Author's Note
Idea inspired from Dr. Wolf's review on "Times They Are A Changeling"; Written for my amazing friend Striving Scholar (see link in long description! ^D^)
*Prequel to Season 4
I do NOT own the cover art.
NOW WITH AN AUDIO READING!! Link!
Maud And Boulder
"I have to go tuck in Boulder."
The monotone voice escaped the grey earth mare's lips as she slowly stood up from the dinner table. It was Hearth's Warming Eve, and the Pie family had just finished their traditional rock soup supper. One of the Pie sisters, Limestone, rolled her eyes. "Gawsh, it's just a pet rock, Maud."
Maud made no response. She only blinked her unmoving eyes and trotted out of the room quietly.
The Pie family has learned over time to not interfere with Maud's rock, whom she named Boulder, unless they were asking for trouble. Though Maud was a very calm and collected mare, at times she would become defensive of Boudler, to the point of defending him even when the pony would make an innocent sarcastic joke. To Maud, Boulder was her best friend. Not a pet; a brother.
Many ponies thought strangely of Maud. Many considered her almost lifeless personality and dry taste in style odd, leaving Maud with very few friends. Maud didn't care what others thought about her, however. The mare grew up knowing that it wasn't what others thought about her that mattered, but instead, it was who cared for her and came to understand her that truly knew and loved her. Strangers did not influence Maud's opinion on herself; her closest friends and family did.
"Boulder... Boulder, where are you?" Maud called to the air as she slowly paced herself outside. She wandered past large mounds of rock, trenching through the snow and sniffed the air, searching for Boulder as she made her way to a large cavernous area behind her home. Walking in, a soft winter breeze tickled her fur, sending chills up her spine as she entered the dark cave.
Maud blinked her eyes and stopped trotting. Looking to her left, then to her right, she bent her neck down in front of her and smelt the earthly floor. "Boulder, I know you're here. It's just me, Maud."
Faint hoofsteps could be heard feet away in the cave. A soft green light, similar to a unicorn's magical aura, suddenly became present.
Maud smiled softly before returning back to her blank, monotone face. "Hello, Boulder."
A young Changeling stood before her, almost as tall as her as his large green eyes stared at her. "Good evening, Maud." His quiet voice replied as he turned off the glowing aura around his horn.
Maud blinked. "Boulder, is something wrong?"
The Changeling shuffled his hooves in the dirt below him. "No..."
"I can tell something is wrong. Tell me, please." Maud sat down, not taking her eyes off of the Changeling.
"I-It's just... I have been thinking a lot about who I am. I'm a Changeling, Maud, an evil transforming shape-shifting creature who's only skill of survival is hurting others... I don't want to be that version of Boulder."
"You cannot deny who you were born as. You can't keep trying to hide yourself from it."
He glanced up at her angrily. "But what if I don't like who I am? What if I feel shamed living like this, in this bug-like body?"
Maud blinked slowly. "What you look like and what you are stereotyped as doesn't define who you are. It is your personality and true character that make you you." Maud stretched out her hooves and wrapped them around Boulder, pulling him close. "I love my little Changeling brother just how he is. Even if I have to keep him secret and call him my pet rock when around others."
Boulder sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I don't want to hide anymore, I don't wanna disguise as a rock! I want to be my true self around others. I want to run, I want to fly, I want to laugh, I want to talk, I want to make friends..."
"I want you to be happy. Will being a pony make you happy?"
Boulder shuffled his hooves in Maud's fuzzy grey embrace. "If I were a pony... I could do anything I wanted to do. I could have friends, get a job, buy things and own things, have a family, be a real guy..." Boulder squeezed his eyes shut even more, "But instead... I'm a bucking pet rock..."
"Such language," Maud commented, "And as I stated, you are not my pet rock. You will never be a pet to me. Pets are owned by a master and are under their control. No, Boulder... You are my brother. And I love you."
Boulder the Changeling leaned into the earth pony softly. "But what if... What if I was a pony? What if I... What if I could become a pony tonight? Maybe I could be a pegasus, or a unicorn... Possibly a mare if I wanted to get a bit crazy with it, or maybe I could be something completely different, like a griffon... Maybe... Maybe I could be the first male alicorn!"
Maud narrowed her eyes. "Just because a Changeling can become anything they desire does not mean that they should."
"That makes no sense."
Maud blinked softly. "What I mean is, I know and love the Boulder I saved and adopted. You are an amazing Changeling, and I am proud to call you my little brother. Just because I am different from you doesn't mean that you should be just like me. We both know you cannot be around other ponies because of what your natural instincts will do to you. Do you want to hurt others?"
"W-well... No."
"I only asked you to disguise as a rock so that nopony would become suspicious or attached to you," Maud wrapped her hooves around the small Changeling warmly and shifted her body to be curled around his, "I asked you to do that so I could help, love, and protect you."
"But Maud, I am a Changeling. I can be whatever I want to... A rock, yes, but also, a pony. Maybe I want to be who I want to be and not what you want me to. Maybe I want to be just like you... A pony, maybe even a dragon, or a..." His voice faded.
Maud lowered her head and shook it slowly. "Is that what you really want? To be just like me?"
"You seem to enjoy it. I know I don't like being a rock all the time. It's a bit embarrassing."
"Boulder," Maud's soft voice addressed him, "You seem to imply I like being a rock farmer, living alone with my two sisters and parents. Instead, I want to go off to college. I want to be a scientist, I would like to use the knowledge I have to help change Equestria. But we are poor, and I might not be able to do that just yet."
Boulder sighed and leaned into his adopted sister.
"Not everypony can achieve what they want. But that doesn't mean you should give up. Would you feel more loved if you were a pony instead of a Changeling?" Maud whispered.
The Changeling shook his head slowly. "I... I don't know. I want friends, I want to explore, I want to go places... I just want to be like you, Maud," He looked up at her with his large green eyes, "I want to be just like you..."
Maud pulled him close and hugged the small creature. "Then I promise you that we will explore. I will help you find friends, and I will take you all over Equestria."
"B-but I'm a Changeling... I'm not welcomed here... I live off of other pony's energy, I can't be around them..."
Maud blinked. "You live off my energy and love for you, don't you?" Her soft, dry voice questioned him tiredly.
"W-well... Yes. And I hate it... It hurts you! Y-you're monotone and sad and you never smile and you are always so weak-looking..."
"I do it for you, Boulder." Maud's voice was louder now, sounding more aggressive yet calm at the same time.
Boulder smiled, but then covered his mouth as he began to instinctively hiss. "Maud! P-please don't make me feed off you like that again... I-it hurts me to know I am taking your energy..."
Maud sighed and nuzzled her cheek against his. "I care for you. I will never let you hurt me, because I know that in return makes you sad."
"Maud...?" Boulder glanced up at her, "Why are you so nice to me?"
The earth mare stood up and trotted into the cavern, returning moments later with a fuzzy brown blanket in hoof. "Because you are my Boulder that I swore to love and protect. I'm not going to force you to listen to me if you do not wish to," Maud laid the blanket on top of the Changeling, tucking him in, "I will only let you know my opinion on the matter."
Boulder lifted his head. "Thank you, Maud." He smiled softly.
Maud smiled back. "You will always be my brother. You will always be my amazing, loving, caring brother," Maud smiled, "And no matter what shape you shift into, you will always rock." With that, she chuckled and trotted out. Boulder absorbed her sisterly love and fell asleep, leaving Maud with her monotone voice and blank facial expression. He lifted his head and watched her trot back to the large house, where she would join her real family before bed. He closed his eyes and grasped the blanket tightly, feeling loved and protected.
"Goodnight, Maud."
