Friendship is Dragons
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Page 1557 - Party Rock
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Newbiespud
8th Jul 2021, 6:00 AM
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Pegasi alter the weather by kicking clouds. Alicorns move the sun and moon. I have no idea why so many people find the idea of farming rocks to be unbelievable.
I think there's actually a Pegasus named Cloudkicker in the show.
Well yeah, and in a world where magic is a thing, it makes sense that gemstones and/or specific varieties of stone could be grown/harvested. Pinkie's family just takes the 'earth' in 'earth pony' a little more literally than most.
I mean, it's not like you can't grow gemstones in the real world. Heck, there's a rather large industry involved in doing just that! And that's without getting into the _silicon_ growing industry for computer chips!
Even naturally, crystals grow. Just usually very, very slowly.
Even naturally, crystals grow. Just usually very, very slowly.
Especially considering you can grow gemstones in real life. Admittedly they're not technically rocks if they're not natural, but still.
Well, she's used to harvesting inorganic material, which would explain why everything's dying.
"I had to get rid of the weeds!"
"You mean the orchard?"
"Yeah, the weeds!"
"I had to get rid of the weeds!"
"You mean the orchard?"
"Yeah, the weeds!"
I'd never thought of it thay way, but that does explain the rapid failure of Sweet Apple Acres in that episode.
Although I'd also like to know how she convinced Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applebloom to go along with it...
Although I'd also like to know how she convinced Granny Smith, Big Mac, and Applebloom to go along with it...
Rarity may look at Pinkie in a whole new light if she's a source of gems.
I guess that, until now, Pinkie's backstory was just taken for granite.
There's an aspect to this that a lot of fandom doesn't get, because why would they: if you leave a field empty for a season, gradually the soil settles and medium-large rocks "float" to the top. Then when you want to work the field the next season, you have to go through and chuck out all the rocks so they don't screw up the equipment. This is facetiously called "rock farming." The whole gemstone thing I'm pretty sure was made up by fandom and either never outright confirmed or retroactively adopted by canon. It's a farming joke.
Source: my dad grew up on a farm, told me this and was confused when I thought it was hilarious.
Source: my dad grew up on a farm, told me this and was confused when I thought it was hilarious.
I was today years old when I learned that "rock farming" is an actual thing. Now ask your dad if he's ever eaten a rock. And no, sand, dirt, ice, and salt don't count.
But Hank said that ice is a rock and ponies are lava monsters...
Huh. Did not know that. Neat.
Though I would add that, at the very least, the gemstone thing did get added into the show. There's a big gemstone cave on their property, and there was that time where Marble and Limestone cracked open a geode as a metaphor for Maud's boyfriend.
Though I would add that, at the very least, the gemstone thing did get added into the show. There's a big gemstone cave on their property, and there was that time where Marble and Limestone cracked open a geode as a metaphor for Maud's boyfriend.
The mechanism by which the rocks 'grow' is frost heaving--the ground freezes in winter and pushes the rocks up since that's the path of least resistance. Naturally, this is more of a thing in colder and wetter climates, since warm doesn't make ice and dry doesn't supply ice.
This is the first time I've ever heard of Pinkie's family having a Gemstone Quarry. I know in the show they actually just farmed rocks. Though I've only watched up 'til mid season 5.
In one of the later seasons they had a crystal cave, but it was still big chunks of rock and not the carved gemstones like Rarity harvests.
To be fair, I used to live down the street from a dirt store, so this doesn't seem all that crazy to me. Looking back, I guess they were a garden supply store or something like it, selling different kinds of dirt to people whose local dirt might've been bad for crops, but at the time my mind was just blown by the idea of a business that could literally just sell dirt to people.
Cut to me showing up at the dirt store, asking for a sample to test for compliance.
"Oh, of course, we have samples right here." They point to these little berry basket sized cups of soil.
"No, I need three 5-gallon buckets, full to the top."
"...what."
Apparently potting soil isn't usually subjected to the full battery of structural aggregate tests. It wasn't my place to ask, but I wondered if they were really going to be able to supply several dozen dump trucks full of the stuff.
My explanation to myself for the Pie's rock farm used to be that they actually distribute rocks on regularly flooded fields, on which, when the water recedes, encrustations of salts and minerals remain. So, in other words, they would actually be salt farmers, trading in licking stones. I mean, equines love that stuff.
Don't forget that not only does the Pie family harvest rocks, they eat them too. Apparently some earth ponies are part dragon or something crazy like that. :3
Well, they did "find" Holder's "Boulder" in a DRAGON NEST. I wouldn't be surprised if their ancestors had some sort of dealings with dragons.
...I now desperately need this to be a thing. Please write a story where this is a thing. Or at least point me in the direction of one. I NEED THIS!!!
...I now desperately need this to be a thing. Please write a story where this is a thing. Or at least point me in the direction of one. I NEED THIS!!!
One entry in the Infinite Loops stories has Discord check it out and declare it to be a draconequis egg¹, which would go a long way towards explaining Pinkie.
1: At least for that particular loop. Little things tend to vary, like home layouts, family histories or who rules Equestria.
1: At least for that particular loop. Little things tend to vary, like home layouts, family histories or who rules Equestria.