I pushed with all my strength against the huge rock in the field, straining my front legs to advance it by just a few hooves. The sun beat down on me and sweat soaked my coat from the heat and exhaustion. Finally, I collapsed on top of the rock, my legs sprawled out like a dead bug on a windshield.

“Uhm…” Igneous' voice drifted behind me. “More to the right.”

I wanted to cry.

I must have spent hours pushing rocks around the field. When they asked for help at the farm, I had no idea it would come to this. Ever since the morning after that stressful dinner, I had been shoving rocks left, right, and center at his whims, with no apparent reason for their placement.

And he had the nerve to lounge in his chair while I did all the work, citing his old age and feeble bones when I questioned him about it.

When I started, I thought I’d be mining or stacking rocks to deliver somewhere, but no. We were simply moving rocks in the field. Why? According to that jackass, various minerals and rare metals would grow from the soil into the rocks, which could then be sold for a hefty sum. It all seemed completely nonsensical to me, but since I could use magic, I figured it wasn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility.

I couldn’t even complain. For one, they were sheltering and feeding me in exchange for my labor, and for two, the sisters were actually outdoing me, effortlessly moving huge rocks to their respective—if random to me—places in the field.

Limestone was directing them, clearly taking on a leadership role. Marble followed her orders with a small smile but always took a wide berth when she needed to pass me. As for Maud, she was balancing enormous rocks one on top of the other on her back! How was even she doing that?

I shook my head and gathered my strength, pushing the rock more to the right. I was starting to really appreciate the strength of these mares. I might not match their physical power, but at least I could keep up with determination.

That thought was what kept me from feeling too pathetic.

“No! That’s too far right! More to the left!”

Though I wanted nothing more than to grab the rock and hurl it at him to wipe that stupid grin off his face. But just as I was about to indulge that thought, I was interrupted by the ringing bell that Cloudy was striking with her hoof.

“Lunch be ready!” She called over the field.

My stomach responded to her call with a loud rumble. The king had spoken, and I always followed his orders. The sisters dropped what they were doing and started trotting toward the house, while Igneous got up from his chair as if someone had stolen all his fun.

I followed suit and trotted to the cottage, exhaustion and hunger evident on my face. Limestone wore a smirk as she watched me stretch my legs, my coat drenched in sweat, though her gaze seemed to linger a bit longer than necessary on my body.

“Tired already, Oblivion?” she joked, trying to provoke a reaction.

I scoffed, refusing to respond. Oblivion had become my unofficial name. It felt awkward being called just ‘hey’ or ‘you’ during my time here, so Limestone had taken it upon herself to name me. She told me in no uncertain terms that the name ‘fit me very well’, then cackled her flank off. It was kind of funny, to be honest, but I didn’t want to encourage her behavior, so I stayed silent.

By the way, the rest of last night’s dinner surprisingly ended well. I hadn’t said anything offensive; it was just my lack of knowledge about Princess Celestia that shocked them. It was as if I had declared I didn’t know who or what God was—like I had never heard the term before. Except this was more significant because this ‘God’ was an actual princess who had lived among them for millennia and was still living with them.

I didn’t know if it was real with all this magic nonsense, but it could just as much be a religious monarchy feeding lies to its subjects. To be honest, I didn’t care that much.

Aside from that, dinner went well, and I had my fill of the rock soup, which was surprisingly tasty if you didn’t look too closely at it. For the night, they settled me into ‘Pinkie’s bed’. She wasn’t living with them anymore, so I could use her room during my stay. Her bed was very pink.

It felt a bit awkward sharing a space with the sisters, especially since the bed was a bunk bed. Marble seemed to share my discomfort, her legs shaking with anxiety at the thought of sleeping in the same room as me. Igneous strongly objected to allowing ‘an unknown colt’ to share a room with his daughters. But Cloudy reassured him that everything would be fine, and Limestone promised her father that touching a single hair on her sisters would be the last thing I did alive, shooting me a pointed look as she said it.

So, there I was that night, sleeping in the top bunk just above Limestone, while Maud and Marble rested on the other side of the room. I slept well; the journey from the middle of nowhere to the cottage and the stressful dinner of that evening had completely worn me out.

However, I woke up that morning to a rock sitting heavily on my chest—the same rock that Maud always carried with her. My confusion quickly turned to dread as I felt like it was watching me. That morning, Maud apologized, explaining that ‘Boulder’ sometimes did that to ponies he took a liking to.

I wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.

“Oblivion? Yer rock sandwich?” Cloudy called, pulling me from my thoughts.

I nodded in thanks before grabbing a slice and joining the others at the table. Limestone, with a paper journal in front of her, was talking animatedly to Marble about some upcoming wedding of a princess or something, while Marble responded intermittently with her now-familiar ‘Mm-hmm.’ I didn’t pay much attention.

Maud was feeding ‘Boulder’ pebbles while writing something on a scroll. Curious about what she was working on, I glanced over, only to frown in confusion. The writing was unintelligible, resembling neither English nor any language I knew. In fact, it looked more like a child’s scribbles than anything coherent.

“What are you writing?” I asked, directing my curiosity at Maud.

“A letter to Pinkie,” she replied in an uninterested tone. “That an alien in a pony’s body is asking for help to get back home.”

I winced. Put in that way, it really did sound like I was a madman. Or a madhorse, for that matter. I knew I would have scoffed at receiving something like that if I were in her shoes. Hooves. Whatever.

“You think she’ll take me seriously?” I asked anxiously.

“They’ve seen worse.”

What kind of world was this where someone would take that letter seriously? Right… magic. If that was real here, anything was possible. Hell, all I needed was a lightning scar and some glasses, and I’d be the horse version of a little British wizard.

I couldn’t remember his name—something like… Horsey Trotter.

That sounded ridiculous.

“Thanks,” I said sincerely, giving her a smile as I pushed my ridiculous thoughts aside. “For your help.”

While Maud was the least emotional individual—horse or human—I had ever known, I could still sense her kindness. She was a bit strange, but honestly, everyone in this family was, and I didn’t mind. It felt refreshing. Well, except for jackass.

She looked at me and nodded before returning her attention to the letter. Thinking the conversation had come to a close, I went back to my sandwich and took a bite, an awkward crunch following it.

“You take pressure well,” Maud said suddenly.

“Hm?”

“You turn it into something more. You remind me of Amphibolite.” She continued without elaborating, still focused on her letter.

It took me a moment to realize she was talking about a type of rock, though I had no idea what kind.

“Thanks, I guess?” I replied. “Though I don’t think moving rocks is my calling,” I added with a small laugh.

She shifted her gaze from the letter to my eyes, then slowly turned it to my flank. I followed her gaze, feeling a mix of confusion and embarrassment before remembering.

Right, ‘cutie marks.’

If there was anything that screamed I was in a little girl’s dream world, it was the concept of a butt tattoo telling everyone what your talent was, complete with that terrible name. The first time it was mentioned was when Limestone called out to my blank flank just before bed. She was shocked, asking why I didn’t have one at my age. At first, I thought she was joking, but when I saw she was serious, I reminded her that, one, this was not my body, and two, I had no idea what the hell a ‘cutie mark’ even was.

She then happily explained the concept to me as if I were a little foal, all the while using that condescending tone she knew irritated me. But the real question lingering in my mind was why she had been looking at my flank in the first place.

Just like Maud was doing right now.

“See something you like?” I said to her, trying to mask my embarrassment. I immediately regretted it when I spotted her father at the end of the table, his face lifting with a glare that could kill. Fortunately, the hoof of his wife on his shoulder seemed to dissuade him from saying anything.

Maud took a moment to consider my words before looking directly into my eyes. “Not really. A little too plain for me. A granite rock has more curves than your flank,” she said with a straight face.

Did… did she just compare my flank to a rock? And the rock won?

I was so shocked by her reply that I almost missed the tiny smile that appeared on her face at my reaction.

I just babbled in response, hearing Limestone cackling in the background while Igneous wore a lost expression, perhaps having an existential crisis at hearing his daughter talk about the flank of a stallion. Cloudy, on the other hand—hoof, seemed somehow pleased, a sparkling look in her eyes.

I shut my mouth and took another bite of my sandwich, noting to never mess with that mare again. Maybe Marble was onto something by hiding in her long mane. I could certainly use that right now.

After the short break, we were back in the field, continuing the grueling task of moving rocks. Remarkably, Igneous had become even more of a jackass than he had been that morning. My breaks were shorter, his orders more precise, and his voice more grating.

But I endured because while he was tough on me, he never laughed or ridiculed me when I stumbled or didn’t understand some words in his orders.

I still didn’t like him, though.

The afternoon sun slowly descended on the horizon as the workday came to a close. My productivity was still nowhere near that of the sisters, but I kept at it, determined to prove to their father that I wasn’t a quitter. The work was still challenging, but I had started developing tactics to help me move more efficiently and quickly. For example, I began using a rope attached to my body to haul things over long distances instead of relying solely on my front hooves. Truly, a move only a genius could come up with. And that’s exactly why it wasn’t me who suggested it. Maud did. But I was gaining a better understanding of my body—how it worked and how powerful it was, for better or worse.

Now, Limestone and I were the last ones remaining in the field. The others had retired for the day not long before. We had one last task to complete.

I was currently being prepared by her to be attached to a wooden cart loaded with rocks—those deemed ‘ready’ for harvesting. I had no idea how they distinguished between them, and I had stopped pondering that a while ago.

Because yes, I had literally become a beast of burden. Was this how horses felt when we used them for transport? I should just be grateful that nobody had tried to ride me yet—at least in the nonsexual sense of the word. Scratch that—in every sense of the word.

Limestone started by fitting a padded collar around my neck, snugly across my shoulder blades. She then tightened the leather straps on the side with a firm pull of her hooves, making me wince. She grinned at my expression. From the little time I knew her, it was clear that she enjoyed making me squirm—though in a more playful way than her father, who I was pretty sure just didn’t like me. She would occasionally look at me and smirk as if someone had just told her a great joke. I was pretty sure, in that case, I was the punchline.

“So, how do you like being a pony?” she asked, continuing her work as she secured the various straps around my barrel.

I lifted an eyebrow at her question, curious about her motives as I watched her work. She moved with purpose, her actions firm and deliberate. It was clear she had done this numerous times before; her eyes passed a strap to another even before finishing the first, the routine ingrained in her body and operating on autopilot.

She shrugged when she saw my questioning gaze. “What? We’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s not every day something exciting happens.”

Well, she had a point. This farm was truly isolated—no neighbors, no stores, no public facilities. Just the farm and the train station. I would have gone crazy living here. But the family seemed perfectly at home, thriving in their element.

She pulled the straps tighter, and I winced.

“Frightening. Unsettling,” I said, recalling the memories of my awakening and the challenge of navigating this unfamiliar world. The fear of finding myself in another body was something I would have to manage, but I would, in time, like anything else.

Limestone pulled hard again, and I shot her a glare. “Also, really annoying.”

She smirked at me before instructing me to back up toward the shafts of the cart. I complied, and she finished the connection with a final tug.

Seemingly satisfied with her work, she examined the result for a moment before suddenly slapping my flank. It didn’t really hurt, but I was embarrassed to admit that the squeak that escaped my mouth was far from manly. The cart remained firmly attached despite my startled movement, proving that it was securely connected to my body.

“What the hell?!”

“Don’t be such a baby.” I shot her a glare. “You’re doing pretty great for a lost alien. You’re not panicking, you’re not crying for your mama. You even have time to crack a joke here and there! You sure you weren’t meant to be a pony?” She grinned, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

“Yes, I’d much rather be in my original body. Thank you very much,” I replied with a huff.

“Shame. You’re actually pretty handsome.” She looked me up and down, slowly circling around me. I didn’t think she was doing it just to check if the cart was secure. “Hardworking too. Good muscle for labor, but not too jacked either. And you didn’t even complain about all the work my father put you through.”

I crossed my eyebrows, my head following her trot around me as much as I could with the cart. Her sultry tone, playful attitude, and seductive gaze told me everything I needed to know.

“Are you flirting with me?”

“I’m just stating facts,” she said, lifting a hoof as if to make a point, though her eyes wandered elsewhere.

“Then why are you staring at my junk?”

“Just making sure the goods are secure.”

I paused, letting the words register in my mind, and grimaced when I realized she really said that. “That was really bad.”

“Thanks.”

“That was not a compliment.” I sighed. Was this what women felt when men tried their one-liners to get into their pants? I was just glad I had been too awkward before to attempt any pickup lines and embarrass myself.

She grinned before turning completely toward the train station, slowly sliding her tail along my muzzle and making me sneeze.

“Come on, stud, get back to work.”

I looked at her, flabbergasted. A sweet scent of her musk lingered in the air, and something stirred below, demanding attention and making it hard to keep it from making an appearance. Shaking my head, I resumed pulling the cart, the load forcing a grunt from me.

“You know this is sexual harassment?”

She glanced back at me and lifted an eyebrow.

“Like all the glances you give the girls when you think we’re not looking?”

I tried to respond but only stuttered. While it was true I was stealing glances, it was mainly because of their cutie marks, which all had a rock-related theme. It was hard to look elsewhere when it was literally right in front of me.

Seeing my inability to respond, Limestone continued, “Now, I don’t know how that works in your world, Mr. Alien, but when a stallion blatantly stares at a mare's flank, it usually means he’s interested.”

We continued trotting toward the train station as I struggled to gather my thoughts. Her hips swayed more than necessary in front of me, and her tail flicked, barely concealing what lay behind it.

“Okay, first, I was not staring at your flank but at your cutie mark.”

“Huh-huh.”

I ignored her. “And second, even if it were true, that doesn’t give you the right to touch me or get your… ‘scent’ all over me.”

She fell silent after that, her swaying hips nearly stopping. A heavy silence settled in during the long trot toward the station, only the sound of our hooves breaking it. I started second-guessing my response; they were sheltering me after all. Maybe I had said too much? It wasn't like she had assaulted me—just some playful flirting and a slap on the rear. I knew some guys back home who would have loved to be in my position. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe I—

“You’re right,” Limestone suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts. “I’m sorry.”

“W-what?”

She stopped trotting and turned to meet my gaze; her eyes filled with uncertainty. “I said you’re right. I crossed a line,” she insisted, her voice shaky. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just… sometimes I don’t know how to handle myself. I thought maybe you’d find it funny or… I don’t know.” She bit her lower lip and glanced away; her ears splayed sideways. Taking a deep breath, then another, small tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, but she quickly looked away and wiped them with her hoof.

“Limestone, it’s okay. Really,” I said, trying to reassure her. I hadn’t expected this kind of vulnerability from her. “You were just… having fun.”

“No, it’s not,” she continued. “I always go too far, scaring stallions away. Bucking Estrus! Why do I have to be like this?!”

“Estrus?”

“Right… you don’t know.” She laughed nervously. “Estrus is when ponies go into heat. It lasts a few days to a week, usually in spring and summer. Mine’s late this year… but I sense it coming soon. Even then, it’s still no excuse. I should have never done it to begin with.” She shook her head.

She glanced away and began to trot back toward the station, her head lowered and ears drooping. Then, as if trying to shake off the weight of her emotions, she lifted them briefly before they slowly drooped again. She was trying really hard to hide how much her mistake affected her.

So, a week of being incredibly horny? How intense are we talking? Puberty levels? More? That was hell, and the nudist lifestyle didn’t help. But it didn’t matter. She seemed genuinely sorry about it, and honestly, it was more the suddenness of her actions that bothered me than the actions themselves.

I felt a pang of sympathy for her. “It’s understandable. You’re not the only one navigating all of this. I’m in a body I don’t belong in, trying to figure out what’s real and... what’s not. So, I get it. Just—maybe a little less tail on my muzzle next time?”

She chuckled softly, a hint of relief in her eyes. “Yeah, I can do that. Thanks for being cool about it. I really didn’t want to scare you off. You’re… kind of interesting.”

“Interesting, huh?” I raised an eyebrow, trying to lighten the mood. “In what way? The ‘lost alien’ angle, or just the fact that I’m a terrible rock mover?”

She smiled genuinely this time. “Both, actually. But mostly the whole ‘lost alien’ thing. I mean, how often does that happen?”

“Not exactly a common occurrence,” I admitted, feeling a bit more at ease. “But I appreciate your apology. Let’s just chalk it up to a learning experience.”

“Deal,” she said, visibly relaxing. “Now, let’s get this cart moving. We’ve got rocks to deliver!”

As we resumed our trot, the air felt lighter. The awkwardness melted away, replaced by a newfound understanding, and before I knew it, we had arrived at the station, a sturdy structure made of rock. I wasn’t surprised.

“So, what are we supposed to do now?” I asked.

“We’re waiting for our buyer from the next town over. He should arrive with the train in a couple of minutes to take the cargo off our hooves. That’s how we get paid.”

She detached the shafts from my harness, freeing me from the cart. I nodded in thanks and settled onto my haunches, parking the cart near the tracks as we waited. Limestone sat beside me.

I glanced at her, a playful grin forming as I lay on my side, resting my chin on one hoof while the other casually draped over my flank. I let my eyes half-close, aiming for a seductive glare. Surprise flickered in her eyes as she looked my way.

“So… what else do you like about me?” I said, trying to sound as suave as possible, fully aware I might look ridiculous. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

She blinked in astonishment before snorting in amusement. “Buck you, Oblivion.” I couldn’t help but notice the faint blush spreading across her cheeks, and I chose to ignore it with a smirk.

We waited for over an hour before Limestone finally decided it was time to head back to the cottage. Her brows were furrowed with worry.

“Something big must have happened,” she said, glancing anxiously down the tracks.

“Maybe he’s just late?” I replied, bored. I picked up small pebbles with my magic and sent them shooting into the sky, grasping them again as they fell. At this rate, I could master this and become the best pony clown the earth had ever seen.

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s never late. We’ve done business with him since I was a little filly, and he’s never missed a pickup.”

“What if he’s on vacation? Or sick?” I stopped my antics and gave her my full attention.

“Somepony else would have shown up. Even then, the train still would have passed through here. It just…” She glanced back at the tracks, scanning the horizon. “It didn’t appear at all.”

I frowned, considering her words. They made sense.

The beautiful dawn we had enjoyed earlier was now replaced by the chill of the approaching night. The day’s winds had calmed, amplifying the stillness of the land around us.

“Let’s go home,” Limestone said with a strained sigh.

I nodded, casting one last glance toward the horizon. The silence felt heavy, almost deafening.

Author's Note

Whoop! Is that plot I see? I think it is!

I want to thank everpony for giving my little story a chance! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment, I would love to see what you think will happen! Until next time! Ta-Ta