Heavy Things

When Lily Longsocks woke that day
and rolled out of her bed to play,
she took her normal time to say,
“I hope I’ll make a friend today!”

When Dinky blinked her eyes awake
and gave her ragged mane a shake,
she wondered if she’d likely make
a friend today, for heaven’s sake!

Their classmates weren’t exactly mean;
the fillies simply weren’t too keen
on being social, often seen
just eating lunch alone.

Although they both were rather prone
to solitude, they’d still bemoan
forever being on their own
and rue their shyness gene.

On a silky summer Saturday afternoon, Dinky trotted into the woods to see if she could find a cool bug or two. The other fillies always screeched if she brought one to class, and while the colts brandished blustery bravado, they still wouldn’t touch.

In her usual spot, she peeked under each stone, but the heavier ones, she tried with a groan, and just couldn’t get them to move. And the smaller ones she’d tried so often that the bugs didn’t like to stay there anymore. Not that she could blame them. If somepony kept looking into her home, letting the light displace the dark, it might unnerve her, too. She’d asked Princess Twilight about that once, and Twilight suggested that Zecora knew a lot about finding balance in nature. And hinted that she knew a thing or two about liking to live apart.

It was hard. Every time she tried to talk to another foal at school, the words got stuck, stuttered and stymied. She wanted to talk. She just couldn’t make it happen.

Like this black king snake. It slithered silently by, not afraid of her at all. She could even touch it, and it didn’t care. Why couldn’t she be like that?

Lily Longsocks had gotten pretty bored with the few heavy things around the house. The old refrigerator, the grandfather clocks, the big toolshed. It was fun to lift things, especially if nopony saw her do it.

It was hard. Diamond Tiara blackmailed her about it once, but even after the rest of the school knew—and she’d even helped build the new playground!—they still looked at her funny. Maybe she could find some other things to lift. Heavy things.

There was a quarry just outside of town. Ooh yes, there would be rocks there! And maybe some machinery. Heavy things.

Somepony was watching. Dinky turned slowly as the snake sauntered southward, and a purple head peered from behind a tree. “Oh… Lily?” A classmate, quite quiet, which was nice. She’d say some more, but like before, no words would come; she stood there, dumb.

Lily nodded.

Right, Lily had helped lift playground equipment. She was crazy strong. Dinky’s shoulders quivered, her withers shivered, but sometimes something won over fear. The words tumbled out before she could stop them, and good, because she didn’t want to. “Can you lift these big rocks?”

Lily took a step back.

“I like all the bugs and lizards that hide under them, but I’ve used up all the small rocks I can pick up,” Dinky said. Of course, Lily grimaced like the rest would. She looked all scared and only stared.

Lily nodded again.

Somepony wasn’t afraid of Lily? She peered at Dinky’s smile. Heavy things.

She took one step out, but still Dinky beckoned. When had anypony ever done that to her? So step by step, she walked over and lifted the smallest boulder, her eyes on Dinky the whole time.

“Ooh, look at that spider!” DInky said. “It has bright yellow legs! And a skink—don’t lift it too high. Keep it low so they feel safe and have shade. Oh neat, a green snake!”

Lilly took a step back. She couldn’t see under the boulder or how close any of those creatures were.

“Don’t worry, they’re harmless. I wouldn’t let anything hurt you.”

Lily had never heard Dinky speak this much. Heavy things.

“Wow! Now can you put it down? Slowly, in the same place, so you don’t squish anything. Yeah, like that. Now can you lift the next one?”

And Lily did.

“Neat, a vinagroon! I’ve never seen one of those before!”

Dinky… hugged her. Nopony had ever hugged her except her family. She thought she wouldn’t like it, but it felt… nice. Heavy things.

Fresh off the sight of a cool new bug, Dinky let Lily loose from her hug. “How about the biggest one?”

Lily stretched and strained, and when she got the rock aloft—“No way! Put it down, to the side!”

Before Dinky, a cavern mouth opened into the slope. She dashed inside, and only then thought to motion Lily in after her. “C’mon! There’s blind cave crickets, one or two scorpions, even some bats.” Just one big chamber, nowhere to get lost, but it’d still take a while to look over it.

“Dinky!” she heard from the distance. “Dinner!”

Lily poked her head in, and a black crystal sheen caught her eye. She broke it off from one of the rock formations. She was studying its surface when another hug encircled her.

“Hey,” Dinky said, “can you cover up the entrance again?” She grinned. “It can be our secret place. Do you wanna come back tomorrow and explore?”

Heavy things. Lily nodded. But before she put the boulder back, she smiled. And she forced the word out. She hadn’t spoken to a classmate before. “Thanks.”

Most ponies would ask for what, but Dinky understood. Lily set the black crystal in front of Dinky. “Keep it. To remember. It’s cassiterite. Heavy for its size. I know heavy things.” Then she got to endure another hug.

As Lily Longsocks went to bed,
the piles of smiles swirled in her head.
when daytime came and nighttime fled,
her strength would help a friend instead.

As Dinky climbed the stairs that night,
she held her rock and gripped it tight.
and like she’d heard her friend recite,
a heavy thing that seemed just right.