Apple and Lime · 9:32pm Jan 6th, 2016
One of them is a farmer who is pragmatic about looking after her home and family.
The other is a farmer with a tendency to be incredibly stubborn and angry.
So clearly the top one is Applejack and the bottom is Limestone, right?
Let's delve into Applejack and Limestone and figure why they might not be so different from each other after all...
Now obviously, Limestone has only been in one episode whereas Applejack is in almost every single one, so clearly they're not identical. However, there's some interesting similarities between the two that I think should at least be considered.
1. Muh farm
Probably the most obvious fact is that each of these pones runs a farm, although for the Apples, it's more of a joint operation. Limestone explicitly states that she alone runs the farm, implying that the Pie parents are getting a bit old in the tooth for this sorta business.
Nevertheless, it's clear that both of them care deeply about their land and their livelihoods. Limestone, obviously, has—
"Stay off Holder's Boulder!"
Yeah, we get it, Holder's Boulder. Sheesh. But she also expresses great dismay when the rest of the farm is in tatters over Applejack's mistake.
Likewise, Applejack expresses great attachment in her farm. There was, of course, Bloomberg who she treated as a baby, which is arguably more worrying than Limestone's attachment to Holder's Bolder. Additionally, all the times AJ's expressed concern over her farm's condition and future (Bats, for example, shitty as that episode is).
In the end, both are mares forced into a leadership role on their farms. Except Limestone probably has the greater and harder responsibility. Leading to my next point...
2. Pragmatism
I don't think I need to explain AJ's pragmatic nature. It's helped her and her friends in more than one scrap and it plays into her role of taking care of the Apple family farm.
Limestone too, is pragmatic but is far more ruthless in her pragmatism. Obviously, she runs a rock farm by herself and there's no evidence to suggest it's doing badly. That suggests a high level of capability and pragmatism for Limestone, keeping that operation up. Additionally, when Holder's Boulder fell, Limestone wasted no time in trying to sort out the problem immediately. I'll talk about this ruthless aspect of her later.
Point is, by God, both of them are capable and hard workers.
3. Honesty
Applejack wastes no time in telling her friends or certain customs that they're retarded. She does this to Rarity above all and it's part of the reason why their dynamic is so enjoyable.
So too is Limestone guilty of not giving a fuck. She tells it like it is and is far from afraid of letting the Apple family know they're not welcome at the rock farm anymore.
And... well, that's it really. But I think there's enough there for the two of them to certainly relate strongly to each other, even if they may disagree on methods.
So, why is Limestone the angriest horse in existence while Applejack is the comfiest horse ever? I think a big part of that has to do with their background.
Applejack lost her parents when she was small and probably when Apple Bloom was just a baby too. Such a traumatic event would've stressed the need for closeness with her family. That, with Granny Pie's guidance, and her new role as a sort of surrogate mother for her younger sister, is very likely to be a strong reason why Applejack is so friendly, yet so stubborn at times.
Limestone too, lost a family member when she was young, but in a completely different manner. Pinkie left the farm when she but a child, leaving the rest of her family behind. Now, I'm going into speculation at this point but, I don't think Limestone would've taken that well at all. It's different from losing a family member through an unfortunate death, this is a sister abandoning the rest of her kin for a new life. (Okay, not straight up abandoning but Limestone may have perceived it that way.)
Plus the rest of Limestone's family... once Pinkie left, what was she left with? Two very serious and puritan parents and two other sisters that barely say much. I think Limestone inherited her pragmatic side from her stone-faced (geddit) parents. Her anger issues probably rise from a lack of a normal social relationship with anyone in her age group.
Not that she hates her family. Far from it. After all, it doesn't seem like she's into running the farm for profit's sake. But I think when the two ponies your age you have to talk are:
a) A mare that doesn't say much and is extremely devoid of any emotion
b) A completely shy mare that also won't say much
And then, on the occasional visit:
c) A mare on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, who's loud, hyper and would grow bored with the tasks of the rock farm.
... yeah, it's amazing Limestone hasn't gone fucking insane. Her frustration and anger may be a cry for attention in a family full of stony-faces who aren't especially good at affection. Or it could be related to perceived abandonment issues after Pinkie left (and then Maud, for her education). Or it could simply the stresses of running a rock farm by herself. Maybe it's a combination of all three.
Regardless, it's clear Limestone has some sort of issue. Even if you don't like angry ponies, I don't think she should be judged too harshly for it, given her situation.
All of the above are reasons why I really really want to see Limestone and Applejack fics. Not shipping, nah, I'd never ship 'em. But they have a surprising amount to relate to. Out of all the characters we've seen, Limestone is the only one that could truly get AJ's position and vice versa. And Applejack could help soften those anger issues Limestone seems to harbour. They could respect each other as peers and then eventually become deep, trusted friends with each other. It'd be beautiful.
Make it happen, Season 6.
Except it fucking won't we'll just get a Marble episode instead with Fluttershy because people just love innocently adorable characters and nothing else.
-JaketheGinger
P.S. 4. They're both really cute
I think pragmatism may actually be Limestone's special talent. Limes aren't exactly tasty on their own, but they're full of vital nutrients. In order for limestone to exist, millions of mollusks have to die. Together, they seem to symbolize a destiny of doing what needs to be done, no matter how unpleasant.
My overthinking aside, very nice comparison between Grump Farmer and Not-so-Grump Farmer.
You know what I want? More Limestone and Pinkie fics. I love what we see of their relationship, Limestone is the only pony in the show that I could see Pinkie actually arguing with. I totally agree with you here:
And I think the idea that she's angry at least in part because of Pinkie, in a way that Pinkie can't fix (Pinkie doesn't want to be on the rock farm) makes it the most complex relationship Pinkie has with anypony. It's not just a matter of her accepting Pinkie, or of Pinkie figuring out how to relate to her; she's still mostly alone on the rock farm with their aging parents and taking that off her shoulders is probably the one thing Pinkie wouldn't do for somepony.
And that is something that Applejack might be able to help Limestone understand and navigate, especially if Applejack is looking at a future where her siblings won't be around (totally headcanon, but it's easy to argue that Mac might move off the farm with a wife and Apple Bloom doesn't plan to stay there and farm.)
Limestone Pie seems desperate for someone to push back against her, in a family where she probably speaks more words per day than everyone else on the farm combined. When I first saw her, I thought she was second oldest after Maud. I think Maud, the rock prodigy, was probably the one supposed to take over the farm, but Limestone saw an opportunity to fight over something, so she started demanding she be in charge of the farm, and no one else truly cared enough to argue with her, to Limestone's own frustration.
A big difference between Applejack and Limestone is how isolated they are. the Rock Farm seems to be a heck of a lot farther from town or even other farms than Sweet Apple Acres is, Applejack heads into town to sell apples or do something else almost every day, Limestone probably leaves to drop off magic-infused rocks at a customer's house once a month. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith both provide Applejack plenty of conversation back on the farm as well.
Finally, there is the choosing stone. Limestone knows her parents expect her one of these days to follow the dictates of a magic rock and marry whatever stallion or mare it points at. (I suppose Applejack used to follow the dictates of a magic rock in terms of who to turn to stone or whatever, but that is another matter). Most cultures with arranged marriages don't really have a casual dating scene, because it is seen as a waste of time. I could definitely see that as something she feels scared by and/or helpless by.
I can't even imagine an episode focused on Fluttershy and Marble. Fluttershy's always spoken more than we've seen Marble speak, even to strangers... though I can imagine Marble saying somewhat more when it's just her family around. Hey, maybe she even says "Mm-mm" (for "No") once in a while!