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!

... 'Tis a joke, please don't leave.

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.