It's Not A Big Deal; It's Just My Dissertation

by Apple Bottoms

A StarTrixMaud Breakfast

Today was a big day.

Maud Pie woke up as she always did, in the dark; it’s what you got used to, growing up on a rock farm. She rolled out of her bed with silent care, not wanting to wake the other two sleeping beside her. She’d gotten good at it over the years, and moved so carefully that the two unicorns didn’t even stir.

Maud Pie’s morning toilette took very little time (brush teeth, brush hair, pull on dress, done), and then she was off to her list of chores. She always tended to the rock garden first, raking and digging to make sure all of her little granites got rotated, and gave them a sprinkle with her watering can. She always made sure to water the extras in her garden too - the flowers and shrubs that Trixie and Starlight enjoyed. The greenery was very fleeting, compared to her rocks, but her fillyfriends enjoyed them, and so she dutifully kept them alive as long as she could. She was proud of how they’d flourished under her care; she’d never considered gardening with anything other than rocks. Her life had changed a great deal after those two came into her life.

Before, her breakfast had been a piece of unbuttered toast and tea. Trixie and Starlight had dutifully eaten the same for many months, until one morning Trixie finally burst: “Is this all we’re ever going to eat?!” After her pre-dawn gardening, Maud Pie returned to the kitchen to wash her hooves, and began preparing a much more elaborate breakfast. At first it had seemed an unnecessary waste of effort, like the green garden; but after a few weeks, it became treasured, familiar, a gift she could give to her fillyfriends every morning and a delight she hadn’t experienced before them.

Right on cue, Starlight Glimmer emerged from their bedroom, yawning. “Morning, Em.”

“Good morning, Star.” Maud gauged her pancakes’ progress with a quick glance - not ready to flip yet, but soon - and decided she had enough time to close the distance between herself and Starlight to press a kiss to her cheek.

Starlight returned the kiss sleepily, and as Maud pulled back she noted that her cheeks were a little pinker than before. “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine,” Maud returned, her voice its usual even timbre. “You?”

“Oh, you know - nice and warm in the middle.” Starlight grinned, and her cheeks became pinker. “I don’t even wake up when you get up, you’re so quiet.”

“Thank you.” Maud offered her one of her subtle smiles, then turned back to give the pancakes a flip.

As she worked, Starlight Glimmer came to stand behind her, wrapping her forelegs around her middle and letting her cheek rest against her neck as she worked. “Those look perfect.”

“Thank you. I put in chocolate chips today.” Pinkie Pie had given her the recipe, but she’d tweaked it herself until it tasted exactly how she wanted it to. Baking wasn’t her forte, but Maud was nothing if not a dutiful researcher.

“Oooh, I love those! What can I do to help?” Starlight nuzzled into her neck, and Maud felt something warm coil in her middle.

“You can slice the fruit, if you’d like. Today we’re having strawberries.”

“I can do that.” And with one last fond kiss to her neck, Starlight Glimmer pulled away from her fillyfriend.

Their schedule was the same each morning; Maud started breakfast as the sun rose, Starlight Glimmer would come to help, and Trixie would come staggering in right around when they finished, so they could all eat together. But today -

“Starlight!” Trixie was already dressed, brushed, combed, and polished; something big must be happening, because she already had her hat on as she scrambled into the kitchen, very nearly taking out one of the chairs as she skittered to a stop. “Starlight, today - the - the thing!”

“The thing?” Starlight frowned as she finished setting out the plates of breakfast on the still-rattling table. “What thing? Oh - wait - the thing!”

“What thing?” Maud frowned, as flatly as ever.

“Oh, the - the school fair!” Starlight Glimmer cursed under her breath as she galloped to their communal calendar, dragging a hoof over her mane in frustration. “I almost forgot! Today the new students from the hippogriff colony are coming to tour - I have to get dressed!” And off went Starlight, vanishing into the bedroom.

“And I said I’d help set up booths! Of course, the students need -”

“Eat, Trix.” Maud commanded, pushing a plate towards her.

“ - the fudents - beed a - bagic - GULP - show! Okay done!” Somehow, Trixie had managed to shovel three pancakes and half a cup of strawberries into her mouth while speaking. Maud would have been more impressed if she wasn’t so horrified.

“Of course.” Maud agreed, and although it sounded sarcastic, she was quite sincere; the world needed to appreciate her fillyfriend far more than it did currently, in her opinion.

“I’m going to be so late!” Starlight Glimmer cried as she emerged, her mane half-combed, and her tail still in its sleep-braid. Maud pulled out a chair for her, and as she sat to bolt down her breakfast almost as fast as Trixie had, Maud tenderly unbraided her tail and brushed it smooth. “I’m so sorry Em - I have to run! Thank you for breakfast, it was great!”

“It’s alright, Starlight. Have a great day, girls.” By the time she’d finished speaking, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie were already galloping out the side door.

“Bye!” and they were gone, just like that. It felt a little melancholic, to be alone all of a sudden. Usually they had conversation over breakfast, talking about their upcoming day, their plans for dinner, and the farewells weren’t so rushed. Sure, they all had their own duties and obligations, but still ...

BANG went the side door, rattling on its hinges as Trixie and Starlight Glimmer came barreling back into the cottage just as quickly as they’d left it.

“We almost forgot!” Trixie gasped, and just about bowled Maud over with how exuberantly she threw herself onto Maud, covering her face and neck in kisses. “Our morning kiss goodbye!”

Maud couldn’t hide her little laugh, and waited until Trixie’s exuberance calmed a little to catch her lips with her own. “Goodbye, Trix. Have a good day.”

“You too, Maudie!” Trixie giggled, and playfully rubbed their muzzles together before she stepped aside to make room for Starlight.

Starlight’s affection was a little more measured, and her forelegs moved with a familiar steadiness as she eased them around Maud’s middle, pulling her into a hug as their lips met. She was a little wilder with Trixie, meeting her playful energy; but with Maud, she was more gentle, more slow, just like Maud liked it. “Have a good day, Em. We’ll see you at dinner?”

“Of course. Good luck with the fair today. You’ll be wonderful, as usual.”

Starlight Glimmer’s eyes sparkled as she pulled back, and gave her nose a gentle boop with her own. “So will you, as usual. Have a good day. Love you.”

“You too. You better hurry, or they might start without you.” Maud’s expression was flat, but Starlight Glimmer laughed, and gave her foreleg a playful smack.

“That’s not funny!” Starlight laughed, and trotted after Trixie, leaving in a slightly less panicked rush the second time.

“You laughed!” Trixie teased, and tossed a hurried “G’bye Maudie, love you!” over her shoulder as the pair galloped down the lane, their laughter echoing until they were out of sight.

Maud stood in the doorway to watch them go, then closed the door behind them to finish eating her breakfast alone. She was used to it, after the years she spent on her own in Ponyville; it shouldn’t bring her any particular melancholy to be alone again. She usually got to eat breakfast with her fillyfriends, but today she didn’t, and it wasn’t a big deal, she told herself firmly. Truthfully, she needed the break sometimes, but today she had hoped for a little more breakfast chatter than they usually had.

Today was the day she had to defend her dissertation.

Comments

[Ri2]

Awww, they're cute. Surprised Maud moved out of her cave, though, it was big enough for all of them.

[Bicyclette]

She’d gotten good at it over the years, and moved so carefully that the two unicorns didn’t even stir.

already love this

Maud Pie’s morning toilette took very little time (brush teeth, brush hair, pull on dress, done), and then she was off to her list of chores.

huh, didn't know "toilette" was used in english as well!

She was proud of how they’d flourished under her care; she’d never considered gardening with anything other than rocks. Her life had changed a great deal after those two came into her life.

a lovely detail. Maud treating rock gardening as most ponies would treat plant gardening is just that perfect blend of absurdity and whimsy

“Thank you.” Maud offered her one of her subtle smiles, then turned back to give the pancakes a flip.

so cute and domestic!

“Starlight, today - the - the thing!”

i can just hear the panic in Trixie's refusal to elaborate

“Of course.” Maud agreed, and although it sounded sarcastic, she was quite sincere; the world needed to appreciate her fillyfriend far more than it did currently, in her opinion.

yes! exactly! Maud sounds sarcastic even when she is truly sincere which she always is about the ponies she loves and ugh i love it so much

“You too, Maudie!” Trixie giggled, and playfully rubbed their muzzles together before she stepped aside to make room for Starlight.

love the little touches, like the nicknames based on the givers' personalities

Today was the day she had to defend her dissertation.

aww! my heart breaks a little for Maud here