"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!