The Workhorse

Chapters

Pilot
Opening: Ponyville Arc! ( 1 / 5 )
Welcome to Ponyville! ( 2 / 5 )
PSSS = D (Pies' Surprise Swap Shenanigans = Disaster!) ( 3 / 5 )

Pilot

Everything was pitch black. Your vision was blurred out, and your mind was blank. You saw nothing but shadows, and your entire body felt like it was on fire.

You were in agony.

Nothing could save you at this point. Your bones were like dust, and your heart was racing.

You knew your soul was that of a human... but you felt like your body was far too gone. You no longer felt your hands, your feet... or anything, for that matter, aside from the pain of being crushed by something heavy.

Light soon formed from a crack. Your vision was slowly returning... but from the other side, you could see nothing more than an equine giving you an alarmed look.

She muttered something, but you couldn't quite understand the words she spoke. Her piercing yellow eyes glared at you, but her words sounded like that of genuine concern.

She was determined to get you out of there.

And after reaching her hoof your way, you could find a bit more strength in your body returning to you. Your bones, once dust, now reformed into solid mass, and you could move again, albeit slowly, and with heavy resistance.

You slowly reached your left arm her way, only to find a thick, fuzzy brown and white hoof in your view.

You were no longer human. That much was a given. Now... now, you were, according to the size difference... or perhaps the color patterns... a horse among ponies.

These were your first memories upon waking up in Equestria.

Your eyes slowly open back up. Another memory, it seems. Your hooves soon reach your forehead, and you brush the line of sweat off.

Ever since one week ago, your body was adjusting to its new form. You couldn't remember who you were back then, and you still can't remember who you are now.

All that you know, is that you are where you shouldn't be.

You hear their muffled voices behind the closed door. It sounds like an argument from the silver-maned mare with the yellow eyes.

Ever since she pulled you out of that large boulder, she seemed very, very close to you... almost like you were some sort of sign, or good luck charm.

But then again, it could just be because you're her patient that she found stuck inside the center of that huge boulder.

You digress, though.

Right now marks the seventh morning you've woken up. They provided you with some kind of soup flavored with a mineral-rich rock in the center of them. To your surprise, it was actually pretty good. You voiced your thanks every time, but they would give you a confused look, responding in their own language, which in turn, left you puzzled.

And this morning is no exception.

You look over and see the door swing open, with the yellow-eyed mare standing on the other side, speaking to the shy, coal-maned mare behind her.

At least, you assume they're both female. The other one you didn't really see or hear, aside from the occasional mumble, but her eyelashes seem like a dead giveaway.

You accept your breakfast with a grateful nod, and she grumbles something back to you in return, before heading out, seemingly in a fit of rage about something.

You're confused about her attitude, and turn towards the dark maned one, who seems to still be peeking at you from behind the doorframe.

You smile at her and wave, or try to at least, but this only makes her meekly yelp and hurry away from your sight.

"Hmm... seems like they're always like this." you theorize, before taking a sip of your soup.

A couple more hours pass, and you find yourself sitting up, staring the silver-maned mare in her big, yellow eyes.

She slowly mouths off a word, while motioning towards her chest with her forehooves.

"Lime... Stone" she mumbles in their language. Though you aren't quite sure what it is, or means, you open your own mouth and try to echo her words.

"Lehriime... Shlehtowne" You fear that you've, once again, butchered their language, as she firmly plants a hoof over her eyes and groans.

"No! No! NO!" she roars, shaking her head. You can at least guess what that one means, judging from her negative reactions.

"Sorry." you apologize.

She deadpans at you and mutters something in response... likely something along the lines of "she still doesn't understand what the hell you're saying".

She then glares at you once again, and all you can do is smile sheepishly at her and shrug your shoulders... starting to feel a bit more natural, what with your new body shape, and all.

Then you hear her mother calling her name. She turns back to the doorway and calls out her response, before giving you an annoyed look. She says something else, before hopping from your bed and exiting the room.

You are left alone once again. Turning towards the nightstand, you find a book, and open it once more. Like always, it's full of strange markings you haven't seen before.

You try to make sense of it, and form words that'd otherwise match, but you conclude that, regardless of how hard you tried, the dialect is just too different than what you're used to.

The symbols, for instance, can form words, but the words themselves would be unknown still, meaning there's literally nothing to work with. Pencil, for example, could be pronounced "Ishvalda" in their language, and you'd not have a clue where to put the "P"... because in their language, it doesn't even have a "P".

So, you're not going to be getting any knowledge from books at this rate.

You set it back down and sigh. Then you look at your hooves and blink owlishly at them.

"On the brighter side, though, it seems my hooves can still operate like hands to some degree. Sure, I have a bit of a harder time picking something large up, but simple things that are thin can just fit between the crevices of a hoof."

You decide you'll have to test your anatomy later. For now, though, nature calls.

After finishing with your business in the restroom, you make your way back towards your room. On the way, though, you bump into someone, and look down.

It's the dark-maned mare from before. She's staring up at you wide-eyed, and shivering as she falls backwards, landing on the floor with a thud.

"Oh! I'm sorry, ma'am!" You quickly reach a hoof down to help her back up, but she just seems to continue staring up at you in, what you'd guess is, absolute fear.

This isn't the first time you've had a chance to see just how small these ponies are to you, but this is the first time you've made physical contact with one, aside from the occasional hoof-graze while accepting breakfast bowls from them.

You pull your hoof back when she doesn't respond, and back up a few steps, until you hear a loud gasp behind you. Turning around, you spot the silver-maned mare staring at the gray-maned one in shock. She rushes over to her and calls out for, what you'd assume are, her parents.

Sure enough, the other two rush inside and nearly have a heart attack when they see the gray maned mare on the ground. They hurry up to her, with the mother grabbing her lower hooves, and the father carefully gripping onto her stomach. He tells her something, and she weakly nods, gripping onto her mouth.

You look at the scene, completely lost in confusion and fear. Your fears only intensify when, upon lifting her just an inch, you spot a hint of blood starting to drip from the mare's mouth.

"What the hell is going on with her?! I-is she alright?!" You want to ask them this, but your instincts tell you to keep quiet.

You reel back a bit as, once she's on her hooves again, her parents (at least you assume they are) rush her into the bathroom, while the silver-maned one stays behind and glares at you... this time a lot more darkly than she ever has up to this point.

She asks you a question, and you can only assume it's "What happened?" in their language. Her voice is... unnervingly calm.

You look towards the bathroom, then back at her, and shrug your shoulders, with the worry clear on your expression.

She's about to take a step your way, when the bathroom door opens up. You can hear torrents of liquid falling into the toilet, along with choking, crying, and coughing... puking. It sounds like she's losing a lot of blood in there. The silver-maned mare looks away from the bathroom as the father steps out, looking at her with a relaxed expression.

He says something to her, and then they both look at you. Her expression seems to soften a bit, as if she's lost in thought, while he simply keeps the calm, reserved expression on his face.

You look between the two of them, and feel uneasy about the whole ordeal. Your mind is distracted by the sound of the mare puking in the bathroom, before you motion towards the door.

"Is she alright?!" you finally ask.

He tilts his head a bit, before looking to his daughter and telling her something. Then he approaches you, while the silver-maned mare walks away in a huff.

He places a hoof on your shoulder and nods his head, replying in their own language in a calm manner.

Though you can't understand his words, you can at least feel a little more at ease with his calm demeanor... it's likely that he's explaining to you that this is normal to them... or to him, at least.

You sigh and nod your head, unsure of what he says, but at least getting the basic gist of it.

The mare clears her throat and mutters something, catching your attention. You look over at her and she motions for you to follow her into your room.

You gulp, looking over at the father. He simply gives you a nod, and heads back into the bathroom, leaving you with the mare who, more or less, might be on the verge of killing you.

"Lime... Stone!" she says through grit teeth, as she taps on her own chest.

As it turns out, it was back to her simply trying to teach you their language... and more or less, her name.

You try again to mouth her words.

"Lihme... Shtiine?" you reply. She groans and rolls her eyes, shaking her head.

"No! Lime... Stone!" she says, increasing in rage each time you butcher her name.

To her credit, you're surprised she's been at it this long without slugging you in the face.

"Nuu... Lim... Shone?" you reply, earning another annoyed growl.

To your credit, it's not that you don't know her name at this point. It's "Limestone"... but there's two key problems that you can't really address to her.

For one thing, you're in a new body, which means your mouth feels way different than what you're familiar with. Talking with a snout is freaking difficult for someone who lived at least over twenty years without one.

Second, you can't voice out the first reason to her, meaning she's left to think you're just too dumb to catch onto her name... which brings you both to the loophole that you're in right now.

To your relief, however, the mother steps inside and clears her throat, stopping Limestone from clobbering you. She looks over her shoulder and groans, motioning towards you and whining about something... likely the situation being hopeless.

The mother nods her head and smiles at her, gently patting her on the shoulder. She says something to Limestone, who in turn nods her head and scoots off the foot of the bed, giving you time to look at your new teacher.

She then reaches behind her back and places a blank notebook on the bed, followed by a coal pencil and a book that has a picture of, what appears to be, a unicorn filly floating blocks over her head.

...

Wait... unicorns?! Does this world have unicorns in it?!

Your distraction is cut short when she flips the book open. There's a strange symbol on the top left of the page. It then clicks.

This is an Alphabet Book!

You smile and bow your head gratefully to the mother, who in turn smiles back at you and nods her head in understanding. She then taps a hoof on the first symbol and mutters the letter out.

You follow suit.

It takes a few tries, but eventually you're at least able to give her an accented version of the letter that wins her a nod of approval.

She then places the coal pencil in her mouth, between her teeth, and scratches the symbol on the notebook, before moving over to the next page.

You both spend a few hours going over their alphabet, before the sun starts to set.

Another week of long, tedious studying passes. You've finally gotten used to your new face structure, and could pronounce their names properly, albeit with a bit of an accent.

The silver-maned mare is Limestone. Grumpy, and likely in charge of keeping the place running. She's got yellow eyes, and seems to carry a scowl at all times. Perhaps to keep a tough image, or to hide something? You aren't quite sure, yet.

The gray-maned one is Marble. She's very shy, and doesn't even talk at all. Despite the situation in the hallway, she seemed to have lightened up around you, and even brought you some breakfast one morning, giving you a shy smile behind her mane. She was caught off-guard when you figured out how to say "Thank you" in their language. But besides that, she tends to spend a lot of time just hiding around in the shadows.

The motherly figure is Cloudy... Q-something. You can't quite figure out what to call her entirely, so you simply addressed her as "Ma", which you can guess is the title her daughters gave her. She laughed at that, of course, but didn't object to it. She has a dark, grayish green mane that's tied upward, and a light coat similar to Marble's. She also has blue eyes, which radiate intelligence and protection, which is only elevated by the reading glasses she often wears at the tip of her snout. You have a gut feeling she has a military background, judging from how even Limestone shudders in fear when she accidentally steps out of line... which happened only once or twice since you've been here. That, plus her posture is straight up, eyes at the front, and shoulders together.

Finally, there's the colt of the house, Ig... something Rock. Like Mrs. Cloudy, you simply called him "Pa". He didn't really laugh like Ma did, but you could see a bit of mirth in his face in the form of a slight smile. He's strong, reserved, and downright serious, but fair and just. You also can't help but notice a subtle accent that he and Ma carry that differs from the way that Limestone speaks. Sure, it's difficult to determine, but it's almost like comparing Japanese to Chinese for someone who hasn't memorized either. You can just tell based on the way how the throat works, you'd guess... that, and the amount of syllables in each word. Regardless, though, you'll eventually learn of their word usage, and mentally translate it to keep things easy.

Speaking of words... you've now memorized what you've deemed the "Equish Alphabet"... to a degree. You can't write a sentence, and don't know the symbols like their equivalent to a "Period", "Comma", et cetera. That, and you are quite certainly not able to write it, yet, what with your newfound hooves.

You tried writing with your teeth, and found that to be easier... but even still, your writing is beyond sloppy. You'll have to work on that.

As for words, you've at least learned to write and say the essentials. By that, you mean "Food", "Drink", "Toilet", "Bath", "Me", "You", their names (and nicknames), "Note", "Book", "Write", "Read", "Say", "Yes", "No", "Help", "Rock", "Hold", "Good", "Bad", and a few other simple words. All in all, you feel quite pleased with your results.

But alas, when it comes to hearing their words fluently waved back and forth, you still feel like a toddler learning how to walk for the first time. They seem to get a good kick out of you using words, though, and Limestone even seems a bit flushed by hearing you laugh along with her parents. You aren't quite sure why, but you'd wager a guess that she feels a little let down because her mom did all the work, and she pretty much just yelled her name at you.

As for the whole situation with Marble? She didn't seem to have any more episodes... at least, none while you were around. But even still, you had quite the nightmare after witnessing her just spewing out blood by falling on her back. You've made it a priority, once you've mastered their language, to get more insight on that. It's odd, to say the least, but after you bumped into her and caused that episode in the first place, you've felt the obligation to help protect her from something like that happening ever again.

And her subtle shyness, mixed with her absolute kind heart, only fills you with that much more determination to make it so.

You're broken from your train of thought when the door opens. Marble approaches your bed with a bowl of soup gently held in her teeth.

You give her a warm smile and a grateful nod. "Thank you... Marble." you tell her, albeit slowly and heavy with your alien accent.

She gently places the bowl on the nightstand and nods back at you. "Mm-hmm.~" she gives you a warm smile in response, before heading back over to the entrance.

You take a sip of the soup and sigh, content. You didn't realize how much a bunch of talking and studying can dehydrate someone!

Your eyes are focused on a simple word book, that you fail to notice Marble is still standing there, looking up at you. Eventually, though, your eyes look up at her, and you give her another smile.

"Food good." you tell her, nodding towards the bowl.

She seems delighted to hear that, and heads out of the room.

You raise an eyebrow. "Huh... she seems very chipper today." you think to yourself, before looking back at the book.

Huh... so that's how you spell "Apple" in Equish... good to know.

A couple more weeks, and now an entire month has passed since your wake. You've finally mastered the art of "mouth writing", and learned some more of the basic word structures of their language... well, you say you've mastered it. It's still about Kindergarten quality, and the spacing could use some improvements.

But now, you can at least understand a few basic sentences! Sure, they have to speak slowly, and often repeat themselves to you, but you're getting there!

But therein lies a new problem... you're getting tired of just lying around, while these kind ponies take so much of their time helping you. It's about high time you started to work for your keep.

You tried to bring it up before, but they were insistent that you recover, first. They also brought up a good point while using a creative mix between words and drawings... how would you know what they'd need you to do if you couldn't understand what they say to begin with? They could ask you to take something East, and you'd wind up West!

Today, though, you've at least gotten out of bed, and started walking around their house. Thanks to your frequent trips to the bathroom, you've at least gotten movement taken care of since the start... but even still, your muscles can use a bit more for their routine.

You are about to open the door, when Limestone beats you to the punch, opening it up. She looks up at you and blinks owlishly.

"Hello, Limestone!" you say enthusiastically in your heavy accent.

She deadpans at you. "Ain't you supposed to be in bed?" she asks. You take a moment to register her words, and she repeats herself about twice, albeit slower, until you finally catch on.

You shrug your shoulders. "Tired of bed." you reply.

She looks over at the bed, before nodding. "Understandable. I'd be tired too if I were cooped up for as long as you've been."

You have no idea what she said, but you simply nod in agreement.

"I want to help." you tell her.

She plants her face in her hoof. "Ugh... not this again. Look, I admire your effort, but until Ma gives you the all-clear, you're just gonna have to get over it!"

You can't quite put your finger - erm... hoof on it... but you'll just take that as a "no". At least, not until Ma says something. And so, you sigh, nodding your head.

She then motions for you to follow her. "Anyways, it's time for Breakfast."

You pick up the word "Breakfast", and smile weakly at her. "Thank you, Limestone."

This makes her turn her head away from you and... you could swear you almost see her blushing a little bit.

"Hmph! Just... just hurry up and come to the Dining Room, Doofus!"

You nod gratefully, her nickname she's given you flying right over your head. And so, you follow her into the kitchen, where the family's gathered around.

"Hey! He wanted to get out a bit more, so I brought 'em here! That okay with you all?" she asks them.

Marble gives you a shy smile, before nodding her head. "Mm-hmm!"

Ma smiles warmly at you as well, and nods as well. "Of course, Dear! Please, come have a seat!"

Pa, whose eyes are glued to a newspaper, simply nods his head.

You take this as your cue to join them at the table when Limestone pats on a stool next to her, while looking at you.

Taking a seat at the stool, you can't help but admire the room's classic feel to it. Two parents, their two children, and their guest, all seated at a table, with a large bowl of stew in the center, and bowls spread out for each member.

You also can not help but make a mental note that your bowl was already sitting there... almost like they were expecting you to leave the room at some point. Needless to say, you feel a little nervous, to say the least. This whole month, you've mostly just been in bed, the bathroom, or the hallway in-between. Now, though, you are actually sitting among the family that's been helping you for this long.

You're so lost in thought, that you don't even notice the soup being poured into your bowl right in front of you.

"There you go, dear." Ma tells you... at least, that's what you think she says.

You look up at her and smile, nodding your head. "Thank you, Ma."

She giggles a bit, waving a dismissive hoof at you.

Breakfast is, like usual, soup flavored by rocks. You've honestly gotten used to it at this point, and with each flavor being different, you can't really object to it. Free food is free food, no matter the shape.

But that being said, you can't help but wonder if there's more to this place than just soup? It's not that you're ungrateful, but you wouldn't mind a bit more variety.

"Is something the matter, dear?" Ma asks you, showing a bit of concern. Pa looks over at you from his newspaper, while Marble hides her face behind her mane. Limestone just deadpans at you.

It's at this point you realize that you've been just staring at your reflection in your soup. You smile nervously at them and wave a dismissive hoof, before taking another sip of your soup.

They still seem to be looking at you.

You sigh, before looking towards the window near the kitchen sink. "I want to help." you reply to her.

Limestone groans, rolling her eyes. She then looks over at them and speaks up.

"He's wanting to help out around the farm, still. I think he's not ready, yet! What if he mixes the Quartz with the Rubies, or the Asphalt with the Feldspar?! We can't just risk him-"

"I'd say it's about time." Pa replies to her, flipping the page of his newspaper.

They all look at him surprised, before he continues. "He wants to help, and it's not like sorting things is the only thing he can do. Frankly, he's got a strong back, and a worker's heart. So, I'd say y'all should bring 'em to the Marketplace. Let 'em carry the load while Limestone handles the business end of it. He don't need to talk, he don't even need to understand any more than 'come here', 'go there', 'follow', or 'wait'. And plus, he's been bed-ridden for over a month, now. I'd say if he wants to help, then let him help."

Whatever he said, it seems to have gotten the rest of the family lost in thought. They look over at you, as if expecting you to say or do something.

You gently set the bowl down and sigh, before looking over at Ma and, with a determined look in your eye, nodding your head. "I want to help." you reaffirm.

She smiles at you, then nods her head. "Then you will." she tells you. Perhaps the clearest, most understandable phrase you've heard any of them say.

This makes you smile and mentally cheer. Perhaps now, you can see what this world has to offer?

Though you're unsure what Pa said, it seems that he's satisfied with your answer as well.

Limestone, however, glares at you. "Fine, then! But don't expect me to go easy on ya!"

You feel the sensation that she's threatening you. And so, you give her the response that any other mature male your age would do.

You stick your tongue out at her and say, "Yes."

You're able to get a bit more studying done in your book. Looking over at the clock, you rub your chin in thought. Did Limestone forget that you were going to help today?

As if on cue, the door slams open, and Limestone trudges in, eyes glued on you.

"Come on, Doofus! It's time to go!" she says.

"Huh... again with that nickname. Wonder what it means?" you think to yourself, before nodding your head, assuming she's telling you that it's time to get to work.

"Yes." you casually tell her, placing the book down on the nightstand. Then you hop off of the bed, and follow her into the Living Room.

"Ugh. One month on, and that's all you can say clearly, isn't it?!" she complains to you.

You can understand what she's saying, for the most part. However, you're not going to let this one slip by.

Giving her a smile, you simply shrug your shoulders. "Yes."

"N-now you're just messing with me!" she says through grit teeth, pointing at you. You can't help but laugh a bit, which only makes her cheeks flush a brighter red.

"Hmph!" she scrunches her face and looks away, before opening the front door and walking outside.

You can hear Marble giggling a bit beside you, so you give her a winning smile. Naturally, she shies behind her mane upon being seen, but her eyes are still fixated on you.

With a bit more pep in your step, you follow Limestone out of the house, and into the field.

To be honest, you've been cooped up in the house for over a month. Long enough to understand that you're in some kind of farm, at least.

Naturally, you'd expect to see a bunch of green fields at least somewhere among the brown you've seen out the window. Maybe a few wheat fields? Perhaps some hay bales, or a bright, red barn on top of a hill?

But what you didn't expect upon stepping outside... was to see that there's literally nothing but brown fields covered in rocks. From the entrance of the house, to the distant fields, even around the occasional neighbor's house.

If anything, you'd wager a guess that, sure enough, it's a farm... but instead of growing plants, they grow rocks!

It defies all logic that you know of... but then, it occurs to you that you're in an alien world, so perhaps it simply works differently?

You digress, though. Way too much thinking for now. Brain is hurting. Gotta work the other muscles.

Your attention is drawn to Limestone, who's currently several meters ahead of you. You pick up the pace and follow her over to the barn, which is far from bright, or red. It's more of a faded tan color, if anything. And to top it all off, it's covered in dirt from top to bottom.

"Alright, so here's the thing! We're goin' to the Marketplace, and you're carrying the wagon! Got it?" she asks.

You can pick up most of what she said, though the "Marketplace" word is something new to you. And so, you decide she's just taking you somewhere on the farm.

So, you nod your head and smile at her. "Yes."

Next thing you know, you're standing in the barn with her fastening a wagon up against your stomach. She fastens a harness around your shoulders for extra support, before placing a few crates of rocks and gems onto said wagon.

"Can you carry this much, Doofus?" she asks you.

You take a few steps forward, and find that it's pretty easy to drag around... perhaps the supports, or the new body? Maybe both.

But you look over at her and nod your head. "Yes."

"Hmph... good! Then keep up with me, and don't expect a break until we get to the Marketplace!" she tells you, before trotting ahead out of the barn. You follow right behind her, missing out on most of what she said, as usual.

You're unsure how long you've both been walking. It feels like it's been about an hour. However, you're quite surprised at how you've literally not broken a sweat, yet.

Granted, you miss your old body, but you're at least able to count your blessings. Though hands were a lot more efficient, your fingers' capabilities weren't entirely lost... only toned down a notch. Though you miss the flavor of a good burger, you're almost certain that your new body won't miss the meat, and your taste buds have no cravings for it.

All in all, it's sort of a few losses, with a bunch of gains.

That, plus you standing well over twice the size of the locals is something you'll get used to.

"I wonder if this is how Jensen and Jared feel off of Supernatural..." you can't help but think to yourself. The thought of it just makes you smirk a bit.

This doesn't go unnoticed, as you hear the sound of a few whispers around you.

Blinking yourself back into reality, you notice that your vertical stature has drawn in quite the amount of eyes. You don't really mind the attention, though you can see Limestone is trying to avoid it.

The whispers can also be heard, though you can't quite tell what they're saying. Something inside of you, however, tells you that they might be checking you out. And not in the safe for work kind, either.

This... worries you a bit, actually.

Eventually, though, you and Limestone reach an empty corner of, what appears to be, a Marketplace. She orders you to stand still, while she unstraps the wagon from your body.

Then, she sets up a stall, and places various gems and stones onto it.

Your eyes drift around at the varieties of items the others are selling. You'd wager a guess that they come from all across the land in order to strike a deal from the locals, while the locals, in kind, strike deals with those from the more colorful regions.

Then another detail strikes your attention - the variety of species that are communicating among each other.

You can spot griffons and dragons quite easily... but then there's the occasional minotaur, a few dogs with colorful tongues, goats, and subspecies of ponies that you were quite amazed to see: some with wings, and some with a horn on their heads. Then there are creatures you haven't even thought of, like ponies with bug-like skin, animals that stand on two paws, some kind of fish-like people, hippos, and even a few deer.

Needless to say, the variety of creatures, and seeing them communicating, trading, and the likes... makes you feel at ease around here.

You were, honestly, a bit worried that you'd stand over everyone else here, but the dragons and minotaurs put those thoughts to rest.

Their strange tongue is starting to bug you, though. You decide that, if you're going to be communicating with any of them, you'll have to hit the studies even harder.

And that's what you plan for the rest of the day... after Market Time, that is.

You've just been standing there, bringing items that Limestone points at over to the stand, while she's been taking care of the customers. However, a few of them would often bring you up into their conversations, and Limestone would have to answer for you.

You're still learning, after all.

A few of their comments would leave Limestone either fuming, blushing, stuttering, or a mixture of the three, while others seem... relatively pleasant.

You'd guess that the pleasant ones are from her younger years. School friends, for example... actually, do they even have schools here?

They have homes and markets, so it'd be safe to assume so.

Eventually, though, the sun begins to set over the horizon, and Limestone starts to pack the gems back into the crates. You'd help, but you have no idea which ones go where. There's a few green shards that go in different crates. You're pretty sure you'd place them incorrectly, and simply piss her off if you tried.

So, you decide that, if you're going to make yourself useful, your best thing to do is just follow directions.

"Well, look who it is!" you hear a colt's voice call from the distance. Your left ear twitches a bit, as you look over towards the one that Limestone groans at.

"Ugh... what do you want, Flint?" she asks the brown-coated colt with a gray mane.

You recognize the tone in her voice as annoyance... perhaps an old enemy? You take a step forward, out of the shadows.

He chuckles a bit, before looking over at you. "Just came by to do a little shopping... but my, my! Didn't think I'd be in for this kind of surprise!"

Limestone rolls her eyes and looks away from him. "Whatever gossip you're spouting, you can keep it to yourself."

This makes him roll his eyes and smile slyly at her. "Oh, really now? Very well, then, I won't tell!"

Limestone ignores him and begins loading another crate up with gems.

Then, he trots over to her and places an arm over her shoulder, much to her displeasure. "So, how bad has your business been, anyways?"

She groans again. "Much better than yours, I'd bet."

He smirks, before bringing his other hoof under her chin. "Oh, come now. No need to hide it from me! Had you told me your family started up a Stud Farm, I'd have taken that job offer sooner!"

She immediately glares at him and shoves his chest, forcing him off of her. "The buck did you just say?!"

Her anger only makes his cocky grin grow, though, as he waves a hoof up. "Ah-ah-ah! Temper! Wouldn't want your poor little sister's tummy ache to get any worse, now, would you?" he asks her tauntingly.

Though you can't tell a majority of what they're saying, you notice Limestone's ears immediately fold back, and her sour look to completely change to intense panic. "N-no! Wait! I-I didn't mean it like..."

He chuckles a bit more. You look over at Limestone, and notice a few tears beginning to well in her eyes.

Yeah, this isn't a friendly conversation.

"There's a good girl. So now that you know your place again, let's talk business, and how we can keep our... mutual exchange... in check." he says, approaching her once again. She looks away from him, and avoids eye contact as he wraps his hooves around her.

"Maybe you can make it up to me? I mean, if you're running a Stud Farm, clearly you could use that extra money for your fillies, right?" he says, forcing her to look his way with a hoof.

She glares at him, and replies, "That's not what's going on! He's a farmhand, and nothing more!"

This makes him chuckle again. "Oh? Well, that only makes this better, then!"

He starts to bring his lips closer to hers, while she tries to push him away.

Yeah, that's quite enough of that, now.

You walk up and shove him off of her, right before his mouth could reach hers. They both look up at you in shock, before he glares up at you and harrumphs. "Hmph! Looks like your meathead friend here doesn't know his place!" he shouts.

You then notice a small glow coming from the center of his mane. Then, it occurs to you - he's a unicorn! And the glow soon turns into an orb of white light.

Before you could blink, the orb flies into your chest... then splashes off of you.

He looks at you in shock, as you slowly look down where the orb once was.

"W-what the... what kind of freak are you?!" he shouts.

You look back up at him and glare. He tried to shoot you, it seems. As luck has it, though, the magic didn't affect you... but even still, a strike attempted is a challenging call.

And so, you respond in your own way. Raising your right hoof up, you swing full-force at his face.

Once your hoof connects, he flies several meters back into the air, crashes into a nearby stand, and lands on his back, while many faces stare at the scene in shock, including Limestone, who practically screams at you.

"NO!"

You blink owlishly as she rushes past you to help him back up. He swats her hoof away and glares at her.

"H-how DARE you let such a... a brute strike at me like this?!" he tells her, before shakily standing back up on all fours and wiping the blood from his nostrils. "I suppose you don't want your sister to have her medicine, after all!"

"N-no, please! I swear, he had no idea what he was doing! I-it's just a misunderstanding!" Limestone pleads with him, falling to her haunches and begging him.

You're taken aback by her sudden change of attitude. Unsure of everything they're saying, you're starting to wonder if this guy's actually her friend, or something?

You heard Marble's name being swung around, so could he be her special someone?

"Hmph! Well, misunderstanding or not, this will not go unmentioned to my father!" he says, before leaving you both alone.

Limestone falls to the ground and bows her head. You hear her sniffling, and can see the tears falling onto the dirt.

You're at a loss for words. You feel it would be best to give her some space, so you head over to the wagon and start loading the crates back into it.

The trip back to the farm has been quiet thus far. After strapping the wagon back onto you, Limestone just remained silent - no insults, no threats, no... whatever else she'd tell you off with. But most of all... no glare. It's just an empty, blank expression.

And that, somehow, is far more scary than her angry glare you're used to seeing.

Eventually, you both reach the barn. You return the wagon back to its proper place, while Limestone helps you out of the harness.

As she makes it to the door, however, you clear your throat.

"You okay?" you ask her.

She looks down and sighs, before replying, "No." Then, she exits the barn, while you follow behind her.

When she steps inside, you separate from her and have a seat on a bench outside the front patio. You let out a long, drawn-out groan, and place your face in your hooves.

"Great... I play hero for one second, and already I've screwed something up. And that something involves Marble, somehow."

You bump your forehead with a hoof, trying to think about what was said at the Marketplace, when the front door opens.

Looking over your right shoulder. you notice Pa stepping out; his expression, unreadable. He seems to be just blankly staring out in the distance.

Then, he looks over at you and sighs, before approaching you.

He takes a seat next to you on the bench, and gently places a hoof on your shoulder. When you look at him, you notice that he's... smiling?

"I don't think you can understand me fully, just yet... but I wanna be the first to say that, if you'd have not done anything there, then I'd have been a lot more upset with you." he says, patting you on the shoulder a bit.

You raise an eyebrow, before clearing your throat.

"... Marble?" you ask.

He shakes his head and chuckles. "Good. Marble is good. I've already prepared a letter for the Tinders. His father won't press charges, since his son was the first to instigate the situation."

You can't understand the majority of the words, but at least you can catch the "Marble is good" part. And that's enough to make you smile again.

"And... Limestone?" you ask.

He smirks. "Limestone is... Limestone. For good or bad... you choose." he tells you, clearly dumbing down his words so you can understand easier.

Needless to say, you're both relieved and terrified. Limestone's scary even by normal standards!

"Thank you." you tell him, to which he shakes his head and places a hoof on your chest.

"Thank you, boy." he replies, before standing back up and heading to the front door. "Come. Dinner time!"

You smile again and nod your head. All that work has built up quite the appetite. And besides that... you and Limestone didn't have lunch, either.

Soup, once again. But this time, you're relieved just to be given the privilege, after what you did in the Marketplace. Though Pa seems happy about it, you were quite worried how everyone else felt.

Ma was still pretty much the same. Smiling warmly at you, and such. Marble was still pretty shy about you, though you could swear she's sitting a little bit closer to you, now. Limestone, however, didn't even look your way even once.

With dinner finished, you volunteered to do the dishes this time. Ma was thankful, to say the least, and didn't object.

Needless to say, though, it was difficult to do the dishes with hooves. Eventually, though, you got it all done, and with a little bit of Ma's help, you were able to put the dishes in their proper spots.

With all the tasks done, you find yourself heading back to your room. However, you hear a commotion in the room next to it, and look over.

It's Limestone's and Marble's room. The door's cracked open, and you're able to see their reflections in a mirror.

Limestone is gently talking to Marble, while helping fasten some sort of cast on her stomach and neck. Marble is mumbling a bit, as the cast tightens on her stomach. You can also see an empty vial next to her nightstand, with a familiar face drawn on it - the colt from the marketplace earlier.

"A cast around her stomach and neck. A vial with that guy's face on it. So he's a supplier for her medicine... no doubt about it. She needs that medicine to keep her stomach from bleeding out while she's asleep." you theorize. You decide not to pry, though, and continue to your room.

"So Limestone was begging for him to keep sending Marble medicine for her stomach... and I almost ruined that chance just because I wanted to defend her." you mentally berate yourself.

You throw yourself on the bed and sigh. "Ugh... why's it so difficult to be the good guy?"

Tonight wouldn't be very restful, to say the least.

Days of rigorous study and work soon become weeks. Then, in the blink of an eye, another month has passed.

Ever since that day at the Marketplace, Ma and Pa had you working with Limestone nonstop. You've been following her around since then.

It seems that you've won quite a reputation after clocking that jerk in the face. Many customers at the stalls would give you a compliment, or tell Limestone how lucky she is to have a bodyguard like you around her.

Naturally, she reacts in her usual grumpy way.

But to your relief, that jerk "Flint" hasn't shown up to stir up trouble. Perhaps Pa had a word with his father?

Whatever the case, you're now fluent enough to at least speak the language and understand a large portion of it. Once you've gotten the basics down, the rest of the words just seemed to fit together naturally!

Sure there's a few special words you aren't familiar with, but at this point, those are rarely used anyways.

So now, you're waking up from the comfort of your bed. You stretch your forelegs out and yawn, while Limestone opens your door and steps inside.

"Wake up, Doofus. It's time for Breakfast!" she says.

You smirk at her and fold your legs over your chest. "Okay, Ma!"

Her cheeks flush red at that. "I-it's Limestone!"

You stick your tongue out at her in response to her flustering. Her cheeks redden even more.

"Hmph! You and your jokes again!" she groans before storming off. Marble, who was standing behind her, giggles.

You smile at her and nod your head. "Good morning, Marble!"

"Mm-hmm~" she replies, giving you her warm smile that always helps brighten your day.

You kick your legs off the bed and stretch a bit more, before heading into the Dining Room with Marble right beside you.

"Good morning, Ma, Pa, Limestone." you tell the company at the table.

They each give you their greetings, save for Limestone, who's preoccupied with drinking her soup. You look out the window, and realize that it's raining out, so you'll have to stay indoors for the most part.

You've heard that, in usual circumstances, pegasi would schedule weather across the continent, but Rockville is a rare exception that mostly receives the residue from the leftovers of the surrounding towns.

As such, rain here is uncommon.

Pa looks over at you from his newspaper, then over to Limestone. "So, I got the response from the Tinders, finally."

This makes Limestone place her soup and look at him determinedly. He told you about the name, and why it's important to this house.

Your theory was right on the mark. They're a family that provides the medicine needed for Marble's condition... the closest supplier for it. Turns out, the heir to the family, Flint, has been harassing Limestone for some time now, but Pa was unable to do anything because he had yet to get "physical" with his actions... or rather, it wasn't reported up until last month.

From what you saw, however, Limestone was the victim of his antics for quite some time, now. Who knows how long she's been keeping it from the family?

Pa clears his throat and continues. "Father Timber said that, while he disapproves of the condition his son was in, he understood that his son was in the wrong as well. And so, he's willing to keep the trade route open between us and them."

You and Limestone both sigh in relief.

"... However!"

This catches both of your attention again.

"He requests that no more violent acts be put on his son. Since it's the first time this has happened, he's willing to let it off with a warning. But should there be a next time, he'll have no choice but to take more drastic actions." he concludes. He looks at you and sighs. "This means, no more fighting."

Limestone nods her head and looks over at you. "I'm fine with that. And you?"

You rub your chin in thought. "Then... what do I do if he starts harassing Limestone like that again?"

She rolls her eyes and deadpans at you. "Look, I can handle myself, alright? And besides, I've put up with his crap for years, now! What's a hopeless flirt like him gonna do?"

You sigh, shaking your head. "You've all been so good to me. I can not just let him get away with that kind of attitude."

Ma smiles warmly at you and nods her head. "I appreciate you standing up for my little Limey, dear, but sometimes, the best thing you can do is hold."

Limestone nods her head. "Yeah! Besides, it's not the first-"

She bites her lips, as her parents both look over at her inquisitively. "What was that, Limestone?" Pa asks.

She smiles sheepishly at him and shakes her head. "N-nothing, Pa!"

"It wasn't the first what?" Ma asks her.

Limestone sighs in defeat. "It... wasn't the first time he started forcibly kissing me like that."

Everyone's silent for what feels like five minutes, before Pa clears his throat. "And how long has this been going on?"

She places a hoof on her forehead and groans. "It hasn't happened this past month, so-"

"Doesn't matter. How long has it been going on before our friend here took action?" Pa repeats, motioning towards you.

"A-about... a year, now." she replies.

Pa glares at her. "And you've been keeping this from us... why?" he asks, a dark hint in his voice.

"Igneous, dear, I think we should drop this-" Ma begins, but Pa slams his hoof on the table, disregarding the newspaper.

"Like Tartarus am I gonna drop this! If our friend here didn't step up, then how long would it have taken before he took it a step further on our daughter?!" Pa asks in a fit of rage you haven't really seen coming from him.

Both Limestone and Marble sink back in their chairs, looking up at him worriedly, while Ma simply deadpans at him.

"Yes, but she has her reasons! Perhaps she didn't want us to do something rash, and risk Marble's medicine from being delivered to us!" she replies to him.

He shakes his head. "And so he gets the right to walk all over Limestone like that?! I think not! At that point, we're just picking which daughter's life to ruin!"

"Ma, Pa, please!" Limestone begs, but Pa glares at her.

"No! No daughter of mine's gonna be mistreated like that, especially while I've still got life in me!" he then looks over at you.

You seem a bit worried at this point. Perhaps it's best you take your leave, before you're dragged into this conversation?

"Did he give any implications that he'd do anything else to her?" he asks, stopping you from escaping.

You look up and rub your chin in thought, avoiding eye contact. Then, a comment he said begins to echo back into your mind.

"Well... he did say... a thing about... I think it was... 'Stud Farm'... when he was look-ing... at me." you tell him. You're still working on conjoined words, though, so it takes you a bit of time to sound it out.

Whenever you finish your sentence, though, both Ma and Pa stare at you, mouths agape. You're guessing that's not a very good term in their books.

Then Pa glares again, before looking towards Limestone. "Is that true, Limestone?"

"Pa, it's not-" she begins.

"IS. IT. TRUE?!" he shouts, making her sink down even lower in her seat.

"Y-yes, sir! H-he... he said that if he knew we were running a Stud Farm... h-he'd have volunteered sooner..." she nods her head.

Pa sighs, closes his eyes, and places his hooves on his forehead.

You decide to pitch in. "That was what he said before he start... ed... to lean closer to her."

Pa nods his head and looks over at you. "And he hasn't made a move since you stepped in, right?"

You shake your head. "No, sir. He has not even shown up since then."

He nods and smiles at you. "Good... then at least he ain't as dumb as he made himself out to be." Then Pa looks over at Limestone, then back at you. "In any case, though, I'm gonna have a long, long letter to send 'em about this new development."

Then he glares. "But son... if he so much as touches her again, I give you my full approval to beat some sense into 'em. In fact, I want you to knock his sorry hide out the second he so much as tries to touch her."

Ma deadpans at him. "No, hon! This ain't a matter of pride, it's about Marble's condition! And you know what'll happen if a simple push becomes a shove!"

Pa shakes his head at her. "We're from the Military, Cloudy! We ain't pushovers, and we sure as Tartarus ain't gonna let our daughter take it like a little school filly, just because he's got the only medicine that can help Marble!"

She sighs. "And as former soldiers, we both know to hold our punches unless it's absolutely necessary. Pride ain't a necessity when our family's safety is on the line!"

"So you're saying our daughter's wellbeing ain't necessary?!" he asks.

"Are you suggesting our other daughter's life ain't more valuable than pride?!" Ma retorts.

He slams his hooves on the table. "THIS AIN'T ABOUT PRIDE, WOMAN! IT'S ABOUT PROTECTING OUR DAUGHTERS!"

She, in turn, slams a hoof on the table, losing her composure and glaring back at him. "EXACTLY! AND BY PROMOTING SENSELESS VIOLENCE, WE'D MOST CERTAINLY LOSE ONE OF THEM!"

A door behind you slams shut. You all turn to see that Marble ran into her room during the commotion. You then hear the front door slam shut, and turn to find that, sure enough, Limestone ran as well.

They both stand from the table. Ma rushes towards Marble's room, while Pa rushes over to the front door.

You decide to stand from your seat and follow Pa.

He opens the door, and calls out. "Limestone, wait! Come back!"

But she doesn't respond. The fog in the rain makes it too thick for her to be seen. The rain, itself, blocks out the sound of her hoofsteps.

Despite this, though, you waste no time and hurry outside. "I will find her, do not worry!" you call back to Pa.

He nods his head and lights a lantern to the front porch, providing you with a guiding light. Within seconds after leaving the patio, you're immediately drenched in the rain.

Five minutes have passed, and you've been calling Limestone's name. You eventually come across the barn, and open the door.

Upon entering, you hear sniffling in the corner... Limestone. You follow her voice, and notice her just sitting there in the corner, wiping her cheeks.

Like you, she's completely drenched in water. You approach her slowly.

"Limestone?" you gently call out to her, but she doesn't respond immediately.

You take another step closer to her, and her ear twitches. Sniffling once more, she slowly looks over to you. Her eyes are reddened from the crying.

"... What do you want?" she asks.

You shrug your shoulders and reply, "Honest... lee... I do not know. I just want to do the right thing."

She rubs her nose with the back of her hoof and sighs, looking away from you. "Well, join the club. We have shirts."

You frown a bit and have a seat near the wall, not daring to get too close to her. She might take it as you invading her personal space.

"Why are you... cry... ing?" you ask, looking towards her again.

She sighs. "... What difference does it make?"

You look away from her and shrug your head to the side. "I do not know. I want to help, though."

She smirks. "Yeah, well sorry. You can not help with this one."

"Why not?" you ask her, raising an eyebrow.

She finally looks over at you and glares. "Because it's my problems I need to fix! Not yours!"

You wave your hooves defensively. "Okay... but if you need-"

She punches the ground, causing the wooden floor underneath her to crack. "I DON'T NEED HELP!"

You lean back a bit as she breathes heavily from her outburst. Then she huffs and turns away from you, crossing her forelegs over her chest.

You shake your head at her. "I know. I was say-ing... if you need to talk about it, then I can listen."

She groans and bumps the back of her head against the wall. Closing her eyes and steadying her breathing, her expression soon softens, and she curls up into a fetal position, resting her head into her forelegs.

"Why do I screw everything up?" she asks, muffled from her legs, but still clear enough for you to hear.

You scoot a tiny bit closer to her. "I am sorry. I am the one who did... this, though."

She smirks, and raises her head back up, then looks at you. "No... you did what's natural. But in the end, this is all my fault."

"What is your fault?" you ask, leaning a bit closer to her.

She looks away from you, but doesn't object when you find yourself just a foot away from her, sitting to her left.

"I... I can't tell you. It's... it's too personal." she shakes her head, leaning away from you a bit.

"Limestone... I will not tell." you assure her.

She pauses for a moment, before letting out another sigh. "... Fine, but listen close. I will not repeat myself."

You nod your head.

She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and calms her breathing. Then, after about thirty seconds of gathering herself, she looks over at you. A tear falls from her eyes, as she clears her throat.

"You know that Marble has a... condition... with her stomach, right?" she asks.

You nod your head. "Yes."

"Well... the truth is, she has a scar in her stomach, lungs, and throat... terrible scars that healed poorly." she explains.

You look away from her, pondering this. How does she know about that, anyways, or better yet... why does it bother her this much to begin with? It's almost like she's...

"You want to know the reason why she has those scars... don't you?" she asks, as if reading your mind.

Again, you nod your head. She looks away from you once more and closes her eyes.

"... You're looking at the reason." She opens her eyes again, looking as far away from you as she can. "... I'm the one who gave her those scars."

Several Years Ago...

Limestone and Marble were only fillies, aged eight and six respectively. One year since their little sister Pinkamena Dianne Pie threw their first party, and they were given a bit more leeway with their chores.

In this sense, they were allowed to play and have fun. This was a strange change, but a change, nonetheless.

Though Pinkamena moved to Ponyville to further her education in school, they still wrote often; her and her sisters.

Limestone and Marble were out playing in the fields, racing from one point of the farm to another, all while minding Holder's Boulder, by order of their parents.

Naturally, Limestone would win in every challenge they had. Marble began to feel a bit bugged by this.

"Ugh... it's not fair, Limestone! You always win!" she pouted.

Limestone chuckled, before pulling her into a hug, and giving her a playful pat on the head. "Relax, Marbs! You'll get there someday!"

Marble grumbled and pulled herself from her sister's grasp. "Hmph! But still, I want to win at something!"

Limestone rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm... well, there might be SOMETHING you can win!"

"And what would that be?" Marble asked halfheartedly.

Limestone grinned mischievously at her. "Truth... or Dare!"

Marble deadpanned at her. "No! You'll just dare me to do something impossible!"

"Pfft, no I won't! Promise!" Limestone said.

Marble was about to relent again, when Limestone's mischievous grin only grew.

"And tell you what... if you agree, I'll even go easier on you with everything else! But if you refuse... I'll tell everypony in school that you still wet the bed!" she said.

Marble's cheeks flushed. "Y-you wouldn't!"

"Oh, wouldn't I?~" Limestone taunted in a sing-song voice.

Marble sighed, and closed her eyes. On one hoof, she could just play the silly game for one or two rounds, and be done with it. On the other hoof, she would be embarrassed for life.

Having reached her decision, she gave Limestone a determined glare. "F-fine!"

"Ha! That's the spirit! Now, then..." they both take a seat in the dirt, "... Truth or Dare?"

Marble closed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. She knows better than to call a Truth, because Limestone would just fish out more embarrassing details she might not be aware of. "Dare!"

Limestone rubbed her chin in thought. "Huh... thought you'd call a Truth. Okay, then! I dare you to, uh..." She wanted an easy one to start with... but an idea started to make its way out of its shell. "Aha!" She picked up the small creature and chuckled menacingly. "I dare you... to lick this snail!"

"EWW!" Marble squeaked as the small creature squirmed out of its shell. "I-I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'D GO EASY!"

Limestone shrugged her shoulders. "That IS easy, compared to what else I've got in mind. And besides that... I said anything else, silly!"

Marble glared at her and seized the snail from her hoof. She gulped and looked at the creature with a frown.

The snail squirmed in her grasp. She knew her sister wouldn't pull punches... but she also knew what was at stake here. And so she took a deep breath, stuck her tongue out, and plopped the snail onto her tongue for only a split second, before dropping the creature and spitting at the dirt.

"UGH! Pleh! Pleh! Gross!" she whined, wiping her tongue with her hooves. Limestone burst out laughing, while Marble's cheeks flushed red.

"HAHAHA! That... was... PRICELESS!" she chuckled.

Marble decided she would get her back. "Oh, yeah?! W-well... I... I dare you to... umm..." She then grinned back at her. "I dare you... to kiss Holder's Boulder for ten seconds!"

Limestone gasped. "W-WHAT?!"

Holder's Boulder was a sacred artifact for the Pie Family. To merely touch the object and get caught by either Ma or Pa would be a spanking ready to happen, mixed with a night without supper, and followed by a week-long grounding!

Marble grinned mischievously at her sister. "Well? You give up?"

Limestone's cheeks flushed red and she glared at her. "Hmph! N-no!"

They both stood up and went over to Holder's Boulder. Marble giggled as Limestone walked closer to it. Then she glared at Marble and pointed at her. "I-if Ma or Pa find out, it was YOUR idea!"

Marble rolled her eyes and motioned towards the boulder. "Your coltfriend is waiting for you!~"

Limestone groaned, before looking at the boulder. It seemed a bit smooth for a rock, so at least it wouldn't be uncomfortable.

She closed her eyes and growled, before puckering her lips and pressing them against the boulder.

This lasted for ten seconds. Immediately on ten, she pulled back and moved away as fast as she could. "Th-there! My turn again!"

Marble followed her back to their spot, but they didn't sit down this time. Rather, they continued moving further down the road, until they reached the Stalagmite Fields, which surrounded a fairly large plateau that protruded about as tall as their house.

Limestone then had an idea. She looked over at the Plateau, then over to Marble. "Okay, I'll tell you what! One more dare for you! If you can pull it off, I'll give up, and you'll win!"

Marble nodded her head and smiled determinedly. "Ha! Challenge accepted!"

Limestone crossed her hooves over her chest, sure she'd win this one. She pointed at the plateau. "I dare you to climb up the Stalag Plateau, and proudly declare yourself the 'Queen of Equestria'!"

And at once, Marble's confidence is lost. "W-WHAT?!"

Limestone grinned triumphantly. "Ha! Betcha can't do that one, huh?!"

Marble shook her head. "N-no, it's not that! It just rained yesterday, s-so... the rocks are slippery! Th-this isn't just crazy, it's completely dangerous!"

Limestone rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Pfft! Yeah, right! Since when did you start sounding like a silly book?"

Marble glared at her. "i'm serious, Limestone! W-we could get seriously hurt if we trip and fall!"

Limestone smirked. "Okay, okay, tell ya what! I'll go up there first, and test the rocks out, alright? If it's all clear, then you gotta do it!"

Marble shook her head and gripped her older sister's shoulder to stop her. "N-no! You shouldn't!"

Limestone deadpanned at her and brushed her hoof off. "Hmph! Well what're ya gonna do, tattle on me?"

Before Marble could reply, Limestone already took a step onto the plateau's base... followed by another. Soon she started to climb the plateau, while Marble gripped onto her mouth in shock.

"S-seriously, Limestone! This is going too far!" she cried out.

Limestone chuckled, having reached the halfway point. "Oh, it's just the start, little sis! When I reach the top, I'll even declare myself the beautiful queen! You can just settle for being the pretty little prin-"

Before she could finish her sentence, however, the rock beneath her right forehoof slipped beneath her, and she started to slide down at a rapid pace.

"H-HUH?!" Limestone gasped, as the rest of the rocks beneath her hooves crumbled from her weight. After hitting a particular bump, though, she bounced a little ways off the plateau, with her body nearing the stalagmites.

Marble wasted no time to react. She leaped onto the plateau and steadied her hooves, before reaching back and grabbing Limestone by the tail with her teeth. She then swung her sister back onto the flat surface of the pathway, as the rocks below her hooves broke.

She couldn't even react, as her body turned from the momentum. She could only see the sharp edges of the stalagmites as they drew rapidly closer to her body.

Limestone groaned as she slowly sat back up. "Oof... that was a close one! Thanks for the save, Marble!" she said, as she brushed herself off.

Hearing no answer, though, she turned around. "Okay, Marble, I guess you...w... win..."

Upon turning around completely, however, her blood immediately ran cold, and her heart began to race at an alarming rate at the gruesome sight before her.

Marble was hanging up above the ground. The ends of the stalagmites beneath her were coated in blood, as they rose up and impaled her in the throat, chest, and the stomach. Her forehooves were gripped onto the one impaled into her throat, and her lower legs were just barely holding onto the thicker side of the stalagmite in her stomach. Her mouth, however, was completely filled with red, which was draining out of the corners of her lips, mixing in with the streams of tears falling from her eyes, which were locked in a state of panic.

She was gurgling, choking, and shaking heavily.

Limestone's breathing intensified as she quickly rushed to her sister. "M-MARBLE!" She looked around the stalagmites in a panic. "H-HANG ON, SIS! I-I'M GONNA GETCHA OFF OF THIS!"

She tried gripping Marble's stomach, but the moment she lifted her so much as an inch, a torrent of blood spilled from Marble's mouth, which made Limestone pull her hooves back and scream.

Then the door to the distant house slammed open. Limestone turned to see her mom and dad rushing their way. She ran over towards them.

"Limestone! What's wrong? What happened?!" Igneous Rock asked, immediately before Limestone gripped him firmly in a hug, sobbing much more than he's ever seen her before. Then, he noticed the red marks on her hooves, and gasped. "Is that blood?! Limestone, what happened? Where's your sister?!"

"S-SPIKES! MARBLE! H-HELP! PLEASE!" she replied, pointing towards the area.

Igneous looked past the larger spikes and, sure enough, could spot the bloody mess. He broke from the hug and ran as fast as his legs could take him.

Upon seeing his daughter on the spikes, he gripped his mouth with a hoof. "M-MAKER'S BLOOD!"

He rushed to her and placed a hoof on her right cheek, as she slowly opened her eyes halfway and looked over at him. She was wheezing for air, as the blood continued to drip from her.

Cloudy approached halfway, and gripped her mouth in shock. "S-sweet mother of..."

"H-hang in there, Marble... y-you're going to be okay!" Igneous vowed to her, before turning to Cloudy. "Get the others! Bring a torch, a wagon, bandages, and a bucket of water! HURRY! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!"

She nodded and rushed to the house, dragging Limestone with her, who was still looking back at the scene in horror.

Cloudy Quartz gathered the requested supplies and called Maud up to help her. Needless to say, the middle sister was on the verge of panicking, but held her composure for her baby sister's sake... though the worried frown on her face spoke volumes.

As Igneous, Cloudy, and Maud gathered around Marble, Igneous continued to comfort his daughter, while giving orders to the family.

"Okay, now! Cloudy, you lift her up by the lower legs. I'll lift up her chest. Maud, you keep a hold of her stomach, and apply pressure the second that puncture gets opened up!" He turned to Limestone. "Limestone, you get that torch lit immediately! Once you've got it lit, you pass it to me once we've got Marble in the wagon! Everyone ready?!"

They all nodded their heads, while Limestone immediately struck the tinderbox at the torch.

"HEAVE!"

The three of them started lifting Marble up. She began puking out even more blood as the holes in her body became exposed to the elements.

Limestone picked up the now-lit torch and quickly passed it to her dad as soon as they gently set Marble into the wagon. She then hurried back to her mother and hugged her tightly, while they all watched Igneous bring the flames to his daughter's wounds.

He cauterized the wounds quickly, before strapping the wagon on. The rest of the family hopped in, and he took off immediately, as Cloudy used some of the bandages to clean the wounds with water, then applying them to the wounds.

Once they've reached the hospital, they were immediately booked to the ICU, where Marble was strapped to several machines that neither of them have truly seen before. The beeping of the heart monitor was the most unsettling, due to how low her pulse was.

Marble lost consciousness the moment she was removed from the stalagmites. She was, undoubtedly, comatose before they even arrived.

Minutes became hours, as the family, still covered in blood, sat there patiently with worry in their hearts.

Neither parent were upset with Limestone after she explained the story. This was traumatizing enough as-is... there would be no sense in making it worse.

Before long, three hours have passed before the doctor came out of the Operating Room. Igneous was the first to stand.

"How is she? I-is she going to be okay?!" he asked.

The doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses, before looking at the chart in his hoof. "Honestly, Mr. Pie... it's too early to say."

"What do you mean by that?" Cloudy asked, hugging Limestone even tighter, as she balled up in her lap.

He looked at the chart and shook his head. "To be honest... I'm shocked that a filly her age is even able to hold out for this long. Her throat was torn, though thankfully the jugular was missed by a hair. Her lungs, however, were punctured, four ribs were cracked, two of which completely shattered, and her stomach was, unfortunately, infected due to both; too much exposure, and small traces of foreign substances from the stone that impaled her. There's... no easy way to say this, but even if she were to somehow make it out of this alive... not even magic can repair this kind of damage. She's... probably not going to completely heal, if at all."

Limestone broke down, as the doctor explained the damages. Her tears continued to stream down her face, as well as Cloudy's and Maud's. Igneous, however, glared at the doctor.

"Are you telling me that... my daughter is going to die?" he asked the doctor.

The doctor's frown only worsened. "We will not give up on her... but the chances of her survival are very, very slim. And permanent damage is inevitable. I'm... I'm sorry. I really do wish there were more we could do."

Igneous sighed, and lowered his hat to cover his eyes. To say he was upset would be an understatement... not at the doctors, nor at Limestone, but the situation in general.

To feel so powerless... it tore into his soul.

"Doctor... please, at least tell us that there's a silver lining to this. We can't afford to lose her." he pled to the doctor.

The doctor adjusted his glasses and looked away. "Well... there may be one option, though it's rarely used, and highly discouraged."

"What is it?" Igneous asked quickly.

"There's an alchemist a couple towns over. Burning Tinder. If there's anyone who can brew up a potion for... just about any situation, it'd be him. However, he can be a bit... one-sided with his dealings. If you manage to strike a deal with him, he'd likely put you in a lifelong debt. That, plus he'd only give you potions, which are questionable at best, and only provide temporary treatments."

Igneous's eyes lit up at that. "Then... which town is he in?"

"Appleloosa. He runs a small farm there, and can probably brew you a special potion out of Gossamer Flowers." he replies.

"And what can those Gossamer Potions do?" Igneous inquired.

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "According to the information he gave us, it would build up a temporary web inside the body that coats the damaged tissues, and supports it with a thin layer of protection. However... only liquids can travel across it without getting stuck. Any solids would get tangled up into the web, and likely tear through it due to the weight buildup."

"That won't be an issue. We'll just get her on a liquid diet." Igneous told him, rubbing his chin in thought. "Though I have to ask... how do you know about this?"

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "He wanted to submit the potion as a potential export, though we declined his offer because he lacks a medical license, and because we don't operate with potions in here. We only use scientifically-approved medicines and occasionally magic for smaller cases."

"And how long was it since you rejected his offer?"

"... A few months, at least. There may be a chance that he doesn't even make it anymore, since it was rejected."

Igneous shook his head. "Well, there's one way to find out."

And so, with a determined look, he told Cloudy, Limestone, and Maud to stay at the hospital, and the doctor to keep treating Marble. Then, he took off towards the Train Station.

Present Day...

You ponder the situation as Limestone continues to recount the story of, what she considers, the worst mistake of her life.

"When Pa got back a few hours later, he told us he gave the Stalagmites up to the Tinders, and agreed to send them half of the farm's earnings, in exchange for a steady supply of medicine for Marble. After giving her the first dose of the potion, the doctors started seeing improvements in her recovery... but even still, she was in a coma for about eight months."

You nod your head and look over at her. "What happen... ed... after that?"

She sighs. "I left school to be with her. We both were homeschooled for her safety, and I stood by her ever since. It's... the least I can do to make up for the trouble I've caused her."

You're not really able to say anything more after that. She curls back up and starts to cry once again.

"And now, several years later, I almost caused her to lose the one lifeline that's keeping her around."

You want to tell her that it isn't her fault... that you're also to blame for the situation at the marketplace... but you know words can't help her in this situation.

And so, you scoot a bit closer to her, and slowly wrap a hoof around her.

She sniffles a bit and looks up at you confusedly, but you only pull her in for a hug.

You expect her to just shove you off, berate you, and/or yell at you... but you feel her hooves wrap around your stomach, instead, and she presses her head into your chest, crying.

No wonder she's been so grouchy all this time... with as many burdens as she has, and regrets, you doubt if she gets much rest at night.

But now you're here... and deep inside, you make a vow that you'll find a way to help mend these broken hearts. You're indebted to them, after all. It's the least you can do.

For now, though, you can just comfort Limestone in her broken state. And that's what you decide to do.

You both decide to wait until the storm softens. Then, when it's clear enough, you and Limestone both head back to the house. Pa would still be waiting out in the patio for both of your return.

The rest of the day goes without much of a hitch. You've been working on your writing a bit more, and spend a few hours reading your work.

Before you know it, you all share a quiet Lunch, and then a cheerful Dinner. Limestone, however, avoids looking at you throughout the day... but you can tell she's at least thankful for you providing an ear that listens.

The day passes by, and turns to night.

You're now lying in bed, and the sweet sensation of sleep is about to take over, when you hear the door creak open slowly. Quiet hoofsteps draw closer, and you feel a pressure press down on your shoulder and shake you lightly.

"Psst... hey, Doofus!" Limestone whispers. You open your eyes and look over at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Limestone?" you ask.

She looks away from you, cheeks reddening. "I, uh... I-I just wanted to say, umm... th-thank you. F-for... y'know... listening to me this morning."

You simply smile and nod at her. "Of course."

She then turns around and crosses her forelegs over her chest. "Y-yeah... b-but don't think that means y-you can, uh... g-go around telling anyone about today!"

And, she's back to her usual self, grumpy looks and all. You're okay with it, though, and chuckle a bit. "I will not."

"G-good! N-now uh... get some sleep, Doofus! W-we've got work to do tomorrow!" she orders, before hurrying out of the room in a flash.

You figure that's as much of a thanks as you'll get from her, anyways. You're honestly a bit taken aback that she even thanked you at all. After all, you simply provided an ear that listens, and while some of the details were lost in translation, you could at least pick up a vast majority of what she told you.

To be honest, you enjoyed the bonding time you had with Limestone today... and who knows? Perhaps tomorrow, you'll be able to bond with her a bit more.

And so you close your eyes, as sleep once again begins to take over.

Author's Note

Time to answer a few questions before they are asked!

"Really, man?! ANOTHER story?!"

Yes. Limestone needs more love, and I figured this would be a nice change of pace.

"Cloudy and Igneous aren't using 'Thous' and 'Thys'! What gives?!"

Multiple reasons.
First: They didn't use those in their first appearance, which was during "Cutie Mark Chronicles", so I'm using MA Larson's canon for that, while blending in Nick Contalone's personalities given to them during "Hearthbreakers".

Second: It's a story of "Perspective", and a particular sentence was given: "Regardless, though, you'll eventually learn of their word usage, and mentally translate it to keep things easy."

"Why is there a 'Comedy' Tag, when there's nothing funny in this chapter?"

Because we've got to get through the 'Drama' Tag involved in the opening to reach the 'Comedic' parts of the story. Give it time, you might get a giggle here or there.

"Who is the protagonist?"

He doesn't have a name just yet. It'll be decided in a later chapter, once it's relevant.

"How often can I expect an update on this story?"

I can't promise it'll be often, but I'll be updating it a bit here and there. I'd rather take a few months to make a good chapter, than take a few hours to ruin an entire story.

"Incomplete? Will this story be 'Complete'?"

Likely not. I want this story to keep going on. It might eventually reach a conclusion at some point, but if that's the case, a sequel may be in the works following it.

"Why do you suck at writing?"

Because a vast majority of my dislikes are never with constructive criticism, meaning I can't improve, and am stuck in "Crapfic Purgatory" because of it.

"Why do you write so many Incomplete Stories?"

Because I like writing, have an overactive imagination, and can't merge every idea I have into one or two stories, so I have the need to dish out as much as I can just to sate those appetites. I come back to them when I crave more of that idea, and take each different story in at my own pace, so that they don't burn out for good. That, plus most of these stories are technically not "Incomplete", but rather, "Persistent". Sadly, though, FimFiction doesn't have that tag in its options.

"When will you update [Story Title] next?!"

Eventually,

"I have a question not listed here!"

That's not a question, but ask away via PM, and I'll do my best to reply!

Opening: Ponyville Arc! ( 1 / 5 )

"Wake up, Doofus!" Limestone's voice calls out, breaking you from your peaceful slumber.

You've gotten used to this being your wake-up call. As simple as it is, it's still quite effective.

You open your eyes and look over at the door, where Limestone is standing. Despite her usual scowl, you can tell she's a bit more chipper than usual... perhaps it's hidden in her tone?

"Good morning to you, too." you tell her, stretching your forelegs out and yawning.

She looks away from you and crosses her chest, cheeks slightly flushed. "Y-yeah... good morning."

And now, she has your full, undivided, somewhat surprised attention.

She's told you to wake up, get out of bed, stop hogging the Dream Realm... whatever that means... and a few other colorful things that you're almost certain isn't very appropriate. You've heard her berate you, tease you, and call you "Doofus", which you still don't know the meaning of (though you're starting to get a suspicious feeling that it isn't necessarily a friendly name... especially when Marble deadpans at her when she says it).

Heck, you've even felt her shake you awake just last night!

But never, in your two months of living here in Equestria, have you ever heard her wish you a "good morning"... and that earns her a well-deserved double-take, and a stuttered response from you.

"W-what was that?" you stammer, wiping the sleep from your eyes.

She just glares at you and rolls her eyes. "I said get out of bed, you lazy bum! We've got work to do!"

And there it is. You smile at her and chuckle, before playfully sticking your tongue out at her. "Whatever you say, Ma!~"

She growls at you. "IT'S LIMESTONE!"

You burst out laughing, while Marble giggles from behind her. She looks away from you again and scrunches her red face.

"Hmph!" she harrumphs, before turning around and heading back out.

You then look over at Marble and smile at her. "Good morning, Marble!"

"Mm-hmm!~" she hums, giving you a polite bow before following her sister out.

You hop out of bed and stretch the rest of your body. It's time to start the day!

Breakfast has been pretty peaceful this time. You once again take a sip of the soup, thinking back on what Limestone told you yesterday.

"This family must be really close, now that I think about it. Pa decided to put Marble on a Liquid Diet because of her condition... but it seems everyone took to the change so she doesn't feel left out, as well."

Needless to say, your respect for this soup you've been drinking has actually grown a bit, too. You sip it, you swallow it, and you enjoy the hell out of it... or... Tartarus, as Pa said!

"So, Pinkie Pie wants to spend some time with you, Limestone." Pa says, looking over at said mare from his newspaper.

She pauses from drinking her soup and looks up at him. "Wait, really? That's today?"

Pa nods his head and looks over at you. "That, it is. However... I told her to expect an extra guest, as well."

You gulp down the soup you had in your mouth and look between him and Limestone. You've heard the name "Pinkie" in Limestone's story yesterday... said it's another sister of theirs... at least, that's what you think you heard.

Limestone blinks in surprise, before looking at you as well. "Wait... seriously?! But... I thought we all agreed that our time together was private!"

Pa shakes his head. "Not really. It's a one-on-one between sisters, but friends are more than welcome to join, seeing how she let that Rarity character join her during Maud's Pie Sisters Surprise Swap Day a couple years back."

Limestone sighs, before looking at you. "Well... why not ask him, then?" she asks, motioning towards you.

You blink confusedly. "Umm..."

Pa nods his head. "That's true. So, would you like to spend a couple days out of the farm with Limestone? You've been working hard as of late, and could use the break."

It doesn't really take much time for you to decide. You've honestly been cooped up at the farm for a while, now, and could use the little adventure.

And so, you nod your head and smile at him. "Yes, Pa. I would like to go."

Pa smirks, before looking at the flushed Limestone. "Well, that settles it! He's going with you."

"But Paaaaa..." she whines.

He deadpans at her, making her sink into her seat a bit more. "Unless, of course, you'd rather tend to the Copper Fields today. The rain yesterday's likely got 'em full and ripe for the harvest. Could take you all day to collect all the-"

Suddenly, everything blurs around you. Somehow, you find yourself at the front door, with Limestone's hoof dragging you behind her. She would already be wearing a silver-colored saddlebag on her back, which you swear in your mind she wasn't wearing a literal split-second ago.

"Well, look at the time! Can't leave Pinkie Pie waiting, or she'd worry! See ya, everyone!" she quickly calls out, before dragging you outside and quickly closing the door behind you both.

"Umm... w-what just-" you begin, but she deadpans at you.

"Don't ask, now let's go!" she replies, hurrying ahead. You follow right behind her feeling a little disappointed that you couldn't even finish breakfast.

You and Limestone eventually reach the Rockville Train Station. The stallion working the ticket booth looks up at you and blinks in surprise.

"Huh... haven't seen you before. You new here, or something?" he asks.

You're about to reply, when Limestone cuts in.

"Sure is! Newest helper on the Pie Farm!"

The stallion nods his head and smiles. "Well, that's great! Honestly, I'm surprised y'all finally agreed to get some outside help, though... lemme guess. Good harvests this time around?"

She simply nods. "Eeyup! It's been a doozy!" She then straightens her posture and places a bag of golden coins... 'bits', if you recall correctly. Their currency in this land, it seems. "Anyways, two tickets to Ponyville, please."

"Sure thing, Miss Limestone! I'll just need his name, and we can get it booked!" he says cheerfully.

Limestone looks over at you expectantly.

You, however, gulp. "Umm... I... do not know my name." you meekly tell them.

Limestone's expectant look becomes a deadpan. "Seriously? You don't even know your own name?!"

You shake your head and scratch the back of your hair. "I am serious! I do not know my name!"

And now, she's staring at you like you've grown a second head. The stallion at the ticket booth shakes his head.

"I'm sorry, but if he doesn't have a name, I'm afraid he can't use the train."

"WHAT?!" you and Limestone both shout. Limestone then drops the friendly act and glares at him.

"Now listen here, buddy! I've got a sister waiting for me in Ponyville! If I don't show up, then she'll start panicking!" she tells him.

He waves his hooves dismissively. "Well, that can be arranged no problem! I can give you a ticket... but not him, unfortunately!"

One of her eyes start to twitch, before she leans closer to the window. "Then how about a nickname?!"

He shakes his head again, unfazed by her angry demeanor. "I'm sorry, Miss. We can only use birth-given names here."

She glares at him even more... before pulling away, groaning. "Ugh, FINE! You know what?! Buck your stupid train, we'll just walk to Ponyville!"

"Wait, what?" you ask, as she brings a hoof up to your chest and pulls you away from the ticket booth.

She glares at you. "You heard me!"

You blink in surprise. "Uh... were we going for just a couple days?"

She nods her head. "Yes, and we still are. It'll just take us a few extra hours to get to Ponyville, though. If we pace ourselves, we can reach it this evening."

You're about to voice your concerns when she reaches into her saddlebag and pulls out a neatly detailed map of Equestria.

You whistle (or try to, at least), impressed at the detail of it. "Wow... big place." you tell her.

She nods her head. "Uh-huh... anyways, if we're gonna get there the quickest way, we'll need to cut through Ghastly Gorge, Froggy Bottom Bogg, and the Western half of the Everfree Forest. Shouldn't be too hard."

You can't really understand most of what she said, but you could see the directions she's pointing at on the map. And so, with the route mentally set, you nod your head. "Okay, then. You lead the way!"

She perks up a bit by your enthusiasm. "Heh... knew you'd be up for a bit of an adventure! Well, first we need to grab some food and drinks for the trip. Come on, let's head to the Marketplace."

Before you could even reply, she grips onto your left foreleg and drags you over to the Marketplace. You can't help but smile a bit at her antics.

"Huh... she seems very hyped about this. Was she getting cooped up as well?"

She brings you across various stalls, where creatures are selling dried fruits, oats, and a few bags of potato chips. You offer to help her carry some of the stuff, but she simply stuffs it all into her saddlebags and brings you over to the next spot.

Before you know it, you're both now on the dirt road, trekking beyond the borders of Rockville.

You decide that now would be a good time to strike up a conversation.

"Hey, Limestone?"

She looks over at you and tilts her head. "Yeah?"

"You seem... very happy." you tell her.

She shrugs her shoulders and looks forward. "Eh, don't get used to it. I'm mostly just happy because I finally get to go on an adventure of my own."

"So you like adventures, then?" you ask her.

She nods her head. "Well, yeah. Or, kind of. I mostly just like getting out of the house from time to time. Don't know if you realize, but I've spent most of my life in Rockville, with only these kinds of days being my time off. My sisters, Pinkie and Maud, usually go on all kinds of adventures, while I'm just stuck in the Rock Farm."

You look down, lost in thought. "Hmm... do you like the Rock Farm?"

She looks over at you and deadpans. "Well, duh! It's home, so of course I like it there!" Then she holds a hoof up to stop you, before drawing a few ponies in the dirt with her hoof. "Take these ponies, for example. These two are a loving couple, happily married without any arguments, whatsoever. Even they will need some alone time, though. Doesn't mean they don't love each other. It just means that even they need a break from the same old routine. Helps them gather their thoughts, and refreshes their spirits."

She then brushes the pictures off, and continues on the path. You follow behind her, nodding your head.

"That's a... very smart way to put it, Limestone." you tell her.

She looks away from you, face flushing. "Y-yeah, well, someone has to... to not be a doofus, Doofus!"

You smile at her famous nickname she gave you. This clarifies that she's been calling you 'Stupid', to some degree, but you can't really hold it against her. If anything, you've sort of had a hunch up until now, and treated it as playful banter, if anything.

And so, you joke back at her with the nickname you've given her as well.

"You got that right... Ma!"

She immediately glares at you, her face glowing even redder. "S-STOP CALLING ME MA!"

About three hours pass since you've both begun your trek down the road. There wasn't really anything noteworthy of Ghastly Gorge, aside from a few holes in the mountains that, according to Limestone, once belonged to Quarray Eels, before they migrated a bit deeper into the mountains. You were a bit disappointed at first that you couldn't see them for yourself, but after she told you that each hole only housed a single one, you felt a bit more appreciative that you both didn't.

Before you know it, the surrounding area is now full of trees, and the atmosphere seems to have become a bit more... colorful, for the lack of a better word.

You recall how colorful the map was when Limestone showed it to you earlier. However, that was probably the first time in two months since you've seen colors that aren't brown-related... excluding a few of the customers at the Marketplace.

However, something feels a lot more different... like the sunlight just shines more brightly in this part of the world. Limestone's coat, for example, seems less pale than it was back in Rockville.

"Stay close. These woods house some of the most dangerous creatures in Equestria." Limestone warns.

You nod your head and close the gap in a bit between you both.

"What kinds of creatures?" you ask, genuinely curious.

She deadpans at you. "Keep talking, and you might find out."

You gulp.

"Guess social hour's over for now."

As you both reach a clearing, you notice a field with lots of green sludge, but a strange lack of frogs. It looks like the bogg, but where are the frogs?

Limestone grips you by the leg and drags you up into a tree. You're about to voice your protest, but she shushes you immediately, and points towards the clearing ahead. You look towards where she's pointing, and you feel your heart nearly skip a beat; your ears fold behind your head, and your eyes widen in a surge of panic.

A massive shadow crosses over the clearing, and you're able to, just barely, see the form of a huge four-headed wyvern of some sort. Its scales are orange, and it has pink spikes on the sides of its heads. Its green eyes have a serpent-like slit for its pupils, and each of its steps causes a tremor around it.

Limestone grits her teeth and glares at the creature. "Well, that's just great... there's a Hydra on the loose. Likely out hunting for food. We'll have to wait for it to return to its nest before we can go any further." she whispers to you.

You nod your head, daring not take your eyes from the Hydra thing.

The Hydra sniffs around the area around it and growls loudly, before hissing and walking out of your vision. You feel a bit sorry for whatever unfortunate creature, or creatures, it caught its eyes on.

Both you and Limestone remain hidden in the bushes for, what feels like, ten minutes before you both make your way towards the clearing. You look over at the footprints and gulp at their size.

"Yikes! Just one of that thing's toes can probably crush us both!"

Limestone taps you on the shoulder and motions for you to keep following her.

Right... no more distractions. No more wandering around, no more getting lost in thought, and no more-

"Will you eat something to stop your stupid stomach from growling so much?" Limestone asks you.

You blink in surprise, before looking down at your stomach... then back at her. "My stomach is not growling." you tell her.

The two of you stop in place, before slowly turning towards a bush between a few trees nearby. A pair of glowing green eyes would be looking back at you two, as a pair of wooden paws slowly emerge from the bush.

A few more green eyes emerge from behind the trees, and more of, what appears to be, wooden wolves step out from hiding - each of them standing about a head above you.

"Timberwolves... well that's just great!" Limestone murmurs through grit teeth.

You gulp, leaning a bit closer towards her. "What do we do?" you ask, daring not to look away from the large creatures.

She shakes her head. "Well, obviously running is the best option... though we might alert that Hydra if we do! And as luck would have it... Timberwolves don't make that good of a meal to them. That means we'd have these and a Hydra to run away from!"

As she speaks, the Timberwolves inch closer towards the two of you. They begin to slowly circle around, until they have you both blocked from all angles.

"So... what do we do, then?" you ask again.

She rolls her eyes and reaches into her saddlebag. "Plan B, of course. You might wanna cover your eyes."

You quickly do as she instructs, and cover your eyes with your right foreleg.

From her bag, Limestone pulls out a strange-looking marble. She licks it, counts to three, then tosses it in the air. The Timberwolves look up at it, while she closes her eyes as well.

Then, the orb cracks midair and emits a blinding flash of light that makes the Timberwolves whine and run away.

You open your eyes and blink in surprise. "Whoa... what was that?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Flash Pod. Reacts to liquid in three seconds. Lick it, toss it on three, and it flashes on four. Good for emergencies, but single use, only. Blinds targets for at least thirty seconds."

"That's... very use-ful!" you tell her, but she shushes you.

"Shh, we can talk later! Now's our chance to get out of here!"

You nod. "R-right."

And so, the two of you quickly hurry out of the clearing. You hear the Timberwolves scurrying around blindly in the distance.

Thankfully, thirty seconds was enough time to escape the Timberwolves. You'd wonder if they could smell you both, but decide they probably don't want to be blinded again.

You both pick up your pace, though, to avoid pushing your luck.

Eventually, you both reach a darker corner of the forest, and take a moment to rest. You grab a bag of cinnamon nuts from the bag and have a seat against a tree, while Limestone sits beside you, bag of potato chips in hoof.

They taste quite sweet, actually, and the crunch is a huge improvement to the soup you've been having. You can hear Limestone crunching away at the chips.

The two of you sit there in silence, enjoying your snacks.

Then, you decide to break the silence. "Hey, Limestone?"

"Hmm?" she looks over at you, swallowing the chips in her mouth. "What's up?"

"What are we going to do about my name?"

She hums, rubbing her chin in thought. "Hmm... don't know. We can get that figured out whenever we get to Ponyville. Might be able to get you a certificate at the Town Hall there."

"But... I do not know when I was born."

She shrugs. "Doesn't matter. They'll just write an estimated age, I'll give them the day that I pulled you out of Holder's Boulder, and then we'll give you a name." She smiles smug at you. "Of course, that doesn't mean I won't call you 'Doofus', Doofus."

You smirk at her. "Whatever you say, Ma."

Naturally, she throws a chip at you as a response.

After snack time, you and Limestone continue on the trip North. You're keeping your eyes peeled and ears wide open every step of the way.

Before long, you both reach a small river with a few rocks sticking out. You're about to leap onto one of the stones, but Limestone stops you and pulls you back.

You raise a confused eyebrow, but she rolls her eyes and picks up a small rock. Then she tosses it at one of the larger rocks in the river.

Upon bouncing on the larger rock, the larger rock shifts around a bit, before a pair of large jaws clamp over the smaller rock she just tossed.

You gulp. The creature resembles a Crocodile, but its skin is entirely made of stone. What's more unsettling is that it, too, is quite huge!

"Yikes!" you whisper.

Limestone nods her head and whispers back at you. "Yeah. Don't get ahead of yourself, or you might end up as something's lunch!"

"Note take-en... thank you."

She blushes a bit and deadpans at you. "W-well, don't thank me yet! We still have to get past these Cragodiles! Now follow my lead, and stay close!"

You nod your head and follow her closely.

She picks up another rock and tosses it to the far left of the lake. When it lands, the larger stones shift again, towards the stone's direction.

As they move away, you and Limestone sneak further to the right side of where they once were. Then she moves back a bit, before rushing ahead, and leaping across the river in one swift jump.

You blink in surprise.

"Now you!" you hear her whisper loudly.

You're immediately reminded of one slight problem as you look at the waters... this isn't your old body. This would literally be the first time you actually tried jumping, and by extension, the first time you'd ever swim if you can't make the leap. Looking up at Limestone, you smile sheepishly.

"I, uh... can not swim, or jump that far." you whisper back to her.

The cragodiles swim a bit closer. She slaps her hoof over her face and groans.

"Are. You. KIDDING ME?!" she growls through grit teeth.

You gulp, before looking around for an alternative way to cross. You hear Limestone leap back over the river, and turn towards her.

She sighs, then grips onto your foreleg. "Then here, I'll help you. Tuck your hooves, and roll."

You blink owlishly. "Uh... what do you mean by-"

Before you could finish your sentence, however, you suddenly find yourself flying in the air, flying past the river, and over to the other side.

You land with a thud and roll around on your side. The world around you is spinning, and you don't catch the sound of Limestone rushing over to you.

"I told you to tuck your hooves, Doofus!" she whispers to you.

"My every-thing hurts." you grumble, rubbing the leaves and dirt off of your face.

Limestone rolls her eyes and helps you back up onto your hooves. "Yeah, well it'll get worse if we stick around this area! We're lucky enough the cragodiles are either too full or preoccupied to get out of the water. We shouldn't push our luck on it, though!"

You nod your head. "R-right... so where do we go now?"

She motions towards a dirt path nearby. "This way." Then she heads over to the path, with you following right behind her.

Along the way, though, you can't help but think about how in the world she was able to simply toss you, who stands much taller than her, across the river like that.

"Damn, she's strong!"

Both you and Limestone continue down the pathway. She seems a bit more at ease, which is nice. She still has her grumpy look, but you can at least tell from her posture that she's relaxed.

As your eyes trail around the surroundings, they soon lock onto her flank. You avert your eyes, but curiosity gets the better of your judgement. Your eyes then focus on her again, or more specifically, the strange mark on her flank.

You've noticed that her whole family has one, and thought of it as nothing more than tattoos. However, your mind went back to the Marketplace, where almost every pony you saw had one.

And so, you decide to ask her a question about it.

"Hey, Limestone?"

She looks over at you. "Yeah, what is it?"

"What is that mark you have?" You motion towards her flank.

She looks over at it and raises a confused eyebrow. "My Cutie Mark. Why do you ask?"

And again with the new words. You're not sure what this Cutie Mark thing means.

"What is a... Chreutee Mark?" you ask, no doubt butchering the word horribly.

"Cutie Mark." she deadpans. "And to answer your question, it's what a pony gets when they find out what their special talent is."

You rub your chin in thought. "Hmm... what is your talent?"

She blushes a bit and looks away. "I'd... rather not say."

Well that's unfortunate. You may have to ask her another time... but for now, you decide to drop it.

"Anyways, Ponyville should be up ahead." she says, pointing forward. You look towards where she points, and sure enough, the sunlight shines much brighter past the tree line straight ahead.

Before you know it, you both cross the Everfree Border, and reach Ponyville!

You look back at your previous thoughts on the forest looking colorful... and immediately retract them. The moment you and Limestone exit the Everfree Forest, you're almost blinded by the bright colors of the town ahead.

Lush, green grasslands, a lone cottage with adorable critters, small and large... it all seems surreal to you.

"Wow..." you can't help but gawk.

Limestone looks over at you and smirks a bit. "Something on your mind?"

"So... many... colors!" you say, rubbing your eyes to make sure you aren't just going lightheaded.

She rolls her eyes and motions ahead. "Well, you can admire the scenery later. We're on a schedule, though, and already late."

You nod your head and smile sheepishly at her. "Right."

As you both enter the town, you can't help but notice quite a few ponies looking your way.

You smile shyly at them, raise a hoof, and wave.

Then, they smile widely and wave back at you.

You get a brief flashback of life back on Earth. You recalled how lots of times, people wouldn't just smile and wave at you if you did to them. It was a dark time in history, after all. Distrust, group warfare, diseases... simple, kind-hearted gestures became corrupted by groups who claimed it as their personal 'flag' to show their factions.

All in all, to be in such a friendly environment... it feels like a welcome change.

"Kinda reminds me of that scene from Shrek 2... now all it needs is that 'Changes' Song."

You're so lost in thought that you almost bump into Limestone. She looks over at you and clears her throat.

"Well, this is my sister's home." She points at the building ahead of you both.

You look ahead, and blink in surprise. The building almost looks like a Gingerbread House! The sight of it makes your mouth water.

She taps you on the shoulder, getting your attention again.

"Now, before we go in there, I should warn you. My sister can be a bit... different... than the rest of us. Just behave yourself, and don't do anything to upset her. Got it?" she says, almost threateningly.

You give her a determined nod. "I did not plan to hurt her. Your family is my family, now."

She blinks a bit, taken aback by your serious look, and lightly blushes, turning away from you. "R-right... good to know. Now come on, she's probably worried enough already!"

And so, the two of you approach the building. You look up at its sign and read its words.

"Sugarcube Corner... sounds like some kind of Bakery! Fitting, considering its appearance."

Limestone takes a deep breath and sighs, before slowly opening the door. You both then enter, and are met with... nothing. The entire building appears to be empty, save for the decorations and streamers all spread out across the room.

Was there a party earlier, or maybe a party planned? You suddenly feel the urge to step out... but Limestone stops you.

"She's upstairs." she tells you. You both make your way to the staircase and climb up the flight, where you notice a room with a door cracked open. The two of you can hear a high-pitched female speaking almost completely incoherently for you.

"But what if the train broke down? What if they missed it? What if they had to walk all the way up here?!" She gasps. "Oh, no! And what if they run into a Hydra? Or a Timberwolf?! OR A HYDRA AND A TIMBERWOLF?! OR A TIMBER-HYDRA-WOLF?! Wait... are those even a thing?"

Limestone heads inside the room that, presumably, belongs to Pinkie Pie, while you simply walk over to the entrance, but stand at the center of the doorway, taking in the sights.

It's a pink room, with lots of party-themed decorations splayed around inside it. In the center of the room, you spot a pink pony with a dark pink, fluffy mane and tail.

You have a hunch that she would be 'Pinkie Pie', if your theory on what 'Pinkie' means in Equish.

She's pacing back and forth, without looking your way for a second. The tone in her voice makes it clear that she's worried about something... or in this case, someone.

"Or-or-or, w-what if they were caught in traffic, THEN the train broke down, and they had to go through the Everfree Forest afterwards?! What if they're-" the pink pony rambles on, only for Limestone to clear her throat.

"- Standing right behind you?" Limestone interrupts, making her sister gasp and turn around.

Suddenly, Limestone is tackled by a pink blur, which forms into perhaps one of the biggest hugs you've seen anyone give. To Limestone, no less!

"Oh, Limestone! You're okay! I was so worried about you! I thought that you-" and as she carries on, her dialect becomes more and more incomprehensible, due to how fast she's speaking.

You almost feel like crying, as you legitimately can not catch a single word that she's saying. Judging from the annoyed (or... extra annoyed) look that Limestone gives her, you'd wager that she can't, either.

"Alright, already! Look, we just had some issues with the train, that's all!" Limestone chimes in.

Pinkie tilts her head confusedly. "What do you mean?" Then, Pinkie's eyes drift over to you, and immediately, she goes slack-jawed.

You smile bashfully at her and wave a hoof. "Hello."

She then looks over at Limestone and her smile widens even more. "Oh... my... GOSH! Limey, you didn't tell me you have a coltfriend, now!"

"WHAT?!" Limestone practically screams, her face suddenly burning bright red.

"... What?" you ask, trying to figure out what that unknown word means... and why it caused Limestone to literally make the girliest squeak you've ever heard her make.

Then Pinkie goes into a fit of giggles, while Limestone, for the first time you've seen her, stammers for words. "I-I'm not- h-he's not my... P-PINKIE!"

Pinkie then breaks from the hug and pulls a letter out of her mane... which only leaves you a bit more puzzled.

She then taps on the paper and shows it to Limestone. "Pa told me to expect company, but he didn't go into very much detail!"

She then trots up to you while Limestone reads the letter that Pinkie passed her. "So! You must be Anon!"

"A... what?" you ask.

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, he doesn't even have a name."

This makes Pinkie giggle at her. "Well sure he does, silly! His name is Anonymous! It says so here on the letter! See?"

Limestone squints at the sheet, before deadpanning at her. "Anonymous guest. Pinkie, that's just an expression. That's not his name!"

"... Oh." Pinkie says, before brushing the back of her mane bashfully. "Well, I guess I better get started on rebranding those 'Welcome to Ponyville, Anonymous' stickers I ordered!"

Limestone groans, planting her hoof over her eyes. "Pinkie... we're literally just visiting! It's not like we're moving here!"

"I know! But I figured it would be nice to give Anon the Ponyville Treatment, so that he doesn't feel left out while we enjoy our PSSSD!"

"His name isn't Anon, Pinkie! Like I said, he doesn't even have a name, yet!" Limestone complains.

Pinkie scoffs, however, booping her on the nose. "Well duh, silly! And since he doesn't have a name, that means we should give him one! And since Anon is a shortened version of Anonymous, that makes it the perfect name to give him!"

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, that's just stupid. No! If we give him a name, we give him a proper, Normal Equestrian name! Not a name that literally means 'No Name'! That's about as dumb as naming a cat 'Feline'!"

Pinkie folds her front hooves over her chest and sticks her tongue out at Limestone. "Hmph! Well I thought Anon sounded awesome! It gives him a cool, mysterious vibe!"

Limestone rolls her eyes and leans her head a bit closer to her. "And I think it sounds like his mother didn't even realize she was pregnant until her water broke, and still failed to find a name for him afterwards! It gives him an accidental vibe!"

"Uh... girls?" you ask, only for your voice to fall on deaf ears.

"Well, Anonymous is a perfectly reasonable name, just like Fluffy Clouds!" Pinkie argues.

Limestone points at her and glares a bit more. "Anonymous and Fluffy Clouds are nothing alike! And besides that, who the hay would even want to be named the equivalent of 'No-Name'?!"

"Girls?" you ask again... which once more, fails to be acknowledged. It seems they're starting to get into an argument, which is making you really uncomfortable. You start to head back to the Main Lobby, while their voices slowly fade behind you.

"I know plenty of ponies who wouldn't mind being named 'Anon'!" Pinkie calls out.

"Well I bet they're pretty anti-social, aren't they?!" Limestone chimes back.

Eventually, though, you tone their bickering out and sigh, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the relatively dark room. Though muffled, you can hear that Limestone and Pinkie are still at it upstairs.

"Oh, those silly little fillies. One day, they'll come to appreciate each other's differences!" a motherly female's voice says behind you. You nearly jump from your skin and fur, and turn to face a new figure.

She's a... slightly larger female mare with a blue coat and a pink/lavender mane and tail. From the looks of it, she's just getting back from the store, if the grocery bags are anything to go by.

Regardless, you hop from your seat and give her a polite bow. "Sorry... I am with Limestone."

She giggles, waving a dismissive hoof your way. "Oh don't you fret, dearie! Pinkie already told us to expect some extra company!" She gives your chest a quick glance and her smile gets even bigger. "But my, I didn't expect her company to be such a shapely stallion! Say, you wouldn't mind helpin' me out with a couple things, would you?"

You quickly shake your head and reply, "Oh, uh... no, not at all! What do you need, Miss?"

She nods towards the front entrance and replies, "Well, my husband needs some help with a few of the larger groceries. You wouldn't mind helping him carry them in, would you?"

You shake your head and smile. "I would like to help."

Then you exit the building, and are met with a fairly interesting sight. A much, much thinner-built stallion with a yellow coat and orange mane can be seen, near a wagon, with two bags of flour over his back. To his sides are a very short pegasus colt with a brown mane and tail and a tan coat, and to the opposite; a unicorn filly with a yellow coat and an orange mane and tail.

They're both carrying small bags of groceries in their mouths, while the father is carrying, and struggling with, a fairly large bag of sugar in his mouth, alongside the flour packs on his back.

You approach them and smile warmly. This marks the first time you've seen the Equestrian Equivalent of children... and they are absolutely adorable.

The young ones are first to notice you. They look up, and stare at you like a kitten staring at a fully-grown man for the first time.

Their staring is suddenly broken off when their father (presumably, at least) chimes in. "Go on inside, kiddos!"

Though they go inside, you can sense their eyes still locked onto you, but you decide to pay it no mind, and head over to the stallion. "Sorry about that," he starts, "kids these days will wonder about everything out of the ordinary! But eh, Feisty Fours, right?" He giggles lightly, before looking up at you.

From close up, he stands about as high as your legs, though with half the mass vertically. It's fairly clear that you stand out among the populace as a taller figure, but he seems about like the sort who would stand out a little on the shorter side of things.

But you digress.

You smile and bow your head politely at him. "I am with Limestone. I am here to help."

"Oh, well that's most appreciated! Here, I've got a few more flour bags in the wagon, if you'd be so kind as to help me bring them into the kitchen?" he asks, motioning towards the wagon.

You nod your head and approach the wagon. "Of course." You take one bag and measure its weight.

You fail to see how he's struggling so much with the bags, though. To you, it's almost comparable to holding a bag full of chips! But you decide that, maybe, it's not the matter of weight, but the amount he had to carry up here finally taking its toll on him. After all, it's a wagon you're getting these things from... and from your experience in the farm, wagons aren't automated. They're dragged.

So you decide to lighten his burden a bit more by picking up the four bags of flour from the wagon, then trot over to him, as he reaches the halfway mark. He's about to fall down, when you catch him and lift the two bags of flour from his back, and add them to your own.

He just stares up at you slack-jawed. "Now don't overburden yourself, friend!"

You smile, shaking your head. "It is easy. So, uh... where is the kitchen?"

"Um... r-right this way..." he says, motioning towards the doorway. You follow him, and notice that he's much, much more quicker on his hooves without the two bags on his back. Perhaps they're heavier than you think...

As you enter the building, you notice his wife and kids just staring at you in disbelief, as you carry the six bags of flour into the kitchen with ease.

The stallion eventually finds a spot to put them, and slowly hefts them from your back onto their designated areas. All the while, you sense the little ones right behind you, still staring at you in awe.

"Pound, Pumpkin, it's not nice to stare." you hear the father tell them. This catches their attention, and makes them skedaddle back into the Main Room... for a little while, at least.

Soon your back is freed, and you're once more able to roam around. The stallion sighs in relief, before turning back around to face you. He lifts a hoof up and approaches you. "Thanks for your help, friend! This would've taken us a lot longer, had you not shown up!"

You stare at his hoof confusedly, before raising your own hoof and bringing it up to his. The tips of your hooves bump, and he starts bringing them down and up, in a hoof-shake.

You'll admit, you're familiar with handshakes, but hoof-shakes do not feel the same. It'll take some getting used to.

"I am happy to help." you tell him.

Then, you feel something tugging on your tail. You turn your head and spot the little pegasus colt staring up at you again.

You smile at him and nod your head in greeting. "Hello, little one." you tell him.

He tilts his head confusedly. "You talk funny, mister!"

"Pound Cake!" his mother calls out from the entrance, frowning at him with the 'angry mom look' that many children shudder to see.

He just raises a hoof up at you and looks at her, confused and oblivious to her oncoming wrath. "Well he does!" would be his counter-argument.

She harrumphs, before gripping him by the ear, much to his displeasure, and dragging him out of the kitchen. When she returns, she giggles nervously at you. "Sorry about that, dearie! You know colts! Mouth over Manners!"

You get a little laugh out of that, waving a dismissive hoof her way. "It is okay. I am used to the stares by now."

She frowns at you and shakes her head. "But you shouldn't be! My goodness, though, it's just so... so rare to see a full-blooded horse these days! You know, some cultures thought 'em to be an old myth!"

You nod your head, tapping on your chest. "Well worry not, friend. I am very much real."

"Umm... excuse me, mister?" a little girl's voice chimes up from between you both. You look down and spot the unicorn filly looking up at you in wonder.

"Yes, little one?" you ask, lowering your head so you don't risk scaring her.

She then asks, "Uh... why are you so tall?"

Well, you know which of the children get the most cookies, now.

You chuckle a bit, before replying, "Well... it is because I am not a pony. I am a horse. A horse is much taller than a pony."

"A horse? What is a horse?" she asks.

Her mom intervenes. "I think that's enough questions for our dear friend here! Besides, after carrying all that flour, you ought to be pretty tired, huh?"

You're about to tell her that you aren't even slightly tired, but the look she's giving you tells you that not taking this way out might put you on a road that would take forever and a half to get out of.

And so, you stretch your shoulders and feign a yawn. "Yeah... I am pretty tired after all of that. Maybe another time, though?"

"Aww... okay! I'll be waiting!" she tells you with a bright smile.

You swear you hear some sort of squeaky toy go off nearby at just the moment her lips curl up. The combination of said squeak and her bright smile almost gives you a sugar-filled heart attack from the adorableness.

You internally shake the thoughts from your head. You're a man, dammit! Well... horse, dammit! But close enough, all things considered!

As her mom helps her out of the kitchen, the father claps his hoof to his face in embarrassment. "Oh, where are our manners?! All this, and we haven't even introduced ourselves, yet!"

You turn to face him, and he offers another hoof to shake. "I'm Carrot Cake. My wife's name is Cup Cake. The little mischief makers you saw were Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake."

You shake his hoof and smile again. "It is good to meet you all. My name... well... I do not know my name."

He brings a concerned hoof up to his mouth. "Don't know your name? Friend, are you suffering from Amnesia?!"

Unsure of the condition he said, but likely having a good guess, you sigh, shrugging your shoulders. "I do not know... it is complicated to explain, but... I was found by Limestone, and her family. They took care of me for a few months. They taught me Equish. I am still learning, though. Still learning a lot."

He frowns a bit, before nodding his head and placing a hoof on your shoulder. "Hmm... believe it or not, I can relate to that. You know, I was actually born and raised in Neighran. Had to learn Equish from Neighsi at the age of thirteen, which was not a Cake Walk. Instead of reading left to right, we read from right to left over there. Then there was the dialect, the word differences... and a few other details you might not be interested in hearing."

You didn't quite catch a few of those words, but you get the basic gist of it. So it seems he was a bit like you for a time... out of place, with a speech barrier blocking the way.

He looks over at the doorway to the Main Lobby, and nods towards it. "To be honest, I was surprised that my wife understood some of it. Turns out, she was studying Neighsi at the time, so that she could help her parents cater there... and so, she helped me translate what I couldn't understand. Before long, we both became great friends, and taught each other our own Native Languages. In the end, though, we stuck to Equish once we got married. Figured it would be best, since it's the most common language here."

You rub your chin in thought. "So there are multiple languages in this world... good to know. Might have to read up on it later, if I ever plan to explore a bit..."

Both of your attention is drawn to the front door, where Mrs. Cake is standing.

"Excuse me, dearies? I'd hate to interrupt, but Pinkie and Limestone are looking for their friend, now." she says.

You playfully roll your eyes and nod your head. "Thank you, Miss Cake."

She nods her head back at you and the two of them wave. "Don't worry, she ain't much angrier than usual!"

"Well, that's reassuring..." you deadpan in your mind, but you wear a smile for a mask and wave back at them, before making your way towards the stairway.

However, the two Pie Sisters are already walking down, with Limestone glaring daggers at you.

"Where the heck didja go?!" she demands.

You shrug your shoulders, smiling sheepishly at her. "Help-ing."

This makes her pause for a moment, before looking away, deadpanning. "... Oh." Then she glares back at you, and you notice her cheeks flushing redder. "W-well let us know, next time, Doofus! N-not that I was w-worried, or nothin'!"

Pinkie, however, giggles and puts her hooves on her cheeks. "Oh, she was totally worried! You should've seen the look on her face!"

"Pinkie, I will slug you." Limestone deadpans at her.

She doesn't feel threatened by her sister's threat, however, and casually bounces down the stairs, landing just a few feet away from you.

You step back a bit, caught off-guard by her speed and close proximity.

"Anyways, so Limey and I are on our way to the Marketplace! Then we're gonna go on a detour around the town, maybe do some sightseeing, play some Carnival Games, head to the Arcade, and watch a Movie! Wanna come with us?"

"And again, I do not know a single word she says... is she speaking that language Mr. Cake spoke?!" you think to yourself.

"I-" you begin, but Limestone already grabs you by the arm and drags you along.

"Wait... wasn't she just at the stairway?! How did-"

"Don't be silly, Pinkie Pie! Of course he's comin' with us! Why else would I have brought 'em here?!" she asks, as the three of you make your way towards the Front Door.

Pinkie giggles, looking at Limestone with half-lidded eyes. "Oh, I can think of some reasons why you brought 'em here!~"

"Oh yeah?! Well... s-shut up!" Limestone squeaks, as she begins glowing beet red.

"Umm... what does she-" you begin.

"Oh, well would you look at that?! Literally ANYTHING that's NOT this conversation right now! Let's go check it out!" Limestone says, picking up the pace, and dragging you along with her.

You can't help but shake the feeling that things are about to get... interesting, to say the least.

Author's Note

Well, folks... it looks like we're at it again! I know, it's not as many words as the last chapter. Not by a LONG shot... but hear me out for a bit!

I had a lot more words in the chapter prior, with even more planned out... but then, an idea hit me!

What if we ended December 2020, and started January 2021, with an entire Arc dedicated to the famous town that started the show off, instead of just one long chapter, which would then be followed with the everyday life at the Rock Farm?

And so, I did some cutting and altering here, some brainstorming there, and next thing we know, BAM! We've got our first actual Major Arc for the story, which will contain at LEAST five chapters dedicated to Ponyville!

Please note that there could be more, though! It really depends on several factors, such as how things go with the presentation, if I can find more shenanigans to throw in our characters' paths, and a few other details here and there! (It is Ponyville, after all, so finding some crazy, bizarre, over-the-top disaster isn't really that hard to think of.)

So here's the basic draft idea I have for these segments (don't worry, they're spoiler-free, and mostly just rough drafts as far as details are concerned!):

Segment 1. We are here at the moment... or rather, we just passed this one. It's the Opening Segment for the Ponyville Arc, where we set things into motion, and get the characters and events into their positions!

Segment 2. The Buildup Segment. When things seem to be going smoothly, with a few minor moments here and there that throw things off the usual routine, and/or building up for the next Segment.

Segment 3. The Shenanigans Segment. When things start spiraling out of control. Usually what shouldn't happen... kinda-sorta happens here. Issues, some action, adventure, craziness, and hijinks... yeah, those usually go in this segment. Because we're still early in the story, this one won't be too over-the-top. I think we'll go with an almost fairly balanced amount of 'Escalated Insanity' and 'Close Calls'.

Segment 4. The Resolve Segment. The end of the Shenanigans. The moment where the challenges are overcome, for better or for worse!

Segment 5. The Return Segment. Probably as short as 1, if not shorter. It's basically recapping what happened, and our heroes' return to their home over in the Rock Farm.

Note that these "Segments" aren't completely written in stone, and feats from other segments will intertwine within others, but the general plan for them is, for the most part, the Segments' Themes.

Following the Major Arc will be quite a few smaller-sized filler chapters before the next Major Arc. This way, if I need a break from the "MAJOR" events, I can use the fillers to break some of the ice... maybe even build up the relationship between our Protagonist and his grumpy gal-pal? :heart:

Oh, and before anyone asks... no. This isn't the only time we'll visit Ponyville. Expect it to be revisited again at a few more points in the story, along with other places we visit as well!

Welcome to Ponyville! ( 2 / 5 )

Author's Note

WARNING!

This chapter will cover the "Darker" side of the "Drama" tag. I would've actually given the story a "Dark" tag for it, but 3 Blue Tags is the limit, so you'll just have to take this note as your fair warning.

Brace yourselves, because it's about to get really damn intense. I'll go ahead and say that you're going to get very, very uncomfortable, and the situation might even get your blood boiling to the point of feeling genuine anger, hatred, and a huge wave of sadness for the character in question.

But remember! This is from a Past Event that will, eventually, lead into a silver lining that's already occurred in the present, with even greater things planned further into the story!

Rest assured, no matter how Dark and Grim things get, there's a lot more good things headed their way!

And with that off my chest... I hope y'all enjoy the new chapter!

On a side-note, who else is tired of every Human-in-Equestria's taste buds being blown away by nothing more than a simple APPLE all the time? Hell no! We're HUMANS, dammit! Either a fine, juicy burger wins your taste buds, or you ain't even a proper human! :twilightangry2:

... 'Tis a joke, please don't leave. :fluttercry:

Welcome to Ponyville! ( 2 / 5 )

"So let me get this straight..." Pinkie begins as she, Limestone, and you sit at the table in front of, what they referred to as, the "Hay Burger".

"... You mean to tell me that they wouldn't let him go with you, despite you giving them the all-clear?!" she concludes.

Limestone sighs, nodding her head. "Yes, Pinkie. Because he doesn't have a name, he doesn't have a record to look through for any background checks."

Pinkie slaps her hooves on the table, frustrated a bit. "But that shouldn't matter if he has the approval of a Noble!"

You raise an eyebrow at her. "No... bull?" you mutter, trying to figure out the meaning, and the enunciation.

Limestone sighs, looking over at you. "Noble. It's one of the higher classes in the Equestrian Hierarchy."

"Hold on a sec... I don't know most of those words, but if she means 'Classes' as in 'Social Classes'... and she's a Higher Up... does that mean I've been living with Nobles?!"

Your eyes slowly widen as the realization starts to dawn on you. You point at Limestone and ask, "So wait... you are a Noble?!"

She rolls her eyes and nods. "For the most part, yeah. Why?"

You think back on how she's literally living in a Rock Farm.

"Umm... how?" you ask.

She motions towards Pinkie, who seems to brighten back up after being pointed at. "You remember how I said Pinkie and Maud got out more than I ever did?"

You nod your head. "Yes."

"Well the thing is, Pinkie is actually a part of the Council of Friendship, which is a group of the highest ranking officials. She sits with Equestria's princess, herself, and has a say in diplomacy, public relations, as well as many other things. That, plus she helps teach at the School of Friendship, and on occasions, she'd help with Friendship Problems that sometimes stretch out to the point of neighboring kingdoms being added to our list of allies."

It takes a bit of time for you to understand the meaning behind her words, but with a bit of dumbing-down and retelling, you understand much more clearly. This understanding, however, brings up more questions.

"Wait, so... how does that make you Noble?" you ask her.

She smirks, raising a hoof up. "Good question, Doofus! You see, the truth is, we were already Higher Class Citizens before she became a Council Member."

"You were?"

She nods her head. "Well, yeah! Rock Farming involves a lot of hard work, but it goes a bit deeper than just selling pretty gems at a market. Magic Gems are also among our list of resources, and those are usually transported to the Crown for imbedding into armors and weapons for the Equestrian Military, as well as our allies that request them. With such a high demand, and responsibilities that could mark the safety of our homes, Rock Farmers from all around have been deemed the Working Class among Nobles, which is a step above being a Higher-Class Citizen."

She then motions towards Pinkie again. "With Pinkie's promotion as a Council Member, though, that also boosted our ranks tremendously, because she's tied in with our family."

You rub your chin in thought. "But wait... if you have that much power under your hoof... why did they not let us take the train by your request?"

Limestone sighs, leaning against her hooves on the table. "Well, to tell you the truth, it's mostly because of a law that was signed into effect a little over a year ago."

"A... law?" you ask.

"Basically, it's a law that forbids anyone without an identity to use the trains, and any other forms of transportation. Normally, they'd have to be turned in to the guards for questioning, but thankfully that part can be alleviated if someone with a certified identity is in their presence, and vouches for them. But even still, the ones without the identity can't use transportation regardless of rank and certification of their vouching party."

You raise an eyebrow. "That sounds... weird. Why would that be a law?"

"I know it's odd at first glance, but then you have to consider all the stuff that happened two years ago, and the three years prior to that."

"What happened then?" you ask her.

"We were attacked by threats beyond any of our control. Calamity after calamity, we were hit with three years of relentless terror. Figures once thought to be old legends, myths, and pony tales, all made a move that nearly cost us Equestria. Hostile Kingdoms attacked us during our most vulnerable times - some even managing to overthrow the Crown for a moment. But then, when the third year hit, and we thought everything was finally over... the greatest of our threats teamed up, manipulated the entire population against each other... and almost cost us the entire world."

"... Huh." you ponder. "Despite the colorful atmosphere, this world seems to have a lot of dark history in it. Sure it's got its dangers, but now I guess we should add hostile factions onto the list..."

"Yeah... but thankfully, my sister and her friends were always there to take a stand against these threats. Because of their bravery, the bond they share with their friends and family, and their undying faith in each other, they prevailed, and defeated any and all obstacles in their paths. And if they couldn't, they still helped secure our safety by bringing together those who did manage to defend us."

You smile a bit, nodding towards Pinkie in silent approval. It makes her rub the back of her mane slightly bashfully, and she blushes a bit at the attention.

Then Limestone sighs, gaining your attention once more. "But even with all that said and done, we didn't exactly get the 'Happily Ever After' ending that we all wanted. Sure, the threats might be gone now, and the peace was restored for the most part. However, the fear still lingers in the back of our minds - even to this day. We might see a bunch of smiles and waves from our neighbors, but deep down, we know that they are still worried about what tomorrow might bring. After all, if simple rumors and gossip were able to cause massive distrust among the citizens, even to the point of breaking families apart, then how easy would it be for the next threat to make their move?"

You ponder this for a moment. Silence fills the table for about ten seconds, before she continues.

"And when they do make their move, will we even be able to fight back against it?"

"Hmm... that is a good point." you say, before looking over at Pinkie again. Then you smile at her. "But I think we can still win, if another threat comes."

Pinkie smiles back at you, before patting Limestone on the shoulder. "Yeah! And don't forget, Twilight and I, plus our friends, will keep on fighting to the end! Plus our students, the Pillars of Old, and, like, the rest of Equestria! And don't forget, we've also got a lot more support from our neighbors as well!"

Limestone rolls her eyes and smirks. "Yeah yeah, I know."

Your ears perk up a bit at the sound of the door bell ringing. You turn around, and notice a stallion in a red vest and white t-shirt approaching your table, wearing a strange-looking backpiece that holds three trays.

He places the trays in front of the three of you before excusing himself to the restaurant again.

You blink at the tray, or more specifically, the contents on it. It looks like a hamburger, but with a patty made up entirely of grilled hay. On another tray is a load of horseshoe-shaped crackers, and to top it all off, a bunch of fries... also made of hay, by the looks of it.

By the time you remove the toothpick from the burger, you hear the sound of crunching and munching ahead of you. Looking up, you find that Pinkie Pie has already, literally, thrown her head onto the tray, and is now eating the food ravenously.

Her sister, Limestone, is just holding her own burger up, and has already taken her first bite of it. Her eyes are closed, and she seems to be a bit more graceful than her sister... and possibly lost in her own world.

You look back down at the burger and imitate Limestone's hoof motions; picking up the burger with your hooves on each side. To be honest, you're used to the flavor of soups, the crunch of those cinnamon nuts, and that one chip Limestone threw at you earlier (waste not, want not, right?). You almost feel overly eager to try out your first Equestrian Burger.

When it's finally in your grasp, you bring it up to your mouth, and take a quick smell of the steam wafting from it. It's... perhaps one of the most delicious things you've ever smelled. Now all the more eager, you open your mouth, lean in, and take a bite.

...

Bliss. Absolute perfection. Your breath is immediately taken from your lungs, as the succulent, juicy flavor of the hay patty goes through your taste buds, merged with the dill pickles, the cheese, the tomatoes, the ketchup, the mustard, and the variety of spices used to grant it a unique, spicy yet salty flavor.

If Heaven were on bread, no doubt you've just found the gateway to it.

There is no shame felt for the moaning sound you make as you take yet another bite out of the Divine Creation that resembles one of your old favorites back on Earth... almost suspiciously so. But all suspicions and cares are thrown out the window as you continue to eat the first burger you've had in... who knows how long.

You're so lost in your own little world that you just barely hear Pinkie giggle at her sister. She leans closer to her, and raises a hoof up to her mouth, whispering something to Limestone.

"Careful, Limey! Looks like you might have some competition for your coltfriend!"

Limestone deadpans at her and gulps down her own bite. "Pinkie, he ain't my coltfriend! And I seriously doubt if I'd be topped by some stupid burger!"

As they continue to speak to each other, you simply savor the moment. You barely even touch the fries until the burger is completely gone.

The rest of the meal goes... relatively quickly. After the burger, though, you feel immensely satisfied.

"So, what are the plans for today?" you eventually ask, once you've regained your composure. The three of you just recently finished with your meals, and are now just casually strolling through the Marketplace.

Limestone looks around, and hums. "Hmm... well first thing's first. We might have to figure out what to do about all the attention we're gathering."

You raise an eyebrow before following her gaze. Sure enough, you've noticed that numerous eyes are looking your way. Perhaps the height?

It occurs to you that you're a horse, but it hasn't been up until this point, when you've noticed just how few of the locals stack up even close to your height!

No doubt about it. You're drawing in way too much attention... and it's concerning.

"I really don't want to hog all the attention, when this day is about Limestone and her sister."

Pinkie places a hoof on Limestone's shoulder and giggles. "Don't worry, Limey! I might have an idea that could help!"

You look over at her and she, in return, meets with your gaze.

"Hey, Nonners!"

"Oh, heck no!!" Limestone interjects. "That name's even worse!"

Pinkie scoffs. "Pfft! Well Limey's coltfriend, what do you say about a quick makeover?"

Limestone blushes at her words, and she glares at her. "P-Pinkie! For the love of Feldspar, he ain't my-"

But she's quickly silenced when Pinkie stuffs a cupcake in her mouth, much to her displeasure.

"Wait, where did she get that cupcake from?"

You also feel a bit concerned about not knowing what she's talking about. And so, you tell her, "I do not know. What is your plan?"

She motions towards a large building that has a simple, five-letter word over it. However, when translated from Equish, it means "Spa"... which you do not know the meaning of, just yet.

As soon as she brings you and Limestone inside, though, you immediately pick up the idea, and blush a bit.

"Is this place for mares?" you ask Pinkie questioningly, and she simply giggles.

"It's for anyone, silly!" she replies, as a pair of mares approach you two.

The mares begin speaking to your party, but their accents are so heavy, you can't quite understand what they're saying. Thankfully, though, Pinkie does the talking for you.

"Heya, Aloe! Lotus! My friend here needs the Dragon Scale Special, please!"

They nod their heads and voice out their response, while Limestone looks at her suspiciously.

"Hey, wait a minute! That one ain't even on the menu! The hay are you doing with him?!" she asks, leaning a bit closer to you.

You blink owlishly, now feeling a bit more nervous at whatever you're getting yourself into.

The mares voice their assurances to Limestone, who in turn, peers at them questioningly. "Well, why not ask if he wants that treatment, first?!"

They then look at you and ask... whatever they're asking.

You just look at them like they're crazy, before turning to Limestone. "I... do not understand their words."

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "Ugh... figures. Okay, look. They want to take you to a bathtub, and wash you up with some herbs. They say it 'relaxes your muscles beyond normal measures', without doing anything to your strength... or something like that."

"Oh... well that doesn't sound too bad, I guess. And besides that, I don't even remember having a proper bath, yet... jeez, I must smell like a sewer at this point!"

You then relax a bit more and nod your head, smiling at them. "If that is true, then yes. That would be really good. Thank you."

They seem pleased by your response, while Limestone glares at them with great suspicion. Her eyes keep focused on them, even as they bring you into the back room.

The pink one bring a small cloth up to your head and tells you something, while motioning towards the cloth... perhaps something along the line of "Please smell this."

Curious, you give the cloth a smell. It smells a bit like lavender. Maybe with a hint of berries? And something else... something you can't quite wrap your head around. You lean into the rag a bit more and smell it again.

"Huh. So why does this seem suspiciously familiar? Almost like those mystery novels and shows. Person pulls out a suspicious white rag and brings it up to the victim's nose to... wait, holy crap! THIS IS A CHLOROFORMED RAG!"

You immediately jerk your head back... big mistake. All of a sudden, the world around you blurs quickly, and your head rapidly spins. You could barely even let out a questioning grunt, before everything fades to black.

Meanwhile, Pinkie and Limestone are brought into the room opposite of yours, as they're lead by the blue twin.

"Only ze best hooves shall tend to your friend, I assure you!" she assures Limestone, who's still looking behind her back at the door closing behind her friend, who simply follows the pink twin blindly out of sight.

"They better!" she warns her.

Pinkie gently pats her worried sister on the back, drawing her attention to her, instead. "Don't worry, sis! My friends and I always come here to relax! Especially after a long, stressful trip! He's in good, capable hooves."

As they are set on the Massage Tables, Limestone keeps her focus on Pinkie. "Well, they better not get any funny ideas about either me or the big Doofus in there! And NO HAPPY ENDINGS!"

They both visibly relax much, much more when the masseuses start working on their backs. Limestone, especially, is now lost in her own world, and all the worries begin to fade into the back of her mind.

In the middle of their therapy, Pinkie looks over at Limestone again, and smiles. "So how's the farm doing?"

Limestone, with her eyes closed, mumbles. "Mmm... it's alright."

"Good, good... and Ma and Pa?"

"They're making it." Limestone says between relaxed sighs.

Pinkie's expression then turns a bit more serious. "And is Marble okay?"

"Yeah... why?" Limestone cracks an eye open, and turns to face Pinkie.

"Well... about a month ago, I got a letter from her. She... told me that there was a fight in the Marketplace. She then told me that, whatever happens, don't worry about her."

Limestone rolls her eyes and closes them again. "Ugh... I'm gonna have a nice, long talk with her about keeping that figurative mouth of hers shut... but look, everything's fine, alright? The situation was resolved, we get to keep our home, and our family remains strong. Stronger now, since we've got a new, unexpected member of the family."

Limestone doesn't even realize it, but Pinkie quickly notices. A small, feint grin forms on Limestone's lips as she mentions the last part of her sentence.

And Pinkie starts to giggle at this revelation. This makes Limestone look her way again, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm? What is it, Pinkie?"

Pinkie waves a dismissive hoof at her. "Oh, nothing!~"

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, the only times you giggle at nothing is either when you're gassy, or when something's on your mind."

Then Pinkie decides to break the ice. "Admit it, Limey! You have a crush on him, don't you?!"

"N-no! I-I mean..." Limestone begins to stammer, as her cheeks burn even brighter, now. "S-shut up!"

Pinkie only giggles even more. "Oh come on, silly! Why don't you at least give him a chance?"

Limestone groans, planting her face on the bed. "Ugh... Pinkie Pie, I swear..."

A few moments of silence passes, save for Pinkie's occasional giggle and sigh from the masseuse's work.

Then, Limestone looks over at her, a bit less flustered, but with a more serious expression. "It's not that simple, Pinkie. In case you don't remember, I'm not some 'Cheesy Romance' type. I prefer the type of colt that has an honest heart, a good backbone, and the drive to keep moving, even if things look beyond their control. Most importantly, I prefer someone who could look past me being... myself."

She shy's a bit from the last word, and her ears droop down. It's true, she has an attitude. She'd openly admit it to anyone that, if they push her, she'll gladly shove them right back at ten times their original push.

She's also one who repays favors, as her Pa raised her to be. As the age-old saying goes: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. You scratch too hard, and I snap your neck."

...

In other words, she's a mare true to her word, yet not the most pleasant company to have around.

And she knows this.

But deep down, she's a mare. And not just your average mare, but a very, very vulnerable mare who built a spiked wall around herself to protect those vulnerabilities from a cruel, heartless world coated in sugar and sweets. She knows that, if she doesn't uphold a strong image, the world would try exploiting her and, most importantly, her family, if not for their weaknesses, then for their Political Status, alone.

Her Ma and Pa are getting dangerously close to retirement. Marble is always in dire need, because of a mistake that almost cost either of them their life.

She needs to keep being strong, if not for her own sake, then for theirs.

And yet, despite every safeguard she made, there were two colts in her life that ever managed to break through the spiked walls around her - one by complete accident, and the other by extorting her sister's weakness, alongside her former feelings, to his own advantage.

"What about that colt from school? You know... the one you had that major crush on?" Pinkie asks.

Limestone rolls her eyes and groans. "Oh, please. We were just fillies then. And besides, now he's nowhere near what I'd even call a Stallion! Heck, he hasn't even been a bother for about a month, now!"

This makes Pinkie hum, thinking deeply. "Is it because of that fight that happened?"

Limestone's ears perk up a bit. She decides not to answer, though. "Look, let's just... enjoy this day, and not worry about those kinds of things, alright?"

"Okie dokie, Lokie!" Pinkie says in her chipper tone. She then relaxes a lot more, as the masseuse finds yet another tender muscle to knead.

As Limestone's eyes close, though, she begins to have flashbacks on that day. More importantly, what could've happened, had her Doofus friend not intervened.

After all, as she unwillingly told her parents... it wasn't the first time he made a move on her like that.

What she managed to keep from everyone, though... was that it wasn't even the worst thing he did to her. A simple kiss was just a slap on the wrist to the scars he left on her.

About Two Months Ago...

It is yet another boring day in the Marketplace. Limestone remains as one of the few ponies left in the area, as she had a lot of gems to repack, and nobody to help her with it during the Marketing Hours.

Now, she's currently on the last box when, inevitably, the rain starts to fall. Looking up at the sky, she groans at her horrible luck and slams her forehead against the table.

"Ugh... of course it would start raining before I finish packing! For the love of Feldspar, can it get any worse?!"

"Well, look who it is!~" comes an annoyingly familiar voice.

She plants a hoof onto her face. "Okay, I'll take the blame for that one, but for buck's sake, that phrase needs to be condemned from all languages!"

"What do you want, Flint?" she asks him, rolling her eyes. She already knows the answer, but still has to play his little game.

He approaches her and smiles almost too brightly. "Oh, you know. I saw a mare in need of some help, and figured I'd be a gentlecolt, and help her!"

She scoffs. "Pfft. Well give whoever that mare is my condolences, then."

His smile slightly falters a bit. "Oh come on, Limey, don't be like that! You should smile like your little sister more!~"

"Smile like Pinkie Pie? Flint, you'd have a harder time finding anyone in the world who can come close to that!"

"Oh, come on, I'm just trying to lighten the mood, Limey! Why can't you be happy for once in your life?" he badgers on.

She rolls her eyes at him. "I can be happy whenever I want. But right now, I don't want to be happy! I just want to be at home, relaxing in bed, reading a good book, and not giving a crap about the drama and political bull that happens in the rest of the world!"

He walks a bit closer to her, until he's just a few feet away from her. "Eh, that's fair... but maybe, you'd be happier if you had, say... a real stallion in your life to help brighten your mood every day? After all, two of your sisters already have one, and you see how well they're doing!~" Flint then wiggles his eyebrows suggestively at her.

She deadpans and picks up the last box on the table, ignoring eye contact. Then, after placing it on the wagon, she smiles sarcastically at him. "You know what? Yes, I'd be very, very happy if I had a real stallion in my life! So tell you what... since you're so interested in my love life, why don't you use those all-seeing eyes of yours, and find a real stallion for me?"

"Hahaha! Oh, you and your jokes... okay, okay. I'll just go on about my day... after I get my good luck kiss from you, of course!~" he says, leaning closer to her, and puckering his lips.

She growls at him angrily and pushes his face back with a hoof. "Or you can go suck an egg, you creep. Actually, no. That egg would probably be scarred for life if you did."

He only brushes her hooves away and leans closer.

She groans, before closing her eyes. "Guess there's really no other choice... -sigh-... the things I do for the family."

Then she leans in and gives him a quick peck on the lips, before pulling her head back and spitting on the ground, wiping her lips with her foreleg.

"Ugh... there, now buzz off!" she orders... but he opens his eyes and deadpans at her.

"Oh, come on, we're adults now. You know that wasn't a real kiss!"

She glares back at him. "It's a lot more real than you and I being a couple! Now again, you got your kiss, so go away!"

His deadpan soon becomes a glare. He lifts a hoof up and forces her to look at him. "Oh, really now? Well here, let me show you a real kiss!"

She yelps in shock as he forces his mouth onto hers. Her eyes widen, and her pupils turn to pinpricks, as she feels his tongue start to force its way into her mouth, almost making her gag.

Despite the shock, though, her anger intensifies. She's had enough of this foolish colt, and it's about time he learned his manners!

And so, she lowers her tongue, allowing him entrance. When she feels his tongue brushing up over her own, she bites down. Hard.

He squeals loudly and pulls his head back, but finds his tongue stuck between her teeth.

She's very tempted to bite even deeper, but she quickly decides against it. After all, his father might not be too happy about his son losing his tongue, regardless of how much of an asshole he really is.

That, plus she mostly just wants that disgusting tongue of his out of her mouth as quickly as possible.

So, she releases him from her grasp, and he covers his mouth with a hoof. She notices tears falling from his eyes, and feels a pang of pride in her heart... until he starts glaring at her.

"You..." he mutters within his hoof.

She glares back at him. "Now back away from me before-"

Before she could finish her sentence, though, he swings his hoof across her left cheek. The force sends her stumbling into the table, where her snout bashes against it.

She falls onto the ground, gripping her bleeding nostrils with her hoof, as tears now start to fall from her eyes.

"Gah!" she cries out, before opening her eyes, now bent to the point of dismissing all safeguards, and turning this colt into a mare.

"You just struck a mare, you stupid foal!" she shouts at him through grit teeth, as she shakily makes her way back onto three hooves, with the fourth still over her nostrils.

He spits on the ground, harrumphing. "Yes... and you just sealed the fate of that mute sister of yours!"

"You better not do anything to Marble!" Limestone threatens, but he chuckles.

"Oh, I'm not doing anything to her! In fact, I'm not doing anything for her, either!"

Then, the realization dawns onto her. Her senses once again find their way back into her mind, and she realizes that, despite how much she hates him, and having to do anything with him... her sister's life is still, technically, just as much in his hooves as it is, hers.

He turns around and lifts his nose up in the air. "You can consider our families' contract... terminated!"

As he takes a single step away from her, though, she reaches a hoof out for him. "W-wait!"

He stops, and turns his head towards her.

Her ears droop down, and she falls onto her haunches. She closes her eyes, and just lets the tears fall from them freely. "I'm... I-I'm sorry, okay?! I'll... I'll let you kiss me however the buck you want! Just please... please don't terminate that contract! It's... i-it's what's keeping Marble alive!"

He glares at her and fully turns back around to face her. "You honestly think I care about your mute little sister?! You think I care about the life of someone who doesn't care about me? About what my family does for them?! It's been nearly twelve years, and all I've been asking for is a simple little kiss from you!"

"I-I know, but-" Limestone begins, but he lifts a hoof up to interrupt her.

"And if you want to talk statistics, the value that the Stalagmite Fields your father gave us have diminished over these past few years! As it turns out, more competitors have risen into the market, and we've been cutting our losses! We're losing more money than we're making, all because we ship those Gossamer Potions to your family!"

Limestone looks away from him, frowning.

"And you know what we've been doing?! We've been ignoring those statistics, because we took pity on your pathetic little family! All I simply asked for... was to be acknowledged and respected for our sacrifices we've made for you!"

Limestone glares back at him. "Yeah, well in case you forgot, Pa made sure to put a good word in for your family, so that they could raise from the Middle Class into the Higher Ups! Without my family's help, do you even realize what would've happened to your family?! Just five years ago, when the Apples and Buffalos made peace, the market values for their products spiked way up, and tourists began to arrive by the masses! Had it not been for your family's notoriety back then, you wouldn't have had those Stalagmite Gems to sell at their Marketplace, and your family's reputation would've just been stomped out completely! And that's being generous enough to say they wouldn't have vanished into obscurity before then!"

Flint rubs his chin in thought, before a smile starts to form on his mouth. "You know... you do raise a good point there!" He chuckles, and steps a little closer to her, making her take a step back.

"Oh, how silly of me to overlook such a simple detail! We do owe your family a lot... but still, there's something you forgot to mention!"

Her back bumps into the wagon, and she lowers back down to her haunches, as he leans closer to her ear.

"We wouldn't even be here if it weren't for your little... accident."

She glares at him, and pushes him away. "You know what?! Fine, then! I've had it with your crap!" She stands back up, and leans closer to him. "Go ahead and cut the contract! We'll just find another source, and have your family reported for Unlicensed Alchemy, and Extortion!"

He then laughs, before leaning closer to her. "Oh, really? Alright, then! But be warned, we'll simply drag your family down with us!"

"W-what do you mean?!" Limestone asks, now sounding a bit more uncertain.

"What I mean is, I won't break the contract physically. I'll just show the guards that arrest us the fine print your father wrote on it. You know... the acquisition of Ill-Gotten Goods, with prior knowledge of its origins!"

And again, her ears fold back. "Wait... h-he signed a physical contract with them?! I-I thought he said they simply shook hooves!"

"Let's see... a little over twelve years' worth of Illegal Trade makes for quite a hefty time in prison... perhaps without bail, too! And let's not forget the blemish on your family's reputation that would go with it! If illegal trading is on your family's record, then who'd trust anything sold from them in the Marketplace, knowing they might not even be legally owned, themselves? Even if you don't get dragged with your 'Pa', you'd have quite a lot of difficulty selling a pebble here in the Marketplace the moment word gets out!"

He places a hoof on her chest, and leans closer to where his eyes are just inches away from hers. "Face it... both of our families are as deep in this Rabbit Hole as the other, with our hooves cuffed together! So if one of us falls, you can bet your sweet flank the other's going down with it!"

And with that, he backs away from her, while she looks down, placing her left hoof over her chest where his hoof was. The blood from her nostrils doesn't seem to be flowing out as quickly as it was prior.

Then he hums, before gently placing a hoof under her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "So... are we on the same page here, now?"

She sniffles a bit and nods her head silently.

"Good... now, follow me." he says, motioning for her to follow him.

She doesn't even argue. She does as instructed, leaving her cart behind.

They make their way over to a secluded corner of the town, and enter an alleyway where there's less rain falling.

He then pushes her into a wall and blocks her path with his forehooves. "Now, then... let's try this again, shall we?"

She gulps, before nodding her head. She closes her eyes, and puckers her lips, while he forces his mouth back over hers. This time, though, she lets his tongue brush up against hers, and refuses to bite down.

"J-just think of your family, Limestone! J-just do it for them!" she keeps telling herself in her mind, ignoring the tears falling from her eyes, the horrible, horrible taste in her mouth, and the physical abuse from the colt that has her pinned to the wall.

Finally, though, about two long, painfully arduous minutes pass, before he breaks for air.

She says nothing, and makes an attempt to step past his left foreleg, but he lowers it down, blocking her path. She looks at him questioningly.

"W-what?! I-I g-gave you that s-stupid kiss, now!" she tells him.

...

But he grins darkly at her. "Yes... but after biting my tongue last time, I think I deserve a... proper apology."

"I-I said I was sorry!" Limestone argues.

He shakes his head and leans closer to her again, so that their eyes are just inches apart. "No... sorry is just a word. Like you, I'm more of an 'actions over words' type."

"Actions over... the buck do you want me to do?!" she demands.

Then, her ears fold back as his right hoof starts brushing against her shoulder. He brings it up to her chin, and squints his eyes suggestively at her.

"You've got soft lips, a sweet tongue, and a strong body." He leans closer to her right ear, and whispers. "I want you to use that sweet mouth of yours in another way."

Her cheeks immediately flush, and her heart rate spikes up. "Y-you can't seriously mean-"

He lifts his hoof over her lips, silencing her. "I know your parents would hunt me down if I took your delicate flower... so just think of it as a simple alternative... at least, until after marriage."

Her stomach nearly heaves at just the thought of, not only the marriage, but what he's suggesting. She glares at him, silently praying deep in the back of her mind for a guard or someone - anyone - to just step into the alleyway to put an end to this torture.

But it's raining, it's turning dark, and she knows that nobody's there except the two of them. She knew he had a sick mind. She knew he was leading her into this alleyway because it's one of, if not the least used corner that anyone takes, and that he would use it to force himself onto her.

And yet, she was caught unprepared with just how low he had sunk. Up until this point, she only regretted having a crush on him back in school... but now, when his intentions are made clear, she regrets even looking at him to begin with.

"Think of your family, Limestone... think of Marble's life!" she repeats to herself in her mind.

He lifts his hoof up to the top of her mane, and starts to push her down. "Come on, Limey... it'll only be a few minutes!~"

She closes her eyes. She tries her hardest to resist him. It would be easy just to kick him between his hind legs, which now boasts a bit more weight between them... it would be much more enjoyable to watch this bastard curled against the ground, crying like a foal, while she runs and gets the guards after him.

But then, Marble's life is on the line. If she doesn't submit to him... Marble wouldn't be able to last a single night without bleeding out from the inside.

And so, completely defeated, Limestone closes her eyes, and lowers to the ground. The pungent smell already hits her nostrils, and she feels ready to vomit.

"Open up, Limey... do it for your family! Show me that you really do have a heart in there!~" he teases.

She whimpers, as tears fall from her eyes. Then... hesitantly, she opens her mouth, and braces herself for the inevitable.

About an hour has passed since Flint left her lying in the alleyway; her spirit now completely broken, and her purity ruined. True to his word, he didn't do anything that would risk impregnating her... he didn't even dare approach her in that general area. His only focus was her mouth... but that didn't make the horrible incident any less humiliating, painful, and downright traumatizing.

She's been lying there, crying her eyes out, and letting the rain wash over her, without daring to open her eyes. Limestone can barely even stand without the shame running through her head. Her mental state is beyond repair, and she knows that her dreams will be filled with nightmares... nightmares that she prays neither Princess Twilight, nor Luna, ever finds.

"But at least Marble... lives to see another day."

She slowly regains her composure, and manages to stand back up. Then she nods her head, sighing deeply.

"I-I'd do... a-anything for you, M-Marble... a-anything..." she whispers.

When she goes back to the Marketplace to collect the wagon, however, she frowns. It's been looted, and the wheels have been destroyed. She doesn't even have to guess who might've done this, just to rub salt in her wounds.

She also notices a ticket taped onto it, where a guard must've fined her for leaving it in the Market well past the time it should've been cleaned.

And so, without being able to bring the wagon home, she decides to leave the Marketplace empty-hooved. She'd have to formulate some excuse to her Pa, and make extra sure he doesn't find out what horrors transpired.

She knows what he would do. And most of all, she fears what consequences would transpire if he succeeds. Her family would crumble to pieces.

Then another thought crosses her mind... she needs to wash the blood off her face, and get that horrible taste out of her mouth. She rushes to the side of the road, and finds a puddle deep enough to where she can dip her head into it. Begrudgingly, she forces some of the muddy water into her mouth and gags at the horrible texture, before spitting it out. She then wipes the muddy water over her face to wash as much of the tears and blood from it as she could... but then, she looks at her reflection in the water.

She sees her broken form, her disheveled and soaked mane, and her burning red eyes. Then her mind, once again, goes back to the previous hour, and her hooves start to shake.

Finally, the sheer pressure of everything, her built up anxiety, and the memories of her horrible encounter, sided with the even worse taste that still lingers in her mouth, is enough to pull her over the edge. She firmly grips onto her mouth and tries her best to hold everything in... but the building pressure in her throat only worsens things, and she's eventually forced to lean over the puddle, once again defeated by the inevitable.

Her lunch torrents out of her mouth, as she pukes out the liquids from her lunch, and the thin streams of Flint's seed that made its way into her system. The sheer pain in her sore throat only worsens the effects, as more and more bile flushes out of her system.

She cries as the horrific image of Flint's smiling face burns into her mind like a branding iron singed deeply into her brain. The nightmare fuel of his heartless gaze, as he forced himself into her in ways she never would've agreed to, even if she actually did care about him. His obnoxious laughter as he taunted her in her submissive way... the absolute embarrassment of being dominated by a scumbag worse than what a soldier would scrape off their boots in a swamp.

But worst of all... the sheer helplessness, and the hopeless feelings she had through it all - knowing that nobody would be able to save her from her ill fate.

When her stomach is finally cleared up, and her burning throat is too dry to let anything else pass through, she wipes her mouth, and continues on her way back home.

A few more minutes pass when she's finally back in the Front Yard. She shakes the fear from her face, and immediately regains her scowl, and her stone-cold demeanor.

To the naked eye, it almost seems like nothing had happened.

But her expression only lasts a brief second before a bolt of lightning strikes nearby, and forces her to jump and yelp loudly. She turns around, and notices that the lightning had struck Holder's Boulder!

She gasps and stares slack-jawed as the mighty boulder cracks open from the top. Then she stares in disbelief, as the boulder starts to glow from within the crack.

"W-what the Feldspar?!" she mutters, as she approaches the boulder curiously.

A few seconds pass before she notices movement within the boulder's crack, and she rushes over to it.

Then she hears the sound of a male screaming in agony. She doubles her pace and grips onto the boulder, cracking it open even more.

Confusion fills her mind, as the inside of the boulder feels more... metallic... than it looks. Almost like some sort of illusion... but she pays it no mind, as more pressing matters are at hoof!

She sees a hoof slowly reaching out for her, and she wastes no time in gripping it with her own hooves. When she has a good enough grip onto it, she pulls the stallion out of the boulder, and falls back onto her side, as the stallion rolls across the ground, unconscious.

Limestone rubs her eyes confusedly, and stands up, staring at the stallion in disbelief.

This stallion was... much, much taller than any stallion she's ever seen before! At full height, she'd wager that he's at least well over twice her height!

"No bucking way... i-is he some sort of... horse?!"

Her thoughts are interrupted when she hears the front door slam open, and her Ma steps out. "Limearita Daffodil Pie! Where in Equestria have you been, young lady?!"

She looks over at her Ma and shakes her head. "Uh... I-I'll tell you in a bit, Ma! Right now, I need your help!"

When Cloudy Quartz steps down the stairs, she notices the huge stallion lying there, and blinks in surprise. She then assesses the situation, and nearly has a stroke when she sees the broken condition that Holder's Boulder is in.

"W-what the Feldspar did I miss?!"

"Limey? Hellooooo, Limey!" Pinkie's voice calls out, forcing Limestone's eyes to slowly drift open.

"H-hmm?" she hums, looking over at Pinkie, who's currently standing up and giggling at her oldest sister.

"I said it's time for us to head out, silly! Aloe and Lotus said that our new friend is in the Main Lobby, looking for us!" she says.

Limestone's eyes shoot open and she realizes that, during her trip down memory lane, she somehow managed to doze off.

"Ah, for buck's sake! Knowing him, that Doofus might walk himself into the Mare's Restroom!"

She stands up and stretches her shoulders. The cricking sound her bones make cause her to sigh in slight relief, before she looks over at Pinkie, who's smiling expectantly at her. She groans and rolls her eyes, before pointing at her.

"And yes, I enjoyed the massage. But nobody hears that, understood?!"

Pinkie salutes her playfully. "Aye-aye, Captain Grumpy!"

Rolling her eyes, Limestone then follows Pinkie out of the room, trailing behind the Spa Ponies.

"And I swear, if that Doofus wanders around and gets lost, I'll-"

When they enter the Main Lobby, though, Limestone's eyes widen, and her jaw immediately drops.

Several Minutes Earlier...

Your vision starts to return to normal. For you, only a few seconds have passed... but upon looking at the clock, you notice that you were out for well over an hour, by now.

You groan and lift a hoof up to your forehead. The mare from before begin speaking to you in a calm, soothing manner, and you notice that you're lying down on a bench, with her hooves gently brushing against your muscles.

You look to your side, and the first thing you notice is that, for some reason, the world seems a bit... taller than you remember.

Slowly you start to roll back onto your hooves, but find it difficult to stand still. Your legs wobble heavily, before you fall flat onto your stomach, knocking the breath out of you.

The mare gasps and says something to you, while she gently brings her hooves down to help you back up. Unable to do much, you simply bring your hoof up to hers and let her help you back up.

"Thank you." you tell her, only to blink in surprise at just how close her head is to yours... not by distance, but rather, by height!

It starts to occur to you just what happened. The world doesn't just look a bit bigger because of your drugged mind... you've been shrunk!

...

And yet, this isn't your first out-of-body experience, so panic isn't really on your mind. If anything, you're mostly just... relieved that your mind isn't going insane, you aren't getting abducted by some crazy Spa Ponies, and that you've at least got some clarity on what this whole thing was about.

What's more, you think back to the pain that you felt on your first day. How your entire body felt like it was shattering and bending in unnatural ways upon your wake. Perhaps... that's why they had to put you to sleep! If awake, you'd have likely not enjoyed that feeling again!

"Well... I guess thank goodness for getting Chloroformed, but maybe a fair warning would be better next time? Wait... maybe that's what they did say, but I couldn't quite understand it? Well crap, now I don't even know how to feel about all this!"

With your mind now back to reality, and your body's numbness wearing down quickly, you release her hoof and, with much less of a wobble on your legs, you manage to stand up completely again!

She says something to get your attention, and you turn to face her. The pink mare then trots over to a dresser nearby and closes it, revealing the full-body mirror on its door.

You are now able to get a clearer look at yourself... and needless to say, you're actually quite impressed!

You're still a head and shoulders over a mare's height... but you're not some massive, hulking giant like you used to be. Your fur remains the same, and your face's features remain, for the most part, as close to it was before, save for maybe a slightly thinner neck to accommodate the not-quite-as-broad shoulders.

Your muscles are much more relaxed, but you still maintain a physique that's respectable by pony standards.

If anything, you pretty much stand to be as tall as a Pony Stallion, now! And a strong one, at that!

This brings a smile to your face.

"Well, I guess I can at least feel happy about it. At least now I won't be hogging all the attention from Limestone and Pinkie Pie!"

You then notice the pink spa pony beckoning for you to follow her. With a nod, you do as advised.

She brings you back into the Main Lobby, where you are then asked to, if you caught it correctly, "Wait here, please." Then the pink pony heads into the opposite room, while you just stand there, looking around at the now larger-looking world around you.

Your ears flicker when you hear commotion coming from behind the wall.

"And I swear, if that Doofus wanders around and gets lost, I'll-"

"And there she is!"

You chuckle a bit as you enter their vision.

You notice Limestone's eyes widen, and her jaw drops open, almost comically. Pinkie lets out a brief wolf whistle.

Then you smile sheepishly at her and wave a hoof. "Hello, Limestone!" you tell her in your usual chipper tone.

Her face immediately flushes red, and she quickly looks away from you, stammering for words.

"U-umm... w-wha, bu, uh..."

Pinkie giggles, and places a hoof on her shoulders, leading her forward. "Okay you two! Let's get this PSSSD underway! We've got so many activities to do!"

You chuckle a bit as she leads her speechless sister out, before following the two of them closely. The three of you make your way back into Ponyville, while unbeknownst to you, another set of eyes observes from behind the doorway you came from originally.

As Pinkie, her sister, and you exit the building, Aloe and Lotus turn to face the lavender alicorn, and bow their heads politely.

"Did you manage to get ze information you needed, Your Highness?" they ask her.

She nods her head and smiles back at them. "I did... and so far, the information I've gathered by mere observation is... astounding! I've never seen a creature with this much Magic Tolerance before!"

Beside her, a cream-coated mare with a blue and pink curly mane and tail steps out from behind the dresser. "And can you confirm or deny that he's immune to it entirely?"

Princess Twilight nods her head at the young agent. "I can confirm that, no, he is not completely immune. I was able to remove a hair sample from him, albeit with a lot of concentration and effort... almost as much as lifting a boulder. I'd wager a guess that he holds enough resilience to completely splash Lower-Tier Magic without even trying, as well as most Middle-Tier Spells, save for, perhaps, a select few. But as far as Advanced goes, while he'd likely shrug any spell off with ease, he'd still feel it, for sure!"

"Hmm... I see..." the agent says, writing the notes down on a notepad. Then she looks up at her princess again.

Princess Twilight then looks at the agent. "As for you, Agent Sweetie Drops, did you or the other agents of SMILE get any information on whether or not he's a threat to the Pie Family?"

Sweetie shakes her head and salutes. "Negative, Your Highness. We've driven the Hydra away, dealt with the Timberwolves, sedated the Cragodiles into as docile a state as they can be, and intercepted a Manticore before it could even reach them. Amongst all these obstacles, however, our Eye-Scouts have found no signs of malice, nor any hints of deception coming from him. He didn't make any attempts to threaten her, nor did he raise any weapons, let alone a hostile hoof, behind her back. If anything, he seems to be on 'playful bantering' terms with her. It's almost like he's either completely clueless to the world around him, or he's just blindly following whatever orders Lady Limestone give him."

"Well, that's... both reassuring, and very fascinating..." Princess Twilight mumbles behind her hoof, as she rubs her chin in thought.

Sweetie Drops looks over at the door where the trio left from. "Should we continue to observe his behavior, Your Highness?"

Twilight nods her head. "That would be very helpful. Please, don't make yourselves known just yet, though. If he truly means well, and is on our side, then I'd like to ask that you and your company protect him from any potential threats that might try... exploiting him. After all, he's an Endangered Species."

Sweetie Drops salutes her again. "Rest assured, Your Highness. Not a single hair on his body will be harmed!"

And with that, Princess Twilight's horn glows, and she vanishes in a burst of light. Sweetie Drops nods her head at the Spa Ponies, who in turn nod back at her, before making her way over to the door. She carefully steps outside, making sure her mark and his company don't notice her trailing them.

PSSS = D (Pies' Surprise Swap Shenanigans = Disaster!) ( 3 / 5 )

"So is it permanent?" Limestone asks Pinkie, as you follow behind them.

Pinkie looks over at her and raises an eyebrow. "Hmm? Is what permanent?"

"You know..." Limestone begins, before motioning her head towards you.

When Pinkie follows her gesture, she giggles and shakes her head. "Oh, of course not, silly! It should wear off in about a day or so."

"I see... so why was it necessary to shrink him in the first place?"

Pinkie motions towards a fancy-looking building ahead. "Well, mostly because the stuff we're going to do is... pretty much pony-sized. I thought it might be easier for you both if he were about as short as a pony!"

"Uh-huh... and what's this place?" Limestone asks, motioning towards the building before the three of you.

"Oh! This is the Arcade!" she replies.

Limestone deadpans at her. "Okay, then... what is an Arcade?"

Pinkie blinks confusedly at her in response. "It's... where we can go to play Video Games?"

Limestone sighs and nods her head, smiling in a way that practically screams 'Sarcasm'. "Oh! Ha, silly me, of course that's what it is!" Then she deadpans at Pinkie and asks, "Okay, then... so what the hay is a 'Video Game'?"

Pinkie gasps, staring at her in complete disbelief. "WHAT?! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A VIDEO GAME IS?!"

Limestone, unfazed by her sister's antics, rolls her eyes. "I'm Amneighsh, Pinkie Pie. The only piece of Modern-Day Technology we have near the farm is literally just the train. And even that is a stretch past our comfort zone."

Pinkie then giggles, blushing a bit. "Oh... heh, right... yeah, I... kinda-sorta might've forgot about that. But hey! Perhaps now that you're here in Ponyville, I could teach you!"

Pinkie quickly hurries behind you and starts pushing both yourself and Limestone into the building.

Limestone groans, and makes a bored deadpan. "As long as you don't try what you did with Maud, then sure. But I'll go about it at my own pace."

You and Limestone are both standing in front of an Arcade Machine, programmed with something that resembles a cheap knockoff for Super Mario Bros.

You're staring at the machine in disbelief. No doubt, you're going to be loving this experience from the get-go.

"They have games here! Like, REAL Video Games!"

A little known fact here, but you always did enjoy a good Video Game back on Earth. Though your former name is still a blur, the fond memories of your childhood games are still there, thankfully.

And Super Mario Bros? Perhaps one of the few games you started with. You look forward to this refreshing experience, as you give this world's Mario Equivalent, 'Jumper', a try in his debut game, 'Jumper and the Kingdom of Bushwoolies'.

Limestone, however, is having a hard time grasping this kind of thing. You almost feel sorry for the Employee that she ushered over to explain it for her... but not quite as sorry as you feel for poor Limestone, who's failing to grasp the most basic information about it.

"So you have to move the character with the Joy Stick. The A button is to jump, and the B button is to run. Also while running, you can grab the Rock Shells to throw at your enemies, which is done by releasing the B button. You can often find Bits and Power-Ups hidden in the boxes by jumping onto the bottom of the Question Boxes, or by throwing a Rock Shell onto the sides of them." the employee explains.

Limestone deadpans at him. "Uh-huh... yeah, thanks for the long story! Now what the buck is a Joy Stick?!"

It takes the employee a few more minutes to explain it to her, and to repeat himself a few times. Finally, though, she starts to move the character with the Joy Stick. Unfortunately for her, she tries moving Left, first. Jumper only takes a few steps left, before the screen stops him from going any further. She taps the Joystick even more, yielding no results.

"Why the heck ain't he going anywhere?!" she asks.

The employee sighs. "Your main objective is on the Right. You have to reach the flagpole in order to beat the level."

"WELL HOW THE BUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT?!" she roars, before tapping the stick up. "Now how the hay do I make him move right?!"

"He moves the direction the stick goes."

She blinks owlishly, before tapping the stick right. The character finally moves again. She grins triumphantly.

"Ha! Now we're gettin' somewhere!"

She immediately walks into the first Rock Crab. The stallion on the screen leaps up, then falls down below the screen's view, and the 'Defeat' theme plays.

"Ugh! Now what the buck just happened?!"

The employee sighs again. He likely isn't getting paid even close to enough for this. "Oof. It looks like you were knocked out of the map."

Limestone tries moving the Joy Stick, but nothing happens. She angrily motions towards the screen. "Well then, how the heck do I tell him to get back into the map?!"

"You have to wait a few seconds before the level restarts."

Sure enough, a few seconds pass, and she's back at the start. "Finally!"

She walks right again, and once more bumps into the Rock Crab.

"Ugh, and there he goes again, just jumping off the map when I told him to go right!"

The employee taps on the screen. "You ran into a Rock Crab. You need to jump on their shells in order to defeat them... or you can just jump over them, and walk right past."

She rolls her eyes again. "And why can't he just walk around the stupid thing?!"

He blinks at her. "Because it's a platformer. Platformers work on a flat surface."

"Oh, come on! That's just stupid!" she says, as her third life starts. She manages to make Jumper jump this time. He lands on the Rock Crab, and kicks the shell ahead of him. This makes Limestone throw a hoof in the air.

"YEAH! PAYBACK, YOU STUPID CRAB!"

The shell bounces off the wall ahead of Jumper, and crashes right into him. He jumps off the screen, yet again. Limestone stares at the screen in disbelief.

"SERIOUSLY?! NOW WHAT THE BUCK JUST HAPPENED?!"

The employee shrugs his shoulders. "Looks like the shell bounced back and hit you."

Limestone's face starts to glow a bright, angry red color. You lift a hoof to try calming her down, but she's too quick to start speaking her mind on the whole matter.

"OKAY, THAT'S IT! FIRST OFF, I'VE SEEN ROCK CRABS, AND CAN VOUCH THAT THEIR SHELLS AIN'T EVEN THAT FREAKIN' HARD! DEFINITELY NOT HARD ENOUGH TO KNOCK A PONY UNDERGROUND AFTER GETTING KICKED BY SOME FLIMSY COLT ABOUT THE SIZE OF ONE!"

"Uh... Limestone?" you whisper, but she only gives you a glare and raises a hoof to shush you.

"Nope! I'll defeat that stupid Rock Crab if it's the last thing I do!"

She turns to face the game, but finds that, during her rant, the screen went black, and the red words "GAME OVER" mark the center of it.

"Game over? The buck does that mean?!"

The employee rolls his eyes. "It means you failed to save the princess."

Limestone glares at him and points at the screen again. "Excuse me?! When the buck did the princess become relevant?!"

"The story goes that the Princess of the Bushwoolies was mare-napped by the King of Darkness. It falls down to Jumper to save her from his evil clutches."

Limestone deadpans at him. "Really, now?"

"... Yes?"

She then plants her face in her hoof. "That is literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard! Like, how did some random Dark King even manage to capture a Princess that rules an entire kingdom?!"

"He simply abducted her. That's all the story says. Nobody knows how. For all we know, he could've just walked in there, picked her up, and carried her back to his castle. Maybe he used magic?"

Limestone rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "That's a load of bull crap! Why don't the soldiers do anything about it, then?"

"Umm... they probably weren't strong enough?"

Limestone points up at the cover picture on the arcade machine. "So let me get this straight... an Evil King is able to abduct the princess of an entire kingdom, and is able to overpower an army of seasoned soldiers... so instead of calling for a Renowned Hero, or something like that, they send some random pipsqueak who can't even handle a Rock Crab bumping into his hooves?"

The employee groans. "Look, Miss. I didn't design the game. I just play them, and help others understand how to play them. Personally, I like it because of its storyline, which was released in a book for the Console Edition that the game comes with."

"Wait, so there's a story behind this stupid thing?"

He nods his head. "Yeah, and lots of younger audiences enjoy it, too! You see, Jumper is just a simple little Rock Farmer who-"

"Excuse me?! The buck do you mean by SIMPLE little Rock Farmer?!"

"Oh, boy..."

Through some form of luck, unseen sorcery, and the Pie Family's strength backing you up, you and Pinkie are able to drag Limestone out of the Arcade, as she yells Equestrian obscenities, threats, and insults at the colt who, likewise, is being held back by several other employees and what you'd assume to be the manager.

"ROCK FARMERS ARE STILL THE LOWEST OF THE NOBLE RANK!" the employee shouts at her.

She retorts, "WE'RE STILL NOBLES, THOUGH, SO BUCK YOU!"

They slam the doors shut, but you can hear the muffled voices inside. You sigh, planting your face in a hoof.

"So much for that idea..." you think to yourself. You shudder to imagine how much it would cost to replace the three broken-down machines that were unceremoniously bucked into the ceiling... literally.

Come to think of it, Property Damage might also be a bit hefty, considering the mess that was left during yours and Pinkie Pie's struggle to keep Limestone from beating the little colt into a bloody pulp.

Eventually, though, Limestone simmers down and, after taking a few deep breaths, is back to her usual grumpy self. She looks over at Pinkie Pie and raises a curious eyebrow. "So... any other ideas?"

Pinkie nods her head and smiles, before pulling a checklist out from behind her back... of how she did so, you have no idea, but you've learned not to question it.

"Oh, definitely! Let's see... Games... check! Next, let's go watch a Movie!"

"A... Moo-vee?" Limestone asks. "The buck is that, some kinda cow thing?"

Pinkie shrugs her shoulders. "It can be! But nah, it's just like a play, but on a screen, instead!"

Limestone rolls her eyes and groans. "Ugh... more technology?"

"Yep! Besides, our friend here might like it!" Pinkie says, motioning towards you.

Limestone deadpans at her. "Pinkie, I doubt if he even knows what that thing is, either!"

You raise a hoof up. "Uh... actually, I think I do."

While it's true you couldn't catch it the first time, when Pinkie mentioned "Like a Play" and "On a screen", it sorta clicked together what the word means.

Limestone sighs, before shrugging her shoulders. "Fine, then. Let's go watch this stupid cow thing..."

At first, upon seeing the way how the theaters looked upon arriving, you had an assumption it would be fairly standard clips, maybe even boring little skits or childish cartoons.

To your surprise, however, you find yourself watching something a bit more enjoyable... a cheesy horror flick simply titled "The Everfree Killer".

It's... not even remotely scary. The sound effects are overdone, and the visual effects are just pasted onto the exterior layer... and yet, you still find it entertaining to watch.

You believe Limestone's commentary might have something to do with it, as even she can pick up the obvious flaws of the film's Leading Characters.

"Oh, for buck's sake! JUST TAKE THE DAMN AXE WITH YOU, YOU STUPID IDIOT! NOW THE KILLER'S JUST GONNA USE THAT AGAINST YOU!" she says as the helpless mare trips over her hooves and screams dramatically at the camera.

"Shh!" a stallion behind you hisses at her.

Luckily, though, his shushing is muffled by her next argument.

"OH, AND THERE IT IS!" she says as the killer swings the axe onto the floor. They even added silly squishing noises and splattered red color effects at the bottom of the screen for emphasis that he's "killing her".

"What a joke!" she gripes, sitting back down on her seat and folding her forehooves over her chest.

Pinkie, however, is shaking in terror right next to you. It seems she's so engrossed in this film, that she's practically terrified. How, you're not sure, but it seems you might want to help her out.

"Psst... hey, Pinkie Pie. You know it is just special... uhh... fects, right?" you whisper to her.

The pink mare looks over at you, teary-eyed. "B-but w-wh-what if th-they forgot to move h-her out of t-the way? What if she really got hurt?!"

You shake your head and smile at her. "Then she would go to the... uh... medicine place."

Pinkie points at the screen. "B-but the noises!"

You shrug your shoulders and chuckle a bit. "It sounds, and looks, like he is hitting a tomato."

Limestone shouts from behind you, "Oh, THANK YOU! I'M GLAD AT LEAST SOMEONE HERE UNDERSTANDS HOW STUPID THIS CRAP IS!"

You feel a hint of pride in that. "Well... she's not wrong, per se..."

"Oh, will you SHUT UP?!" the stallion from before shouts behind you.

You're about to look back at him, but Limestone beats you to the punch. Glaring daggers at him, she points a hoof his way. "SEE THESE HOOVES, PAL?! THEY'VE SHATTERED BOULDERS INTO DUST! DON'T THINK I WON'T DO THE SAME TO YOUR JAW IF YA KEEP THAT ATTITUDE UP!"

The stallion grumbles to himself and slouches back down.

The killer appears on the screen, making Pinkie Pie yelp and forcefully squeeze you into a tight hug. You wince as the air leaves your lungs.

Limestone grins slyly at her sister.

But then, the stallion behind you has to ruin the mood. "Will you bitches just SHUT UP ALREADY?!"

"THAT'S IT! NOBODY CALLS MY SISTER A BITCH!" Limestone shouts, slamming her hooves down. You and Pinkie don't even have time to react as a gray and silver blur leaps over the chairs, into the aisle behind you. What follows is the sound of a REAL beat-down.

And frankly, you kinda want to go back to the squished tomatoes sounds, instead... the crack you hear more than likely did not come from the popcorn the guy had.

Him screaming like a little girl afterward only confirms that.

By the time the guards enter the theatre to escort the three of you away, they only find the limp, unconscious form of the rude stallion from earlier. With some kind of sixth sense, both Pinkie and Limestone knew what was about to happen, and dragged you out through the back.

So now, you find yourself trotting through the town, as Pinkie goes through the list once more. As she focuses on said list, Limestone backs up a bit, until she's side-by-side with you.

"... Hey, Doofus?" she grabs your attention. Curious, you look over to her.

"Yes, Limestone?"

She looks like she's about to say something else, but looks away from you again and sighs. "Eh, never mind."

You lightly smile back at her. "It is okay, Limestone. You can tell me if something is bothering you."

This makes her ponder for a bit, before looking back over at you. "I'm not... messing this trip up for you, am I?"

You raise a confused eyebrow. "So that's what's bothering you?"

To be fair, while you wouldn't have minded a chance to play some of the games earlier, you'd be a fool to say she's ruining it for you. Besides that, her feisty attitude, her Earth Pony Pride, and her will to defend her sister, as well as yourself, has made this trip quite the opposite of what she's worried about!

And so, you shake your head. "No. I love this trip!"

This makes her tilt her head, giving you a double-take. "Wait... you what?!"

You shrug. "I love this trip. You and your sister are making this trip really good for me. I am having... fun, I think the word was?"

She blinks... no doubt surprised by your response. Then she covers her mouth and begins to make a snickering sound.

This catches you off guard. Giving her a sly smile, you lean closer to her.

"Limestone! Is that a... smile I see?"

She looks away from you and stammers a bit. "N-no, it's... s-shut up!"

"Ooh, Smiley Limey! C'mon, Limestone, it ain't that bad!" Pinkie Pie chimes in from ahead of you both. It seems she was drawn into the conversation as well.

"Hmph! W-well... if ya think that way, then... pfft, you really are a doofus, Doofus!" she says, chuckling a bit more.

Pinkie shakes her head. "Hey, don't call poor Taffy 'Doofus'!"

Limestone loses her mirth almost immediately, and deadpans back at Pinkie Pie. "Seriously?! Don't call poor Doofus 'Taffy', either!"

"Aww, come on! He looks like he has taffy all over him, doesn't he?"

"That's not the point, Cotton Candy!"

Pinkie gasps, covering her mouth as if she were offended. Limestone raises a hoof up and points at her.

"See? It can be just as offensive to him as that one is to you!"

Pinkie sighs, nodding her head. "Y-yeah, alright. I get your point... but still, you didn't have to bring that one up, Sis..."

Limestone sighs, before pulling Pinkie into a one-legged hug. "Yeah, yeah. Well don't forget what happened to those punks when I heard 'em calling you that."

Pinkie slightly giggles, nodding her head. She then breaks from the hug and checks out the list. "Oh! You know, I hear the Circus is in town today! Would you both like to go there?"

You tilt your head confused. "Surr... kuss?"

Limestone rolls her eyes and looks back over at Pinkie. "You know what? I could use some Cotton Candy, anyways, so yeah sure!"

"Yay!"

And just like that, Pinkie is all chipper once again. She starts bouncing along the road, while you and Limestone follow behind her.

You're pretty stoked, to be honest. While your memories of a Circus may be fairly vague from back on Earth, you can at least recall a bit of a fondness you held over the daring stunts the performers did.

And for Equestrian Performances, where actual Magic is put into play, it only adds to that feeling of glee. Doubly so for how little you know about it.

Needless to say, it's like the first time you've been to a Circus all over again. That giddy feeling you had as a child returns, and you can't help but feel overwhelmed at the amazing displays of talent before you.

Even Limestone seems to have taken a bit of a liking to the performance, as she hasn't really spoken ill or angrily at it. You turn around a bit, and she quickly looks away.

"Wait... was she looking at me?" you think to yourself. You dismiss it, though. Perhaps she's just making sure you're okay, after all. Maybe you're overdoing it with the whole "Kid in a Candy Store" act. And so, you brush the bits of popcorn from your chest and lean back against your seat, while the performer continues "taming a Manticore" on the stage within the cage.

Now that you've gotten a good look at a Manticore, you're quite pleased you didn't run into one back in the Everfree Forest. Lions are one thing. FLYING Lions are completely new, though!

After the performance, there's a few elephants walking on giant metal balls, balancing themselves professionally. You almost feel like the elephants, themselves, might be intelligent like the ponies.

It has you pondering, though. What creatures count as the "Human Equivalents", and what counts them as "Animals"? You know you've seen a few ponies with pet dogs and cats, but then you recall back in the Marketplace in Rockville, there were those dogs with diamond tongues... "Diamond Dogs", you believe Limestone told you.

Are Diamond Dogs and Regular Dogs part of the same Species, or entirely different altogether? Could there be ponies out there that are equivalent to "Animals", then, or are they unique in that regard?

Back on Earth, there were people comparing primates to humans. Perhaps the Ponies have something like that somewhere in the world?

So many questions... so many possible theories to be held.

"And now, Fillies and Gentlecolts! I give you, one of the strongest creatures around! He's a Monster of Raw Strength! He's a Powerhouse of Pure Awesomeness! He is... IRON WILL!"

You blink in surprise at the sudden display of fireworks. Then, flexing in various poses, stands a Minotaur.

Not going to lie... you find his muscles a little impressive. Almost makes you wonder how buff you were when you were in your Human Body.

Your attention is broken when you see Pinkie Pie tense up a bit. Limestone also seems to notice, and looks over at her.

"Psst. Hey, Pinks, you alright?"

Pinkie quickly snaps back to normal and looks over at the two of you, who are eyeing her curiously. "Oh! Y-yeah, I'm fine! Super-duper!"

You and Limestone are both not buying it. Something's definitely up with her... or perhaps it's him?

Iron Will does a few more flexes and poses, and it soon becomes apparent that he's likely a bit more tell than show.

"Iron Will shall prove just how strong he is! Watch, and be amazed, as I... the Strongest Creature in Ponyville, breaks this solid board in half!" he says, as a pair of goats place a 2x4 wooden board between two iron blocks.

He takes a deep breath three times, gently placing his hand on the board each exhale. Then, after three breaths, he launches his hand into the board and cracks the board in two.

You whistle a bit, nodding your head. That seems pretty impressive, not going to lie! A 2x4 board is pretty dang solid, depending in what kind of wood it is.

A few hooves start stomping on the floor around you. "Huh... so that's how ponies clap. Good to know." You join them in the applause, until Iron will holds a finger up.

"Hold your applause, My Little Ponies... for that was just a warmup! Now, let me show you the real power... of Iron Will!"

He stretches his hand out and the goats bring up a thick brick of sorts. The audience oohs and ahs, as Iron Will continues.

"I kid you not, ponies! I, Iron Will, have with me today a real, solid piece of Granite Stone! One of the TOUGHEST rocks in the world! And with my BARE HANDS... I will break it in two!"

Limestone and Pinkie both squint their eyes at the stone as the goats place it on the metal surfaces.

It doesn't even take a second after he speaks, however, that Limestone pipes up at this claim.

"HEY! THAT AIN'T GRANITE! THAT'S JUST AN OLD LUMP OF PAINTED SOAPSTONE!"

You can hear the audience go silent immediately, followed by a few subtle, dramatic gasps in the background. Upon looking around, you can see that all eyes now rest on Limestone, including Iron Will's.

Iron Will glares at her and leans forward. "Oh? Are you saying that Iron Will is a fake?!"

Limestone stands from her seat and glares back at him. "That depends! Are ya implying that I'm lying?!"

And now, it seems that Limestone is, once again, heated up. Only difference is that the one doing the heating is actually challenging her right back... you want to do something, but you're not sure what you can do at this point.

Thankfully, though, it seems the Security isn't getting involved. Rather, Iron Will decides to take matters into his own hooves by... smiling at her?

He then chuckles, before waving her forward. "Well alright, then! It seems we have us a challenger, already! Was gonna save it for the next act, but oh well!"

Iron Will then ushers the goats to approach the stage again, this time carrying another brick of Granite.

"How about a test, then?! Iron Will will show the audience that he. Is. STRONGER!"

Suddenly a pair of spotlights shines down on Limestone, and the audience starts whispering among themselves.

The attention makes Limestone roll her eyes and brush a loose strand of mane from her eyes. "Pfft. Nope. Not worth it." She then starts to trot away, while the lights follow her.

Iron Will chuckles. "Ha! Figured you'd run away like a little coward!"

Limestone pauses mid-step. You gulp at this.

"Oh, boy, here we go again..."

Pinkie rushes over to her and places a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't listen to him, Limey! Let's just go before-"

Limestone raises a hoof up and silences her sister. Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, turns around, and trots over towards the stage.

Pinkie, in the meantime, tries to whisper for her to come back. You aren't quite sure why the sudden change of mood.

Eventually, though, Limestone trots up the stage, and Pinkie sits next to you. You decide to get a little more insight while the two banter on the stage.

"What is going on?" you ask.

Pinkie sighs. "Limey is in one of her moods again. Whenever she's in that kind of mood, she goes... almost completely blind by the world around her. She probably doesn't even know she's on the stage right now! And she really, really shouldn't be there right now!"

You tilt your head confusedly. "Why not?"

"Well... you see, she-"

"AND NOW, FILLIES AND GENTLECOLTS, A TEST OF MIGHT BETWEEN AN EARTH PONY AND A MINOTAUR!" the announcer calls out, breaking the conversation short.

Limestone slightly grins at Iron Will, who in turn, grins at her mischievously.

"So, tough guy, you say you can break Granite?" she asks.

He nods his head, chuckling. "HA! I can break MORE than just Granite!"

"Good." she says, before trotting over in front of him, and directly over the granite slab on the right.

Iron Will raises a confused eyebrow. "Hey! You're supposed to go to that one over there!" he says, pointing at the other Granite Slab.

She, in turn, looks confusedly at him. "Does it even matter?"

"OF COURSE IT MATTERS!" he shouts.

Limestone's wicked grin only intensifies. "Oh? And how come? Aren't they both the same?"

"NO! I-I mean, YES! I-I mean, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!" he argues.

The audience starts to boo, however, causing him to look over at them.

"Come on, Iron Will! Just hit the OTHER brick!"

"Yeah! I wanna see some action!"

"HIT THE BRICK! HIT THE BRICK!"

He looks uneasily at Limestone, and leans closer towards her. "Why can't you just let me have this?"

Limestone's smile quickly shifts into a deathly scowl. She then leans up closer to his face, and replies, "Because I know what you did to my sister."

"W-what?!" Iron Will stammers, only for her to press a hoof up to his chest.

"The swirly chested Minotaur who tossed her down a cliff, and into the mud a few years back. The blue coated bastard who cracked one of her ribs by doing so. That was you, wasn't it?"

He gulps at the accusation. "I-I don't know what you're-"

"When somepony tries to block, show them that you rock. Ring any bells?"

And then, it hits him. "F-Fluttershy..." He then looks into the audience and, almost immediately, he spots Pinkie Pie in the crowd, sitting there next to you.

He looks back down to Limestone and gulps. "T-the pink one was your sister?!"

"IS... my sister. And frankly, she never did like your stupid seminar. But I hear you're quite a big fan of catchphrases... want to hear one from me?"

He slowly nods his head uneasily.

She then leans up to his ear and whispers, "You buck with a Pie, and I'll make you Cry. And if you do even worse, then I'll put you in a hearse."

Iron Will's blood immediately runs cold at that. She then points at the other brick of Granite.

"Now, go break that Granite Brick, before I break it over your thick bucking skull!"

With that as enough of a warning, Iron Will nervously heads over to the other brick, smiling nervously at the crowd.

He waves his hand at them, while the announcer, a bit confused, clears his throat. "W-well, then! It seems Iron Will has decided to take the stage after all! Alright, so if both contestants are ready!"

Iron Will takes a deep breath and begins doing his usual routine. Taking three deep breaths, and gently placing his hand on the brick with each exhale.

Limestone, meanwhile, is just standing there looking down at the brick on her stand.

Then, at the count of three, she gently taps on the brick... and it cracks in half, falling to the floor with a loud thud.

As for Iron Will...

*CRACK!*

...

"GAH! MY HAND!" he shouts, falling to the ground and whining at his pulsing red hand, which easily bounced off of the Granite Brick.

The audience starts to chuckle a bit, while Limestone bursts into full blown laughter.

"HA! What's wrong, Iron Wimp? Can't handle the truth?!"

He glares at her. "Buck you! That thing's IMPOSSIBLE to break! I-it's why YOU had me hit that one! Even YOU can't break it, can you?!"

Limestone raises an eyebrow. "Oh, is that what you think?"

She walks over to the slab of actual Granite, and looks back at him. "Then allow me to remove any doubts here."

With that, she lifts her right hoof up, looks down upon the brick, and slams her hoof into it, shattering the brick into countless little pieces.

The audience, yourself, and even Iron Will stare at her in shock.

"Holy crap! I knew she was strong and all, but damn!"

You look over at Pinkie Pie, but stare confusedly at her worried expression.

Her worry soon intensifies as the sound of hooves clopping on the floor start to fill the air. You look over at the stage, and then it starts to become clear why Pinkie's looking worriedly at her sister.

Limestone's burst of confidence shatters immediately when she hears the clopping of the hooves beneath her. She looks over at the audience of hundreds of ponies and other creatures, and her hooves start to shake a bit.

Before her eyes, her memories begin to take over her head.

Limestone was just a little filly. The youngest in her class. And today, marked the Science Fair Project.

Due to the luck of the draw, the paper read that it would be held on the stage in the Auditorium. Each student was to reveal their projects to a large crowd of students and their parents.

Unfortunately, though, Limestone's parents were at the Hospital, taking care of her little sister after the incident a few months back.

This would be her last day in Public School... her parents made that very clear. But she didn't mind. Anything to be there for her sister, of whom she owed her life to at this point.

"Up next... Limestone Pie!" the teacher said, calling her out to the stage.

Limestone took a deep breath, and picked up her cup. She then brought it up to the front of the stage, and placed it on the table.

She felt all eyes on her, and almost immediately, she began to choke on her words.

"U-umm... h-hi, every... e-everypony! M-my name i-is... Lime... L-Limestone Pie, a-and uh... umm..."

She took a few deep breaths, while the teacher nodded towards the cup. "Well, Misses Limestone Pie! Would you care to tell us what you made for your project today?"

Limestone gulped, before nodding her head. "Y-yes, ma'am."

She then picked up the cup and flipped it upside down, revealing two black stones on the table.

The teacher raised an eyebrow at the display. "Two... rocks?"

Limestone smiled a tiny bit, before shaking her head. "No ma'am! Believe it or not, only one of them is a rock!"

"Oh? And what is the other one, then?" the teacher asked.

Limestone tapped on one of the black solids. "This one here, is actually a piece of Charcoal! And it is the burnt remains of wood, instead of... w-well... a rock!"

Then she tapped a hoof on the other stone. "This one, however, is a piece of Obsidian, which is a type of Igneous Rock, though it is also a lot more closer to Glass than an actual Stone!"

"Well that's fascinating! Do you have the papers, or maybe some pictures, like the assignment required?" the teacher asked.

Limestone's ears flopped down. "Umm... n-no, ma'am. I... couldn't do the papers because my sister-"

"Now now, don't blame others for your accidents, Limestone. That's not very nice! Just tell us you couldn't do the paperwork, please." the teacher interrupted.

Limestone's eyes started to water a bit. "B-but I really couldn't because my sister is-"

"Limestone! That is enough! Now, then, because you tried blaming others for you not doing your assignment that you had an entire month to do, I'm afraid I have to give you a D-!"

"B-but my sister-"

"No buts!"

She wanted to explain the situation, but she couldn't. How her sister was in a coma, and how she needed to be there for her. To watch out for her little sister... but they didn't understand.

Her thoughts were drowned out by the sound of laughter coming from the audience. She blinked in surprise, as she heard a familiar colt's voice calling out, "HA! SHE'S CRYING!"

She turned towards the source of the voice... Flint. Her former crush... he was laughing at her! And the crowd was following suit with him!

"Just get off the stage, and cry about your failures elsewhere!" came another colt's voice.

"I-it's not that! M-my sister is-"

"BOOOOO! GET OFF THE STAGE!"

Her heart was starting to race. She couldn't stand to be there, anymore. She wanted, no, needed, to leave that place.

And so, she rushed off the stage, and out of the Auditorium. School was out, anyways, and her parents were at the hospital.

That was where she would go, then. Her failure to succeed in school was just another one to throw on the list that's been piling up on her.

She cried as she ran, stopping only to catch her breath. The rain had started, it seemed, and she was quickly reminded of that when she fell down, and landed in a puddle of water.

Her crying was only worsened as she felt a scratch on her cheek. She looked at her reflection in the water, as the laughter from the students only continued to echo in her mind.

She closed her eyes, and tried to tone the laughter out.

"They don't know what I'm going through... what my sister is going through..."

Her sniffling stopped.

"They wouldn't even understand if it happened to them, either. They're just a bunch of losers!"

The knots in her mane, through some unseen force, began to straighten themselves out.

"... You know what? I don't need them, anyways..."

She uncovered her eyes from her hoof, and began to open them back up.

"... To Tartarus with what they think, then... I'm done playing nice!"

And with that, she scowled at her reflection. The first scowl that would mark the beginning of her stone cold personality.

The fragile, frightened little filly no longer stared back at her. Now, she was Limestone Pie... and if anyone messed with her, or her family, they'd get a hoof in their eye.

Limestone pauses as she regains her breath from the sudden sprint she made from the stage to the entrance of the Carnival.

You and Pinkie Pie quickly catch up with her. As she ran off the stage, almost in a trance, Pinkie clarified to you that Limestone has a horrible case of Stage Fright.

When you both catch up with her, she raises a hoof to stop either of you from saying anything.

"I'm fine... let's... let's just go." she says.

You and Pinkie nod your heads, but say nothing. She begins to make her way towards the town again, with the two of you following behind her.

"No, Pinkie Pie. First of all, Brownie Bun is a bucking MARE'S name!" Limestone argues as the three of you sit at a table within the Hayburger.

You've placed the same order as last time, and frankly, you fear you may have gotten an addiction. But you digress.

Right now you've heard Pinkie suggest a bunch of names, some silly and some fairly interesting. But each and every one of them, Limestone would shoot down with logic, reason, and colorful use of language that you swear you've seen a few mothers cover their fillies' ears for.

Pinkie sighs. "Well, I think I'm running out of ideas here..."

"Hello, Pinkie. Hello, Limestone." you hear a monotonous toned mare's voice behind you. You turn around and notice a mare standing there with a deadpanned look in her eye.

You swear she looks familiar... until it clicks! Recalling the pictures on the walls, you have no doubt that this is the Middle Child of the Pie Family... Maud Pie, you believe!

"Hello, Maud!" you say with a polite bow.

She blinks slowly at you, and nods her head. "Hello, person I haven't met before. Are you a fan of my Standup Comedy routine, perhaps?"

You shake your head, smiling at her. "I did not know you do Stand Up Comedy! I am pretty sure it rocks, though!"

You swear you hear a drumroll in the back... but she doesn't seem to react at all.

However... you hear Pinkie giggling behind you. "Oh, wow! I didn't know you could tell jokes, too! Even Maud there is laughing very hard!"

"Is... is she being sarcastic?"

Maud, however, clears her throat. "I am sorry, friend. That was a very good joke, indeed. I do not know what came over me."

"... What?"

Limestone taps on your shoulder, getting your attention. Seems she noticed your confusion from the get-go.

"Maud here doesn't show emotions. It's kinda her thing. But she is, actually, laughing at your joke. Just... don't think too hard about it." she clarifies.

You nod your head. "Well, I am glad I could help lighten the mood, then!" you tell Maud.

She raises an eyebrow. "Lighten the mood? What could be darkening the mood?"

Limestone groans. "Ugh... we're trying to come up with a name for this Doofus over here!" she says, motioning towards you.

"... Does he not have a name?" Maud asks.

"Remember the letter I sent you a few months back?"

"... Yes."

Limestone then motions towards you.

Maud rubs her chin in thought. "I see..."

Pinkie sighs. "And no matter how many names I try to recommend, they all end up being a dud!"

Maud then places a hoof on your nose, and leans a little bit closer. You blink surprised at the sudden contact, and freeze as she gives you a bit of a glance around.

"Hmm... Sardonyx."

You blink again. "Uh... what?"

"Your coat greatly resembles a finely crafted Sardonyx Stone. Seeing how you have an accent, however, it may be more acceptable to also give you the nickname, 'Onyx', as it is easier to say."

Limestone and Pinkie both look at you, then back at Maud.

Pinkie rubs her chin in thought. "You know... I think Onyx suits him very well! Yeah! Onyx Stone!"

"Onyx... Stone?" you say, before shrugging your shoulders. "Hey, it is better than being called 'Doofus' all the time!"

"Onyx... right, then! Guess it's settled!" Limestone says, before looking over at you. "Sardonyx Stone! Or just Onyx Stone, for short!" Then she gives you a mischievous grin. "But don't think that means I'm gonna stop calling you 'Doofus', Doofus! That's MY nickname for ya!"

You Chuckle back at her, nodding your head. "That is fine, Ma! Whatever makes you happy!"

Pinkie giggles at that, while Maud oohs. "Ooh... sick burn, Onyx. I think you got her good."

Limestone blushes, glaring at you. "Buh... wha... h-hey!"

As the food piles up on the table, Maud picks up a cup of water and starts to raise it up to her lips. Before she starts drinking out of it, though, her eyes drift over to Pinkie and Limestone.

"Oh, by the way, I wanted to tell you both that I'm pregnant, now."

Limestone drops her burger back on the tray. "Wait, WHAT?!"

Author's Note

Not quite as much as I wanted to end up with, but I've figured I'd split a bit more stuff for the next chapter.

Besides, I think y'all would rather I at least release a chapter to let you know I ain't dead.

If I have to, though, I may increase the Arc Size just a touch if there's more that I need to write down the line!

In the meantime, we've also gotten a bit more insight on Limestone's past, and more specifically, one of the key factors that resulted in her "Charming Personality"!

And yes, I've read the comments and complaints. They ARE going to be dealt with in due time. Just not right this second, as I feel we need to build up a bit more story before we start cracking down on the solutions to any issues that may rise down the line!