"Wind. Snow. Dragon... Gold. Smoke. Sky... Town. Gold. Mountain... River. Rock. Dirt... Gold. Dragon. Wind... Smoke. Dragon. Wind... "
The endless drawling continued, unheard, quiet, deep in the thoughts of rock and crevice, crack and cranny; all in an endless, timeless rhythm that seemed never to have ceased since the rise of its peaks. The continual, endless Mantra of Mountains, unending as they themselves stand for the ages.
The puffing of smoke from a trains smokestack rose into the sky as a train departed Canterlot, onboard the train was Maud Pie. Sitting alone by the window of the second passenger car, on the seventh seat of the first row, on the left if one looked from behind but on the right if looked at from the front. Beside her was a large bag, tan yellow in colour containing a brush, the box of rock candy necklaces, and two bags of food; one was full of trail mix and the other, chicken feed. Maud blinked blankly at the wilderness, turning her attention to rocks as the train passed them by. A quick glance here and there looking at each rock until it was out of sight.
Slowly she turned her head from the window, blinking once again before reaching into the pockets of her frock, pulling out a diary from her left pocket with a quill to write with. She held the large feather in her mouth, opening the book to a blank page before writing down the date and time at the top of the page.
"Dear diary, I'm writing now instead of tonight, to tell you what I'm doing. I'm going to Ponyville, Pinkie Pie asked me to visit, while she prepares the Moonlight Ball with her friends. Boulder is feeling the joy, and I'm feeling it too."
The train rattled along the tracks, coming up to the first tunnel that went through a mountain. As the car darkened, Maud paused in her writing and waited for the light to come back. When the light came back on, Maud immediately continued to write.
"My endeavor to collect rock samples from Mount Canterhorn for Princess Celestia yielded an interesting opportunity to gather some insight into mountains. Talking to Mount Canterhorn was veery interesting."
The train passed through yet another tunnel, under another mountain before emerging and making a turn down to the Ponyville ground level; only minutes away from the town now. When light returned to the car, Maud was holding Boulder in her hoof as she wrote the final paragraph of her current thoughts.
"To conclude my current writing: I hope to relax while I stay in Ponyville for the festival, Boulder and I have been going places for academic reasons, all in the name of geology and rocks. Maybe I'll see a new rock in Ponyville, maybe not."
The train pulled into the Ponyville train station. Maud finished her writing and packed up her diary, sliding it back into her frock and vanishing within the confines of the pockets, along with Boulder and the quill. Maud stood up, slinging her bag around her neck and letting it hang from her right shoulder. She blinked and walked over to the car doors, other passengers were hopping off the train as she did. Just outside, Maud could see the pink colour and happy hopping of her sister, Pinkie Pie.
~~~
Maud stepped off the train, her expression blank and without emotion as usual. Pinkie Pie squealed and in a pink blur, dashed to Maud and clung to the gray pony tightly.
"MAUD IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU! I MISSED YOOU!!!" Pinkie yelled louder then she squealed.
Maud's eyes moved to look at Pinkie, her right hoof moving across Pinkie in a return hug.
"I missed you too, Pinkie Pie." Maud was monotonous, no emotion in her voice, at least to everypony but Pinkie. "Are you well?"
"Well? Weeell I'm absolutely, pinkie-dinkie, fantastic!"Pinkie beamed.
"I'm happy you are. I'm smiling." Mauds face was still blank, no smile on her face.
Pinkie pie giggled. "Come on! I'm setting up the decorations for the ball, we can meet up with Twilight at Sugar Cube Corner, if she's still there."
"Still there?"
"Uh-uh! Twilight was checking on the food a moment ago. I ran back and forth to see what she was doing while I waited."
Maud let go of Pinkie. "You must have been pretty excited to do that."
"Eeyup! I'm always excited to see my big sister!" Pinkie said in her cheery and happy voice. "Come on, let's get going, I wanna hear all about your time away!"
Pinkie turned and started hopping away in the direction of Sugar Cube Corner, with Maud following behind.
"Where do I begin?" she sighed in question, so many things had happened and there were so many things to say. What to say, where to start?
"Anywhere you'd like!" Pinkie said as she hopped.
Maud blinked and was silent for most of the time. "I helped Princess Celestia retrieve samples of rocks from Mount Canterhorn."
"Reaally? Cool! So you're like, the princesses royal rock bearer?!" The pink pony gave Maud a wide smile.
"I don't think the princess needs a rock bearer."
Pinkie giggled loudly. "Good point!" she beamed.
Maud and Pinkie passed by Rarity's Boutique, the white mare waved to them from her balcony. Pinkie Pie paused and waved back to her friend while Maud watched.
"I'll tell you the most interesting thing that has happened to me," she blinked.
"Oh? Tell me, tell me TELL ME!!!" Pinkie Pie hopped on the spot a little harder and higher.
"I got to talk to a mountain." Maud continued to walk, passing Pinkie Pie who froze in confusion.
"You got to talk... to a mountain?" Her jaw hung open.
Maud stopped and turned to look at Pinkie. "We had a good conversation, Boulder thought so too."
She turned her head back the way it was as Pinkie's hurried hoof steps came up beside of Maud, continuing their walk.
"I still have a lot say." Maud smiled just slightly.
~~~
"These look good enough to eat!" Twilight giggled as she inspected the muffins. "I particularly like the look of these jam filled ones, everypony's going to be stuffing themselves with these, you've really out done yourselves, Mr and Mrs. Cake."
"Thank you, princess. It's no trouble really," Mr. Cake replied in a flattered tone.
"We'll have the rest of the food ready for the ball this afternoon, don't you worry, Princess Twilight," Mrs. Cake assured.
Twilight Sparkle smiled and turned to the door to leave but quickly jumped back, flapping her wings to get a little bit of distance as the door flew open and Pinkie Pie hopped right in. Twilight darted backwards to avoid getting swamped by the door which slammed right open. The princess looked at Pinkie and sighed, her right hoof to her chest.
"Hellooo, Twilight!" cried out Pinkie in greeting.
"Good morning again, Pinkie Pie. Why are you so excited this morning, more then usual I should ask?" Twilight put her hoof down and noticed another pony walking up behind Pinkie.
"Well somepony extra, super, dooper scooper special just arrived this morning!!" she squealed.
"Oh? Who is it?"
Pinkie Pie stood aside as Maud entered and stood beside her sister.
"Hello, Twilight Sparkle. Long time no see." Maud's voice remained the same.
Twilight blinked with surprise. "Maud, it's great to see you again, what brings you up this way?"
"I just came back from a hike up Mount Canterhorn, to get the princess some rocks. She was veery keen on it. And now I am here, for the Moonlight Ball, and to relax, at home, on the rock farm."
Twilight stared with a blank smile. "Ookay, anything new happen lately?"
"I published my newest book, you may have heard of it. It's called A Dance of Diamonds."
"Uh..." Twilight closed her eyes and smiled sheepishly. "I might have it in the castle library."
"You have a castle library? Wow." Maud's eyes widened just barely.
Twilight looked at Maud, then at Pinkie, unsure if Maud was surprised or not.
"And your poetry? How's that going?"
"I recently finished my newest opus. Would you like to hear it?"
Twilight cringed but smiled. "S-Sure..."
Maud cleared her throat and sat down. "This is my rock, radiant like a light, for inside he shines like a rainbow, but he is a rock, he is my rock, though a tiny rock, he is mine. My colorful rock, a radiant rock. But he is a rock."
Twilight faked a smile, it hurt to have heard yet another of Maud's poems, though it was somewhat educational in that it vaguely mentioned the inside of some rocks. Maud blinked.
"I have concluded my newest piece."
"Well, it was certainly different, a little more colourful." Twilight remarked.
"Was I not colourful in my last readings?"
"Y-you were very colourful, Maud," Twilight insisted, smiling sheepishly, "It's true."
"Thank you."
"You made her happy, Twilight!" Pinkie stared at Maud. Maud's face did not show this happiness, despite Pinkie's words.
Twilight smiled, "I'm glad I did."
~~~
Twilight finished up her inspection and walked with Maud and Pinkie to Friendship Castle on the outskirts of town. Pinkie hopped beside Maud; keeping pace with her with each step the princess took.
"So, other then completing your book, your poem and your mountain rock sampling, what else have you been up to, Maud?" Twilight smiled.
"I haven't done much outside of that, and sending Pinkie Pie rock candy necklaces."
"It's true!" Pinkie Pie nodded.
"But I managed to persuade the Diamond Dogs to allow me to examine their gem collections for traces of rare Adamellite, which is a variety of quartz monzonite."
"Fascinating, I haven't heard of that rock before," Twilight remarked.
"You've never heard of quartz before?" Maud looked at Twilight.
Twilight blushed. "O-of course I have, who hasn't?"
The ponies continued their trek toward the castle, passing Maud when she froze at the sight of the large tree like castle. Twilight and Pinkie Pie had walked only four meters when they stopped and turned to look at Maud. The gray rock coloured earth pony stood still, staring wide eyed at Friendship Castle, the sun's light reflecting off of it. Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie with a puzzled look before looking back up at Maud.
"Maud, are you okay?" asked Twilight.
No response came from Maud, confusing Twilight and even Pinkie Pie. Suddenly, with a cloud of dust and the motion blur of speed, Maud Pie had bolted her way toward the castle with blinding speed, coming to an instant stop at the base. When the dust cleared, Twilight and Pinkie could no longer see Maud, until they turned around to face the castle, where they saw Maud was sniffing at the right wall. Twilight stared with Pinkie for a moment before both ponies looked at one another in puzzlement. Pinkie shrugged, she had never seen Maud so eager before, but could only assume she was acting this way because of the castle.
With a smile on her face, Pinkie started to bunny hop her way down the hill, Twilight watched on with a sigh before slowly following her friend.
"Is something wrong, Maud?" asked Twilight as she approached the geologist.
Maud took a step back from the castle and looked up at it.
"Helloo, Maud? Equestria to Maud... HEY MAUD!!!" Pinkie shouted. She pouted, her lips deflating soon after when Maud did not respond to her jumping about.
Pinkie stood beside Twilight and adjusted her mouth and lips until they popped back into place. Maud leaned forward and sniffed the castle as much as she could, getting a long big whiff every now and again, until she stopped. Twilight started to worry.
"Um... Maud, what are you doing?"
After a minute had passed after Twilight asked, Maud finally turned her head in direction of her sister and Twilight.
"Your castle is glorious, I am admiring the stonework," Maud said before looking up at the castle once more.
"But it's made of crystal," Twilight protested.
Maud said nothing for a moment, "I'm admiring the stonework."
Pinkie Pie laughed, Twilight looking back at her while she did and face hoofing just before she finished. Maud watched the both of them with her blank stare.
"Other then that, is there something you like about it?" Twilight forced a smiled.
Maud looked up at the castle. "Yes, there is many I'd like to say."
Twilight's smile became more genuine. "I'd like to hear it, if it's no trouble."
"Very well: Your castle is made out of a composite of various crystals. While I am inclined to refer to them academically, I feel I should name a few distinguishing crystals. The most distinguishing and prominent crystals are: amethyst, diamond, quartz, lapis lazuli, and my favorite, opal."
Maud looked down to her left pocket, and pulled out Boulder. "But you will always be my favorite, Boulder. Because you are a rock."
"Um, not to be a party pooper, and I really, really don't like being a party pooper, but we should head inside to fix up the decorations in the ballroom," said Pinkie Pie.
"Oh, right the decorations, sorry Pinkie." Twilight looked at the pink pony before looking back to Maud. "Would you like to help out, Maud?"
Another long time passed before Maud gave her reply. "Sure..."
With a smile and the glow of her horn, Twilight opened the large doors of Friendship Castle, the gigantic doors opened outward slowly as Maud joined her sister and the princess. Just before they had opened all the way, Twilight Sparkle began leading the two ponies inside, closing the door behind her as they entered.
~~~
Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Maud Pie entered the ballroom after the small walk through the castle. Pinkie Pie examined every inch of the hall, zipping and zooming about to see where everything would go. Maud and Twilight watched her, it was almost difficult keeping up with her, but she stopped just long enough to see where she was.
"What do you think, Pinkie?" Twilight stretched her wings as she called out.
"I think I could decorate this room in five minutes. I know just what to get, Twilight."
"I'll be more then happy to arrange for the appropriate decorations to arrive by this afternoon."
Pinkie put her hoof out. "Nnnope, I'll do it. I got just about everything for a ball, you'll see!"
"Remember Pinkie, this is a ball, not a party. Some of the decorators who arrange everything at the Grand Galloping Gala will be assisting you." Twilight pointed in the direction of a unicorn and a pegasus who wore white clothes that indicated they were the decorators.
While all this went on, Maud sat and stared at Boulder, moving him around in circles on her hoof. She looked up from Boulder, putting the pebble into her pocket when Twilight approached her.
"I couldn't help but notice how bored you look." Smiled Twilight.
"There isn't much to do, an activity of any nature could provide a distraction; as well as something I can work on to pass the time."
"Well, how about studying the elements that make up Friendship Castle?"
Maud smiled a little. "That would be nice, thank you, princess."
Twilight smiled brightly. "My pleasure, Maud Pie."
"Veggie Salad!" Pinkie cried out.
Maud looked past Twilight over at Pinkie, Twilight turned to do the same. The two of them saw that Pinkie Pie was pointing at a salad bowel being carried to the food table by Fluttershy and Applejack.
"Veggie Salad!!!" Pinkie cried again, beaming and looking toward Maud.
Twilight put a hoof to her mouth to contain her laughter while Maud rolled her eyes and smiled at the quirkiness of Pinkie Pie.
~~~
As the hours went on, Maud walked about Twilight's bedroom, chipping off pieces of the walls of Friendship Castle and sniffing the various pieces as she collected. Pinkie Pie hopped her way into the room, springing her way up, up, up the stairs until she stood beside the bed.
"Sooo find anything, big sister?" Pinkie slid onto Twilight's bed like a bar of wet soap on a curved ramp of smooth tile.
"Yes, I found traces of topaz mixed with tanzanite, the tanzanite and lapis lazuli would be what gives the castle its unique colour, I could be wrong."
"But you're my big, big, big, big, big sister," giggled Pinkie. "You're always right," she smiled.
"I'm not always right about everything," Maud sighed.
"Well you know a lot about rocks." Pinkie shrugged.
Maud smiled slightly. "I do, don't I?"
Suddenly the doors swung open and in came Rainbow Dash.
"Pinkie Pie, where's Twilight?!" Panic filled Rainbow's voice, shock on her face and sweat on her brow.
"Last I saw her she was in the library, why?" Pinkie tilted her head.
"The mountain, Smokey Mountain is smoking again!"
Pinkie Pie gasped. "We have to tell Twilight right away! Come on!" The pink pony grabbed Rainbow Dash and dragged her along back down the stairs to the library.
Maud sighed and walked over to the balcony and out onto it, she took in the view of Ponyville for a moment, before looking up to the sky and directly at Smokey Mountain. Large plumes of smoke emerged from the dragons cave close to the summit.
"So that's why it's called Smokey Mountain," Maud mused to herself out loud.
Twilight, Rainbow and Pinkie Pie came out onto the balcony to see the massive plume of smoke, shock on their faces.
"How? I thought the dragon would never come back, not after Fluttershy asked it to leave." Twilight was baffled.
"She did, The mountain just started smoking," Rainbow replied.
"Did you see it start?" Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash with a raised eyebrow.
Rainbow nodded. "I was bored so I stared at the mountain for like an hour until the smoke started rising."
"If it's no trouble, I'd like to volunteer to go up and investigate, I have had experiences with mountains before," Maud said, her eyes still fixed on the giant looming peak where the smoke emerged.
Twilight, Pinkie and Rainbow all looked at Maud Pie.
"Um no offense Maud, but we can handle it, we've had problems with this mountain before," said Rainbow Dash.
Maud looked at Rainbow Dash. "You have a ball to plan, I have nothing to do during the long wait. I can go up and see why it started smoking, and I can retrieve some samples."
"Samples?" Rainbow lifted an eyebrow.
"Princess Celestia tasked me with bringing her samples of mountains for study."
Twilight turned away in thought, Maud, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash watching her. The alicorn paced back and forth in uncertainty, trying to figure out which is the best course of action, send Maud on a possibly dangerous quest, or go there with the others, putting the ball at risk. It was all so mind boggling and irritating to Twilight who looked over her shoulder at Maud with indecision.
"Are you certain you want to go up there, Maud?"
"I need to collect samples, I won't be alone, I have Boulder." Maud pulled out Boulder and put the small pebble on the floor in front of her, everypony watching the pebble being set before looking back up at her face.
"I insist that I go, if not for sampling, then at least to get this out of your manes. Friends do that, don't they?"
Twilight sighed. "Alright, Maud Rock Pie, I hereby task you with the duty of ascending Smokey Mountain and finding the source of the smoke. You are to report back to me with your findings, am I clear?" Sweat dripped down Twilight's face, having never tasked anypony with a quest before.
"Sure, I won't be long. Pinkie Pie, could you help me with my saddlebags?" Maud passed Twilight and entered the castle to fetch her bags.
"Sure! I am more then happy to help out!" Pinkie cartwheeled past Twilight after her sister.
Twilight wiped her sweat away with her wing and let out a sigh, turning to look back at the Smokey Mountain in suspicion.
~~~
Pinkie Pie tightened Maud's saddle bags as they stood just outside of town. Pinkie pulled hard on then strap, but Maud didn't react, as if they weren't tight at all. Pinkie let go and blinked, smiling brightly as she did.
"All done!"
Maud shook herself little to test whether the bags would fall or not, satisfied when they didn't. "Thank you, Pinkie Pie. I promise I won't be long."
"I could come with you." Pinkie smiled hopefully.
"No, you have a ballroom to decorate, I'll handle the mountain." Maud turned to face her sister, her expressions as unchanging as ever.
"But you don't know the way up the mountain, I do," Pinkie protested.
"I know you know, but so do I. I've climbed mountains before. Don't worry little sister, I'll be fine." Maud pulled Pinkie into a hug.
Pinkie smiled happily until she let go. Maud looked at Pinkie for a moment, before turning and making her way toward the mountain. Pinkie Pie watched after her, she was upset she couldn't go but didn't let that get her down, she tapped her chin, pouting in thought before putting her hoof down and looking directly at Maud, a large grin forming on her face.
~~~
Maud followed the road to Smokey Mountain, quiet and without a sound, expect for the slow clopping of her hooves on the hardened earth. The faint whispers of a mountains droll could be heard from the top of the mountain. She looked up at the ages old tower of rock capped with snow. Maud stared up at it for quite a bit before making a move, resuming her walk up the side of the mountain, following the path Twilight and her friends took only two years earlier.
The occasional chirp of a bird and the rustle of a bush would break the silence and dampen the sounds of hoof steps emanating from the ground, Maud's ears twitched at every noise that came while she climbed, the sky above was dark with smoke. Maud came to a plateau under a tree which overlooked the valley below and Ponyville.
A low growl from Maud's stomach turned the mares attention away. She opened her little satchel, which hung around her neck, resting on her shoulder and pulled out some trail mix. She placed the trail mix down and pulled out Boulder from her pocket, resting him on the ground beside the bag of mix which she picked up again and opened.
"Are you hungry, Boulder?" She looked down at the small rock in question before stretching her hoof forward and pouring some of the mix onto him.
"I wonder if Pinkie Pie saw the valley from up here like this," she sighed.
"It's really cool isn't it?"
Maud shot up at the sound of the second voice; turning around as she did to see Pinkie Pie, standing there with a bright-toothy smile.
"Pinkie Pie?" Maud's voice had a hint of surprise to it. "What are you doing here, don't you have to decorate the ball room at Friendship Castle?"
"I do, but I convinced Twilight to let me come along. Now we can be mountain climbers!" she beamed.
Maud hugged Pinkie who returned it, the both of them let go after a moment and looked at one another.
"You didn't need to follow me. I can look out for myself."
"I've been up and down this mountain once, I know where everything is."
Maud looked up the path, then at the small cloud of smoke and back to her sister. "If you say so, just be careful."
Pinkie stood tall, put out her chest and saluted. "Careful is my middle name!"
"No it isn't," quipped Maud.
"No it isn't," Pinkie repeated.
Maud turned around while Pinkie held her pose, picking up Boulder and putting him in her pocket, with the trail mix.
"Shall we go now?"
Pinkie Pie nodded. "Mmhm!"
Both ponies turned and started on their way up the mountain, the sound of the mountains voice growing slightly louder to Maud. However, before Maud could take a step, she noticed a set of foot prints, two sets to be precise, neither of them were ponies. She lifted an eyebrow at them, and took a closer look, two sets of big cat foot prints, and two sets of goat foot prints, also slide marks from a dragging tail. Maud recognized these and looked up toward the highest peak close to where the smoke emerged, danger awaited at the top.
~~~
"And then it's up, and up, and up the top, the mountain we will go-ooo!" Pinkie put a hoof to her chest as she finished her singing. She looked over her shoulder to Maud, grinning while she did.
Maud had stopped a fair ways back, she was staring at a small rock, roughly the same size as Boulder. Pinkie halted and turned around, approaching her sister when she started walking again.
"Maud, are you okay?"
Maud sniffed the rock in front of her and picked it up. "I'm taking this rock, a friend for Boulder."
"It's so tiny." Pinkie tilted her head until she was looking at the pebble from underneath.
"Big enough for Boulder. Maud slid the pebble into her pocket and looked at Pinkie. "We may continue our walk now. How much farther is the top?"
Pinkie pulled a set of binoculars out from behind a rock and looked through them toward the dragons cave. "It's reaally smokey up there, we don't have far to go."
"That's good. All this walking is killing me. My hooves feel like hot rocks."
Pinkie giggled. "Sounds like pop rocks."
Maud poked Pinkie on the nose. "No time for food little sister. We have a cloud to stop." Maud walked past Pinkie on her way up the hill.
Pinkie rubbed her nose and giggled loudly. She looked up to Maud and bunny hopped behind her up the hill toward a narrow gap between ledges. Jumping up with excitement, Pinkie dashed past Maud to the gap, pausing just beside it.
"This is the gap we crossed when we first came up here. Fluttershy had a lot of trouble crossing it. She got stuck mid jump, but we helped her."
Maud looked at the separated ledges and simply hopped over it, Pinkie Pie doing the same. Maud walked forward a little as Pinkie jumped, turning to look at her when she was firmly back on the ground and bouncing again.
"So I didn't get to ask earlier, what else have you been up to since I last saw you?"
Pinkie looked at Maud. "I've had my hooves full, Twilight and I went on adventures with the girls, and I've had lots of parties to throw—" Suddenly, she gasped. "Oh no! I didn't prepare any rock candy for our rock candy necklaces!"
"There's still time before that, I don't go back to the rock farm until tomorrow."
Pinkie smiled brightly. "That's great! I can get everything prepared by tomorrow then, woohoo!!" Pinkie's voice echoed all around the mountain, the ground shook and the sounds of falling rocks signaled an avalanche zone was coming up.
Maud could hear the rocks and knew what was coming up, she lifted a leg as she listened out, the sound bringing Pinkie to a stop.
"Sounds like an avalanche zone ahead," Maud sighed.
"Yup! We had to pass through an avalanche zone last time we were here." Pinkie balanced on one hoof as she spoke, returning all four hooves to the ground upon finishing her sentence.
"Great, it'll help me collect samples." Maud started walking toward the avalanche zone, confusing Pinkie Pie while she did.
"You want to collect moving samples?"
"It's far easier then to chip away at the mountain."
"Far easier indeed," came a booming second voice. "But I doubt that even counts as a fraction of the rocks that dot my landscape."
Pinkie Pies teeth chattered and she quickly got beside Maud. "M-Maud, w-what was that?" She peered over the top of Maud's back, her eyes darting around the skies for the source of the voice.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, Pinkie. The mountain has spoken." Maud tread onward, into the avalanche zone.
~~~
Both ponies, carefully and quietly tread though the avalanche zone, their ears subjugated to the sound of the mountain repeating its words. Maud didn't mind the mantra, while Pinkie Pie swayed and danced to it as she crept along silently. Unable to keep quiet for much longer, the sister crept up closer to Maud and whispered.
"So, are you going to get your sample?"
"Soon, we just have to stop the mountain from smoking first."
A loud rumble came from the cave just over a small rise, followed by the sound of rocks coming loose and beginning their tumble down the side of the cliff. Maud and Pinkie looked up to the cliff beside them to see the oncoming avalanche.
"I think now is a good time to—"
"Avalanche!!! Run for your liiife!!!" Pinkie quickly dashed past Maud, kicking up dust as she went.
Pinkie's voice rang out loud, causing more rocks to fall from the cliff. Staring at a large boulder coming for her, Maud lifted a hoof and with all of her strength, smashed it into pieces before following Pinkie Pie, walking at her regular nonchalant pace, while Pinkie Pie ducked and dodged the oncoming barrage of rocks and gravel, her Pinkie sense on the fritz. Maud, on the other hand, had no trouble, she walked through the gravel like a pony through water, and the larger more intimidating rocks were merely kicked aside or smashed to pieces.
After a minute's trudge, Maud hopped over a small rock to where Pinkie was hiding. She turned back to look at the now subsiding avalanche, panting and reaching into her pocket to check on Boulder and his partner. checking them over for any chips or cracks, Maud let out a satisfied "hm" and put them back into her pocket. Maud quickly turned around to look at Pinkie, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
"Are you okay, Pinkie Pie? You're not hurt are you?"
Pinkie sat down and looked to the ground. "No, I'm okay... I feel so silly for making more rocks come down in the avalanche though..."
Maud relaxed her face walked over to Pinkie, pulling her into a hug when she was close. "It's okay, Pinkie Pie, you're not hurt and that's important."
"Y-Yeah.. it is..." Pinkie felt guilty and kept her head down, until Maud lifted it.
"I'm not mad at you, I was just worried, now put on a smile for big sister."
Pinkie put on just a little smile, though small, it was good enough for Maud. "Come on, we have a mountain to stop, I suspect I know what is causing the smoke."
"A dragon?" Pinkie tilted her head.
"No, something worse."
Maud turned and headed toward the now visible cave, Pinkie followed behind, walking instead of hopping. On the way, Maud noticed a massive collection of large, freshly burnt trees, any fire breather could have caused it. Maud felt that the creature that made the animal tracks earlier was responsible.
~~~
"Wind. Smoke. Sky... Black. Cloud. Ash... Town. Land. Rock... Pony. Pink. Grey...?" The mountains mantra ended when it had noticed Maud and Pinkie nearing the cave.
Maud set down her saddlebags with Pinkie's help and opened up the left side, pulling out a pickaxe she had stored within. Pinkie Pie, curious as to how Maud managed to fit it inside, put her face into the saddlebag and looked around.
"Ooo?" Pinkie gasped as she started to slide into it, literally falling into the bag without changing its shape, as if it were bigger on the inside. "Wheee!"
Maud looked back at the bags and smiled a little. "Be careful, Pinkie, don't hurt yourself in there."
"I won't!" Pinkie called back from what seemed to be a deep bag.
With Pinkie's reassurance, Maud went forward toward the cave, holding the pickax with her teeth and tapping its point on the various rocks she passed.
"I know that you know I'm here, why don't we talk?"
"You want to talk... to me? I haven't been treated to conversation in many an age, eons have passed since prior opportunity to converse. I welcome our speech." Smokey Mountain spoke in a voice that was younger then Mount Canterhorn's, but resonated with ages of wisdom.
"Thank you, my name is Maud Pie. However, as much as I want to chat, I'm here to deal with the source of the smoke."
"Alas, Maud of Pie, it is in my nature to smoke this way. In times long past the smoke that would emerge from me was when the drakes snored and let off puffs of smoke, though in small amounts until recently, two years precisely, when six young mares scaled my slopes and evicted a dragon from my cave. His sleep was so deep, he blot the sky with his breath. I fear the treasure and loot amassed under influence of dragon greed is the cause."
"Is that what you think, or what you know?" Maud lifted an eyebrow.
"I have no reason to doubt, it sleeps there always, blowing smoke from one of its three maws, it is upsetting that I must be cursed to release the breath of such fiends," The mountain spoke in a somber tone, upset that smoke should emerge again from his chamber.
"You are not cursed, like you said, it's your nature, and our nature make's us who we are. I will go and see what is within, we will speak after."
The mountain went silent in wait to converse with Maud, while she did what she came to do.
~~~
Maud put down her pickaxe, leaning it against a rock before approaching the mouth of the cave and peering inside. She examined the various rocks and crystals from within, and the gold that had been left behind by many a dragon. Laying on this pile of gold, was a large beast of Discords design, sleeping among the gold was a chimera. Its tiger half had red stripes and black fur, battle scars adorned its face, and fang was cracked and broken. Its goat half was white in colour, while the Snake which formed the tail was a glittering light blue with with a diamond pattern made up of a slightly darker, but still beautiful and bright.
Maud approached the piles of gold, smoke emerging from the Chimera's tiger mouth and filling the top of the cave. Once she was near enough, the Chimera began to stir, its snake tail lifting as each head opened its eyes, standing while it did and growling.
"I can smell you, pony. " It turned its tiger head in Maud's direction, smirking while it did. "Why do you not hide? Are you here to take the treasure I claim mine?" The chimera's tiger voice spoke like a gentlecolt and very posh-like.
"I have nothing to hide, and I don't like gold." Maud shook her head slowly.
"Sssshe ssssounds boring!" the snake spoke.
"Might be a decent enough fee-eed though," said the goat head.
The tiger head licked his chops and started to move slowly toward Maud.
"I'm here to ask you to move out, you're blowing a lot of smoke and it's bad for our health. Though the cloud you're making isn't really big enough to be threatening, it's still very bothersome."
The tiger head laughed. "Move out? After claiming the hoard our own? You're delusional, or you got rocks in that skull of yours." The Chimera flicked Maud between the eyes and was surprised when she did not flinch or react.
"Okay, wasn't expecting you to just stand there..." The tiger head lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
"Maybe she is a rock," suggested the goat head.
"Don't be ssstupid!" hissed the snake.
"Actually, due to living on a rock farm and being exposed to different kinds of rocks on a daily bases, my skin is extremely tough and resistant to pain."
The tiger head looked at the other heads in confusion. "So you won't... feel me eat you?"
Maud blinked. "I didn't say I was totally resistant, but you are welcome to try. You won't get close enough to hurting me."
The Chimera snarled and laughed. "Oh really?" The tiger head opened its mouth wide, a bright light coming from its throat.
Maud sighed and waited. With a snarl and a growl, the Chimera's tiger head shot back then threw itself forward. A stream of fire from its mouth and nostrils was launched full force at Maud and struck her, enveloping the pony in flame. To the Chimera's surprise, the fire did nothing. The fire ceased and the Chimera, in a state of confusion, tried to understand how Maud was unharmed, even her frock was unscathed.
"How..? Y-you should be cinders!" it growled as all three heads spoke at once.
"Twilight fireproofed my frock, and my skin is almost literally rock. To sum it up, I am stone cold."
"Ssstop goofing around, Prowler! Get her!" hissed the snake.
The tiger head growled. "Quiet! I'll deal with it."
"Not good enough if you ask me," the goat head remarked.
"If it's all the same to you, I believe it's my turn.
The Chimera looked at Maud, all three heads smiling. "By all means, go ahead," the tiger head spoke.
There was a long pause until Maud finally spoke. "Party Cannon."
Pinkie popped her head into the cave at the mention of the cannon. "Party Cannon?"
The Chimera looked confused. "Party Cannon?"
Maud smiled. "Pinkie, Party Cannon."
Pinkie Pie suddenly lifted up the Chimera and stuffed it into the Party Cannon. "Party Cannon!!!"
"W-what the...? Ooof! Argh! Blaugh!" The Chimera groaned and grunted as it was stuffed in the barrel.
"What isss it doing?" the snake head asked.
The tiger head roared, "Release us, pink pony!"
"Noope, not gonna happen!" Pinkie turned the cannon around so it faced the exit of the cave. "Remember to pack your parachute!"
"What..?" the Chimera squeaked just as the cannon launched the Chimera away in an explosion, the creature screaming as it flew into the sky.
"Looks like this monster's blasting off!!! Wraaagh!!" the Chimera shouted, disappearing in the twinkle of a star.
~~~
Pinkie Pie put the cannon away and turned to look at Maud. "So are you really fire proof?"
"For lack of a better explanation, yes."
Pinkie grinned. "That's awesome!!"
"Indeed," the mountain spoke, "I have seen fire consume the living trees among many other things. To see a pony stand up to flame so hot is amazing."
Maud stepped out of the cave. "Thank you, Smokey Mountain."
"It is my pleasure. I am pleased to see the Chimera evicted, though the sky's are not clear of his foul breath, it is still black with smoke."
"The smoke isn't enough to be permanent, it'll clear without the help of the Pegasi."
"If I might ask, was he the sole reason for your long hike up to my cave?"
Maud shook her head. "No, Princess Twilight sent me up here to find out the cause. I volunteered."
Pinkie hopped up beside Maud. "But because it was a chimera, Maud decided to deal with it herself! I helped too."
"Though we weren't meant to. But I did what I felt was right, I saved them a lot of time and trouble."
"Indeed," the mountain agreed. "Will you not introduce me to your companion?"
"This my sister, Pinkie Pie."
"Hello!" Pinkie waved to the summit.
"Ah yes, the tic-tac-toe player from two years ago, you haven't changed a bit."
"Really? Aw you're so sweet," giggled Pinkie.
The mountain let out a slight nervous chuckle. "T-thank you..."
"If you don't mind me saying, you're not quite as talkative, nor well versed as Mount Canterhorn is."
Smokey Mountain let off a small respectful huff. "I am quite young for a mountain, younger then the north, the south, and center. The Frozen North, the Macintosh Hills, and Mount Canterhorn, all three have been here longer then I, I have yet to be as linguistic as they."
"If you ask me, you speak perfectly fine for one so young." Maud lifted both of her eyebrows up slightly.
"It is different to me, I'm afraid." Smokey Mountain sighed. "You ponies down there, in that valley know not the stillness which has been what I consider life, you walk as free as you wish, while I can not. I am a tower of rock, though I take it Mount Canterhorn talked your ear off about this."
"Actually Mount Canterhorn and I had a pleasant conversation."
A loud rustling of fabric came from behind Maud. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at Pinkie Pie rummaging through the saddlebags curiously.
"It's so deeeeep," said Pinkie as she fell into the bag all over again, much to Maud's amusement.
"Pinkie Pie, come out of there and bring the extra pickaxe." Maud smiled.
"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie called out, beginning her slow climb back out.
Smokey Mountain noticed the pickaxes and regarded them with curiosity. "I take it that you are a scholar of stone."
"I am. I came up here to collect samples once I had concluded my business with the smoke. Twilight was rather jumpy about it."
"The princess of the crystal castle that grew on the outskirts of town. Funny that a town founded by farmers, should be ruled by somepony not even from that place."
"Nopony's complaining. Twilight is a good princess, she's a good listener, especially when I recite my poetry. my most recent is Boulder's favorite."
Maud looked over to her pickax before sitting down in a comfortable position, taking out her pet rock. Smokey Mountain saw Boulder in Maud's hoof, like Mount Canterhorn, the sight of a pet rock tickled him.
"Boulder is a rock?" the mountain questioned.
Maud nodded, "He is my rock, I've had him since I was a filly. Say hello, Boulder."
"It's nice to meet you, Boulder," the mountain said with amusement.
Pinkie Pie suddenly popped up close to Maud. "Um, Maud, how about his friend?" whispered Pinkie.
Maud Looked at Pinkie confused.
"You know that other rock you picked up, to be Boulder's friend."
"Oh you mean Simba."
Pinkie went stiff at the name. Maud stood up and reached into her pocket, Pinkie's eyes widening in surprise. Maud stood on her back legs and held the rock up to the mountain's summit.
"See this rock? His name is Simba," Maud announced to the mountain while Pinkie played a tune in the background using makeshift drums.
The mountain chuckled slightly. "Curious name, it rocks. You have a good taste in pets."
Maud returned to her regular standing position, sitting back down and putting Simba back in her pocket beside Boulder. "Thank you."
Maud's shoulders started to shrug as Pinkie nudged her for attention.
"Psst, Maud. Why is the mountain talking? I thought they couldn't." Pinkie Pie looked confused.
"How do I put this in a way you'll understand..." She looked down to her right, facing Pinkie while she did. After a moment, Maud looked back to Pinkie. "I don't really know."
Pinkie beamed. "Good enough for me!"
"Quite the bubbly type, isn't she, Maud Pie?" Smokey Mountain remarked on Pinkie Pies personality.
"She's a very happy type." She smiled. "But she's my sister."
Maud looked over at Pinkie, who was struggling with some peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth.
Maud sighed happily. "Smokey Mountain, with your permission, I'd like to sample some of your rocks, for research."
"I see no harm in it," the mountain said in an approving manner. "Just don't break the big rocks," it chuckled.
Maud nodded. "I won't." She looked at Pinkie Pie. "Come on, Pinkie. Lets get some rocks."
Pinkie hopped about excitedly. "Okie-dokie-lokie!"
~~~
Pinkie and Maud toiled for an hour, chipping away at varieties of rocks and placing them Maud's saddlebags. Tanzanite, quartz diorite, black andradite, charnockite and pegmatite, among many others that couldn't be mentioned. All the rocks and minerals were placed in the saddlebags one after another until they slightly bulged.
"Looks like the bags have a bottom after all," Pinkie chuckled.
"I didn't say it was shallow, they are actually bigger on the inside."
"I know, but how?" Shrugged Pinkie.
"I'll leave that up to your imagination."
The mountain grumbled, "You're leaving, aren't you?"
Maud nodded. "Yes, we must return to Friendship Castle in Ponyville. The ball will be starting soon."
"I don't suppose I could hear some of that poetry you mentioned earlier? I might not seem the type, but like all mountains, I enjoy poetry."
Maud nodded. "I would be more then happy to recite my poetry to you."
"Oh, oh, which poem are you going to recite, Maud?" Pinkie sat down as Maud did.
"Perhaps one of my earlier prose, I think the one I have in mind will be enough."
Smokey Mountain and Pinkie Pie went silent as Maud cleared her throat and fell silent.
"Forever it stands, as timeless as sand, from the ground beneath it grows tall, a tower of rock to be seen by all. Each day pass, a new day dawns, though silent and still until dusk's light, silent and still into the dead of night. The mountain sits, lonely and grey, while ages go by, every day. It is a rock, a tower of stone, silent and tall, and very alone. Loved and admired by all in the land, studied and mapped and timeless as sand."
Maud took a deep breath and sighed. "And that is the end of my poem."
Pinkie Pie clapped her hooves together in applause while Smokey Mountain sighed in content.
"Thank you, Maud Pie. You've made this mountain very happy."
"It's the least I can do for a rock."
Smokey Mountain chuckled. "Indeed, I shan't keep you any longer my friends, you must be on your way, my selfishness has cost you time to descend my slopes."
Maud shook her head. "No, you weren't selfish, I am more then happy to recite my poetry to anybody who will listen."
Maud reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pebble. "Here, I am giving Simba back to you. I think I prefer to have one pet."
Maud approached her saddlebags and put them back on with Pinkie's help. Though they were back breaking heavy for Pinkie to even lift, Maud stood straight, unaffected and unburdened by the masses of minerals and rocks. Pinkie smiled at Maud, then bid goodbye to Smokey Mountain, before hopping away, back the way she came. Maud started to follow but stopped and turned to look back at the cave.
"Before I go, Mount Canterhorn sends his regards, he asked that I passed them on."
"Thank you kindly, Maud Pie. next time you are by Canterhorn, send him mine in return."
Maud nodded. "I will. Goodbye, Smokey Mountain." Maud turned and followed her sister down the mountain, humming a small tune about coming round the mountain.
"Farewell, Maud Pie."
~~~
The Moonlight Ball had started moments after Pinkie and Maud had arrived back. Putting her saddlebags aside in the safety of Pinkies bedroom, Maud changed into a blue sparkly dress, while Pinkie wore a yellow-orange spotted gala dress. Maud left Boulder in her frock, soon she and Pinkie were on their way to Friendship Castle. Carriages from Canterlot and the Crystal Empire were arriving or had arrived, one crystal carriage bore the royal crest of the Crystal Empire's monarchs. Two chariots were stationed outside also, one of them bearing a Gothic design, the princesses were here.
Pinkie Pie showed a guard stationed at the entrance her invitation. Glancing over the invitation once, the pegasus guard let Maud and Pinkie through. The foyer of the castle was packed with ponies, all of which were being greeted one by one by Twilight, Celestia, Luna and Cadence. When Maud and Pinkie approached, Twilight's face lit up with a smile and she approached.
"It's good to see you both arrived back. Did you figure out what was causing the mountain to smoke?"
"It was a chimera, I took care of it, it blast off," Maud answered.
"A Chimera? How in Equestria did you ever manage to defeat it?" Twilight was shocked.
Maud blinked. "Two words... Party Cannon."
Twilight lifted an eye brow, unable to process just how stupid but arguably believable it sounded. "F-fair enough. Come on in you two. Welcome to the Moonlight Ball."
"Welcome!" Cadence, Luna and Celestia said together in unison.
Pinkie hopped up high with joy. "C'mon Maud, I saw the food table over there by the..." Pinkie looked carefully as she hopped up and grinned widely. "Chocolate fountain!! Maud! There's a chocolate fountain!"
"Woohoo..." Maud smiled.
Pinkie grabbed Maud and bolted over to the table quickly to partake of the food. Once all the guests had arrived, the slow dances started, the lights of the room were dimmed, the bright colours replaced with moonlight white colours to simulate the night sky with the moon beaming down on the land below. Luna and Celestia danced together, swaying slowly beside one another and watching as young couples and friends danced together or watched. Vinyl and Octavia danced slowly in the dark and out of the light to a rather lovely song, Cadence and Shining Armor were apart of the small crowd on the dance floor.
All the while, Pinkie Pie and Maud stood by, sitting at a table with mugs of cider in hoof, watching as many ponies danced.
"Aren't you envious, Maud?" asked Pinkie.
Maud looked at Pinkie. "I don't follow, what do you mean?"
"Well, you're single and you're here at a ball where you could dance with anypony, the chances of getting hitched is high after all." Pinkie beamed.
Maud sipped her cider and wiped her mouth. "While that would be nice, I'm afraid I don't have the same tastes as everypony else. Besides, I'm content going with you. Make's me happy knowing I have a sister like you, Pinkie Pie."
"Aww shucks." Blushed Pinkie. "I'm not the best, Marble and Limestone are good sisters too."
Maud smiled. "You're all good sisters, I'm happy to be a big sister to all of you, even though they're never around, I still love them."
Pinkie wiped tears from her eyes before they fell. As she did, an orange Pegasus pony in a finely tailored suit approached the table and extended his hoof to Maud.
"Pardon me, but might I have this dance?"
Twilight watched on from the punch bowel, her eyes seething with jealousy. Maud took note of this and smiled, placing her hoof in his.
"You know what, Pinkie Pie? I don't think I'll be single forever." Maud stood up and walked out onto the dance floor with the pegasus, and 'danced' with him, Twilight and Pinkie watching.
Though the ball went on in the valley below, the mountain's drawling had started again, and had been going since Maud and Pinkie had began their descent hours earlier.
"Wood. Crystal. Castle... Town. Pony. Geologist... Pinkie. Maud... Awesome"
Author's Note
I am fully aware of Twilight's castles actual name, Izanagi and I agreed that it was a rather ridiculous name and thus I decided to give it the name, Friendship Castle, after Generation 1's Dream Castle.
Also because.
