"And then I was like 'Ha, you are no match for the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrixie'!" The blue unicorn boasted.
Starlight smirked and rolled her eyes. "Really? So, how did you beat it? I here those things can shatter destroy entire mountains when they're angry."
"Quite simple, my dear friend, Starlight. For you see, the Great and Powerful Trixie tore the foundations of it's cave with her magic and teleported away from the destruction right in the neck of time. The beast was then crushed. Such was simply no match for the Grrreat and Powerful Trrrrrrrrrixie!" Trixie had stopped to pose as she boasted some more only for Starlight to continue walking down the trail. Once she saw her friend was far ahead, Trixie quickly ran to return to her side.
Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Even though you were scared to death of one changeling... And didn't learn the teleportation spell until I taught you about a month ago... And those things don't live in caves... And it would take more than a cave in to take one down anyway?"
Trixie found her great and powerful tongue to be tied. "Duh-um... Well... That is, uhh... Well, there might be a few stretches to the truth in there. Such is the art of storytelling. You'll understand some day." She told Starlight as if she were a child.
Starlight shook her head. In truth, she had grown very tired of Trixie's attitude and behavior. Their friendship had had a rocky start when Trixie used her to mess with Twilight... for some reason. While Starlight was willing to look past that, Trixie had still been getting on her nerves, especially a month ago, when Trixie teleported the Cutie Map away and didn't even care. Still, she dealt with it and accepted that it was partially her own fault for not telling Trixie how she felt.
"So, where are we going?" Trixie asked. "I feel like I've been here before. Also, why didn't you just teleport us right there? Then we wouldn't have to walk down this path."
Starlight smiled. "Oh, a little exercise never hurt anypony. Besides, I need to meet with somepony. Oh, speaking of which, there she is." Starlight pointed to a pony a little ways down the path. While she had always been tolerant of Trixie, a little incident from a few days ago pushed Starlight's buttons harder than she had let on. "By the way, Trixie, remember that trip to the Changeling Kingdom a few days ago?"
"Oh, yes." Trixie said with a nod. "It was a pleasure for Trixie to help you with the whole, uh, friendship... changeling... brothers... stuff."
"Right, you did help me, didn't you?" Starlight said with sarcasm that Trixie didn't catch. "Let's see, you... Remind me again, what did you do?"
Trixie had to think for a moment. "Well, Trixie assisted in fighting the Maulwurf... and... I tried to find Pharynx for your plan... that didn't work."
"Yeah, and so much more." Starlight said with mock praise.
Trixie held her head high, ready to hear about all the great things she did.
"Let's see, you... repeatedly threw me under the bus and left me hanging. Thanks for that"
Trixie's proud stance broke hard as her eyes widened.
"Oh, and you also acted obnoxious and refused to take the situation seriously. That was a big help."
Trixie's mouth opened, but no words came out.
"Yes, Trixie, you were a huge help. In fact, you were a bigger 'help' there than you were a month ago when you lost the Cutie Map."
"...Umm... Don't suppose an apology would fix this?"
Starlight rolled her eyes.
Trixie sighed as she finally realized how upset Starlight was. "I'm really sorry, Starlight."
"I forgive you, but I think it's time you start acting like a real friend; which is exactly why we're here." Starlight turned her head to face the pony they approached, whom Starlight gave a smile. "Hi, Maud."
"Hi, Starlight. It's good to see you. And it's good to see you too, Trixie." The physically emotionless Earth pony greeted the two unicorns with undetectable joy.
"Yeah, uhh, good to see you, Maud." Trixie's words were tinged with a little bit of jealously for Maud also being close friends with Starlight as well as a little bit of fear because she was kinda scared of ponies that don't show emotion.
"I'm glad you could on such short notice," Maud said to Trixie.
"Well, it's... What?"
"Well, you see, Trixie, I promised to help out on the Rock Farm, but as it turns out, I scheduled it on the same day me and Maud were going to go study magic crystals. So, I was hoping you could cover for me since you are my friend."
"Oh... Well, umm, of course. Trixie would be happy to oblige. She's worked on this Rock Farm before, it won't be a problem." Trixie gave a nervous smile as her eyes darted around. "As long as she's not here."
Starlight raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Trixie gave Maud a pleading look. "Uhhh, Maud, buddy, your sister isn't here, is she?"
There was a pause before Maud retorted. "Which sister? You're going to have to be more specific."
Trixie bit her lip. "You know, Li-" Trixie paused when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She was spun around and found herself staring into a set of piercing yellow eyes. A familiar set of piercing yellow eyes.
"Long time, no see, Blueberry," Limestone Pie greeted.
Trixie jumped backwards and over Starlight, hiding behind the two. "L-L-Limestone! Uh, hi! You-You're looking good!"
"Thanks," Limestone said without gratitude before starting to walk around to her.
Trixie then grabbed both Starlight and Maud and held them in front of her as Limestone circled around her.
"Been a long time since you worked here, Lazyflank. By the way, what was that you said about my Ma and Pa again?"
Trixie gulped, sweat pouring down her face. "Oh, that? Th-That was just a spur of the moment comment! Didn't think anypony could even hear me! You're... You're not still mad about that, are you?"
"Yes, I am," Limestone said in a low tone.
Starlight looked between the angry rock farmer and her terrified friend who was physically keeping her and Maud between her and Limestone. She had a confused look on her face while Maud had... a Maud look on her face.
"Well, umm, Trix-I mean- I am very sorry for what I said. So, we can just calm down and take a fresh-"
Suddenly, Limestone was right in Trixie's face. "DON'T PATRONIZE ME!"
Trixie dropped to the ground and held her forelegs over her head, shaking like crazy and hoping that if she didn't look at Limestone then she would go away.
Maud put a hoof on Limestone's chest. "Limestone, we agreed that you wouldn't be violent towards Trixie when she got here."
Limestone pushed her sister's hoof off her. "And I didn't, did I?"
Starlight put a hoof on Trixie's back. "It's alright, Trixie. Limestone is just gonna make sure you do the work."
"Are you kidding me?!" Trixie asked while she raised a foreleg to look at Starlight. "She'll kill me!"
Starlight rolled her eyes. "She will not. Now, come on." She picked up Trixie with her telekinesis and carried her as she followed Maud and Limestone.
Once they were in the Rock Field, Starlight set Trixie down. "Alright, me and Maud will be back in a few hours."
Trixie looked up at Starlight in horror. "Hours?" She asked with a whimper.
"It'll be fine, Trixie. This is just a little lesson in humility."
With that, Starlight turned and left.
"Are you sure you can control yourself?" Maud asked her elder sister.
"Don't worry. I won't even need to touch her," Limestone whispered with a smirk.
With that, Maud and Starlight left a very excited Limestone and a very scared Trixie to their work.
The blue unicorn stared up at Limestone, who stood with an expressionless look.
After a three second stare off... "ON YOUR HOOVES, MAGGOT!"
Trixe quickly scrambled to her hooves and stood up straight like a a royal guard.
"Alright, Ms. Great-and-Powerful," Limestone taunted as she circled her prey. "I hear tell you like to brag about yourself! I hear you think you're the hot stuff! Trixie isn't scared of anything! Trixie is talented! Trixie is great! Trixie is powerful! Trixie is god! But here?! Here you are just a bug! A bug that I will crush under my hoof if it proves troublesome! For the next few hours, the first and last words out of your mouth will be ma'am if you don't want your tongue ripped out! Do you understand?!"
"M-Ma'am, yes, Ma'am."
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"
"Um, are you sure that Limestone won't hurt Trixie?" Starlight asked as she and Maud checked over their supplies. "She seemed pretty scared of her."
"Don't worry," Maud assured. " "I dared Limestone to accept the challenge of not laying a hoof on Trixie... in a violent way. When Limestone takes a dare, she sticks to it."
"Well, alright. I'll trust you." Starlight then thought of something. "What exactly did Trixie say about your parents?"
There was a pause before Maud spoke. "Let's just say, Limestone is not going to have any compassion for Trixie at all."
Trixie winced as she lifted the pick ax up once more and brought it down, splitting another rock.
"Faster!" Limestone ordered.
Trixie fought back the urge to complain and split another rock.
"Faster!" Limestone repeated.
Trixie split another at the same pace.
"I SAID FASTER!" Limestone demanded before shattering a rock with one punch of her hoof.
Trixie jumped in terror and started splitting rocks as fast as she could.
Sweat poured down Trixie's face as she struggled to struggled to pull a cart full of rocks to their destination.
"Keep moving!" Limestone was also pulling a cart full of rocks, but didn't show any signs of fatigue. "Put your back into it, Lazybones!"
"I-I'm- err-Ma'am, I'm pulling... as hard... as I can... ma'am!"
"Hurry up, Pillow Hair! We got three more loads after this!"
A part of Trixie died inside.
It was finally lunchtime.
Trixie grimaced when she saw the rock stew in front of her. Pushed on by the rumbling of her stomach, Trixie lifted her plate and drank the watery stew, resisting the urge to spit it out in fear of angering Limestone... more. Seeing Limestone casually munch on the rock in the center of hers, Trixie took a deep breath and bit into her rock... and broke all of her teeth; her only saving grace being that they would be back to normal in the next scene.
Despite the immense pain coursing throughout her entire body, Trixie kept a solid stance as she and Limestone marched across the Rock Field, patrolling the farm.
"We are rock farmers, proud and strong!"
"We are rock farmers, proud and strong."
"We tend to this land all day long!"
"We tend to this land all day long."
"Do your job and know your place!"
"Do my job and know my place."
"Or Limestone Pie will wreck your face."
"Or Limestone Pie will wreck my face."
"Was that a whimper, Hoofdini?!"
"N-Ma'am, no, ma'am!"
Trixie slowly carried her aching carcass into the outhouse, closing the door and seating herself. "Well, at least I get a break from that psychopath." She muttered with a sigh. She started to relax until she heard a banging on the outhouse!
"You do your duty like a Pie, Twinklehooves!" Limestone called to her. "Don't make me come in there!"
Trixie was so startled that she ended up finishing much faster than she thought.
Trixie didn't even know what was happening right now. All she knew was that Limestone was chasing her while barking like a dog and that she wanted to live.
"BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK! BARK!"
"Well, that was fun." Starlight said as she and Maud returned to the Rock Farm. "I just hope Trixie is okay."
"Well, why don't you ask her? She's right there," Maud pointed out.
Indeed, a certain blue unicorn and dark violet Earth pony were walking to the front of the Rock Farm... Well, stumble in the unicorn's case. Trixie looked absolutely worn out. Her mane was a mess, she had bags under eyes, she was covered in dirt, and she looked like she could barely stand.
"Trixie?!" Starlight ran over to her friend. "Trixie, are you okay?"
"Ma'am, no, ma'am." Trixie muttered before falling over.
Starlight caught Trixie before she could hit the ground.
"I'll give the chatterbox this, she put on a hard day's work," Limestone said.
"It sure looks like it," Starlight deadpanned before returning her attention to Trixie.
With a lot of effort, Trixie got back on her hooves and stood before Starlight, though her body swayed and her eyes were unfocused. "S-Starlight..."
"I'm so sorry I got you into this," Starlight said with genuine remorse. "I-I didn't think you would end up so-"
"No, no. It's... It's fine." Trixie assured. "You were right. I... I haven't been a... good friend to you. Covering for you here... was the least I could do." She managed a small smile. "Besides..."
"Yeah?"
"...I tried to think of a positive, but I couldn't."
Starlight gave a small laugh. "Well, I'm glad you're-" That's all she got out before Trixie collapsed on the ground. "Trixie?"
Trixie started snoring as soon as she hit the ground.
Starlight smiled and levitated Trixie onto her back. "I think I'll just take her home."
"You should. She won't be able to move at all tomorrow," Maud stated.
Starlight gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I'll be here for her. See you later, Maud." With that, Starlight teleported away.
There was an awkward silence between Maud and Limestone for a moment.
"..."
"..."
"Wanna see what Marble's up to?"
"Yeah."