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Meet Limestone Pie, again. Wife to Zephyr Breeze, mother of Evenkite, Angelica Glauca and Pegmatite Pie, (Stepmother for Angelica), and a mysterious menace you've all vaguely feared knowing about, if you've been following the Pie Family's story at all, of course.
Even far off in the Rock Farm, the death of the Baby Princess and subsequent losses in the now disappeared Crystal Empire affected the Pie Family… nothing really changed immediately, after all, rock farming waits for no mare and requires nothing besides work, but the world just gets a little colder knowing that even the princesses can't escape the fate that awaits everyone.
The world's a bit smaller, more vulnerable, scarier. It wasn't like they stopped farming, but the silence was greater in the household, as Ma and Pa Pie prayed for the remaining Princesses' safety and well being, and as ponies slowly moved on, it eventually became brighter in the rock farm.
That was the day Pegmatite Pie, or as her auntie Pinkie Pie would call her, 'Peggy' Pie came into Limestone's life.
Limestone wasn't married nor did she have anyone she was interested in, but Peggy was there anyway, and her family accepted Limestone's choices no matter what. It didn't matter who Peggy's father was. And just like her Aunt Pinkie, she was a little pink ray of sunshine on arrival. Even if she was much more reserved and shy than her aunt, and over time grew upset to be constantly compared to her, she still had a talent for bringing laughter and fun with her, just a little bit… though over the years, Peggy withdrew into herself, the little ray of sunshine still shone bright, but she seemed to make conscious efforts to not act like Pinkie.
Limestone assured her it was ok, that she was fine the way she was, but Peggy was resolute. As she explained to her mom; it was just frustrating that her own family didn't treat her as her own pony, but some kind of replacement for their grown up daughter who had already left the nest; Peggy wasn't Pinkie, and she didn't want to be treated as some kind of copy, just because of her looks. And if she couldn't get them to stop, she'd just have to make sure she behaved herself in a way that made her special. Even if what made her special was simply just by being as mundane as possible.
Soon after Trixie returned to working for the Pies, with her daughter Satin N' Lace and quickly followed by Dainty Dove and Slate Of Hoof, Maud bearing Slate, the Pie homestead was fuller than ever before, building more and more, working harder, even in the cold and slightly barren farm where petriculture was the only kind of farmwork to be done.
Limestone hardened herself, she was a mother and aunt and still the oldest of the family, it was her responsibility to be in charge, since Ma and Pa were getting on in years and always had been, it was her job to be the tough one. With Pegmatite studying hard to earn a rocktorate like her aunt Maud did, that was one less pony to work at the farm, one less set of hooves… It was just a fact that they were going to be working harder than ever.
Then, one day, Marble came home in tears; she had been meeting a stallion at market several weeks ago who went by the name of Braeburn, and… well… she was pregnant, and he was married. She had begged him to stay, but it just didn't work, and now she was with foal… Limestone was furious for her littlest sister, the baby of the family, being hurt by a stallion like that, being saddled with a child without a father.
Limestone had to take care of Peggy without a spouse, but it was easy for her, it was her choice, but… it felt different to hear it happen to her little sister. Hell, not only did her sister now have a child without a father, Trixie had her own husband abandon her as well, forcing Maud to raise a child or even two that weren't her own. Limestone may not have many good feelings towards Trixie, but nopony deserved that, it was just despicable that nearly every mare in her tight knit family had been hurt by a stallion in their lives.
It was pretty clear to Limestone that stallions were simply not trustworthy, not worth it, and she was done with tolerating their existence. At least Pinkie had found herself a good stallion, though Limestone had threatened to geld that peppy party pony if he ever dared to think of leaving Pinkie behind, and she was only barely prevented from chasing after that 'Braeburn' stallion to personally insure that he'd never get to hurt a mare like that again, no matter what Marble said, even if Marble said it was her fault for bedding a married stallion, Limestone knew. It was just going to keep happening.
One day, Pinkie Pie invited everypony to a baby shower for her friend, Rainbow Flash, or whatever her name was, and she felt obligated to come, after all, she could visit her little niece Claystone in Ponyville, and remind that Cheese boy of their little 'agreement' over what would happen to him if he ever left.. That's when she met.. him.
Zephyr Breeze. Well, she didn't quite meet him; more like she caught him staring at her flanks. She was about ready to beat some sense into him when she saw a little filly walk between them, and seeing Zephyr pick the unicorn up and tousle her perfectly made mane, she recognized that he was a father. She couldn't slap him senseless with a child around, and… well, it was strange, seeing the stallion light up when he saw his daughter. He was acting like a father. Without a mother in sight, even.
When Limestone realized that he too was a single parent, and had his filly dropped on him without support from her mother, a spark lit off. Suddenly his boyish charm was… actually charming. He was clearly just as hurt by uncaring spouses as everypony in Limestone's family had been with their children, and he was still taking care of her while searching for a job?… He was a responsible, genuine stallion?… Sweet Celestia, they actually existed?
… It was a whirlwind romance, and while Angelica and Limestone never quite saw eye to eye, she was happy to provide a mother figure for somepony who had unfairly been deprived of one. And of course… eventually, the bottom dropped out. It was slow, but she began recognizing the signs that her initial observations of him were wrong… woefully so, even.
And when she began showing signs of being pregnant, she could see it in his eyes, the calculation of escape, and she started insisting on their… fun times involving some more… restraining measures. Even a wing locking cover.. one she could lock and unlock herself. Only herself. If there was one thing that was going to be certain, her daughters would not have their father walk away from them again.
And now that's her life, even after Evenkite was born, the locks never came off; they only come off when she wants to have fun, though she insists it's for pleasure, she's still sure that he'd bolt given half the chance. There was just no other option; her family deserved to be a family, no matter how much of a deadbeat her husband was.
No matter how, she would make him a better stallion, no matter what it takes. Even if she has to hide it from everypony else,, she'll do it. Even lying to her daughter, walking in because she had a nightmare and wanted to sleep with her parents, she'll do it. She told Evenkite it was just how some adults played. That daddy enjoyed it. And that's what she tells herself.
That's what she tells everyone. And maybe she'll believe it eventually.

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Posted previously at: 2018-01-26T01:48:05