Bedrock

by RazedRainbow

VI

VI

“Be honest with me, Doc.” Pinkie coughed. “This is the end for me, isn’t it? I’m a big girl. I can take it.”

I peered into the medical tent just long enough to catch Marble roll her eyes as she placed a bandage on Pinkie’s scraped cheek. Not even a fresh wound. No blood. Just an excuse. I could not blame her.

I turned my attention back to camp before the smoke could settle into the back of my mind. At least out here, the real here, the smoke was friendlier. It was a sunny day along the Canterlot walls, but a winter one nonetheless. Winds rattled the tents and covered them with campfire fog. Unicorns trotted towards Caravan Corner to try and scrounge up a jacket or scarf while the pegasi circled above the fog with only their natural coats.

I started to rest against the tent again. Maybe I could venture another look, but second looks only brought flames to go with the smoke. A second longer, and eyes might pop out of the dark. I was shale enough.

I listened for Pinkie’s voice and took a step away as soon as a giggle sounded. They were safe. It was clear for me to leave.

I walked towards nowhere. I had ventured through tent rows many times, and there was little to see within Canterlot’s walls. All the cathedrals and noble houses were cut from the same deposits of sandstone and granite as the walls surrounding them. The more interesting outcrops were along the outer rims, anyway. I could find some phyllite peeking out among the unicorn’s commune, and maybe some amphibolite if I could talk one of the griffons into letting me chip around their perches. I would take their fish breath over a wine-stenched noble any day.

“Yo, Rock Bitch!” Before I could turn, blue fur covered the pebbles I had been identifying (granite, obviously). I looked up to find a familiar smirk peeking out from behind rainbow bangs. “Just the pony I’ve been looking for.”

“I've been here.”

Rainbow Dash cocked her head. “Yeah...” Her lips moved in unreadable words. She shook her head. She looked around, over my shoulder, back towards the tents, back to me. “Where’s your better half?”

I motioned behind me. “In there.”

Rainbow’s ears slumped. “Oh. Shoot. How bad?”

“She’s fine. She’s talking with Marble.”

Rainbow laughed but her eyes were sharp. “Sheesh, Maud. Gut’s weighing me down enough as is, don’t scare me like that.” She trotted by me and into the medical tent before I could ask more. I weighed whether to follow or look for more samples. There were a few pebbles close to the mess tent that needed a closer look to determine if they were rounded or angular, so I took a detour.

“Heads up!” The pebbles were closer to the road than I had thought. Luckily a pony wagon had approached first. A griffon one and I would know exactly how many directions of cleavage my head had.

“Sorry,” I said.

The pony chuckled in return. It was higher than the seven-day stubble let on, but rough. “I see the rumors are true.”

I blinked. “Rumors?”

He waved a hoof in the air and brought it to his hat. He tipped it back, showing off his receding maneline. “Apologies of my own, Miss Pie, but your reputation has painted an accurate picture.” He pointed to the rocks with an odd waving motion and laughed again. He could give Pinkie a run for her money. It was a nice laugh. Nice voice. He should go into radio.

His eyes dimmed. “Um… no need to offend, Miss Pie, honest, I was just…” His hooves shuffled in place. He raised one to his chest and attempted a bow. “Haystack’s the name. Just a simple supply pony needlessly shooting the breeze. A thousand apologies.”

“Any relation to Needle?”

He paused mid-bow. Surprisingly, his hooves held him.

“It’s a joke,” I said. “Needle. Haystack.”

This chuckle was more a cough, but at least his hooves had steadied. “Of course. Of course. Heheh. A bit slow on the uptake as you can tell.”

“Any slower and you would have crushed me.”

His mouth moved, and I could read the echo, then his chest popped out with a cough. At least he was smiling again. “Your reputation truly does precede you.” Not sure what reputation that was. At least it was one that did not make him cower too much. That was different. New. Nice.

I took the chance to glance at his cart. The body slumped close to the ground and the wheels rested at slightly crooked angles. Quickly-made plus a heavy load. A peer at the load and I could not keep my jaw locked. Boulders. Dozens of them. Some wheel-round, some shaped like a half-eaten scone. All far from home. Broken children. Fit for only one thing.

I glanced at him. I did not know what my face spoke, but his pinned ears told me the sparks from my twisting gut had reached my eyes. “These are not for fortifications,” I stated.

“Celestia’s orders,” he said. He looked like he wanted to say more but resorted to silent glances.

“They use rocks for weapons.” I frowned. “They abuse them. Not us. They protect us. Disappointing.”

“Celestia’s orders,” he repeated. “Not mine.”

“I know. Just disappointed. It makes us like them.” I sighed and looked back in. “Solid choices, at least. Basalt, sandstone, gabbro. Common, but heavy.” I stared at him once more. “You know your rocks.”

His lips twitched. “Eh, it was mostly second-hoof. Know somepony who knows somepony. All that usual jazz.”

“You’ll need to introduce me.”

“Heeeey!” Speaking of rocks, a voice like pebbles in a horseshoe. “Ain’t this a day of perfect timing!” I did not need to turn to know it was Rainbow Dash, but I stole a glance anyway. My instincts were correct. Not only was the wild-mannered pegasus on her way, but Pinkie followed in tow. She smiled, but the shimmer in her eyes was not a happy one. The glaze of a sister dragged away from a talk they never wanted to end.

Rainbow bumped a hoof against Haystack’s. “Just the guy I wanted to see.” She looked over at us with a smirk, then back to him. “You got the goods, right? Didn’t spoil the surprise, yeah?”

He smirked. “My lips aren’t that loose.” He reached into his cart. Rocks scraped carelessly along wood. Pinkie placed a hoof on mine. Am I shaking? He emerged with a sack in his teeth. It was at our hooves in a blink. Small bounce, no rattle. Not rocks.

Pinkie moved before I did. She leaned down, sniffed the sack, then sprang up. Her nose twitched. “Is that, that that-that—?” She was looping. Nothing a tap on the head could not fix.

“The best sugar I could muster.”

Pinkie blinks. “But—”

“Y’all saved my ass out there yesterday,” Rainbow butted in. “Again. Figured I owed ya for that, so I pulled some strings and dropped some bits and ta-da!” She flared her wings and spread her forelegs at the same time.

“But, but—” I closed Pinkie’s mouth with a hoof. I could feel her jaw trying to work. She would settle eventually. Always did.

“Just save me one of whatever you bake, alright? Keeping me from becoming a pancake compensates enough.” She slicked her mane back with a hoof. It fell in front of her eyes again. She licked her lips. “Hmm, I could go for some pancakes.” She shook the dream away and stuck her tongue out. “And don’t waste it on a stinkin’ pie. Those are the wo—oof!”

There was nothing like a Pinkie hug to take the breath out of you. Rainbow struggled and clawed and wheezed but smiled nonetheless. “You. Are. The. Best.” Pinkie punctuated each squeal with a squeeze. I could hear her sniffle.

“Need anything else, Rainbow?” Haystack asked as the pegasus fought to get her neck free. “Applejack have a thirst for anything?”

“Heh, besides nagging me over everything?” Rainbow got her neck out of Pinkie’s grasp. Pinkie moved on to her torso. “Nah, we’re good for the moment, Hay.”

He nodded. His gaze drifted over Rainbow’s head. I could not see what he was looking at but there was nothing but the medical tent there, and his frown reflected it. “How about something for...” He drew circles in the dirt. Letters, maybe. I could tell he knew the name, but did not want to speak it. Rainbow did too. Maybe even Pinkie. The hug ended quicker than normal.

Rainbow stared off into the sky. Pinkie stared at the ground. I kept my eyes straight ahead. I had clearly missed some news, but asking would only make the silence heavier. I found some more pebbles near Haystack’s cart. Mafic. Igneous. Like shards of glass. Pyroxene?

“Fleet...” Rainbow finally muttered. “Only thing she needs is space and time for now. You’re the best, but even you don’t have the connections to barter miracles.” Rainbow rubbed her nose and sniffed. “She’s done.”

“Sorry,” he said. “Figured I’d ask. Sure there had to be something... I dunno. Something comforting she would like, y’know?” The question crawled out like he already knew the answer.

Pinkie cut in. “Red velvet’s still her favorite cake, right?”

“She ain’t a filly.” Rainbow shook her head. “As I said, space and time is all. Don’t see creature comforts helping. She’ll probably just throw ‘em” She almost smiled. “I dunno, Hay. Maybe a bottle of Griffonstone gin for when the meds wear off will ease her into it better. Calm the mind. Celestia knows she loves that stuff too much.” She forced a laugh, but it is almost a whimper. “And if she turns it down, and the bottle’s still in one piece, pass it my way, alright? AJ's never tried it.” She tossed a few bits through the air.

Haystack caught them in his teeth. “Consider it done.” He tucked them behind his scarf. “Well, I’m running behind on this delivery as is, so…. Good seeing you again, Rainbow. Pinkie.” He tipped his hat at each of them. I glanced at Pinkie. She stared at the ground. “Glad I could be of service.” He turned to me and winked. “And a pleasure meeting you, Miss Maud. I’ll be sure to raise your concerns with the Princess when I see her.”

I shrugged. “No need. It is what it is. Just my feelings. I understand.”

He shook his head. “I am sure she will keep your thoughts in mind. You’re connected to rocks more than anypony here. In the meantime...” He reached into the cart once again and pulled out a smaller, rounded bit of igneous—basalt—and placed it in my hoof. “To a good home.” He laughed, but it was a nice one. No mockery at all. He meant it. “Keep fighting the good fight, Rock Girl.”

I held the stone close. A spitting image of Boulder—like a son. I did not know if Haystack knew for sure, but there was a glimmer in his eye. He knew Pinkie and Rainbow, so… “Thank you,” I said. “I won’t forget this.”

I did not.

Comments

[Ice Star]

You delivered!

[Reese]

"The mane came later than I expected."
Not sure what that means, sorry.

"and the bottle’s still in on piece"
"and the bottle’s still in one piece"?

[RazedRainbow]

9029777
Heh, that first line was me trying to be creative while describing a receding hairline. An admittedly silly description on my part, though. Not really befitting of Maud's voice. I thought I'd axed it while proofing, but it appears it slipped through the cracks woops

[Reese]

9029816
"Heh, that first line was me trying to be creative while describing a receding hairline."
...Ahh, okay, yes, I see now how it could mean that. :)

"An admittedly silly description on my part, though. Not really befitting of Maud's voice. I thought I'd axed it while proofing, but it appears it slipped through the cracks woops "
Well, I agree with the decision to cut it, but I'm kind of glad I got to see it, with your explanation, before that. :)
(Perhaps you'll be able to find a place for the line in a future story.)