Ruined for Pun

by TheMessenger

A Little Bolder

A Little Bolder

The branches of an old decrepit tree danced in the cool evening breeze. The last remaining leaves flew off and sailed in the air. Those wooden appendages clawed at the window of the quant farm house as if begging for admittance. A sudden scream echoed out, followed by more cries until the peacefully silent night was no longer that. Lights from inside shined suddenly, competing against the bright stars above. The Mare on the Moon watched quietly as shadowy silhouettes of ponies hurried through the house.

"Pinkamena," a young gray filly hissed, "you'll wake the entire house."

"A monster!" her sister cried from under her covers. Pinkamena jabbed a hoof toward the window. "Right there, just like you said, Maud!"

"It's just a story," the gray filly said. "Look, it's probably--"

The door suddenly flew open and the screaming resumed, this time with the addition of an older mare. The branch retreated as light flooded the room. At the doorway stood a salmon colored crone with a curly white mane. She held a lantern in her mouth, which she carefully placed on a hook protruding from the wall before rushing to the shaking bundle of blankets.

"What's wrong, Pinkamena?" the elderly mare asked. Her voice, musical and airy, did not match her appearance. She pulled the lump beneath the covers closer to her and began to hum. Slowly, the filly underneath began to calm down and cease shivering. A pink head with straight, bubble gum hair cautiously peeked out.

"I saw a monster outside," Pinkamena whispered, hiding herself in the mare's chest. "It was coming to get me."

"Monster?" The mare looked around. The older sister merely shrugged when those old eyes brushed by her. "Where?"

"A-a-at the window," the filly sobbed. She looked up and gasped. "There, right there! Don't let them get me, Granny!"

"Don't be such a baby, Pinkamena," the gray filly said, rolling her eyes.

"Maud, be nice to your sister," chided the grandmother. Turning back Pinkamena, she said, "There's nothing to be scared of, look." Granny took hold of the lantern. She held it toward the window, revealing the crooked claw to be the mischievous tree branch in the wind. "Nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh." Pinkamena's shoulders slumped, and she hung her head. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Her grandmother gently brushed a pink strand out of the filly's blue eyes. She placed a hoof under her chin and tenderly lifted her head. "That's alright, Pinkie," she said. "It's alright to be afraid sometimes. Everypony is scared of something."

"Even you?" Pinkamena asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Of course," the elderly mare said with a smile. "But we can't let our fears get the best of us. Someday, you'll have to learn to face them."

"How?" the young filly asked. "I hate the dark, it's so scary."

"Well, first you have to remember that they can't hurt you. That branch outside certainly can't," the grandmother explained. "Everything else is a breeze after that. Someday, the things you're scared of now might end up making you laugh. I know, why don't you try laughing at that monster you thought you saw."

"Laugh? How?" Pinkamena questioned.

"Like this." The old mare took in a deep breath and held it. Her little granddaughter laying beside her watched anxiously and with bated breath. "Ha ha ha!" exploded from the old mare as she guffawed loudly. "Ha ha ha hee ha!" She gave Pinkamena a wink as her laugh continued to resonate. At this, Pinkamena began to giggle.

"Just like that," the grandmother said. "Just giggle at the ghostie. Come on, laugh with me. Ha ha hah!"

"Ha ha hah!" Pinkamena chuckled along.

"Ha ha hee ho hah!"

"Ha ha hee ho hah!"

The two ponies grabbed each other for support as they lost themselves in laughter. A soft groan come from the other end of the room as the elder sister flipped herself over and covered her head with a pillow

The grandmother wiped her eyes. "Feel better now, Pinkie?"

"Much! I'm not scared at all anymore," Pinkamena declared happily. "Heh, this is so funny, I could laugh all night!"

"Well, maybe in the morning, silly filly," the old mare said with a smile. She looked over toward the other bed. "I think Maud wants to sleep."

"Okay." Pinkamena yawned and laid her head down on the pillow. "Good night, Granny."

"Good night, my little sweet pie," the faded pink mare whispered, leaning over and leaving a kiss on the filly's forehead. With a puff of air, she extinguished the lantern, and the room became dark once more. As she approached the door she saw another mare standing at the threshold. The new mare was younger but appeared ragged. Her dark mane was messy and stuck out in multiple directions, as if she had just gotten out of bed.

"Is Pinkamena alright?" she whispered hoarsely. She stepped back, giving the older mare room to move.

"The darling's fine," the grandmother said. She led the way down the hall of the house, passing by colorless photos of ponies in varies poses and making different faces. "How are the babies, Cloudy?"

"Marble and Limestone are fine, I got them to go back asleep," Cloudy answered with a yawn. "Somehow," the pale mare added as she gave her elder a thankful smile. "I don't know how I could handle all four of them without you, Mrs. Pie. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Ah ah ah," the old wrinkled mare said, wagging a hoof. "You're the Mrs. Pie around here now, Cloudy. Or Mrs. Rock, or Mrs. Quartz, whatever you prefer really. Me, I'm just Granny Pie, or Nana." Nana patted the mare's back and smiled. "You're doing a great job as a mother so stop worrying. It'll all be easier once Igneous finally gets returns. Pity he had to go get himself hurt first," old Granny Pie said, sighing.

"I'm just glad he's still in one peace," Cloudy said. The two had made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Cloudy approached the sink and filled a kettle full of water. "Tea?" she offered.

"You have sugar?"

"Of course."

"Then yes please," Granny Pie answered, taking a seat at the table. "She misses him, you know."

"Who?"

"Maud. She was asking me earlier this evening if I knew when Igneous was coming back." Granny Pie frowned. "You still haven't told her yet?"

"She doesn't need to know Igneous was injured," Cloudy said as she attended to the kettle on the stove. "I don't want her or Pinkamena to worry, and neither would their father. Besides..." The mare looked over her shoulder and smiled. "I thought it'd be a nice surprise."

"Well, they do like their surprises," said Granny Pie with a shrug. She began to grin as well. "Ooh, I can't wait to see their faces when they see him. Oh, and when Igneous finally sees his new daughters for the first time." The old mare began to giggle. "Oh, I wish I knew how to work one of those new optical instruments that records images that can be stored directly, transmitted to another location, or both. What are those called again? Cloudy, Cloudy dear?"

"Huh?" The mare shook her head. "Sorry, what?"

"Water's boiling."

"Oh!" Cloudy Quartz quickly shut the heat off and set the kettle to the side to cool. "Right, sorry. I was just thinking about shutting my eyes real quick. Guess I must have fallen asleep or something."

"It's been a long night," Granny Pie said, checking the clock on the kitchen wall. The shorter arm inched ever closer to the twelve at the very top. "I think it'd be best to forget the tea and just go to bed. We want to be awake when Igneous arrives home."

"I suppose," Cloudy agreed reluctantly. She rubbed her eyes and bit back a yawn. "But--"

"Ah ah ah, none of that now, you silly filly," Granny Pie scolded playfully. "That husband of yours isn't going to appear in the middle of the night, You march that flank of yours straight to bed this instant."

Cloudy Quartz giggled as her mother-in-law pushed her toward the stairs. "I'm going, I'm going," she laughed. "Well, at least let me clean up."

"Oh, posh, the kitchen's clean enough. The mess'll still be here in the morning. Never leave till tomorrow what can be done today, unless it's late at night and it's not important and I tell you to."

"Alright, I'm going to bed," Cloudy conceded, letting Granny Pie nudge her up the stairs and toward the master bedroom. "Good night, Granny Pie," she said, nodding respectively to the older mare as she opened the door to the bedroom.

"Good night, dearie," Granny Pie said, brushing her lips against the pale mare's forehead. "Don't worry, he's on his way home."

"You think he still loves me?"

Granny Pie started and nearly tripped over herself. She turned back to Cloudy. "Of course he does," she said. "Why in Equestria wouldn't he?"

Cloudy stood awkwardly at the edge of the doorway. "It's silly, really," she said, rubbing her front hooves together, "but I can't help thinking about it. It's been almost two years, maybe he met somepony new, like a pretty young nurse or something. Or what if his tastes changed, and he decided to go for someone exotic? There are plenty of griffons where he is, and he's so...so..." The mare shuddered. "What if he just finds me boring now?" she asked. "I'm just this dull daughter of a rock farmer, and he's this great war hero now. What if--"

"That's enough." Granny Pie placed a hoof on Cloudy's shoulder. "You are a wonderful mare. You're a great wife and a magnificent mother." With strength that belonged to a pony a third of her age, she pulled Cloudy toward her and held the mare tightly. "If Igneous can't see that, he doesn't deserve you, but I know my son, and I know he would never let you go. A year or two won't change him that much," assured Granny Pie. "And don't forget, he didn't join the EUP for glory or any of that junk; he did it for us, for you and your little ones."

"You're right, I know," Cloudy Quartz said, pulling her muzzle out of Granny Pie's chest. "I'm being silly. I know Igneous. But I just can't shake this fear. I can't help it, I'm afraid."

Granny Pie tapped her chin. "Hmm, well you already know how silly this silly fear of yours is. Want to know the secret behind dealing with silly fears?"

"What is it?"

"Laugh."

*

Maud tugged at the blouse she wore and made a face. "Why do we have to wear clothes today, Ma?" she whined. "Me and Pinkamena want to go out to play."

"I do?" the pink filly said, tilting her head to the side. Her lops and cheeks were coated with blueberry jam, but the plain little dress she wore was miraculously stainless. "Wait, what am I saying? Of course I do! Can we go play outside, Mom? Please, please, please, please..."

"Pwease!" shrieked the baby in the highchair, her gray coat completely covered in apple sauce. Her young sister babbled along side her, pounding on the tray of her own towering throne.

"Absolutely not," Cloudy Quartz said sternly. She was wearing a neat yellow sundress underneath her dirtied apron. "I told you, somepony very important is coming here today, so we all have to look our best. I don't want to see a spot on those clothes, understand?"

"Posh," declared old Granny Pie from behind as she stirred a pot of oatmeal. "He'd be happy to see all of you even if you all stood in front of him naked."

"But Granny," Maud said while Pinkamena giggled, "we don't usually wear clothes anyways. Aren't we normally naked?"

"Then shaved," Granny amended with a cheeky grin as she glanced over her shoulder at her eldest granddaughter. "He'd be the happiest pony in Equestria if he saw every single one of you with every bit of hair shave off, from mane to tail."

"This pony sounds silly," Pinkamena piped in. "I like him. Do we know him?"

"Possibly," Granny Pie said, giving Pinkamena a mysterious wink. "But I'd hate to ruin the surprise. Unless you want me to tell you that the pony visiting is--"

"No!" screamed the two older Pie sisters together. The younger Pies joined in after, clapping and stomping their hooves against their bowls as they yelled happily. Granny smiled and returned to tending the oatmeal.

"Well, if this pony doesn't mind if we're not dressed, can we take these clothes off and play in the garden?" Maud asked. "If we have to, we can always just put them back on before the guest arrives."

Cloudy released a breath of frustration. "I suppose so," she conceded. "But stay out of the dirt," she warned as her daughter cheered and began to toss off their attire. "There might not be enough time for a bath."

Pinkamena and Maud nodded vigorously before dashing off. Cloudy Quartz shook her head before turning to the two babies pulling at her mane for attention. "Where do those two find their energy?" Cloudy mumbled.

"They remind me of their father," Granny Pie said, smirking. Her eyes shone as she recollected. "Igneous was always running around. I could barely keep up."

"Now that I find hard to believe," said the pale mare with a smile as she carefully removed her hair out of the dark purple babe's mouth.

"Oh, believe me, Igneous was a wild child, and he didn't have any siblings or neighbors, so guess who had to be his playmates?" Granny Pie shook her head and laughed. "Oh, he mellowed out a bit after he got his cutie mark but only a bit. Want to know how I got this scar?" the elderly mare asked, gesturing to her forehead.

"What scar?" Cloudy inquired. She stared intently at where her mother-in-law was pointing. "I don't see anything."

"Really? Huh, must have faded away," Granny Pie said, her voice tingling with disappointment. She quickly brightened however as she said, "Well, it has been over ten years, that shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Anyways, Igneous decided he wanted to build a swing all by himself. Of course, we didn't have any spare wood at the time, so Igneous tried chiseling one out of a boulder. When that took too long, he got creative, pushing that rock down hills and into lakes. Eventually, he got the good idea of riding the darn rock like those circus clowns balancing on balls."

"He didn't get hurt, did he?" Cloudy asked, moving to the edge of her seat.

"Of course not. He didn't dare after seeing me try first and crack my head open," answered Granny Pie with a chuckle, not noticing Cloudy's sickened look. "Like an egg. Oh, poor Igneous cried and cried and cried. It took forever to convince him I wasn't dying, and it took even longer for him to stop blaming himself."

"Oh, well, that's quite a tale," the younger mare said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "I wonder why Igneous never told me that one before."

"Who knows?" the elderly Pie said, shrugging. "Oh, and then there was--"

A sharp knock sounded out from the front of the house. Both mares turned abruptly toward that direction before glancing over at each other. The babies, as if suddenly capable of reading the mood, ceased wailing and became silent.

"Is that...him?" Cloudy Quartz whispered.

"Well, the letter never did give a time," Granny Pie reminded. "It could be."

"Maud! Pinkamena Diana!" Cloudy shouted, running over to the window above the kitchen sink. "Come inside right this instant!" She turned to the babies watching her with wide eyes, and attacked their messy faces with napkins. "Granny, could you get the door?" she asked as she fought to clean the babies who struggled with all their might. "And can you see if you can delay him a bit? Oh, this place is such a mess. I'm such a mess. I need to wash my face."

"Dear, calm down. You look fine. The kitchen looks fine."

"I only need a minute," Cloudy begged. "Please, Mother?"

Granny Pie sighed. "You had to use the m word, didn't you," she said, frowning. She switched off the stove and covered the pot of hot cereal with a lid. "It'd be hilarious if it was just a salespony. Better hurry, dear," the old mare said. Before she could even blink Cloudy had disappeared, and the two highchairs became unoccupied.

There was another knock. "I'm coming!" Granny Pie hollered as she made her way out of the kitchen, through the house, and toward the front door. She set a hoof on the door handle, cleared her throat, and waited. She tapped as she counted the seconds, her lips moving as she silently kept time.

The door swung open just as the stallion outside was about to bring his hoof against it. Granny Pie squinted at the pony who had knocked. "You're not my son," she said, squinting at the pegasus's blue mane, white fur, and dull golden armor. Her eyes slowly drifted lower toward the wheelchair beside the stranger and at the cloaked, hunched over figure in it.

"Are you a relative of an Igneous Rock?" the stallion in armor asked.

Granny Pie didn't answer. She instead approached the figure in the chair. With quivering hooves, she reached toward the figure who began to shrink back.

"Ma'am?"

Again, Granny Pie ignored the armored stallion. She touch the figure's hood and hesitated. Taking a deep breath, she threw the dark cloth off, revealing the caramel equine face, dusty yellow eyes, and short, gray mane underneath.

"I-Igneous?" Granny Pie whispered. Her heart sank as she saw the cloaked pony recoil at her gentle touch. "Rocky, what happened?" She turned to the stallion standing to the side. "What happened to him?" she demanded.

"We sent a letter explaining his discharge," the guard said. "Did it fail to arrive?"

"We got your letter," Granny Pie said, her voice low and her eyes narrowing, "but it didn't anything about a wheelchair. What happened to him?" she asked again. "Rocky, what in Equestria happened to you?"

Igneous simply bowed his head without saying a word. "He's a little tired, ma'am," his escort explained. "He's had a difficult trip, especially considering his injuries. Don't worry, they're nothing serious," the white stallion said just as Granny Pie opened her mouth. "It's nothing serious, nothing he can't recover from anyways. The chair's only temporary. We'll be back in a week to get it back."

He chuckled. Granny Pie just stared, unamused. The pegasus cleared his throat. "Ma'am, it may be best to continue inside," he said. "It is a rather nice day, but perhaps your son might be more comfortable indoors. He's had a long trip, after all."

"Oh, yes." Granny Pie quickly stepped out and let the guard wheel Igneous in. She thought she saw Igneous's eyes flicker as he entered into the house. "Where are my manners?" the elderly mare said as she shut the door behind her. "Would you like some tea, perhaps some rock candy?"

"No thank you, ma'am, I don't want to overstay my welcome," the pegasus said. "Now, I--"

"Daddy?"

Everypony's head lifted at the sudden exclamation, but Igneous found the source first. He bit his lip as Maud slowly approached, her smock muddy.

"Daddy, you're back!" Maud cried. She rushed forward, her forelegs out, only to find herself hugging the stranger who jumped between her and her father.

The stallion gently removed Maud from his front but stood unyieldingly as the filly tried pushing past him. "That's, uh, not a good idea right now," he said. "Your father--she is his child, right?" the guard asked, turning to Granny Pie. She answered with a nod. "Your father's has a long journey, and he's awfully sore right now."

"But I wanna see Daddy!" Maud protested.

"Daddy's home?" Pinkamena asked as she wandered in with her mother right behind her. Cloudy Quartz's mane had become frazzled and messy, and her dress was wrinkled, though compared to the tattered little piece of cloth dangling from her mouth they might as well have belonged to the royalty. Cloudy opened her mouth, the first syllables of a scold on the tip of her tongue, only for it to widen further as she noticed the stallion in the wheelchair. The remains of Pinkamena's dress drifted to the floor.

"Igneous?" Cloudy whispered, her voice trembling. "It's really you. Oh, thank Celestia, it's really--"

Like her eldest, Cloudy found herself trying to shove past the strange stallion in armor. The yearning seen in her eyes and her features became bewilderment. Confusion fed desperation, and the interloper was forced to take a step back as the mare pushed forward.

"Ma'am, please," the stallion grunted, sweat covering his brow from the effort. He was all but wrestling with the pony at this point. "Ma'am, I--"

"I don't care who you are," Cloudy snarled. "I want to see my husband!"

"Cloudy..." Granny Pie said gently. She placed a firm hoof on the mare's shoulder and slowly separated her from the struggling guard. "Calm down. Igneous is home, you can wait. Let's let the nice stallion speak."

Cloudy remained red, but she let herself be dragged back to her children. "I-I'll go get Marble and Limestone," she said, turning toward the kitchen. "You'll love them," she added, giving Igneous a small smile.

Igneous blinked.

"Right, so," the stallion began, "I think it'd be best if I explained everything and left as soon as possible. I'm sure you have much to catch up on."

"Oh, Cloudy won't take long," assured Granny Pie. She gestured toward a nearby chair. "Please, sit. Pinkie, Maud? Why don't you two help your father into his favorite cushion? Be care, dears."

The pegasus guard rubbed the front of his leg nervously. "I don't think that's a--"

"Nonsense," Granny laughed. "Igneous loves his rocking chair, don't you Rocky?"

Igneous didn't response as the two fillies carefully supported him out of the wheelchair and lead him to the rocking chair. For a moment, he simply sat there rigidly with his back straight. Slowly, very slowly, he slid back until his back touched the chair's.

"Dad?" Maud whispered. "It's a rocking chair, you have to rock in it. Like this."

The sudden breath Igneous's escort held was audible to everypony in the room as Maud tipped the chair backwards and let it right itself. The chair then pitched forward before falling back. Back and forth rocked the chair and Igneous with it, like a boat over waves of an irritated sea. Eventually, the rocker lost the momentum and came to a stop. Igneous made no attempt to move, so Maud pulled the chair back again as Pinkamena began to giggle.

"Silly Daddy, you forgot how to rock," the pink filly said. She reached forward and helped her sister. "Don't worry, me and Maud can teach you."

For the fraction of a second, Granny Pie thought she saw the very ends of her son's lips twitch. Before she could speculate, Cloudy Quartz walked in with the babies in a quaint little carriage. Cloudy took a seat on the couch next to Granny Pie and sat the foals inside the reach of her forelegs. After cooing to the foals and smiling at her husband, Cloudy glared at the stranger in her house. The stallion squirmed in his borrowed chair.

"I don't think we ever got your name, youngster," Granny Pie said. "But if you're a friend of Igneous, then you're a friend to us all." Cloudy's stare quickly softened as the older mare spoke.

"Oh, I'm not exactly a friend, per se. My name is Orderly, Corporal Orderly," the guard said. "I'm the, that is, one of the coordinators of the second division of the Volunteer Corps, that is, the division Igneous Rock was a member of. Anyways, I'm certain you all have many questions, but my explanation might clear some things up."

"Like why Daddy forgot to give Mommy a kiss?" Maud asked, tilting her head innocently as her sister giggled and mother blushed.

A bulge could be seen traveling down his throat as Orderly swallowed. "First, monthly allowance will cease by the end of this month. All final compensations for services will be mailed within thirty-one business days--"

Pinkamena raised a hoof. "What's a business day?" she asked.

"A day for business," Maud whispered. "Duh."

"Oh."

"If compensations are not received by the end of the thirty-one day time frame, you are to contact the EUP Guard of the Protective Pony Platoons main headquarters, located in Canterlot, by appointment," Orderly continued. "All appointments must be made within--"

"I want to know happened to my husband," Cloudy said, her glower returning. She set her hoof on top of Igneous's. There was no reaction, and her hoof retreated after an awkward minute. "Why was he in a wheelchair?" Cloudy looked over to her mother-in-law. "We were told he had been injured, but they didn't say...they said..."

"Daddy's hurt?" Pinkie said, gasping. Her lower lip began to quiver. Maud quickly pulled her into her lap.

"Don't be silly, Daddy said he's too tough to get hurt, remember?" said Maud. "See, Daddy's fine, right Daddy?"

Igneous slowly closed his eyes and looked away. Maud's smile faded. "D-Dad?"

"He's just a little tired," Orderly assured with a half-hearted grin. "Igneous Rock's wounds aren't serious, but he will be sore for a few weeks. He won't be able to walk without a limp for the first few days, but as long as he gets plenty of rest, he'll be fine. Other than that, he's in good physical health. A doctor will be sent over at the end of the month for a check-up, but by then he should have recovered."

"That's good," Cloudy Quartz said, exhaling in relief as she held a hoof to her chest.

"Yes, it is," the pegasus agreed. He rubbed his foreleg anxiously and stared at the stallion in the rocking chair. "There is, however, another concern that needs to be addressed, something rather important."

"More administration?" Granny Pie sighed. "I need some tea."

"No, not exactly," Orderly said. "It's about, well, Igneous's stability."

"Stability?"

"Yes," Orderly answered, nodding toward Cloudy. "You may have noticed that Igneous has been acting somewhat...subdued at the moment. Part of that is because of the physical fatigue from the journey, but there's more to it. I understand that you're all excited to see him, but you must understand that the transition back into civilian life can be tricky."

"I don't get it," said Pinkamena as she wiggled out of her sister's grip. "Isn't Daddy just tired?"

"It's..." Orderly waved pointlessly as he sought desperately for an explanation. "It's complicated," he settled, turning to the two mares in the room. "It's not uncommon for veterans to experience emotional turmoil after returning. I'm sure Igneous is just as excited to see you as you are to see him, he's just having some trouble showing it. He's just a bit confused, with all these mixed feelings and everything bouncing around in his head." The guard's hollow chuckle seemed to linger uncomfortably in the air.

"So this is normal?" Cloudy asked uncertainly, gesturing toward her husband.

"Oh, definitely. Most ponies do tend to face difficulty when returning to their old lives, though it's harder for some. Igneous just needs some time getting back into the swing of things, you just need to be a little patient."

"Is that right?" Granny Pie said slowly.

"Yes, of course, ma'am," Orderly hastily declared. "There, uh, will be a psychiatrist running by every so often to make sure Igneous is settling in mentally. Normal procedure, of course, nothing to worry about."

"What's a psy-sih-artist?"

"Brain doctor," Maud answered before hushing her sister.

"Right. Uh, that's all." Orderly said, getting out of his seat. He extended his hoof awkwardly toward Cloudy, then to Granny Pie. "It was a pleasure to meet you all, and, uh, if you have any questions, feel free to contact the EUP Guard of the Protective Pony Platoons main administration offices, located in Canterlot."

"Are you sure you don't want something to drink?" Granny Pie offered as she led the pegasus toward the front door.

"Oh, most certainly," Orderly said, nodding rapidly. "There's still plenty to do, plenty to do."

"Ah, well." Granny Pie smiled warmly. "Have a safe trip."

Orderly suddenly hesitated. He turned around, stared back at the elderly Pie, and bit his lip. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but quickly changed his mind and hurried down the dirt road. Granny Pie watched curiously until all she could see was a shiny glint as sunlight was reflected off the dull metallic breastplate. "An awfully jittery fellow," she said to herself, turning away from the road.

As she returned into the house, her upper back began to moan and creak. Her nose wiggled and she started to blink uncontrollably and inconsistently. Granny Pie waited for the body to stop shivering and for feeling to return to her spine before entering the living room Never felt that one before she thought to herself. "It's probably nothing, she said to herself.

"What's nothing, Granny?" Maud asked. She and Pinkamena sat around their father's chair. The younger sister chatted rapidly.

"Oh, it's nothing to worry about," Granny Pie said. She gently patted Maud's head and playfully tossed her mane. As Maud squirmed and giggled, Granny Pie faced the stallion slowly rocking. "So, Igneous, welcome home."

Igneous bowed his head and nodded.

"Is there anything you'd like to eat?" Cloudy asked, approaching. "Maybe some tea? Igneous, dear?"

"Tea sounds good."

Igneous Rock's voice came out harsh and hoarse, as if his entire throat was made of sand or if he had been forced to gurgle granite. He was the first to wince as the words left his mouth, and he rubbed the front of his neck before swallowing. His two oldest daughters stared at him with wide eyes and mouths agape. Cloudy Quartz recovered quickly, and a great big smile spread across her face.

"Of course, love," she said. "Just let me--"

"Cloudy, why don't I get the tea?" Granny Pie interjected, stopping the younger mare with a soft tap. "The two of you have so much to catch up on. Why, I don't think you've even seen Marble or Limestone yet." The grandmother nudged Cloudy forward. "Go on, introduce them."

"R-right." The mare carefully picked up her foals. The light gray one squealed as she was raised while her sister clung to her mother's neck. "Marble, Limestone, this is your father," Cloudy said, wincing as the darker foal grabbed at her mother's hair with her mouth. "Igneous, meet your daughters."

"We're here too!" Pinkamena chirped, leaning forward onto Igneous's chair. "Daddy, don't forget me and Maud!"

Slowly, timidly even, Igneous Rock lifted a hoof and rested it on the pink filly's head. Pinkamena closed her eyes and smiled blissfully, pushing her head forward. When Igneous removed his hoof, Pinkamena frowned and looked around, confused. "Don't I get a hug?" the filly whined.

"Pinkamena, your father's tired," Cloudy chided. "There'll be plenty of time for hugs later."

"Okay," said Pinkamena dejectedly. She slumped back onto the ground.

"Good, now--"

Everypony leapt at the loud crash coming from the kitchen. A series of additional clanks and thuds followed. Igneous's hooves whitened and his muscles grew tight as he tried to lift himself out of the rocking chair while Cloudy looked around room hurriedly as the babies she held began to cry.

"Maud, take Marble," she said, depositing the light gray foal into the similarly colored filly's hooves. Cloudy's gaze lingered on young Pinkamena and her short forelegs eagerly outstretched for half a second before she turned and searched around the room for somepony to hold the other baby. It took only seconds for Cloudy's eyes to return to Igneous, whom was still struggling to rise from his seat.

"Igneous?" Cloudy asked. "Could you hold Limestone? I won't take a moment. It won't be long, please?"

Igneous stared at the bawling foal Cloudy was holding. He slowly fell back into his chair and, after a silent moment, wordlessly held out his fore limbs. Cloudy made sure the blueberry colored foal was secure and rushed out of the living room toward the kitchen. Igneous watched as she ran, the train of her dress swishing side to side.

"Maud..." Pinkamena moaned, grabbing at her ears as the shrill wails of the two babies filled the room.

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Maud snapped, her own ears flattening. "Come on Marble, stop crying. Please?" she pleaded. "Uh, hush now, quiet now, how did the rest of that song go?"

Little Marble grew louder, and she struggled against the grip of her older sister. Desperately, Maud looked around the room. "Pinkie, help!"

"How?" Pinkamena asked with panic in her voice.

"I don't know, make a funny face."

The young pink filly leaned forward and stuck out her tongue. Her blue eyes rolled around until she became cross-eyed. Marble became quiet, and suddenly the entire room was silent.

Maud released her breath. "I can't believe that--"

The little gray foal started screaming again, her cries more intense as she pushed ineffectually against Pinkamena's contorted face. Maud watched as tears slowly brimmed from Pinkamena's eyes as they realigned to their normal position. The younger sister sniffed, and her breaths became shaky. "Don't you start crying too," Maud said weakly, closer to a beg than to a demand. Her own lip was threatening to tremble.

"Here," came the hoarse voice behind her. Maud turned toward her father whom was holding out his free hoof as he gently rocked Limestone with his other foreleg. Unlike her sisters, Limestone was at peace, quietly snoring as she snuggling closer to the stallion holding her. Igneous Rock gestured to Maud again, and carefully accepted the crying foal.

Maud watched as Igneous cradled Marble and slowly swayed her back and forth. He lowered his head and gently rested his forehead against the baby's. Gradually, Marble's sobs quieted, and the flow of tears leaking from her purple eyes slowed. Pinkamena wiped her own eyes with the back of her hoof as she marveled at how easily Igneous managed to calm both babies down. Maud, though just as impressed, was drawn not to the peaceful foals Igneous held but to the smile he now wore. The familiar sight filled her with warmth, like standing under a sun ray or next to a fireplace, and Maud herself began to smile. She took a step forward.

"Sorry for the wait," Granny Pie announced cheerfully as she walked in. She held a small tray with a plain teapot and teacups. Cloudy Quartz followed closely behind with a plate of cookies. "Oh, you don't need to worry, Rocky," she said, noticing Igneous attempt to leave his seat.

"Are you alright?" Igneous asked.

"Perfectly fine, dear," the old mare assured, grinning. "It looks like the three of you are getting along just fine," she said, looking at the foals relaxing against the brown stallion in the rocking chair. "You know," Granny Pie said to Pinkamena and Maud, "your father used to rock the two of you to sleep when you were younger just like that. Heh, I bet he still could."

"Like right now?" Pinkamena gasped. "Can Daddy rock me and Maud in the rocking chair?"

"Maybe another time," Cloudy said, pouring out hot, steaming liquid into simple china cups. She set two on the table and brought one over to her husband. "Here," she offered. "I can take those two now."

The smile Igneous wore faded as the foals left his grasp and were replaced with a cup of tea. Marble and Limestone struggled for a moment and whimpered before falling back asleep against their mother. Cloudy took a seat on the couch next to her mother-in-law and reached for her own cup while Maud and Pinkamena raced toward the cookies. "Maud," Cloudy scolded, "watch your manners. Slow down, you're getting crumbs everywhere."

"So is Pinkamena, Mom," Maud said with her mouth full. She shot her younger sister an accusing look, to which Pinkamena responded by sticking out her tongue.

"Well duh," she said. "If I slow down, you'll eat more cookies than me, like last time."

"I should get more than you," Maud argued, spraying her sister with cookie bits. "I'm the oldest."

"Nuh uh!"

"Now now, girls," Granny Pie chuckled. "There's no need to fight, plenty of cookies for everypony." She turned to Igneous, whom had been staring at the tea cup sitting in his lap. "Igneous?" she said. "Would you like a cookie? They're your favorites, oatmeal."

Slowly, the stallion shook his head, keeping his eyes on his cup.

"You haven't touched your tea. Is everything alright?" Cloudy asked. "I tried to prepare it the way you've always liked it."

Again, Igneous shook his head. "It's fine," he whispered, bringing the cup to his lips. Everypony watched as he timidly dipped his tongue into the tea. He set the cup back down without making a sound. Neither did anypony else.

"Is it alright?" Cloudy said, finally breaking the silence. "We have honey, if you need it."

"I'm just tired," Igneous said, staring into his lap. "I'd like to go to bed, if that's alright."

"Bed alright?" Pinkamena groaned. "But we just got up."

"That's fine, dear," said Granny Pie, reaching over and ruffling her granddaughter's pink mane. "You can stay up a little longer."

Pinkamema frowned. "A little?"

Granny Pie merely smiled at the pouting filly before turning to the stallion in the rocking chair. "If you're really that tired, go right ahead," she said. "There'll be plenty of time to catch up later." After sharing a look, she and Cloudy quickly removed themselves, the foals, and the tea set from the couch.

"I was hoping for some privacy," Igneous said dully. He avoid the mares' gazes as he awkwardly rubbed his shoulder.

Cloudy chewed her lip slowly. "Of course, dear," she said after a hesitant second. Her voice sounded shaky, weak with disappointment, and she quickly cleared her throat. "That's fine. Maud, help your father to his bedroom please," Cloudy instructed. The filly jumped to her feet and hurried toward the stallion's side. "We'll call you down when supper's ready."

"You don't have to," Igneous Rock said. Slowly, he pushed himself up and out of the chair. He tried to ignore Maud's offered hoof, but after a long moment of fruitless struggling, Igneous conceded and allowed himself to lean against the filly. "Are you okay?" he whispered as Maud stumbled under his weight.

Maud nodded eagerly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, smiling. They approached the bottom of the stairs, with Pinkamena following closely behind. As they hobbled, Igneous returned the smile. It was weak, barely a twitch of his lips, but it was nevertheless a smile, and at the sight of it, Maud's own grew. "I'm a big pony now," she announced proudly as they took the first step onto the staircase.

The hint of a grin disappeared. "Yeah," Igneous muttered, sighing.

"I'm a big pony too," Pinkamena chirped. "I can help too. Let me help, let me help!"

"Pinkamena!" called her mother from the living room. "Help me clean up."

"Aw, but I wanna talk to Daddy!"

"Pinkamena Diane Pie..."

The filly groaned and stuck her tongue out at her sister before running off. Maud paused for a second to reply in similar fashion at Pinkamena's retreating figure, then restarted their trek upstairs. The two ponies gradually made progress as they ascended the stairs, passing a few framed photos along the way. Igneous's attention occasionally drifted to a picture for a short moment before returning to his slow and deliberate steps.

"Dad?" Maud asked, breaking the silence as the two reached the top of the stairs. "Tomorrow, do you think we can--"

"Not now, I'm tired."

"Oh." The two made their way down the hall, passing more photographs and other small mementos. This time, Igneous ignored all of them, his entire focus placed on the door in their path. Silently, they drew closer.

"Because I was hoping--"

"Not now," Igneous said again, closing his eyes. When he reopened them, he stood right in front of the door. "This is it, isn't it?" he said, looking over the large wooden board and it's frame. Feeling Maud nod her head as he leaned against her, Igneous shifted himself off of his daughter's shoulder and onto the wall so that he propped himself up next to the room entrance.

Maud walked next to him. "Daddy, do you need--"

"Not now," the stallion said, setting his hoof on the door nob. He took a deep breath, leaned his body against the door, and pushed it open, revealing a set of dressers, a pair of nightstands with a variety of items on them, and a bed made for two right besides a large crib. Igneous brushed past Maud's offered hoof and limped toward the bed, collapsing into it once he was in reach. A soft moan escaped him when he landed, muffled by a pillow.

"Dad," Maud said, making her way to the bedside, "are you okay?"

"Mmhm," was Igneous's exhausted reply. He rolled onto his side, facing Maud. "I'm fine," he said. "Just need some sleep." He turned to face the opposite wall. "Close the door on your way out."

He heard Maud's hoofsteps as she left the room. The door slowly creaked. "Dad?"

Igneous opened his eyes and looked toward the bedroom entrance. Maud stood at the threshold, fidgeting. "Can we...we can talk later, right?" she asked uncertainly.

Sighing, Igneous rolled back onto his side and said, "Yes, but not now, alright? Close the door."

A sharp click resonated through the room as Maud finally closed the door. The filly stared at the knob for a long minute before releasing it. Another minute passed, yet she remained just outside of the bedroom, waiting quietly for something that even she wasn't sure of. Maud raised her hoof up to the hard thick, wooden board, but she thought better of it and let her foreleg fall back to the floor.

"Daddy's just tired," Maud told herself, turning away from the door. "I can just ask him tomorrow." Nodding to herself, Maud walked through the hallway and towards the staircase. Every once and awhile, she caught herself glancing back over to her parents' room, and she would stop in her tracks, only to shake her head and force herself to continue moving.

As the taps Maud's steps made slowly diminish, Igneous propped himself up with a pillow and glared at the sunbeams that shone through the windows. He pulled himself out of bed and hobbled over to the plain blue curtains. Igneous dragged the fabrics over the glass, dimming the room. He limped back to bed, hugging the for support until he reached the nightstand. His hoof clumsily knocked a framed picture to the ground. Before he could control himself, he released the beginnings of a profane curse, stopping it with a frustrated inhale. He lowered himself and picked the photo up, running his hoof over the frame to check for cracks in the glass. Satisfied with the lack of damage, Igneous lifted it up to see.

There stood a young mare wearing a cream-colored dress. It was a simple arrangement, with a train barely long enough to cover her flanks and a single rose pinned to the front, held in place by a piece of lace, but its plainness did nothing to depreciate the beauty of the mare underneath the semitransparent veil. She wore a crown of flowers on her head and a amazingly radiant smile, one that Igneous couldn't help but try to imitate.

He followed the mare's gaze onto the stallion standing next to her. His front was adorned by a white suit shirt with a collar and a black tie. A black, wide brimmed hat sat on his head, with a red ribbon tied around its middle along with a rose. Those bright amber eyes captured from the past, shining with spirit and vigor, seemed to mock the tired and dull tan ones examining the picture now. To compare the smile he currently wore to the one he was wearing in the photo could have been deemed an insult to the past, and as if in shame, Igneous's lips drooped past the neutral line and down into a frown. Igneous set the picture back onto the nightstand and rubbed his face. As he brushed the sides of his face, Igneous turned back to the photo, staring at the younger stallion's cleanly shaven features. With his hooves, he traced the uneven patches of jagged hair cutting through his coat before sighing and hoisting himself into bed, setting the photograph back on the nightstand.

There was a knock at the door. "Igneous, dear?" came the voice of the mare from the photo. It had been some years since that picture had been taken, but Igneous could still hear the same soft music in her voice he had heard when she recited her vows.

He turned over onto the other side and ignored it.

"It's dinner time," Cloudy said from the other side of the door. "We made your favorite onion soup, and your mother made bread."

Again, Igneous replied with silence.

"We can bring you something, if you like."

"No thank you," the stallion said. He hoped his answer had been loud enough to pass through the thick door. When there was no response, he repeated himself more loudly:

"No thank you."

Igneous's ears flattened at the unintended harshness in his voice. He tried apologizing, but all he could muster were weak whispers, barely audible even to himself. Igneous forced himself to sit up, but the motion was too late; he could hear Cloudy's retreating steps fade. He let his head fall heavily back onto the soft pink pillow. He shivered and pulled the covers around him. Igneous ran a hoof over the stitches that connected each quilt patch to its siblings before shutting his eyes. The sounds of his breaths bounced against the walls, like the whispers of a breeze.

An owl's shriek came from outside. A wicked crooked claw tapped menacingly on the window, scratching at the window. Igneous flipped over and flung his pillow over his head. He hunched over and wrapped the blankets tighter around him.

His shaking returned as the door groaned open. Even with his eyes closed, Igneous was still bothered by the intrusive light that came from the hallway. He could feel the light's intensity grow, and he would hear the hoofsteps that companioned it. There was a soft cooing, a whimper, and a pair of yawns. He felt the bed sink slightly and a gentle tug at the covers. The light had vanished. Igneous released his hold on the blankets, shivering as cool air rushed over him. The quivering ceased quickly, however, as the cool empty space under the covers was filled with a new, warm body.

Cloudy timidly reached out a hoof toward Igneous's back. Her hoof drew back as if bitten or burnt the moment she felt Igneous jerk back at her touch. Cloudy Quartz let the limb fall back to her side. She quickly wiped her stinging eyes before shutting them. She breathed deeply to drown the cry stuck in her throat. He just needs a little space right now Cloudy reminded herself silently. Drowsiness slowly drifted over her thoughts covering them like a thick fog, and she yawned as if to release some of it. It's alright, he's still Igneous.

Sleep finally overtook her. Tears began to fall unhindered, staining her pillow.

*

There had been a time when her body would awaken before her conscious. It had been disorienting at first, opening her eyes and suddenly finding herself in the kitchen making breakfast or eating breakfast or performing aerobics, but young Granny Pie had eventually gotten used to her sleepwalking. She never tried to change or stop the odd habit since she believed it helped her conserve energy. Nopony who knew her could dispute that claim; some theorized that was how the little filly had so much energy to spare in the first place.

That was years ago, and that old habit left on its own. These days, Granny Pie's mind would awaken first and have to motivate the rest of her body to rise with it. Some days her body would cooperate, other days the lazy thing took hours of mental pleading, bargaining, and threatening. This morning was a cooperative one, and Granny Pie was pleased to the point of uncontrolled giggling at finding the kitchen completely deserted and without any sign of recent use.

She had already laid out a row of ingredients next to a large mixing bowl before glancing at the kitchen clock and noticing just how early she was up. "Maybe it's a little early for pancakes," she decided reluctantly, setting down the bag of flour. The elderly Pie swiftly returned everything to its proper place, and she left the room just as clean as she had entered. Granny Pie made her way back upstairs and peeked into the room Maud and Pinkamena shared. Their soft snores answered her inquiry, and she decided against barging in noisily to make sure the two sisters were indeed asleep.

Instead, Granny considered going back to bed, and it wasn't until she begun twisting the doorknob for the guest room that she realized how energetic she felt this hour. The master bedroom was right down the hall. Perhaps, Granny Pie thought, her son or her daughter-in-law was awake and was simply lazing around, unwilling to get up.

Cloudy twitched at the sound of the knock, but her eyes remained closed and made no other sign of awareness. Interpreting the lack of response as a invitation, Granny Pie opened the door and stepped into the room. She found Igneous sitting, leaning his back against the bed's headboard, his head turned toward her as his body faced Cloudy.

Igneous gave his mother a short nod before turning his head back to the mare sleeping next to him. "Mother," he said quietly.

"Rocky," Granny Pie replied, walking on the tips of her hooves to his side. "Are you feeling better today?"

"A little, I guess," Igneous answered.

"Must have been awhile since the last time you've slept in a nice soft bed, eh?" Granny Pie chuckled. "That must have helped."

"Yes."

"Not to mention next to such a fine young mare," the old pony teased. "I suppose a wife's caress does wonders, am I right?"

She expected Igneous to stutter in embarrassment or, at the very least, blush at her suggestive implications. Instead, the stallion simply reach out slowly and hovered a hoof timidly over a lock of dark hair running over his wife's shoulder. He quickly withdrew as Cloudy sighed in her sleep and turned on her side. He brought his cold hoof to his lips.

"So, you're up early," Granny Pie said, changing the subject. "Still on military time?"

"Maybe," Igneous replied, rubbing his face sluggishly.

"Well, since you're up, want to help me make some pancakes? You didn't eat last night, so you must be starving."

"I'm fine," Igneous asserted just as a low rumble escaped from his belly hidden beneath the covers. He scowled at the traitorous organ as Granny Pie stifled a giggle.

"I'd listen to your gut," the old mare joked, poking at the blankets. "Come on, when was the last time we prepared a meal together, just the two of us?"

"A long time," Igneous replied quietly into his lap.

"When was it?" Granny Pie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Oh, it must have been that one Hearts and Hooves Day."

"Hearth Warming Eve."

"Eh?"

"Hearth Warming Eve," Igneous repeated, shutting his eyes. "Five years ago. Cloudy was with Pinkamena. There was shepherd's pie and pudding, Dad's recipe. You tried teaching it to Maud."

Granny Pie smiled. "You remembered," she said.

"Wing loved pie," muttered Igneous as he slowly crawled out of bed, ignoring the hoof his mother held out.

"What was that, wings?" Granny Pie asked.

"Nothing," the stallion responded, supporting himself against the mattress as he limped toward the door. His hoof slipped, and suddenly he pitched forward. Granny Pie rushed toward him as fast as mare her age could, catching Igneous with her body. She gasped as the weight sent her old knees buckling.

Almost immediately, Igneous pushed himself off the elderly mare and onto the floor, landing with a loud thud. Cloudy Quartz sprung up at the sound, tossing aside the covers with her eyes wide. Her first glance went toward the crib beside her, and after seeing the two snoring lumps beneath the small blue blankets, undisturbed by the noise, she turned to her husband and her mother-in-law on the other side. Cloudy leapt out of bed and stood dancing anxiously between the two, torn between supporting the shaking old mare or assisting the injured stallion struggling to rise.

"Don't worry about me, dearie," Granny Pie insisted, groaning as she popped her shoulders back into place and straightened out her legs with a crackle. "I think Igneous needs your help more than I do."

"I'm fine!" Igneous snapped fiercely, pulling away from Cloudy. "I don't need any--"

As the mare shrunk back, Igneous shut his eyes and turned away with an angry sigh. "I'm...I'm sorry," he apologized. The attempted gentleness was lost under his icy tone, but he hoped, at the very least, his words would be devoid of the earlier hostility. "I shouldn't have--"

A piercing wail rang out and soon filled the entire bedroom, swiftly joined by a second cry. Cloudy immediately rushed toward the crib and shoved a side down. She took hold of the two bellowing foals and carefully sat back onto the bed behind her, cradling and cooing while Igneous slowly pulled himself up onto his unsteady hooves.

"They sound hungry," Granny said sagely as she nodded her head and stroked the tip of her chin. "Yep, that's definitely hunger cries. Guess that makes three of us, and there'll be more pretty soon. Come on, Igneous," she said, marching toward the door. "Cloudy'll need some privacy, and we're going to need pancakes."

This time, Igneous didn't argue and grudgingly accepted Granny Pie's offered shoulder with nothing more than a defeated look. He turned back toward his wife just before leaving and tried to emulate the smile Cloudy Quartz gave him. It felt lopsided and uncomfortable, and as Limestone and Marble's cries intensified, Igneous turned around and let the weak imitation die, closing the door behind him.

The two made slow progress through the hallway, but the pace didn't seem to bother either of them. At least, Granny Pie didn't seem to mind terribly, with her head held up high and proudly. Igneous kept himself busy by distracting himself with the photographs along the hall. Occasionally, Granny Pie would ask a simple question, like if Igneous still preferred honey to syrup or if he thought the pancakes went better with milk and tea or with coffee and sugar. Igneous's responses were short, but they were there, and the Pie matron was fine with them. Not happy or ecstatic or even truly satisfied, but at least he was talking.

"Pinkamena's birthday's in a few months, isn't it?"

Granny Pie nearly dropped Igneous to the floor in surprise. "That's right," she said, quickly replacing her opened mouth with a smile. "You made it."

Igneous sighed. "That's right," he muttered solemnly. "I made it."

"What's the matter?" Granny Pie asked as they carefully moved down the stairs.

"Nothing really," the stallion quickly said. "I just brought it up because I saw...that picture, the one with Maud with Pinkamena in front of a cake and wearing my hat, was that taken this year?" he asked, pointing back upstairs.

"In front of a...oh!" Granny Pie shook her head. "Oh no, that was actually the year you left. We were all amazed at how Pinkie managed to sit still long enough to take the photograph. You know how hard it is normally. We gave Maud your old hat, I hope that's not a problem."

"Sounds like such an awful gift, couldn't you have gotten her something better?"

"There was really only one thing she wanted," Granny Pie said. They had entered the kitchen, and she helped Igneous into a seat before preparing a kettle of water. "That hat was the closest thing to it, and besides, she loved it. It's a nice hat."

"Hmm. She seems...older."

"Who, Maud?" The old mare chuckled. "Well, she's been trying to take the big sister role more seriously ever since Marble and Limestone were born. If you think you're up for it, can you get some flour and start on the mix?"

Igneous pulled himself up and limped to the cupboard. He rolled the bag of flour onto the floor and pushed it toward the counter next to the stove. "I should have been there," he said. "I should have been here to see them."

"Hey now, no need for any blame," Granny Pie scolded, patting her son's shoulders. "We all understand why you enlisted, even Maud and Pinkamena. You risk so much for this family, you should be proud." She squeezed Igneous's foreleg. "Your father definitely would be."

"Father hated the military," Igneous said dully. His leg laid limply in his mother's grasp.

"Hate's a strong word," said Granny Pie, releasing Igneous and scooping out flour with a cup. "He just had a strong opinion. But regardless of his thoughts toward organized institutions in general, your father loved family and understood sacrifice, and if you had to join to help your family, I think he'd probably forgive you within a decade. Or two," she amended with a smile. "Stubborn as a stone sometimes, that stallion. Could you grab some eggs from the fridge?"

"Of course." Igneous hobbled to the refrigerator in the corner, holding himself up with the countertop. He opened the large box's door and reached in, his hoof shivering in the cold. He could just see the carton of eggs, but his path was blocked by a jug of milk and a bundle of carrots. The carrots could be pushed to the side, but there was no room to move the milk except in his direction and out of the fridge. Igneous removed his other hoof from the side of the refrigerator and reached it inside as well. With the jug safely secured in both hooves, Igneous carefully pulled it out.

"Dad?"

As Igneous turned, the jug flew from his grasp and shattered, followed shortly by a loud cry. A few pieces slid brushed past him, sliding freely in the spilt milk. Breathing heavily, Igneous took an unsteady step back, carefully avoiding the mess, and looked up. Maud was at the kitchen entrance, raising her head slowly. She held her hooves over her mouth. Her eyes were massive, her pupils shrunk into pins, and she seemed to sway as if being pushed around by a strong wind.

"H-hey, it's alright," Igneous assured uncertainly. "You just surprised me, that's all. I'm not hurt, see?" The stallion held out a hoof. Maud gasped and slowly inched back. Igneous frowned. "Maud, what--"

"Rocky, what did you do?"

Igneous turned to his mother. The look on her face, with her eyes wide with fear and her mouth slightly opened and its edges pushing downward, filled him with worry. The accusing tone he heard, however, angered him. "What did I do?" he asked testily. "I just dropped milk, that's all." He turned back to the filly in front of him. "Maud, come here, let's make sure you're not hurt."

The filly didn't move. She stared anxiously at her father instead, swallowing as she watched his brow cease.

"Maud, come here now," Igneous tried coaxing again, this time a little more forcefully. Maud's large eyes quivered as water slowly brimmed over and tears rolled down her grey check. Her head shook side to side ever so slightly. Igneous's impatience grew. "Come here!" he shouted, his temper flaring.

Maud's hooves fell from her face, and she ran away from the kitchen. "No, Maud, wait!" Igneous cried out, moving after her. A careless step landed in a puddle of milk and ceramic shards, and he collapsed against the hard kitchen floor, moaning as the impact shook his entire body. Granny Pie ran over him, moving faster than a mare a fifth of her age in Maud's direction. Igneous could hear the slamming of a door as he tried to crawl past the jug's jagged pieces, ignoring the danger they posed as Maud's last appearance flashed in his mind.

Her hooves had hidden bruises that were rapidly spreading across her checks. Her lips had been leaking crimson, staining her hoof red, the same color marking the edges of the shards he crawled by. The fear in her eyes, her tears, his mother's words...

"...what did you do?"

*

Igneous Rock sat at the kitchen table with his head buried behinds his hooves. Cloudy stood beside him, glancing over at him anxiously. She laid a hoof on his shoulder, but there was no response from the stallion. Awkwardly, Cloudy removed her attempted comforting touch and instead placed her hoof on the little cradle, gently rocking the babies inside. She turned to the pot on the stove just as Granny Pie crossed the threshold.

Igneous lifted his head. "How's--" he began, his voice cracking. "H-how's Maud?" he tried again.

"Maud's..." The old mare hesitated. "Maud's in her room right now. She doesn't seem too terribly hurt, more shocked than anything."

"I-I should go see her," Igneous said, rising.

"No," Granny Pie replied sharply. "Not now. Cloudy, dear? You go. Talk to Pinkamena first and make sure she stays out." The elderly mare turned to her son. "I need to talk to Igneous. Don't worry, I'll watch the foals too."

Cloudy Quartz looked between her mother-in-law and her husband and nodded. Granny Pie waited for the sounds of the mare's steps to disappear before saying, "Igneous Rock, what happened back then?"

The stallion lowered his head back down against the table. "I don't know," he muttered weakly.

"I don't know what I saw, but it--"

"It was an accident, I swear!" Igneous screamed, grabbing at his mane. "I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't want to hurt her!" His entire body began to quake violently. "I-I didn't--"

Something warm crushed Igneous's face, muffling his rankled sobs. Tears fell into Granny Pie's chest as she held the weeping stallion close. She raised a hoof, held it over her lips, and blew a quick "shh" at the two foals watching from the cradle. Obediently, they laid back down on their sides and shut their eyes.

"It's alright," Granny Pie whispered, patting the stallion's back. "Shh, everything's going to be okay."

"It's all my fault! It's all my fault!"

"Everything's going to be okay," Granny Pie cooed. "There, there, I'm here, I'm here."

Slowly, the old mare began to rock back and forth, cradling the grown stallion in her hooves. She began to hum, softly at first, then louder until, gradually, the little melody could be heard over the bitter sobs. Even after the stallion's cries were reduced to hiccups, Granny Pie's wordless song continued to wash over them.

"I'm so sorry."

"I know, child, it's alright."

"I didn't mean..."

"It's alright. Everything's going to fine," Granny Pie assured. She felt Igneous's shaking gradually weaken, his cries now short exhausted breaths. She rested her chin on his head, pulling him closer. Igneous didn't try to fight against the embrace, choosing instead to hang motionlessly in his mother's hold. He leaned back and quickly dried his face with his foreleg.

"What happened to you, Rocky?" Granny Pie asked softly, breaking the silence.

"I-I saw--it was..." Igneous broke free from the old mare. He shook his head and shuddered.

"If you don't want to talk now, we can--"

"Do you remember Crag?"

"Crag?" Granny Pie repeated.

"His father own the old local drugstore back then. He kept coming over and trying to sell us rock candy."

"Oh!" Granny Pie nodded. "Sugar Crag, yes, a nice colt. A pity about the old drugstore though," she said with a sigh. "At least Mountain Crag still had the old family rock farm."

"He was in the same division as me. He got married to some city mare a couple of years ago in the spring. The missus was a few moons pregnant with his first," Igneous explained. "He needed the money, just like me. A lot of the stallions there were like that, joining for the compensation." A small smile lit across his face. "This one pegasus, Wing Egress, really young, he was planning to use his earnings to pay for the Wonderbolt academy entry fee," he said.

"Sounds like an ambitious colt," Granny Pie said.

"He was," Igneous agreed. "He was pretty small, and a lot of the other pegasi teased him, but he was fun to have around, always laughing and joking, even with the locals." Igneous closed his eyes. "He got along with the locals, so we didn't think...didn't think..." He took a deep breath. "There was this little griffin girl running toward us with a box, about the same age as Maud now. Wing thought it was gift, we all did. The children liked him. We didn't think the girl was an insurgent."

For a moment, Granny Pie simply stared blankly. "She was--" the old mare began, only to suddenly stop herself with a gasp. Her hoof flew to her mouth.

"The Imperials warned us," continued Igneous, rubbing his hooves together. "I remember this one griffin dressed in silver armor, with a red feather in her cap, every time she saw Wing playing with the locals, she'd shake her head and chase off the children. I remember her telling us to be more careful, that not everyone wanted Equestrians getting in the way, that the rebels were everywhere and could be anyone." Igneous pressed down on his hoof to keep it from shaking. "We couldn't...we couldn't even recognize the body."

"Oh, Igneous..."

"We kept hearing whispers about Imperial guards being blown to bits, but it all felt so far away until we saw it happen right in front of us. I remember thinking, sweet Celestia, why? Why were we here? Why wasn't I back at home, with Cloudy and Maud and Pinkamena? Why, why, why?" The last word came out as an angry snarl. "It wasn't even our war, I remember thinking that night. Why were we fighting? That night," Igneous said, his voiced lowering, "I-I considered deserting. I didn't, but I...I thought about it. And I kept thinking about it for months, about how I'd run and escape the instant I could.

"I never told you how I was injured, did I?" asked Igneous.

"You don't have to," Granny Pie said, her hooves folded over Igneous's. When the broken stallion tried to stare at her, she quickly lowered her glance, praying silently that he failed to notice the twinkle of curiosity in her eyes. "Really, you don't."

"We were on patrol," Igneous said, seemingly ignoring his mother. "Crag, this unicorn named Opus, Lance the pegasus, Knocker, and a griffin called Glen and me. It was just supposed to be a routine check outside the city when we were attacked. I couldn't even see the enemy or who shot me. The moment I saw blood, I just collapsed, just dropped everything and tried to keep still."

Igneous's words were bitter. As he spoke, he stared at the floor.

"There was a lot of shouting. Something tripped over me, but I just tried to stay still. I remember closing my eyes and a flash. There was a loud crash, and suddenly my ears were ringing. By the time the ringing stopped, it was completely silent. The insurgents retreated, I figured, but I waited a few minutes to make sure. When I finally opened my eyes, the alarm bugle was sounding so I knew help was on the way.

"I found out Crag was the pony that tripped and fell on top of me only after I pushed him off me so I could get up," Igneous said. "No one else survived, and he didn't last long enough for help to arrive. H-he thought he had fallen over a rock. He thought I was a rock!"

Igneous pounded on the table weakly as he wiped his eyes again.

"I think Crag was delusion. He kept calling me pa and made me promise him I wouldn't sell the rock farm. Then he started to ramble about how he couldn't wait to be reborn as a rock, how he hoped he'd end up as something strong, like granite. I couldn't help but laugh," Igneous said, chuckling joylessly. "I-I couldn't help it. Here he was, bleeding from ten different holes, and the only thing on his mind was what kind of mineral he wanted to be. And all I could do was watch and laugh, because the only other thing I could was apologize because it was my fault." Igneous raised his head, turning to his mother, who noticed tears fall anew from his yellow eyes. "Crag died because of me! It was my fault!"

"It wasn't your fault, Rocky," Granny Pie said, reaching toward the shivering stallion. "You didn't kill anypony."

Igneous backed away from the comforting hoof. "But I didn't do anything! I didn't try to help and fight off the ambush or try to patch Crag up. I just sat and waited in the dirt like a...a...a rock!"

"You were hurt, Igneous. There wasn't anything you could do."

"I could have done something, I know I could have!" Igneous nearly screamed. He tried to calm himself with a deep breath as the babies in the cradle began to squirm. "I could have done something, anything," he said more gently. "If I had been stronger or braver, like Wing or Crag, maybe I wouldn't have been the only survivor. Maybe Crag's wife would still have a husband. I shouldn't have been the one to live."

Both a loud slap and the thunk of a falling chair filled filled the room. Igneous slowly touched his stinging cheek. "Don't say that!" growled Granny Pie, breathing heavily. "Don't you dare say that! Think about who you'd leave behind. Me, Cloudy, Maud, how do you think we'd feel if we never got to see you again?"

"I hurt Maud. I've been hurting Cloudy and everypony else I love ever since I got here." Igneous shook his head. "It'd be better if I died out there. At least then I wouldn't keep hurting you all." The stallion sighed. "And who knows, Crag might have been onto something. Maybe I could have come back as someone strong and admirable, who wouldn't strike his own daughter or hurt his family. Maybe...maybe I could have even become a little boulder."

Comments

[jszellmer]

Pinkamena raised a hoof. "What's a business day?" she asked.

"A day for business," Maud whispered. "Duh."

That's Maud all over.

[nemryn]

Man, that's some pretty sharp mood whiplash, ending a story like that with a dumb pun.