• Published 24th Feb 2020
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Spike The Brony Dragon - red4567



A human in Spike's body will do whatever he can to change the future for the better.

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Chapter 61 (Maud Pie)

I didn’t change anything for “Somepony to Watch Over Me”. There was no need to change every episode I came across, and it wasn’t my business to be involved in any family squabbles after all.

One day, I was in the library as usual. I wanted to try out a session of Ogres and Oubliettes with Twilight, but she politely refused.

“Come on, Twilight,” I said. “It’ll be only one encounter. The enemy won’t even have much health. It’ll be like swatting a fly.”

“I said no, Spike,” replied Twilight. “I’m not interested in that kind of stuff.”

“How can you not be interested? You get to make your own character, do your own things, and have your own stuff. It’s a do-whatever-you-want kind of game.”

“Spike, the only thing that game does is put you in a dungeon and have you fight monsters. Who wants to fight monsters all the time?”

I pulled an unamused look. Twilight read my face.

“We don’t do that all the time in real life, if that’s what you’re thinking,” said Twilight.

Before I could say anything else, Pinkie came bursting into the library.

“TWILIGHTSPIKEMYBIGSISTERMAUDISCOMINGTOVISITMETOMORROWANDINEEDYOURHELPSOYOUGOTTACOMEOVERTOTHEBACKOFSUGARCUBECORNERVERYEARLYATSIXAMTOMORROWTOHELPMEWITHSOMETHINGOKAYTHANKSBYE!”

Pinkie zoomed out just as fast as she arrived.

“Well...uh...” I said awkwardly. “That was pretty random. Did you understand what she said?”

I looked to see Twilight’s horn glowing. She had a ball of pure magic in front of her.

“One sec.” Twilight motioned her hoof. “I found this spell that can record other ponies' voices and play them back at whatever speed is desirable.”

A tape recorder spell. How convenient. You’d find spells for anything these days.

“Okay, here we go.” Twilight pressed the orb of magic.

Pinkie’s voice played back in slow motion. “Twilight! Spike! My big sister Maud is coming to visit me tomorrow and I need your help, so you gotta come over to the back of Sugarcube Corner very early at six a.m. tomorrow to help me with something! Okay? Thanks! Bye!”

Then the ball of magic disappeared.

“It took me a while to restore the first part,” said Twilight, “but everything else was easy.”

“So one of Pinkie’s sisters is coming over to visit, huh?” I asked. “That’s nice. I hope she enjoys her stay.”

“I hope so, too. Though, I wondered why Pinkie wants us to see her tomorrow morning.”

“Maybe to help her with a gift for her sister? I wonder if she told the girls about this as well.”

“She might have. Let’s go find them.”

As I hopped on Twilight’s back, I knew this was the episode where Maud, Pinkie’s older sister, comes to visit. The girls would have trouble connecting with the monotone pony, so Pinkie comes up with a dangerous obstacle course for everypony to enjoy. Sadly, it would result in Maud and Pinkie briefly returning to their rock farm. The girls later discovered what Maud and themselves had in common: they cared deeply for Pinkie Pie. I wondered if I could reveal that early.

After visiting the girls and a lot of “Oh, that’s what she was saying” quotes, Twilight and I returned home.

“So...” I began to say.

“Forget it, Spike,” Twilight said. “Not today.”

I sighed sharply. It was no wonder Big Mac was the only player Spike could get.

I wonder if Rumble and Button Mash would be interested.


Bright and early next morning, Twilight and I were on our way to Sugarcube Corner. Even though I went to bed at 8 p.m. last night, I felt more tired than a sloth drinking Nyquil.

We arrived behind Sugarcube corner with the rest of the girls. Just like me, most of them were exhausted.

“Has anypony heard from Pinkie Pie since yesterday?” Applejack asked.

We all said no.

“I don't see what's so important we had to meet her here this early,” Rainbow yawned. “Celestia hasn't even raised the sun yet!”

“I hope everything's okay.” Twilight lightly knocked on the door.

We could hear crashes and bangs on the other side. It’s a wonder how the Cake Twins didn’t wake up from all that. Pinkie swung open the door. She was wearing lab goggles and a chef’s hat.

“Thank goodness you're all here!” Pinkie exclaimed. “There's no time to lose!”

Pinkie threw half of us into the shop and shoved the other half in with her.

It was then we saw mountains and mountains of rock candy piled everywhere in her room. It was like looking at a dragon lord’s hoard.

“What is all this?” Twilight asked.

“My sister Maud's gonna be here soon, and I need your help taste-testing my rock candy recipes!” Pinkie replied as she stirred some of the hard treats with a whisk.

“Uh, we're happy to help you, Pinkie Pie,” said Applejack. “but this seems like an awful lot of candy.”

“I may have gone a teensy bit overboard.”

“That’s an understatement,” I said.

We spent the next few hours tasting many pieces of rock candy. While I did like rock candy, eating so much of it in such little time was sickening. The same could be said for any kind of food, to be honest.

“Everypony ready for more?” Pinkie asked as she wheeled in a bucket of more rock candy.

“Ugh, my teeth hurt,” groaned a bloated Rainbow Dash.

“Same with me,” I said while massaging my jaw. “And I eat gemstones, for Celestia’s sake!”

“I think we've had plenty,” said Applejack. “And shouldn't you be on your way to pick up Maud from the train station?”

“But you've only tried half of the flavors!” Pinkie shouted. “And we have to choose the perfect ones before she gets here so I have time to make more!” Pinkie scarfed down the entire bucket.

It’s a wonder how she doesn’t have cavities...or diabetes.

“Maud is your sister,” Twilight said as she walked over to Pinkie. “I'm sure she'll love your rock candy. And I'm pretty sure you've made enough. She's only staying for the week.”

“Unless she has the same bottomless stomach as you, of course,” I said.

“Aw, it's not just for Maud, silly,” said Pinkie. “I'm making candy for all of us!”

Pinkie went on explaining how making the rock candy was important because of a special tradition only the closests friends and family members could share: making rock candy necklaces. Maud taught Pinkie how to make them with a special kind of rock, and they’ve been trading necklaces ever since Pinkie moved to Ponyville.

“Aw, what a great tradition,” sighed Applejack.

“Hold on. The secret ingredient is rocks?” Rainbow asked.

“Yeah,” Pinkie replied. “But these are a special kind of rock that Maud discovered.”

“Is it sugar?” I joked.

Pinkie chuckled. “Good answer, but no. Sure, sugar is crystallized to make it seem like it came from rocks, but in reality it comes from sucrose, a disaccharide produced in plants such as sugar cane or beets. So in fact, sugar is a plant-based ingredient. And Mrs. Cake says I don’t eat enough veggies.”

“Wow, you just spoke egghead for a second there,” said Dash.

“When it comes to baking, chemistry is the most important factor!”

“I can’t argue with that,” said Twilight.

“Now that Maud is heading out to get her rocktorate in rock science, this may be our last chance to trade them for a really long time,” said Pinkie. “I can't wait for you all to meet her. I just know that my best Ponyville friends and my best sister friend are gonna become bestest friends! We can make bestest-est friend rock candy necklaces together!” Pinkie then grabbed all of us for a group hug. “She expresses herself through fashion just like Rarity, and she's really smart and loves reading just like Twilight! And she's honest, and helpful, and loves forest things, and is good at games, and...well, she's awesome!”

“She sounds amazing,” Rarity groaned, “but won't she start worrying if you aren't at the train station when she gets here?”

“She sure will.” Pinkie then gasped and released all of us. “I gotta get out of here!” She zipped out of Sugarcube Corner in a flash.

“Well, that was something,” said Applejack as she brushed herself off.

“If Pinkie wants us to bond with her sister, then we should do just that,” said Twilight. “Let’s set up a picnic with her later today. Then we could see how much in common we really have.”

“Can it be a light picnic?” Rainbow asked, clutching her belly. “I’m still full from fifty pounds of rock candy.”

“Of course, obviously.”


Later at the library, Twilight and I were getting ready for the picnic. I rubbed my slightly-inflated stomach.

“I think all that rock candy killed off my love for real gemstones,” I said. “I think I could go for an entire week without eating one.”

“I know, Spike,” said Twilight. “At least we’ll be eating different food on this picnic.”

“Hoo?” Owlowicious flew from his perch and onto Twilight’s hoof.

“You had to be there, little buddy,” I said.

Twilight checked the time. “We better head on over to the picnic. We told Pinkie to meet us by the lake, and we’ll be bringing all our pets there as well.”

I climbed onto Twilight's back as Owlowiscious landed on Twilight’s head. We then headed down the lake. Some of the girls were already there with their pets.

“I sure hope Maud has an appetite,” said Fluttershy as she arranged some of the food on the picnic blanket.

“Never met a pony or critter who didn't love Granny Smith's apple spiced muffins,” said Applejack as she put the basket down.

“Oh! It’s no use!” Rarity cried.

Rarity showed up with Opal. The former was wearing a giant hat decorated with blocks of quartz.

“I simply cannot find anything suitable to wear!” Rarity shouted again. One of the pieces of quartz fell into the muffin basket.

“I doubt she'll notice what anypony's wearing, so what's the big deal?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“The big deal is that it will be very difficult to show Maud what a strong fashion presence we have in Ponyville if the most fashion-forward pony here can't keep her hat from falling apart!”

“Why not just wear one of those gem-covered dresses you had a while back?” I asked. “A gem is like a rock, only fancier.”

“Because this idea was fresh in my mind, and I wanted to give it a try. Oh, it looked so fabulous, and practical, on paper.”

“I think we're all a little nervous about Maud's visit,” said Twilight. “She's Pinkie Pie's sister, and it's obvious Pinkie really wants us to hit it off. Being able to make those rock candy necklaces together is really important to her. I'm sure everything will be fine…”

“We’re here!” Pinkie’s voice shouted.

We looked to see Pinkie pronking down the dirt path. Her sister, however, was nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Maud?” Twilight asked.

“She’s coming,” Pinkie replied.

Rainbow looked beyond the horizon of the path. “Uh, you sure?”

“She's not quite as fast as me. I asked Gummy to stay with her in case she got lost!”

We watched the path for the longest time. Just like in the show, the only audible noise was Tank’s propeller. And I couldn’t fast-forward this time.

A long while later, Pinkie’s sister approached. She was gray with a dull purple mane that almost matched Twilight’s style. She wore a blue-grey dress with a dark-grey belt. Gummy was attached to her tail. This was definitely Maud Pie.

A ponified Daria Morgendorffer if I ever saw her.

Maud leaned down to a rock in front of her and sniffed it.

“Sedimentary,” she said in a monotone voice.

“Huh?” Rainbow landed between Twilight and a grinning Pinkie Pie.

“This is a sedimentary rock,” said Maud, picking up the rock.

The girls remained silent. Not wanting the awkward silence to prolong any further, I stepped in.

“Hello there, Maud,” I greeted cheerfully. “Welcome to Ponyville. Pinkie told us all about you. We hope you’ll enjoy your week here before your big trip. My name is Spike.” I motioned over to the rest of the girls. “These are my friends: Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Rarity. It’s an honor to see you.” I stuck out my hand.

“Likewise,” Maud replied as she shook my hand. Her tone remained unchanged.

“A mare of a few words and emotions, I see. I understand completely. We all have different ways of expressing ourselves after all.”

“Pinkie Pie tells me you share my love for fashion,” Rarity said.

“I'm really into expressing myself through my wardrobe,” replied Maud.

“And what is the delightful frock you're wearing now saying?”

“It doesn't talk. It's a dress.”

I giggled a bit. “I think what Rarity’s trying to say is what made you choose that dress in particular.”

“It was in my closet. It fits me. I liked the color. So I chose it,” said Maud.

“A mare who experiments on what to wear and see the world’s reaction. I like that. Rarity does it sometimes as well.”

“N-not purely random!” Rarity denied. “I have a system depending on designs, thread counts, colors and more.”

Winona barked, and Applejack introduced Maud to all our pets.

“Pinkie Pie told us you have a pet, too,” said Applejack.

“He's in my pocket,” Maud said.

Fluttershy’s face lit up. “Oh, you have a pocket pet? Like a tiny mouse? Or a baby bird? Or a trained butterfly?”

I could see the green-eyed monster behind Angel’s white furred face.

“It's a rock.” Maud pulled her pet from her pocket and placed him on the ground. “His name is Boulder.”

I kneeled down close to him. “Uh...hello there, Boulder. Is it okay if I pet him?”

“He’s a rock,” Maud replied.

“Right.” I stood up. “Sorry, little buddy. Just trying to be friendly.”

The girls gave each other confused looks. I bet they were wondering if I hung out with Pinkie Pie too much.

“This is going to be the best, most awesome, funnest week ever!” Pinkie screamed. “I can't wait for us all to become bestest friends!”

The girls could only awkwardly chuckle.

We later sat down to eat. There was only light food for either a small lunch or a snack, which was okay given the all-you-can-eat rock candy buffet we had for breakfast this morning.

“Maud? Would you like to try one of Granny Smith's famous apple spiced muffins?” Applejack asked as she pushed the basket towards Maud.

Maud sniffed some of the muffins and that piece of quartz that was still in the basket. I didn’t have to guess which one she took.

“Oh, uh, that’s not…” Applejack stuttered.

That was all she could say before Maud munched on the translucent mineral. It astounded me how Maud never broke any teeth.

“It’s crunchy,” Maud said.

“Pinkie, are you sure your family isn’t related to dragons?” I asked. “It would make more sense than being related to Apples.”

Pinkie scratched her chin. “I had a distant relative who was an expert on using one of those giant dragon puppets. Does that count?”

“So, uh, Pinkie Pie tells us you like games,” Dash said to Maud.

“Boulder and I sometimes play a game called ‘Camouflage,’” said Maud. “It's kind of like hide and seek but way more intense.”

“That sounds awesome,” I said. “Why don’t we play it? What are the rules?”

Maud gave us the basic rules of the game, though I don’t think “Find Boulder” could be any more basic. After we covered our eyes, we waited for Boulder to “hide.”

“Alright, that’s long enough,” said Maud. “Let’s find Boulder.”

The girls looked around the nearby rock pile for Boulder. The only pony who was enjoying the game was Pinkie Pie. I searched around Maud for a bit. While I knew where Boulder really was, I didn’t want the game to end too early.

“Quite an elusive piece of basalt,” I said to myself.

After a few minutes of searching, I decided the game went on long enough.

“Hey, Maud, could you check your pockets, please?” I asked.

Maud patted her dress. I swore her eyelids rose a millimeter when she pulled out Boulder.

“Found him,” Maud called out with her deadpan tone.

The girls and their pets hurried over to Maud and me.

“Wow, that was fast!” Pinkie cheerfully said. “Where was he?”

“In Maud’s pocket,” I replied.

“Seriously?” Rainbow groaned.

“Boulder hid pretty well,” said Maud. “He’s surprised you found him so soon, Spike.”

“Well, it all boils down to simple logic and psychology,” I said. “If you go to a new place, you’d most likely stick with someone familiar, like your friend or your owner. That made me think Boulder had to be somewhere close to Maud. Then I thought Boulder would pick someplace where he was most comfortable. Since I couldn’t find him around any nearby rocks, I assumed he was somewhere on Maud. I concluded right then and there he’d be in the most logical place: the pockets of her dress. I asked Maud to check, and as luck would have it, he was there.”

“You’d make a good detective,” said Fluttershy.

“It’s okay, Boulder,” said Maud. “You’ll win next time.” She put him back in her pocket.

Angel showed up and tapped on Fluttershy’s leg. He then pointed to all the pets who were a bit winded.

“I don't mean to interrupt, but we really should get these little critters home,” said Fluttershy. “It's getting awfully late, and they've had a very busy day.”

“Maud and I had better get going too,” said Pinkie. “I want her to taste the rock candy we're gonna use for our best-friends necklaces! Aw yeah!”

As Pinkie, Gummy, Maud, and Boulder left, the girls were left awkward by the experience today.

“She sure is...different from what I expected,” Applejack said.

“Spike seems to be the only one who bonds with her for some reason,” said Rarity. “He didn’t feel any different from whenever we meet somepony else.”

“On the bright side, Boulder seemed really sweet,” said Fluttershy.

“He’s a rock!” Rainbow shouted.

Well, he’s got nerves of steel.

“Come on, girls,” I said. “Sure, Maud doesn’t express her emotions the same way her sister does, but that doesn’t mean you have to feel alienated around her. I was able to interact with her much better than the rest of you did.”

Rainbow zoomed down. “Spike, Maud eating rocks and having a sister might make you two see some common ground but Pinkie wanted all of us to connect with her. And frankly, with the way she’s acting, it’s pretty hard.”

“How can you not befriend one of your own friend’s siblings?” I asked. “All of you girls? Twilight, especially. How can you set a good example for your subjects if you, the Princess of Friendship, can't even bond with a relative of your best friend?”

“What subjects, Spike? I don’t...” Twilight widened her eyes. “...have...any...subjects.”

“Let’s just skip the identity crisis for now,” Rarity said. “Spike may have a point. Perhaps we’re not giving it a chance. We’ve been disbelieved by her...unique style that we never got to see a connection between her and us.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Maybe we should spend some time with her one-on-one to try to get to know her better. I'm sure if we do that, we'll be making those best friend rock candy necklaces in no time.”

The girls and I agreed on that.

“Say, if it’s not too much trouble, will it be okay if I join Pinkie and Maud?” I asked. “Maybe I could find a connection that you girls aren’t seeing.”

“I guess that would be fine,” replied Rarity.

The rest of the girls responded with similar answers.


The next morning, I hurried over to Sugarcube Corner right before Maud and Pinkie headed out.

“Good morning, Spike!” Pinkie greeted me. “What’s up?”

“Good morning, Pinkie and Maud. Where are you two going?”

“Well, get this. Twilight suggested that Maud and I should visit each of our friends individually to create a tighter bond! So, I thought about us visiting Rarity first.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m gonna tag along with you two to see how it goes.”

I hopped on Pinkie’s back, and we made our way to the boutique.

“So what are your other sisters like?” I asked. “I was told there were four of you.”

“That’s right!” Pinkie replied. “The other two are my sisters, Limestone and Marble. Limestone is bold and isn’t afraid to share her thoughts, while Marble’s a good listener and a strong, silent type.”

I guessed that was one way of putting it, but I never imagined Marble to be the strong type. I wondered if she could punch rocks like Maud would.

Once we arrived at the Carousel Boutique, Pinkie knocked on the door. Rarity opened up.

“Oh, good morning girls and Spike,” said Rarity. “I’ve been expecting you.”

We entered Rarity’s home. Just like in the show, Rarity offered Maud a range of fabrics to choose from, but Maud was interested in a stained dish towel on the fashionista’s desk. Rarity was confused, but she was willing to make something out of it.

“Rarity and my sister working together to design something amazing!” Pinkie exclaimed as she hugged Maud. “This is the best day ever!”

Rarity brought out a few pieces of cloth that matched the dish towel. Most of them looked like rags.

“Perhaps I could sew all of these together and make you something you'd like,” said Rarity.

“No thanks,” Maud replied. “One is enough.”

She wrapped the towel around her neck.

“Doesn't Maud make the coolest scarves?” Pinkie asked.

“Oh, how clever,” I said. “Using an ordinary dish towel to make a fashionable item. Rarity has her fair share of designing clothes using limited materials. One time, she used stuff from a luxury hotel for a fashion contest in Manehattan, and she won!”

“Quite,” Rarity said uneasily.

“Let’s try Fluttershy next!” Pinkie announced. “Come on.”

Maud nodded and followed her bouncing sister.

“Hey, don’t worry so much, Rarity,” I said. “You’d be surprised how much you girls and Maud have in common.”

“Well...I haven't seen it yet, Spikey-Wikey,” said Rarity.

I left the boutique and caught up with the two Pie sisters. We arrived at Fluttershy’s place just in time, as she wanted us to go on a nature walk.

“I’m sure you all will love what nature has to offer,” Fluttershy said.

We followed her into the forest. As we walked along the trail, we could hear some of the birds chirping. Hummingway, a hummingbird, in particular flew up and greeted us.

“What's he saying?” Pinkie asked.

“He says hello, and he's happy to see us too,” replied Fluttershy.

“Wow, I wish I could speak hummingbird.”

Fluttershy and I noticed Maud was trailing behind. She was looking at a rock that a spider just happened to crawl on. Fluttershy and I hurried up to her.

“These spiders only live in Ponyville,” said Fluttershy, “and even though they may look a teeny bit scary, they're actually very sweet and help keep other, more dangerous insects away!”

Right after Fluttershy said that, the spider gave us a flower, which Fluttershy took and placed in her mane.

“Thank you.”

This is why I usually release spiders outdoors instead of killing them.

“I was looking at the rock,” said Maud.

“Oh.” Fluttershy blushed.

“You know, some insects make their homes under rocks,” I said as we continued on the trail. “That rock back there looked like a good living place for the spider. Maud had the right idea observing it.”

“Mm-hm.”

After our trail, Pinkie and Maud waved goodbye to Fluttershy.

“Thanks again, Fluttershy! Start thinking about which flavors you want to put on your best friend rock candy necklace!” Pinkie called out. “Hurry up, Spike!”

“I’ll be with you girls in a bit!” I responded.

“I'm not sure we're even friends yet,” Fluttershy said under her breath.

“Aw come on, Fluttershy, did you see how Maud observed that rock? Pinkie was right when she said she liked forest stuff.”

“I know what she said, but...”

“Isn’t finding the best shelter important for an animal, especially an insect? For those who reside under a rock, they need to find one that’s not too heavy and can keep most of the rain out, and that’s only a couple of the important factors.”

“That’s true.”

“Just try to find some common ground between you two. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

I hurried back to Pinkie and Maud. Their next destination was the library. The three of us entered to see Twilight organizing some of her books.

“Hey, guys. Good to see you again,” said Twilight. “Pinkie said that you loved reading, Maud.”

“Maud is a total bookworm,” said Pinkie as she rode on the ladder. “She loves poetry!”

“I know a dragon who’s into beat poetry,” I said. “Maybe he and Maud could get along.”

“I've got lots of poetry.” Twilight pulled out a few books. “Do you read anything by Quilland Ink? Or Flourish Prose?”

“I prefer to read my own poetry,” replied Maud.

“Oh, I'd love to hear some of it!”

Maud cleared her throat and began her poem.

“Rock.
You are a rock.
Gray.
You are gray.
Like a rock.
Which you are.
Rock.”

I lightly applauded. “Amazing. Love the use of single syllables.”

“She's so prolific!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“This next one is about rocks,” said Maud. “They're all about rocks.”

“Well, I bet they all rock, no pun intended,” I said. “I guess we have time for one more.”

Maud recited her second rock poem. Twilight looked like she was listening to the world’s most boring lecture. It was a good thing Maud only gave two poems. Any more and Twilight would’ve discovered how to sleep with her eyes open.

“Let’s head to Applejack’s next!” Pinkie declared.

As the Pie sisters left, I whispered to Twilight, “Don’t act so bored. Maybe there’s a hidden meaning behind those poems.”

“Besides the fact that they’re made by somepony who likes rocks?”

“Well...maybe Maud’s first poem is about someone who’s hard and dull, and she wishes the pony to lighten up.”

“You sound like a literature professor,” said Twilight.

“Well, try to decipher her second poem while I’m gone.”

I ran out of the library and met Maud and Pinkie once again.

“Sheesh, Spike, pick up your feet,” said Pinkie. “You always seem to be falling behind.”

“I’m sorry. My legs aren’t built the same way as yours,” I snarked.

We arrived at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack offered us to help with the cider. Just like in the show, Pinkie gathered the apples, Maud peeled them, and Applejack prepared the cider. I joined Maud too, knowing how she’d peel them.

“You 'bout done peelin' them apples for the cider, guys?” Applejack asked.

“I’ve done my share,” I replied.

“I think this one is done as well,” said Maud pointing to the squashed apple.

“Uh, Maud. We’re making peeled apples, not applesauce.”

“This is how we peel stuff on the rock farm.”

I looked at Pinkie and she nodded in agreement.

Remind me to send your family a peeler next Hearth’s Warming Eve.

“I'm...sure that's plenty enough,” said Applejack.

After a few minutes of preparation, Applejack poured some cider into three mugs for each of us. Maud and I held our mugs normally, while Pinkie just grabbed hers with only her mouth and chugged the entire thing faster than I could say “Rainbow Dash has a cider addiction.”

“Wow!” Pinkie screamed as she put the cup down. “That's the best apple cider I've ever had!”

I took a swig of mine and enjoyed the taste. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“What do you think, Maud?” Applejack asked.

Maud took one small sip and said, “It tastes like apples.”

“Ah, good taste buds, Maud,” I said. “Some of the other ponies who’d make cider would usually cheat by adding something else, like orange juice or artificial flavors, and claiming it’s made with nothing but apples. Or they would add so many ingredients in there that you couldn’t taste the apples. But not Applejack. She uses apples, and she makes sure the taste is obvious!”

“And she’s honest!” Pinkie said. “Just like Maud is.”

“We're practically twins, heh,” AJ nervously said.

Our final stop after the cider drinking was visiting Rainbow Dash. She took us to the nearby lake with a bunch of rocks.

“Okay, here’s my game that involves rocks,” said Rainbow. “It’s called ‘Who can toss the rock across the lake?’ It’s like skipping stones, but more intense!”

“Hey, you repeated what Maud said about ‘Camouflage!’” Pinkie gleefully exclaimed.

“Yeah, I’m aware of that.”

Rainbow Dash picked up a rock. I did the same. I tossed mine as hard as I could. The rock reached to only about three-fourths of the lake before plunging into the watery depths.

“Not bad,” said Dashie. “Now it’s my turn!”

With her rock, Rainbow Dash spun around and threw it with great force. Unlike my now-wet one, hers landed on the soft sand on the other side.

“Yeah! Let's see you beat that!” Dash shouted to Maud.

Both Rainbow and I wished she never said that, because the next thing we knew, Maud heaved a pony-sized boulder straight over the lake and beyond the hills. I knew instantly what was going to happen next. I ran in the opposite direction and ducked behind a small hill.

BOOM!

My attempts to hide were futile, but then again, I wasn’t expecting to stay dry anyway. I was introduced to a wall of water that drenched me to the bone! With so much water, I couldn’t tell if it was falling on me, or somehow Steven Magnet the sea serpent managed to pull me into the lake.

I peeked from the small mound to see Pinkie and Rainbow in the lake, and Maud still at the shore. Just like me, they got soaked from the rock’s shockwave.

Rainbow was shocked at what she witnessed. “How did you do that?!”

“I threw it,” Maud bluntly replied.

Maud would make a great Earthbender.

“Well, what did I expect from someone who grew up on a rock farm?” I asked as I dried myself off.

“I guess you won this one, Maud,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I'm not really into…’winning,’” Maud responded.

“Nice, a pony who’s in it just for fun,” I said.


Later that day, the girls sans Pinkie and Maud visited the library.

“So...how did everypony’s visit with Maud go?” Twilight asked.

“Well...uh...” Applejack scratched the back of her head.

“It was...okay...” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Quite a...unique experience...” Rarity tapped her hoof on the ground.

“Yeah, it went as could be expected,” said Rainbow Dash bluntly.

Twilight sighed. “I’m afraid I have to say the same thing. I did my best to bond with Maud, but her poetry isn’t what I would call epic.”

Murmurs were heard all around. That’s when I decided to speak up.

“Am I the only one who is genuinely bonding with her?” I asked. “All day, I’ve been by her side, and I was able to understand her under her monochrome face and monotone voice.”

“But don’t you see, Spike?” Twilight asked. “You might be able to bond with her, but the same can’t be said for the rest of us. I’m afraid we have to tell Pinkie that nothing clicks between us and her sister.”

“You know what I see? None of you noticed the things you have in common with Maud.”

“What things?” Rainbow asked. “What could we have in common with Little Miss Grayscale? And don’t just say that we’re ponies.”

“Oh, there’s much more than that, Dashie. Maud can be resourceful when it comes to fashion, just like Rarity. She likes to learn about the places animals live under, like Fluttershy. Both her and Twilight like poetry and sometimes write a few themselves. She likes to stick to traditional tactics, like Applejack and her family. As for being similar to Rainbow Dash, she’s not afraid of showing off her unadulterated strength.”

“Okay, yaa might have a point there,” said Applejack. “But...”

“But most importantly, she has one trait that all of us have.” I stood up. “We care a lot for Pinkie Pie!”

Everypony’s ears perked up.

“Maud may be as emotionless as a stone, but that does not mean she doesn’t show love for Pinkie.” I walked to the center of the library. “Why else would she visit Pinkie a week before leaving for her rocktorate’s degree? Why else did she agree to make the rock candy necklaces with her one last time? Why else did she interact with us as a whole and individually for Pinkie? Do you think someone who doesn’t care for their sister would do all that?”

“Spike may have a point,” said Fluttershy.

“Tell you what, why don’t you girls and Maud do something together for Pinkie Pie? Like...making a cake? You can chat with her about Pinkie, and I’ll bet she can share some interesting facts about her that aren't rock related.”

Twilight shrugged. “It’s worth a shot, but what if it doesn’t work?”

I sighed. “Then you’re welcome to tell Pinkie that you girls can’t bond with her.”

Hopefully, it won’t come to that. Creative as it was, I’m not fond of that dangerous obstacle course Pinkie built in the show.

“If we’re gonna do that, we need to tell Pinkie to hold off the rock candy necklaces,” said Rainbow Dash.

Later that day, we went to Sugarcube Corner and explained to Pinkie that we needed some more time to connect with Maud, but we didn’t tell her how. Pinkie allowed it since there was still time left before Maud had to leave.


The next morning, Twilight and I spoke to Mrs. Cake about our plan.

“...so could you find a way to get Pinkie away from Sugarcube Corner for a bit while the girls, Maud, and I make a cake for her?” Twilight asked.

“I guess I could try,” Mrs. Cake replied. “But I don’t know how I can tell her without her getting suspicious.”

Suddenly, I felt something pulling my tail. I turned around to see Pound Cake clinging onto it.

“Hey, let go. My tail is not a pull toy,” I said whilst grabbing it. “Wait, that’s it! Why don’t you have Pinkie take the foals out for a walk, Mrs. Cake?”

“Oh, that’s perfect, Spike.” Mrs. Cake adjusted her apron. “It’s going to be a sunny day today, and I’ve been meaning to bring the children outside.”

“Great. I’ll join up with Pinkie to make sure she doesn’t come back too early.”

“We’ll send one of the girls to come get you once we’re done,” said Twilight.

I headed out the front door and walked around the bakery until I was at the back door. I waited a bit until I heard hoofbeats approaching. The second the door opened, I pretended to walk towards it. Pinkie came out pushing a stroller containing Pound and Pumpkin Cake.

“Oh, Pinkie, hello. I was just about to knock on the door,” I lied. “What are you doing?”

“Taking the Cake Twins out for a walk, of course,” Pinkie replied. “Mrs. Cake told me they could use some sun on this beautiful day.”

“She’s got a point.” I looked up at the sky. “Say, can I join you? It helps to have an extra pair of hands watching after the little ones.”

“Sure, by all means, Spike. It’ll be great for you to tag along.”

If only she was this accepting last time she babysat the foals.

I followed Pinkie as she pushed the stroller down the street. I hoped I could be by her side long enough for the girls to finish that potential cake.

“So what made you show up at my place initially?” Pinkie asked.

“I wanted to talk to Maud a bit about what she thought about hanging out with the girls yesterday,” I lied. “But now I think it’s best to hold that off until after the girls are done interacting with her today. Plus, I couldn’t say no to helping babysit the little Cakes.”

I ruffled Pound’s mane a bit, and he giggled.

“I was thinking about taking them to the park,” said Pinkie.

“Good idea, Pinkie,” I said. “It may be far, but I’m sure the foals won’t mind the journey.”

I wouldn’t mind it either. Any time added to keep Pinkie away from Sugarcube Corner was good enough for me.

We were able to get to the park without any problems. The playground in the center had simple stuff, like a swing set, slide and sandbox. Nothing too fancy compared to the one at the school. At least it would be something the Cake Twins will look forward to when they begin kindergarten.

“There you are, my little ponies,” Pinkie said as she unbuckled the seatbelts. “Go on and play.”

Pound and Pumpkin hopped off and ran to the playground. Pinkie and I sat on a bench and watched them play.

“Ah, it’s nice to take care of foals when they aren’t flying around chaotically,” said Pinkie.

“Heh, I guess so,” I chuckled.

Pumpkin hurried up to us babbling about something. She pointed to the sandbox where Pound was sitting. In an instant, Pinkie pulled a shovel and pail from her mane and gave them to the baby filly.

“Here you go, Pumpkin,” she said.

Pumpkin babbled once again and carried the stuff back to the sandbox with her magic.

“I can always tell when the foals need something,” said Pinkie. “Even though I can’t speak foal.”

“Say, is Pumpkin still going through her magic surges, or has she calmed down?” I asked.

“Oh, her magic calmed down a lotta lots!” said Pinkie. “She can still levitate light objects like her toys, but I don’t have to worry about her teleporting into the sweets again. I nearly got a heart attack when she blasted out from a chocolate cake one time!”

“I see she learns from the best when it comes to practical jokes.”

As we watched the twins play, a foal around their age nervously walked up to them. She had a cream-colored coat that almost matched Pound’s, and she had a light-purple mane. I assumed her name was “Cream Puff.”

Cream bashfully talked to Pound and Pumpkin. Pound handed her the shovel, and soon they were playing together.

“Aw, look. Pound and Pumpkin made a friend,” said Pinkie.

“Yeah, it’s a good idea to have foals socialize at an early age,” I said.

If only the girls could’ve been friends with Maud just as fast.

“Say, Maud told me a lot about you,” said Pinkie.

“Really? What did she say?” I asked.

“She said she never saw anypony or dragon with so much enthusiasm to meet her sans me. You're one of the few creatures who understands her.”

“Well, I wanted to be polite after all. No matter how emotionless, any friend of the girls is a friend of mine.”

“Wow! Maybe you should’ve been the Princess of Friendship, Spike.”

“Prince,” I corrected. “The Prince of Friendship. I’m a male, Pinkie.”

“Right. I knew that.”

Minutes passed as I waited for the other girls to get done. It was a good thing Pound and Pumpkin were full of energy today. They didn’t show any signs of exhaustion as they swung on the swings, slid on the slide, and sculpt in the sandbox with their new friend.

“We really ought to take the twins out more often,” said Pinkie. “I’ve never seen them so joyful.”

“So how did they react when they first saw Maud?”

“Just like any foal seeing their aunt’s sister: with babbles and giggles. Oh, and you should’ve seen how Maud interacted with them. She’s really good with foals, I tell ya.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! Last night, she told them a bedtime story about rocks, and those two Cakes were out like a light!”

Maud’s story about rocks would put anypony to sleep.

“Uh, oh!” Pinkie hopped off the bench.

Her ears flopped, her knees twitched, and her eyes fluttered. I knew what that was.

A Pinkie Sense combo! That means a rainbow’s gonna appear, right?

My ears suddenly picked up the sound of a jet engine. I remembered there was one pony who’d make such a sound.

Within seconds, Rainbow Dash zoomed right past us before doing a complete 180 and stopping in front of us. The rainbow trail she left remained in the sky, amusing bystanders young and old.

“There you two are,” said Rainbow. “Maud’s been...uh...looking for ya!”

I could tell she was trying to hide our secret.

“I was taking the twins for a walk,” said Pinkie. “I thought I told her before I left.”

“I’m sure you did,” Rainbow Dash said. “It’s just...she needed to tell you something and she wants to meet you back at Sugarcube Corner right away.”

“Okie dokie loki!” She then turned to the playground. “Pound! Pumpkin! Time to go home!”

The Cake Twins groaned disappointedly. After saying goodbye to Cream Puff in their usual rugrat language, Pound and Pumpkin returned to us with the bucket and pail. Pinkie picked up Pumpkin and strapped her into the stroller. She was about to do the same for Pound, when she saw him orbiting around Rainbow Dash like a babified moon.

“Voom! Voom!” Pound Cake declared.

Rainbow scratched the back of her head. “Uh...what is Junior saying?”

“I don’t know about Junior,” said Pinkie as she put the bucket and pail back in her mane, “but it looks like Pound wants you to race him!”

“Ha! Seriously? I’m the fastest pony alive! Are you sure you want to race me?” Rainbow gave us a wink.

Pound Cake nodded.

“Alright, whoever can make it to Sugarcube Corner first wins.” Rainbow Dash got into position. “Ready, set, go!”

Rainbow zoomed ahead while the rest of us followed her. Most of the time, she would slow down so Pound Cake could catch up.

“Hurry up, Dashie,” Pinkie joked. “Pound’s right behind you!”

Rainbow pretended to gasp and speed up a bit. I could tell she was going to let Pound win.


By the time we got to Sugarcube Corner, Pound Cake was in the lead. In fact, he managed to get to Sugarcube Corner first. Rainbow Dash arrived by a close second.

“Aw, ya beat me!” Rainbow pretended to groan. “I knew I should’ve taken Tank’s advice.”

Pound Cake giggled.

Pinkie Pie unstrapped Pumpkin from the stroller and the five of us walked up the stairs. Pinkie then opened the front door.

“I wonder why Maud wanted me so bad—”

“SURPRISE!”

Pinkie nearly jumped backwards. The rest of her friends and Maud appeared in front of her with a big cake. It was a single-layered vanilla cake decorated with some of the rock candy from Pinkie’s experiments earlier.

“Wow!” Pinkie exclaimed. “This is...wait, today’s not my birthday, is it? Short year.”

“It’s not, darling,” said Rarity. “We all made this cake to show you our appreciation.”

“Maud really cares for you, and so do we,” said Twilight. “When we had her bake a cake with us, we found out a certain dragon was right about that connection.”

“Which dragon?” Pinkie asked. “That beat poet one?”

I cleared my throat loudly.

“Ohhhh, it was you, Spike.” Pinkie squeaked.

“We were worried that we might not have had anything in common,” said Fluttershy.

“Turns out we’re two peas in a pod when it comes to likin’ Pinkie Pie,” Applejack said as she placed a hoof on Maud’s back. “Right Maud?”

“Yep,” replied Maud. Once again, both her tone and expression remained unchanged.

“Now, let’s dig into the cake,” said Twilight. “But be sure to save room for the rock candy necklaces later today.”

“You guys really are best friends!” Pinkie declared with tears in her eyes.


We spent the rest of the day eating cake and making rock candy necklaces. Even the Cake Twins joined in, though their necklaces looked more like bracelets.

After we made and exchanged our necklaces, the sun was beginning to set. We said goodbye to each other and headed home. I rode on Twilight’s back.

“That certainly was fun,” said Twilight.

“I hear ya,” I said. “I’m glad you girls could bond with Maud.”

“So am I. We were reluctant to have Maud help us at first, but once we said we were making a cake for Pinkie, she was instantly on board. She didn’t show it so much, but she was rather enthusiastic. I think I might’ve seen a smirk.”

“I bet she was fun to chat with this time.”

“Well, it was nice to talk to her without mentioning rocks for a change.”

Once we entered the library, Twilight pulled out the Friendship Journal.

“Spike, write this entry down if you please,” she said.

I grabbed a quill and an ink bottle. “Go ahead.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “‘Sometimes it can be challenging to make friends with somepony. For example, the girls and I had problems interacting with one of Pinkie’s sisters, Maud Pie. However, we all learned that while you might have trouble seeing eye-to-eye with somepony, another friend can help you find a connection you didn’t notice. We were able to befriend Maud instantly once we found out she cared for Pinkie just as much as we did.’”

As I finished the journal entry, I looked back at what I did. I was glad I was able to get the girls to find common ground with Maud without the obstacle course. I even enjoyed being by her side.

I wonder if she’d be interested in Ogres and Oubliettes.

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