The Pie family farm has existed for centuries. Always on the same plot of land, working away at the rocks. Over the years, it's been home to many inhabitants. The long hours and isolation create strong bonds between the family, sometimes even beyond the familial. And sometimes its inhabitants can't help but wish for a bit more beyond their humble rock farm...
The sun rose majestically, bathing its light over the land, and signalling the start of the day. Simultaneously, the crow of a rooster sounded across at one particular farm, far from Ponyville. Rather than lush greens, the fields were filled with dull grey rocks. Yet there was still a windmill, silo, and farmhouse all the same. Inside said farmhouse, a pink pony, mane poofier than cotton candy, rose to start the day.
“Good morning!” Pinkie Pie beams, sitting upright with her usual vigour. “Oh wait, bad morning. Uggh.” she lamented, remembering the reason for her presence on the farm in the first place, grabbing a pillow and groaning into it.
“I wonder what’s got Pinkie in a bunch,”Limestone thought to herself outside the door. “Eh, she’ll probably tell us later. Right now we’ve got work to do, no time for pampering and nice words.”Putting her trademark scowl back on her face she opened the door and started barking orders in a gravely tone. “Get out of bed sis, If you’re gonna be here, you gotta work.”
“Oohh,” Pinkie replied, poking out from under the sheets.
“I guess that’s the best I’m gonna get”,Limestone thought, turning back out the door and trotting away.
*Clink* *Clink* The pickaxe steadily chipped away at the rock, Limestone looking at it with a determined, angry look on her face.
“You’re probably wondering why I came back to the family farm in the middle of the night,” Pinkie ventured.
“It had crossed my mind,” Limestone thought snarkily.
“Mhmm,” Marble Pie nodded, looking concerned. Or at least it might have been a look of concern, it was often hard to tell with the ultra shy pony.
“Well that’s an understatement,” Limestone thought, by this point completely nonplussed by her sister’s odd behaviour.
“Well, it all started when-” Pinkie began.
“Less talking, more farming!” Limestone commanded, dropping the pickaxe from her mouth and turning to glare back at her talkative sister. “I swear I’m the only reason anything ever gets done around here.”
“It’s just… Maud has a boyfriend.” Pinkie confessed, looking more depressed than ever. Even Marble had an unusually strong glare on her face.
“What?! I mean, uh-” Limestone’s eyes went wide with shock.
“I’m not jealous! Who said anything about jealous?!” she accidentally spouted.
“Well that didn’t sound suspicious at all,” she thought sardonically.
“Don’t be! He’s super-duper weird! And somehow, he tricked Maud into liking him. And now I’ll never get to see her again!”, Pinkie sighed and sat on her haunches dejectedly, before looking around at her sisters. “I came home because you two know her better than anypony. What am I missing? What does she see in him?” She grabbed her sisters in her whooves as the waterworks started to form, “What does he have that I don’t?” and burst into tears, sobbing all over Marble and Limestone.
“Sweet Celestia, Pinkie! I thought I was the miserable one, and you always cheer up everypony. Guess the roles have been reversed,” Limestone thought.
“Buck up Pinkie Pie, you look as miserable as I feel all the time,” she said aloud.
Pinkie sniffed briefly, before falling face first into a puddle of her own tears. “It’s just that I love Maud, and I want to love Mudbriar, but I can’t see anything to like about him!”
Marble and Limestone exchanged a look, the younger Pie sister gesturing with her head.
“Ugh, fine! We’re taking a work break. Come on!”
“I hate metaphors.” Limestone and Pinkie trotted over to where Marble was standing, pickaxe at the ready, over a seemingly random clump of rocks. “I’m looking at a sparkling blue and white rock. See it?”
“You mean that lumpy grey one?” Pinkie asked, visible confusion on her face and singling out a rock in the middle of the pile.
“No, the beautiful blue and white one. Right there,” Limestone said, pointing to the same rock.
Pinkie leaned closer and scrunched up her nose, scrutinizing the rock. “I would not describe that as beautiful, blue, or white, but… heh heh, okay”.
Limestone turned to Marble, “Show her.”
Marble nodded, and delivered a single strike with the pickaxe, splitting the rock right down the middle. It split open, revealing the magnificent, sparkling, gems inside. “It’s a geode! The outside looks like a regular rock, but the inside is filled with beautiful gems,” Limestone said, picking up one half in her hoof.
Pinkie seemed to contemplate this, and said “So you’re saying I should crack open Mudbriar like a rock!”
“No! Don’t let this be like the time somepony asked you to make cupcakes with them, and you literally tried to put them in the cupcakes!” Limestone thought, terrified for a brief moment.
“It all makes sense! No, wait. No it doesn’t,” Pinkie exclaimed in excitement before becoming crestfallen again just as fast.
“Thank Celestia.” “It’s a metaphor Pinkie! You see Mudbriar as a rock, but Maud sees him as a gem. Even if you never see past his dullness, you can see how happy he makes Maud. And to a sister, that’s all that matters.”
“Mhmm”, Marble added.
Pinkie lifted the two halves and regarded them, before giving a huge, silly, teary, smile and saying “Oh Limestone, Marble, thank you! I don’t know what I’d do without you two! Pie pile!” and she proceeded to jump on her sisters and engulf them in the eponymous pile.
“Love Pinkie Pie, but must not show emotion other than anger… “ Even Marble seemed a little less than pleased. “Okay, okay! You’re crushing me to gravel Pinkie!”
“I really owe Mudbriar an apology,” Pinkie said before she let out a resounding gasp, “And I owe Maud a party! I just hope I’m not too late!” She leapt off of her sisters, and galloped away at a speed that would put Rainbow Dash to shame, and a pinch of reality bending that would make Discord proud.
“Well that happened,” Limestone shook her head and stood back up. Marble likewise seemed confused by their sister’s sudden departure.
“Come on, we’ve got to get back to work, no moping about”.
“Mhmm.”
But as both ponies returned to their chores, each was occupied by their own thoughts of what they had just learned.
Limestone grunted as she struggled against a stone slab, attempting to force the rock into a cart. The massive mineral was teetering precariously on the edge, just a nudge from either falling into place or back onto her. Gritting her teeth, and bracing her front hooves against the ground, she put all of her effort into one final exertion, the muscles in her back legs straining hard as steel. Finally, torturously, the rock reached tipping point and fell backwards into the bed of the cart with a mighty slam. As the pressure suddenly left her body, Limestone had a chance to breathe, and wince as the aching soreness took the place of the burning pain.
“That’s going to hurt tomorrow,” she thought to herself, her trademark glare cemented on her face.
Watching the scene silently from afar, purple eyes wide with concern, was Marble. Limestone caught sight of her younger sister staring at her and became irritated (well, more than she was already).
“What are you looking at? Afraid I was going to get crushed? You could’ve helped me. Or at least been working on your own chores,” she snapped.
Marble squeaked and quickly turned back to her own task, sorting between the different types of rocks in the field.
Seeing her meek sister’s reaction, Limestone felt bad for losing her temper. After all, it wasn’t Marble’s fault she had so much stress. And she was still here, still working, still helping. Giving a deep sigh, Limestone knew she needed to suck up her pride and look out for her sister. Getting rid of her scowl, she trotted across the rough, flinty ground over to where Marble was working. Trying to use the softest tone possible, she reached out to her sister with a hoof.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. You didn’t deserve that,” she said, bringing Marble around to face her. They looked into each other’s eyes, yellow meeting purple. “I’ll make it up to you later, I promise.” Marble raised an eyebrow in question.
“Hmm?”
“Oh don’t give me that look, you know what I mean. But we’ve got to finish all this first,” Limestone said, gesturing to the field around them with a hoof. “With mom and dad out on their business trip, we’re in charge of the farm. And that means no slacking off.”
“Mhmm,” Marble nodded.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl, lengthening the hours of the day and thus the hours of work.
“Curse Celestia, can’t she turn down the sun just a little bit?” Limestone thought bitterly as it’s rays beat relentlessly down on her. Throughout the day, both she and Marble had continued to strain against the stones, moving them around and sorting some for shipment. The heat simmered in waves off the hard ground, only adding to their exhaustion. And despite their constant work, still more remained to be done. The expanses of the rock farm were quite impressive considering its management by a single family. And especially when only two workers remained, the desolate fields felt even more silent and empty. Nonetheless, Limestone and Marble remained undaunted in their tasks. Growing up on the farm had hardened their bodies, and perhaps a bit of their personalities as well.
As they sorted a pile of quartz into the correct bin, Limestone noticed the sun was finally beginning to set. The sky was streaked with splashes of purple and orange, and they had a completely unobstructed view due to the flat land in every direction. While Marble was checking over the stones to make sure they were all in place, Limestone put away the cart and unhitched herself from the harness. As the air cooled off around them, and their sweat-soaked bodies were given some reprieve, the two sisters made their way back to the farmhouse.
Though Marble went straight inside, Limestone made a quick detour around the side of the house. This was where a water spigot was located, along with a collection of buckets. Hefting one of these and placing it beneath the spout, Limestone pushed the lever up and down, causing a stream of water to gush out. Once the bucket was full enough, she stopped her pumping on the lever and grabbed the bucket’s handle in her mouth. With that, she went back inside to join Marble.
The farmhouse was simply furnished, frugal and even primitive by the standards of most ponies. The thatched roof and wooden walls seemed straight out of medieval times. Yet it was not without its comforts and charm. There were still chairs by a hearth, pictures of Pies past adorned the walls, and a large wooden dining table. Despite the sparse adornments, its inhabitants still were more than happy to return.
Plopping down onto a chair at the table, Limestone poured herself a cup of water from the bucket she had filled and guzzled it down. Marble simply melted into her chair, too tired to even drink. The pair remained like that for a while, simply enjoying the sensation of not having to do something. The lifting of responsibility for the rest of the day allowed for a more optimistic mood. Even just a few precious seconds of relaxation were treasured moments. And they still had plenty of ways to spend them.
Once they had rested to a desired extent, each pony embarked upon their own task. While Marble went outside, Limestone retreated into the kitchen. There, she began rummaging through cupboards and drawers, pulling out various ingredients and tools. These even included more of the farm’s own rocks, though in much smaller quantities and of the designated food variety rather than construction materials. To an outsider, it might seem like she was preparing for a masonry job, but to Limestone, it was a time-tested culinary practice.
As she began preparing the meal, mixing together dishes of rock stew and powdered rock cakes, she scowled at some of the memories associated with her talents. In years past, before hope and optimism were beaten out of her by time and work, Limestone might have even dreamed to strike out from the farm and share her family’s traditions in the world. Create a niche for rock-based meals. And judging from the endless sweets enjoyed by the rest of Equestrian society, they could certainly use the change of pace. Some minerals in their diet could have helped.
And yet, any attempts to share these culinary creations ended poorly. She remembered only too well how the Apples had reacted to her dishes, the sight of their disappointed faces and all-to-clear disgust permanently etched into her mind. And as much as Limestone could put on an angry face and claim she didn’t care what others thought, she knew she would never find success with her recipes if they were received by the rest of the population in a similar way.
Now munching angrily on a small slab, Limestone tried to banish her thoughts and focus on the task at hoof. She could worry about the world later, right now it was just about making a meal for herself and her sister. And after working in the fields all day, she knew Marble would appreciate something more than just a slapped-together excuse for food.
Meanwhile, Marble was also pursuing her own activities. Having made her way into a shed sticking out of the side of the house, she was sitting in a patch of hay and entirely focused on an object sitting on the workbench in front of her. Slivers of rock sat bunched up in piles around it, unintentionally wreathing the larger piece that they had come from. More and more bits joined their fellows as Marble worked. She held a hammer in her mouth, the clawed end towards the rock. As carefully as she could, she brought the tool down again and again, carefully chipping away at the stone to create shapes and forms from the hardened material. What was once coarse and undefined became sharp, curved, and hard-edged. Once a rough shape had been made, she would switch to a chisel and smooth it out, creating an odd dichotomy between the refined portions of the stone and those that had not yet been touched.
From both the size of the stone and the piles of debris surrounding it, it was obviously a project that she had been working on for some time. Having been taught both patience and a way with rocks since a young age, Marble fully applied both skills in her work. One of the hardest, most unyielding materials could still become something beautiful if one was dedicated enough. She smiled inwardly as it reminded her of Limestone’s metaphor from earlier in the day. Faust, it reminded her of Limestone herself. About as rough as possible on the outside, but much more to her than meets the eye.
And it was certainly Limestone of whom Marble thought about as she continued to work away. As much as she wanted to have more to life than just the farm, she couldn’t deny the attachment she had to her sister. Maybe not a romantic one, it certainly went beyond the generally accepted realms of sibling relationship. And Marble could still say with confidence that she loved her sister, as rough around the edges as Limestone was. And it was those exact sentiments she was carving into the stone, hoping to create a sculpture that would reflect her feelings for her sister.
“Hey Marble! Dinner’s ready, come back inside!” Limestone hollered from the farmhouse door.
“Speak of the devil,” Marble thought, putting down her tools and moving away. Without the pony in the way any longer, the last rays of sunlight poured into the shed and perfectly illuminated the sculpture. A large stone heart was being carved from the rock, with half of a lime and two rocks in the center of the heart.
No longer focused on her art project, Marble trotted over to the spigot to wash off. Once she was more sanitary and presentable, she went to join Limestone at the table once more.
The other mare had already taken her seat by the time Marble was inside, though had not yet started eating. As Marble took her seat across from her sister, Limestone spread her hooves out to indicate the spread before them.
“Enjoy,” she said, a rare smile on her face. Her cooking was one of the very few things she would actually take pleasure in, and Marble one of the few who she would share her happiness with.
Marble gladly took her up on the offer, and they began to eat in mostly silence. Though tough, the various rocks were also hearty and strong, providing plenty of satisfaction as they were consumed. The various other ingredients complimenting them also went down quite well. For a Pie, it was a feast that was rarely experienced, but fully enjoyed. And while not much was said, both ponies were quite content to enjoy each other’s company in silence. Marble didn’t like to talk in general, and Limestone preferred to say nothing in a situation like this rather than the overly aggressive tones she used around strangers.
Still, as the food dwindled and their mouths became free once again, some things were worth saying.
“So, did you still want me to ‘make it up to you’ after earlier?” Limestone asked, arching an eyebrow in question and flashing a suggestive smirk.
“Mhm,” Marble responded, smiling in kind as she wiped the last few crumbs off her face with a napkin.
“Alright, let’s go,” Limestone said and pushed back her chair to stand up, Marble acting in kind. Both ponies left the table and made their way through the house to their bedroom. Not too much different from the rest of the house, these were simply distinguished by the addition of beds as well as some other personal touches. Bookshelves lined with volumes and volumes of rock related subjects. From statue carving to rock science, from rock foods to the role of rocks in Equestrian society. But at the moment, neither pony was interested in these. Their desires lay in each other.
Moving to her bed, Marble lay flat on her stomach and looked silently over her shoulder at Limestone. The older Pie moved to join her, hopping up onto the bed and leaning over her sister.
“You comfortable?” she whispered tantalizingly close to Marble’s ear, her lips practically touching the sensitive organ.
“Mhmm,” Marble responded in the affirmative, her body quivering with anticipation.
Satisfied with that answer, Limestone withdrew from her position and reared back. Looming over Marble, she surveyed the pony splayed before her. Light gray fur with a darker gray mane, simple and straight. Purple eyes shining dazzlingly bright and colorful in the midst of the more dull fur. A small and meek expression that belied the strong, weathered muscle of a hard working earth pony. It was these muscles that Limestone now brought her attention to, bringing her hooves down and massaging Marble’s back. Gently at first, but more forceful and deliberate as she found the areas giving her sister the most trouble. Rubbing and squishing the worn muscles, Limestone sought to turn her sister into nothing but a puddle of happy pony goo. It seemed to be working, as Marble squeaked and sighed as all the tension and soreness was worked from her body.
“You know, I can’t do this forever. You should really find a special somepony to do this for you. If Maud can find someone who likes her, you sure can,” Limestone said.
Marble responded with a glare.
“Okay fine, that was a low blow. But still, we can’t stay like this forever. And it’s not my fault you were too late with that Apple stallion. You can’t say nothing and expect him to just fall in love with you. You never gave him a reason. And come to think of it, what reason did he ever give you? Existing? Just being a male?” Limestone shot back.
Marble just sighed, and looked off longingly into the distance. She let out a small gasp as Limestone hit a particularly sensitive spot.
“I’ve known you your whole life. We’ve both been stuck on this farm the entire time. Our sisters have moved on. So maybe we need to as well.” Limestone continued, giving one last push to crack her sister’s back. Having finished her massage, she lay down next to Marble and looked her straight in the eye. “But that’s obviously not happening today. So what do you want to do?”
Marble gave a small smile, and in the smallest, most timid of voices said: “You talk too much.”
“Well, you don’t say anything at all,” Limestone retorted with a grin.
“Sometimes… you don’t have to,” Marble said, and they leaned in together. Their lips met in silence, sliding over each other in a delicate dance. As their passion overtook them, they gave into their desires and molded into one. The world grew dark as night fell around them, yet they felt all the more alive.
Limestone shifted back and forth uncomfortably, the sequined dress she was wearing making the normally stoic farmpony feel very out of place. The bright and glittering adornments and tightly fitting fabric made her feel more like a dress up doll than anything else.
Marble was similarly outfitted, and looking even more horrified for it. Shy at the best of times, the eye-catching wear did not help her nerves.
In contrast to both of her sisters, Pinkie Pie was as loud and happy as ever. Dressed up in an elaborate serial killer costume, complete with horn necklace and cutie mark dress, she was nonetheless beaming. Even as ponies stared at her uncharacteristically dark costume.
“Ooh! Ooh! Do you see how all these ponies are looking at me? That means they love my costume! Oh yay! I spent so much time making it!” she practically squealed with glee.
“I don’t think that they’re staring because they like it though,” Limestone butted in, causing Pinkie’s smile to drop.
“What’s that supposed to mean? They don’t like my costume? Then why are they staring? If you don’t like it, just ignore it. Making it into a big deal is just a meanie thing to do!” Pinkie pouted to her sister with a frown and watery eyes.
“You can’t control anypony else though, Pinkie. Why don’t you take your own advice and just ignore them. That’s what I always do.” Limestone reasoned, her expression calm.
“But I thought you wanted to come here to try and get noticed? Wasn’t that the whole reason you asked to come along? To get off the farm for a bit and meet some new ponies?” Pinkie questioned. “And I had to go specifically to Princess Celestia and everything to get more invitations. But now that you’re here, you’re just going to stand around in a corner trying not to get noticed?”
Limestone grimaced. “I meant what I said. I wanted to come, and I’m grateful that you managed to get us here. I just haven’t seen anypony that I particularly want to interact with yet.”
“Mhm.” Marble added meekly, nodding her little gray head from behind Limestone.
Pinkie, though still slightly crestfallen, nonetheless perked up a bit. “Okie dokie lokie! How about this, maybe you can get started with someone who you already know, and you can work your way up from there!”
“Um, okay. Who did you have in mind?” Limestone asked, a puzzled expression on her face.
As an answer to her sister’s question, Pinkie reached a hoof into the crowd and materialized a large red earth pony stallion seemingly out of nowhere. He was accompanied by a pink and purple unicorn mare, and an orange and blonde earth pony mare. The stallion had his blonde mane done up in a mohawk, thick black sunglasses over his eyes, a cigar perched in his mouth, and a grenadier belt.
The mares, oddly enough, were dressed in outfits nearly identical to those worn by Marble and Limestone. Though theirs were purple and green respectively, the unicorn’s was red and the earth pony’s a dazzling white.
“Hiya Big Mac! Hiya Applejack! Hiya Sugar Belle!” Pinkie said excitedly to the trio, who seemed not at all surprised at having been pulled over by her. “You remember my sisters, Limestone Pie and Marble Pie, don’t you?”
“Eeyup,” said Big Macintosh in his trademark deep and slow voice.
“Well sure do, howdy there! How’re ya’ll doin’ tonight?” Applejack said in a friendly greeting, offering a hoof. Limestone reached out to take it and they shook briefly, though not without some reluctance on her part, remembering some of the trouble that they had gone through during the Apple’s visit on Hearth’s Warming.
“Um, I don’t believe we’ve met, I’m Sugar Belle,” the unicorn said, also raising a hoof. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Limestone shook with her as well, and even Marble came out from her hiding spot to wave hello.
“Well then, I’ll just leave you all to mingle. There’s a buffet that needs my attention!” Pinkie announced, causing them all to look at her as she sped off to the concessions table across the room.
“Typical Pinkie. Gets us into a situation of her making, and then abandons us partway through.” Limestone thought with a touch of bitterness. Turning back to face the ponies that had joined them, she faltered. Much more comfortable in the face of a gigantic boulder than with other ponies, she had no real knowledge of how to traverse social interactions. Well, other than just being brash and aggressive, though she figured that wouldn’t go over well here.
Marble, even less socially adept, simply accepted her fate and shut down. Standing stock-still and staring forward, she tried her best to shut out everything around her. Though this backfired, as her catatonic state only drew greater attention from ponies concerned about her.
“Uhm, are you okay?” Applejack ventured hesitantly, edging closer to Marble. “You know us, you can talk to us.”
“Eeyup,” Big Mac added, drawing close to the terrified mare, though still far enough away to keep from crowding her.
Though Marble didn’t respond verbally, a bright red blush spread across her cheeks at being addressed directly by Mac. She trembled in place a bit, her back legs shuffling against each other. A motion that was not at all lost on Limestone, who decided her sister needed a slight nudging.
“Come on Marble, it’s okay. This is what you wanted, remember? Meet up with the Apples again, and get to know them better. They’re not strangers, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of.”
Swallowing nervously, Marble looked her sister in the eye. Limestone stared her down intensely, and then indicated Mac with her gaze. Following the same line of sight, Marble once again drank in the stallion. Gigantic and imposing, with the tight vest highlighting every curve, ever rock hard tendon and muscle. With fiery red fur to complement, he was truly an astonishing sight. Yet despite his intimidating presence, he wore an expression of care and concern. The rough and powerful exterior held a gentle soul. A fact that allowed Marble to finally break from her stupor.
Edging forward, Marble drew closer to Mac and gave him a small smile. The red farmpony gave her a smile in return, each looking intently at each other. While Marble would be content to simply stare into his eyes for the rest of the night in comfortable silence, there were other factors to contend with.
“Well, at least it’s something,” Limestone sighed, rolling her eyes.
“Is she always this nervous?” Sugar Belle asked, tilting her head in puzzlement.
“Not all the time, no. She’s a bit more open back on the farm. She’s just not used to being this close to stallions,” Limestone explained.
“Oh. I thought you all had met before though? What’s the matter now?” Sugar Belle continued.
Though she didn’t particularly want to betray her sister’s feelings, Limestone didn’t feel like lying either. She drew up next to Sugar Belle’s ear and whispered “She’s got a crush on Mac. She’s had one ever since they met.”
The world had ended. All happiness and light extinguished in a second. Or so Marble thought as her long-held desire came crashing down around her. In an instant, her gaze upon Mac turned from one of admiration and lust to one of sorrow and misery. It felt as though a knife had been plunged into her heart, and then twisted around sadistically.
Of course, such a rapid change in demeanor hardly went unnoticed, and the others all looked to her in concern. Mac’s mouth gaped open in surprise and concern, Limestone pursed her lips, and Applejack and Sugar Belle’s eyes both widened.
“Uh, I think we’d better be going. I’ve got to make sure my sister doesn’t shut down completely. We still need her on the farm,” Limestone said hurriedly, wrapping a foreleg around Marble’s shoulders and attempting to steer her away. The catatonic pony refused to budge however, and Limestone had an embarrassing moment of fruitlessly struggling against her statue-like sister.
Seeing the desperation of Limestone and the disheartened Marble, and the awkwardness only growing as the seconds dragged on, Applejack cleared her throat.
“Hold on now, y’all don’t need to go just yet. We can still talk things through a bit, no need to run away. Or go comatose,” she ventured, a strained smile on her face.
Pausing in her attempts to move Marble, Limestone huffed and puffed for a second, leaning against her sister.
“Okay then, what did you have in mind that might salvage this situation at all?” she asked, a slight edge in her tone and eyes.
Glancing around, Applejack leaned closer and whispered, “Not here. There’s some things that’re worth sharing with y’all that don’t need to be heard by anypony else.”
Her curiosity piqued, Limestone straightened up and her expression changed from defensive to one of interest. A quick glance to her side confirmed that Marble too had heard Applejack’s offer, purple eyes now staring intently at the orange pony.
“Come on, let’s head off to one of the side halls,” Applejack said, moving through the crowd and gesturing for the others to follow her with a hoof. Mac and Sugar Belle both followed diligently, checking behind them to make sure Limestone and Marble would as well. Though slowly, Marble was still managing one step at a time, steadily following behind. Limestone right along beside her. With the group on the move with a purpose, it didn’t take long for them to escape the noise and crowd of the party, emerging into a side chamber away from the main event.
Closing a door behind them, Applejack checked around to make sure there actually was no one else around.
“Alrighty then, I think we should be okay,” she said finally, reasonably sure that they wouldn’t be eavesdropped on.
“So why all the secrecy? What big bad truth must be told behind locked doors?” Limestone asked, raising an eyebrow at Applejack.
The orange pony shuffled a bit, unsure about how to continue. She glanced between Limestone, who was confrontational, and Marble, who was still disheartened. Even though she didn’t know the other pony very well, Applejack still wanted to help her. Her shy attitude reminded her of an even more socially anxious Fluttershy. So, swallowing a lump in her throat, she finally found her voice to talk.
“Well, you see, even if Sugar Belle is Mac’s marefriend, that doesn’t mean he can’t still love more than one pony.”
“Eeyup,” Mac said sagely, still giving his calming look to Marble.
“Exactly. So don’t give up hope yet Marble. Though of course, I’m not the one you would need to talk to about this,” Applejack finished.
At this, Sugar Belle stepped forward to put in her piece as well.
“As long as Mac’s up for it, I really don’t mind him being with someone else as long as it’s upfront. It’s almost like the philosophy at my old village. Equality for all means sharing everything. And relationships can be a part of that.”
“Eeyup,” Mac added again. He finally moved from his position opposite Marble, over to where Sugar Belle and Applejack were standing. Putting his hooves around them, he hugged them close and nuzzled into their manes. Pulling his snout out, he addressed Marble directly.
“I’m awfully flattered you think of me in such a way, and as they’ve both said, I wouldn’t mind being in more than one relationship. I just don’t know if I’m the one you really want a relationship with. We barely know each other. Isn’t there any other stallion back home who might be a better match?”
At this, Limestone quickly shook her head behind Marble’s back, catching Mac’s eye.
“Oh. Um… or not,” he stuttered, now breaking eye contact with Marble and looking around nervously.
For her part, Marble was starting to show the beginnings of tears pricking at her eyes, making them appear glassy and even shinier than before. Her eyelids slid shut silently, and the tears cut tracks on her face as they slid down.
“I know we don’t know each other very well. And I know that they’re are other ponies in your life already. It’s just... something. You must know at least somewhat. Stuck on a farm with just your family, you still want to meet someone, anyone else. Even for the briefest of moments, I thought we had some connection,” she wiped away her tears and drew closer to Mac. Placing a hoof on the side of his face, she turned him to look her in the eye. “And if we don’t know each other well now, there are ways that we can fix that,” she finished hopefully, giving him a tentative smile.
“Oh… well, um… that sounds good to me. Though there are some things you might not like about me so much once you know them. Especially with your sisters and all,” Mac said nervously, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof.
Marble exchanged a knowing look with Limestone, and then gave a confident smile to Mac. “Believe me, they can’t be any worse than what we’ve done. And I’d rather know the whole truth and make up my own mind than to be told a lie and have a rosy view of someone,” she reassured him.
Mac in turn looked to Applejack, and when she gave him a nod of confirmation he leaned down to whisper into Marble’s ear: “Me and my sister… we’ve been together even longer than me and Sugar Belle. She’s the reason we have an open relationship in the first place.” Having said his piece, he drew back, expecting to see shock, disgust, or even hurt on Marble’s face. Instead, she merely looked mildly confused.
“Oh, well that’s not really a big deal. I’ve slept with all of my sisters many times. I thought it was commonplace, especially in areas with so few ponies to start with,” she explained in earnest.
“You know, I think she’s actually kinda right about that Mac,” AJ butted in. “The whole reason that the ‘hicks are into incest’ stereotype started was because that was the only option when you were in such a small community. Especially back in the founding of Ponyville, almost every family was related in some way. So it didn’t really matter who was rolling in the hay with who.”
“Oh, well… okay. I guess that’s not a problem then,” Big Mac said, looking between each of them in turn. “So then… what did you want to do now? Go back to the party or stay out here and talk some more?”
“Actually,” Marble began with a blush, “If you’d be up for it, I think we’d probably be into something more… exciting. Just while we have this time together. It’d be nice doing something we can't do long distance. There’s always letters and chats for getting to know each other better, but actual physical connection can’t be done when we’re living miles and miles away from each other,” she grinned up at him suggestively.
Mac looked to both his sister and his marefriend, and both gave him reassuring nods. When he faced Marble again, he even saw Limestone looking eager over her shoulder.
“Alright then, but let’s not stick around here. There’s much more appropriate areas than in a desolate hallway,” Mac said, returning Marble’s grin.
With that, the group trotted off down the halls, looking for anywhere that might serve their more… intimate needs.
“Come on, this way,” Applejack whispered, leading them down through various halls and passageways.
“Why? Where are we going?” Sugar Belle inquired.
“To the guest bedchambers. Princess Celestia gave each of the Elements one since we end up in Canterlot so much,” Applejack explained.
“Ah.”
Applejack continued to lead the way, and soon enough they entered one of the residential areas of the castle, with uniform doors stretching down either side of the hallway. Stopping in front of one, Applejack pushed it open with a hoof and stepped inside, with the others following suite. Even if the room itself was not a permanent lodging, it was still the finest bedroom Limestone and Marble had ever seen in their lives. Ornate stonework, a fine oak table and chair set, and most importantly, a magnificent four-poster canopy bed.
It was to this particular piece of furniture that the 5 ponies were drawn, with AJ quickly hopping up onto it, and spreading out into a more comfortable position. As she stretched her limbs out, they began to poke out from beneath her dress, showing the lace stockings adorning her back legs.
“Now, I may not use this room much for myself, so why don’t we all put it to good use now? This oversized bed might actually come in handy for once,” she said, smiling suggestively.
Limestone grinned and Marble blushed, and together with Mac and Sugar Belle, joined Applejack on the bed.
“Get ready for a night you’ll never forget,” she whispered intimately in Marble’s ear.
Eyes snapping open, Marble awoke suddenly. She felt a pang of disappointment at getting cut off before the best part of the memory, accompanied by an aching in between her thighs. Shuffling them together, she momentarily just lay in bed staring at the ceiling, wishing she could go back to the one night where everything had been perfect.
Of course, not much had actually changed on the rock farm. Just as desolate as ever, perhaps even more so without the loud and vibrant guest of the previous day. Still, despite the absence of their more eccentric sibling, the sisters had work to do. Next to Marble, Limestone was beginning to stir herself, eyes moving around beneath their lids. Soon enough, they snapped open to reveal the vibrant yellow orbs, which quickly retracted in response to the sudden light, and caused Limestone to raise a hoof over her head to block the sunlight. Glancing to her side, she found her sister staring at her.
“Enjoying the show?” she grumbled, causing Marble to give a small smile. “Well come on, we’ve got work to do,” Limestone continued, sitting up and extracating herself from the blankets. Marble, who had already done so earlier, was off the bed in a mere second. Before she left the room however, she turned and gave Limestone a boop right on her nose. She gave a little giggle as Limestone blushed and looked away.
Continuing out into the hall, Marble made her way into the kitchen. Taking two wooden bowls out of a cupboard, she poured a mix of oats and pebbles into them. Setting the bowls on the table, she had already started on her meal when Limestone joined her. The two ate their breakfast in silence, though Marble did extend a forehoof and rest it upon her sister’s. At first retracting from the unexpected contact, Limestone relaxed and eased into it, touched by the show of affection from her sister. Downing the crunchy meal in little time, the two soon had to turn to other, less pleasant, tasks.
Hours having whiled away, the ponies once again found themselves laboring in the rock fields. The sun was as bright and hot as ever, the land just as desolate, and the rocks just as… uh, rocky. So too did the demeanor of the ponies remain unchanged. Marble and Limestone simply continued to work in silence, the same routine that they had done hundreds, if not thousands of times before, and would likely do as many times again in the future. But while the physical actions were rhythmic and familiar, their minds were still free to wander. Marble in particular continued to flash back to that night, some years ago and yet remembered so strongly.
It had been… magical. Marble almost felt silly or cliched using that word, but there simply wasn’t any other better descriptor. After so many years spent in near isolation, such a night was beyond anything she could have hoped for. Her sister by her side the whole time, together they had enjoyed a brand new experience. The five of them, all together through the night. Mac in particular proved himself exceedingly caring and gentle for a creature of his size. But willing to be more intense when she grew more confident. And Limestone got her fair share of intensity as well. Applejack and Sugar Belle took part from time to time, lending a hoof or a hole here and there, but mostly content to sit back and enjoy the show.
When it was all said and done, the passionate night had led to a peaceful sleep, and a wholesome morning. Waking up wrapped in a knot of warm bodies, all cuddled up together, and with Mac’s strong hooves around her, it had been heaven for Marble.
But of course, it couldn’t last forever. Soon enough, the others had woken up as well. And as the cogs of the world began to turn around them, the sun rising and signalling the start of a new day, so too did they all have to return to their own lives. Mac had begun to stir, and after he woke, spoke softly in her ear.
“We’ve got to go now, sugarcube, but we’ll see each other again.”
And in a short time, they had all gone their separate ways again, the Apples and Belle back to Ponyville, and the Pies back to their rock farm. Just the same as ever. Marble let out a brief sigh as she looked out over the desolate expanse, longing for the contact that had been promised. Despite what Mac had said, it had been months since they last were able to see each other. The constant flow of weirdness around Ponyville, and the Apple’s own farm responsibilities making free time rare. And long-distance travel time nonexistent. And what little time they had had together only made Marble long for more. While before she had only been able to imagine what it would be like, now she had the vivid and aching memories of each of their interactions. Each practically perfect, but far too short. While the hours of work were seemingly infinite.
A few meters away, Limestone watched her sister with interest. She could tell from the longing look and vacant stare on her face that she was thinking about the Apple stallion again. For her part, Limestone hadn’t rejoined them since the first night, and had been more content to let Marble have some privacy for once. But yet, she couldn’t just sit there and let her stare off into space all day. Sighing, she set down her pickaxe and trotted over to where Marble stood.
“Hey,” she said in greeting, coming up behind her sister. “How you doing? You seem a little… distracted,” she ventured, resting a hoof on Marble’s back.
The small grey pony let out a sigh and turned to face her sister. “Mhm,” she said, giving a slight nod.
Limestone grimaced internally before shoving down her instinct to back away and instead asked “Do you want to talk about it?” she said, feeling queasy from such a cheesy question.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Marble let out, barely above a whisper. “You know this feeling just as well as I do. Probably even more.”
Limestone considered that, and conceded “You’re right. I do know the feeling. And I also know that we can’t let it get in the way of our lives. Look, maybe Mac will reach out soon, and maybe he won’t. But what he does is not up to us. Maybe you can even be the one to reach out to him if you feel so strongly about it. But we can’t spend every second of the day worrying about some other pony. We’ve got to be in the moment. Take whatever life throws at you head on, and roll with it.”
“Heh, just like a rock,” Marble laughed with a small smile.
Limestone begrudgingly smiled at her sister’s silly joke, and agreed. “Yeah just like a rock. We are the Pie’s aren’t we? Our family has been around for centuries, and we’ve always stuck together. You know I’m not going anywhere,” she finished, now looking Marble right in the eye, with a hoof under her chin.
“I know.” Marble answered in turn, regarding Limestone with a feeling of love for her help and reassurance, and wanting to return the favor. Just as her older sister would provide solidity and dependability, she might offer her something more lighthearted in turn. So she brought up her hoof, and gave her sister a slight touch on the nose. “Boop,” she said happily, smiling as she saw the blush spread under her sister’s fur at the friendly contact. Deciding to capitalize on her success, she went forward and captured her sister’s lips in a kiss.
Surprised at the unexpected contact, but not opposed to it, Limestone closed her eyes and gave into it. Wrapping her hooves around Marble’s back, drawing them in closer together. And for just a moment, as they were lost in their passionate embrace, they forgot about the farm, they forgot about Mac, they just knew each other. The warmth of their bodies pressed together, the softness of their fur, their taste in each other’s mouths. It was perfect. And even as it came to an end, with the two pulling away from each other, all the feelings were still there. Even if they couldn’t forget the world forever, they could still go back to work with a smile, right alongside each other.
