Family Core

Not too far away from Ponyville, going down a hill near the east face of Foal Mountain, there it stood the Pie´s rock farm.

Plain, colorless and sober, the Pie´s rock farm was like an empty canvas, so many stories ready to be told but hard to see. Or so it seemed thanks to the soft cover of snow in it. Igneous Rock´s oldest daughter had convinced him to start bringing snow and so, for every Hearth's Warming Eve, the rock farm got covered in a mantle of white. Igneous will always complain later that this slowed down their production work but one can tell a smile creeping out of him every Eve Dinner.

Igneous Rock was a stallion of habits, his happiness came through on his work. Picking rocks, piling debris and sorting it to sell; it was there where you could see him at his most honest self. So on the last day of winter, what Ponyville labeled Winter Wrap-Up, when he was shoveling the snow away, that he made no effort to hide his smile. Igneous was so satisfied that when he heard the carriage approaching, he had to make a conscious effort to hide his smile.

“Dad! Dad! Daaaaaaaaad!”

Pinkie Pie didn´t even waited for Applejack to bring the carriage to the entry. She jumped down and rushed through the rocks, bouncing on the snow, taking the time to make a pony on the snow, before tackling her father.

“Pinkamena?” Igneous asked, curious as to why his daughter was back in the farm so soon.

“Are you surprised? Did I surprised you? You're surprised! Hey everypony look, dad is surprised!”

“Pinkamena…”

“Told you I would surprise him! I bet you didn't see me coming, well you saw me coming through the hill but never thought I'll be back so soon after Hearth´s Eve but then I was talking to AJ, that´s my friend Applejack over there, and she said…”

“Pinkamena.”

“...and then a troll chased us and then we ended up on this town called Shady Hooves or something like that and we met this funny filly she remind me of Marble and Lime for some reason and…”

“Pinkamena Diane Pie!”

The Apple family stopped on their tracks. They have seen other ponies yell at Pinkie, they have yelled at her from time to time; but this was different, this was the first time they have seen a pony ACTUALLY angry at Pinkie. Or so it seemed. Igneous Rock was obviously a stern father and while Applejack didn't got to knew him well when he visited Ponyville, she figured he had little patience for Pinkie´s antics. That still didn't mean she was going to stand idly while one of her best friends was getting yelled at.

“Sorry dad, guess I was rambling again…” Pinkie apologized.

Igneous saw Applejack approaching and said, “You brought your friends here.”

“Yes, Applejack and her family took me for their trip to get some new seeds like I was telling you.”

“You stopped by the merch at Fillydelphia, I see,” he stated, looking at the carriage full of bags. “Quite a stock.”

Pinkie nodded just as Applejack approached them. “Hey AJ, dad was just complimenting your stock!”

Applejack tilted her hat to Igneous and the stallion responded with a nod.

“Uh uh, why don´t you two get together?”

“´cuse me?” Applejack asked.

“I mean, get together and have a nice farmer chat, compare farmer notes and farmer stories and farmer lullabies and stuff.”

“Rock farming and apple farming are two entirely different issues, Pinkamena,” Igneous declared and then added in a softer tone. “No offense, young lady.”

“None taken, Mr. Pie. But ah´ll keep mah snout shut near Granny Pie if ah were ya, she might wanna try which product bounces harder on the head.”

If Igneous got offended by that comment, his stoic face didn´t show it. “Pinkamena, why are you making this family waste time?”

“uh?”

“Winter is scheduled to be over the day after tomorrow and you still have a long way up to Ponyville. Those seeds need to be planted in time for the defrosting or they became useless and, if I recall correctly, you had the appointed duty of breaking the frozen lakes. Why are you here goofing around?”

Pinkie looked genuinely embarrassed but before she could answer Applejack stepped forward. “Now wait here, mister! Pinkie ain´t making us waste any time, we offered to take her here so she can see her family fer a day. Ah assumed her family will be thrilled to have her, considering she spends most of the year in Ponyville!”

“Of course we´re happy to have her here…” Now Igneous did honestly seemed hurt by Applejack´s comment.

Applejack herself felt a little embarrassed by her outburst.

“Hey dad, look what I bought in Filly!” Pinkie said and she sprout a small fiddle. At the sight of the instrument Igneous´ eyes got a little wider but he said now ord. “I´ve never played a fiddle, well except to make a quick sound gag but this is different, I brought it so I can play a duet with you, a few Hearth´s carols even if the Eve is long gone but still…” This time Pinkie stopped herself noticing her father stern look.

Igneus took a good look at his daughter, his friend and the family parking the carriage on the entry.

“You can all stay tonight. The colt and the filly can sleep in the living room. Mrs. Apple would stay in your older sister´s room, she is out at Canterlot for the week. You have no problems sharing your old bunk with your friend, right?”

“Not a problem, sir,” Applejack said, tilting her hat.

Igneous nodded and headed to the entry of the house.

“Uh dad, about our duet…”

“There´s still plenty of work to do. Tell your friend to help you shovel the snow out of the founding rocks while her relatives unload the carriage.”

“...yes, sir.”

Applejack patted Pinkie´s back, knowing that any word that she could possibly siad will not cheer her up.

Down at the entrance, Apple Bloom shivered, unaccustomed to the weather in a treeless farm.

“Brr! It's freezing in here!”

“Why don´t ya go help Mr. Rock with the shoveling? That'll get you in the mood, kiddo!” Granny Smith said, not so gently pushing her. “Big Mac, take the old chart behind the house so the snow won´t get on the seeds. Care yo help this big slob, ladies?

“Charmed,” Marble and Lime said in unison and they each grabbed one of Big Mac´s arms.

The poor stallion couldn't say a word as he was pulled towards the house.

******

Left to the third founding rock, passing the gravel field but not after the quartz garden, there was a special rock. It wasn´t a special rock by its nature, it was a simple, plain rock but it was special to Pinkie Pie and her family.

That rock was the last one planted by Granny Pie and it served as a constant reminder of her story and her deeds. Whenever Pinkie was feeling sad or lonely, she went to that rock for the counsil of her grandmother. This time however, it wasn´t working.

Applejack approached Pinkie and sat next to her, taking off her hat in sign of respect for the elder Pie.

“Granny Pie always had the best stories. And the best songs. And the best jokes. And the best pies.”

“Honey, ah bet Twilight would tell ya to tell everything in one sentence,” Applejack said.

“Heh, sorry. I just wanted to remember Granny Pie, how she used to sing next to the fireplace while dad played his violin and mom held us in the rocker. I just wanted to remember that because it´s getting harder to do it.”

Applejack wanted to say she was sorry, that they could talk Igneous over, that they can still have a family dinner but she couldn't muster the words. There was something she wanted to say, something that she had been holding back since that afternoon at Sweet Apple Acres but every time it seemed she was about to spill the beans, her lips got sealed.

“You wanna know what's the funniest thing? Granny´s Cutie Mark was a wagon wheel. Weird, right? But you'll think Granny will have any other Cutie Mark but she had a simple wagon wheel,” Pinkie said.

“Ya know how´s the deal with Cutie Marks. Never what you expected them to be,” Applejack responded.

“Yeah but Dad has a pickaxe, mother has a set of rocks. Even my sisters all have matching sets. I´m the only odd one!”

Pinkie was smiling while saying that but Applejack wasn´t. in fact, she was getting angrier.

“I got the bright coat and the fluffy mane that even when I tried to straighten it for the Gala it just wouldn't get down…”

Applejack could feel something building up, a heat inside her and was afraid of letting it go.

“And of course the Cutie Mark. Three bright balloons. I mean, what do they mean? that I like parties? Yes, of course. But isn´t my talent baking or at least that´s why I like the most. But why don't I have the same marks and interest as my family? I guess I just don´t belong her-AUH!”

Pinkie shouted because Applejack hit her with her hat.

“Applejack?”

“Stop saying that!”

“Saying what?” Pinkie was confused and scared, not undestadngin why Appleajck was in teh verge of tears. She figured she had done or said something wrong but didn´t know what.

“Stop talking like that! Like ya have no family! Yer the most lucky pony of the world because ya have so many families. There´s this familiere here and the Cakes in Ponyville and...and ya got us! Twilight, Spike, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity and...me. Ya got me, ya got that? Ah wanted to tell ya that since ah find ya moping in the apple field saying ya don't fit in. Well maybe ya don´t fit in here but ya fit with us! Ya just prove it, prove it that ya can be an Apple so don't ever sya that ya don't fit in!”

Pinkie Pie was speechless. For the first time she couldn't think o anything to say while Applejack was the one ranting.

“I´m sorry…” Was all she could muster to say.

“Don´t be. Stop feeling sorry, Pinks. Ya ot a lot going for you, why can´t ya see it?”

“I´m sorry, Applejack. No really, I am. I guess sometimes I get so worried wanting to please everypony that I end up missing when I´m hurting them. It already happened before, remember? With the Magic Mirror and all those pinkies that destroyed your barn? Yes, you do remember…”

“Heh, ah remember. Sorry ah yelled at you back then, it´s just one Pinkie it´s more than enough for me,” Applejack chuckled and Pinkie managed to smile back. “But Pinkie ya don't need to try so hard, especially not for your family., That´s a lesson ah learned after I screwed up a family reunion.”

“Thanks Applejack,” Pinkie said, nuzzling her. “I´ll try not to make you worry again.”

“There ya go agian. Thinking always of others,” Applejack said, wiping her tears.

“Sorry. It´s just I worry about you sometimes, AJ. You always seem so serious and busy, no wonders with all the things you have to do in a daily basis. I mean, I got your job for just one day and I almost go bonkers with all the bucking apples and plowing the fields and fixing the pipes and the roof and the door…”

“Alright I get ya, the farm needs work. But ya know, sometimes ah think ponies don´t get me. Yes, i have lots of work but ah enjoy it. Ah like being in the farm, helping the family. Sometimes ah get the idea that other ponies think ah´m holding back, like mah family is tying me but that´s not it. Ah love mah family, ah want to spend time with them because ah now how it feels when they´re not around anymore.”

Pinkie leaned closer to Applejack and said, “I love you, Applejack. You´re my best friend. Along with Fluttershy and Rainbow and Rarity and Twilight and Spike and Gummy, can´t forget about Gummy! And you too Rockie, you were my first pet and my very very first best friend!”

Applejack laughed at the scene of Pinkie nuzzling a rock  She drew Pinkie closer to her again and said:

“Ah love you too, Pinkie.”

****

“Now, hit the rock in precisely a forty five degree angle…”

Apple Bloom had a little trouble lifting the pickaxe but her hit was perfect. Igneus made an approving nod but added “good” at the end. that was something she barely did for his daughters, he reserved that praise  to what he considered the most exceptional of works.

“Your grandchildren is doing an excellent work. My husband is impressed,” Cloudy Quartz said to Granny Smith. “Maybe she has a future in the rock farm.”

“Nah, that little apple is going to join the orchard. Just like her sister and mother ´fore her.”

“You never know. children can surprise you.”

“Ah take ya talk about your little bouncy sunshine?”

Cloudy Quartz said nothing and kept making dinner.

“Yes sir, that kid is something special alright!”

Cloudy murmured something on the lines of “All my daughters are special,” but Granny didn't notice.

“She dragged us all over Equestria and back just to take us here and in the way, she managed to make spring that old geez of Wicked. Yes that kid could make a chair jump like a rodeo bull. She is something special.”

Cloudy made no effort of hiding her smile and Granny faked not noticing it.

“Granny! Granny! Look what ah found!”

Apple Bloom bursted in, carrying a shiny quartz.

“Oh, that´ll made a good replacement denture.”

“Granny!”

Granny laughed of her own silly joke while Apple Bloom pouted.

“Think Scootaloo and Sweetie will like it? Ah bet they´re going to love it. maybe we could go search for them in the mountains near the dam. We´ll be Cutie Mark Crusaders Rock Farmers!”

“Now ah don't wanna ya anywhere near Diamond Dog´s territory!”

“But Granny…”

“No buts, young lady!”

Granny Smith took Apple Bloom away to scold her some more while Igneous walked in.

“You´re smiling,” Cloud said to him.

“Kid did a good job.”

“That's not it. You´re happy, happy they brought Pinkamena back.”

“Of course I´m happy my daughter is here.”

“I can tell. Can she?”

*****

That night, the Apples and Pie/Rock family spend the last night of winter together, enjoying the last couple of hours of the snow cloud. Tomorrow, the Pies will finish packing the winter and the Apples will return to Ponyville, arriving just in time for the town wrapping.

But that´s for latr for tonight, the families were enjoying each other. Apple Bloom hugged her quartz rock like it was a pet, proud of her accomplishment. The Pies offered Granny the old rocker and she was quite comfortable on it. Marble and Limestone found a much better place leaning over Big Mac. The stallion looked at his sister asking for help but she just shrugged.

Applejack herself was sitting in the floor, leaning next to Pinkie Pie who was back to her cheerful self, humming a carol to herself but everypony was enjoying it.

Igneous Rock got up and moved next to the chimney, taking a case out. The Pie children had a collective gasp while Cloudy smiled. Igneous took out his old violin and started playing. A slow, melancholic piece, an old Eve melody.

The Pies regained their smiles at the sight. Pinkie looked at Applejack who nodded and then she got up and took out the fiddle, joining her father. With her now the melody changed to something more cheerful, slightly faster but still homely.

The Apples began to relax, Big Mac finding himself comfortable with the two sisters leaning on him. Applejack got up and took her own fiddle from her saddlebags, she joined them and began playing.

Now it was like having an orchestra playing the Hearth´s Carol, the harmonies were perfect and the feeling was obvious. This was a home and this was one big family together, Apples and Pies, one perfect blend of crispy crust and amazing apples.