Albums and Archeology
What with getting acquainted to the farm and its neighborhood the previous day, today proved very casual. Limestone was busy again, this time down in the quarry. Cloudy was visiting a friend in the village. Igneous was out, too. He had an engagement with the blacksmith, Mr. Forge. Apparently, one of his pickaxes had chipped while breaking apart a sizeable chunk of rock, and he intended to give the smith a piece of his mind on its make.
“That’ll keep him busy all day,” said Grammy, confidentially, to me. “Igneous may be stubborn as a mule, but he’s got nothing on old Forge. That fella will defend his craft to the end.”
That left me with her, Pinkie, and Marble together. I was going to ask what we ought to do to pass the time, but Grammy forestalled this by saying,
“You know, I remember when Igneous had a spat just like that one with old Forge. It was quite some time ago. Now, where was it?”
And, from seemingly out of nowhere, she unearthed a truly massive photo album, and asked if I would like to take a look through it.
My interest was piqued at the prospect of seeing the Pies’ past, so I settled on the couch next to her. We all inched closer together around Grammy, with me on her right side, Marble on her left, and Pinkie leaning over the back of the couch behind us. I hadn’t noticed before, but Grammy had a very pleasant smell about her: like vanilla and cinnamon, not unlike something I’d smell at Sugarcube Corner. I wondered how well the Cakes would get along with the Pies.
Ever since I was told about the girls looking through Pinkie’s foal pictures in one of their letters, I’d been interested to see what she’d been like as a ‘twinkie-Pinkie’. Well, pre-cutie mark Pinkie came as quite the surprise. Her normally vibrant coat and mane colors were much duller shades of pink than they were today. Her mane and tail were also straight-cut, like the rest of her sisters. There was no trace of the frizzy, poofy mess I’d come to know. Most shocking of all, though, was that she wasn’t smiling. None of the rest of the family were, except perhaps Grammy, but seeing Pinkie without a smile on her face just felt...off, like imagining a stupid Twilight or a feminine Rainbow Dash.
“Igneous was always a good father,” Grammy told me, as though to remove doubt on the subject. “Perhaps a bit strict before that Rainboom business, but he always meant to raise his girls the right way, and by Celestia, he did.”
Both Marble and Pinkie nuzzled her, and I smiled. There was no denying that.
However, even back then, Pinkie was still as adorable as a puppy, before and after getting her cutie mark. The state her mane was in when she first got her mark was hilariously cute. I more than once had to go ‘aww’ at seeing her at her foalish antics, the ones Grammy specifically pointed out: her first times eating certain pastries, her first time ice skating with Cloudy, the bonanza stone she’d discovered that had made Igneous so proud, shots with each of her sisters, etc. Pinkie looked positively gleeful at seeing my reactions, and she was giggling constantly. There was one picture, however, that ended her giggles pretty sharply, and her face went brick-red. It was from what Grammy said was a Jr. Rock Farmer’s Competition, and Pinkie had apparently brought the wrong type of rock.
“She was supposed to bring a Gneiss rock, but she brought some shale that hadn’t matured enough. She thought it was ‘absotivalutely nice enough’ to win the metamorphic competition.”
“Grammyyyyy!” Pinkie whined, keeping her face averted, her cheeks still crimson.
For her to be embarrassed about something like that was pretty bemusing, but then again, this was Pinkie Pie, and she was the daughter of rock farmers.
Heck, all of the sisters were cute as fillies. Marble and Limestone were not denied their own share of attention and love, though Marble was a lot more camera-shy if she was by herself. Seeing her smiling shyly with one of her sisters or her parents or Grammy by her side was just sweet, though I saw the present-day Marble blush whenever we came to pictures like this. She blushed even deeper when we came to one of her sitting in front of a rather crudely-carved stone, a tiny pickaxe before her. I couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be, though it vaguely looked like a pony.
“This was when she was working out her special talent,” said Grammy. “What was it you were trying to make, Marble?”
“It was supposed to be of Mom,” Marble mumbled, her cheeks beet-red. “She said she liked it, but I wish I’d done a better job.”
Limestone, too, seemed to rather be with somepony else in order to take a decent picture. Otherwise, she looked rather sullen and moody, though Grammy assured me that was ‘just her way’. I was glad, however, that she wasn’t around to see us come across a particular picture of her, with her head jammed between a pair of boulders. A complimentary photo showed Marble trying to dislodge her by tugging on her tail.
“She saw how easily Maud can pulverize large rocks,” said Grammy, “and wanted to give it a try for herself, with her head. Poor dear wouldn’t speak to anypony for a week after that, she was so embarrassed.”
It was here, also, in these albums, that I got my first glimpse of the ever-elusive Maud, the second-oldest. Her coat was a darker gray than Marble’s, her purple mane and tail as straight-cut as Twilight’s. She had blue eyes, and, as she got older, had added purple eyeshadow. She also had adopted her own sense of style as she grew up, wearing a long-hemmed, greenish-blue frock dress which obscured her rock cutie mark. Throughout 90% of the pictures, some of which involved her holding a small rock in her hoof, her expression was the same: unsmiling, indifferent, almost bored. The only time I saw her smile was in the collection of photos taken at Pinkie’s very first party, when all of the Pies were having a blast. It warmed my heart to see them all so happy.
There were also pictures of the elder Pies before the girls were born. Igneous, Cloudy, and Grammy all looked much younger in these photos. I also, for the first time, saw Pinkie’s grandfather, Grammy’s husband, and Igneous’ father, Feldspar Granite Pie. He and Igneous looked quite alike, except that Feldspar had a beard and rather thick eyebrows. Grammy herself boasted, with a twinkle in her eye, that she’d been ‘quite the looker’ back then, making both Pinkie and Marble giggle. In fact, apart from her mane style and cutie mark, she really could’ve passed off for an older-looking Pinkie; her colors were nearly identical.
Igneous and Cloudy were rather solemn in their own pre-Rainboom pictures, and yet, I supposed that, in their own way, they were happy to be together. This was especially evident on a picture of their wedding, where they were clasping hooves, and they looked like they were just barely smiling. The mood was somewhat displaced by a following photo of Igneous, looking shocked as his pickaxe rebounded off a rock he was chipping and speared his hat. This put the company of Pies in stitches, as Grammy said that had led to his last argument with Forge.
(What a family,) I thought to myself, though it was in the most positive of ways.
***
The afternoon was wearing on by the time we reached the end of the book, and Grammy looked up at the clock.
“Good heavens, look at the time! I’ve still got a bad case of the rambles, looks like.”
“No, no, it’s all right, Grammy,” I said. “I really enjoyed that. I’d been wondering just how cute and crazy Pinkie had been as a filly, and I wasn’t disappointed,” I added, grinning at my pudgy pink pal.
“Aw, shucks,” said Pinkie, sounding pleasantly bashful.
“That’s sweet of you, dear,” said Grammy, smiling and tousling my hair affectionately.
“How long did Pinkie stick around after she got her cutie mark?” I asked.
“Oh, about a year or two,” said Grammy, and Pinkie nodded. “One day, she decided she wanted to spread smiles to as many ponies as she could, so she left for Ponyville with our blessing. She’s been doing a bang-up job of that, from what she’s told us.”
“Mm-hmm,” said Marble, nodding.
Pinkie beamed. Just then, we heard a pair of voices outside. It was Igneous and Cloudy, and it sounded like they were in the middle of a heated discussion.
“-don’t care what he says! I asked for the finest pickaxe he could provide, and if it chipped that easily on such a simple rock-”
“Igneous, you know Forge. His metalwork has always been long-lasting. Are you sure you didn’t confuse that pickaxe for an older one, one already worn down?”
“Cloudy, I think I wouldst know the difference between my own tools! If this shouldst happen again, I’m going straight back and-”
“Oh, Igneous, give it a rest.”
The front door opened, and the parental Pies walked in, Igneous looking grouchy, Cloudy looking exasperated. His eyes snapped to the four of us on the couch, but Grammy had wisely picked up the album again, and we were all pretending to be engrossed in it once more. To an outside eye, we hadn’t heard a word. Igneous therefore walked on, muttering quietly under his breath. We looked up as Cloudy passed, and she flashed us a quick smile, as if thanking us for leaving Igneous be about his little feud with Mr. Forge. We returned it.
***
Limestone, for her part, didn’t return until dinner time. She looked exhausted, but she seemed pleased with whatever it was she’d gotten done. I felt slightly bad for her. She said she wanted to hang around with me when she could spare time, but it looked like her farm duties were getting in the way of that. Of course, it wasn’t my place to say anything about it.
She must’ve known what I was thinking, because during dinner, when Grammy went to fetch dessert, Limestone stood up and looked right at me.
“Can I talk to ya for a sec, Dave?” she asked.
“Er, yeah, ok,” I said, slightly puzzled.
I stood up and followed her out, the rest of the Pies still occupied with food and talk. Still, I could sense Pinkie’s eyes following the two of us out. Limestone took me into the hallway, and I was starting to feel a sense of foreboding. What was so important for her to tell me that she needed to do it in secret? She stopped, and turned to look at me.
“I know I said I was gonna try to find time to do something with you,” she said, “but I haven’t been doing a good job of that, have I?”
She spoke quite gruffly. I couldn’t really detect sorrow or regret in her voice. Then again, Limestone hardly seemed the type to dissolve into tears or the like. However, I felt sure she was being genuine about what she said.
“Limestone, it’s fine,” I said. “I don’t want to keep you from doing what you need to do.”
“Yeah, but you’re our guest,” she retorted. “I should be making at least some kind of effort. That’s why tomorrow’s the perfect day,” she added, with a smile.
“Why’s that?” I asked.
“Oh, you’ll see,” she said, slyly. “Meet me out by Holder’s Boulder about an hour after breakfast. All right?”
“Er, ok,” I said.
She gave me a satisfied nod, then went back to the dining area. For some time, I just stood there, puzzled. It was nice that Limestone wanted to do something special with me, but just what did she have in mind?
“What’s keeping you, Davie?” Pinkie called. “You don’t wanna miss Grammy’s peach pie!”
Jolted from my ponderings, I hustled to return as well. After all, peach pie was not something I was keen to miss.
Wednesday, February 20
***
The next morning, I went out to meet with Limestone at the time she’d arranged. I’d told the rest of the family I was going out for a while. Pinkie gave me another of those shrewd looks of hers, but said nothing. Did she know what Limestone had in store for me when I didn’t? Her perceptiveness was a little alarming at times. Then again, nopony else raised any questions. Maybe they all knew. Weird.
In any case, Limestone was standing out by Holder’s Boulder, like she said, a bulky picnic basket sitting beside her. I raised an eyebrow at it.
“Isn’t it still a little chilly for a picnic?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” said Limestone, with that sly smile again. “Come on.”
She picked up the basket in her teeth and started leading me out of the farm. In that case, I figured she was going to take me into town for something. But no, she was going in a completely different direction, out towards the barren, empty landscape to the east.
Now I was really puzzled, since it didn’t seem like there was anything out that way, at least not as far as I was aware. Limestone didn’t say a word as she walked. Then again, she was carrying that basket, so she couldn’t speak clearly anyway. So, there I was, trudging along without a clue about what was going on, with nothing but rocks, dirt, and Limestone’s tail to look at, though I did my best to keep from looking at the latter for too long. Spoiled Rich’s chidings about staring at a pony’s rear had resurfaced, and I didn’t want Limestone getting the wrong idea.
After what felt like at least an hour, I could finally see something to break up the monotony of our surroundings. What looked like a cabin loomed into view. A fence extended from it, around a very wide enclosure. I was baffled anew.
“You don’t mean to tell me someone lives out here?” I asked, incredulously.
Limestone shook her head and kept walking. Presently, we were right in front of the cabin, which was slightly bigger than I at first thought. There was a sign over the entrance, which read ‘ARCHEOLOGY STOP: HISTORY, MYSTERY, AND FUN FOR FOALS’. I stared at Limestone, who had set her basket down.
“What’s this all about?” I asked.
She opened the door, and I looked inside. There was a counter with a cash register nearby. The walls were lined with glass cases and podiums containing an assortment of rocks, tools, and bones, all with descriptive plaques set in front of or beside them. The bones themselves, especially the skulls and teeth, were huge. There were even posters and diagrams of reptilian creatures, all of which looked pretty ferocious. Wait, was it just me, or did I see a dirt-speckled bowtie in one of those cases? The label on it was even filthier, with only the letters ‘R’ and ‘y” visible on it. Weird.
“Pretty neat, huh?” asked Limestone, grinning at me. “The left-behinds of the ancients, dinos, and dragons who roamed these lands.”
Some of these were dragon bones? Well, that would explain why some of the creatures depicted had wings, even when they didn’t look remotely like pterodactyls. I supposed, in this world, certain breeds would have been more akin to dinosaurs in Equestria. Plus, they even had their own dinosaurs!
“But this is only the genuine stuff,” said Limestone. “You know, the real deals we can’t have just anypony touching. C’mere.”
She walked to a door at the back of this exhibit and opened it up. It opened, as I saw, onto the enclosure the fence surrounded. It was massive, and there were what could only be models of the dinos and dragons these bones belonged to situated out there. They were enormous, and horribly lifelike. Signposts were fixed in front of them, describing what they were.
Limestone walked me around to take a look at them, though I did my best not to look up into their faces too often. The dinosaurs had vaguely equine skulls and hooved limbs, though the fact that they were part of largely reptilian creatures was rather off-putting. The dragons were creepier. There were dragons with wings, without wings, and even one that looked like an overgrown snake, like Slytherin’s Basilisk. That brought my heart into my throat.
They all had scientific names, followed by what they were called normally. The dinosaurs were things like ‘Equisaurus Caulis (Spiny-back Pony Lizard) and ‘Asiniusaurus’ (Donkey Lizard). The dragons had names like ‘Draconis oviraptor (Egg-Thieving Dragon), ‘Draconis giganticus (King Dragon), and ‘Draconis serpens (Serpent Dragon). Brutus and his fellow dragons looked as tame as rabbits compared to these monsters. I hoped nothing like them were roaming around Equestria anymore. Nearly all were big enough to swallow me whole. One of the dinosaurs, however, looked a lot less savage than the others. In fact, it looked positively meek, in a way that reminded me of...Nah, it had to be my imagination.
“So this is another of your duties?” I asked.
“Sorta,” said Limestone. “About once every two weeks, I come down here to run this little side business we have going. It’s a full-on, interactive exhibition of fossils and bones and stuff that have been discovered and dug up. This land’s full of ‘em! We’re still finding stuff even today!”
“Wow,” I said, impressed.
“We even have a ‘dig site’ for foals to enjoy. Take a look.”
She pointed to what looked like an oversized sandbox, with a couple of signs posted near it. One of them showed a list of what was apparently buried beneath the sand. Prominent was what looked like a fang made of gold.
“Gives ‘em the thrill of digging up real treasures,” said Limestone. “We even have a prize for someone who digs up the ‘golden tooth’. That’s the most valuable thing in there.”
“Neat,” I said, admiringly.
“Figured you’d like it,” said Limestone. “Pinkie told me you did some work for the royal council that had to do with history, so I figured you might like a look.”
“I do have some slight interest in history,” I admitted. “This is really fascinating.”
Limestone smiled, then glanced at my watch.
“We’d better head back inside. We’re due to open soon.”
“Does this place get a lot of business?” I asked, as we headed back to the cabin.
“Eh, a decent amount,” said Limestone, shrugging. “We’re pretty out of the way, but I’ve put out advertisements, so there’s always some ponies who come around. Makes a great edutainment stop for the kids.”
(These kids must be made of stronger stuff than I am, to wanna be around models of those terrors…)
***
As it turned out, the site did get a fair amount of business. Ponies who were obviously tourists visiting and feeling adventurous came by to have a look, and several brought their foals with them. They hung around the cabin, gawking at and admiring the evidence of dinosaurs and dragons past and departed. Limestone herself wandered around, answering questions for patrons, giving little historical tidbits. She was just like a docent. I couldn’t help wondering at how open she was being, when Marble had told me she wasn’t good with company. Perhaps this was a different circumstance.
Outside, as I expected, the foals marveled at the dino and dragon replicas. They were indeed a lot braver than I was, getting right up close. I imagined some of them might even have tried to climb or fly inside one of their mouths if their parents weren’t supervising them. Of course, the biggest thing for them was the interactive dig site. I watched as group after group dug with gusto, searching for the golden tooth. The foals who found it were awarded tote bags full of goodies concerning prehistoric creatures; appropriate and kinda neat.
A lot of ponies did stop to stare at me. Some of them seemed to recognize me from news about the Brimstone Lounge, or else had never seen a human before. Limestone seemed particularly wary around ponies coming up to me. It made me wonder if she was waiting for one of them to start causing trouble with me. No one did, thankfully, but she didn’t need to take that level of precaution just for me.
The picnic basket Limestone had brought contained lunch for the two of us. She had packed sandwiches (granite slab and cheese for her, plain cheese for me), fruit, and bottles of lemonade. We ate during a lull in customers in the early afternoon, Limestone still keeping an eye out for anypony.
“How do you manage to do so much on your own?” I asked.
Limestone raised a puzzled eyebrow at me, her mouth full of rock, cheese, and bread.
“I mean, all your farm work, working in your mine, this,” I said, gesturing vaguely. “I know Marble helps you without being asked, but-”
Limestone swallowed her mouthful.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I appreciate her chipping in, honest. It’s just…”
She paused, twirling her hoof vaguely as she apparently tried to find the right words.
“Well, it’s just not easy for a pony like me to ask for help,” she said, lamely. “Some excuse, huh? I mean, I’m the oldest daughter. I’ve got a lot of responsibility to live up to, keeping the farm going for Mom and Dad. They’re getting older. They need somepony to make sure we keep going when they get too tired to. How would it look if I couldn’t handle it? With Maud going off to school and Pinkie leaving for Ponyville…”
She broke off with a sigh.
“Eh, never mind,” she muttered. “You don’t wanna hear me blabber on about all that.”
I felt a pang of sympathy for her. I hoped she wasn’t one of those hard-workers who wasn’t properly appreciated for what they did.
“It’s not easy, feeling like the weight of the world’s on your shoulders,” I said, gently. “I mean, look at me. I’m a member of Princess Celestia’s royal council! I’m representing Ponyville and my entire species! I can’t afford to make mistakes, either. I can’t really claim to know what it’s like being the oldest sibling or oldest child, but I do know a thing or two about heavy responsibility. Trust me, though, Limestone: there’s no shame in accepting help from those who care about you. As someone with an older sister myself, I’m sure that Pinkie, Marble, and Maud feel the same way.”
Limestone turned to look at me with those vibrant, lime-green eyes of hers. I gave her an encouraging sort of smile. Then, finally, she smiled back, laying a hoof on my shoulder.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’m not much for mushy stuff, but I appreciate it.”
“It’s all right,” I said. “I just can’t help feeling like anypony who’s friend or family to Pinkie is the same for me.”
“Heh,” chuckled Limestone. “I’m sure she’d say the same about you.”
More customers were coming by the point, so our conversation broke off there, and it was back to business. I did have a feeling Pinkie would consider anyone close to me as part of her own circle. It made me wonder, not for the first time, what my family and friends back home would think if they saw the collection of friends I’d made here, not the least of which being an entire family of rock farmers.
Thursday, February 21
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We actually get to learn more about Limestone in this chapter. Excellent chapter like always
So Limey's a curator of sorts? Impressive. In fact, I kinda want to go see that museum myself! Ever since I was a little kid, three things had always caught my interest. Japan, space, and ancient times (whether it be ancient peoples, places, or creatures mattered not). To this day, I still have those interests. Dave, you are one lucky biped to be able to see the remains of Equestria's ancient past!
Put time and effort in and you can have one of the wonders of the age. Walking round full sized models of dinosuars is amazing, even if the ones I saw were only partially articulated, the first time is a fright when youre enjoying the duck bill saurus, not looking up because of the 40 foot high, 120 foot long apatosaurus waving its neck and tail above you, and so not looking up at teh top of the rock by the exit until the roar of the T Rex standing on top of it warns youre about to be a snack.
I thought the T Rex with the bow tie, was Reginald? Or was that his butler?
I really hope the non vicious one was Spike, and not Barney.
Limestone has a really nice show going on there, must be a decent road, but its definitely worth having rail access as well. Would Marble like to run a minature steam railway, powered by Peace? From the main line station to the display?
Another adorable chapter, eh?:D
My first thought was "Rory", because it's related to time, this fic seems to have a number of Doctor Who references, and I'm vaguely aware of him being a Doctor Who character. But I don't know if it even would be him.
...
...
He must never know about gen 3.
Ever
I was about to send you a PM for writing 'archaeology' wrong, only to verify from a dictionary that it's, again, a difference between American and British English.
The fact that there are ponies with teeth and jaws strong enough to eat solid rocks still amazes me. I wonder if they can eat gems like Spike. . . .
Dave's interaction with Pinkie's family has been very enjoyable. It's good to see him interact with all of them in turn rather than just have them as a group and leave it at that. By taking the time to get to know them individually really does make him seem "like a member of the family," which is good considering how close he and Pinkie are.
It's also wonderful to see how far the story has come since Dave's first unsuccessful visit to the rock farm. He is not only accepted now but treated with respect and kindness, almost as though the Pies had known him for years.
It's moments like this that make me wonder what the story would've been like if another pony found Dave when he first fell into Equestria. Hmm . . . maybe in an alternate universe.
Still, I'm glad it was Pinkie who found Dave first. I don't think he could've figuratively and literally fallen into better hooves.
At some point, I expect a member of the Pie family is going to pull Dave aside and say "look, I know we seem like a really traditional family, but we love Pinkie and just want to see her happily married to a special somepony, even if that 'somepony' isn't actually a pony."
I need more words!
As always, this story tickles me
.
The Archaeology Stop seems to be a bit more focused on paleontology than archaeology.
7639821 whoops, pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/rsz/mlfw8517_small.jpg there we go
The sign read Mystery Shack. The S had fallen off.
7606272
Let's see, assuming everything else was the same...
Twilight: Had a headache, possibly due to the very spell that brought Dave to Equestria, and would be in no condition to be a good host. He might have had to take care of her. (That said, I imagine he'd be willing.)
Fluttershy: Was scared of him and hid. Maybe she'd open up a bit if basically the same thing happened with the animals as did in this iteration, but probably wouldn't be up to showing him around.
Rainbow Dash: Thought he was some sort of tamable beast. Initially thought he was bothering Pinkie. If Rainbow had been his first contact... hard to say.
Applejack and Rarity: Both would have been good hosts, but perhaps a bit busy to play tour guide.
Zecora: Might actually be one of the better possible first contacters, even in this hypothetical scenario in which he hadn't heard of her first.
Pies: With nopony to vouch for him, and Igneous' only knowledge of humans being "what's said of their kind", Dave would almost certainly be sunk.