Rocks in the Head.
“Thank you for coming, I just do not know what to do with this one,” ‘Gravel Pack’ said in an exasperated voice as he lead ‘Maud Pie’ through the gate to the eastern field.
The sun was still climbing to its zenith and the ‘Strata Plains Rock Nursery’ bore the sound of gentle hammers tapping on stone. Normally the sound would have settled Gravel Pack of a morning, but today was a very different story.
“You are most welcome Gravel, I came as soon as I heard,” The paced, monotone reply of the region’s premier expert on all things rock replied. Gravel watched in awe as Maud cast her steady turquoise gaze across the assembled stones of his field. Maud was known to be able to spot a metamorphic rock at fifty paces and it sent a thrill of excitement down Gravel’s spine to know she was actually here.
“So which boulder are you having trouble with Gravel, everything is looking fine to me,” Maud asked in her trademark deadpan way.
Gravel shuffled his hooves uncomfortably as he stared at the dust scoured ground in embarrassment, “Well she’s a tough one Maud, I have never met her like you see. She was so lost and all alone and I took her in to try and help, but nothing I have done has.....” Gravel was cut off as an angered cry split the calm air.
“Trixie does not understand why this rock does not obey her commands! She believes it must be cursed, bring me another!” Gravel winced as the source of his troubles made herself known once again. Maud turned her powerful eyes on the troubled stallion before continuing.
“That doesn’t sound like any pony I know Gravel, have you been hiring new staff?” Maud asked politely and Gravel believed he saw the tiniest shift of an eyebrow on the grey mare’s face.
“Like I said Maud; she was so sad and all alone, I didn’t have the heart to turn her away,” Gravel explained in a resigned tone. “But she’s been nothing but trouble since she came and it’s upsetting the livestock.”
Maud closed her eyes as she felt the ‘mood’ of the nursery for herself and was inclined to agree with Gravel’s assessment: The young stones were troubled and their angst was directed at one pony in particular. “She’s a tough one I will give you that Gravel,” Maud paused for a moment before opening her eyes once more, “I will see what I can do to help.”
“Hello Trixie, this is my good friend Maud Pie. I brought her here to help you.” Gravel said with a forced cheerfulness as Trixie turned to regard the pair of earth ponies.
“Trixie doesn’t need help from the likes of you, Trixie just needs more cooperative rocks that is all,” The unicorn announced as if she were Celestia herself. “Why can’t you find proper rocks for the great Trixie to work with? The ones you have supplied are faulty.” Gravel sighed once again and looked pleadingly to Maud for support.
“I can see you are having trouble with the rocks Miss Trixie, I would be happy to help you learn about them if you would like,” Maud asked as if Trixie hadn’t just insulted her.
Trixie snorted in derision, “You? Teach the great and powerful Trixie? Trixie knows all she needs to know and cannot possibly learn anything from lowly equines such as yourselves.” Gravel covered his eyes with a hoof and shook his head once more.
“It is okay Gravel, I will stay with her for a bit, you go and reassure the other livestock that things will be fine,” Maud assured her friend before turning her resolute attention upon Trixie once more. Gravel backed away with an appreciative bow and headed off to tend the rest of his flock.
Maud watched the poor farmer go and steeled herself for the trial ahead. Turning back she saw Trixie holding a small testing hammer in her magical aura, noting that she did so in just the wrong way and blinked slowly in frustration.
“Okay Trixie, would you please show me how it is done then? I am always ready to learn from one such as yourself,” Maud said in a level tone.
Trixie’s eyes shone for a moment and Maud hoped she had an opening; ponies were more like rocks than your average Equestrian gave them credit for. Some were like igneous stones; all sharp and pointed with jagged crystals inside where only a heavy hoof would get through to them. Some were like sedimentary rock; layers upon layers placed down over time that needed to be rubbed gently to uncover the troubles hiding below.
Maud judged Trixie to be more of a metamorphic stone, hardened by pressure and heat until they became tough and self contained; but if you knew where to give the right kind of coaxing they could come apart to show you the real pony inside.
“Trixie may deign to allow you to know some of the things she knows, if you will help her with these defective castoffs,” Trixie proclaimed and Maud smiled inside. Yes definitely a metamorphic one.
Maud slowly moved along side Trixie and sniffed at the collection of small stones scattered about the area. The little pebbles were all upset by the harsh treatment they had received from Trixie, Maud was in no way surprised that they didn’t respond well to the unicorn. If uncorrected Maud knew they would never mature enough to shine and so reveal the true potential within them. Not unlike somepony I just met.
“So you use the hammer to test their responses like this, correct?” Maud asked Trixie as the earth pony gently tapped the rock before her with such beauty and skill it would have caused Gravel to cry. The little pebble responded with a humming note and for a tiny moment seemed to shine with a polished radiance from within.
Trixie’s brow furrowed in a clear sign of annoyance, before her superior manner returned, “Trixie sees she has taught you well in such a short time, is she not the greatest teacher there has ever been?”
Maud Pie facehoofed internally, but outwardly showed no sign of pity. Yes Gravel Pack, she really is a tough one.
“Yes you are Trixie, would you please show me some more of your skills with the rest of these? I could really use the help,” Maud commented in a patient way.
Trixie seemed to swell with self importance, “Of course humble rock farmer, Trixie will further deign to reveal her mastery over the rocks of this world!”
“Do you really have to go Maud? She’s making such progress now; the stock is calmed and I think Trixie won’t cause any more harm while you're here,” Gravel Pack pleaded as Maud gathered up a few choice stones from the field. They were the most abused ones from Trixie’s ministrations and Maud had decided to see to their well being personally, they needed a very tender hoof to have any chance of recovering.
“Sorry Gravel, but I have done all I can. She has made some progress it is true but it will take a pony of greater skill than me to fix that one fully,” Maud glanced back to her ‘teacher’ and felt only pity for the poor unicorn; who was at least holding her testing hammer the correct way now.
“There are some stones that take the longest to mature, often when they have been through a lot. They may be damaged beyond repair and all you can do is your best for them,” Maud continued to observe Trixie as she rolled over a pebble that a fellow worker had already turned, berating him for his foolishness.
Gravel nodded at these wise words, “Thank you Maud, if any pony could get through to her then it was you.”
Maud slowly blinked in return even as she felt the slightest embarrassment at the praise, “You are most welcome Gravel, it is a start and I hope it has left a crevice for another pony to help break her open in the future.”
The distant heckling of Trixie drifted over the nursery as the sun (which was well past its height now) sunk slowly towards its rest, “Come now simple rock farmers, let the amazing Trixie show you how to tend to your flock!”
It was a start. Maud was happy to have been there for Trixie, she strongly believed that like a gully carved by water Trixie would come out alright in the end, but it was going to be a long road and many seasons before her true potential was realised.
“Keep at her Gravel Pack, the rocks in the ‘head’ are the hardest to shift and no amount of pounding will move them. You need to coax and guide them slowly to form the right shapes,” Maud explained before she shook Gravel’s hoof in farewell. “Let me know how it goes and send any other stones she hurts that will need my help to recover, alright?”
Gravel smiled and waved as Maud Pie trotted away from his farm. He felt reassured that there were ponies out there with skills like Maud, before turning his attention back to his farm and the most troubled 'stone' within it.
The End
