//------------------------------// // (P) #FarmLife // Story: Horsemen and Ponies // by Dark Krystal //------------------------------// Pestilence groans as he snaps eyes open. Sunlight managed to shine through the window and onto his face. Combined with the feeling that something was poking his chest, making him look around to see if it was just a feeling or if he was actually being poked. A familiar Mm-hmm pony was there beside his bed who avoids his gaze when he looks at her. ”Morning, Marble.” “Mm-hmm.” ”Mm-hmm.” He sits up on his bed and shakes his head making his neck release popping sounds that make Marble glance up at him with worry but his smile reassures her that he isn’t hurt or injured. She gives a small sigh of relief before nodding her head going down the stairs. He gets off the bed and starts to head downstairs but stops by the window and looks out. Pure flat dry-land surrounded by trees, the sun slowly rising on the horizon. It was the most mediocre morning view he saw. He huffs and goes downstairs, going around the corner to the living room he witnesses Limestone and Igneous talking in the living room, marble off in the corner sitting down. “I know he said that! But still I don’t wanna train some newbie!” Limestone says with clear annoyance on her face. “Zarzas is content to assist us with our work. Me and thy mother are reaching old age, and it is only thou two whom work on our farm. As the future head of this farm. Limestone Pie it would be foolish to believe that only thou two shall keep the farm up once we turn in, I suggest thou test and see if thou two can keep our farm up by yourselves.” “But Pa!” “Limestone Pie.” Igneous simply gives her his usual stoic look that seems to have an effect on her as she looks to the side and grumbles. ’Great. Waking up first thing in the morning to see farm inheritance drama.’ He can already feel that this was going to be a…troublesome day. He decides to cough and make himself known in the room which makes Igneous turn to his head with a small smile to his face. “Fair morning, Zarzas.” ”Fair morning to you too, sir.” Pestilence smiles. ”I take it that as part of my saying yesterday you’d want me to help out around the farm?” The stoic pony nods “It doth only makes sense that one whom stays might not but help out the homestead they set rest in.” Pestilence gives a nod in return. “Limestone pie shall school thou our ways of farming for now.“ ”Oh really…?” Pestilence can see a glare directed at him by said teacher. ’Why is something so small so…angry? Since I met her she just been aggressive…’ No doubt that when Igneous and Cloudy retire Limestone will single handily destroy this farm with her lack of openness and… Pure territorial feral-like rage. Maybe it was kindness in his heart or him repaying the favor for letting him take shelter but he decided he would……attempt to fix Limestone. “I hope limestone shall doth her meetest to school thou well” Igneous turns his head to look at Limestone who looks away on instinct and grumbles to herself.” “Yeah, yeah, I understand Pa…” “Most well, I shall leave thou three be for now.” The sisters nod and he takes his leave to the kitchen to join his wife. For a moment silence fills the room before Limestone walks over to Pestilence and gets on her hindlegs, putting her forelegs on his chest to keep her self balanced and be able to meet him almost at his eye level. “Listen here newbie! When we’re out there you WILL follow and obey all the rules or I will buck you so hard it’ll make injuries from an ursa look pretty! Understood!?” Limestone whisper shouts at him who ends up taken aback by her sudden declaration but more so by her getting so up close. He steps back a bit, Limestone yelps and stumbles forward, he quickly moves his arms around and grab her forelegs with both hands to keep her from falling. ”W-woah there Limey!” Limestone’s muzzle scrunches up and a faint blush appears on her face with a shocked expression that quickly turns back to a glare. “P-put me down! Wait did you just call me Limey!?” He chuckles and lets go of her, she falls safely onto her front legs and looks back at him with anger due to his chuckling. “Hehehe, Yeah calling you Limestone is way too long. So I decided to call you Limey! I mean your butt tattoo does have a lime on it.” Limestone is about yell at him again but the soft giggles of Marble reach her ears making her whip around to glare at her. Marble quickly looks away and covers her mouth with a foreleg. “Grrrrrr…you know what forget it! Let’s just hurry up and get out onto the field.” Limestone scoffs and turns away to head to a table, opening the drawer with her mouth and gets something out of it. Pestilence smirks, proud to cause a crack in her rock hard exterior. While Limestone goes through the drawer taking things out with Marble walking over to help. Pestilence notices something, on the table he sees a framed picture. Looking at it he sees it’s a family portrait, Igneous, Cloudy, Limey, Marble, Marble, and a pink and another pony. He squints looking at the pink before turning around to look at the two. ”Who are these two?” The sisters turns around and Limestone looks before going back in the drawer searching. “My younger sisters…stop touching our stuff!” Pestilence ignores the last part and he looks at the photo again, the grey coat and violetish mane and that…the deadpan stare that reminded him of a certain horsemen, yeah he can see how she was definitely a member of this family… however looking at the pink one. He squints even further, she was slightly chubbier than her sisters but she was just…completely pink and her mane was like that of cotton candy, her cheery expression was so off-putting compared to the others who were just stoic staring at the camera but…her color and her happy expression. He turns the picture towards the sister and points at the pink one. ”Is she really your sister?” Marble nods without hesitation. He looks at the picture again. ’H-how…? How does pink come out…w-what this doesn’t make sense…’ He puts the picture down and rubs his face, the only thing he can just assume is that pony genetics are weird. After all they were already multicolored and sentient so it’s not a bad guess. Limestone pulls out three hammers or what looks like similar to hammers, though they were awfully small clearly meant for ponies. Marble and Limestone take they’re hammers in their mouths and head to the door, Marble motions with her head to the last hammer on the table. Taking the hint he walks over and picks up the hammer, only the hammer is can be seen as his entire hand covers the grip and handle. ”……………” Pestilence walks out the house and runs up to the sisters, walking out to the field a bit more until they arrive near a wooden cart. Limestone turns to face the biped and glares up at him. “Alright listen! You’re going to go around and farm rocks, crack them open with the hammer and if they are geodes or have value then bring it to the cart! We take a work break every two hours and after four hours we head to the quarry, understand!?” ”Wait…what?” Limestone rolls her eyes. “I told you to listen dang-it! Let me explain agai—” ”No, no I got it but what do you mean farming rocks? I thought we we’re……you know do actual farming…” “This is farming!” ”You can’t farm rocks, Limey!” “Yes you ca-did you just call me Limey again!” ”What’s wrong with Limey!?” Limestone puffs up her cheeks and her face grows red. ”I mean you have to think about it! You have a lime on your thigh and limes are bitter! With your bitter personality it only makes sen—” Limestone turns around and bucks him in his stomach. “Grhek!” Pestilence winces and his body tenses up as the pain runs through his torso. Limestone looks at him with pure anger in her eyes. “Call me Limey again or insult the farm and see what happens!” Limestone yells. Pestilence curses his lack of muscle, if he was just as fit like the others he could take her challenge but unfortunate those hindlegs of her were…tough. he nods as he rubs his abdomen then exhaling, marble trotting over to check if he’s okay while limestone huffs and walks over to a pile of rocks and begins working. ”I’m okay Marble…” Pestilence says with a pained smile. It still takes a bit to convince Marble he was fine but eventually she gives in walks over to a pile and starts working. ‘Man. How did these two grow up together but so different from each other. Still for Limey to actually do some damage to me…she is stronger than she looks…then again these are the same ponies who were spawn of a stallion who took a bite out of a rock like it was an apple.’ Must be strong genes. He exits his thoughts and goes to search for a pile of rocks. After finding a pile he squats down, flipping the hammer around to its pick side and slamming the pick side down on the first rock. Upon impact the rock quite literally explodes into tiny pieces. ’…Crap…’ This job was going to be so hard. Two hours. Two hours of pure frustration. He swings his pick down but stops right before it hits and gives it a tap, cracks forms on the rock before breaking open to reveal just stony insides. He slams the hammer side down onto the remains. ”For fuck sake! How the hell are you even supposed to find a geode in a wasteland like this!?” He hisses under his breath just as Limestone yells at him. “Work Break!” There was still anger in her voice as she said it. He sighs and stands, now that he thought about it… ’They did live in a wasteland in a pretty much poor farmhouse…AND ate rock soup which had delicious broth but the rocks ruin it. Maybe the parents got scammed into buying this land…this could be a desperate attempt to make funds, hoping to come across a geode and get gems…’ He strokes his chin. ’That’s sad to think about but it could explain why Limey was bitter. I’d be bitter and angry if everyday he had to go out here and farm for the small chance of finding a geode to get their riches.’ He sighs and turns around only to see Limey and Marble at the cart counting a stack of geodes that were in it. He smiles with narrowed eyes. He stands still to just have a moment…to silently scream. Another rock cracked open. Another rock being nothing more than a rock. Another moment he beats the ground with his rock hammer out in frustration. Cracking, cracking, cracking, and cracking more damn rocks for the chance of a fucking geode! He was starting to believe that maybe this was the true hell all along. Sitting on the ground, hunched over and trying his best to not destroy a rock to see if he can finds a geode in this god forsaken land. Meanwhile, the sisters we’re finding one almost minute! Either they were blessed with some type of geode sensor or the land just loved them. ’This is fucking RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDICULOUS!’ He shouts inside his head. He falls to his hands and knees, looking down at the remains of this once whole rock. He can feel his sanity being drained by this damn land. Pestilence weakly smashes the remains of the rock as he stares at the ground with narrowed as and a scowl until a something pokes his back. He looks to his side and sees Marble looking with that same concern. ”Marble…” “Mm-hmm?” ”Am I terrible at this? Am I a…a failure in the art of mining?” He shivers as he says those words. Marble looks taken aback and looks around quickly as if hoping something or someone to help but her sister seems focused in work. Marble faint blushes and opens her mouth. “N-no…” He whips his head around and looks at her with wide eyes, his previous despair washed away like an insect hit by a pressure hose. “You…can talk…?” Marble cheeks glow brighter and she nods. “Mm-hmm…” “Huh……” He looks away. “I thought you were just a mute who could only Mm-hmm……” He looks out into the distance and slowly nods his head and then looks at her again. ”I feel better now after hearing you talk…you should talk more often Marble, your voice is kind of nice.” Pestilence chuckles while Marble hides her face with her mane. “Less laughing more working!” Limestone yells from across the field making Pestilence groan out of annoyance and yell back. “Okay, Limey!” He turns his focus back on Marble despite the feeling Limestone staring daggers at him. ”Seeing that you CAN talk Marble, can you answer some questions I have.” Marble hesitates but nods and moves over to a rock pile with Pestilence following behind. ”So um…” Pestilence bends on his side to get a look at her thigh and sees the marble tattoo. ”Whats up with you and Limey having butt tattoos?” Marble turns her head a bit and raises her brow but then figures out what he meant. For a while she is silent leaving Pestilence to shuffle his feet around a bit and wonder if he asked a bad question. “It’s u-um…our…um…C-cutie marks…” He blinks and stares at her for a hot second before speaking up. “What.” “C-cutie marks… It s-shows us our special talent.” He slowly blinks and exhales, trying his best to calm himself and not laugh at what her butt mark is called. “…M-mm-hmm…” Just then Marbles cracks open a rock and it turns out its a geode. Pestilence stare at the geode with nothing but contempt. A stone shell with beautiful sparkling cyan gems within. He picks up the geode and decides to try and be useful in a different role and just serve as Marble’s personal geode carrier. ”So what is Limey’s issue…?” “Um…well s-she’s the oldest so she the heir to the farm…b-but i think she takes it……too seriously and believe that she alone can take care of the farm…” Pestilence nods as he listens to her. ”I think I get it…I used to be in a position like that a looooooooooooooong time ago.” “Mm-hmm?” ”Ehhhhhhh…long emotional story. Not fit for rock mining vibes…” Marble looks at him and gives a slow nod but he can see the curious sparkle in her eyes making him chuckle to himself. ’Maybe being that mysterious character would be interesting to mess with them…’ “Maybe I’ll tell you…someday if I decide to stay here But eventually I think I’ll have to spread my wings and fly off.” “Y-you have wings!?” Pestilence laughs at her small outburst. ”No. T-that was just…kehehe…a metaphor Marble.” “O-oh…” Marble whips her head around making sure her mane blocked his view of her face and trots away quickly to another rock pile to mine down, He smiles and follows her while making sure he has enough arm room to carry more geodes. “Alright time to head to the quarry!” Limestone yells across the field. Pestilence and Marble look back and then head towards the cart, Pestilence carrying twelve geodes in his arms with some struggle to keep them from falling out but he is successful in making his way to the cart and dumping the geodes in it. “Newbie……hmpf. You take the cart with us to the quarry.” Limestone says begrudgingly. ”Aye, aye, Limey!” Limestone spins around and gives him a glare with her mouth scrunched up before sighing and rolling her eyes. “Oh my celet— Tch. Whatever.” He grins at her. He walks over to the cart and grabs one of the carts long handles, looking down and seeing the leather strips on the handle he could tell it really was specifically pony designed. It must be annoying to have to strap yourself every time just to pull this thing. He understands why Limey forced him to be the cartboy and scoffs. The trio go around to the back of the house where Pestilence sees the very…very noticeably large man made or…pony-made quarry. He notices that on the cliff of said quarry was a large rock that was egg shaped. “Why is there a rock on the cliff…” Pestilence points out. No matter what that seems… Really unsafe. “THAT “ROCK” is holder’s boulder, newbie!” Limestone spits out. “Touch Holder’s Boulder and I’ll make your life just as miserable as mine!” Pestilence turns his head and raises an eyebrow a Marble who simply just gives him a look back as if what Limey said wasn’t strange at all. ”Yeah, yeah. I won’t touch your precious rock egg.” Pestilence only gets a grunt in response from Limey. Walking along the path that leads them down into the quarry Pestilence can’t help but wonder how long this must’ve took, for humans this would’ve taken some months but ponies with pony sized pickaxes…probably centuries. Making to the bottom he sees it’s nice flat stony surface with some purple crystals sticking out of the ground, the most noticeable thing was the mine-shaft with a railway system in place. “Alright let’s head in, the pickaxes should be where we left them…… I hope." ”You hope?” “Yeah." She sighs. “Lately when we’ve left our pickaxes down here they disappear, we thought we misplaced them but after two more times we realized something is taking them. We’ve had to spend so many bits…to buy new pickaxes…and…if i could get my hooves on whoever took our pickaxes I'll buck them harder than you…” Limestone scowls and bucks the air behind her as if the thief was behind her. ”So you’re telling me we’re…going into a mine-shaft to get some pickaxes and mine…while some creature we don’t know is in there?” “Yeah. What are you scared?” Limestone turns around and looks at him with a smirk. Pestilence squints down at her. “Don’t worry then, Newbie I GUESS I can protect you.” ”Wha-Limey you!” Pestilence points at her making her snicker and trot away into the mineshaft, he growls and then hears light giggling. Looking to the side he sees Marble giggling at him. ”Marble! Not you too!” Marble gives a small smile and walks into the shaft as well. ”……………” ”Karma really is a bitch.” Pestilence sighs and rubs his face, despite the jabs thrown at him by limey he felt some happiness knowing she was slowly warming up to him…or she was getting tired of being messed with. ’Either way, progress!’ Pestilence walks into the shaft, following the railway track and the sound of hooves hitting the stone ground in the distance. He realizes that none of them actually have lanterns and a smudge of worry starts to fill them until a purple glow was emitting from ahead, walking towards it he sees the source. There in the center was the minecart stuffed with purple crystals in it however almost every around it and even the ceiling was covered in the glowing purple crystalline material, his mouth opens as he tries to find words to describe how beautiful this cavern room was but couldn’t. It isn’t until the sound of the sisters hooves come once more that snap him out of his trance. Coming from around the corner Limestone and Marble come with pickaxes in their mouths, Limestone carrying two more on her back. ”I see the picks are safe.” he says as he walks over to her and takes a pick off her back, thankfully they were bigger than the hammers. “Yeah, but they were moved away from the spot we put them usually.” ”Strange pick-stealer you got, Limey. Anyway do we really have to mine…I mean.” He points to the entrance. “It seems we already have quite the load prepared.” "Geodes aren't enough. We need to add some crystals in the mix to get more profit." She casually explains. He nods and then looks at the rusted minecart before him and looks at her. "Hey are we going to use this cart?" "No. You're carrying what we mine out, newbie." "What!? Hell no! The geodes were easy! With all these crystals in here i won't be able to carry even half as i could with the geodes AND I'll get stabbed in the process!" “Yeah? Well too bad, that cart is heavier and more stiff than someone like you can pu-” Pestilence kicks the cart and watches it move a bit forward. He slowly turns his head at limestone and gives her and smirks making Limestone glare with blush on her cheeks. ”Whats wrong Limey too we-” “Ugh! Shut up!” Limestone yells and walks away to start mining immediately. He laughs at her and spins the pickaxe around in his hand as he heads a bit deeper into the mine. Leaving the sisters behind he finds a good chunk of crystals and runs his hand over their surface. Smooth as a marble tiles. Despite the glow and he can’t feel anything really magically about it, they seemed to be just normal crystals though no doubt they could probably serve as some jewelry of some kind. ’If they “farm” geodes and mine crystals they should be sitting on a pile of cash now……yet marble made it seem like just buying new pickaxes was such a hassle…’ He taps the tip of the crystals with his pickaxe as he stays in his thoughts for a bit. ’Now that I think of it I kind of did waste my questions with Marble…I should’ve asked where exactly I was but…well I can ask anytime I want, no biggie!’ He nods to himself and starts mining crystals. It takes a bit but he is able to not entirely destroy crystals in one swing is able to collect some, he thinks in the back of his mind some mining or songs or tunes he’s heard and eventually finds one to hum as he mines. He finds kind of relaxing, making sure to pile them nearby so he could carry it out when the job is done but a jolt is sent through his body and he freezes in place. This feeling…he knew this feel all too well, the feeling of being watched. He turns his head towards the cavern where he hears limestone and marble mining but no sign of them trying to sneak up on him. ’That means….’ Only one thing he could think of that could be giving him this vibe. The pickaxe thief. He turns his head to the deeper part of the cavern where it got more dark, no doubt returning to a normal spooky cavern down there. He thinks about it, he could go down there and hunt down the thief and drag the culprit to the family and repay them for letting them stay. Actually that sounded like a great idea. He nods to himself and walks down towards the darkness, pickaxe in hand and a look of determination as he stares down the darkness of the deeper parts of the mineshaft. ”Watching me huh? Well you better prepare yourself then!” Pestilence grins as he stares down at the darkness only for his ears to pick up the sound of hurried movement from within, squinting his eyes he could briefly see…Something moving going up in the cavern ceiling within the dark shaft. ”………………………” ’Yeah fuck that.’ Pestilence turns around with a poker face, his confidence disturbed. He may be a strong being meant to subject and punish humanity but he sure as hell wasn’t going in the darkness with some creature he doesn’t even know. That is almost the decision makings of a horror movie protagonists fated to die that he's seen time and time again. He walks over and collects some of his crystals and walks back into the part with Marble and Limestone. ”Mine if I join you ladies?” After mining for some hours him and the sisters come out of the mineshaft, pestilence pushing the minecart along until he reaches the tracks fence where they trio put some of the crystals in the cart until the cart can’t hold anymore. Due to him flexing his strength onto Limestone she forces him to pull the cart up the quarry. A difficult journey to try and not make the cart tip over too much to make the goods fall out, plus bonus was that Limestone threatened him that if one geode or crystal fell out she would buck him again. Great motivation. Making it to the top he drags the cart to the front of the house and parks it as the sisters head inside. He stretches his arms up in the air as he looks at the sky, the orange glow of the sun setting filling him the feeling of good day of hard, honest work. On a rock farm. In a dimension that not hell, with talking multi-colored hors- god why is he so accepting of this place. He sighs and heads inside, hearing Limestone speaking to Igneous, he briefly over hears Igneous say something about a “Appledosa” whatever that means. He heads up stairs a falls onto his bed, he’s earned himself a well deserved nap surely for all the hard work he did today. Though he his mind opens to thoughts previous thrown away before. ’So far these lands aren’t dangerous, no giant monsters, villains trying to take over the world, and etc. It’s like…a better earth? Yeah a better earth with ponies………………oh god if Death is here how is he adjusting to this place?’ Pestilence eyes widen at this. Death was the first person he considered to be a pure cold-hearted monster, thankfully after a couple centuries together and some teaching he had “somewhat” soften Death or at least made him more merciful. ’But putting Death in a land that’s this peaceful AND going against his beliefs!? Death literally might become is dimension number one enemy!’ Pestilence sweats as he thinks about armies of ponies TRYING to fight Death, what a massacre that would be…bodies all over the battlefield and death standing in the center of them all, popping his neck and sighing. ’And the others…? Famine MIGHT take pity on the ponies and not act like an asshole to them but most likely not. War really is the only person he can count on right now to not make any attempts to ruin this dimensions peace…’ He rubs his face and groans as he wonders if he should leave to go find Death, it would end this vacation but ensure the safety of the ponies. He really needs a power na-no a stress relief nap now. Tucking himself in under the blanket he closes his eyes to grant himself a temporary rest. Eventually Marble wakes him up for supper which he goes through a round delicious soup broth ruined by the stony taste of rocks. He makes it through and helps Cloudy with the dishes and wishes her a good night along with her husband once he's done. He even personally wishes Limestone a goodnight much to her annoyance and then Marble who nods him a goodnight. In the end Pestilence returns to his room and turns his light off, he lays on his bed staring the ceiling and then giggling to himself as the “cutie marks” hits him. ”Kehehe…even unique things about the ponies here are ridiculous” He mumbles under his breath. He sighs and rolls over, eyes widening slightly as he sees a full moon outside his window. ”Woah” he slides out of the bed and walks over to the window and looks out at the sky. The moon was out and shining down on the land with stars filling the sky. He grins and stares at the night sky, he’d only seen something like this once in his life and seeing it again…filled him with a sense of inner peace that he needed. For a while he watches night sky and wonders how would the crystals look under the sky, could be good decoration. He looks at the farmland below only to find disappointment as he is reminded that his window is at the side of the house preventing him from seeing the quarry. Just then he spots……something? No, a black strangely shaped figure running in the corner of Pestilence eyes comes into view making him turn to look. A pony? It was on all fours and pony shaped, but whatever it was it came from the quarry and was heading to the house. ’Wait the quarry…figure in the darkness, the sound I heard. Missing pickaxes. Add two plus one together……’ He lets out a dramatic gasp. The pick-stealer has come for the picks, he whips around and looks around the room in panic as he wonders what to do. ‘If it’s a beast then I can’t use my ability inside…or outside it’ll make such a big mess!’ Pestilence runs the gears within his brain into overdrive and comes with an idea. Rushing down the stairs he grabs a pickaxe and opens the front door just enough so he could balance a pickaxe on to of the door. Perfect plan. Hiding around the corner he waits for the pick-stealer come through the door, eventually he sees the beings shadow peak through the gap from the door. He prepares himself in case the plan goes wrong. Maybe he should’ve woken Limestone so she could deal with this…… Would be interesting to see how far she'd send it with a kick, too late now. The door opens slowly, Pestilence gets sight of a foreleg? Covered with holes that reminded him of Swiss cheese. Slowly the black figure enters, it pushes the door open slowly trying to not make the door creak but the pickaxe manages to fall off the door and directly on the it's head. He imagines as a cartoon-like BONK sound effect as the pick-stealer falls to the floor with a thud and he whips his body around and fist pumps the air while silently screaming in excitement to himself. He wasn't the best at making plans but when a plan he makes goes well. He couldn't help but celebrate a little bit. After calming himself down he slowly approaches the fallen creature. On the ground in front of him was something…pony like? It reminded him of something Beelzebub would make. Fur-less with holes in its legs, skin or outer layer was black chitin, webbed mane and tail, sharp forehead horn and jagged ears, sharp fangs coming from its mouth, and finally the strange beetle-like carapace it had on it. Without doubt in his mind he knew what it was. ”Bug pony!”