It's quiet, too quiet. What are they up to? Igneous glanced around at the expansive field of rocks, squinting against the morning glare. Sure enough, the four fillies were nowhere to be seen. A grimace stretched across his sideburned face. Cloudy's going to kill me. "Girls? Come on out, we need to get these rocks moved."
A loud fit of giggles gave away their hiding spot in a twisted old tree. Igneous rolled his amber eyes, and decided to play along. Moving casually towards them, he scratched his head. "I wonder where they could be?"
Another onset of laughter, then a loud whisper, "Shut up. He'll hear us."
Now standing beside the tree, Igneous leaned casually against the bark. "Guess I'll never find them." Then, ever so carefully, he brought a hind hoof back and slammed it into the tree.
Three sets of screams broke the stillness, and a pink head poked out from the branches. "Dad! How'd you find us?"
Igneous gave a sly wink, "That's a secret."
She puffed her cheeks out until they resembled a chipmunk's. "No fair."
"Yeah." A blue-violet head joined the pink one. "Right, Marble?"
A quiet voice escaped through the veil of leaves, "Uh huh."
How do they all fit up there? Igneous stood on his hind legs to better see his daughters. Sure enough, all three were hugging thick branches like a troop of monkeys. To his surprise, he noted Maud's purple tail peeking out from the highest branches. "Maud? I didn't think you'd be an accomplice."
A level, monotone voice answered back, "I wanted to see how much weight the tree could bear before it snapped."
Igneous snorted, "You can't use your siblings for science experiments, Maud."
A long suffering sigh drifted down the tree. "Okay."
Though he would have liked to let them play, he had to cut the fun short. His soft expression hardened slightly. "Girls, we've got a whole field of rocks that needs moved today. Come on."
They groaned in unison, and shimmied down the tree. Igneous checked them over for cuts, and set them to work. From the heat beating down on them already, the day was going to be miserably hot.
Pinkie tugged at her father's leg, azure eyes pleading, "Can't we play with Grandma?"
He leaned down, rubbing his rough face against her velvet one. "Sorry dear, Grandma's been sick. She needs her rest. Your mother's taking care of her."
The pout returned, but Pinkie did not complain any further. Instead, she cantered over to her sisters to start shuffling the heavy stones.
Igneous watched sadly. There was nothing he wanted more than to let his daughters spend time with his mother and romp around the farm, but he needed the help. Help that could only come from family, as their coffers were all but bled dry. With his mother so ill and Cloudy overworked, it was only a matter of time until something gave. He looked up pleadingly into the expanse of sky, clear for once. Give me strength to make it through another day.
Night on the farm was so deep, that even the most skilled rock farmers could not safely traverse the fields without memorizing the terrain. But, Igneous did not care. It was in the stillness of night he finally had peace with himself. He lay under the clouds, savoring the cool night air and inhaling the smell of his farm. A noise behind him made him jump. Turning around, he noted his wife, carrying a quilt in her mouth. "Cloudy, what are you doing out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." The grey mare winked behind her small glasses, placing the quilt over them both, snuggling close. "Reminds me of that night after the carnival, watching the stars above Nickerlite." She sighed contentedly, "You were quite the charmer."
He flushed, pawing the ground, "Well, I don't know about that. And there's no stars out."
"There's never stars over the farm." Cloudy leaned in, pressing her muzzle to his. "I love you, dear."
"I love you too." Igneous stared sadly at his wife. The past few years had been hard on her. Too hard. Lines had started to mar her smooth face, and the dark grey of her mane was flecked with white. "I'm sorry about this."
"About what?"
"About, everything. Not only have I asked you to raise four fillies and help with the farm, but now I've burdened you with my mother. You're hurting and it's all because of me."
Cloudy glowered, punching him in the ribs. "Igneous Pie! You stop that this instant. I knew what I was getting into marrying you. Knew there'd be some hard times, some trials. I grew up on a rock farm for heaven's sake!" She stamped a hoof against the dirt, leaving behind a substantial crater. "And then you have the nerve to treat it as though it was your mistake? As though I'd be better off married to some uptight city pony? How dare you cheapen all we've accomplished together."
Igneous wanted to slap himself. His hoof rested gently across Cloudy's back. "It's okay, Cloudy, don't cry."
"You idiot! I'm already crying." Tears were trickling down her muzzle and she leaned into his chest, breaking down at last. "You're not a mistake . . . you're not." After a time, she looked into his eyes, sniffing. "There you go again, making me act like a school yard filly." Wiping her muzzle on her hoof, she pointed to the house, "Those children are a blessing, Igneous, and so's your mother. So what if it's difficult right now? Life's always going to be difficult. We pick ourselves up and move on."
"You're right, dear. But," He sighed heavily, "we can't get by with nothing. I need to earn some extra bits."
Cloudy closed her eyes, frowning, "I could make some quilts to sell."
He shot her a harsh glare, "Cloudy, you and I both know you don't have time to make more quilts."
"Well, what should we do?"
"I'll go into town tomorrow, see if there's any work. It doesn't have to be glamorous as long as it pays." Igneous eyed the barn, mentally calculating the rocks he had stored there. "I'll take a load in. They're rough, and impure, but I should get enough to get some essentials."
Cloudy nodded approval, "All right, but take Maud with you."
"Maud? Why?"
She sighed, rubbing her temple with a hoof, "Dear, she's the oldest of four girls, and the only one old enough to get her cutie mark. Don't you think it's about time for her to focus on herself?"
"You've got a point. I'll take her with me tomorrow." The sound of accordion music drifted in from the house. Igneous frowned. "Mom's going to wake the kids."
Cloudy gave a sly wink, "You sure they were ever asleep?"
Nickerlite was bustling with activity despite the early hour. As a station town, it always had a sense of hurried excitement that farm life never achieved. Though Maud could have cared less about the "city charm" as Pinkie called it, she could appreciate the opportunity. Their family rarely took the several mile trip to town, only going when absolutely necessary. It was an honor to be chosen to go alongside her father. She turned to the stallion beside her with more than a little admiration.
Igneous had pulled the extremely heavy cart, laden with stones, just as easily as though he were transporting feathers. There was not even a drop of sweat staining his coat. It was just like her father, though it never ceased to amaze her. Her eyes fell to the stones, mentally calculating their weight and worth. They were rough. Too rough. He wouldn't be selling them unless they needed bits in a hurry. Though her parents seemed to think she was oblivious, it was obvious that their family was strapped for bits. But, if they shipped the rocks now, they might lose reputation among their buyers. "Are we shipping the rocks?"
"No, I'm going to sell them to Lyle."
"Lyle?" Maud's face tightened, kicking up a dirt clod. That no good snake in the ground! "His prices are too low." And he's an idiot . . .
Igneous leaned over and gave her a hug, which she received grudgingly. "Don't worry about that, Maud."
"I'm not." Maud bit her lip, eyeing her father's troubled expression. You're the one that's worried. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Raising a hoof, he ruffled her lilac mane affectionately. "Go and play with the other fillies today. I'm going to sell these rocks and be right back."
"But," her small face contorted into a grimace, "Dad do I have to?" There was nothing she wanted to do less than deal with those stuck up snobs. Her sisters were better company any day of the year.
He stepped out of the traces, rummaging in the cart. With a dramatic flourish, he pulled out a large book. "Here. You can trade this at the market for something else."
Maud's heart lept at the possibility, but was careful to retain her deadpan expression. No need to act like a little kid. She took the book. "Thank you," she mumbled.
"Right." Waving goodbye, Igneous pulled the cart through the busy thoroughfare, quickly disappearing in the crowd.
Maud could not help but cheer her good fortune at being given such a treasure. The moldy tome she carried in her mouth was apparently a guide on carpentry. But, that was not important. What was important was that she had an all access pass to something wonderful. Even if she did not know what it was yet.
Nickerlite was a boom town, at least that's what Cloudy always called it. Maud was not so sure. Once, a few years ago, she looked up the phrase boom town in one of their books. It meant a town that popped up in a matter of months due to some discovered resource, and faded away as soon as that resource was gone. Nickerlite on the other hoof, had been built over the course of years as a farming town, and had no vast stores of resources. The only factor that had changed was the railway line passing through the town, bringing an influx of strangers with it.
As Maud walked down Main Street, she marveled at all the changes that had occurred in the two months since she had last come to town. The little shops lining the street ebbed and flowed like waves, and this new wave was especially interesting. A jewelry shop? No permanent resident of Nickerlite could afford finely crafted jewelry like that in the display window. No family but the Apples that was. Being the most important landholders with all the best fields would do that to a family. But Maud was not about to complain. She would take the peaceful solitude of the rock farm to the bustling orchards of the Apple family any day.
Lost in thought, she nearly collided headlong into a pair of stallions in expensive business suits. In the confusion, she dropped the book onto the dusty street. The salt and pepper mustache of the taller one stretched to reveal a set of overly straight teeth. "Hello there." Leaning down, he scooped up the book and handed it to her. "Try not to drop it next time, okay?"
A glance at the pair made her body quiver in a familiar, unsettling way. I've got to leave. Nodding curtly, she veered away from them, and continued down the road, heart pounding. Grandma Pie always said strangers were just friends waiting to be made, but Maud was not so sure.
There were some ponies that just felt wrong. It was not like they were cruel outright, but something deep inside her told her that she needed to stay far away from them. Try as she may, she could never understand where the feeling came from, it just happened. Some days she considered telling her family, but she always thought better of it. For the time being, it was best kept a secret.
Ponies darted in and out of shops, laden with all kinds of strange packages as Maud continued her journey. Finally, she came to the open space marking the end of Nickerlite. Around the fountain were a series of carts and vendors, all hawking their various wares at "unbelievably low prices." It was the hub of local residents, a haven from the strangers that came and went with the wind. Maud trundled along, noting each familiar face, and mentally marking their wares.
Sure enough, old man Parchment sat on a worn stool at the far end of the market, paging through the local paper. He looked up, wizened face stretching into a smile. "Why, if it isn't Maud. Come to sell another book?" He gestured to the crate beside him, "Put her there if you please."
Dropping the tome, Maud looked expectantly up at the pegasus. He reached down and carefully picked it up. As usual, he moved at an infuriatingly slow pace, scanning the pages for wear, noting the publication date and any other interesting tidbits of information. Seemingly satisfied with his inspection, he placed it back in the crate, "I can offer four bits. That satisfactory, Miss Maud?"
Maud contemplated for a second, then nodded. Parchment held out a hoof. Inwardly, she groaned at the old stallion's insistence on formalities like hoof shaking. Accepting his quirk, she lifted a hoof and shook it. Taking the bits, Maud wandered back to the main market.
Now that she had her budget, she felt comfortable exploring the stands in detail. Instinctively, she moved to Granite's. The grey mare was built like an ox with a voice to match, but nopony in Nickerlite knew geology like she did. Her harsh scowl broke into a soft grin when she saw the filly. "Well, if it ain't Maud Pie. What brings you to my humble stand, eh?"
"Rocks." Maud deadpanned, pointing to the expansive collection resting on the table in front of Granite. There wasn't another collection like her rocks in all of Nickerlite.
"I'd thought you'd get enough of them at home. Still," she let out a deep, booming laugh that set many ponies heads turning, "you're always welcome to look."
Maud sniffed the rocks, and glanced over them with a practiced eye. Most were local, but a few were of different composition than could be found even in Equestria. There were simply too many to choose from. Each and every one was breathtaking.
The tolling of the clock tower made her jump, and she looked over to see it was almost nine o'clock. Guess I'd better pick one soon.
Apparently noticing her indecision, Granit pulled out something from under the table. It was a small, spiral bound book. "Say, Maud. I know you don't like books, but this one's worth your while." Granit puffed out her grey barrel of a chest, "It's the best introductory rock guide in Equestria. Used it myself when I was your age."
"Huh?" Curious, she leaned in close. Sure enough, though it looked like an ordinary book, it was in fact a pocket guide. Each page had two full color photos of the particular rock and what it looked like on the inside. Awesome! "How much?"
"Hmmm." Granite placed a hoof to her forehead, as if lost in thought, "Well, since you're so interested in geology, I'm going to give it to you for two bits."
Maud nodded, handing over the money and proudly taking up the sleek little book. Satisfied with her purchase, she moved over to the candy stand. The sickly sweet taste never appealed to her, but her sisters adored the stuff. So she bought a bag of noxiously sweet taffy for them to share later. It would double as an apology for leaving them on the farm to go with Igneous.
Main street was jam packed with ponies when she arrived. Pushing through them felt uncomfortably close to squeezing an orange through a juice press. The hot, sweaty sides of the strangers made Maud want to gag. Looking around, the street was filled with ponies all milling around something in the center of the street. Getting closer, she heard an all too familiar voice.
"Enough, Ambrosa."
Dad? Gathering up all her strength, Maud pushed through the crowd and stared at the scene before her. Standing in the center of the makeshift ring was her father and Ambrossa Apple. The massive red stallion was shooting daggers at a pair of equally substantial stallions behind Igneous. It appeared that Igneous had just prevented a rather unpleasant scene.
"Move, Igneous. This ain't yer business." Ambrossa made to push Igneous aside, but Igneous stood his ground.
"It's everypony's business when you move your disagreements to public streets, Ambrossa."
"I don't need a beansprout fighting for me." The cobalt earth pony behind Igneous stamped up a cloud of dust.
"I'm not fighting for anypony. I'm just calling for reason." Igneous' amber eyes shot pleadingly at Ambrossa. "You're an honest fellow. Why'd you go picking a fight?"
"I wasn't starting a fight, but these colts were." He stood up tall, flexing his bulky muscles and shooting a challenging glare at the blue stallion in particular. "This here loafer, Cobalt, thinks he can up and demand a job from me."
Cobalt snorted, "I didn't say that. All I said was the farm would be benefit from a hard worker like myself."
"Hard worker my hoof. You just want an in with my daughter."
Maud rolled her eyes. Ambrossa was a good pony, most of the time, but when he lost it, he really lost it.
Igneous lifted a hoof, "Why don't you-"
"-You think you're hot stuff, Cobalt? Prove it." Ambrossa shoved Igneous to the ground and strode over to the young stallion. "It takes a strong pony ta work on my farm. The pulling contest's tomorrow. If I win, you go an find employment elsewhere."
A smirk stretched across the blue stallion's blocky face, "And if I win, you let me work on the farm."
"Fair." Ambrossa lifted a hoof, and the pair shook on it.
With a decided jerk to his friend, Cobalt turned and pushed his way through the crowd.
Igneous walked to Ambrossa, expression troubled. "What makes you think that a pulling contest will solve this?"
"Stallions have settled their differences with contests for centuries, Igneous. Inward strength reflects outward as Pa always said." He sighed, patting Igneous on the back. "Guess it's hard fer you scrawny folks ta understand. It takes a stallion of real strength to lead, not some intellectual like yerself."
The crowd laughed at her father. A soft spoken pegasus mare nodded in agreement, "Never seen that scarecrow take a swing."
"Yeah!" The general store manager stamped his massive hoof, "Always thinks knows more than we do."
An overweight unicorn stallion spoke in a gruff voice, "Does anypony even know what goes on at that farm of his?" This sent a shockwave of excited murmuring throughout the street.
The circle had begun to close around Igneous. Before she could move to him, Igneous cantered over. With an unusual level of urgency, he guided her through the crowded street and back towards the wagon.
Igneous said nothing as they walked to the edge of town, though Maud could hear his heavy breaths. It was something he did when he was angry, and it always made her nervous. When they reached the wagon, he loaded her book and taffy in the back without a word. They started together down the dusty road leading to the farm. The only break from the monotony was the rhythmic pounding of their hooves. It was not a new situation, and they both knew it. When push came to shove, her dad was always the first to stop a fight and the first to walk away when confronted himself. He never brought the subject up, but today he seemed more irritated than usual. If he felt that way, why hadn't he acted? "Dad?"
"Yes, Maud?"
"Why?"
Igneous stared back, eyebrow raised. "Why what?"
She kicked up some dirt, watching it drift lazily into the air. "Why did you let yourself get pushed around?"
"Oh that." The stallion looked up into the sky, spotting the line of clouds that marked the border of their farm. "Don't worry about that, Maud."
"But, you could've been hurt."
"They weren't going to hurt me. But," his brow creased with worry, "that's not what's bothering you. What's wrong, Maud?"
"They, they were so . . . " She gulped, fighting back the anger welling up inside her. What's wrong with me? Her level voice began to falter, "They were so mean to you. They said you were weak, a coward, and-"
"-Never you mind what they said, Maud. It doesn't matter." Igneous ruffled her mane in that reassuring way of his. "I can take it."
"You could have stopped them."
"Yes, but what would that make me?" He stamped his hoof, leaving behind a crater in the road. "I'd be just as arrogant as they are; making myself out to be better than I am. That's just pride plain and simple, Maud."
"Pride means nothing; it's fragile. Humility on the other hoof . . . well it lasts a lot longer." His attention turned back to her, "Sorry. Your Dad goes on tangents sometimes. Don't worry about it."
"I won't." Maud looked into his eyes, marveling at the stallion. Though he was a simple pony, no one could have called him unintelligent. It would not have taken him more than a few sentences or well placed kicks to silence those creeps. After all, it wasn't pride if it was true. Why couldn't he see that?
The pale lantern light danced off of the wood walls, illuminating the bedroom in blotchy patches. Taking up most of the space were two large beds, squeezed so tightly that one could walk from either end without touching the wooden floor. Marble and Limestone reclined on their bed closest to the door staring at their two older siblings.
"He just let Ambrossa knock him over?" Limestone stretched out like a cat on the quilts, eyes bulging in disbelief.
As usual, Marble looked skeptical, and turned to Maud seated on the neighboring bed. "Did he really, Maud?"
Maud nodded indifferently, watching her siblings munch through the entire bag of taffy. They're going to get a tummy ache. Especially Pinkie.
The pink filly's face bulged with so many sweets she could not speak. A sticky smacking sound was her only response, though her eyes sparkled with the desire to add her two bits in. With a few huge swallows, she managed to choke down the sticky substance. "Why'd he do that?"
"Dunno." Maud picked up a comb, brushing back the stray strands. The expectant looks on her sister's faces made her pause. "Yes?"
"Tell us, Maud." Limestone rolled over on the bed like a dog, causing Marble to grumble.
"Please!" Pinkie hopped up and down, nearly knocking Maud off the bed.
"Okay." Anything to get you to stop. After clearing her throat, she continued in her perfect monotone, "He said it'd be arrogant to prove them wrong."
Limestone's eyes became as wide as a barn owl's. "Wow. But, uh, what's arrogant mean, Maud?"
Maud stated the obvious for what felt like the hundredth time that week, "It means you've got a lot of pride."
Pinkie really did topple off the bed that time. Scrambling to her hooves, she leapt back to her spot. "Dad should have a whole lot of pride. He's the best rock farmer dad ever."
"Yeah!" Limestone pounded a hoof into the air. "If I were Dad, I would've knocked those big jerks down a notch."
Marble groaned, "You can't go punching everypony you disagree with, Limestone."
"Why not? Just 'cause you're too chicken to do anything!"
That was enough to set Marble off, and soon they were in a tussling match on the floor. Their squealing and kicking shook the boards, and, soon enough, Granny Pie opened the door. "Girls! What in Equestria are you fighting over?"
The pair ceased their tussle, turning to stare sheepishly at the frail mare.
Granny creaked forward, "Why don't you four settle down for the night?"
Limestone started to protest. "But-"
"-you know, you aren't supposed to be eating sweets this late." Granny raised a wrinkled hoof towards the taffy. "But, if you can hop in bed and listen to one of Granny's stories, why, I think I'll be having so much fun I'll forget all about it."
The filly's scrambled under the covers. Pinkie looked up into the older mare's eyes, "Granny?"
"Yes, Pinkamena?"
Pinkie burrowed her head under the covers, "After the story, could you maybe sing us one of your songs?"
A wide smile stretched across her lined face, "Of course, dearie. Of course."
Cloudy stretched out under the quilt, smelling the fresh night air through the open window. There was nothing quite like the smell of summer nights on the farm. The door to their bedroom swung open to reveal her husband. Igneous looked exhausted from his head to his hooves.
He shot her a smile as he walked over to the bedstand. "How was your day, Cloudy dear?"
"Oh, we had some fun." Cloudy smirked and pointed at a pile of scraps in the corner. "Your mother's teaching the girls to quilt."
"And the fields?"
Cloudy turned away, gritting her teeth. It always came down to the fields. "Not so well. You know I try to get the girls working, but they're just so scatterbrained." Scatterbrained was a bit of an understatement. Without Maud to direct their energy, they seemed to explode in all directions. That was natural, and Igneous needed to learn to accept it. "They're fillies, Igneous. They shouldn't have to work so hard."
Igneous twitched, but said nothing as he joined her on the bed. "We've all got to pull our weight, even the girls." There was a long pause as a strong breeze ruffled their manes. "I ought to be pulling mine more," he murmured.
"So, you didn't find work?"
"No, you know how it is in town." Igneous rested his head on her chest, allowing her to savor his familiar warmth. "Ever since that railroad came, we've had nothing but trouble. Strangers piling into town every day, all willing to work for next to nothing."
Cloudy chuckled softly, "Well now, we'll just turn it around, now won't we?"
"How? I can't sell rocks that aren't ready. It's not like I don't try, Cloudy."
"I know you try, dear. I know." Her heart ached at seeing him like this. There had to be some way out of this mess, some solution they were overlooking. Then, it hit her. "The pulling contest!"
"What about it?"
Cloudy rolled her eyes, "You can't be that dense, Igneous."
"You want me to enter that show of stupidity?" Igneous' face contorted into an expression of utter revulsion.
Her eyes pierced his, harsh as the rocks in their fields. "Yes, and you will if you want us to make it through the winter." She gripped his hoof tightly, "The prize is three hundred bits Igneous. That's a lot of money."
"But-"
"-for Celestia's sake, Igneous, swallow your precious pride and do it!"
Igneous gritted his teeth, then nodded slowly. "I'll do it."
"I knew you'd come to your senses."
"Let's hope so . . . let's hope so."
It was a special treat for one or two of the Pie fillies to be taken to town once a month. So, when they girls set out of the house to do their morning chores, they were shocked to see Igneous ready with the wagon, sideburns trimmed neatly and wearing his best hat. Pinkie gasped, prancing in place, "Are you going to town? Can I come?"
Limestone pinned her ears at Pinkie, "Hey! You went the time before Maud. It's my turn."
"And mine." Marble added, mirroring Limestone's scowl.
"Girls!" Igneous walked over to his daughters, gently pushing them apart with his hoof. "You're all going."
Maud gaped open mouthed at her father, "But we went yesterday."
"Yes, well, today's special." He jerked his head to the wagon, "Get in girls or we'll be late."
Pinkie leapt into the wagon and leaned casually against the rails, "Late for what?"
"For the pulling contest." Igneous made certain the girls were safely loaded, then slipped into the traces. "I thought it'd be fun to go and watch. The whole town will be out there. They'll even be games with prizes for you fillies."
"Games?" Limestone grinned wickedly, "I like the sound of that. I'm going to win so much candy!"
A broad smile stretched across Igneous' face. "We'll see."
The journey into town was far more eventful than it had been the previous day. Apparently, Granny Pie had taught them some new song, which the three youngest were singing obnoxiously loud. Maud somehow managed to avoid singing a single line, though Pinkie attempted to have her join in. Before they knew it, they pulled into the fairgrounds.
Nickerlite's fairground was not much more than an expanse of grass to the south of the town. Still, it was more than satisfactory for the kind of small town events Nickerlite hosted. After he pulled up the wagon, Igneous gathered the girls around. "All right. The pull starts in an hour. We'll all watch it together, okay?"
The fillies nodded in unison and took off down the strip. Igneous watched for a time, then found an appropriate spot on the grass to watch the show. A group of stallions were walking the cordoned off strip, assessing ground conditions, and stretching out. For a moment, Igneous felt like joining them, but thought better of it. There was always a distance between him and the town ponies. Even after knowing many of them for years, he never felt comfortable approaching them. So he watched.
Slowly, spectators began trickling on either side of the strip. Igneous nodded and smiled in his best attempt at courtesy, though the ponies avoided him like the plague. Just before the opening ceremony, his daughters arrived, all gasping for breath. Pinkie held out a hoof. "Sorry we're late, Dad."
Marble settled down on the grass, "Yeah, Maud had to get her prize."
"Yup." Maud's face wore an expression of complete and total boredom as she held up a stuffed teddy bear.
Igneous ruffled her mane, "That's great, Maud. What was the game?"
"Digging."
"Huh?"
"A treasure hunt, silly." Pinkie lay next to her dad, snuggling close. "We had to dig in a pile of pebbles for a toy."
"Maud kinda blew up the pile. But it's all good." Limestone looked at her oldest sister with admiration, "She scared those colts out of their wits."
"Maud you shouldn't go scaring colts. What would your mother-"
"-Welcome one and all to the forty-third annual Nickerlite pulling contest!" All the chatter around them ceased, and they stared at the unicorn standing in the center of the field. The portly pony adjusted his magically held megaphone, "A contest of strength and willpower that is sure to push the competitors to the limit. For those who are new, the rules are simple. The stallions in question must pull this sled as far as they can down this strip."
A well-dressed stallion with a monocle spoke up, "What's so difficult about that? Anypony can pull a sled."
A wry grin stretched across the unicorn's face, "This sled weighs over two thousand pounds. Now sir, do you think just anypony can pull it?"
The stallion flushed crimson, and sat back down. Clearing his throat, the unicorn continued, "The one who pulls it the farthest, wins. Anypony can stand up and enter, no registration required. So, without further ado, let the games begin!"
The Pie fillies were soon enraptured by the show. It was the first time they had ever been to the pull, and it was amusing to watch. A cue of stallions lined up to prove their strength. Some of them, especially the strangers, could not even make the sled budge. Others pulled with all their might, but could only make it move a few feet. Limestone actually gasped, when Lyle the warehouse manager pulled it to the halfway point before stopping.
Tension built up as everypony began to eye Ambrossa and Cobalt. News had spread of their challenge, and the whole town was anticipating the outcome. Finally, it was time. Cobalt strode into the shafts, and gathered up his strength. With grand effort, the young stallion dragged the sled forward. He kept going past Lyle's point, then paused.
Marble looked into Igneous' eyes, "Is that it?"
"Just watch."
Sure enough, Cobalt gave a grand lurch forward and continued down the strip. After a few more feet, he sank to his knees. They watched as his position was marked, and the course reset. The Apple family gave a tumultuous roar as Ambrossa took to the shafts. Grinning wickedly, he pulled on.
At first, it did not look like the stallion could beat Cobalt's distance. But, as he continued, everypony began holding their breath. Fifteen feet, ten feet, three feet. If he just pushed a little more he would make it. A cheer rippled through the spectators as Ambrossa passed Cobalt's distance by a good ten feet before collapsing himself.
The announcer spoke up, "Does anypony else dare to challenge this heavyweight? Anypony?" Silence fell on the grounds like a veil. "Well then, I declare-"
"-wait."
Heads whipped over to stare at Igneous. Limestone nudged Marble in the ribs, hissing, "This is gonna be good."
Igneous walked slowly through the crowd and to the start line. The announcer nodded, and called for the reset. After everything was lined up, Igneous stood in the shafts. Ambrossa barked a laugh. "You can't be serious, Igneous. Face it, you're out of your league."
A stocky colt piped up from the sidelines, "You can't beat him! My Dad's the strongest pony in Nickerlite."
Without a word, Igneous started to pull. After the initial lurch, his pace slowed considerably. Still, with each steady beat of his hooves, the sled moved forward. The entire audience stared in wonder at the lean stallion that could pull so much weight. A collective gasp filled the audience as he neared Ambrossa's mark and stopped.
What now? Igneous' muscles burned as he looked hopelessly ahead. I could back down, nopony would complain.
Pinkie moaned, "He's not going to make it. What do we do Maud?"
Maud rested a hoof on her sister's back. No use for it. Taking a deep breath, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "You can do it Dad!"
Soon, all of the Pie sisters were cheering loudly. The ponies around them stared, then a few started to join in. A roar filled the grounds as most of the town began to cheer the rock farmer on.
A spark of determination lit in Igneous' eyes. This sled, it's nothing compared to the rocks. Foal's play really. I can do this. Inhaling deeply, Igneous lurched onward. Instead of slowing, he began to pick up speed. His eyes flashed like wildfire as he passed the mark and kept going and going right to the end of the track.
A sound like thunder broke out as the spectators all stamped their hooves in celebration. Nopony had ever dragged the sled that far. Not in all of Nickerlite's history. Ambrossa gaped as Igneous passed him. "How did you? Why didn't you say anything?"
Igneous shrugged, walking slowly back to the announcer, and muttered something in his ear. He nodded, handing over a heavy bag containing the prize money. The unicorn started in surprise as the rock farmer simply walked away.
Ponies pressed close to Igneous, bombarding him with questions. He shook his head, and made his way to his daughters. Unlike the crowd, they were sitting calmly where he left them. "Time to go, girls."
They nodded, trotting happily behind him. At this, the crowd accepted defeat and watched them leave. Pinkie glanced behind them as they went, "Why didn't you stay and talk? We could've waited."
Igneous snorted a laugh, "I can't imagine why they're so excited to talk to a rock farmer."
Pinkie hugged his leg, "You're way more than a rock farmer."
Limestone hopped up and down with glee. "Yeah. You're the best dad in Equestria!"
"I don't know about that." As he watched his girls load into the wagon, a familiar warmth filled his chest. Maybe a little pride was all right after all.
Author's Note
Wow. This took longer to write than expected. I hope you enjoyed this story, I had a good time writing it. I got the inspiration from a chapter in my long running work What Changes May Come, when I mentioned Igneous winning the Nickerlite pulling contest for years in a row. The pulling contest itself was inspired by a type of draft horse racing in Japan (Ban ei races) where horses pull sleds weighing up to a ton down a track. I decided to give Maud a special sense of her own (sort of similar to Pinkie's Pinkie sense), while making it a touch darker. My mind goes strange places sometimes.
Anywho, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
