Little Keys

by Skijarama

Pie Family Tradition

“Do you reeeaallly have to go?”

“Yes, Pinkie.”

“But I don’t want you to!”

Maud turned back to Pinkie with her brow furrowing ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, but I’m late as it is.”

Twilight watched the two sisters chatting like this from the sidelines, a weak smile on her face. The discussion, or some variation of it, had been repeated numerous times ever since they all arrived at the train station. It had been a couple of days since Twilight’s impromptu ‘porta-party’ as Pinkie had dubbed it, much to the immense displeasure of everyone who had been in attendance. In that time, Pinkie’s injuries had finally fully healed thanks to the doctor’s efforts with his healing magic.

Now, with her sister’s recovery, there was no longer a cause for Maud to stay. She had soon gathered her things and was now bound to depart on the next train. Pinkie had, of course, insisted that everypony come along to say goodbye, and so they did, albeit for the moment they were choosing to keep back and let the sisters have their space.

“Heh. Ah reckon she’ll be alright,” Applejack eventually said with a warm smile as Pinkie hugged Maud yet again. “Both of ‘em.”

“They have certainly proved their constitution, have they not?” Rarity agreed, giving a sage nod.

That was one way to put it, for sure. Twilight watched the two mares conversing, her mind wandering back to what they had all been through of late, and she couldn’t help but feel a combination of relief and envy. The two of them were unquestionably strong of heart and mind, and it took a lot to keep them down. Even when things went badly, Pinkie always seemed to find some way to turn her frown upside down and pull a laugh out of thin air.

“If nothing else, they don’t have to worry about you,” Twilight thought, knowing perfectly well that Midnight was listening. She was always listening. “Or anything like you.”

“Who says they don’t?” Midnight asked dryly. “They have their darker tendencies just as surely as you do.”

“Maybe,” Twilight admitted before looked off slightly to one side. “But at least their inner demons don’t come with a voice.”

“Are you quite sure about that with Pinkie?” Midnight asked in an almost mocking tone. “Come, now. We both know no sane pony could act the way she does.”

Before the conversation could carry on any farther, the high-pitched blaring of a train’s whistle shot through the air. All eyes and ears turned up slightly to get a better idea of where the approaching vehicle was, and Maud was already adjusting her saddlebags and making one final check that she had everything.

Soon enough, the train came into view in the distance—at least, the smokestacks it emitted did. The train itself was obscured by the hills in the distance, but it would be here soon enough.

Pinkie visibly deflated and turned back to Maud. “Aaawww, so soon?” she complained, pawing idly at the ground in disappointment. “But… but…”

Maud put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, silencing her. “It’s okay, Pinkie. I’ll come visit sometime when I get a chance,” she said somewhat quieter than usual. She then turned and approached the rest of the group.

Applejack was the first to step forward to meet her. “Well, Maud, guess this is it,” she said while tipping her hat. “Y’all have a safe trip now, ya hear?”

“Okay,” Maud replied in her usual monotone.

“And do not forget to call on me if you have any need for my skills as a seamstress,” Rarity added with a small toss of her mane. “I know my style and yours are not, shall we say, in sync with one another, but after you went to such lengths to help us look after Pinkie when she got hurt, it’s the least I can do to say thank you.”

“Or just any favors in general,” Rainbow said with an emphatic nod. “We owe ya.”

Maud stared at them all for a few seconds before the tiniest ghost of a smile appeared on her face. “You don’t need to hide it from me. You just want to spend time with me again,” she deduced without missing a beat.

Twilight blinked and glanced sideways at her friends. “They do? Is she sure about that?” she thought skeptically. While it was true that they had all spent far more time with Maud than initially planned thanks to Pinkie’s little accident, she didn’t really think there was a whole lot of bonding going on, was there?

Of course, she had been focused almost entirely on the scene of the incident for the first half of the ordeal, so maybe she just missed something.

A sentiment proved true when Applejack chuckled and tilted her hat over her eyes as if she were embarrassed. “Heh, ah shoot, ya got us.”

Pinkie leaned past Maud, her eyes growing wide. “Wait, WHAT!? You all finally got to bond with Maud?!” she asked in a combination of shock and elation.

“Um… yes,” Fluttershy said meekly, tugging at her mane slightly. “When you were hurt, she told us about how strong you were when you two were little, and we spent a lot of time with her when you were recovering.”

“Her love for you is palpable, dear,” Rarity added with a sage nod. “And in all of that, I daresay that, however subtle, we were able to find some very sturdy common ground between us.”

“No kidding,” Rainbow added with a small grin. She marched up to Maud and casually clapped her on the shoulder. “This mare could teach me a thing or two about loyalty! You’re about as expressive as a board, but you give all you got for your family. And… I can really respect that.”

Twilight’s eyes fell on Rainbow, a tiny smile forming on her lips.

Applejack nodded along. “Ah agree, and Ah found it refreshin’ just how blunt ya were with Pinkie. Ya didn’t sugarcoat somethin’ that didn’t need to be, ya just told it to her how it was. Like when she needed rest back in Sugarcube Corner that one time.”

With every utterance of acknowledgment and praise given to Maud, Pinkie’s grin grew and grew, until she looked fit to burst. “Oh, my, GOSH! Maud did you hear all of that?!” she squealed, hopping up and down excitedly. “Does that mean you guys are bestest of best friends now?!”

Maud gave Pinkie a sideways glance. “‘Bestest of best’ might be an exaggeration,” she shot down bluntly. She then smiled at Applejack, who was chuckling in amusement at that. “But I’d say we’re friends, now.”

Pinkie’s eyes practically glowed with that declaration. She bounced in place several times, squeeing excitedly to herself with satisfaction that, finally, her wish for this visit was fulfilled. It came right at the very end, but there was not a chance that would stop her from celebrating.

As Pinkie turned to Maud and began to excitedly chatter at her about something, Twilight’s eyes began to wander to each of her friends. She felt no small amount of pride for them, having found a way to bond with Maud despite the clear social disparities that divided them from her. They managed to find common ground in their shared love and care for Pinkie, and it showed. They were all animatedly joining in on the discussion, no longer seeming to be perturbed by Maud’s deadpan responses or almost expressionless face.

Twilight’s eyes soon landed on the train, and her smile wavered. Her friends had pulled that off… But she had not. She had lost herself in distractions, and she had missed her chance. Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the ground, a small bead of regret building up in her chest. She should have been there more. While she had really put in the effort at the end, was it enough? Had she done too little, too late?

The train pulled into the station, venting a small cloud of steam. Pinkie gasped. “Oh! Girls! The train’s here! We almost forgot to do something!” she exclaimed.

Twilight looked up. “Huh? We did?”

Pinkie nodded emphatically, reaching into her mane. “Yes! Oh, come on! Where is it?! Where did I- Oh, no! Did I leave them at Sugarcube Corner! Girls, I think I left them at Sugarcube Corner! I-”

“Pinkie,” Maud cut her off, placing her hoof against Pinkie’s shoulder. Once Pinkie’s frightened tirade came to an end, Maud gave her a small smile. “Relax. I brought them.”

“Brought us what?” Fluttershy asked, flitting forward slightly to get a better look.

Maud sat down and reached into her saddlebags. A moment later, she pulled out a see-through plastic bag filled with colorful pieces of rock candy, a spool of thread, and a needle. She also brought out a wooden box and set it to one side.

Pinkie grinned. “The candy! You remembered!” she squealed, jumping in place. She then paused and glanced at the back, frowning. “Wait. Those necklaces are already made.”

Maud turned to Pinkie with a frown. “The train is right there, Pinkie. We don’t have time to make any more now. I made these last night while I was thinking about it.”

Pinkie appeared just a little disappointed. “But- but- but I didn’t even get to make you one!” she complained, idly pawing at Maud’s shoulder. “Did you at least bring enough candy and string for that?! I can’t let you leave without me making one for you! It just wouldn’t be right!”

Maud rolled her eyes and then pulled another bag from her saddlebags, along with a small spool of thread and a needle. She handed them to Pinkie, who gave off a shrill noise of excitement before falling to her haunches and setting to work. Maud eyes her for a second, then turned to everypony else. “I made necklaces for all of you. To say thank you for looking after Pinkie for me. She’s in safe hooves with all of you.”

“Oh, my! Well, then, darling, I think I speak for everypony present when I say that we would be honored!” Rarity beamed, eagerly trotting forward. The others soon followed after, ready to receive the gifts. Fluttershy voiced some concerns that they had none to give back in return, but Maud assured her all was well.

As her friends took turns receiving their necklaces as if they were medals of honor, Twilight continued to hang back, watching them. She didn’t feel like she belonged in that circle just now. They had all earned Maud’s respect and trust. What had Twilight earned? At best, she had earned Maud’s tolerance, and even that was a miracle.

“Twi?” Rainbow suddenly said from her side, drawing Twilight out of her solemn reverie. She turned to the pegasus, idly taking note of the candy necklace now dangling from her neck like a medal of honor. Rainbow’s face, however, was a worried frown. “You okay? You’ve been kinda quiet since we got here.”

Twilight sighed and nodded with a sad smile. “I’m okay. I just thought I’d let you all have your space is all,” she said, looking back to the group. Rarity received her necklace next, and the way she was beaming made it almost look like she thought she was being crowned as a princess for something.

Twilight’s smile grew somewhat. “You all really bonded with her… But I didn’t.”

Rainbow frowned and draped a comforting wing across Twilight’s back. “Maybe you did, maybe you didn’t… but what I do know is that there are six necklaces in that bag,” she said knowingly.

Twilight blinked and looked into Rainbow’s eyes. “Huh?”

Rainbow grinned. Without a word, she nudged Twilight along for the group. Twilight offered a token of resistance at first but soon allowed herself to be swept along. By the time she arrived, Maud was giving her last necklace to Fluttershy, who withdrew with a small smile. Twilight’s eyes fell upon the plastic bag, and sure enough, she could see that there were still two necklaces left inside. One for Pinkie, and one for…

Maud turned to Twilight, meeting her gaze. Neither of them said a word for what felt like forever. Twilight smiled sheepishly, her eyes darting this way and that as the awkward silence dragged on, punctuated by Pinkie’s enthusiastic mutterings and the awkward stares of other ponies on the platform.

Finally, Maud lifted a hoof and put it over Twilight’s heart, much to her surprise. “...Pinkie told me about how hard things have been for you,” she said softly. “About how much you must be hurting inside because of Midnight.”

“Oh, if only you knew,” Twilight thought to herself.

Maud withdrew her hoof a moment later. “I misjudged you, Twilight. I knew it when you made Pinkie laugh in the hospital. You made a couple of mistakes, and I am still worried about my sister… But it’s not your fault. Not really.”

“I… uh…” Twilight stammered, taken aback. She shook her head a little to clear the cobwebs and gave Maud an appreciative smile. “I appreciate you saying that, Maud. And for what it’s worth, I am very sorry about what happened with my magic around the wreckage. I didn’t mean for that to happen. My mind was just… playing tricks on me. I won’t let it happen again, I promise.”

Maud nodded. She then turned and reached down into the bag, pulling out one of the necklaces. Twilight’s eyes widened when she realized that it was far more elaborate than the others. The pale blue piece on the very end was larger, too, and sprouted off to have several pointed tips aimed at the ground. She stood stalk still as Maud placed it gingerly over her neck.

The second the necklace came to a rest, a warm sensation passed through Twilight’s body. She was immediately reminded of the sensation she had felt back when she had received the piece of polynite from Spiracle. Her hoof wandered up to the stone, her eyes widening. From her side, Rainbow gave an impressed whistle.

“Woah. Fancy.”

Maud nodded. “It’s supposed to be,” she said. “This one’s special. Not only is it a thank you, but it’s also supposed to cheer you on. You are working through something that I can’t understand, Twilight… but maybe this can help you. This kind of candy can last for years, so if you want to keep it as a keepsake, or as a reminder that you have ponies hoping for your success even on the other side of Equestria, you can.”

Twilight gently curled her hoof around the end of the necklace, her eyes shimmering. She swallowed heavily and reigned herself in before giving Maud a large, grateful smile. “Th-thank you, Maud. I won’t let you down.”

Maud smiled. “Look after Pinkie for me, and you won’t.”

“I will. We all will,” Twilight assured, lightly bumping Rainbow with her hip. Rainbow flushed slightly from that but gave a curt, warm nod.

“Yeah, don’t sweat it. Pinkie’s part of the gang, and we never leave each other hangin’.”

Maud watched the two for a second. A small smile then appeared on her face. “Thank you.”

“It’s ready, it’s ready!” Pinkie declared suddenly, breaking up the moment. All eyes turned to her to see her sitting up and presenting her own newly finished rock candy necklace to Maud. “Here you go!”

Maud took the necklace without a word before reaching back into her bag and passing one final necklace to Pinkie. She took it with gusto and immediately chomped down on one of the pieces of candy with great enthusiasm.

Twilight then watched as Maud reached down to the wooden box she had set down earlier. She cracked it open to reveal that it was full to the point of bursting with several of these rock candy necklaces, all of them entangled together with a powerful, sugary smell. Twilight’s eyes widened in confusion until she saw Maud set the one Pinkie had given her inside.

Rainbow quirked a brow. “Are those… all the necklaces Pinkie’s given you?”

“Mhmm,” Maud replied, closing the lid. “All the ones she sent me since she moved from the rock farm.”

“Why aren’t you eating them?” Twilight asked in confusion, glancing at the box and then to Maud’s gaze.

Maud looked at her with her regular expression. “I don’t really like candy…” she said. A small smile graced her lips, and she looked over at her sister, who had hooked the string onto the end of her mane and was now trying to use momentum to swing one of the pieces of candy into her mouth. “...But I do love Pinkie Pe.”

Twilight blinked before looking down at the necklace around her neck. A few moments passed before she smiled and looked up to Maud one more time. “I understand.”

Before anything else could be said, the voice of the conductor cut through the air. “All aboard!”

Maud rose to her hooves. “Time for me to go. It was nice to meet all of you,” she droned. She turned to Pinkie, her eyes lingering on her side. “Take it easy for a while, Pinkie. You’re still tender.”

“Aaaw, okay,” Pinkie relented before chomping down on one more piece of candy. She then smiled and stepped forward, wrapping Maud up in a warm hug. “Come back soon, Maud!”

“When I can,” Maud replied, hugging Pinkie back.

Everypony else was quick to offer up their final farewells and well wishes before Maud finally turned and stepped onto the train. Twilight kept her eyes on her until the doors slid shut, blocking the mare from view. She then looked down at the necklace, her eyes latching onto the shining gem at the end.

She couldn’t help but smile at its color. Bright blue. Like the gem in Pinkie’s Element of Harmony.

Author's Note:

And so ends Pinkie's little arc.

Comments

[JMP]

Well that ended nicely. Glad Twilight was able to reconcile with Maud and come to an understanding

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter! Great story arc!

[Zekrom117]

I think we all know, but im calling it now just in case
So far:
Spiracles Orb = Key of Kindness
Twilights rock necklace =Key of Laughter

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Riker: "Tough little arc."

Worf: "Little?"

[Kiue Jin]

I stand by my idea that Pinkie intentionally rigged the thing to fall on her to make everyone bond.

[Speckle]

Two down, four to go

This version of their goodbye to Maud felt a lot more heartfelt than the original, but then again, Maud's a hard shell to crack. Looking forward to the next arc

[blankity-blank]

That was a nice, wholesome chapter. Can’t wait to see how Twilight gets the rest of the keys.

[Comickook]

Again, this is an excellent job on the exchanges, characterizations, arc wrap-up and future arc set-up in all the right places. Loved the mini-recap of how Maud and most of the Mane Six finally DID bond A LITTLE while waiting for Pinkie to recover and Twi getting the rock key.

Definitely looking forward to seeing what key arc is next.