Midnight Confrontation
The dinner was awkward.
Pinkie Pie and Octavia returned to their house just as the Sun was hiding behind the mountains. Then they learned that Limestone had locked herself on her room and would not let anypony in. Worried, Cloudy Quartz asked her daughters of what had happened, and Octavia replied that they’ve argued for some silly thing.
That seemed to relief Cloudy a bit, trusting that her daughter would be in a better mood by the time all gathered to have dinner. And indeed, Limestone came down just as she was called, but it was obvious she was still moody.
It was simply impossible to try to keep a conversation with her. All her answers were as minimal as necessary and always in a dry, tired tone. After a while, the rest of the ponies had given up, and a gray cloud had settled over the table. No one spoke, each one paying attention just to his plate.
Pinkie felt terribly sorry, as she saw herself as the only cause of the depressing atmosphere of the dinner. But then again, there was not much she could have done to change the situation. She had tried! It was Limestone the one that wanted to be in that depressing mood.
Only when the dishes were dessert of food and the dinner was over that a spark of activity appeared. “Oh!” smiling, Octavia got off her chair and trotted to the stairs. “I’ll be back.” The other four ponies exchanged glances and Pinkie shrugged. A moment later, Octavia was back, with a black case hanging off her side, so massive that it seemed a miracle the gray pony could keep her balance. “Would you like me to play the cello?” she asked.
That seemed to rouse Limestone of her gloomy state. She raised her head and looked at her twin with interest, though didn’t say a word. Cloudy Quartz clapped her hooves together. “Oh, I would love to hear you playing!” she said, delighted. Both Igneous Rock and Pinkie Pie nodded in agreement, though the first in a rather stoic fashion, while the second was enthusiastic enough to make herself dizzy.
“Um…shall we move to the sitting room?” suggested Octavia, tilting her head to the door. “You will be more confortable.”
Every pony hopped of their chairs and went to the other room. Igneous and Cloudy sat on the couch, leaning on each other, while Pinkie sat next to them, sprawled over the armrest. Limestone sat on the other armchair.
Octavia put the black case on the floor and opened it. Inside there was her beloved cello, its dark polished surface reflecting the lights of the lamps. The sigh of her instrument was enough to make her smile and send a wave of warm through her. Even though she had been only a few days without playing it, it felt like an eternity. She pulled it off its case and took a moment to carefully tune it. Once she was satisfied, she grabbed the bow, rested the neck on her shoulder and slided the hairs against the strings. She was ready.
She looked at her family gathered in front of her. “Uh…any piece you’d like to hear?” she asked softly. It was strange, but she felt more nervous right now than in front of a crowd of unknown ponies.
“Play the Pony Pokey!” chimed Pinkie.
Octavia raised an eyebrow at that, but smiled in amusement. “Anything else?” she said.
“Why not the last piece you played?” suggested Cloudy Quartz.
The gray mare nodded. “Much better. Thanks mom.” Octavia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly. It was a very simple exercise to help her calm down just before a concert. Her mind focused on the melody she had played just a couple of weeks ago. The music would lose part of the beauty with just a single instrument, but it would have to do.
The bow started dancing over the strings, producing a calm and melancholic melody that stretched just a few minutes. It was originally meant as part of a bigger piece, where Octavia didn’t play a big role. But this part by itself was already a great composition.
When the mare opened her eyes again, she saw her whole family smiling at her. Pinkie was leaning forward, almost losing her balance. Limestone seemed to have escaped her foul mood, at least for now, and her parents had a very noticeable gleam of pride of their smiles. “That was marvelous.” muttered Cloudy. Igneous nodded in agreement.
Octavia felt her face go red. “It’s just a little melody I played a while ago. My colleagues had much more to do. They really shone that night.”
“Don’t push away the compliment, Octavia.” said Limestone, who leaned back on her armchair, still smiling. “It plainly reflected the truth. You’re fantastic.”
Octavia waved a hoof. “Oh, stop it. You’ll make me blush!” she said.
“You’re already blushing!” giggled Pinkie Pie. “Your whole face is red! I didn’t know you blushed so easily!”
“Okay, enough to teasing your sister.” interrupted Cloudy, although she was repressing a smile herself. “I would like to hear another, dear.” she asked Octavia.
“Sure.” nodded the gray mare. She made a pause to think of another piece. One popped in her mind, and she started to play. This one lasted for a bit longer, and when it was over the last note lingered for a moment in the air.
Pinkie used this chance to speak. She decided to drop the matter bluntly. “Mom, dad? I have something to tell you.” she took a deep breath. “I am g- I mean, I am one of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”
Silence. Limestone moved in her chair to look at Pinkie. Octavia rested her head on the body of the cello. Igneous and Cloudy didn’t move, just turned their heads to Pinkie.
“A Bearer.” repeated the stallion. Pinkie nodded. “Like the ones that faced Nightmare Moon?”
Pinkie Pie nodded again. “Nightmare Moon. Discord. King Sombra. Chrysalis.” enumerated the pink mare. “I was there at all times. I helped defeating them.” She suddenly became aware of how dangerous all those situations were. She smiled sheepishly. “Maybe I should have told you before…”
“Tell us what?” asked Cloudy Quartz.
Pinkie’s ears folded back. “Well, it’s dangerous. Um…We all were lucky and never really got hurt badly…but we could.” She made a pause. “I guess I never told you what really happened at the wedding.”
“What do you mean?” asked Limestone. “It was not the Elements what defeated the Changeling Queen.”
“No, but we did try to use them.” explained Pinkie. “We…the other Bearers and I had to fight through the swarm of changelings to try to retrieve them.” She heard her mother’s horrified gasp. “We were fine, don’t worry!” she quickly added. “But yeah. We didn’t run away. We were in the middle of the fight, like the Guards. We were luckier than many of them…”
“Oh Celestia…” Cloudy scooted closer to Pinkie and wrapped her forelegs around her. “My poor dear.”
Pinkie gave her mother a nuzzle. “I just want you to know that…well, being a Bearer is cool and all that…it gives you phenomenal cosmic power… and itty bitty risk of death.” she pushed her mother back and looked into her eyes. “I don’t want you to be all worried about me, okay? But I also want you to know what I am in.”
Cloudy looked into her eyes, then nodded. “Alright dear. I would tell you to stay safe, but…I guess you already know, don’t you?” After giving her daughter one last squeeze, she went back into her husband’s arms.
“But I made it look awful!” suddenly started Pinkie. “When you’re there, it’s not actually that bad! We keep each other safe and make sure all make through the day unscratched.” Pinkie’s mouth twisted into a smile. “You’d like them, they’re really cool mares. Specially Dashie, if you ever meet her, make sure to tell her how awesome she is.”
“Tell us about the other Bearers.” suggested Octavia.
“Sure! First, there is Twilight Sparkle. She’s the Element of Magic, and the personal student of Princess Celestia.” explained Pinkie. “She’s like the leader when we’re out on a mission, mostly because she’s very intelligent and clever and knows what is going on better than any of us.”
“Then there’s Rarity.” continued Pinkie. “She’s the Element of Generosity. She’s a tailor, and can make amazing dresses. She even made our dresses for the Gala! Which…we kinda ruined afterwards.”
“I remember that name.” commented Limestone. “She appeared one day right in the middle of Canterlot’s High Society and became very popular, but then disappeared. I thought something had happened to her.”
“Not at all!” responded Pinkie. “She just realized that she likes Ponyville better than the nobles.”
“Fluttershy is the most gentle and timid of ponies, and she’s the Element of Kindness.” continued Pinkie. “She’s absolutely perfect for that, if you ask me, because you will never find a pony as nice and kind as her.” Then she added in a whisper. “Except when she gets into her weird grumpypants moments.”
“Applejack is the Element of Honesty, and she’s the hardest working and most trustful pony of the town. She lives with her family in a farm, where they grow apples.” said the pink mare. “She’s very friendly, but can also be a bit too stubborn when she wants to.”
“Das- Rainbow Dash is the Element of Loyalty. She’s the coolest and most awesome pony around, and she likes to be told so. She’s also very brave, and won’t doubt for a moment before jumping into a fight.” continued Pinkie. “Have you really never heard of her? She’s the fastest Pegasus ever! She won the Best Young Flyer Competition with her Sonic Rainboom.”
“The Sonic Rainboom?” Octavia said. “Oh my. Do you really know the pony who does that?”
“Uh…yeah? Why?” asked Pinkie.
“Because I saw the Rainboom once.” replied Octavia, as a huge smile slowly spread across her face. “I was traveling to Manehattan with my company and the train was going right under Cloudsdale when it…exploded.” Her smile turned dreamy for a moment. “It was amazing.”
Pinkie couldn’t help but grin. “That’s right! I forgot you didn’t see the Rainboom back then!”
“How do you mean?” asked Limestone.
Pinkie clapped her hooves together in delight. “The first time I saw the Rainboom, it was the same day when I made that party for the six of us and I earned my CutieMark.” chirped the mare. “I was outside playing with rocks, but I think you were all inside the house, so you didn’t see it. I was feeling pretty down that day, but the Rainboom made me smile, and inspired me to try to put that same smile in as many ponies as possible.” Pinkie made a pause. “Which reminds me, I have something for you!”
Before any pony could ask, the bubblegum mare darted out of the house and returned almost instantly, carrying over her back an unstable pillar of boxes closed with ribbons. She carefully placed them on the floor and beamed at her family. “I got presents for you!”
“Oh, Pinkie. You didn´t have to.” said Cloudy Quartz as she got on her hooves. She stopped when she saw her daughter raise a hoof.
“But I wanted to.” responded Pinkie, waving a hoof. “Sit-sit again, I’ll give them myself.” Cloudy hesitated for a moment, but did as Pinkie said. “Alright, so…” She took the first package and rolled on her hooves until she found the tag. Then she trotted to the elder mare, and hoofed her the box.
Cloudy studied the present. It was small enough to sit inside the frog of her hoof. She had a general idea of what it was, and as she opened the lid her suspects became true. Inside the box there was a pair of simple earrings, made with a circular piece of some polished black stone and decorated with a small silver filigree. “It’s beautiful.” she said, picking up one of them and studying it carefully. She looked at her daughter and smiled. “Thank you, Pinkie.”
Pinkie grinned as well, and grabbed the next box. “For Octavia, I got this.” she said, tossing it to her sister. This time it was about two times larger, but very light. The dark gray mare pulled the ribbon with her teeth and found a plain piece of gray cloth. “Oh?” She pulled the object out, and it uncoiled into a full-sized scarf. “Oh!” Her expression instantly changed from confusion to delight, and she pulled the scarf around her neck. It was a slightly lighter shade of gray than her coat, and was completed by an embodiment of her cutiemark in purple thread. “I love it!” she said, grinning. “Thank you, Pinkie.”
“The pleasure is mine.” replied Pinkie, bowing. She picked up the next present and gave it to her father. Igneous Rock looked at the pickaxe-shaped package and raised an eyebrow to Pinkie. He tore open the wrapper and found a liquor bottle. “…oh.” he muttered, not really sure of what to make of the sudden transformation. He turned the bottle and read the tag. “Oh, nice! Dodge Junction Scotch!” he said with a laugh. “Thank you, Pinkie.”
“Glad you like it, dad!” chirped Pinkie. “And finally, last but not least…” she tossed one last box to Limestone, who caught it mid-air. Excited, the gray mare tore open the wrap paper and found a book. “Uh? Gems of Equestria?” She flipped over the pages. A quick look was enough to know it was a rather basic book centered on gems and other semi-precious stones, filled with drawings. Limestone forced herself to smile. “Thank you.” she said, hoping her tone wouldn’t give away how disappointed she was.
“There’s something else.” said Pinkie with a small smile, as she pointed to the broken wrapper.
“Huh?” Limestone dug on the colorful paper and felt something hard. She raised her hoof and saw a delicate chain with a pendant hanging from it, decorated with a yellowish gem. “Chalcopyrite.” she muttered, looking at her sister. “How come you added this?”
“I felt like the book was too little, so I decided to toss in something else.” replied Pinkie with a sheepish smile. “Something small, that wouldn’t make it unfair.”
Limestone looked at her for a moment, and smiled. “Thank you, Pinkie.” she said as she slid the chain over her head.
“I looks good on you.” commented Cloudy. “It matches the golden of your eyes.” Limestone looked at her mother and her smile grew a bit more. That sole remark made her value the gift much more.
The family started chatting about unimportant things once again. Octavia never left her place next to her beloved cello, and Pinkie remained sit on the floor, being comfortable enough with the old rug. However, it didn’t took much until the topic of the Elements popped in once again.
“I don’t think you said what was your Element, Pinkie.” commented Cloudy.
“I didn’t?” Pinkie tapped her chin in deep thought. “I suppose I did not. I am the Element of Laughter, which I think is appropriate.” giggled Pinkie.
“Laughter?” Limestone raised an eyebrow. “Is that really an Element?”
“Yup!” replied Pinkie. “Twilight says that being optimistic is very important, and can help you solve your problems, and makes ponies around happier. And I know it’s true! There’s nothing worse that being a grumpy-pants all the time.”
Limestone frowned, feeling that last sentence was a barb directed to her. “And say, how did you become a Bearer?” she asked, not letting her annoyance tint her voice.
“Not much, really.” replied Pinkie. “When we faced Nightmare Moon, she broke the old Elements, but Twilight knew we were the new Bearers, and they just appeared from thin air. Or something like that.” she pointed a hoof to her family. “I told you Twilight was very clever, and that’s a proof! She figured out we were the Bearers, even if she had learned about them a few hours after.”
“So, there was no test, no task to do, to prove that you were worthy of it?” asked Limestone. Pinkie shook her head. The gray mare’s frown grew deeper. “So basically, any other optimistic pony could have been the Bearer of Laughter, one that was not such a buffoon.”
The sitting room fell into silence. Every pony stared at Limestone, except Pinkie, who apparently had not noticed the poison on her voice. “Maybe.” she admitted. “But I was the first to friend Twilight. She had just arrived to Ponyville, and decided to talk to me of all the ponies. I saw she was new, and decided that she needed a welcome party to make more friends! So I left to make sure everything was ready.” chirped Pinkie. “Too bad she decided to spend most of her party in her bedroom, for some reason.”
Limestone just stared at Pinkie, slowly shaking her head. “You are a disappointment.” she muttered.
Pinkie’s ears flickered. “What?” she asked, looking at her sister, utterly confused.
Limestone’s expression hardened. “What you just heard. You are a disappointment. When we were foals, I used to think you were the most intelligent of the three of us.” admitted the gray pony. “But it’s obvious that all that talent has completely gone to waste with you. Look at me, look at Octavia. We’re both successful and important ponies, with important jobs. You? You’re a baker. No, sorry. not even a baker, you’re a mere apprentice.”
“I-I…Limetsone?”
“And let’s not even talk about being a Bearer." continued Limestone, ignoring her sister. "It’s your biggest accomplishment, and yet, it’s still ridiculous. Judging by what you said, basically any pony could have been the Bearer. And, seriously? Laughter? Not even a quality that could be appreciated by everypony, like Generosity or Honesty. No, just laughter.”
“But…why do you suddenly say those things?” whimpered Pinkie, who seemed to be at the edge of the tears.
“Sudden?” frowned Limestone. “I think I’ve made very clear in these last days how absurd I find you, Pinkie. Not only you have not matured, you also have a poor job, and your biggest achievement is just as stupid. You don-”
Limestone was cut when a hoof slammed hard into the wooden table. All eyes turned to Igneous Rock, who had raised from the couch and was glaring her daughter. “That’s enough!” thundered the brown stallion. Limestone took a step back and ducked her head. “I think somepony is forgetting that we also have a humble and hard profession, and it is as good as the Princesses’.”
There was a pause, in which Limestone looked avoided her family’s eyes, knowing she had crossed a line.
"There is no reason to disrespect Pinkie just because of that, Limestone." said Igneous. "I thought I taught you better than that."
“Yeah.” added Pinkie Pie. Everypony looked at her. Her puffy mane now fell limp on one side of her head, and her expression had turned into one of contained fury and contempt. “And if you have a shitty life and nopony loves you, remember that you brought it to you with that attitude, and you don’t have to make other as miserable as you.”
Limestone opened her mouth to reply, but words didn’t come. Pinkie’s words had hit her much harder than she would ever care to admit. Instead, she took a step back, ripped the pendant off her neck, threw it to the floor, and trotted upstairs, making sure to step on the necklace and trying to keep what little of her pride remained.
The slam of the door seemed to arouse Pinkie from her sudden outbreak. Her mane puffed up again, and for a moment she regarded at her family, feeling even more confused than them. “I…I…” she managed to choke out, feeling a twist on her heart as she realiced what she had just said.. “Blinkie…I'm...I'm sorry!” she called out to the room above.
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Poor pinkie! Limestone is really mean
How could anyone but pinkie be the element if laughter? She laughed in the face of danger, and the element is her cutie mark!
(Also doesn't the things they did in the beginning of the 1st epp count as earning there elements?)
Sorry if im over analyzing, the story is really wonderful!
4787045 No, you're not. If that is overanalycing, I don't want to know how you would call what I do sometimes
I believe that, in other circunstances, other ponies could bear any of the Elements...proving they do have the appropiate characteristic. For Magic, we have Twilight, but if it wasn't because she turned her back to Celestia, Sunset Shimmer could have been the Bearer(And she would probably had a different set of friends). Or Trixie, perhaps! I'm sure there is a story with her as the Element of Magic.
For Laughter, there are other options too...Surprise to Cheese Sandvich. There's a story where it's Trixie!
What they had to face on the first chapters its...If I am honest, I think they were rather small tasks to prove your worth of something so powerful. I think the real test was getting Twilight's approval and actually having the Elements work with them.
And it is the other way round...Pinkie doesn't have the element as her Mark, the Element changed to match her mark. (Well, unless you think of the metaverse of Que Será, Será)
4788274 thats good, and you do make good points, i have read a bit of the luna verse so know what your talking about. :)
4788274 There are stories featuring other sets of bearers. You just have to look.
Just some food for the thought. The fact that the Elements changed their shapes to suit the bearers indicates that the bearers could have been different. Though I would argue that Twilight was guaranteed the Element of Magic. The other Elements changed, but the Element of Magic always was the six pointed star. It is possible that the Element manipulated fate to gain a bearer that suited its tastes. If that were the case, then the Element of Magic is the chess master who has been manipulating the series, not Celestia.
4790700 Hum. It was a six-pointed star, wasn't it? Hum. I suppose you're right, it is likely Twi was determined to be Magic. Celestia, however, didn't have a way to know the shape of the element would literaly match a Cutiemark.
Or maybe Magic has that shape just to be different XD
I feel like that last part was a direct reference to certain triology about time loops.
4791096 No, actually. I hold the belief that the elements are intelligent and benevolent, but I thought that before reading the Time Loop Trilogy.
Celestia did use the Elements in the past. She almost certainly remembered the star of Magic. She saw that Twilight had been selected by Magic, and so took her as a student.
I have another theory. My other idea says that Starswirl is the mastermind, and I have evidence. Would you like to hear it? (It is a bit of a wall of text.)
4791164 That sounds likely (The seconds sentence). Althought she took Sunset Shimmer before Twilight, so maybe if she hadn't left for the human world...
After all, I am sure there are more ponies with a six-pointed mark. But not all of them had made a baby dragon grow into an adult with a surge of magic. I can imagine Celestia taking Twi under her wing, just in case Sunset was not the right pony (Which she wasn't)
Hum...I wonder what would have happened if Sunset was the one sent to Ponyville, made friends with the rest of the Mane6, but failed to defeat Nightmare Moon because Magic was already bount to Twilight. Hum...I think I may have a new fiction in the to-write list.
Yes, do go ahead.
"From one to another, another to one. The mark of one's destiny singled out alone, fulfilled."
Reread that. It might not have been incomplete. Its true purpose might have been to make the caster fulfill his or her destiny by any means necessary. Starswirl's destiny might have been to become the alicorn of magic. As he was both too old and set in his ways, he could not become an alicorn. So I think that the spell killed him and reincarnated his destiny in Twilight thousands of years later. His soul spent all those years manipulating bloodlines to produce the perfect successor to his destiny. And then Twilight became his successor and invented a separate spell to cause ascension.
It fulfilled his destiny, just not in his lifetime.
4793551 (You call that a wall of text?)
That's an interesting point. Hum. But it sounds rather cruel to Twilight, doesn't it? Being the final product of a spell.
Though I would delete the 'Sould manipulating', and I would leave that part solely to the spell itself.
4793578 I said it was a bit of a wall. not a full wall.
There are plenty of stories where Celestia manipulated the bloodlines to produce Twilight. Sometimes she also made sure that the other bearers were born (one oft used bit of evidence was that Celestia gave the Apple family their land). That is just as cruel. Sunset is even worse than that (in the sense that Twilight's origins are all part of a plan. The plan is incredibly cruel. The story itself is incredible).
4793962 I'll make sure to give it a look.
Still, even if people don't like when somebody else makes a scheme of that sort...Come on, gimme a rest. Yeah, I manipulated you into doing this. No, I am not sorry. If I hadn't done that, we all would be dead.
I think having Pinkie cuss a bit ruins the Tempo of the story but other than that it's great
wait what
YOU'RE GAY!!!?
4788274
SO ITS RAINBOW DASH!!!
4788274
oh dear
11362758 Ah, that was a joke. It is just what felt natural to follow the "Dad, mom" part.
11362767 Re-reading that part...damn, I made Limestone nasty.