooves for a long while in silence. When she finally did speak again her voice was warm. “You… were really meant for me?” Trixie smiled. “Of course I was. You were meant for me too. I mean sure, in another universe as Twilight would put it, our paths may never have crossed, our lives would have been led very differently. For all you know, Inkie and Blinkie might like using their real names, they might have been bitter rivals in love for some stallion’s hoof or something too. “But here and now, yeah, you and me are meant for each other. Once and forever.” Maud looked up and without warning kissed Trixie. Fire raced across her body and kick started her heat cycle. In an attempt to stall it, she smiled and asked, “Milkie?” “Inkie, Blinkie, Pinkie, and… Milkie,” Maud admitted. “Why, Milkie?” “I drank a lot of milk when I was a foal…” “Well no wonder you’re so big and strong,” Trixie said as she groped one of Maud’s muscles. “You know what else is big and strong?” Trixie leaned in and whispered something that made Maud’s dress shrink and her face go red. “I think it’s time to go home and put Valiant to bed,” Maud said. “And then we can put ourselves to bed,” Trixie said with a wink. Valiant rolled her eyes.