Water sloshed under the wheel as it churned over the river’s flow. The wood of the wheel groaned as it revolved, tired as it was.

Amplitude looked over to the horizon, the sun dipping below the mountains. It must’ve been six in the evening, except it felt like eight. Autumn had a way of disorienting his circadian rhythm.

He turned towards the door, and sighed. Perhaps he could ask what time it was when he got inside. Maybe It would be enough to pass the time with some small talk. Just maybe. But, after that, he had really nothing to talk about. 

Why had mother sent him here anyways? He hate to be a bother, especially with how late the hour was. 

“Ah! Amp! What brings you here?”

Amp turned towards the door of the cottage. His grandmother waved a faded yellow hoof. She smiled with a kind smile, not too wide, but not too small that it wouldn’t be noticed.

“Hey Grandma.” Amplitude waved back. “Ma told me that I should pay you a visit.”

“Oh, that’s sweet of her! Come on! Come in!” Grandma motioned inside. 

He stepped forward, his hoofsteps echoing on the cobblestone pathway leading up to the porch. It was just across the hardwood porch, and then into the house. He could feel the clash of the warm air inside the cottage with the chilly air.

Amplitude stepped inside the cottage, immediately, he was greeted by the smell of burning wood. To his side, he saw a coffee table that had a couple decorations celebrating the season of autumn, a cornucopia that hadn’t been filled with real food, but plastic fruit- just for presentation purposes. A scented candle had been set to the side. It gave off just a slight aroma of pumpkin spice, but he had to really search for it, as the smell of burning timber drowned it out.

“You came right in the nick of time,” Grandma said as she slipped by. She pointed into the kitchen. “I made some pumpkin pie.” She pointed to a rack near the entrance. On it, hung a dusty old wool coat. He unwraveled his scarf and hung it up on one of the bronze hooks. He secretly hoped that one of the burrs wouldn’t snag onto the scarf, since the rack had been fashioned from scratch.

As Amplitude stepped into the kitchen, he found his grandmother taking off boxes of items, some assorted with random papers, pencils, as well as hammers, dial calipers, and other instruments that Amplitude couldn’t even begin to pronounce. 

“Allow me.” Amplitude stepped forward and took the box away from his grandma. 

“Oh, thank you, Amp!” Grandma said. “Pardon the mess, I was just doing some cleaning up around.”

Amp grunted and set the rest of the stuff in the corner with the others. 

“Go on and have a seat after you do that,” Grandma trotted towards the oven. “The pie should be about ready.”

Amplitude scooted a chair out. As he did so, the wooden feet scratched against the wood. 

“So, I heard you got first place in Rookesville’s running of the leaves.” His grandma said, slipping an oven mit over her forehoof.

“Sure did!” he answered. He didn’t think much of it, it was just a race and what mattered is that the townsfolk enjoyed the race. 

He wished he could’ve had fun.

The timer buzzed. As soon as it went off, Grandma pulled open the oven door and took out the tin. She carefully carried it over the table and set it down on the hot pad. He smiled as the aroma of pumpkin pie enveloped his nose. 

Grandma sliced through the crust and cut to the center. Then, she cut another groove and lifted out the slice onto a plate. She set the plate in front of him, and then cut a slice for herself.

“So, how was the race?” She asked.

Amplitude remembered how it was racing through those trees, the thunder of his hooves underneath his feet. His heart pounding, his legs aching, and his lungs burning like fire. The pegasai that were nipping as his heels had been his motivator, giving him enough fire to push himself harder. It hurt, but he felt powerful, the speed of his hooves underneath him, and the wind rushing in his fur. Whatever could distract him from his troubles, they were far away.

“Well?” his Grandma asked, tapping her hoof.

He looked into those gray eyes and answered, “It was good, I’m just tired from today.”

“I don’t blame you.” She pointed to the pie. “Go on. Eat! You probably have worked up an appetite from all that running!”

Amplitude didn’t wait another second to sink his teeth into the pie. As he tasted it, the sharpness of the cinnamon, as well as other spices accented the pumpkin pie just right. 

“This is really good!” Amp said.

“Glad you like it!” Grandma said with her mouth full. “Whoopsie.” She grinned nervously after she swallowed. “Rude to talk with my mouth full.”

An awkward pause later, Grandma continued. “You know, don’t you want to go out and hang out with friends and tell them you’ve won another race?” Grandma asked, pointing a fork at him. She wiped off her muzzle, which had a couple dots of pumpkin pie on it.

Silence filled the air, save the crackling of fire from the other room.

“Something’s on your mind.” Grandma set her fork down. “What’s wrong, Amp?”

“I’ve hit a rut.” Amp answered. “I used to enjoy running, but now I don’t. Ever since― well, I just wish ― gah! Words!” Amp threw his hooves up in the air before laying them on the table. “I just feel bad I’d wasted time running instead of spending time with grandpa.”

Grandma laid a hoof over his. “You know, don’t beat yourself up over it. I’d bet he is smiling down right now, seeing his grandcolt chasing the dreams he loves. He was happy to see you following in his hoof-steps.”

“But I never did.” Amplitude said. “I never took up inventing.” 

Grandma shook her head. “You remind me of him, always working against the ponies that told him to settle down. He couldn’t tell the difference between discouragement or advice. Even in the form of compliments. I can see why you clashed.” She pointed again to the waterwheel. “That wheel is old and tired. Yet, it still runs, using the power and flow to boost it and keep it in motion. We owe our warmth and our meals to it- pies included.”

Grandma took her hoof and lifted Amp’s chin up. “Yes, his passing hurts me as well as it hurts you, but we need to always stay in motion, otherwise we are left out hungry and cold.” She tilted her head. “Don’t worry about him. He wouldn’t want you to worry anyways. Just stay in motion, and you’ll be fine.”

She brought her hooves back to the pie. “Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m going to finish this, it’s getting cold.” With that, she took another bite.

Amplitude smiled and finished up his pie.

It was delicious.