Maud's Smile

Pinkie Pie treasured every wonderful moment she got to spend with her big sister, Maud. It wasn’t just because they got to go on fun adventures together, nor was it because of the elder sibling’s amazing knowledge of geology. Rather, it was because of the warm and tender relationship they shared. Their minds administered perfect platonic plurality that rivaled that of the Princesses Celestia and Luna. Even though Maud hardly ever showed any emotion, they were still thrilled whenever they got to be together. The very idea filled Pinkie up with glee, especially because this happened to be a very special occasion: Maud’s birthday.

She had invited her Ponyville friends, but they had elected to remain home. They cited the shared idea that it was a chance for Pinkie to share some special and private moments with Maud. Knowledge of the steel like bond between the sisters was common, and Pinkie’s friends respected it. Truth be told, the ponies in the group without a sibling (namely, Starlight and Rainbow Dash) were incredibly envious of the strong adhesive that somehow held together two lives as different as Pinkie’s and Maud’s. It was a terrific study in character, and one that Pinkie’s friends did not take lightly. But this time, they would forego that study in favor of Pinkie’s comfort. It would not be right for them to be examining on such a special day.

So it was that Pinkie found herself staring down Celestia’s sunset on the special cliff overlooking her family’s rock farm. The sun seemed to emblazon the sky with the benevolent and grand ruler’s love and care. It burned through the blue as mighty as an eagle, yet as gentle as a newborn kitten. The tapestry woven from ray to ray warmed Pinkie’s soul as the colors reflected off the clouds and sharpened her eyes with their quiet strength. She looked down in time to see the many crystals that dotted the farm begin to dance in praise to the great mare of the day. Soon enough, they would do the same to her sister.

“It’s quite a picture, isn’t it?” A drab voice queried as it carried its owner to a spot beside Pinkie.

The pink mare turned and smiled at her beloved sister. “Yes, it’s absolutely magnificent. We don’t often get sunsets like this back home in Ponyville. It’s so…so…”

“Beautiful,” Maud said, “Pinkie, do not downgrade your home village. It’s full of so much…”

“Oh, I’m not downgrading anything,” Pinkie replied, “I’m just saying that it’s difficult to see the full sunset like this because The Everfree Forest is in the way. There’s always the bluff over Froggy Bottom Bog, but that’s a bit of a hike.”

“It seems to me that such an exercise in perambulate movement would bequeath new hope and vigor into somepony,” Maud said, “but, perhaps I am mistaken.”

Pinkie smiled again. She loved it whenever her sister activated the expansive vocabulary hidden deep within her seemingly dull mind. It was a fountain, and when it flowed, it did so with deep philosophical thought. Science, nature, geology, and poetry all crossed paths within Maud’s head, and she spoke from that great bath of knowledge. It was beauteous, utilizing the brightness of the stars alongside the delicacy of the creatures below. It was as hard as a rock, yet soft as the gentlest of rabbits. Maud exuded an indifference that was almost painfully truthful, yet exquisitely fantastical. Pinkie figured that her birth into a family with such an amazing pony counted among its ranks was a stroke of genius. If somepony was in control of her destiny, she silently thanked them for giving her Maud as a sister.

“Maud…did I ever tell you that you speak beautifully?” Pinkie asked, snuggling closer to her sibling.

“Multiple times,” Maud drawled, returning her sister’s embrace, “but…not recently.”

Pinkie sighed, happy in her sister’s forelegs. The evening was almost perfect as the sun slowly dipped beneath the azure horizon, and the moon rose to take its place. Glittering piles of stardust seemed to rain down on the sisters as they sat together. They were drowning in each other, and that was just how they preferred things. Items of lesser importance drifted away from their subconsciouses. Right now, it was simply them. If they weren’t related, and if one had been a stallion, an onlooker might have mistaken them for a romantic couple. But they were not. They simply held a deep, innocent, and beautifully true affection for each other.

But, to reiterate, the evening was almost perfect. There was one thing bothering Pinkie, and she had not made any kind of attempt to ask Maud about it before. She was scared of how it might push her sister, causing her to unearth emotions she had not used in quite a long while. The very prospect of presenting such a question stirred up spirits of fright and nervousness within Pinkie. But, all the same, her sister was grown up. She had her “rock-torate” and was a featured speaker at Canterlot University’s geological department. Any other time that presented itself would have been inappropriate. Now was the perfect opportunity.

So, she bent up and nuzzled her sister’s face. “Maud?” She asked.

“Hm?”

“Why can’t I ever make you smile?” Pinkie asked through baited breath, “I mean, I love to make other ponies smile, and everyone I’ve ever known has smiled at me. Even Cranky Doodle Donkey cracks a grin when we pass each other. So…tell me…why not you?”

Maud returned the nuzzle. “Oh, Pinkie,” she said, “I promised myself I wouldn’t tell you this until I felt like you could understand it. But now, I know you can. Pinkie…you aren’t my real sister.”

Pinkie gasped and backed away from Maud. Not her real sister? How in the world could that be true? She turned the concept over and over in her mind but could never come up with a suitable conclusion. Hot tears stung her eyes as she felt like she’d been betrayed by the one pony she loved more so than even her Ponyville friends. Her happy heart shattered into a million pieces, and she broke into a fit of weeping. She was confused, disheartened, disillusioned, and suddenly the sunset and moonrise didn’t appear as beautiful. The shining that had caused her eyes to laugh had suddenly turned very scary. She swore that lightning and thunder crashed overhead as Maud made the terrible confession.

“No…you…you have to be my sister!” Pinkie wailed, “I can’t live without you, Maud!”

“Pinkie, calm down,” Maud said quietly, but firmly, “and give me a chance to explain. We are not biological siblings, but we are still sisters via adoption. Yes, you were found one day and…brought into our family.”

“But, why wouldn’t somepony tell me?!” An obviously hurt Pinkie yelped.

“Because you were too immature to understand,” Maud said bluntly, “and now I see that we were right in keeping it from you. Come now, Pinkie. All these tears won’t help anything. They’ll just blur your eyes.”

Pinkie sniffed and sat up, determined to prove that she was mature. “Alright,” she said, “finish.”

Maud sighed and looked deep in Pinkie’s eyes. “I’ll never forget that day. Ma and Pa had sent me into town to stock up on some supplies for the farm. I was trotting towards the store when I heard a shriek. I looked to my left and saw two thug ponies maliciously mugging a young couple. The stallion tried his best to fight them off, but they were much stronger than he. In the end, fatal horn blows were their fate.”

“You mean…they died?” Pinkie whispered as she felt more tears fall.

Maud nodded. “Yes, Pinkie. They bled out right in front of me. I was only able to save the tiny filly that the mare was carrying with her…and that was you, Pinkie. Before that incident, I had a much more happy-go-lucky outlook on life. I would constantly smile, and try to brighten everyone’s day. Everywhere I went, the sunshine seemed to follow me…kind of like you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie smiled at the warm words, but urged her sister to continue.

“But then, when I saw how fragile life was,” Maud said, “it shocked me into the pony you see before you today. I cannot smile, for smiles only lead to heartache. Death is terrifying, Pinkie…and I am scared that, if I smile again, something truly horrible may come of it.”

Pinkie was surprised at her sister’s superstitious attitude. To her, a smile was warm and endearing. It filled her whole being up with such happiness and enthusiasm that she felt as if she could not contain it. She had even written a whole song about it, and sang it with glee every time she could. It made her so cheerful when her friends would join in and sing along. But, sadly, her sister did not seem like she’d ever participate in such a bouncy tune. She had sworn off smiling…or at least smiling where someone might notice.

“But, Maud…smiles are what fills the world with joy!” Pinkie exclaimed, “I just don’t understand how you could…never want to smile again.”

“I associate smiling with the deaths I witnessed on that tragic day,” Maud said, “therefore, by psychological and emotional detachment, I have eliminated the need for such an act.”

“But, Maud…you’re too smart to believe in something so silly,” Pinkie replied, “I mean, really, what’s gonna come of a simple smile? It’s not like I’m gonna be taken from you.”

At those words, Maud did something Pinkie had never seen before. She began to cry, and soon a river was flowing down her cheeks. The pink pony once again became shocked at the complete erraticism of her sister’s behavior. She threw her hooves around the sad pony’s neck and coated the fur with kisses, trying desperately to revive the smart and gentle sibling she knew and loved. Seeing Maud cry caused her heart to shatter once again. It was terrible to witness, because she’d gotten used to seeing Maud as a completely emotionless being.

“Don’t cry, Maud,” Pinkie said, fighting back her own tears, “please don’t cry.”

“Oh, Pinkie!” Maud wept, “I’m so sorry! I’ve withheld myself from you! Oh, why couldn’t I have saved your parents? Why did I just stand there like a stone?! WHY AM I SO WORTHLESS?!”

“MAUD!” Pinkie suddenly exclaimed sharply, “I won’t have this! It’s your birthday, and nopony should cry on their birthday.”

“But I’m such a fool, Pinkie!” Maud cried, “I’m such a damn fool! I haven’t smiled because of some dumb theory I had. It doesn’t even matter to me anymore! When I began looking at life through the prism of geology and science, I saw even more how fragile it is. I’ve witnessed death so many times doing research, Pinkie. Ponies on my teams died when they fell into quarries and canyons where huge rocks waited to crush their bones into splinters! They would become ill and we’d have no way to get them a cure! So…I swore I’d never smile again…because there’s nothing to smile about. The world is cruel. Tell me, Pinkie…what the hell is it good for?”

Pinkie backed away and looked into her sister’s tear stained eyes. “There’s lots to be fearful of in this world. But if I’ve learned anything during my time with my friends in Ponyville, it’s that there’s way more that’s good about it. Friendly ponies, amazing adventures, sweet and tender romances…there’s so much that’s amazing about the world. But, to be frank, I don’t think I can categorize the world as being good or bad. It’s a ball spinning in space. But…I know there are good things about the world. You just have to take steps to discover them, and if there’s one thing you’re good at, Maud Pie, it’s discovering stuff.”

For the first time in years, Maud smiled at her sister. The smile was accompanied by a hug of the greatest caliber. “Thank you, Pinkie,” Maud said as more tears dripped their way down her face, “thank you.”

“Promise me something, Maud,” Pinkie said sweetly.

“What’s that, my dearest sister?”

“Promise me that you’ll never stop discovering all the amazing stuff in the world, and that you’ll start smiling again.”

“I swear it, Pinkie,” Maud said, “by all the rocks in Equestria…I swear it.”