could tell, without even looking, that he was troubled.



"Good afternoon, Marshmallow." Maud tried, in her most pleasant monotone, "There's a snack waiting for you in the kitchen."



Moondancer looked up to his adoptive mother, and his eyes welled up with tears. He let his small body slump against her, burying his face against soft grey fur, and he began to cry.



Maud and Moony had an established routine. When Moondancer was upset, he'd often seek her out. Her powerful arms were his private shield, the one place where he was safe from everything. Maud always quietly held him until he calmed down enough to speak-and this is what she did now, gently rubbing her son's back and listening to his muffled, wet hiccups. Her sister Limestone had once referred to Moondancer as a crybaby, but Maud knew better. Her marshmallow was sensitive, like herself, and she knew that sometimes, he just needed to cry things out. So she let him.



After a long few minutes, Moondancer began to breathe normally. "....I had a bad first day, Maudie." He mumbled into her chest. "I r-ruined the ballet clothes you bought me." He hiccuped. "I'm sorry..."



"It's alright. Clothing can be replaced at little expense. But your current distress isn't just about clothes, is it?" Maud was perceptive as always, and Moondancer flinched at her question. "What happened at school today, Moondancer?"



"I....there was a colt-" Moondancer's little muzzle scrunched up in anger, "An awful, rotten brute of a colt, and he called me names, and then he muddied my clothes and tore them, and he pushed me down and kicked me-" Moondancer showed her the bruise that'd blossomed on his side. Roaring maternal rage blazed to life in Maud, burning hot enough to rival a wildfire. Not that her expression changed, of course.



"Do I need to destroy him?"



"No, no.....it's just....he called me a sissy, Maudie." Moony's ears folded back, miserable. "...Am I? Is it bad to like dancing? I-I know that Mother says I'm destined for greater and more powerful things, but..." He looked up to her with plaintive eyes, looking so very, very young. "....I think I just want to dance, Maudie."



Oh, my sweet, poor little Marshmallow.



"I know, darling." Maud scooped him into a tight hug. "There's nothing wrong with that. It is our passions that define us...so don't let anypony ever make you feel bad for who you are." She blew an impassive raspberry against Moony's cheek, and the colt let out a surprised squeal of laughter, kicking his little hooves.



"You know, lots of ponies made fun of my passion, too." She said, catching him in a nuzzle. "They thought that studying rocks was....boring."



Moondancer gasped, clutching his hooves to his mouth. "Blasphemy, Maudie!"



"I know, I know. Geology is the very pinnacle of adventure, I told them. Just yesterday, I found a piece of basalt that was only somewhat composed of plagioclase. The rest was made up of

diopside minerals, which was mildly unusual." Moondancer nodded his head with interest, delighting her. "And of course, I make other unusual finds."



She reached across her workbench and rummaged in her drawer, pulling out an odd curved item. Although it was mostly ash grey in color, the tip was a poisonous crimson, so bright it seemed unnatural...it reminded Moondancer of a fang stained with blood. For a moment he suspected it might be a unicorn's horn-but the thing was too smooth, too curved, too strange.



"This is not a rock." Maud said simply. "Nor is it a fossil, nor is it pony-made...it's organic, but I can't determine its origin. I found it out on my expedition to the Crystal Empire, half buried in ice and snow. Very odd, don't you think?" Moondancer lit his horn, and she let her son take the object into his magical hold. "That's why I think I'm giving it to you."



"Me?" Moony nearly dropped the not-rock. "But Maudie, you're the rock scientist, you're the one who can do amazing research-"



"Yes. But I'm trusting you with it now. You're holding a very big mystery in your hooves, Marshmallow, and it's all yours to unravel." She twitched the corners of her mouth in the faintest ghost of a smile. "I'm sorry you had a bad first day at school, darling. I hope this helps."



"...Thank you, Maudie." Moondancer smiled, but it was half-hearted, still tinged with sadness. Perhaps ancient pseudo-fossils weren't the best tools for cheering up children.



"And if you can't crack the mystery, at least it'll make a decent closet hook for your new ballet tights." Maud added quickly, with a wink.



That brought a grin to Moony's face."R-really? Even though I ruined the first set?" He suddenly became shy. "But they were expensive, Maudie..."



"Whatevs." Maud shrugged. It was a word she'd learned from Pinkie Pie. "Some things are worth more than money, sweetheart."



Your smile, for example.



"Now tell me, why did the metamorphic rock quit his job?"



"...Why?" Moondancer was already smiling.



"It was too hard to work under all that pressure."



"..."



"....Because metamorphic rock is created through pressure. And heat.





"Explaining the joke ruins it, Maudie. We've been over this." Moony giggled. He took her gift into his hoof, and hugged her leg tight. "...I love you, Maudie."



I love you too, Marshmallow.



"Thank you." Maud pulled him close, the wonderful little boy that was her son in all but blood. "Darling, you make me sedimental as well."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



love and bad rock puns, that's the relationship between these two



Bonus Doodle

Maud got Moony new dance clothes and everything turned out okay~

Deep inside the planet, by tectonic processes such as continental collisions, immense pressure transforms existing rock into-""Explaining the joke ruins it, Maudie. We've been over this." Moony giggled. He took her gift into his hoof, and hugged her leg tight. "...I love you, Maudie.""Thank you." Maud pulled him close, the wonderful little boy that was her son in all but blood. "Darling, you make me sedimental as well."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~love and bad rock puns, that's the relationship between these twoMaud got Moony new dance clothes and everything turned out okay~

Maud was sitting at her workbench, calmly sipping from a mug of lukewarm black coffee, when she heard the front door creak open. Her ears pricked up at the sound of tiny hoofsteps, and she knew immediately who it was, and'nother work doodleAfter Trixie and Maud Pie's decision to move to Ponyville, Moondancer has a rough first day of school. Moony goes to his mama Maudie for comfort, and she attempts to cheer up her sad little marshmallow with a gift. A strange looking "rock" she discovered while out exploring the frozen caverns of the Crystal Empire...Moondancer is the illegitimate son of Trixie Lulamoon and Duke Blueblood of Canterlot. Feeling trapped and miserable, Trixie fled Canterlot, to be later found pregnant and homeless by Maud Pie. Maud took her in, supported her, and the two eventually fell in love and function as a family unit with their son Moony. More on this backstory: