“I already told you, AJ, he’s just fine.”
Limestone Pie was as stubborn as ever in resisting her wife’s attempt to reason with her, unsurprisingly.
“He’s just going through a rebellious stage. Acting out because he misses his grandpa, maybe. But he should know if he really wants to feel better he should be doing his part instead of disrespecting his memory.”
She clenched her teeth.
“Or he just really wants to push my buttons.”
Applejack listened to her go on defending her attitude, almost reminded of a similar period of staunch stubbornness she had gone through just after her folks died. Except Limestone was a grown mare with a family counting on her even more—especially their youngest son, Mountain Peak
“Now where did ya find him the last time he was supposedly actin’ out like this?”
“He was in the Crying Cave, AJ! Wasting precious work time!”
“The Cryin’ Cave, huh? So that’s what it’s called?”
AJ’s eyebrows shot up in bemusement.
“What were you doin’ there on a work day?”
“Looking for my son, why else would I be there? And that’s what Pinkie calls it, to me it’s a regular crystal cave.”
Lime insisted to save face, but it was obvious to AJ that she wasn’t telling the full truth by a long shot.
Are ya sure you’re not actin’ out ‘cause you miss yer Pa?
The apple farmer wanted to prod, but she decided not to instigate her frustrated wife further.
“And speaking of precious work time—“
Limestone changed the subject.
“I’ve got too much to do to be running errands with you right now. Where are we going?”
“You can go one day without workin’ yer flank off.”
Limestone was stubborn, but Applejack was stubborn right back.
“Gaia knows I could be gettin’ a lot done down at Sweet Apple Acres right now. But I got an appointment with the mayor, and our lil’ colt to look out for, so I’m doin’ both of those instead.”
The rock farmer wanted to protest, but her wife was already leading her through the doors of Ponyville Town Hall and she had to be civil. She fell a few steps back begrudgingly, letting AJ tend to her business so they could both leave.
“Applejack! I’m so glad you could make it!”
The mayor of Ponyville came out quickly to greet the couple. But when she saw Limestone, her jaw dropped a little.
“Oh dear, little Sour Patch, you look—excuse me.”
She coughed, re-assuming her political air of civility.
“I’m glad you could make it too, Limestone! Two of Ponyville’s most highly successful farmers, it’s a pleasure to have you both!”
“Howdy to you too, Miss Mayor!”
AJ leaned back to whisper to her wife.
“Does she know you?”
Limestone’s stony attitude had dropped a little around the older mare as she uttered out,
“Hi, Aunt Morganite…I mean, Mayor Mare.”
She seemed almost embarrassed at herself for acting this way, but Mayor Mare—or Morganite—quickly dropped her professional attitude again, a wide, giddy grin spreading across her face.
“I’m so sorry about that, but I just couldn’t help myself! I can’t believe how much you look like your father!”
As this scene unfolded, Applejack only stood in shock. She was used to having family all over the place but she didn’t know about this relation on her wife’s side, one that was so close yet had never been discussed until now.
“Land sakes, Lime! The Mayor’s yer auntie?”
“Yeah. On Pa’s side.”
The mare tried to be nonchalant about it, but Mayor Morganite was anything but.
“Goodness, I’ve hardly seen you since…well, before the funeral. I had a very important meeting that day, I really wish I could have made it. I’m pretty sure I still had a few pink hairs the last time I saw your father himself, but now none of this is dye!”
She brushed over the mention of her Igneous’ death with a joke, to keep the reunion light and not mournful. But it was clear she did sincerely regret missing the funeral, and her brother’s final days, all due to work. She was like her niece in that regard, a devoted worker.
But some commitments she couldn’t help. Limestone had every ability to take more days off for family than she did.
“It’s a shame I haven’t been able to see you girls more, it’s a busy life as a public servant. There’s just so much to catch up on! Do you still make those rock candy necklaces? Pinkie gave me one at a party, I’d say—gosh, a long time ago. But it was just as scrumptious as when Mother made them!”
“Well, we’d never forget a Pie family recipe.”
Limestone engaged briefly, not wanting to tell her that she actually didn’t remember the last time she had made rock candy without Pinkie forcing her to.
“I’m sure Grandpa worked very hard to teach it to Granny, it’s quite a process.”
“Oh, I’d say she worked harder to teach it to him!”
Morganite chuckled.
Applejack blinked in surprise, looking between the aunt and niece.
“I beg yer pardon?”
“You know, her name was Sweetie Pie even before she was married. It was Feldspar Granite that joined in on the Pie family traditions later on. The rock farm was all his, but the Pies wouldn’t be the Pies without her!”
“Well pluck me good like a spring chicken, you didn’t tell me that!”
AJ playfully scolded her wife, but Limestone didn’t say anything.
“I reckon you didn’t know either, did ya?”
“It just never came up.”
She brushed her off.
“Some things didn’t need to.”
“Oh, I wish they did. Igneous was a quiet one but he sure could be inventive when he wanted to be! The kind we need more of in our decision-making arenas.”
Morganite joked to herself.
“I remember him telling me all about the little inventions he wanted to build for Father’s farm. I don’t think he ever did do any of that, but it was fun to think about. You were always a little firecracker, I’m sure you’re coming up with all kinds of new ideas for the farm now, that he would’ve liked. Aren’t you, Sour Patch?”
A deep sense of shame settled into Limestone as she struggled for a way to answer her aunt’s question. It was Mounty who was the inventive one of the family; she was tough, but she didn’t have much of an imagination. But she hadn’t encouraged his inventions at all, in fact she had shot every single one of them down.
He was taking time away from work, she couldn’t tolerate such fooling around! That’s what she had believed anyway…now she was less convinced.
“The farm’s running as it should.”
She gave a vague, curt answer, even as AJ eyed her suspiciously. Even as a flicker of doubt sparked within her own heart.
Was her father really as inventive as Aunt Morganite remembered? She wasn’t even around that much, so little that not even Pinkie called her aunt in public. Maybe her memory was just soaked in nostalgia, or maybe she was onto something…Limestone wanted to know more.
Her wife seemed to be reading her mind as she spoke up.
“What other lil’ seedlings of info do ya have on them Pies? You’ve got me mighty curious now.”
Morganite brightened up even more as she started to urge both mares to follow her.
“This calls for a visit to the archives!~”
Now it was Limestone’s turn to start learning about her family legacy.
~~~~~~~~~~
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