Soarin's Pet Rock

by Beware The Carpenter

14 - Brothers Forever

Rock… was a rock.

He didn’t have a name because he didn’t need one; no one ever talked to him. He lived near a waterfall that fell into a lake deep in the woods, but he’d never seen it; he didn’t have any eyes. All he could do was listen, and he wasn’t very good at listening because his ears were full of moss.

He’d lived here for as long as he could remember, year in, year out, with nothing to do. In summer he would bake bone dry under the blistering sun, and the lake’s cool water would always be just beyond his reach. In winter he would be buried by snow, and couldn’t even shiver to get warm. The rest of the time, Rock was surrounded by dank moss that grew up everywhere around him, and sometimes the birds pooped on him as he waited for something to happen. He didn’t know what he was waiting for, but he knew that this wasn’t what he wanted from his life.

Then one day, Rock felt a hoof close around him. At first, he was afraid that some evil pony was about to hurl him into the lake and drown him forever, but this hoof was gentle and carried him a short distance before placing him on a comfortable tree stump. Then there was a pause, and Rock was beginning to wonder if the pony had gone away, and then he felt the edge of something scraping against his face. It didn’t hurt, but he could feel the moss peeling off until his whole face was bare; then came a brush to wipe away all the little pieces of grit, and make sure his face was dry.

Then Rock felt something wet press against the side of his face and groaned in repugnance, thinking another bird had just pooped on him. He tried to shake the wet thing off, but it held firm and a few seconds later came the most amazing moment of Rock’s life. The hoof that had been covering his face pulled back, and for the first time in his life, he could see.

An earth pony foal was leaning over him; his short green mane sitting on top of his small gray face with keen brown eyes that stared at Rock like a master craftsman studying his work. Slowly, he picked up another googly eye from his kit, dabbed the back of it with some glue and then stuck it on the other side of Rock’s face. Rock was confused; wondering if something was wrong with the eye he’d just gotten if the colt thought he needed another one, but when the foal took his hoof away the second time, it was like seeing everything all over again because now he could see in three dimensions.

The foal stared him in the eyes for a minute and then gave a satisfied smile; took out the butter knife he’d used earlier and began to carefully scrape away the moss that was stuck in Rock’s ears. He stopped every few strokes to wipe away the loose moss with his brush and then began again until both of Rock’s ears were clean; and then he did Rock’s back and head, leaving only one clean and stylish stripe between Rock’s ears.

The colt looked at him one more time, turning him over like he wasn’t quite satisfied with his work yet, and then a light lit up in his eyes as he reached back into his kit and drew out a large yellow crayon. By the time he was finished drawing Rock’s new mouth, both of them were grinning from ear to ear as Rock drew the first deep breath of his life. “Perfect,” said the colt, grinning triumphantly, “You’ll be perfect.”

Rock wasn’t sure what the colt was talking about, but it didn’t matter. His whole life he’d just been average at everything he’d ever tried. To be perfect at anything would be a dream come true. The colt put Rock in his saddlebag and headed off; Rock didn’t know where they were going, but after his transformation, he felt like dancing, and jingling around at the bottom of the colt’s bag, allowed him to do just that.

After a while; the colt’s hooves went from trotting to a slow walk so he wouldn’t make any sound, and then stopped. The foal took Rock from the saddlebag and showed him they were right in front of a tent; he held his hoof up to his mouth for silence, and then carefully began unzipping the tent before – “Moulder?”

The colt spun around, dropping Rock, and they both faced a white pegasus, with a wavy blue mane and a kind smile; “Aww Soarin!”

“I woke up, and you weren’t there, what are you doing out so early?”

“I… was making you a birthday present.” Moulder sighed, picking up Rock and holding him out to Soarin, “I wanted to surprise you.” Soarin gave an excited grin, taking Rock in his wings and turning him over a few times before a look of confusion settled over his face, “He’s a pet rock.” Moulder explained.

“What do I do with it?”

“You talk to him; he keeps you company.”

Soarin laughed, ruffling Moulder’s mane with a wing, “That’s what I have you for silly.”

“Yea, but I’m not always going to be around.” Moulder explained, “You’re going into middle school next year, and I know you’ll be lonely without me. He can keep you company when I’m not there.”

Soarin looked back to Rock, newfound appreciation sinking into his smile. “I love him.”

Love? Rock had never been loved by anyone before, not even other rocks.

“You need to give him a name,” instructed Moulder.

“Hmmm” Soarin held Rock up next to his brother’s head, “He looks a little bit like you.”

“Does not!”

“Yea he does.” Chuckled Soarin. “I’m going to name him… Stoner.”

Stoner blinked and then felt his smile grow a little wider when he realized what had just happened. For the first time in his life, he had a name!

Moulder snatched Stoner back, stood up to drape one arm around Soarin and turned Stoner round to face them, “Hi Stoner; I’m Stone Moulder, and this here is Soarin; we’re brothers and Soarin is the best big brother and the best flier in the whole world and today is his twelfth birthday!”

Soarin chuckled and snatched Stoner with his wing, draping the other around Moulder, “Right now we’re camping in in Winsome Falls, and the reason this is a weekend trip is because tomorrow is Stone Moulder’s birthday, he’s turning eight! He’s the best younger brother in the whole world, and I’m bigger than him, but he is way smarter.”

Stoner nodded eagerly as the two colts began taking turns talking; each telling him things about the other. He didn’t know much about ponies, but even he could tell that there was something special about these two brothers, and now Stoner was like a third.

Mom and dad woke up a short while later, and Stoner learned that mom was a pegasus, but dad was an earth pony. That didn’t seem to matter though as dad restarted the campfire and mom cooked breakfast; during which both colts shared little bits of their meals with Stoner. Soarin got a couple of little presents from mom and dad, a compass and a hammer, (though Stoner could tell that Soarin liked him the best); and then the whole family piled into a small raft and went speeding down a river, which was even more fun than it sounded.

By sundown, the family was tired and achy, but in a happy sort of way. Sitting around a campfire that had been used to cook dinner and then built into a pyre much larger than it needed to be, just because the foals wanted to; dad got out a guitar and began strumming it, and mom sang along. Neither of them were very good, but that didn’t matter, the foals still loved it. They seemed like the perfect family.

About midnight everyone had crawled off to bed, including Stoner. Soarin was snoring within a few minutes, but Moulder stayed awake, tossing and turning until he picked up Stoner and took him outside and began telling him honestly how worried he really was for Soarin:

Stone Moulder didn’t understand why but, around here, earth ponies like dad, and pegasi like mom, didn’t usually get along. Soarin was one of the only pegasi in his school, and the only non-earth pony in his class; and mom and dad couldn’t afford to send him to the classy, private school for pegasi. This meant that tended to get teased a lot, and the fact that his grades were so low enough that he’d been held back a year didn’t help. Until now Soarin had spent most of lunchtime and recess with Stone Moulder, but he wouldn’t be able to do that next year.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Stoner Moulder was tired the next day from talking to Stoner all night and wanted to sleep in, but that was fine. Soarin crept out, helped mom and dad make breakfast, and then all three of them crowded into the little tent and helped each other serve Moulder breakfast in bed.

Dad gave Moulder a new art kit for his birthday, mom gave him a coloring book, and then Soarin asked him to come outside so he could give him his present. Moulder picked up Stoner and followed Soarin who then kneeled over and told Moulder to hop on his back, and he’d give him a ride. Based on the practiced ease with which he jumped onto his brother’s shoulders, Stoner guessed that rides weren’t anything unordinary, but from the small yip of glee he did it with, showed that they were still special.

“Be careful!” Mom called after them.

All three brothers grinned.

Up and up they went, and Stoner began to feel a little bit queasy being the first time he’d ever flown, but Moulder gave him a reassuring squeeze as Soarin slowly gaining altitude with heavy beats remarkably strong for a colt his age. For a long time, all he did was slowly spiral upwards, and Stoner began wondering if this was all they were going to do; but when the lake that had been Stoner’s entire world just yesterday was spread out beneath them, looking no bigger than a puddle he might take a bath in. Soarin slowed to a hover, taking a few moments to catch his breath; “Ready?”

“Ready,” Moulder answered boldly, tightening his grip.

The world span.

Stoner didn’t know which way was up, or where they were going, but they were moving super-fast as clarion laughter rang around him. The crock-screw dive ended, and Soarin pulled up, leaving Stoner reeling, and they began zig-zagging over the river, casting a fearsome shadow which scattered the flocks of birds that used to poop on Stoner back when he was just Rock.

Soarin was quickly losing the altitude he’d fought for earlier, and now the tops of some of the tallest trees were beginning zipping by them. A few hundred yards ahead of them was a bend in the river; if Soarin kept flying straight they would race into the forest, but if he turned to the left, there was a wide empty meadow he could land in.

“Don’t go in the trees!” Mom shouted from somewhere behind.

“What did she say?” asked Soarin jokingly.

“She said ‘go in the trees.’” Smirked Moulder.

Soarin did, and Stoner got a taste of the true extent of Soarin’s flying prowess. He was incredible! Loping over a big branch, swerving between two trunks and then narrowly missing a hanging vine; Moulder laughed. Soarin grinned. Stoner fell.

For a moment, all Stoner could think of was the pain in his side from where he’d landed. His eyes teared up a little, but it passed after a moment before he could breathe again, and became aware of two colts lying a few dozen paces in front of him; one of whom was laughing. “What a landing!” grinned Soarin, sitting up, brushing dirt and twigs off his wings, “Mom’s gonna be so mad but it was so worth it, right buddy?”

Stone Moulder didn’t answer, “... Buddy?”

Soarin scampered over to Moulder and nudged him, “Come on, let’s get out of here; race you back to the creek?” He didn’t move.

“Nice try” chuckled Soarin, “You’re not going to fool me like this again. Up you come.” Soarin grabbed Moulder’s front hooves and tried to pull him into a sitting position; his body rose up, but his head just flopped back in a way it… wasn’t… meant to.

“WHAT DID YOU DO!!!”

Mom came tearing into the glade and Soarin jumped back like she was going to smack into him, but she stopped when she reached Stone Moulder. She tried stretching him out straight and when she saw he wasn’t breathing she pinched his muzzle blew into his mouth and then pressed on his chest, but nothing happened except his head slumping to one side.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

A colt was screaming. It wasn’t the pained, phantom scream that never came from Stone Moulder. It wasn’t the long sob of despair that finally shook Soarin to the core. It was Button Mash, clinging to one of Soarin’s lifeless hind hooves, screaming as the space that separated them from the earth fell to under a thousand feet; and Stoner surfed precariously on Soarin’s muzzle, jumping up and down to wake up his older brother; “Soarin! Wake up buddy, or else everybody’s gonna die!”

Eight hundred feet.

Stoner didn’t have any more time; Soarin never woke up from a nap without remembering what had happened, the memory would be more than enough to break to amulet’s hold over him but he needed to wake up and they only had five hundred feet left. Stoner jumped one last time on Soarin’s flaying muzzle, tripped and began sliding down Soarin’s face. Soarin’s eyes creaked open slightly, when Stoner’s mane brushed over them, just in time for Stoner to stare his brother in the eye for one waking moment; “Don’t you let go.”

Stoner fell, just as Soarin’s head jerked upwards catapulting Stoner into the air; but his trajectory was tracked, and Soarin came dashing after him, catching him in one perfect swing that sent warmth ricocheting from the top of Stoner’s head to the bottom of his hoof. Button Mash screamed one last time and braced for impact, but Soarin was already there, catching him with fifty feet to spare and spreading his wings, bringing the three of them into a smooth, spiral landing onto the soft grass.

Soarin… didn’t know what to say. Button Mash was unhurt, but the moment he hit the ground he collapsed into a fetal position. The reality of the last day began setting in; how he’d acted… and what he’d nearly done, “I… I’m-sorry.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Button Mash didn’t want to be comforted, so Soarin left. It which was just as well; right now, Soarin wasn’t in a position to comfort anybody, not even himself. That was why Stoner was there for him; just like he always had been, “It’s OK Soarin, Button Mash will be alright; please don’t cry.”

Soarin cried anyway, hugging Stoner closer to his heaving, sobbing chest as he curled into the fetal position on a small cloud. It was much the same position he’d been in the day he’d killed Stone Moulder; mom had yelled at him that it was his fault, and when he tried to get close to Stone Moulder, she’d hit him. When dad had found them there was even more yelling; and when the blood started trickling out of Moulder’s mouth, Soarin couldn’t take it anymore.

He picked up Stoner, flew off, and found a cloud, just like this one, where he lay down to watch the sunset… and rise, and set and rise again. To keep himself from crying he talked to Stoner. It had been the first time that Stoner ever started talking back.

Whenever you were bad, you needed to sit on the naughty cloud until mom said you could play again, and Soarin knew that he had been very bad. It had been two days before mom found him. She hugged him and said that she loved him, but after that day Soarin was never sure if she meant it. Dad hardly said anything and, after that day, mom and dad were always fighting.

“It… it almost... happened again.” Heaved Soarin slowly still clutching Stoner to his chest, “How could I have been so stupid?”

“It wasn’t your fault Soarin.” Soothed Stoner quietly, “It was that thing around your neck; all this trouble started when you first put it on.”

Soarin sat up, gripping the amulet as he stared at it; “How dare you?” he growled accusingly, “What were you trying to accomplish?”

Stoner felt the amulet pulse with dark energy again, as if it was trying to justify itself; but this time Soarin didn’t listen. He snapped the chain, and hurled it with all his might and then the two brothers sat back, watching it plop weakly into the lake far below.

A deep exhaustion began settling over Soarin as the last few days finally caught up with him, but a deeper sorrow drove away any ability to rest, so Soarin began crying again, and then lifted his left wing into his muzzle like he was about to blow his nose. “Don’t do that man!” yelled Stoner, “You need your wings to fly us out of here; and you know you can’t fly with mucus sticking your feathers together!” It was a terrible habit that had been born on the first cloud and had taken Stoner and Soarin three years to break. Soarin sobbed even harder and prepared to blow, causing Stoner to quickly change his tone, “Button Mash is alive. It didn’t happen like it did last time.”

“It shouldn’t have happened at all.” Groaned Soarin, “I... never… carry foals.”

“I know. For the longest time, you didn’t even want to carry yourself; and do you remember what happened when you stopped flying and tried to live like an earth pony.”

“I got so fat.”

“And I needed to drag you through pegasus fat camp to get you back in shape; I don’t want to go through all that again. You were made to fly; sure you’ve screwed up plenty of times, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to give up! What happened to Moulder was almost twelve years ago and-”

“Eleven years; one hundred eighty-seven days.” Corrected Soarin.

“Right.” Nodded Stoner, “It cost Moulder his life, but he wouldn’t have wanted it to cost you yours. You need to learn from your mistakes, and you have learned from Stone Moulder. You didn’t kill Button Mash.”

Soarin grunted, but his wing moved slightly closer to his muzzle; “Soarin.” Growled Stoner in his best ‘take charge’ attitude, “If you blow your nose into that wing, I’m going to make you do a hundred push-ups.”

Soarin’s wing held still for another moment, and then it slowly pulled away, and when it did; Soarin was smiling. “Come here you.” he murmured, hugging Stoner under his chin and then kissed his forehead.

“Alright, alright.” Grinned Stoner, pushing himself away; “No need to get all gushy.”

Soarin arranged Stoner comfortably in the crook of one arm and then leaned back on the cloud, watching the sunset. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, “I’m sorry for everything I said.”

Stoner reached over and patted Soarin’s side, “I forgive you.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Of course not.” Promised Stoner, “Brother’s always fight sometimes, but we get over it and move on; because that’s what brothers do; and we’ll always be together, right?”

“Right.”

Soarin relaxed, relief finally starting to find some refuge in him. He wiped what was left of his tears away with one wing, hugged Stoner with the other and then the snap of a powerful set of wings brought both of them to full alert as Rainbow Dash landed on the cloud a few paces away from them.

The way her face was various shades of red and white, as her eyes tried drilling holes in Soarin, made it obvious that she was pissed. “Rainbow Dash,” cautioned Stoner, jumping down to put himself between her and Soarin, “I know you’re upset about what Soarin did to Button Mash, and you have every right to be, but there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this. I can explain everything.”

The End

Author's Note:

I had a bit of a crisis of conscience before I started posting this story; knowing I was going to leave it here, but I am glad to say that I'm planning on a sequel set after Rainbow Dash leaves the Wonderbolts where I will restore Soarin to mental and emotional health.

This is not that story.

This is a story I invented the same day I invented Soarin's Pet Rock; when I wondered how shipping him with Maud would work. It seemed like a good idea in my head, but ended up weirder then even this.

Read if you want, but this is a stand alone story that is not cannon with Soarin's Pet Rock, or Limits of the Horizon.

Maud and Pinkie double date

It's high school. Maud and Pinkie Pie will double date Soarin and Prince Sombra. This will be fun.

Comments

[the other sans]

screaming as the space them separated them from the earth 
Stoner felt he amulet pulse 
Is shouldn’t have even been carrying him

1. Extra Them.
2. The.
3. I.

[Beware The Carpenter]

5885194

Thanks

[coolstorybrah]

This was really heartwarming... So are you making a sequel or not? I dint really got what you were saying...

Anyaways , awesome story !

[Rainboom H Harmonia]

good job.

[Beware The Carpenter]

5887397

Yes there will be a sequel. Though probably not for a while

Storm of Secrets finished with Rainbow Dash quitting, and Spitfire saying she was going to hire the the Flim Flam brothers to help manage/ promote the team, and I've always been curious about how that actually went; and there's a reasonable chance that a middle-aged Soarin playing a role in my Limits of the Horizon series which virtually all of my other stories revolve around.

Basic idea of it is that Button Mash developed severe acrophobia and aviophobia (Fears of heights and flying) after this. His (single) mom is greatly upset about this, but Spitfire pays her a visit, pays her off, and makes some implications that trying to take this too court would be bad for her.

Button Mash's mom keeps silent for a while, but after a year or so, and Mash still terrified of heights, she gets fed up and plots a vendetta against Soarin, which may involve kidnapping Stoner for ransom.

[coolstorybrah]

5889411 awww okay. I get it now!

can't wait for the sequel, because I absolutely adored the story.

[Beware The Carpenter]

6187054

Stoner was very traumatized.

[Beware The Carpenter]

7453453

In a high school spoof unrelated to any of my other works, Pinkie has a mad crush on Soarin who has a mad crush on Maud, who is going already steady with her lab partner Sombra.

They all go out on a double date. It does not end well.

[PaulAsaran]

You can has review!