Author's Note

Here's the 2nd chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and be sure to follow NineTailBeastBall for all of his hard work in helping me write this chapter and every other story I can think of. And with that, thanks for your patience and support, more chapters to come and brony on.

Relaxing Dip in the Hot Spring

You’ve lost count of of how many beatings you got from Limestone Pie during your first 3 weeks you've lived here on the Pie family rock farm. The mare had the temper of a bull in a bullfight when it sees red in every single direction. Or possibly Yosemite Sam when Bugs Bunny is constantly trolling him. You would know this, as you were always quite fond of the Looney Tunes when you were little. Anyway, no matter how hard Limestone’s temper made things for you, you had no intention of leaving the farm.

When comparing your relationships, you did respect Igneous as the owner, but the family member who you got along best with was Cloudy Quartz. She was always the one who healed the injuries inflicted onto you by her daughter and you thought of the Pie matriarch like a second mother. Cloudy in return, adored having you around and treated you like the son she never had and always wanted.

During the 3 weeks you’ve been with the Pie family, you also found out about how there were not 3... but 4 Pie sisters! Four beautiful daughters that Cloudy gave birth to. And out of the four, only Pinkie Pie was married. Though not married, Maud Pie, the second oldest as well as the sister you recently learned about, was dating a stallion named Mudbriar, whose very appearance could tell one that he and Maud were made for each other.

Since they both lacked emotion, Maud’s relationship with Mudbriar didn’t interest you nearly as much as Pinkie’s love life. This was because it was upon learning about her husband that you found out you weren’t the only human to come to Equestria. For an extra surprise, when they visited the rock farm last week, they brought their twin children, Pecan and Lemon Pie, which told you it was possible for ponies and humans to breed.

Even without you bringing it up, Limestone unconvincingly blurted out a few times that she’s not jealous of her younger sisters’ relationships. You ended up earning a good bruise on your arm when you expressed your doubt over her claims. As cute as it was for Limestone to deny her jealousy, it was becoming very hazardous to your health.

Speaking of which, during your early days on Equestria, Cloudy and Igneous took you to the hospital to give you a check up. After hours of examination, the doctors were just as shocked as you when you discovered that your liver was back inside your body. You were lift pondering about how this was even possible, but the confusion was no match for the endless joy you got out of this miracle.

Today, you had begun your latest project that would benefit the Pie family and yourself. Even if you were here for 3 weeks, they’ve been working at this farm nonstop for years and haven’t had a decent day of relaxation. That’s why with your skills, you were creating something that they would least expect: a luxurious hot spring. To you, this one of the many ways of saying thank you to them for taking you in.

You were whistling another of your favorite tunes as you worked on digging the hole necessary for the hot spring. However, neither your whistling nor the sound of you digging, could keep you from hearing the hoofsteps approaching your hole.

“Still as happy as always?” you heard Limestone ask in her usual gruff voice.

“You betcha, and for a good reason. I’ve noticed how you and your family are constantly working and haven’t had a day to relax, so what I have planned for you all is something that’ll change your lives for the better,” you replied with your voice full of cheer.

“And just what are you planning?” Limestone asked, quirking an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Sorry, but that, my good lady, is a surprise. You’ll find out in the end once it’s completely finished,” you shook your head in response, but winked up at her afterwards. Limestone twitched her eye and blushed at what you just called her.

“D-Did you just... wha... I d-did... y-you-” Limestone couldn’t put two words in, let alone put together a proper sentence. Chuckling a bit at how much she was stuttering, you went back to work. You had made a habit of teasing Limestone with compliments and kind gestures ever since Cloudy told you how Limestone was secretly starting to grow more attached to you. Even though she didn’t really show it, it was evident one night when Cloudy heard Limestone crying in her room, asking herself why she was so hostile towards you.

You felt the urge to say something to her, but by the time you looked up from your hole, the gray mare was already out of sight. You had reasons to believe she had a lot on her mind. Perhaps once you introduce her to the hot springs, you’ll give her something special to show that you care for her as well.

You worked day and sometimes at night on the new hot spring, making sure the hole was a good space in both its width and its height and also that the rocky surface was nicely polished. Lately as you continued working, you would notice how each day Limestone became slightly less hostile towards you. It’s taken a good week to come this close to finishing the hot spring.

Since there was no technology in Equestria, you decided you would have to add hot rocks and wait until the water cools to a safe temperature. However, first and more importantly, you needed to find a natural water source, considering how water evaporates and the spring would get shallow over time.

After going to Igneous for suggestions, he pointed out that there was a nearby riverstream out on the outskirts of the farm. Taking advantage of this knowledge, you decided to dig a narrow path from the edge of the spring to the river in order for the river to keep flowing freely without any risks of it straying from its natural path.

Now that the hot spring was finished, most of the Pie family was admiring your work by taking a day off from rock farming and instead spending the day relaxing in the water. Again, most of the Pie family was taking a dip, Limestone on the other hand wanted nothing to do with it.

“If thou doth not mind, wouldst thou go and get Limestone? It just doesn’t feel special without all of us here,” Cloudy Quartz asked politely, leaning on the edge of the spring. You nodded and got out of the water and wrapped a towel around your neck. Quite convenient for you, you knew exactly where Limestone was.

Going back inside the house, you walked up to the surly mare’s room only to discover her door was both closed and locked. Still, it would take more than that to make you give up and you decided to start the persuasion by naturally knocking on the door.

“Get lost!” Limestone snarled, knowing that you were the one on the other side.

“Limestone, your mother told me to come get you. She says she wants you to join in on the fun and that it’s not as special without you,” you called out from behind the door. “Frankly, she’s not the only one who thinks so.”

“Do you have wax in your ears or something? I said get lost!” she tried again, but you remained as persistent as you were kind.

“You know, you don’t have to keep hiding it from me or your family. If there’s something that’s slightly or majorly bothering you, you can always tell us what the problem is,” you said, trying not to let her know about how her feelings towards you.

“Jeez... why are you so stubborn?” she groaned, but the tone let you know she was calming down a little. One might have said Limestone was being a hypocrite, but you knew such a rebuttal would only make things worse.

“Simple, because I’m trying to be your friend,” you answered cheerfully. Your words couldn’t be any more sincere, as you’ve always tolerated the beatings and insults she gave you hoping one day your efforts to befriend her would prove fruitful.

“You know, if there’s one thing that really pisses me off, it’s false modesty. It’s just another way for ponies to bail on you just when you think you’re getting to know them...” she said in an uncharacteristically soft manner.

“I’ll keep that in mind. In fact, if you allow me, I’ll prove to you that my feelings for you are genuine and I would never do anything to betray you,” you assured. You stood by the door for several minutes not getting an answer, but you could still hear other sounds coming from the other side. You really started smiling when you heard the door unlock and stepped back a few feet as Limestone finally opened up, revealing herself in a dark gray bikini. Those large breasts of hers looked like they were going to pop out of that tight bikini any second now.

“Don’t say a word about my outfit and I won’t hurt you again, got it?” she asked with a blush of both annoyance and embarrassment. You kept that smile, but nodded. You didn’t care that she was still being aggressive, all that mattered was that she was going to finally come out and join the others.

Soon, you and Limestone exited out of the house and went over to the new hot spring, where her family was still waiting. You kept your word and didn’t make any witty remarks about her bikini, no matter how much her breasts were bouncing in the attire. Without a word, the two of you stepped into the water, which still had yet to turn cold. While you’ve already gotten used to it, Limestone had to take it slowly and not risk boiling herself.

“Seems thou was able to convince our daughter to come outside after all,” Igneous commended, as he had his arm wrapped around his wife. Limestone grew embarrassed and looked away from her parents.

“Yeah, but it wasn’t easy. Though, there’s something that’s been... lingering in my mind for quite a while now and I was wondering if you and I can clarify things... man to stallion, perhaps? It’s nothing too serious, but Limestone seems to have a c-” Your little conversation was interrupted when you felt a hoof stomping on your foot. “YAAAHOO-HOO-HOO!!!” you shouted. Both Igneous and Cloudy glared at the obvious culprit.

“Dost thou not have any self-respect?!” Cloudy scolded Limestone.

“I... I didn’t want him to embarrass me!” the young mare argued as you reached underwater to grasp your aching foot.

“That does not justify thine actions, young lady!” Igneous argued back.

“Everyone, please, there’s no need to cause unnecessary tension between us. We’re all here to have a good time and relax. We’ve all had a rough, busy day and the reason I built this hot spring in the first place, was to get together and have a good time relaxing,” you intervened. “It’d be shameful to see you all bickering on the day of its completion.”

Hearing this, the family started to settle down and soon went back to soaking in the warm water in peace. Today’s weather was fairly normal. Even though there were a few clouds up in the sky, there was no chance of it raining it all today. Your eyes kept gazing at the Pie family with looks of relief and joy on their faces. Igneous and Cloudy Quartz were huddled up together with his arm around his wife, Marble Pie had her whole body, except for her head buried in the water and had the cutest smile on her face. Lastly, Limestone sat away from everyone with her arms resting on the edge of the spring and her bikini-covered jugs just bouncing slowly up and down in the water.

You were well aware of the risks of staying in hot water for too long, which is why you set a timer for about 15 minutes. However, after about 9 minutes have passed, you felt something pressing against you and opened an eye to see what was happening. It was quite a sight, Limestone had apparently got caught in the moment of relaxing and was now snuggling against you. You just sat there quietly, pretending you haven’t even noticed. Sadly, after another 2 minutes, the flustered mare realized what she was doing and moved away from you before anyone saw her.

Still keeping an eye open without letting her know, you watched as Limestone moved back to her original position. She was just in time too, for not long after pulling away, the timer went off, causing everyone to open their eyes. Like you, the Pie family knew they would start to get dizzy if they chose to spend more time in the hot spring.

“Well, that was a wonderful soak,” you sighed as you covered the hot spring with a pool liner. “I hope you guys had a good time in there, for it wasn’t easy to put this thing together,” you said before grabbing your towel.

“We certainly did and we thank thou for giving us such a wonderful gift. We have not felt so relieved for years. I believe it is time to prepare a feast for blessing us with thy hot spring,” Cloudy said.

“It’s not just my hot spring, it’s our hot spring,” you corrected. You looked over at Limestone who had began to head back in the house before anyone else. You weren’t planning to comment on her cuddling with you, but even if you were she wasn’t giving you the chance to say anything. You still couldn’t decide if she knew you were aware of the whole ordeal.

When Cloudy Quartz said she would prepare a feast, she wasn’t kidding. After drying off and changing into fresh clothes, she was already back downstairs preparing the food. You seriously doubted anyone would be having rock soup today.

While she was preparing dinner, you decided to pay a certain mare a visit. After you dried off and changed into a fresh pair clothes, you walked up to Limestone’s bedroom door and knocked on it.

“What do you want now?” she asked, sourly. You could see right through her grouchy facade and knew she hasn’t gotten over how she ended up cuddling with you.

“I just want to talk, can you please unlock the door?” you asked politely.

“Y-You’d better not be trying to pull a fast one of me or humiliate me or I swear you’ll regret it, y-you got that?” she warned.

“I promise I’m not going to embarrass you. I just want to have a friendly one-on-one chat. Nothing more, nothing less,” you reassured. Right after that, you heard her hoofsteps coming towards the door and heard the door unlocking. She opened the door and granted you entrance. You stepped inside her room, then sat on the edge of her bed. She closed the door and sat down next to you.

“This better be good,” she said, not making eye contact. You paused for a moment to let out a sigh and look at Limestone.

“Limestone, do you know why I always stay positive?” you asked.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” she replied, still giving you the cold shoulder. Nonetheless, you still gave her your answer.

“It’s because back where I once lived, my family was going through some dark times a week after I was born. My father passed away and it gave my older sisters the impression that I was his favorite child. They resented the fact that I was their only brother, but my mother was a different story. She was my pillar of strength and she told me how my positive attitude was the same as my father’s when she fell in love with him,” you began explaining.

“W-Wait, what? You mean you-” she asked, though was unable to finish the question as you continued talking.

“I’ve dealt with a similar kind of treatment you’ve given me over these past few weeks. Though, back home, my sisters didn’t really have it in them to hit their own brother and I could never hate them even after everything I went through. I didn’t realize it at the time, but somewhere along the line, my mom had a liver infection that was spreading everywhere and she didn’t tell me. And when I did find out... her liver was completely infected. So... I made the ultimate sacrifice,” you explained.

“You... gave up your whole liver!?” Limestone asked, turning her gaze directly towards you.

“It was a sacrifice I was willing to make,” you said still smiling. You’ve no longer had the ability to cry over the incident, as you’ve accepted that your mother was alive and well because of your selfless act. “Best part is that both my sisters no longer resented me. I felt their warm embrace and their tears of sadness, remorse and guilt before my life slipped away and I ended up here,” you finished.

“Why are you telling me this?” she asked.

“Because if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that everyone has their reasons for acting the way they do, but don’t tell anyone about it, thinking it’d be too much of a burden. I can tell that there’s a reason why you’re always so hostile towards me. Would you care to tell me what it is? I promise not to tell anyone,” you said. Limestone looked left and right, as if ponies were all around you.

“Ever since I was a little filly, I’ve always felt... different from other fillies. Most of the fillies I knew back in school were all smiles and had thoughts of becoming these promising artists or doctors... except for me. I told everyone how I wanted to help my family out with the rock farm and become a proud owner one day. Everypony laughed at me and I never had any friends growing up. One day, I couldn’t take the bullying anymore so... I took my anger out on the fillies who made fun of me,” she explained.

“Oh wow...” you said, genuinely impressed.

“Naturally, my reputation spreaded really fast and now everypony’s too afraid to make fun of me or even make friends with me. It was even tough for me to find a colt I liked. As I got older, I thought my luck had changed when I trying to make friends with this group of fillies I thought were cool, but... they stabbed me in the back by pinning the blame on me for something I didn’t do and I ended up getting back at ‘em. The only ponies I could trust were my parents and my younger sisters,” Limestone finished.

“I see now. I understand,” you said, patting her on her shoulder gently, but Limestone shrugged your hand away.

“Yeah, now you know the truth. So what’s next, you gonna laugh at me?” she asked.

“Why would I do such a thing?” you asked, giving her yet another nice smile. “Your devotion to helping your parents run the farm is an admirable trait to have. I actually talked to your parents about how you chose this career on your own and do you know what they said?”

“What?” she asked.

“They said... what you choose to do with your life is up to you. No matter what you choose to do in life, they will support you all the way because they will always be proud of you and love you so very much,” you replied.

Limestone was left speechless the moment you finished talking. Due to your promise not to embarrass her, you decided not to let her know you were awake when she snuggled against you back in the hot spring. If the normally grouchy mare had anything to tell you, it would have to be put on hold since you both heard Cloudy Quartz calling you down for dinner. But before you could get up, Limestone grabbed your wrist tightly and pulled you in for a big, warm hug and whispered in your ear, “Thank you.”