Maud always had a stoic expression.
It wasn’t something she did by choice. It was due to a social disorder she suffered from. She still felt like other ponies did do. She felt happiness, sadness, anger, all the flurry of emotions one would experience in their entire lives, she just couldn’t express them like others could.
This day however was different.
Today was the day Maud Pie, the stone face of the Pie Family would break that streak.
It all started one week ago when she returned home after discovering the Crystal Caves of northern equestria. Rather than the traditional warm Pie welcome, she found her parents in the living room with an open letter. Maud’s mother was crying into her father’s arms. Igneous himself was trying hard not to cry himself.
When she approached them and asked what was wrong they informed her a member of the family had died. Maud was worried at first, but after reading the letter she could tell it was no mistake. One of her sisters died.
Well, in technicality the pony who passed was Maud’s sister by marriage with Limestone, but it didn’t make dealing with the death anymore easy for her. Unable to say anything Maud simply dropped the letter and walked to her room and locked herself in. Later that night she heard her sister, Limestone, screaming at her father about something but was too deep in her thoughts to care. She knew what it was about.
For the last few days the entire family had been in turmoil. Limestone was angry, more than usual, blaming her parents for her fiance's death. Marble became so reclusive she began to show signs of anorexia, and her parents were constantly fighting with each other and Limestone.
The next morning she got up and droned on to her college where she went through her daily classes until lunchtime came. Sitting by herself at a table, Maud ate her broccoli soup slowly. She held spoon in her hand and took small dainty sips from her soup trying hard to remember her table etiquette.
She looked down at the silver spoon and then to her reflection in her soup.
“She always told me that a mare has to show grace even when eating,” Maud said like a mantra. “You never know who’s watching.”
Suddenly from behind her a hearty laugh rang in her ears. It was a laugh which over the last week she had come to despise. Well, perhaps despise was a strong word, but Maud certainly had no liking towards this mare.
“HA! Look at what we have here, if it isn’t, “Mud” Pie,” said an earth brown mare with a tan shirt and hat to match. “Whatcha doing, Mud?”
Maud sighed turning to continue eating her soup. “I don’t wanna talk to you Treasure.”
Buried Treasure was an ambitious mare. Like Maud she was a mare who had a passion for geology. Maud never really liked her. She was obnoxious and very arrogant. She often butted heads with Maud and tried to take credit for her discoveries and research breakthroughs. There were many things she disliked about the mare, mostly for her being a big jerk. Up until now, Maud never once stood up to her, Rarity did once and it inspired Maud to stand up for herself. Now in all that’s happened, Maud felt infuriated with Buried Treasure. Something she rarely felt with anypony.
Maud looked away from the mare and back to her food, and Buried Treasure took the opportunity to jab at the monotone mare.
“Awww, is little, Mud, gonna cry? Or better yet, come in and steal my spotlight you insensitive glory hound!” Buried Treasure sniped at Maud.
Maud lazily glanced over her shoulder at Buried Treasure and gave her a blank stare. After a few seconds passed Buried Treasure began to waver. Maud then turned her back on the mare and finished her soup. Infuriated by being ignored Buried Treasure stomped the ground as Maud got up with the bowl in her mouth and went to throw it away. Buried Treasure suddenly ran over and caught Maud by the collar of her shirt and spun her around, glaring down at the grey mare with a burning hate in her eyes.
“Listen, mud! I was talking to… you…. So…” She paused seeing a strange look on Maud’s face.
She and many other ponies who were watching all looked on in shock at what was going on. For many it was their first time, and many didn’t believe their eyes. Buried Treasure was shocked too, for Maud was glaring back at her with tear strained eyes at Buried Treasure.
“He-hey what’s up you freak?” Buried Treasure asked, feeling awkward as everypony stared at them. “Yo-you aren’t crying over what I said? Right?” She asked worried Maud had snapped.
Maud shook her head and sad in a low tone, “I lost somepony close to me the other day. I don’t want to deal with you right now. Leave me alone.”
Buried Treasure nodded slowly backing away from Maud. Her two compatriots who watched the scene unravel were in awe as were many of the other students. None of them had ever seen such a thing occur before. Maud never broke. Yet here she was, crying in public. It felt strange to Maud. She felt embarrassed. She prided herself in her stoic stone expressions. Her monotone nature.
Finally unable to bare it Maud stormed off down a hall and found an empty classroom where she curled up in a ball in the corner and cried more. She never broke down like that in front of other ponies before. She never let her shell crack. She was Maud Pie, strong as a diamond. Yet, now she felt as frail and brittle like obsidian.
With each step it felt like they were lead weights added to a never ending pile of sorrow, misery, and pain. Maud never once felt such a strong array of emotions before. Here she was the most average, blank pony who wasn’t a blank flank feeling sorry for herself.
After pushing herself to go through her classes Maud trudged along home. She ran into Buried Treasure later and ignored her taunts, which infuriated the mare. Maud then made a point by setting Buried Treasures favorite hat on fire and then made the long trek home. Once Maud was home she dragged her hooves as she went upstairs to her old bedroom.
Once up there, she threw her saddlebags to the side of her desk and flopped on her bed. Unsatisfied with her position Maud took her pillow and smashed her face into it. She felt good having her face on the soft comfy pillow. After a long harrowing day like today it was hard to not lose herself. Her younger sister died. It was hard to let it go. All she felt was sadness and anger. She knew it wasn’t her fault, but something deep inside her told her otherwise.
As Maud laid on her bed minutes passed and then turned to what felt like hours. She then rolled over to see her clock and saw it read 11:23 PM. She laid in bed for over six hours and did nothing. She didn’t cry, she didn’t scream, she didn’t do anything.
She thought it ironic, ponies always talked about her like she was a living statue with no emotions. She was always a feeling mare, she just didn’t show it that much. Suddenly she heard Limestone yelling from the living room.
“-i this wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t send Marble in the first place! You know she doesn’t take well to crowds! And in Canterlot and the Grand Galloping Gala too!? Are you insane!?”
Maud couldn’t bare to listen at that. She heard her father retort but didn’t care to hear what he was saying. She heard the exchange go on for sometime before she heard the sound of Limestone storming out. The sound of the doors smashing in on itself was very distinct characteristic of Limestone's departure, one the family became accustomed too.
Maud rolled over on her bed and wiped her eyes. Now free from tears she tried to forget about what she heard and tried to get some sleep. She didn’t want to deal with the pain of losing her sister, Trixie. She would deal with it once the funeral was arranged.
Everyday is like a puzzle. You always have the end image in mind, but you must fit all the pieces together to get the final product in the end. Limestone Pie was the kind of mare who had enough patience to smash her way to the end of most things.
She was a headstrong more, confident, prideful, and deep in the recesses of her heart a lover.
She was just returning home to see her father and sisters after a long month of traveling from city to city giving a business proposition to every major candy distributor about her new family grown rock candy. It was made with real rocks too. Several businesses wanted to capitalize on this investment. Limestone was head strong and a no nonsense type of mare. She was perfect for closing these deals.
She was happy after closing three major deals in Baltimore, Las Pegasus, and Manehatten, but then on the way back she made a layover in Manehatten. There she ran into Derpy Hooves, mailmare extraordinaire. That was when she heard the news via letter. The grey pegasus and her wall eyed look always troubled Limestone, but she knew Derpy was a good pony at heart. After paying the mail mare with a few muffins, Derpy flew off happy as can be. Muffin in hoof and a successful delivery.
Limestone waved the mare off and took the letter that was given to her. It was sealed in a simple manila envelop that looked like it had water stains all over it. Her names was crudely written on the front. Curious as to who it was from she gently opened the envelop and pulled out the letter within and read it. What she read devastated her.
Trixie, her wife had died.
Her sadness was quickly replaced by anger. She thought back to the day Trixie left. Limestone was going to go with her originally, but her father wanted her to close these business deals for the rock candy. She thought that as the, 'husband' of the relationship it was her duty to escort Trixie everywhere she went. Her father Igneous said Marble would take care of it and watch over Trixie while Limestone finished the deals, and now Trixie was gone. All Limestone wanted to do now was get home and scream at her father. The letter was short and direct, surprising that it was from her sister Marble.
It was simply writen and had stained dots all over it, making it have several darker brown spots of the old parchment used for it. Limestone didn't doubt for a second that it was Marble's tears that stained the parchment. She herself cried after reading the letter. After reading it she felt so drained. The world seemed so dim and uninteresting to her. Things seemed slow and she felt a heaviness in her heart. She didn't care anymore, about anything.
So she took the next train she could to get back home.
She skipped out on all her other meetings, she thought she had enough business deals closed. For now she had a family emergency to deal with.
She found her father on the couch with her mother in his arms. It was clear to Limestone her mother had taken the news poorly and now sought the comfort of her husband. Limestone looked at them from the doorway. The moonlight shined down lighting up the dark room with brilliant white light, to Limestone it was like looking at a picture perfect moment of sorrow, and despair.
It broke her heart.
That was until she remembered why she came here in the first place. Taking a confident step forward, Limestone to the attention of her parents with her loud heavy hoofsteps.
Igneous and Cloudy Quartz looked up at their daughter with saddened expression.
“Welcome home,” Cloudy Quartz said standing up and walking to the hall and hugged Limestone.
“Hi, mom,” Limestone replied hugging her mother back. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you found out.”
“You have nothing to apologize for child. We’re sorry for your loss as well,” Cloudy said choking back a sob. “She was… beautiful. Like lapis lazuli and as hard as a diamond.”
Limestone nodded silently patting her mother’s head gently. “I know mom. I loved her greatly.”
“We all did,” Igneous said approaching them. “We all will miss her greatly.”
Despite his calm demeanor Limestone could see past his words. It made her angry. Of course she was almost always mad about something, but this time she was simply furious with her father.
“This is all your fault…” Limestone said bitterly at him.
Cloudy gasped retracting from her daughter and rushed to her husband's side. “How dare you! He cared for her just as much as any of us!”
“No he didn’t, mom!” Limestone shouted back stomping her hoof on the wooden floors. “He never cared!”
“Insolent child! Speak not what you don’t understand!” Igneous shouted back, holding his now crying wife. “Now, look what you've done!”
“Don’t change the subject you old coot! You knew I loved her and you sent her with Marble! I told you Marble didn’t have what it took to be at the Grand Galloping Gala! Now look! Because Marble was unable to act under pressure, Trixie, my wife is gone!! My beloved is gone and it’s your fault!!”
“Don’t blame me for your own feelings of guilt!” Igneous shouted back. “I told you such love is forbidden in this household, and yet you still sought her out and married her behind our backs!”
“She was family, dad!”
“And now she’s gone and we should let her rest in peace!” Igneous snapped back.
Everypony went silent, save for Cloudy who had now completely broken down. The older mare was on the floor, her head buried in her hooves, and she wept like she never wept before. Limestone felt bad for her mother. She had trouble dealing with four emotionally draining children, now she had to deal with the loss of another family member.
Unable to hold back she tried to say something but her words were broken from her attempts to speak between her sobs.
“Se--she was- so young…” She managed out as her husband held her tightly.
“I shall take your mother to rest Limestone. We aren’t done talking,” He said guiding his wife upstairs, but stopped after a few steps. “The funeral is tomorrow. We sent word to your sister Pinkie Pie already.”
Limestone said nothing. She glared at her father’s back, probably hoping the term glaring daggers meant one would fly into his back. Seeing as he didn’t drop stone cold Limestone stormed to her room and collected all her belongings and took them downstairs and put them into a large wagon.
It was once a wagon that Trixie used back when she first came to the rock farm. That was back when she first started and later got the Alicorn Amulet and took over Ponyville. Limestone watched over it with Maud hoping Trixie would one day come back to reclaim it. Then came the fateful day she did return.
Trixie didn’t have the same air of boastful inflated ego and narcissism she once bore. She was still arrogant and full of self worth, but she had mellowed out considerably. That much was very clear to the Pie family. Each of them had a unique perspective on the emotional psyche that it was like a sixth sense for them. Limestone chuckled to herself placing a bag on the floor of the old wagon. *Funny. Our family is so emotionally diverse we’re actually good at knowing how others feel, but can’t portray those same feelings back in a diverse manner. Oh, the irony.* She thought bemusedly.
Once she returned to the house, she found her father blocking her way to her room. He had a blank look on his mug and it upset Limestone to no end. *I’ll bet he’s got some smart remark about my relationship with-* Her thought was interrupted when Igneous tapped his hooves on the vestibule walls getting her attention.
Limestone glared at him, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Move it, dad,” She said with great remorse in her hoarse voice. “I got packing to do.”
His arm reached out and grabbed her shoulder as she passed by. She felt him tug at her shoulder and came to a stop. She didn’t look back at him, instead she gave her tail and irritate swish which was all she needed to get him to let her go.
“I worry about you sometimes Limestone,” He said.
Limestone almost laughed at his statement.
“Sure dad. I totally believe you. Cause out of all of us I clearly have the biggest issues.” Limestone replied sarcastically.
“You have a temper Limestone,” He warned her. “Someday that temper will get you into trouble and nopony will bail you out.”
“What do you think I’m gonna become some abusive wife beater, or something?” Limestone asked whirling around on Igneous. “Or are you afraid your second oldest daughter will shame the family name?”
“No, I fear you will make a mistake and let your anger drive you to a sad end,” He said reaching for her.
Limestone's eyes dilated as she watched the brown hoof reaching for her. She didn't want her father's comfort; however, so she swatted his hoof away. “Don’t touch me!! It’s your fault she’s dead.”
Igneous tried to say something but Limestone wanted none of it. She shook her head and covered her ears with her hooves as he tried talking to her.
“You know it is wrong for you to love her like that. Why would you defy the pairing stone? Just to spite me?” He asked angered by Limestone’s behavior. “I told you not to get attached to her like that. She wasn’t your soulmate.”
“You don’t know s*** dad!” Limestone snapped pushing him back.
“I loved her more than anything in the world!” She yelled tapping her chest with one off then shoved him back another few steps, “I was the one who helped her through her antisocial anxieties! I was the one who helped her in the quarry when she had no idea what to do!" *Push* "I was the one who looked out for her when you turned your back on her!!”
Igneous remained calm as he was pushed back with every sentence Limestone shouted, until they were both in a hallway next to Limestone’s room. Limestone just stood in place panting heavily after exhausting her breath to yell at her father. When he said nothing Limestone cocked her head with a smug grin.
“What, got nothing to say?” she asked, almost bragging.
Igneous didn’t immediately reply. Instead he took off his hat and ran his hoof across his balding scalp. Limestone looked over him. He was old. She knew this but seeing him like this, after hearing about the death, it made her realize just how fragile life was. Here she was, Limestone, a prime example of a healthy pony who was very fit. Even her sister Pinkie Pie, for all her sweet eating ways was still as healthy as a horse.
Seeing her father and his wrinkled skin, his ageing eyes, even her mother looked worse for ware. It was all too much for her to think about. Igneous could see the conflict in his daughter's eyes. She was hurting but too angry to realize what she was doing. Igneous decided to let it be and shook his head in disappointment and went off to his room. This seemed to set Limestone off.
“Hey! Don’t walk away! I’m not done!”
Igneous stopped at the threshold and replied back softly, “She was my family too. Though through your marriage only now, but she was still family. I WILL miss her greatly. She brought life back here the likes of which we haven’t seen since Pinkie left.”
Once he finished he left Limestone alone. The mare snorted in frustration and finished packing her room. It didn’t take long. Most of her belongings were documents she used for work. A few pieces of clothes, and some dresses. What she really wanted was what was in a small box under her bed.
It was a plain old box that held a single item in it. Finding it she made a hasty retreat to the wagon and shut herself up in it. Once there she flopped on the bed and slid off the lid to the box she held.
Inside was a dress that was folded nicely into a small square. She pulled it out and looked it over. It was a white gown she wore to her wedding. It was definitely ‘puffy’ in her mind. It was a simple white wedding gown, sleeveless and slimming up to the hips where thicker fabric made it puff out like a traditional gown. Her veil was sitting in the box next to her wedding band.
It was traditional that earth ponies and pegasi wore wedding bands on either their arms or as earrings since it was easy enough to make. Limestone barely wore it always afraid she’d lose it in one of the mines, and not because of what expensive it was. In fact it was a very cheap wedding band but she wouldn’t have traded it for anything in the world.
Taking the dress and setting it aside, Limestone reached for her wedding band and pulled it out. She then rolled on her back on the bed, and looked at her band. Simple gold, with three emeralds side by side on it. She smiled seeing the emeralds and was reminded of what she was told when it was presented to her.
*"Why not a diamond love?" She asked.
"Because you outshine diamonds and all other ems in the world," She was told. "Emeralds are your gem, and you are mine. I love you my, emerald citrus."
*
Unable to hold back her tears Limestone rolled over on the bed and cried herself to sleep. Deep in her mind she dreamed of a happier time when she and her lover would run across the quarry together and mine late in the night. Sure Limestone had to listen to her complain about how hard mining and rock farming was but in the end she knew they had fun and they'd always have each other.
