Of Pebbles and Boulders
It was raining.
It was said that when a pony felt great sorrow, the sky wept with them. Of course, many waved the myth away on account of the pegasi who regulated the weather on a day-to-day basis, but who was to say it wasn't true? The pegasi, no matter how diligent they were in the field of weather-making, wouldn't be able to tell when a pony was sad enough for such an occasion after all.
And as Maud Pie, the eldest of the Pie sisters, looked out the window on the stormy grey morning, she knew that this was such a time. She sat at a simple wooden table with a simple bowl of oatmeal and simple cup of tea. Simple was her forte, though she was far from simple-minded. She just didn't express herself in the same way her little sister did, and she assumed the contrast between them made her seem duller in comparison.
She brought the tea cup to her muzzle and took a delicate sip. She set it back down. She sighed. Her little sister, or more specifically, her oldest little sister, was always getting into trouble. Setting aside the fact that she was already quite energetic and eccentric, which already caused some issues from time to time (such as the disaster of the obstacle course she had created on Maud's last and recent visit), her business with the Elements of Harmony before and now simply being in close contact with an alicorn princess seemed to always bring her close to danger. First there was Nightmare Moon and the everlasting night, then Discord with his twisted world of chaos, the changeling invasion in the Crystal Empire, an attack by an age-old menace known as King Sombra on the Crystal Empire, then the catastrophe of her and her friends' cutie marks swapping, and finally the overgrowth of the infamous Everfree, which had managed to kidnap both of the Royal Sisters easily.
Maud set her tea down on the table with a soft clink and shook her head. Those were only the bigger events that her little sister and her friends had been through, the ones that had made it into the news, headlines even! Not to mention smaller news stories like the short parasprite infestation in Ponyville, the slumbering dragon that could have covered Equestria in smoke, the Ursa Minor attack, and the time that a dragon had rampaged through the town. And then there were the tales her sister told in her letters. A face-off with a manticore, various encounters with timber wolves, a near-death experience with a hydra... the list didn't seem to end.
She brought a small spoonful of oatmeal to her lips and blew on it. She popped the meal into her mouth with no particular joy, chewed, then swallowed. She continued the task of eating her breakfast as she continued to think.
Yes, her sister had been on many dangerous adventures, but she was always alright in the end. Her friends, whom her sister never ceased praising in her letters, were always there for her. Maud had sensed their love for her little sister when she'd visited. Their friendship was strong and true - how else would they have wielded the Elements? - and had protected each of them on each of their journeys, big and small. And many of their adventures had been for the betterment of all of Equestria, if not the world. She was very proud of her sister; her whole family was. They just worried for her.
Soon the bowl of oatmeal was empty, and Maud had come to a conclusion: her little sister, the middle child, was a strong, brave mare. She could take care of herself and had many ponies around her that cared for and loved her to help. No matter what was thrown at her in life, she would be fine.
Her gaze shifted back to the window. Maud watched as the rain hit the pane of glass and trickled downwards, like tears. The myth came back to mind, and a small pang tugged at her heart. Even if it wasn't true, there was undoubtedly somepony or someone out there who felt like that. Almost instantly, a small smile appeared on her face. That was what her little sister was good at after all: cheering ponies up. Perhaps she could find whoever was feeling so sad and lift their spirits, like she always did.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"I'm coming," Maud called out in her usual indifferent tone in response to the knocking on her door. She got up from sitting at the table and walked towards the door with no hurry. She pulled the door open in a way that wasn't fast, but wasn't slow either. A soaked and worried face met her on the other side.
"Maud, you gotta come to Ponyville!" It was one of her sister's friends, the one with the rainbow mane. Her magenta eyes shivered with fear.
"Why?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.
"It's Pinkie," she panted. Maud stiffened. No. No no no no no. Not Pinkie.
"Is she okay?" Her calm exposure melted. A layer of worry seeped into her voice.
"W-We tried everything," she muttered, "She needs you."
Maud nodded. She stepped outside her small house, closed and locked her door, then turned to the rainbow-maned mare who was so worried for her little sister.
"Let's go." And she raced off into the night.
On the train ride to Ponyville, Maud remembered two things: the mare who'd come to get her was named Rainbow Dash, and she had forgotten Boulder at home. She'd checked her pocket to see if he was hiding there - he often was - but alas, she knew that he was probably sitting on her table back in her little house where she'd left him.
And now that they were in Ponyville, she focused on making it to Sugarcube Corner. Her memory may be a bit fuzzy at times, but that didn't stop her from trying to get to her sister as fast as possible. She raced down street after street, vaguely aware of Rainbow Dash trying her best to keep up with her. Was it this road? No. This road? No. This way? No. In her growing frustration, she stopped at a large orchard - which was no doubt owned by the well-known Apple Family - and kicked at a tree with all her strength. The upper portion of it snapped off and flew across the orchard and out of sight. Rainbow Dash had caught up just in time to gape at the spectacle.
"Where is it?" Maud asked her, a slight sense of anger finding its way into her words. Rainbow flinched.
"Here... I'll show you, okay? Just follow me." She landed next to her with a soft thud, and Maud nodded. Rainbow Dash then proceeded at a steady trot forward into the town. Traveling at a relatively slower pace gave Maud time to think. If Pinkie's friend wasn't moving with the type of urgency she'd expect from a life-threatening situation, then Pinkie should be alright. But then why did she need to be here?
Soon a building with a roof that looked like gingerbread with a giant cupcake on top came in to view. Sugarcube Corner if she remembered correctly. It wasn't like such an odd building could be anything else after all.
Maud passed Rainbow Dash without a word as soon as she saw it and opened the door. Six ponies were standing around inside, idly chatting with worried expressions on their faces. She instantly identified the Cakes; they were family friends after all. The other four were the rest of Pinkie's closest friends, not including Rainbow Dash who was right beside her.
"Where is Pinkie Pie?" Maud asked nopony in particular. Her voice was as stoic as ever, but her eyes betrayed her fear.
"Upstairs, in her room," Mrs. Cake answered. The middle-aged mare sighed sadly and shifted her gaze to the floor. "We've tried to talk to her, but she won't listen to us, the poor dear." She shuddered, and her husband placed a comforting hoof on her back.
"Maud, thank you for coming so quickly." Princess Twilight Sparkle, or "Just Twilight" (as she'd insisted before) spoke up. The purple alicorn walked up to her with a thankful smile. "Your sister... She's just lost a very dear friend. Most of us have been through it before, but Pinkie..."
Maud blinked.
"And the thing is... that friend can't ever come back..." Just Twilight shifted uncomfortably.
"What Twilight means to say is… is that Pinkie Pie's poor pet alligator, Gummy, which I'm sure you are acquainted with or- er, I'm sorry. What I meant was that..." the white unicorn, Rarity (Maud was sure that was her name), trailed off.
"Maud, Gummy died this morning," Fluttershy, perhaps the only name Maud actually remembered, said softly. "He's been very sick for a while... I tried everything I could, but it wasn't enough." She started sniffling. "I'm sorry. I tried but.. he's gone now."
"Gummy is dead." Maud said it more like a statement than a question.
"Yeah, and Pinkie ain't dealing with it so well," one of the Apples - Apple Jack, was it? - said sadly. "She took it a bit too hard. She's been locked up in her room since this morning, and she won't listen to any of us. She... Well, she ain't the kind of pony that can cope with losing somepony, or some gator, so close to her. Well, I'm sure you know that. We were just hoping that you'd be able to talk some sense into her, yah know?"
"I see." Maud closed her eyes. Gummy had been Pinkie's second shadow for many years now. This wasn't good. "I will talk to her."
Nopony said anything as she trotted up the stairs.
"Go away." The simple command was muffled by the closed door. It had been spoken in response to somepony knocking on the door, though she didn't know who it was. She didn't care. Pinkamena Diane Pie, or Pinkie Pie, had her face buried in her pillow. She lay face down on her bed, sobbing quietly. She wanted to be alone. He was gone... and now...
A new wave of tears washed over her.
"It's Maud."
Her ears perked up, if only slightly. The voice was unmistakably recognizable. Her sister. Her sister was here, she was—
"I'm coming in."
She didn't have to tell her that the door was locked.
With a loud crash, it came down. She turned her head to see a grey mare standing atop the fallen door.
They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul. This was a belief that Pinkie really took to heart. To see what a pony was feeling, your first and best chance was to look into their eyes.
It almost never failed.
In her sister's eyes, she saw sadness and worry, but of course, they were hiding behind the stone in her eyes as always. But now... The emotions were peeking out from behind the stone, like a child lifting their nightmare night mask a little so that they could see a bit better. This, she knew, was almost never a good sign with Maud. Any other time, she would ask her what was wrong and how she could help her. But she already knew the answer, and she was the one who needed help. She'd rarely felt so helpless... But she couldn't help letting her face fall back into her forearms. She couldn't cry. Not now. Not in front of her sister. Her sister was so strong, so resilient... Maud would have... She wouldn't let... this affect her like how it was her.
She heard the soft noise of hooves on carpet as Maud came to her side. She sniffled. She felt a warm hoof on her back. She squeezed her eyes shut. Maud began to rub her back comfortingly, humming a quiet tune as she did so. That was it. Pinkie's eyes flooded with tears once more, and she began to wail. She didn't bother trying to keep her sorrow silent anymore. She'd had enough.
"Shhhh..." Maud soothed. She began to sing softly.
"Hush now, quiet now
It's time to lay your sleepy head
Hush now, quiet now
It's time to go to bed"
Her wails turned to screams of agony as she pressed her face into her pillow.
"Hush, Sugar Crystal, it's okay," Maud murmured, "Let it out."
"Hush now, quiet now
Try and give your big heart a rest
Hush now, quiet now
It's really for the best"
She squeezed her pillow tight to her chest, her back hooves kicking at the air. Her crying began to die down, but the tears kept flowing.
"Hush now, quiet now
My sweet darling Sugar Crystal
Hush now, quiet now
Everything will be all...
....Okay."
The sobbing stopped. Silence gripped the room. And two sisters stayed still in a warm embrace.
"It's just.."
"I know, Pinkie, I know."
"Maud, he was my first best friend after leaving the farm... I... I just n-never thought he'd..." Her voice caught, and she squeezed Maud's forehoof. The two earth ponies laid on her bed, Pinkie Pie resting her head against Maud's side.
"I know how you feel, Sugar Crystal." Maud nuzzled the top of her head.
"B-But how?" she spluttered. "You have Boulder; he can't... he can't... go away..."
"Pinkie..." The older mare ran a hoof through her sister's mane. "I've never lied to you, have I?"
"...No," Pinkie admitted. She pressed up against her older sister. Maud continued to run her hoof through the limp mass of pink hair. It was longer than anypony would think now that it was flattened.
"Do you want to hear a story?"
"Okay," she nearly whispered.
"Once upon a time, there was a boulder who lived by the edge of a river," Maud began. "He had many friends on the river bed; there were rocks, shells, frogs, and even a few other boulders he could talk to. But his very best friend was a little pebble that sat on top of him away from the water, so that he would not be washed away." She paused a moment. "They talked all the time. The little pebble told stories to the boulder, stories about when he had been a great, proud boulder himself. He told of his time on the mountain, the great avalanche that brought him to the side of the river, and the many years the river spend weathering him away to the small, smooth river pebble he was today. He talked of rolling down the river, being swept away from time to time, until he came to the boulder's river bed. The boulder loved listening to the pebble’s stories. The pebble was very old and wise, but the boulder was quite young, having just rolled from the mountain a few years ago. But they were inseparable."
Maud stopped for a moment. She nuzzled her sister again.
"One day, a huge rain storm came... The boulder was mighty and strong, and the winds could do nothing to him. But the pebble was meek and light, and the winds could easily blow him away. The boulder tried all he could to hold on, but the storm pushed the pebble into the river. The boulder tried to move into the river to go after the pebble, but he could not. He was stuck on the river bed, cold and alone." She blinked. "After the storm, the other boulders realized what had happened. They tried to comfort their friend, but he was too sad to listen. But then the boulder realized something," she said with a lighter tone. "His friend, the pebble, had lived a long life and would continue living it. He would continue his adventures, and have more stories to tell. The boulder liked to think that the pebble had made a new friend or perhaps even more. But the boulder knew one thing for sure: the pebble wouldn't want him to be sad. The boulder was still a boulder and had a long life ahead of him to live. The pebble would want him to be happy, to appreciate his other friends around him, and to live his life to the fullest. Who knew? Maybe he'd have his own stories to tell one day when he was an old little pebble?"
Maud giggled slightly, though to anyone else other than Pinkie, it may have seemed like she was only clearing her throat.
"So, my little Sugar Crystal; are you going to make your little pebble proud?"
Pinkie stirred a little, then sat up completely. She nodded. A small smile was on her face. And even though her eyes were still red and puffy, her hair was already starting to fluff up once more.
"Is that why you carry Boulder around?" she asked suddenly. "To remind you of your pebble?" Maud slipped off the bed and stood up straight, Pinkie bouncing up after her.
"Are you okay?" Maud asked, her usual tone back. She didn't feel like answering that question just yet.
"I... I think so. Oh, thank you so much, Maud!" She nearly tackled her sister in a hug. "I don't know what I would do... You're the bestest best sister ever!" She let go of her and stepped back a little. "You're right... Gummy... He wouldn't want me to be so super sad that I was ignoring my bestest friends in the whole wide world! He would want me to be happy." She smiled sadly. "He's... He was only happy when I was happy, that silly gator... If I was always sad, just because he was gone, I don't think he would like that. He... He was in a lot of really bad pain, Maud. I don't know why he was so sick... He was hurting so, so much... I... I'm just glad he's in a better place now where he doesn't have to hurt anymore."
"I'm glad you're feeling better, Pinkie." Maud smiled, if only a little.
"I don't think I'll be able to get over him yet though..." She chuckled, the sad smile still on her face, "He... He was a really, really good friend..."
"I know."
"Are... Are my friends still downstairs?"
"I think so," Maud said. "I think they really care about you, Pinkie. All of them."
"I know." And then Pinkie smiled. A full, bright smile. "Can you come with me downstairs...? I... I think I need to listen to the boulders..."
"Of course," Maud said. "I think that would make your pebble very happy.”