A Great Quest and a Walk in the Park
Holiday was walking down the street on a beautiful spring day. Lofty was taking care of selling their old house while Holiday had stayed in Ponyville to unpack. She had finished early and was heading back from the market. She had bought fresh greens to make a nice meal for her, Lofty, and Scootaloo to share that night.
As she was walking along she saw a small blue-gray rock that was darker than the rest. It seemed oddly out of place on the road. She sat off to one side of the road and picked up the pebble. It was a smooth circle on the bottom, and almost flat on top. It had a small cleft on one side of the place where the top and bottom met. “Well now, I wonder what a little thing like you is doing in the middle of the road. Better make sure nopony trips on ya.” She gently tossed the little rock over her shoulder into the bushes and continued on her way.
Once upon a time, a noble knight was separated from his liege. He had spent all night trying to return to the castle, where he knew she would be anxiously awaiting his arrival. Alas he was very slow, and so he had made little progress. Then, as he was crossing a barren stretch of hot, unbroken stone, a figure stood over him and blocked the sun. She asked him how he had come here, but he was a mute and thus unable to explain it to her. Nevertheless she took pity on him and carried him off. He knew not where they were going, only that it was in the right direction.
Holiday opened the door to the new home. She and Lofty had chosen a small house towards the edge of Ponyville. True, they had decided to move to Ponyville, but it was a big step from their cabin in the woods. So they picked a nice house away from the downtown bustle. Holiday set her saddlebags on the table and began to empty them. She took out her map of Ponyville and set it aside. Under it she found the pebble she had examined on her way home. “That's odd. I thought I tossed this into the bushes.” She set it next to the map and went about putting away the groceries.
After she brought the knight to her abode, the kindly mare gave him a map of the area to help him return home. She even offered him food, although he declined. He would not eat or sleep until he returned.
After she had put away the groceries she didn't need for dinner she made a salad big enough for all three of them to enjoy. She put it in the refrigerator. Then she looked at the little rock that had followed her home. She was sure she had put it next to the map, but now it was on the edge of the map. She walked over and saw the little rock was on a spot in the woods only about fifteen minutes away. “Do you want me to take you there? I suppose I don't have anything else I need to do until this evening. If nothing else it will be a pleasant walk.” She tied the pebble up in the tip of her scarf. “Let's see if that keeps you snug.” She wrote a note that said she was off on a walk and grabbed the map, marking the spot the pebble had been on. Then she headed out the door, going at an easy trot.
The knight showed the generous mare where his liege was waiting for him. She agreed to help him on his journey, asking for nothing in return.
When she got to the spot marked on her map Holiday wasn't expecting much. The pebble's apparent movements were probably just her imagination. And even if there was something to it, she figured it would merely lead her to other rocks of the same sort. What she was most certainly not expecting was a mailbox and stone path. At the end of the path was a hole in the ground big enough to fit a pony. “I'm sure I would remember if Scoots had told me about this.” She looked down at the little rock in her scarf. “Did you know about this?” The rock did not respond. “I don't know which is crazier, finding this place by chance or a thinking rock.”
The strong and courageous mare lead them all the way to the castle's entrance. She expressed surprise and wonder at the castle. It was rather new, so she'd probably never heard of it before.
Holiday peered down into the pit. There was a sandy slope offering a fairly easy path up and down. “Hello? Is anypony home? I brought you a rock!” After waiting for an answer she made her way down the sandy slope. Once she was at the bottom she noticed a light coming from up ahead. She walked forward until she found a beautiful cavern lit with gemstones overhead. In the transition between the dark but gem-filled cave behind her and the bright grassy miracle ahead of her somepony had set up an open sided tent. Inside the tent were a bed and table. It looked as though somepony lived down here. Thunk. Holiday looked down at the table where the little rock had fallen. “Nice place you've got here. I'll be sure to bring Scootaloo and her mates down here sometime soon. Maybe you can bring your mate, have ourselves a bonzer day?” The little rock did nothing, but Holiday was sure it was listening. “See ya round then.” Holiday began heading back home.
The mare called out, but there was no answer. His liege must have been out looking for him. No matter, he would wait for her return. The mare who had helped him return to his home said she would bring others to meet his liege. He hoped they would meet again soon, so he could tell his liege who had helped him return to her.
“Wow Aunt Holiday! How did you find this place?” asked Scootaloo when they reached the mailbox in the woods.
“Well, as crazy as it sounds, a little rock told me,” answered Holiday. “I've never known anypony to say so much without speaking a word.”
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- Kikio3000 · 4.5k words · 10 1 · 430 views
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You know ever since maud introduce her pet rock it kind of reminds me of plank from Ed Edd n Eddy lol
Sentient boulder
10801130, 10801132
At this rate this story will be my most popular to date.
P.S. Should I add the comedy tag? I was trying to be funny, but not sure if it warranted.
10801135
Probably just in case
Not gonna lie, it took me several minutes to try and remember how Holiday is canon
10801379
There were 315 character tags. Even ignoring ones like 'Main Six, Changlings, and Wonder bolts’ it is still a lot of people. Just as very few people remember the name of everyone who lives in their town very few can recall every character from MLP. Glad I could remind people of the little known characters.
Well this was a pretty interesting day for holiday and despite the rock Boulder did not say anything somehow she kinda understand where to find his home this was a pretty random and funny story keep up the good work
10801463
Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I enjoyed writing Boulder without Maud. It was a challenge, but that's just part of the fun.
10801132, 10801379, 10801463
Well now, isn't this interesting. This little thing I made over 30 hours on a whim is now my most popular work. It was fun to make, and short enough that it doesn't take to much time away from my larger works. Plus the competition specified up to two entries. To quote one of my favorite inventors, "Ferb, I know what else we're going to do today!"
10801484
Nice work! Currently trying to work on my own entry for this contest
10801135
I think it should be more of a "random" fic than "comedy".
Aw, what a wonderful nibble of a fic!
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I'm glad you like it.
10816058
It was never intended to be much either. Just a casual meeting of two who might one day be friends. I'm impressed I managed as well as I did writing a story with Boulder and not Maud. No one else has ever done that to my knowledge.
This was some thing, although I don’t really have much to say about it sorry
the sudden shift to this romantic, introspective language contrasting the very practical prose of the Holiday section works really great! makes the ambiguity of whether or not Boulder is a sapient creature even more fun and interesting
that does raise a lot of questions!
aww, love how Holiday just goes along with it! very whimsical
no matter how strange the abode, it must be legible to the Equestrian Postal Service. i like it!
hehe, love it when the ponies are Australian
well, this was cute! Maud never making a direct appearance to mediate between Boulder and the outside world also forces me to think about Boulder as a separate character from her, which matches how Holiday is rarely thought of as a separate character from her context of Lofty and Scootaloo. definitely gets me wondering about what stories can be gotten out of absolutely random pairings like this. thanks for it!
11330498
I'm glad you liked the dual perspectives. I liked it, but at the same time I felt unsure. And I enjoyed playing around with maybe he's alive, maybe not.
Okay, by the end of the story it's pretty apparent, but don't expect explicit confirmation in-story.
I thought it fit best that Holiday was skeptical, but after a few hints she's willing to entertain the idea. It doesn't line up with any common forms of magic, but Holiday knows that she doesn't understand all of the mysteries of her world.
I can't take credit for the mailbox, it's actually canon. You see it at the end of Rock Solid Friendship.
I do hope I hit the accent alright. I did some research for it, but I am decidedly not Australian.