That's not it. Trend reclined on the hotel room floor, reading over the paper for what felt like the hundredth time that night. No matter what he tried, the article simply would not come out the way he wanted it to.
He champed absent-minded on the pencil, contemplating. It needed to be written right. At the moment it just felt second rate. Sure, he was probably over-exaggerating its importance in the grand scheme of things. Undoubtedly it would surge in popularity as all his other articles had done. But such popularity was always fleeting, and it would not be long before it faded into obscurity. So why did it feel so important?
Trend knew the answer, even if he would just as soon deny it to the first pony who asked. For this article, no matter how insignificant to the world, meant everything to him. Because it was about her and the brief moment they shared together. And, even if it was for just a moment, he would see her in the spotlight. That unassuming mare with the soft smile.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Trend stared at the bucket with a mixture of loathing and frustration. Every fall it always came down to this. A battle of will against the apples. Well, at least the stakes were low. Taking a deep breath, he plunged his head into the bucket and tried to clamp down on one of the illusive fruits. Instead, he managed to swallow a rather large mouthful of dirty water.
He lurched his head out of the bucket, spluttering loudly. His expertly coifed mane was now soaked trough and lying flat on his neck. A quick check revealed that his glasses were no longer on his muzzle. Where'd they go?
Glancing back down at the bucket, he noted the thin framed glasses resting at the bottom. A lilac aura surrounded them, and lifted them out. Sighing, Trend rubbed them dry on his green sweater. Foiled again. It would be so much easier if I just used magic. Heck, why not? He casually levitated up an apple out of the bucket.
"What are you doing?"
Trend's heart skipped a beat, and the apple tumbled back into the bucket with a splash. Wheeling around, he came face to face with a rather unenthused looking grey mare. Better up the charm. He leaned casually on the nearby fence, flashing his perfectly straight teeth. "Research."
"Uh-huh." The grey mare's blue eyes stared intently into his, "What kind of research?"
"I'm touring for work." Trend levitated a comb from his sweater pocket, styling his mane back to neutral. "I'm an author. I've been asked to visit some small town festivals and see if any deserve to be put on the map."
The mare continued in her perfect monotone, "It's already on the map."
Trend snorted, stifling the urge to laugh. Is she serious? How can she not know who I am? "No, no. It means I'm going to sing their praises in my article, and ponies all around Equestria will flock here just for the festival."
"That actually works?"
The stallion puffed out his skinny chest, "Of course it does! Ponies hang on every word I have to say. I'm the most fascinating, fashion forward author in Equestria after all."
She blew a strand of lilac mane out of her eyes, "Uh-huh." In her mind there was nothing "fashion forward" about the festival. It was a perfectly ordinary festival on a perfectly ordinary fall night. Nothing special.
He held out a hoof, "Name's Trenderhoof. You can call me Trend."
The mare eyed him for a moment, as though she were buying a used wagon. She slowly took his hoof. "Maud Pie." Then, considering, "Guess you can call me Maud."
"Uh . . . charmed I'm sure." Trend stared at the mare's simple grey blue dress in wonder. It really was the ugliest outfit he had ever seen, hardly more flattering than a potato sack. To add to the picture, her potentially gorgeous mane was chopped so perfectly symmetrical that it more closely resembled a bowl. Shame, she could've been so pretty too. Sighing dramatically, he waved goodbye. "Guess I'll be going then. It's been . . . interesting."
Just as he started to walk away, Maud grabbed him by a hind hoof and pulled him back. Unfortunately she overestimated the stallion's weight and he was sent to the grass with a thud. Ooops.
He lay on his back, glasses askew, "What?"
What now? Maud had stopped him on a whim, and now that he was on the ground, her mind went blank. What do I say? Sorry for pulling you down? Celestia, that's awkward. She diverted her attention to the throng of ponies milling around them, chattering animatedly amongst themselves. The whole town square was alight with all sorts of activities, games, and dances. By the pavilion, she watched her fellow researchers joking amongst themselves. Gritting her teeth, she turned back to the stallion, "Festival."
Trend looked quizzically up at her, "Come again?"
Maud stamped a hoof impatiently, forming a large crater in the ground inches from his face. "Do you want to . . . go around the festival together?"
"Oh." So that's it, He snorted indigently. "Why in Equestria would I want to wander around with you , huh? If you're so desperate for company, ask your friends."
"Didn't come with friends." Maud pointed to the other researchers, "Coworkers."
He huffed, reorienting himself on the grass. "You make a habit of dragging famous stallions to the ground and asking them to festivals?"
Maud shook her head. Inwardly she groaned at her choice in partners. A city pony? Really, Maud? He'll probably laugh himself sick over this after he runs off. Sighing, she decided to be honest. "You're harmless."
"Huh?" Now he was just confused. "Harmless?"
"Yeah. I guess." There was no point in explaining her special sense to somepony like him.
Trend was not feeling entirely sympathetic for the mare. After all, she had shoved him to the ground and nearly smashed in his face. Still, his employers had encouraged him to try every aspect of the festivals he could. Immersion in the local culture was part of the experience after all. He snorted a laugh. I'm too nice for my own good. His smooth features contorted to his best put-upon expression. "I suppose I can go around with you."
Maud's face remained as expressionless as ever, but she held out a hoof for him none the less. "'Kay."
Kay? Is that all you have to say? Ingrate. Before he knew could react, Maud hoisted him unceremoniously to his hooves. The ponies around them stared in curiosity as they started down the strip. Maud's pace would have put a geriatric tortoise to shame. At least they were not likely to get separated.
As they walked, he took in the spectacular decorations adorning the vendor's stalls and the rails lining the street. Though stereotypical, they were tastefully arranged to accent the festivities without going overboard. "They're amazing."
Maud's gaze followed his, taking a good look at the decorations for the first time. "Guess. But it'll take a while to clean up."
"I suppose." They had been passing a few interesting stalls. It seemed a shame to ignore an opportunity for a good time. He poked her gently in the ribs, "Hey, why don't we play a game?"
Maud stared at the ring toss stand he was pointing to. Pinkie always tried to get her to play games like that, but she had always refused. Now seemed as good a time as any. "Okay."
Trend trotted over, violet eyes sparkling with childlike excitement. Ring toss was one of his favorite fair games, though he was hardly good at it. After paying the gruff stallion at the booth, he picked up one of the three rings with his mouth and tossed it. It missed the milk bottle completely, pinging to the ground. "Whoops." This was going to take some more strategy.
Picking up another ring, he attempted a more long and low toss. This one bunny hopped over the tops until it skidded to the ground. "Urgh."
Maud had been watching the scene with some curiosity. Pushing her head close, she examined the rings and the distance to the milk bottles. The expression of frustration on Trend's face was priceless. "Can I try?"
"Huh? Fine." Trend slid the ring over to her. He stepped back, watching her pick it up cautiously. Bet she's too gentle. Mares always- He froze in place as the ring shot towards the bottles at an incredible speed.
A loud crash sounded, and shattered remnants of milk bottles went flying in all directions. The pony behind the booth ducked for cover, quivering in fear. Miraculously, Maud's deadpan expression did not break for a second. Instead she eyed the ring now embedded in the tent post with mild interest. "Guess I missed."
It took a few seconds to realize that his knees were knocking together. The ponies behind them were whispering loudly amongst themselves. He nudged Maud's sides with his muzzle. "Let's move on."
"Kay." She followed the stallion away from the booth. Scenes like that were why she avoided festival games. "Sorry about that."
Trend shrugged casually. "What? That? Don't worry about it." Maud's intense stare at the ground had him worried. Insulting her was the last thing he wanted to do. Besides, it was not like it was her fault. "You're pretty strong, it's not your fault the bottles were so fragile."
Her eyebrow raised ever so slightly. Is he stupid? Anypony could see that they were normal bottles. Though, it was the first time that a stallion had not fled for the hills after seeing her strength. "I guess."
"What do you do anyway?" Trend glanced at her rump, but her cutie mark was obscured by her dress. "Weightlifter?"
Do I look like a weightlifter to you? Satisfying the stallion's curiosity she raised her dress to show the rock cut in the shape of a diamond. "I'm a geologist."
"Oh, guess that makes sense. So, you want to play another game?" The mare's silence said it all. "Sorry, sorry." He glanced around at the nearby festivities, and spotted just what he was looking for. "There we are. A pie eating contest. What do you say to that?"
"Pie's okay."
"Great! Let's go." Trend trotted over to the large tent where a number of ponies were gathering at the picnic tables. He directed Maud to the nearest open spot, and they settled in. "This is going to be good!"
"Uh huh." The stallion's exuberance was perplexing. What's so special about pie? You can always make it yourself. And it's too sweet.
After listening to the announcer, they dug into their respective pies. Trend was perhaps the messiest eater Maud had ever seen, splatting bits of crust and filling in every direction. She looked down at her own pie tray and noted a similar state of chaos. At least she licked up the stray bits.
"Keep going, Maud!" Trend waved her on with a hoof, mouth full of pie.
Maud sighed heavily. Her pie was apple, and noxiously sweet. Still, she should at least try to play along. "Kay." Leaning down, she took another mouthful and set to work on the pie. After polishing it off, she glanced over to Trend. The stallion looked pretty well pied out, though he had managed to eat two of them. "Done?"
"Yeah, I think so." Hopping to his hooves, he gestured to the rest of the festival. "Ready to move on?"
"Uh-huh ." She followed him to a grassy portion of the town's park that had been cordoned off for ponies to lay their picnic blankets out on. Trend settled in the long grass and patted a spot next to him. "Should probably settle our stomachs before we do anything else."
"Yeah." Maud lay down next to him at a respectable distance. All around them ponies were chatting with their families, friends, and special someponies. What they found to talk about was a mystery to her. Trying to find any semblance of a connection with the city pony would be difficult. She rested her head on the grass, contemplating.
Trend tapped his hooves nervously together. Maud was obviously a pony who enjoyed the simple things in life, quite like Applejack back in Ponyville. He shuddered at the memory. I was such an idiot! Why did I change myself for some mare I just met? She didn't even like me! Though it had been months already, Trend had not so much as dared to ask a mare to dinner since the incident. There was no way he was going to embarrass himself like that again.
"So, you like combs?"
"Huh?"
Maud pointed to the comb in his pocket.
"Oh, that." He shrugged sheepishly, "No, not really. I like to keep up my appearance. Nopony wants to read fashion articles from some guy who looks like a hapless drifter. I've got a reputation you know."
Maud had no idea why that would be a big deal, but she let it slide. "I guess."
Trend eyed her dress mournfully. Why does she wear that kind of stuff? He noticed the pie filling stains all over the front of it. "Hey, you've got some pie on your dress."
She glanced down and sighed. The sticky stuff would no doubt attract more dirt. Reluctantly, she slipped off the dress and threw it on the grass. "Guess I'll wash it later."
Trend made to say something, but froze. The mare's glossy grey coat shimmered brilliantly in the lamplight, sending shivers up his spine. She really was beautiful. He blurted the words out before he could stop himself. "Why were you hiding that?"
"What?"
Trend felt his face grow hot. "Your coat. It's beautiful."
"Oh." Maud's heart skipped a beat. Nopony other than her parents had ever called any part of her beautiful before. "I guess. The dress keeps the dirt off when I do my research."
"So that's it." Trend burrowed his face in his hooves to stop the laughter. She had to be most hopelessly practical pony he had ever met. After he composed himself, Trend looked around at the festival. "But, you're not doing research now. You should keep it off."
Maud shrugged, getting to her hooves. "I guess." This conversation was getting awkward. "Come on."
He lept to his hooves to stand beside her. "Where are we going?"
Maud looked him in the eyes, "I might not be doing research, but you are."
“Oh yeah.” The article had all but slipped his mind. He made to follow her, but paused. "What about your dress?"
"I'll get it later."
Trend nodded, but took the time to fold the garment with his magic and place it neatly at the foot of the nearest tree. Trotting up to her, they made their way back to the festivities. There were so many games to do, and he could not wait to get started. Their first stop was the beanbag toss.
Levitating the bag to his mouth, Trend attempted to toss it. Unfortunately, his aim was just as bad with bean bags as it was with milk rings and it skidded to the grass. "Gah! Why's it so hard?"
Maud watched with curiosity. Unicorns were always amusing to watch. The mundane little tasks they used their horns for always left them clumsy in the mouth. "Why don't you use your magic?"
"Huh. Well, I guess I could. But," He stamped his hoof against the ground. "this is an earth pony festival celebrating the hard work they put into their crops all year. It'd be an insult to use magic."
Huh? "Guess I never thought of it like that." His strange viewpoint brought back the memory of one of Pinkie's letters. Apparently it was an insult to use magic for Ponyville's winter round up too. It was impractical though. If a job could be done easier with magic, why should they prevent themselves from using it? "You can use your magic. Nopony cares."
"Well I do." Trend scooped up another spider shaped bean bag, speaking around it. "I'm here to experience the festival from the local's perspective. So," He tossed the bean bag and it actually slid into a hole. "since most of the ponies here are earth ponies, I want to be a part of that."
"Okay then." Now that he was done with the bean bag toss, they moved on to the other activities. The sucker tree seemed harmless enough, so she took a large lollipop and moved on. The very smell of it made her want to gag. Too sweet. So, she handed it to a nearby filly.
"There."
Trend started, "Huh? Aren't you going to eat it?"
"I don't like sweets."
"WHAT?" Then, noticing the stares around them, he lowered his volume, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? I wouldn't have suggested the pie contest if I'd known."
"It's okay. It was . . ." She considered the word, "entertaining."
Though he had been perfectly amiable all night, Maud had not smiled once. The mare did not seem the overly exuberant type, but he would have hoped for some reaction by now. He lowered his head, "I'm not boring you, am I?"
Maud raised an eyebrow, "No." Why would he think that? Then, she remembered the misunderstanding Pinkie's friends had about her a few months ago. "I just don't show my emotions like other ponies. I'm still having fun."
"Whew! That's a relief." Trend gave her a toothy grin, "It's just been ages since I've been on a date, so I wasn't sure."
Maud stopped so suddenly that she sent up a cloud of dirt. "Huh?" A date? Is that what he thinks this is? They had passed plenty of couples that night, all giggling and snuggling close to each other. Is that how the other ponies saw them?
Trend realized he had said the wrong thing. Maybe she just wanted a friend for an evening. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Dates don't have to be romantic you know."
"They don't?"
"Nope. They were invented so two ponies could get to know each other better." He gave a soft chuckle. "That's what we're doing tonight, isn't it? The whole 'date' thing is all semantics anyway. We're having fun, that's all that counts."
He had a point, and made a convincing argument. Besides, she was having fun. And for a city pony, Trend was fairly interesting to talk to. "Okay. Do you want to do some more games?"
"You bet." Trend trotted over to another stand and they were soon swept up in the most ludicrous game Maud had ever played.
The goal was to catch a fish with a paper net. It sounded a lot easier than it was. Once again, the stallion's unsteady mouth was his downfall. He actually dropped the net in the tank a few times before breaking it on his first fish. She fared a little better, though it was extremely difficult not to snap the thin wooden handle in half with her teeth. To her surprise, she managed to catch a fish. After she refused to take the fish home, they moved on.
"There it is!"
Maud jumped a little at his sudden exclamation. It was just a cider stand, but Trend looked more than a little excited about it. Before she could say anything, he had cantered over. In a matter of seconds he had returned, levitating two cups of steaming cider. He offered her a cup, which she took cautiously. "Try this."
She raised an eyebrow. Didn't I just get done telling him I hate sweets?
Seeing her hesitation, Trend waved a hoof encouragingly. "Try it. I think you'll like it."
"Fine." Humoring the stallion, she took a swig of the stuff. The taste was nothing like she imagined. It was spicy, and a little sour. She took another sip, and then another. It really was the best cider she ever had. Seeing Trend's expectant expression, she gave a slight nod of approval. "It's good."
"Isn't it? I've heard rave reviews about the cinnamon granny smith cider here." His eyes took on a dreamy quality. "It's supposedly the best cider in Equestria. So of course I suggested writing an article about this to my employers."
Maud's blue eyes went slightly wider than normal. "You mean you came all this way to the middle of nowhere to try some cider?"
"Uh . . . yeah. I guess." He stuck out his tongue, laughing embarrassedly. "It's kind of what I'm known for."
"What you're known for?" Maud tried to picture anypony wanting to go around to the boondocks of Equestria for little stuff like cider. It was the least practical use of time she could think of.
"Well, yeah. Every well-known writer has a claim to fame. This is mine." Trend shuffled over to the side of the thoroughfare. For a while, they just watched the ponies passing them, chattering amongst themselves and having a great time. Trend spun the cup of cider with his magic. "How to explain it. You see this festival, these ponies?"
"Uh huh."
"Well, in the grand scheme of things, their lives and this little festival don't mean a whole lot. But," A wide smile stretched across his face, "to them, these simple celebrations mean the world. It's hard for ponies who've never been out to these places to see just how special and unique these sort of events are."
He shrugged, "That's what I do. I take what most ponies would consider simple, mundane, or ordinary and make them into something extraordinary. Because," Trend took a long, deep breath, "because special moments like these . . . well, they deserve to be recognized, even if it's only for a little bit."
Maud did not know what to say about that. It obviously meant a lot to him, though she could not see the allure herself. Switching the subject, she pointed to the booths. "There's still some time left. You want to play another game?"
Trend nodded emphatically, and they set off once more. The evening was wearing on, and many of the families had gone home, leaving behind the couples and young adults. For the first time that evening, he started to feel self-conscious as ponies' gazes turned to them. Shaking away the stares, he determined to keep up the good cheer. "Say, let's try this one."
Maud looked where he was pointing and groaned inside. Really? Pumpkin decorating? Sighing, she walked over to the booth.
Trend reclined on one of the straw bales, pumpkin in front of him. Maud took the opposite bale and did the same. Judging from the few colors they gave to paint them, the pumpkins would look interesting to say the least. She scooped up a brush, and began to paint. It was incredibly frustrating, and she found herself wanting to slam the stupid squash into the nearest tree. After a few minutes, she managed to carve out a picture of the rock farm worthy of a kindergartener. "Done."
To her surprise, the talkative pony did not respond. She made to speak, but stopped when she saw him. He was so engrossed in painting that he looked like a statue. His long legs stretched over the side of the bale, tapping to some unknown tune. Amazingly, he was using his magic to hold the brush in place. Instead of the frantic scribbling she had done, his movements were slow and deliberate. For some strange reason, she could not look away from him. After a while, he stopped, lifting his head. "You done?"
"I, uh . . ." Maud's heart felt uncomfortably tight, and her face felt hot. Somehow, she was feeling embarrassed for staring at him. What's wrong with me? "I'm done."
He gave her a toothy grin. "Great. I'm just about finished myself." After a last scribble, he set down the paintbrush and levitated the pumpkin. He rubbed his goatee thoughtfully. "Guess it looks all right. What do you think?"
Maud could not help but admire the stallion's handiwork. The pumpkin was decorated in a gorgeous harvest scene that looked like it came off of a postcard. Instead of the primary colors, he had used varying shades and undertones to get the desired effect. "How did you do that?"
Trend shrugged, "Years of practice. I just mixed the colors and drew something from my memory." Standing, he walked over to Maud's pumpkin. "Cool. Is that a river or something?"
"It's supposed to be a rock farm."
"A rock farm?" Trend had been to plenty of farms in his days, but never a rock farm. The thought of farming rocks seemed ludicrous. "You're making that up."
Maud stamped a hoof, "I'm not. My dad and mom are rock farmers. We grew up farming rocks."
"Seriously? How does that work?"
Trend's innocently curious expression was impossible for Maud to resist. She tried to think of the best way to describe it. "Rocks in Equestria have magic. We move the rocks around the farm to get the right kind of magic in them. Also, we refine rocks and make useful things out of them."
"Cool! I'm definitely going to have to visit one someday."
Maud sighed, trying to picture what Trend would look like pulling her dad's wagon. Most likely, he would not be able to move it more than an inch. Then there was the rock tumbler. A scrawny guy like him would not stand a chance. "They're not too exciting."
Deciding on action, Maud started to wander back to the festival. All around, ponies were starting to pack up their wares and move on out. Most everypony was heading to the final event of the evening – the line dances. Though she had been to plenty of festivals, mostly dragged there by Pinkie Pie, she had never been to the dances. Dancing was fast, and she did not like to move fast, not without a reason. It was a waste of energy.
She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice Trend's absence. When she did, she glanced around the emptying thoroughfare, but could not spot him. Guess he ran off. Typical. Must have bored him to tears. Sighing, she started to walk away from the festival.
"Hey, Maud! Where are you going?"
She whipped around to see Trend cantering towards her. Her heart skipped a beat. Guess he didn't leave. Despite the surprise, she retained her perfect monotone. "I thought I might go back home."
Trend looked crestfallen. "What? Already?" He trotted in place, glancing nervously at her. "You can't leave yet. The dances are about to start."
"You like dancing?"
Trend's lavender eyes sparkled with excitement. "I love it!"
Maud contemplated walking away again, but decided against it. This was probably her only chance to dance with a stallion who actually wanted to dance with her. It might even turn out to be fun. "I guess I could dance a bit."
"Great. Let's join in." Trend lifted a hoof, then paused, remembering. "Oh yeah." Illuminating his horn, he drew something from his sweater pocket. "Almost forgot. Here you go."
Maud looked skeptically at the object, but took it. The paper tore off easily, revealing a small mane clip. An intricate fall scene was painted with vibrant colors on the smooth white top of the clip. It was thin, and a little impractical, but very pretty. "Where did you—"
"I won it at the pumpkin decorating contest." Truth be told, he had bought it for her, but he was not about to tell. "You like it?"
"Yeah. It's nice." Maud stroked it with her hoof, admiring the painting. Drawing was never her specialty, but she did enjoy art, especially fall scenes.
Trend eyed the clip, and Maud's straight cut mane. "You want me to put it in?"
"I guess."
"Great." Levitating his comb and the clip, Trend carefully brushed out the lilac strands. If there was one thing he was good at, it was styling. After a few minutes, he stepped back to admire his work. "There, how's that?"
Maud walked over to a nearby water bucket. The reflection made her start back a bit. Her perpetually straight mane had been given done up in an elegant running braid, clip at the end. "It's nice."
"Glad you like it." Trend held out a hoof for her, "You want to dance?"
"Okay."
Most of Trend's acquaintances would have said that line dancing was an unsophisticated waste of time. But Trend had to respectfully disagree. It took more skill, timing, and patience to line dance than any waltz he ever attempted back home. The locals were well versed in the timing and patterns, but both he and Maud were lost. After a few times tripping over each other, going the wrong way, running into the other ponies, and a string of other mishaps, they decided to take a break.
Trend chuckled as they made their way to the straw bales lining the edge of the dance floor. "Boy, did you see me almost knock out that old mare? Talk about embarrassing. Or when you tripped over that grouchy unicorn? They had to pull his horn out of the floor."
"Yeah." Maud listened to Trend's exuberant retelling of the dances. Her hooves tapped a quiet tattoo against the straw to the rhythm of his soft voice. He soon moved on to describing other dances he had attended and the ridiculous situations he landed himself in. Certainly she had heard good storytelling in her time, especially from Grandma Pie. But nopony anywhere told stories like Trend did.
It took her a moment to realize that he had stopped talking and was staring at her. "What?"
"Just, you were kind of spacing out." He chuckled nervously, "Was I rambling again?"
"Yeah. But," The corners of her mouth raised ever so slightly, "it was nice. I like stories."
Trend made to speak, but was stopped short by a loud voice a few feet away.
"I don't believe it!" A ginger mare trotted over to them, a wide smile on her face. Her eyes, magnified by a massive pair of glasses bore into Maud's. "You really did find somepony to go to the festival with."
"Uh-huh." Maud glanced over as three more ponies trotted forward.
The gruff looking buckskin with a boulder as a cutie mark glanced over Trend. "You went around the festival with her?"
Trend felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. His voice came out a little harsher than he meant, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Guess it makes sense from an out-of-towner ." He gave a loud snort, "Maud's scared off just about every stallion in town already."
"Yeah." The chocolate colored mare nodded in agreement, "We were worried she'd never find somepony to go to the festival with."
"Hey now." Trend glowered at them. "Maud's a ton of fun."
"Fun?" A hyena like laugh escaped from the powder blue stallion, "Maud fun? Now that's a good one. She's the biggest stick in the mud I know of."
Trend felt an irrational surge of anger swell up inside him. What right did they have to make fun of her? He stood up so fast that they leapt back a few inches. "We don't need to stand here and take your crap. Come on, Maud." Though he held out a hoof, Maud did not take it.
Maud stood up slowly. Her eyes met the bespectacled mare's. "Guess you're right. But, if he wants to walk around the festival with me, that's his business not yours." Turning around, she led the way out of the dance floor.
Trend followed her, head hung low. For a time, he only listened to her hoof beats against the dirt. He had no idea where they were going, and it really did not matter to him. "Who were those ponies?"
Maud paused, looking back towards the dance floor. "My coworkers."
"Huh? But they were so mean to you." Trend could not fathom why. The entire evening, Maud had been nothing but kind and accommodating.
"They don't mean to be." It had taken her a few weeks, but she had them figured out. "They want me to act like them because they think I'm not happy."
Trend stamped a hoof angrily. "Well they have a funny way of showing concern."
"I guess. But, it's no reason to get all worked up over." Maud looked up into the sky. Judging from the moon, it was getting late. "Do you need to leave?"
"Huh? Oh crap! Yeah, I've got a night train." He let out a long sigh, "Wish I didn't, but I've got another festival to go to tomorrow."
Maud stared at the empty street in front of them. "Want to walk to the station together? I've got to wait for the others to get done anyway."
"That'd be great, thanks."
Together they set off down the dusty road. Maud was as slow as ever, but that did not bother Trend. He still had an hour or two to kill before the train came. For the first time that evening, he was starting to feel tired and a little depressed. Seeing Maud in the moonlight made him wonder.
Sure she wore a perpetual deadpan expression, an ugly dress, and her hair like a soup bowl but that was not the whole of it. This evening he had seen her kindness, her awkward charm, a level of patience that would rival the best babysitter, and a willingness to try new things and have fun. Mares like her did not come around every day. To see her treated like some boring sack of potatoes got his blood up. "Why don't they see it?"
Maud stared quizzically at him, "See what?"
"You." He gestured stupidly to all of her. Seeing her raised eyebrow, he continued, "You're anything but a stick in the mud. Just because you don't jump with joy, doesn't mean you can't be fun to be around. Why can't they see that?"
Maud stopped walking. Slowly, she reached down and scooped up a pebble from the roadside. "You've got a problem, Trend."
"A problem?"
"Yeah, but it's not so bad." Maud locked eyes with him. This would be difficult to explain, but she would try her best. "You're a good guy. Like you said, you like to take simple things and make them relatable. It's like," She held up the pebble so he could see, "like you take an ordinary rock and make it into something ponies can appreciate."
Trend chuckled, "I guess." What's she getting at?
"But what you don't realize is that sometimes, despite your best efforts, there's going to be ponies who aren't going to see that rock as anything other than a rock." The pebble was ground into a fine dust between her hooves. "You might know that inside that ordinary rock is a beautiful gem. But sometimes it's just too difficult for ponies to look beyond the outside. It's not your fault, so don't dwell on it so much."
Staring into her eyes, he found himself at a loss for words. She was right, and he knew it. But some part of him wanted to fight it. Throughout his travels, he had lived by the idea that he could make anything relatable if he just used the right words. Now he saw how stupid that was. It was a sickening realization. "Sorry."
"Why are you sorry?"
"Dunno." He looked away, biting back the urge to scream in frustration. "I can't help but feel that there's so many wonderful things just waiting to be recognized."
Maud rolled her eyes. "Then recognize them. Just don't expect everypony to feel the same."
Trend lowered his head in defeat. "Guess you're right."
The tolling of the distant clock tower made them both jump. Trend counted them. "Midnight, huh? Guess you'd better get back to your coworkers. They might leave without you."
"Guess." Looking at the stallion made her sad. The night had been all too short, and now she might never see him again. "This goodbye?"
"Yeah." Trend swallowed a lump in his throat. Why'd it have to be so short? He levitated a small card from his pocket. "Here's my business card. It'd be nice if we could keep in touch.”
Maud took it, nodding approval. She made to walk away, but paused. Before reason caught up with her, she leaned forward and gave Trend a quick hug. Taking a step back, her stoic face broke into an honest to Celestia smile. Her voice sounded strangely high pitched and feminine, "I had a great time, Trend. Thanks."
Trend stared in dumbfound amazement as Maud simply walked away. What just happened?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
"Mr. Trenderhoof, there's a letter for you."
Trend started awake, unsticking the piece of paper from his drool stained face. Blast, I fell asleep. His voice was rough, "Come in."
The door swung open to reveal the hotel desk clerk. After handing him a small letter, he tipped his hat and left the room. Trend glanced down at the letter and started when he saw the return address. Maud Pie?
Tearing open the letter, he began to read.
Trend,
I hope you're well. Did you find any more good cider to write about? I don't know how you travel around so much. That sounds exhausting.
My research is going well. We found some really rare rocks. I'd tell you all about them, but it'd take too much space. I wanted to let you know my hometown Nickerlite is hosting their annual rock festival if you're in the area on March 3.
Hope to see you then.
-Maud
P.S. I hope you're not still worried about ponies appreciated the stuff you write about. It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things as you would say. The rocks appreciate what you do, and I guess that's what counts.
Trend snorted at the ridiculous letter. He levitated his calendar out of his bag, marking March 3 with a big circle. It was bound to be duller than dirt, but he could care less. As long as she was there, he would go. After all, even if nopony else saw it, Maud was no ordinary rock.
Author's Note
Well there it is. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I did. TrenderMaud's hard to write, but well worth it. Love those two together! I had a ton of fun writing this one, and if I get enough positive feedback, I'll write some more shorts with them. Thanks for reading!
