Remembered in Stone

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.