Marbled Lime

by Shardikku

Chapter 3: Love on the Rocks

Warm, rested, and calm- An awakening Marble hadn’t felt in a while. The gentle light of the morning sun had broken through the gloomy cloud layer and sent beams of vibrant light all across the bedroom, the brightness of the shaft that swept across her face forcing her eyes to flicker open. The welcome smell of baking and the clattering of pans took only a moment to rouse her from her sleepy stupor.

Fresh bread, spice and something chocolatey; Pinkie had retaken the kitchen, then. That gave Mother a rest and meant they’d have several tonnes too many impressive and delicious snacks and cakes for the next month. Someone had said that they were supposed to eat extra food during the winter so their bodies could keep up with the cold weather, and the resident baker was just doing her part.

She reached out and stretched her legs and back, earning a series of little cracks from her joints as she let out a purr of satisfaction. It seemed Limestone had already woken and gotten to work as the bed was otherwise empty, but the blankets had been considerately left. She was such a thoughtful pony, she hadn’t disturbed her even though they’d been in the same bed. That was especially impressive given how wrapped up they’d been in each other’s grasps.

Even the vague thought of last night’s closeness brought a rosy tint to her cheeks, only for her to quickly bury her face under the covers as she heard hoofsteps approaching.

“Marble. It’s time to wake up.” Maud had come hunting. It was well past dawn when she should have been up. She was amazed no-one had forcefully pulled her out of bed yet.

“Mmh?” She feigned a sleepy yawn. It felt a little wrong to deceive her sisters, but it would hardly do for her to start questioning her actions, so ignorance was probably safest. The fact she’d left her in bed was weird enough already.

“Limestone said you were working late last night. You weren’t to be disturbed until lunchtime.” How Maud managed to maintain her perfect calmness was so far beyond her. She hadn’t just overslept, she had wasted most of the day already- from dawn until midday was the optimum time for spotting the crystals in the rocks, much later than that and the sun stopped shining on the bulk of the fields. This was catastrophic. Maybe if she worked until the following sunrise non-stop she could make up for the lost time.

Marble was primed and ready to launch herself down the stairs when a stone-still hoof caught her about the shoulders and prevented her moving. “But I- Work! Need to work, I’m so late-“ What was Maud playing at? She clearly didn’t understand quite how serious the situation was.

“She also said to remind you that you’re not working today. It’s Hearth’s Warming. She was worried you might forget with how tired you were.” Every millimetre of her body lost tension and she collapsed against her monotonous sister. Typical clever Limestone! She’d thought of everything, and how nice it was of her to give them the day off. Old Granny Pie had never given them the whole day off on Hearth’s Warming, and neither had Mother. Maybe it was some sort of tradition Pinkie had brought back. A day off from working the bitterly cold rockfields sounded good by her. She should probably thank Limestone for that, and whoever had inspired her.

“Th-thank you. I’ll b-be-“ She was cut off by the low rumbling of her belly. The last time she’d eaten must have been a quick snack on the way out of the door the previous morning, and that cooking did smell awfully good. “Um, yes, that…”

“Come on down when you’re ready. Pinkie has made something…Interesting.” With that, Maud turned and left. Her mastery over her expression was incredible. She should probably learn how to do that petrifying, drilling stare as well, it would help so much if she ever had to negotiate business deals like Limestone did all the time.

As soon as she was alone, she let herself relax. She need a plan. She had to confess to Limestone soon, for her sake, and what better time than Heath’s Warming? It was a celebration of harmony and love amongst ponykind, after all. It was probably the closest thing to tolerance from Celestia’s laws she was going to get, and Hearts and Hooves was way too far off to be sure that another pony didn’t swoop in and steal her away. No, today, for better or worse, she would ask her love to accept her- but what in Equestria was she going to say? ‘Hey, it’s not incest if it’s wincest, right?’ didn’t quite sit comfortably with her. She never had been one for pickup-lines, not that she’d ever needed them either. Maybe she could just rely on her feelings to say everything she needed to? It was her safest bet, instead of hopelessly fumbling some half-baked line she’d picked up from a novel.

Voices chattered down below; her whole family was waiting for her. All she had to do was get Limestone alone, and nervously bleat at her enough that she got her love across. Then it was out of her hooves.

She shivered in anticipation and nervousness- It would be one Hearth’s Warming to remember, regardless of the result; whether she’d be looking back when her coat had turned grey, well, greyer than it already was, and knowing that this had been the day that marked a beautiful relationship, or…It didn’t do to think about such things. She’d know soon enough, no need for added mental torture.

The stairs seemed especially squeaky as she crept down. She had to keep her behaviour absolutely normal, in case anyone got suspicious. If she was interrogated, she wasn’t sure if she could keep it to herself much longer.

Deep, slow breaths.

Her whole family loved her. For now, at least. There was nothing to be afraid of, not until she made her move. Everything was fine.

“Marbsy-Mc-Moperson!” The steam-filled, chatty atmosphere of a well-stocked lunch greeted her as she rounded the dining room doorway. Pinkie had managed to stick a bright blue party hat on her before she’d even gotten past the door, and the sight of the normally so austere and quiet family looking so joyful- Father was laughing, Mother’s lips were curled up at the edges, bordering on a smile at Pinkie’s antics; her remaining two family members were comparing mane-styles, with Limestone flicking her spiky mane around proudly, and Maud combing hers down so it resembled the sweeping, elegant Canterlottian fashions from those magazines she read sometimes. It certainly looked cultured and expensive, even if the pony sporting it was literally more interested in the grit on her hooves than the fashion world.

“Hello, Pinkie Pie.” She said with a genuine smile. There was no need to fake smiles around such a pony, Pinkie could make anyone perk up until they shone if she wanted.

It seemed to appease the party pony as she skipped away lightning-quick to deal with something else. Truly, her energy was limitless. There was no way she, Limestone, Maud and Pinkie were all hewn from the same rock. One of them, or more likely all four of them, must be adopted. Permanently-hyper party-planner, nervy shyster, savvy business-pony, and emotionless super-geologist. If anything, she was attempting to do the world a service and take care of two of them in one fell swoop, though she felt Limestone and herself were probably the more normal of the four, not counting her incestuous romantic streak.

She took her place at the table, between Pinkie and Limestone, and focused wholeheartedly on enjoying herself, despite the internal drive to lean over and kiss that beautiful pony beside her. It may well have been her last family Hearth’s Warming, so she had to make the most of it before she took her gamble. And as soon as she let the thoughts slip to the back of her mind, and embraced the energy and togetherness of her whole family having fun, a whole realm of happiness she hadn’t felt in months piled back into her, and her small, cheerful smile stayed on her face for the whole afternoon.

As evening fell the party atmosphere began to calm down, and the four sisters found themselves sprawled on a pile of cushions before the roaring fire. Mother and Father had volunteered to clean up, and none of them were going to argue with that.

It had been such a long time since they’d all been so close to each other and been able to whisper like school-fillies about the silly gossip they’d picked up throughout the year. Marble’s input had been limited to the scant few times she’d left the farm to buy supplies in when Mother had been busy, but none of them seemed to mind. They all knew Pinkie’s wonderful tales would trump all of theirs anyway, but then again, she was best friends with the newly-crowned Princess Twilight, and on first-name terms with both of the legendary Royal Sisters. It had sounded a little far-fetched, until Maud had confirmed it. Maud’s geology escapades at Trottingham University, and Limestone’s ‘Backstabbing-business-banter’ seemed dull and trivial in comparison, especially when she had descended into something of a rant, calling her fellow traders by rather rude nicknames.

Soon the spiced wine began to flow. Glasses were passed around and sipped as the fire crackled on and the inane conversation took on a particularly giggly note.

“…And she was like ‘BLAM! KAPOW!’ and Tirek went ‘Aaaargh!’ and then we got super-rainbow-friendship-powers and beat him and saved Equestria! And then the next day…”

Never had she known a pony to be quite so expressive when telling their stories. With Pinkie, it was always a full-body effort. No wonder she kept so slim despite living in a bakery.

“…Then she did the cutest, most adorable-est thing and I thought ‘Hey, Pinkie Pie, you should go and ask her on a date’, but then Rarity said…”

The talk predictably turned to matters of the heart. Pinkie boisterously listed off a few ponies she thought were pretty or interesting; Maud had remained resolutely silent, though the her slight blush and the faraway look in her eyes made her thoughts clear enough; Marble had squeaked, felt her cheeks redden, then buried her face under a pillow to a chorus of good-natured laughter; and Limestone had mysteriously said she ‘had her eyes on a couple of ponies.’ Which, if anything, made Marble even hotter and more bothered as she tried to hide a feeling of jealousy blooming icily underneath the jolly warmth.

In all, the afternoon tailed on into evening without incident, turning sillier and louder with each passing drink.

It hadn’t long since turned to dusk, when Marble had excused herself from the chattering group and made her way to the door. The combined heat of the fire, the four of them, and the embarrassing conversation had made her somewhat uncomfortable, so she had decided a quick break outside would help her cool off.

The night was surprisingly clear, with not a cloud or scratch of mist in sight, leaving the thousands of stars and crescent moon in perfect view. It was quite a welcome change from the usual dreary fog that haunted the farm during wintertime. The bubbly warmth from the glass or two of wine she’d shared quickly faded away in the frosty breeze, and she could already feel the tips of her ears turning numb. She sat back against the fence, just out of view of the door and windows. A moment to herself seemed good about right just then.

She wasn’t lonely, far from it- her sisters were having a great time, and she’d been joining in the fun and festivities as well, but so many clashing personalities made her head hurt. Limestone’s hopeless explanation of marketing to Pinkie, who, by her own experience, stood by the idea of simply giving things away and inexplicably gaining bits. Strangely enough, she’d managed to make it sound so much more sensible than she could possibly fathom.

She sighed deeply, shivering as she watched her breath coil away from her muzzle in a twisting plume of smoky mist. The dull murmur of alcohol had almost completely disappeared from her mind and her thoughts were becoming clearer. She should probably have gone back inside, but something told her to stay and relax under the wonderful night sky for a moment longer.

The door creaked and she looked around, but nothing had moved. Maybe it was just the wind.

Then a hoof tapped her on the shoulder and she leapt up with a barely-suppressed scream. Only scary things could creep up like that! And, it appeared, so could Maud.

“Just came outside to clear my head. A little more drink than I’m used to.” She offered in way of explanation as Marble tried to prevent herself from hyperventilating.

They sat in silent for a moment. There was nothing that needed saying. Maud was just so incredibly calm that any worry managed to slip away easily.

“I’m going back in.” She said a few minutes later. “It’s cold out here.” And then she got up and made for the door. But then she paused and looked back. “By the way, you’re about as discrete as Pinkie on a sugar-rush. I’m amazed she hasn’t caught on yet.”

Fire and ice united as one as the horrible realisation came to her. Her face burned and her chest froze- how many other ponies had guessed? Had everyone else just been ignoring it in hope she’d drop it, or had they been so horrified by the thought that she fancied her own sister that they’d just refused to acknowledge it? Everything was bad, and any trace of festive spirit up and died deep within her below her fluttering, spastically-heaving heart.

“B-b-but w-“ She stammered, her whole body shaking violently from the mixture of abysmal terror and chills.

Maud snorted. “Do what you will. You have my support whichever way you choose. And you can rely on Pinkie to follow anything that makes you happy.” She stepped inside, then added, “I’ll see you later, Marble.” And she was alone once more.

There was no denying that having Maud’s approval was reassuring. All she needed now was the pony she loved to approve her.

In the distance, a few birds wheeled and cried, their harsh caws echoing across the empty fields. Rock Rocs, she thought, though she was hardly much of a twitcher given the rather limited variety that frequented the rocky plains. A trio of dark shapes whipped and whirled, dancing across the night sky, black on deepest darkest blue, little more than tiny shadows that flickered across the twinkling lights and calm glow of the moon. Supposedly the second princess, Luna, watched over all Equestria at night. Did that mean she was watching her right now? Could she tell what she was thinking? She could ask Pinkie about that, she was apparently quite close with her.

The door slammed open, the staggering figure of Limestone tripping down the step towards her. “Whoa-hey, Marbs! Maud said you wanted to see me- pretty sure she just wanted to grab the drinks before me an’ Pinks finished them all off.” She unsteadily made her way to Marble, before planting her rump down and sitting, swaying slightly. “So, what did she-you want?” She asked, concentrating a little too hard on staring at her.

“Um…” She could hardly chicken out now. She might have survived, but she’d have wished she didn’t. It was now or never, but how could she ask such an important thing when her sister was drunk? It just seemed wrong, and there was no way she could get a true answer unless she was stone-cold-sober. “J-just a minute, please.”

It had to be tonight. That was certain, before she scared herself silly with the nerves and clammed up forever. All she had to do was wait it out for a short while- the icy conditions would vanquish her drunken stupor quickly.

“It’s, um, a lovely night, mmh?” She said awkwardly, trying to bridge the silence that had fallen between them and make it pass as quick as possible.

“Yeah, sure. You didn’t call me out here to chat weather, right?” Limestone was short, curt, and something of that efficient anger had appeared in her tone. Her yawn completely offset her attitude though, with the same dainty cuteness she exhibited when asleep.

“No…It’s, um-“ A minute had passed, but it seemed that was a minute too long for Limestone’s addled state. The only answer she gave was a gentle snore.

Well, to be fair, it had been a busy day, and Limestone never rested. She deserved a rest, certainly, but she’d probably prefer to be indoors instead of roughing it in the bitter rockfields.

“Limestone, would you like to go in?” No answer, but her sister rolled over and slumped entirely over her. Marble’s cheeks lit up despite the cold- if anyone saw them, they’d think they were, well-

“Shh-not…You’re comfy.” She murmured in her sleep. The icy nerves gripping her heart melted away at the adorable whisper, and the little foal-like kick her backleg gave. She wondered what she might be dreaming about. It must have been nice, because she had a wonderful smile.

Well, she was pinned beneath a sister she wanted to keep right there and didn’t dare wake after her busy day. It was getting rather late, and she hadn’t quite caught up on all that lost sleep the previous night. Just a short rest wouldn’t hurt, then Limestone or Maud would probably wake her up and take her in.

It was awfully nice having the warmth of her beloved on her against the cold. And how could Limestone chastise her about sleeping out like a ‘silly filly’ if she was on top of her?

The loneliness of the fields seemed to back away from them. And with that comfortable feeling, Marble felt her head slump forward and she let out a single tired mutter.

“G-goodnight, Limestone, sister. I love you.”

And she fell asleep.

-

“Mmff!” A sharp nipping at her flank awoke her. Was it that crow again?

She cracked an eye open. The field was gone, her back was stiff, and she was lovely and warm, and wrapped up in blankets.

A giggle caught her ear and turned her around, “Heya, Marbs. Thought I’d bring you up to bed. It was getting a bit chilly outside. Sorry for, y’know, passing out on you and everything.” Limestone’s sheepish grin met her sleepy gaze.

“My flank?” She rubbed at the sore spot, and her hoof met another. Her eyes opened wide and any trace of sleepy bleariness was wicked away in an instant. Was that Limestone’s hoof holding her flank? It was definitely unexpected, but far from unwelcome. Her sisterly teasing sometimes involved splashing her with icy water to wake her up, but never a- Oh, a flank massage?

“Hey, Marbs…” Limestone turned away. Was it just her or were her cheeks slightly flushed? “…Did you know you talk in your sleep?”

Burning, blistering heat from the depths of Tartarus blitzed her face. The one pony who she had managed to keep it from- the single most important pony- and she had blurted it in her sleep! She hopped up, throwing aside the sheets with an apologetic whimper. It was time to leave, to go forth, and to forever wander the land alone and disgraced, disowned by all and sundry for her filthy, incestuous love.

Why wasn’t Limestone yelling at her to get out of there yet?

A quick look revealed her sister to be looking after her, surprise written all over her features. A half-raised hoof dangled in the air and her mouth hung open just a little, as if she was about to whisper something.

A moment of tense silence passed, until she broke it.

“I-I’m so sorry.” She muttered quietly, hanging her head and turning to leave. Not quite the standing hatred she had expected, but maybe the unnatural quiet was deserved- she had befouled one of the few laws of the land, and she was, after all, unnatural.

A hoof whacked her across the back of the head. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to knock her down. Limestone looked angry.

“Now listen, you silly filly, and listen good.” She raised another hoof. A good beating then, to send her off.

She wasn’t expecting the hoof to yank her back or throw her on the floor. Her grip was so powerful, how in Equestria did she manage to be so strong and yet remain so slender and graceful?

She definitely wasn’t expecting the lips that met hers in a gentle, yet passionate kiss. There was love in it, she could feel that.

Limestone withdrew her sweet touch and tittered, her face as red as hers. “Yeah, that.” She said sternly, though she kept Marble pinned. She lowered herself so that she lay on top of her, drawing a squeak from Marble’s stunned lips.

“Bu- wha- Family! Parents! B-but you- me?” She stuttered.

“Yes, you and me.” She kissed her again, earning a little loving moan. "The farm's cold and lonely. We're the only ones that really know what it's like, so surely we're the only ones who can provide that warm company, right?" Limestone nickered and lay to the side, holding her against her warm, firm, muscular body. Their heartbeats, as their chests rubbed together were fluttering like caffeinated butterflies- maybe they weren’t so different from Pinkie, after all? “As for the parents,” She sighed and let out a little yawn. “We'll worry about them later. For now…” She motioned towards her bed with a coy smile, “…I think we have some unfinished sleep to catch up on.”

Marble wouldn’t complain. She might burst from happiness, or melt from the heat radiating from her cheeks, but she wouldn’t complain.

Author's Note:

My longest published fic to date, and I'll be damned if it wasn't one of the most fun things I've done in ages. It started off as a little characterisation exercise when I had no internet over Christmas, and I just wondered how Marble would sound. Would she be like Fluttershy and shrink away from everything, or more stoic like Mac? Well, it turned into a fic. It's amazing how fast a character's internal monologue turns into a romantic confession of desire. I wanted to keep her in her home setting, so Limestone just sort of appeared as a distinct, attractive idea.
Anyway, hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was to write
Please feel free to point my stupid mistakes out, thanks:)

Comments

[Shardikku]

7830129
Argh! I completely forgot which way around they went. I was sure Marble and Limestone were twins as they look pretty similar and it's been ages since I've watched the episode they're all in. You're completely correct, thanks for the catch fixed.

[TailsIsNotAlone]

Well done. It's not every day that an incest story can really work, but you pulled it off.

[Shardikku]

7878695 Thank you very much I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[Wahtiff]

“…Then she did the cutest, most adorable-est thing and I thought ‘Hey, Pinkie Pie, you should go and ask her on a date’, but then Rarity said…”

Oh boy...

Rarity: Don't even think about it, she's MINE

[forbloodysummer]

This was a nice story, and I enjoyed reading it. Definitely one of the better-written Limestones out there, Marble too. Emphasising how Marble appreciated the loneliness and slow pace of the rock farm was a nice touch, and I liked that Pinkie didn't immediately guess what was wrong as she does in so many other stories. Having Maud recognise it was nice though.

The only thing I'd suggest as a criticism is that it would be nice to hear more from Limestone near the end about how she feels about Marble and why; to have her go from showing no interest to 'heard you talking about me, now I smooch you' without any reservations kind of makes Marble's worries ring rather hollow.

Good story though, thanks for writing!

[Shardikku]

8923372
Thank you for the lovely comment
You've picked up on most everything I wanted to show, and yes, I do agree the ending seemed a little...rushed? Easy? I dunno. Limestone definitely wasn't the finest written. Still, I'm glad you enjoyed

[forbloodysummer]

8925222 You're welcome!

I dunno, I thought Limestone here was still one of the best I've seen I've suddenly become rather obsessed with her this week and have read all the stories about her. These were the five that stood out, in no particular order:

Stone and Sky
Heavy Rock
Marbled Lime
Lemons
The Quartz Quartette Quarrel

All five were really good. I think Stone and Sky probably got Limestone's personality closest to how I imagine it when extrapolating from canon, and all the others had things about her that didn't quite feel right to me. Quartz Quartette, on the other hand, definitely made her feel the most human (or pony, but in that story's case it's really human as it's an EG story), but not quite the way I see her. Yours was the best for highlighting her positives. Even when you can imagine she'd be intolerable in person, it's sweet that Marble sees so much good in her.

I think the ending would probably be ok as it is if it weren't a secret love confession shipping story. Unfortunately, as it is, and they almost always end with the confession being accepted/reciprocated, I felt it needed a bit more to give the kind of predictable ending the dramatic impact it deserved. Maybe if Limestone talked through a few things about it with Marble, and listed why Marble appealed to her?

[Jhoira]

9595711
I'm pretty sure Maud is older than the other three.

[Shardikku]

9943715
Me, clearly lol

[Phaoray]

A nice story, sweet, and it didn't go into creepy levels of incest, it's kind of understandable in their situation. I'm not keen on incest, but so long as no kids come from them being together, it probably isn't a problem? Not something I think of often.

Good to see at least the other sister's were okay with it.

8925868
I know the comment is two years old, but I just found this and was happy to find a comment on The Quartz Quartette. I really had alot of fun with her personality and I am glad you liked my rendition of her so much. I'll need to check the other stories you mentioned to see how their Limestone's are as well.

[forbloodysummer]

10413914 I've reread Quartz Quartette at least once since then, it's a really nice in-depth look at her. And while I don't want to hijack someone else's story comments for self-promotion, I think it's relevant to say I've also tried my hand at writing Limestone (and Maud and Marble) a few times myself since then: here, here and here

[n3k1dsk1llz]

I don't think her family would call her "Marbs". That was the only thing that stood out to me, really. I can't believe it took me this long to read this. It's a good story and it gets an upvote from me