As Days Go By

"You want ME to teach you how to sculpture!?" Trixie falls out of her performer-like attitude.

"Yes," Maud answers calmly. "Our town hall  holds a sculpture contest every year, I've always wanted to participate, but never seen to have the artistic ability to craft my rocks....and what you have been doing to the rocks is pretty neat....you can decline....if you want."

Maud swiftly turns away from the blue pony. Red surfaced on Maud's cheeks. Trixie's eyes grows as she sucks in her lips. Witnessing the blushing Maud squeezes Trixie's heart.

"I-I mean.....I am not the most artsy pony in the world but.....I am merely honored by your request. Trixie accepts!"

Maud's face rapidly focuses back to Trixie. A crescent smile shines on Maud's face. The usual expressionless eyes of hers sparkles with pure delight. Trixie's cheeks fails to mask the red puffs engulfing her blue face.

"We-well I am glad you have chosen me for such a fa-oh!"

Maud's arms wraps around Trixie's neck. The warmth tugs at Trixie's back; she almost shivers from pure surprise and tranquility. Resistance was futile....Trixie's arm retaliates back. Two hugging ponies sit in the heart of Maud's room.

"Anyhoof! Haha!" Trixie quickly releases her arms from the gray mare. She nervously brushes her mane from her left eye. "So.....when you want us to begin your session?"

"Well," Maud timidly kicks her hoof as if she was trying to gently knock a golf ball in its goal, "I was hoping we could start sometime today."

"Oh...oh! I mean, unless we have some work to do I don't know if that amount of training is possible."

"Today is a free day, Trixie. We have all the time in the world," Maud smiles.

That smile. That damn wretched smile Trixie thinks. How can a bland pony such as Maud Pie reveal the greatest smile? Trixie fights the temptation to just launch herself to Maud and peck those lips. Nothing is in her way. Trixie restrains herself greatly.

"Y-yeah, I forgot that today is free. Well then, I suppose after breakfast we can began our first session."

Anxiety eats Trixie's heart.

"You are doing this wrong! You will never succeed at being a true performer pony!"

The young Trixie Lulamoon drips her eyes to the wooden floor. Despite the lack of a true audience glazing their eyes at her, the emptiness of the auditorium still made Trixie's mind hallow. Imagine if an audience was present, but exits due to Trixie's poor performance. A horrid thought to be sure. Grandiose Lulamoon beams down at his daughter.

"I can't have you honor our family's name with tricks like that. You'll make yourself and your elders look foolish! Picture this: "Trixie Lulamoon: now a grandiose laughing stock!' BAH! Can't have my name tarnish because of lackluster skills of you."

Tears slides off Trixie's nose.

"I am trying, father!" she yelped. "I really am!"

"You don't try, Trixie. You do it! Trying is for the insecure. Doing is for the confident. Are you saying you lack the confidence of being a Lulamoon?"

Trixie quickly shakes her head. "No father, I just-"

"You just what? Tired? Sick? Not feeling it? Damn excuses, Trixie! You cannot get away with such words during a show."

"I just need more practice that's all," Trixie spouts, "I am doing the best I can. Please father....."

"That's the best you can do?" Grandiose closes his eyes and sighs. He turns and trots down the steps.

"Father," Trixie calls, "where are you going?"

"Away from you, Trixie. Until you can prove my worth stay out of my sight. Pack your things tonight, you're heading to your aunt's when Celestia raises her next sun. I can't have a disgrace like you living with me. For now, a life of poverty is where you belong."

Trixie's mouth drops. Her wide watery eyes burns like a ray of the sun hurting your eyes. Her trembling legs pour her body to the stage floor. She curls up and weep for hours. Nopony enter the auditorium to catch the sobbing mare.

"Are you okay, Trix?" Maud snaps Trixie out of her frozen stare. "You're spacing out again. I am worried."

Trixie quickly waves her head. "No no no no! It's okay, I am just focusing as always. Worry not for Trixie."

Maud slowly raises her left eye. "Are you sure? If you are not up for it today, I'll understand."

Trixie gasps. "Please, Trixie is fine! You are so paranoid, Maud. Your greatness will be okay."

"I wouldn't call it paranoia, Trix. I'm concerned. I mean, you do this space out all the time before work. Is there something you wanna talk about?"

Trixie did not want to think about her childhood troubles.

"Maud, please....just take Trixie's word okay?"

Trixie lets out her arm. "Please."

Maud sighs, and reaches for Trixie's hoof to shake.

"Thank you, Maud. Now, where were we. Oh yes. Take a look at the boulder in front you. Study it hard, and analyze the structure of how you want your piece to be. Just focus. Carefully."

Maud Pie shuts her eyes. Her hooves slowly began stomping the hard ground. Pebbles shivers in fear from the heavy tapping of Maud's hooves. The now alert Trixe step away from the gray mare. Maud then leaps to her prey, and mercifully attacks the boulder. The boulder reveals its fragile state by shedding the stone from its body. Trixie watch Maud whip the boulder apart. She was now the mentor, and Maud is her pupil. She never dream of teaching a pony anything.

Maud lands back on the ground. She whips her hair from her eyes.

"So, Trix. What do you think?"

Trixie's mouth gapes at the Pinkie Pie themed sculpture, most of it was on point but some areas were crooked such as Pinkie's nose and fluffy tail.

"It's a decent first start, just a little bit more practice and I think you got the gist of it, Maud. Keep trying."

Maud smiles and hugs Trixie. The blue pony's heart slowly pumps as the warmth cuddles at her body. "Just keep trying, Maud. Nothing wrong with trying."

After days of hustling and growing skills, the day of contest finally rears its head. The town hall is filled to the brim with ponies and the contestants veiled sculptures. The ponies speculate amongst themselves and huddle in their own little parties.

Maud Pie and Trixie stand next to their hidden surprise. All the chatter rang Maud's ears causing her eyes to read the floor.

"What's wrong, Maud?" Trixie places her hoof on Maud's shoulders. "You look terrified."

"I am just nervous. What if nopony likes it?"

"Bah! Who cares what other ponies think?" Trixie exclaims. "You are here for the fun of it. And if anypony has a problem with it, then to Tartarus with them. You are here to gain appreciators, not to see who the best sculpture is! Your audience is your real prize. And even if ponies fail to admire your glorious work, at least you tried."

Maud grins. "Thanks, Trix. I hope you like the sculpture by the way. I didn't want anypony to see it yet, but I am sure you'll love it."

Trixie chuckles. "I'm sure I will. It's crafted by you after all."

Maud's face flourishes into red again to Trixie's delight.

"All right, everypony!" one of the judge hollers. "Gather to your pieces, we are about to begin the critiquing. Please be positioned at your assigned stations."

Anxiety tugs at Maud's chest, even though it seems impossible to see any form of nervousness sink out of her skin. Trixie slowly but carefully stomps her front hooves. She attempts a simple smile to shield her hungry curiousity, but the other ponies are not foolish enough to fall for such a trick. Maud and Trixie observes the other sculptures and the reactions of the audience, judges, and contestants. Both groans and awes echoes through the town hall.

"Oh Maud," Trixie whispers to Maud. "It's our turn!"

The judges approaches the two mares. Sweat rolls from Trixie's head. She almost peeps a little shriek when the judges arrives, but her throat restrains from shocking the critical trio.

"Ms. Maud Pie," says a tall, brown female pony, "you can reveal your sculpture to the world."

Maud nods, and pulls the rope from the sheets.

Trixie's mouth drops.

"I call this, "The Great and Powerful."'

Maud's sculpture is a sheer replica of Trixie. The stoned Trixie raises her left hoof in the air like a victorious war pony. Each structure is crafted nearly perfected. The three judges analyze the sculpture then shift their eyes to Trixie. Red cheeks blossom on the blue pony's face.

"Oh...," Trixie hums.

The judges silently makes a decision and walk to their next contestant. Trixie's face rapidly shift to Maud's.

"You did this for me?"

Maud smiles.

"Oh, Maudie! Oh!" Trixie places her hoof to her lips. Maud ears twitches.

"Maudie?" Maud chuckles. "I like it, it's cute."

"Oh...." Trixie hums once again.

"We have come to a conclusion of first place, everypony!"

All the ponies engulfing the town hall gather in front of the winners stand. Anticipation rose in the yells and cheers in the crowd. Trixie stomps her front hooves but only this time at rapid fire.

"Oh Maud, what if this win isn't yours?" Trixie heavily breathes.

Maud remains quiet.

"And the winner of the Rock Sculpture Contest is........"

The audience roar. Trixie's stomps increase. Maud still remains quiet.

"....."The Great and Powerful" by Ms. Maud Pie!"

Trixie gasps. "Wahoo!!!!" She waves her blue hooves in the air, leaps, and launches a giant hug around Maud's neck. "You won, Maudie! You won!"

Maud giggles. "Even if I didn't win, me trying was enough. That's what you said."

Trixie blushes. "Yeah. You're right. And just trying really paid off."

A tiny tear drop surface from Trixie's eye.

"It truly paid off."