Taken for Granite

"Rusty and I, oh we were so different back then.", Granny Rosewater continued. "He had her grounded for a full moon until we could come up with a fitting punishment. We heard stories of a punishment for promiscuous ponies in Rock Ridge, though it was a horribly long way... Apparently they had a stone which would choose that pony's life partner, and it was legally binding from what we heard! As soon as we could we, put her on the first train to southern Equestria."

Limestone, with rage in her eyes, slammed her front hooves on the table and screamed out in anger. "How could you do that to your own daughter?! She didn't even have her cutie mark, she was just a kid!"

"I know that now dear but, but back then things were different! This was before your time, before it was normal for fillies of your age to sire foals! I know what we did was wrong but, we did what we had to do. She settled down with your father Igneous and got her cutie mark that same day..."

"That's a great story Granny, but that doesn't help us very much." Maud spoke up next, cocking her head slightly to the right. "What does this have to do with getting the family back together? You don't even know the foal's name."

"Eh? Was that what this was about?" The old mare scratched her head for a moment before rummaging through the box of postcards and letters, eventually pulling out one with an old photograph attached. "Well why didn't you say so?! Her first child was a pegasus, white mane with a gold coat if my eyes aren't deceiving me here." She squinted more at the colorless photograph. "Eh, maybe grey coat like your mother's..." She tossed the photograph over to the three mares, who all looked down as it spun momentarily on the table.

"Her name is Surprise, and from what I've been able to gather she turned out a Wonderbolt just like her father. He retired after she was born, scandals 'n all that, apparently he was scared that it would make the troupe look bad?" Maud pulled the photograph close as her grandmother continued on, squinting at it and searching her memories for a match. The Wonderbolts uniform narrowed things down quite a fair bit, but when they were going so quickly it was hard to pick an individual out of the crowd. Minus Rainbow Dash of course, but this wasn't about her. Or was it?

"She was a darling when I met her, even if it was just once before your grandfather couldn't get out of the house anymore. Not sure how much else I know about her, with her busy life she never stops by and after the whole adoption ordeal she--"

"Yeah that's nice grandma, but we're on a tight schedule here. Do you know any other relatives on this list or what?" Limestone finally interrupted the elderly mare and set down the scroll, letting it unfurl on the covered table. Rosewater stopped in her tracks and let out a huff, quickly looking over the names to get it over with.

"No. No. Nothing there. Oh that couple didn't go anywhere! No. Nope." She went down the entire list before stopping at the very bottom. "Well here's something, they scrubbed out little Obsidian and Surprise!"

Marble paused and looked about the table, before carefully raising a hoof and asking, "Who's Obsidian?"

"Well little fillies I don't know much about her, but I do remember that she's older than you Limey, by a good few moons if my memory serves me right. Heard she was causing trouble on the farm so she was taken in by another relative of ours, some Perfect or Apple Pie out in Tall Tale, but I'm not sure what she ended up doing after all these years. Oh, but she did spend a bit of time here when Igneous was figuring out where to send her. I tell ya, that filly wasn't quite right."

Maud looked to her siblings as she started to roll up the family tree again. "We should start with her in the morning. We can ask one of Pinkie's friends about Surprise, but that's better with the whole family. Granny Pie, can we spend the night with you?" Before she could finish asking Rosewater was off her haunches with a wide grin.

"Of course you can silly fillies! The spare room should have enough room for all three of you, but if you three need separate beds don't be afraid to yell. My brain may not be as sharp as it used to be but my ears are still fit as a fiddle!" With that she led the three young mares into a side room, fit with a bunkbed and a small sleeping bag coated in a thin layer of dust. As she clicked on the old oil lantern the walls were covered with posters, most of which were old horror films and strange sci-fi playbills from several moons ago. There was a thin layer of haphazardly-applied black paint around the top bunk, though the rest of the room was still the same pale pink which covered the rest of the cottage. "I haven't cleaned it in a while, you don't mind do ya girls?"

Limestone and Marble looked at each other with concern laced on their features, the younger of the two hoping that the older would speak up about these horrible conditions. Instead Maud reassured Rosewater that it was perfect, thanked her again, and shut the door on the owner. With nothing else left to do the three claimed their bunks, Maud taking the sleeping bag so the other two could share the rickety bunk-bed. She always preferred not risking a fall when she got out of bed in the morning.

Marble hopped up to the top bunk and rolled her eyes, taking down a childish drawing of The Pony of Shadows. "Whoever had this room had a bit of a problem. Seriously, how much blood can a drawing have before it gets tacky?"

"If you ask me, any amount," said Marble with a shiver in her voice. "I don't understand how somepony could draw something so, so horrible." As she finished her thoughts she too took down a few more drawings, these ones more professional though still childish with its heavy use of violence and gore.

"Some ponies use it as a coping mechanism. Everyone has their own way of dealing with life's challenges, be happy it's just art." Maud rolled her eyes as she went up to open the blinds, revealing the sun slowly dipping below the horizon. "We should get some rest if we want to catch the morning train to Tall Tale."

"I've never been there... Do you think the ponies there are friendly?," Marble asked as she settled in under the sheets of the bottom bunk.

"Not sure. I won't lie to you, I've never been that far west."

"Hm."

With that final concerned sound from the youngest Pie the trio settled in for the evening, Maud turning off the lamp and tucking herself into the sleeping bag. They all said goodnight and drifted off to sleep, though Marble lied awake and stared at the underside of Limestone's bunk. Something about this room scared her, beyond the drawings and horror posters. Maybe it was the dust that coated the room or the half-hearted paintjob, but something didn't sit right in her gut. Oh well, it was probably from her skipping lunch.

With a small sigh she waved off her feelings and forced herself to sleep, shutting her eyes tight.