//------------------------------// // 1 // Story: Gaze Into The Life of Limestone Pie // by Optimism //------------------------------// When Limestone Pie’s pick impacted the large boulder she had been picking away at diligently, it shattered like a glass Hearth’s Warming ornament, her surgically placed fissures on the sides expanding, then separating the chunk of tough material into slabs that in turn grew more cracks and broke into tinier slabs. The result crumbled to the ground at her feet, and she spat out the pick, permitting herself a grin. “Sometimes I even impress myself.” Her gravely, coarse voice intoned, a voice not unlike that of someone who constantly shouted themselves hoarse. She leaned down to carefully inspect each fragment of what she’d shattered for something worthwhile. Just as she reached out with a leg to turn a piece of the deceased boulder over, she felt a tug on her shoulder. Her lime-green eyes turned about to gaze at Marble Pie, her younger sister. The taciturn mare’s face was half-covered by her untrimmed mane, and her eyes stared up at her older sister without apparent apprehension at consequence from having interrupted her work. “What’s the matter, Marble?” Limestone asked, unable to bite back the irritation in her tone, though she regretted it when her younger sister took a step back, looking away. “Did you come down to help?” Limestone inquired, wondering what had brought her younger sister down to the quarry. After several moments of silence her sister looked back up and nodded her head vigorously, giving one of her two common responses. “Mm-hm!” “I thought you were sewing with ma.” Her older sister said. “Mm-hm!” “You came anyways?” “Mm-hm!” “Do you know what to do?” Her sister shook her head slowly, giving the second response. “Mm-mm.” Limestone frowned. “Alright, I’ll give you an easy job for now. See these chunks of rock?” She gestured with a hoof at the remains of the last boulder that had stood in her way moments ago. “Mm-hm!” “Get a cart from further back on the track, or better, two. I need you to fill them up as I work, take them back outside, dump them in a pile, and come back to do it again. We’ve got a couple hours before supper. What are you waiting for, Marble? Go, go, go!” Limestone finished with a commanding bark in her tone. Indecisive, Marble looked back and forth a few times, then turned and rapidly galloped back to the entrance of the mine. Limestone grinned in approval. By the time Marble returned with the squeal of a cart’s wheels on track, new fragments from other shattered masses of rock littered the floor of the mine, and she hastily started to scoop them up with her front legs, dumping them into the cart as quickly as she could. Limestone kept picking away and Marble picked up the leavings, dragging away heavy carts whenever they were filled to the brim with material. She soon found herself breathing hard, her chest heaving, as she struggled to push a cartload she had laden with chunks of sediment. She was certain it hadn’t been this hard just a few loads ago, but no matter how much force she pushed with, the cart seemed to push back just as hard. Without a word, Limestone was there next to her, not a hair out of place or drop of sweat on her brow, and she effortlessly helped Marble Pie push the cart into a steady acceleration. The cart squealed wildly as its wheels twisted and turned down the track, but it sped up until it was moving at a steady pace. Somehow Marble Pie made it to the entrance, and somehow with help from Limestone she managed to dump the load into the large pile she had been making. When had it gotten so tall? “Not bad, Marble.” Limestone said proudly in her harsh, scarcely feminine voice. “You’re not exactly built for this yet, but you’re doing good for your first try. You got seven loads done.” Marble Pie’s cheeks were flushed red and she was panting, neck down and head nearly touching the ground, but she lifted her head at her eldest sister’s praise and smiled meekly. “I’m serious.” Limestone added, as though she wasn’t certain her sister was convinced. “Besides, you can’t do any worse than the time I tried pushing loads for Maud and dislocated my shoulder.” She grinned wryly as though it were a sweet memory. “Do you remember that?” Marble Pie flinched but nodded. “Mm-hm.” Limestone attempted to mockingly mimic the deadpan voice of the second oldest. “Are you alright, Limestone? Can you walk?” She rolled her eyes, continuing sarcastically. “Just peachy, except my shoulder bone isn’t in the socket where it belongs. Thanks for asking, Maud.” She frowned to herself. “Guess it served me right for trying to push more than I could up the bump in the cart rail, and trying to hang on when it was getting away, but whatever.” Marble Pie just shook her head, not entirely assuaged by her older sister’s eccentric reassurance. “Yeah, you did fine, baby sis.” Limestone said, smirking. “I’ve got to get back to it, though. Why don’t you take a rest?” Marble Pie nodded her head, sitting down in the dirt. She watched as Limestone re-entered the mine, pushing the now empty cart with her, and stretched her sore legs, looking at the ground. Her break quickly turned into a state of boredom instead of relaxation. A memory tugged at the back of her mind and shame entered her thoughts. She’d come here to help her sister in part with the hope that the work would keep her mind off less pleasant things, and the idleness wasn’t helping. She picked herself up off the dirt and ambled about the quarry. It seemed giant to her, a deep, ominous ravine with Holder’s Boulder perched up above on the edge of the cliff, like some overseer. Marble came across a few discarded pebbles and leaned down to pick them up. They gave her an idea. *** Limestone was annoyed. Her pick handle had just given out on her, and snapped like a strained twig- the pick’s metal head was now stuck in the rocky surface that she should have been demolishing. Igneous Rock Pie always told her she hit too hard, and that her temper affected her mining skills. “Thou must not rage at the tools that aid thee, child.” Even now the memory of his euphemistic rebuke annoyed her, despite the gentleness with which it’d been given when he’d told her years ago, the first time she’d used a pick. “Oh, come on!” She said impatiently, kicking out her back legs and spitting out the remains of the handle. She looked behind her, just to be sure Marble Pie was no-where within earshot before permitting herself a quiet curse, “What a pile of pony plop.” Limestone was angry- she knew it was just a minor inconvenience, but she knew that if her father found out, and he would, since he kept inventory of all the mining equipment, that he’d give her a stern talking to about her carelessness. An absolutely ridiculous notion came into her head, that maybe she could fix the pick. Tie it back together or such. Maybe her father wouldn’t notice, and if some other pony used it and it snapped, who was to say it had been her fault? Another thought froze her pondering of that idea. She was the eldest, she shouldn’t be afraid of hiding things, right? But she also didn’t want the bother of a lecture later, and eventually the desire to avoid blame won out in her young mind. She reached up, taking hold with her teeth of what was left of the handle of the pickaxe head stuck in the wall, and yanked. Her reward was the sound of splintering wood, and a mouthful of said splinters, which she spat out immediately in disgust. The pickaxe head remained stuck in the rock wall, and now there was even less of the wooden handle left than before. Limestone was furious. Her eyes narrowed, her pupils contracted, her ears perked straight up, and she puffed air out of her nostrils. Why couldn’t she just do this right? What was going on? Not only had she broken the pick, now it was in even worse condition, even though she was making an effort to make things better. It wasn’t fair! It was stupid! She was the eldest, and she should be able to do this right! Limestone’s lips parted, and she let out a scream of frustration. “Aaauuuuugh!” She didn’t let up on the volume until her throat was sore, and she was out of breath. The angry mare coughed, wheezing once, and patted her stomach. Eventually, after several gulps of air, a subdued feeling came over her. Now she felt awful. Screaming wasn’t helping, what she was doing was stupid. She should just- another idea came to her, and she turned around to head back to the entrance of the mine. When she got there, she saw Marble Pie sitting by the entrance, engrossed with a large, unusually arranged circle of pebbles. She seemed at ease, and a flutter of relief overcame Limestone when she realized that her scream hadn’t echoed to the entrance and scared her sister. She felt remorse, thinking about how the furious sound could have affected Marble Pie, who used to cry when left alone as a baby, and recoiled from any form of aggression. Being the eldest meant she knew these things, she’d grown up with Marble Pie after all, and because she knew these things she ought to know better. That was a stupid thing to do. She thought to herself, annoyed at her carelessness. All this flashed through her head in a few seconds and she ambled past Marble Pie after a moment of pause, finding a row of pickaxes leaning against another cart. They were dinged and worn, but their handles were intact, and she picked one up in her mouth securely before turning about to go back to the mine again. Just as she was about to disappear into the entrance again, she heard a familiar sound. “Mm-hm.” Limestone turned her neck to see that Marble Pie was waving her over to her sitting spot, where she had been organizing her strange pebble pile. She looked back at the mine, then to her little sister, and shook her head at Marble Pie. “Not now, Marble.” She told her sister, voice muffled by the pick she held in her mouth. “We can play later.” Marble Pie seemed to get the meaning and sank back down onto her haunches, her shoulders drooping, enthusiasm apparently sapped. Limestone Pie entered the mine feeling some guilt, but what could she do? Whatever her sister needed could wait. She needed to get that pick handle out of the rock slab. She was the eldest, and she had to do the responsible thing. She couldn’t sit on her flank and play in the dirt with pebbles. Right? She shook off any doubt. Right. *** Marble Pie was having a tea party. The five smoothest pebbles were the teacups, and three larger ones were her guests. She was Madam Paulette; on her left was the Baron of Tonne, his massive chest contained in a suit’s great waistcoat fastened shut by golden buttons that strained to contain his enormous chest. On her right was one such Madam Hubris, wearing a bright white, flowing gown that reflected the light in such a way that it was hard to look at them without getting a headache. The last guest was the great Governor Figueora, dressed in formal military attire that burst at the seams with silver medals. He held his head so high aloft in pride, that none of her guests knew what color his eyes were. “Would you care for some green tea, Governor Figueora?” Madam Paulette asked as she set the table with sparkling china cups and a beautiful teapot decorated with ornate silver carvings. The subtle aroma of water and matcha powder soothed her senses until she felt she might be dreaming. The Governor only responded with a grumble, but nodded his muzzle down at Madam Paulette, taking his place on a cushion by the oak table where the ceremony would begin. Baron Tonne arrived late, as usual, and tripped over his own hooves when the sight of Madam Hubris blinded him. He seemed likely to stamp and shout about the disgrace, until Madam Paulette offered him a gift of two diamonds, the smallest of which could buy his entire province. With such a gift, he became the most sweet-tempered thing breathing, and forgot the injuries done to him. When all three guests were seated Marble Pie, or rather Madam Paulette, poured the green tea into all the cups, and divided them among her guests. A conundrum arose when she realized there was one extra. Why was there- she looked across the table, and saw an empty seat next to Madam Hubris. Her sister, Limestone Pie, was missing. Wait, not Limestone Pie, of course. She meant Madam Andra Ballista, her sister, who was no doubt the strongest pony in Equestria. Marble Pie’s fantasy began to grind to halt. The wallpaper of the tea ceremony room peeled away, the fancy cushions sank into the smooth carpeting, which in turn sank into the cool, hard stone ground she was sitting on. Her guests turned back into pebbles, and the tea evaporated, the cups also becoming ordinary pebbles once again. She sighed softly and deeply. She didn’t like playing pretend alone. *** Limestone Pie snapped her pick into the rock face with a crack of metal on stone, and a few tiny pieces of rock bounced off her muzzle, hitting the floor by her legs. She repeatedly hammered away, carving a circle around the pick she was trying to free with her blows, then worked her way closer to the jammed head. It took a minute of a prick here and a pry there, but her ambition was eventually rewarded when she separated a chunk from the wall, with the pick stuck in it. Once it was on the ground she raised a hoof and smashed it into dust and debris with a few firm stomps. She picked up the ruined pick and examined it with her bright, green eyes. There was no easy way to mend this, she decided. The head was bent badly, and the handle damaged. “Just my sulfur-stinking luck.” She grumbled. She picked both of the picks up and made for the entrance of the mine again, a dour mood sinking in as she thought of the inevitable lecture from Igneous she’d get. When she arrived back at the entrance Marble Pie was waiting for her. Rather, she was almost hovering- she stood at her full height, shoulders raised in anticipation, the lavender eye not hidden by her grey mane staring down at the ground in front of the mine entrance. As soon as Limestone arrived, Marble raised a hoof like she wanted to say something, but let it drop. She looked back and forth as though searching for someone to help her build the bridge of communication with her sister, and stepped forwards, then backwards. Limestone noticed all of this, and walked right past her, a frown on her face as she replaced the whole pick in its orderly row, then dropped the broken one next to it. She figured Marble would say something if it was important, but otherwise she couldn’t be bothered to talk at the moment. Thoughts of brooding occupied her mind. It finally came. “Mm-hm.” The quiet sound from Marble Pie perked one of Limestone’s ears up and she turned to face her sibling, frown not leaving her face. “What’s the matter, Marble?” She asked. “Mm-hm!” Marble said, pointing a hoof at her odd pile of arranged pebbles, then pointing at Limestone, then to herself. Limestone’s expression turned into one of bemusement, but she glanced at Marble’s arrangement. “Yeah, you got some pebbles in a neat little circle.” She stated flatly in her coarse, gravely voice. Marble’s enthusiastic expression became slightly distraught, but she reached out to try to pull her sister closer to the arrangement of pebbles by the shoulder. Her older sister didn’t resist, and let her younger sister lead her to the pile of pebbles, her eyes examining them with minimal interest. The arrangement didn’t mean anything to her. “Marble, I’ve got to get back to work.” She said after a few silent moments. Marble Pie bit her lower lip, sank down onto her haunches and just nodded. “Mm-hm.” She suppressed a sad snuffle, disappointed that her attempt to include her sister in her little world had failed. Her elder turned their back, moved over to the pile of rocks that Marble Pie had helped her collect, and separated some, placing them carefully on a smaller wooden cart for transport out of the quarry. Marble Pie remained sitting on her haunches, a lonesome feeling creeping into her that left her stomach feeling queasy. She wished it was easier to for her to express herself, and make her sister understand what she was trying to say, but it wasn’t so easy. She let the imaginary playtime fantasy fade away and stood up, resigning herself to resuming work with her sister. Limestone Pie had already hitched herself to her cart, and was starting to roll it away, but when she saw Marble Pie approaching the edges of her lips turned up and she paused. “All done with your break?” “Mm-hm.” Marble Pie replied, beginning to separate her own small load of rocks from the pile, and adding them to her own cart. “Well, hey, let’s not waste any time.” Limestone said, a grin forming on her face as though she relished the challenge of her labor. “We’ve got an hour or so until supper, so let’s get these carts moving. I want to see at least four full loads out of you today, Marble. I know you can do it.” Without further hesitation, Limestone sped off at a respectable speed, rock cart bumping along in tow and kicking up dust as she ascended the quarry’s path to the surface. Marble just looked up the path and sighed, watching her sister’s size diminish as the distance between them increased. It was going to be a long afternoon, she reflected as she began to pull her own smaller cartload up the path, back straining with the effort. *** Marble Pie unhitched herself from her wagon. Sweet, cool, blissful relief engulfed her aching shoulders as she relieved herself of the harness. She knew only an hour had passed since she’d started hauling these loads out of the ravine, but she felt as worn out as an eroded sedimentary deposit. Nearby, Limestone Pie unhitched herself too, a satisfied expression plastered on her face. Nothing seemed to lift Limestone’s mood more than hard labor. “Marble, you look as worn out as an eroded sediment deposit.” Limestone told her bluntly, chortling with amusement. Her younger sister blinked, having heard her own thoughts spoken aloud, but then remembered whom she’d gotten the metaphor from in the first place. “Come on, don’t zone out on me.” Limestone said, trotting over to check on her. “You okay? Want me to carry you?” Limestone Pie’s offer might have been a joke, but Marble Pie nodded anyways. Her older sister lifted an eyebrow. “Seriously?” Marble Pie nodded again. “Mm-hm.” Lime-colored eyes rolled. “Whatever. Don’t tell Pinkamena.” With no further hesitation, Limestone crouched down so Marble Pie could clamber up onto her back and throw her front legs around her neck. Once Marble Pie was up, Limestone stood again, and began to move, no change in her regular pace or gait, despite the extra weight. “I’ve got to go see if Maud rotated the rocks from the south field to the east field like I asked.” Her older sister told her. Marble Pie’s only reply as she was gently jostled up and down on her older sister’s back was a yawn. After hours of labor, she found the warmth from her sister pleasant, and it was making her very drowsy. Limestone continued talking, her coarse cacophony of vocal cord straining lulling Marble to sleep with talks of whether their crystal harvest yield from the rotating rocks would be enough for the coming winter. Suddenly Marble Pie’s eyes snapped open again. She realized she was still on her sister’s back, so she must have only been dozing for a few moments, but her sister had stopped moving. “You’re sure you want them rotated to the north field early?” Limestone was asking skeptically. Marble Pie looked up to see Maud Pie, her frock-wearing second oldest sibling nod at Limestone. Maud Pie noticed Marble looking at her and slowly blinked at her in acknowledgement before looking back at Limestone and speaking in her deadpan voice. “Yes.” Marble Pie could see Limestone’s scowl, even though the eldest Pie sister wasn’t looking at her. “Why’s that?” “I just know.” “You better be right, Maud. Pa doesn’t like random changes to the harvest.” “I’m not wrong.” Maud said, the lack of impatience in her voice a stark contrast to Limestone Pie. “These rocks need to be rotated to the north field to be ready to harvest in time.” She picked up a pebble and stroked it adoringly. “Boulder says they think the rocks in the east field are too snobbish.” “Yeah, spare me the life’s story of the rocks.” Limestone said, baffled by Maud’s motherly pebble caressing. “So, where are these rocks you want moved?” “I had Pinkamena do it.” “Then why are you wasting time telling me about it if it’s already done?” “I thought you would want to know. You get angry when we make changes to the farm’s harvest schedule without telling you.” “I don’t get angry!” Limestone retorted, quickly getting angry. Maud tilted her head to look behind at Marble Pie’s expression. As predicted, it was nervous. “Marble is awake.” Maud told Limestone calmly. The anger of the eldest instantly evaporated, and she turned her head, barely able to see Marble out of the corner of her eye. “Oh, hey Marble.” She said, calm once again. The rapid change puzzled the youngest sister. “Maud and I were just talking about the field rotation. Did you just wake up?” “Mm-hm.” “You look beat, baby sis. Why don’t you go sit with ma on the porch?” Marble Pie thought about it and shook her head, wrapping her front legs more tightly around her older sister’s neck. “Mm-mm.” Limestone’s eyes narrowed, but she gave in. “Alright, alright. I’ll carry you a bit longer.” The wrath in her eyes having cooled over, she looked back at Maud. ”So anyways, Maud, where is Pinkamena? She’s supposed to be helping me make supper today.” Maud twisted her head around, and fixated her gaze on a tiny pink dot far away in the midst of the north rock field. “She’ll be here in a second.” “A second?” Limestone said in disbelief. She squinted to follow Maud’s gaze. “Then why are you looking way out over…” A tap from Marble Pie dragged her attention away. “What, Marble?” Marble pointed a hoof towards the bouncing pink ball of mussed up fur and mane that was their energetic sister. Somehow she was now at Maud’s side. Some years ago, before Limestone Pie had acquired her cutie mark, such a display might have stunned her, but times had changed, and the peculiar had become the norm, so she just rolled her eyes. “Glad you could make it, Pinkamena.” “Oh, Limey.” The squeaky, high-pitched, spirited voice of her younger sister replied, “Why don’t you just call me Pinkie like Maud does?” As though to make her point, she wrapped her own front legs around Maud’s neck, bringing her grinning face next to the impassive one of her sister, squealing with glee. Her ears irritated and expression sour, Limestone shook her head. “I’m not Maud, Pinkamena. I’m your oldest sis, Limestone Pie, and Pinkamena’s your name, like it or not.” Her ears twitched as the gentle jingling of the supper bell sounded in the distance and she turned to walk towards the farmhouse. Maud and Pinkamena followed. A familiar pink form bounced up next to Limestone, matched her pace, and hopped merrily along, messy locks of hair swaying. “Oh, are you giving Marble Pie a ride? That’s so sweet, Limey. Can I have one too? Pretty please?” As she was asking, Pinkamena was already trying to pull herself up onto her oldest sister’s back, but she was immediately halted by a shove from Limestone’s back leg, and a piercing glare. “No, Pinkamena. You’re- too heavy.” Limestone finished after a pause, and continued walking, leaving her pink sister in the dust. “Ask Maud.” Pinkamena’s tongue felt itchy. What did that mean? She knew what it meant, but had her older sister just told a lie? She bounced back up in front of Limestone and waved her front legs. “Wait, wait! You never give me rides, Limey.” Limestone casually tromped around her younger sister’s waving front hooves, leaving her behind once again. “You never asked.” “Well, I’m asking now, Limey.” Pinkamena said as she once again bounced up next to her sister, trying to squeeze her close in a hug. “You’re giving one to Marble Pie, can’t you give one to me?” A shadow of guilt ran across Limestone’s granite expression of scorn, but when her excitable sister tried to forcefully squeeze her close she turned her head and pressed her nose against Pinkamena’s, pushing her backwards onto her rump. “Pinkamena Diane Pie.” She stated harshly, her brows furrowing and eyes blazing in mountainous wrath. “I. Said. NO.” For a moment, all was quiet, except for the soft tapping of Maud’s hooves as she caught up with her sisters, walking at a leisurely, almost lethargic pace. Pinkamena’s eyes were wide, and the edges of her lips seemed like they wanted to turn downwards- they did turn downwards. She frowned, feelings hurt by her older sister’s blunt refusal. “Okay, Limey.” She said softly. “I’ll stop bothering you.” “Uh-huh.” Limestone Pie said in apparent disbelief, and pulled back, walking towards the farmhouse again. Marble Pie peered at Pinkamena as Maud caught up to her and gently patted her on the back, curiosity invading her own mind mixed with empathy for her twin. Why does Limestone give me rides, but not Pinkamena? Is she mad at her? She was busy pondering when suddenly Limestone stopped, having reached the porch of their home, where their mother, Cloudy Quartz was waiting. “Sorry, baby sis. Ride’s over.” Limestone said to her, and leaned down so she could hop off. Marble did so, the ache in her shoulders having mostly subsided. They only felt stiff now. Her older sister trudged into the home wordlessly, drawing a questioning glance from her mother. Marble Pie, however, jumped up the porch to give her mother a hug. The feeling of her guardian’s legs wrapped protectively around her made her feel secure. “Thou should be proud, dear Marble.” Her mother said into her ear gently. “It was very noble of you to offer to help your sister today. Igneous believes she has been working herself far too hard as of late, but I suppose that is nothing new.” She kissed Marble Pie’s forehead once before releasing her from the hug. “Providence has been kind to favor us with four strong, healthy daughters.” The praise from her mother gave Marble Pie a sense of happy warmth. Even though Limestone called her ‘baby sis’ and she was the youngest of the four sisters, it didn’t mean she couldn’t do her part. She was a member of the Pie family. She was a strong mare. *** Dinner consisted of a casserole made with a few precious carrots and a side of oat porridge. Limestone Pie and Pinkamena Pie, the latter having recovered her good cheer after their earlier confrontation, served the meal in plain, undecorated bowls. Marble Pie, a growing mare, was ravenous after the day’s work, and dove right into the meager meal. Limestone Pie just toyed with the edge of her bowl of casserole, a deep frown on her face, even though Marble Pie knew she must have been as hungry as she was. Maud Pie chewed silently and slowly, but every so often her eyes glanced at the disgruntled oldest sibling, wondering what had caused her earlier outburst at Pinkamena. Pinkamena seemed oblivious to the dismal atmosphere that surrounded Limestone Pie. She ate with just as much enthusiasm as Marble Pie, and asked for seconds, chatting loudly about the workday. Limestone Pie finally spoke up. “Where’s pa?” She asked her mother, gesturing to the empty seat at the head of the table. “Your father took leave to go into town and check projections for crystal prices this quarter.” Her mother answered. “He shall return tomorrow.” Limestone accepted the explanation with a grunt, and pushed her bowl away. “Can I be excused? I’m not hungry.” Her mother cocked her head, but nodded. “Thou may be excused, Limestone.” “You can have it, Marble.” Limestone Pie mumbled to her sister, tilting her short, side-swept mane towards her uneaten bowl of food as she walked away from the table. The shutting of a door signaled her exit from the farmhouse. Pinkamena’s tongue itched again, and this time she was certain. Limestone was telling little lies, but why? She was about to say something, but Maud took it upon herself to speak first, while Marble nibbled on the gifted leftovers from her sister, a guilty expression on the visible half of her face. “There’s something bothering Limestone.” She said, summing up the issue in her usual concise fashion. Cloudy Quartz adjusted her glasses, peering across the table at Maud Pie. “Has something happened?” Pinkamena broke in, “Well, she was acting like a grumpy-pants earlier, and then my tongue started itching because she said she wouldn’t give me a ride even though she was giving Marble Pie a ride. But the reason she said she wouldn’t give me a ride is because I’m too heavy! Too heavy! That’s not very nice! That’s like calling me fat, and I’m not tubby, Maud doesn’t think so. She gives me rides all the time. Right, Maud?” She finished, smiling brightly at her older sister. Maud nodded. “She wasn’t telling the truth, Pinkie.” She said in her dull tone. “And she didn’t eat any of her food. You know how much Limestone loves her own cooking.” Pinkamena paused, stroking her chin in thought. “Yeah, that was strange. Right, Marble Pie?” Marble Pie looked up from a mouthful of casserole from Limestone’s abandoned plate and nodded hastily, her cheeks flushing. “Mm-hm.” She agreed. Cloudy Quartz tapped her front hooves together thoughtfully, wondering what could have roused the ire of her eldest daughter.