Quite without warning, Cloudy Quartz jammed an enormous bite of fudge into Tarnished Teapot’s mouth. Right away he discovered that it was too hard to chew, it was rock hard fudge, but it did start to melt right away. As it melted, it became the most delicious thing Tarnished Teapot had ever eaten, and for a moment, he was even more blissful than he was during his short exploration into mind altering drugs.

It was sweet, it was bitter, it was creamy, it had pieces of nuts in it. Tarnish slumped down in his chair, the fudge melting in his mouth, and he rolled his tongue along the bottom of the confection, trying to loosen just a little more creamy, fudgy goodness from the treat. As his tongue scraped along the bottom, he tasted little bits of caramel and rock salt embedded in the fudge. The caramel did not melt, but remained chewy, and he squished little pieces of it between his tongue and teeth.

All of his previous distressing thoughts were now gone, forgotten, replaced by fudge. Sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, Tarnish closed his eyes and savoured the fudge melting in his mouth. There were hints of bitterness that made the sweetness all the better. It was sweet, but not too sweet. One ear went limp, fell down, and then the other did the same.

“HIYA, TARNISHED TEAPOT!”

Almost swallowing his block of fudge, Tarnish came close to choking. He coughed and spluttered and then somepony whacked him on the back. He sucked in some air and maneuvered the fudge in his mouth into his cheek. What was Pinkie Pie doing here?

“I’ve been worried about you!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she threw herself at Tarnish and wrapped her forelegs around him, almost knocking him from the chair. “How have ya been?”

Limestone Pie began to giggle and poked her twin sister in the ribs. The pair watched as Tarnished Teapot squirmed in Pinkie’s embrace, and Pinkie was just not letting go.

“Maud’s outside… I just talked with her. She seems really happy… do you like her? Huh? Are you sweet on my sister?” Pinkie Pie asked, now nose to nose, snoot to snoot with Tarnished Teapot.

“Pinkie, give the poor colt some breathing room,” Cloudy said. “Come over here and give me a hug.”

“Okay!” Pinkie Pie let go of Tarnish, almost causing him to tip over, which she corrected by grabbing Tarnish once more and straightening his chair out. Once Tarnish was steady, she pronked across the kitchen to her mother, whom she embraced as she giggle-snorted.

“How did you get here?” Tarnish asked around his mouthful of fudge.

“I took a train, silly!” Pinkie Pie replied as she squeezed her mother. “Mama, I’ve missed you so much… I’ve been so busy… stupid world just won’t save itself!” Pinkie Pie picked up her mother, stood up on two legs, and began to dance around the kitchen.

Limestone joined her sister, bouncing around on her hind legs, causing everything in the kitchen to shake. Meanwhile, Marble just stood there, almost as impassive as Maud, watching as her twin and her sister danced with her mother. After staring for a few moments, she turned to look at Tarnish and made a gesture at the dancing ponies, a gesture intended to say, get a load of these ponies.

“Oh… fudge!” Pinkie Pie tossed her mother up into the air and darted for the counter.

Lunging forwards, Limestone caught her mother, and both of them shared a nervous laugh as Limestone lowered her mother to the floor. Pinkie Pie was Pinkie Pie, and the family had come to accept that long ago.

Oooooooh fudge!” Pinkie Pie cried as she stuffed a big piece of rock hard fudge into her mouth and began chewing, oblivious to the fact that it was rock hard. “Mmm, mmm mmm mmmph!”

Tarnish’s fudge was still melting, getting smaller, and still tucked into his cheek. He recovered from Pinkie Pie’s surprise appearance, relaxing once more, and he got comfortable in his chair at the table.

“Mmmmama,” Pinkie said, blurring “mmm” and “mama” into one word. “You figured out how to keep the caramel from melting when you add it to the fudge… mmm.”

“Yes I did,” Cloudy replied as she leaned against Limestone and smiled.

The side door of the house opened and Maud Pie stepped into the kitchen. She glanced around, taking everything in, watching as Pinkie Pie gobbled fudge, as Marble recovered from the excitement, as Tarnish sat in his chair, and Limestone who stood with Cloudy Quartz.

“She didn’t come.” Maud’s words came out as an impassive monotone, but her ears were perked forwards. “I sent her a telegram and a very polite request. But she didn’t come.”

“Who didn’t come, dear?” Cloudy asked.

“Tarnished Teapot’s mother, Pinny Lane,” Pinkie Pie replied around a mouthful of fudge. “I tried to talk her into coming, but she said that Tarnish is a big pony now and he can take care of himself. Also, she had a bowling gig in Baltimare she said she couldn’t miss.”

“You invited my mother?” Tarnish asked, his fudge now soft enough for him to chew on a bit and his words slurring as talked around his mouthful of food.

“Maud, you look upset!” Pinkie Pie waltzed away from the counter where the fudge was and went to comfort her sister. Pinkie Pie’s lips were stained with fudge and a bit of rock salt was stuck to her nose.

Eyes narrowing, Tarnish peered at Maud, trying to see what Pinkie was seeing. Maud looked the same as she always did. There was nothing different about her at all, yet Pinkie Pie had said that Maud looked upset. Tarnish blinked, still unable to detect any noticeable change.

“Don’t be upset Maud, it’ll be okay,” Pinkie Pie said as she rubbed her cheek against her sister’s face. “Just calm down, don’t be angry, you know what happens if you get angry.”

This would almost be comedic, or so Tarnish thought, if Pinkie Pie wasn’t being so serious about this. Maud, who showed no outward signs of anything, being comforted by her sister, Pinkie Pie, who had no means keeping any emotion to herself.

“Maud sent a telegram to your mother and she sent one to me,” Pinkie Pie said, beginning her explanation to Tarnish. She gave her sister another comforting hug as Limestone and Marble watched. “I was supposed to try and get your mother to come and visit us and then come home by train. But Pinny didn’t feel like coming. She said she might mail something to you later though, if you keep this address.”

Unsure of what he felt, Tarnish sat there for a moment, feeling rather put out, and then he shrugged as a feeling of indifference settled over him. “That’s just the way she is. I guess there is no point in getting upset about it.”

“But you should be upset about it,” Marble said, her ears folding back against her head as she spoke. It was clear to any observer that she was uncomfortable with talking and expressing her opinion. “She’s your mother. You have a broken leg. My mother would have come, Tartarus or high water—”

“Marble, you watch your mouth!” Cloudy said, interrupting her daughter.

“Heck or high water…” Marble gave her mother an apologetic glance and then fell silent, stewing, her expression dark and angry.

“Look, my mother isn’t a bad sort… she’s just… wrapped up… just wrapped up in her own life, that’s all. We’re both very different ponies.” Tarnish leaned forward and rested his cast upon the table.

“I’m going for a walk,” Maud announced as she pulled away from her sister, Pinkie Pie, and turned towards the door.

“I’m coming with you,” Tarnish said, almost falling out of his chair and then wobbling, trying to remain upright on three legs.

“I think I’ll come along too!” Pinkie Pie bounced in place a few times, grinning, looking very happy.

“Pinkie, dear, why don’t you stay here with me and help me bake?” Cloudy asked.

“Hmm?” Pinkie looked at her mother, then at Maud, then at her mother, then back at Maud, then at Tarnish, then at Maud, and then back at her mother. “Ooooh… I get it. I should stay here and help you bake… okey dokey lokey.” Pinkie Pie waved as her sister walked out the door, and Tarnished Teapot followed. She turned and looked at her mother. “I’ve never seen Maud get so emotional about anything. I think she likes Tarnished Teapot… maybe… just a little bit… mama, there’s a pony I like too, I guess all of your little girls are growing up...”

Author's Notes:

If you know what rhodonite is you would know that it is a very appropriate rock for Pinkie Pie. Google it! So pretty.