I sat with Marble on my lap as the train chugged along. "Honey.... I can call you that right?" I ran my thumb over her ear. She leaned against my chest as I rubbed along the outside up to the tip.

Marble hummed and nuzzled my chest. "Yes."

I took a deep breath and leaned back into my seat. "...No. I think Marble still sounds better." I settled in with my wife on my lap, laid against my chest with a decent weight. "How do you think your sisters are gonna take it?"

Marble closed her eyes. "I don't really care. I've been staying down in Ponyville for a while with Pinkie, and I think she knows." Her voice was so soft, so content and calm. "Maud might be a bit weird, and Limestone might say something, but I think it'll settle down." She leaned against my hand and nuzzled my thumb with her crown. "I'm not worried."

I looked out at the gray stone fields dotted with massive yellow machines upturning the land and pulling bright veins of dust covered ore from the ground. "Yeah, things look pretty good." I ran my hand down her neck. Her mane was soft but had a crisp shape to it. I scratched her coat and dragged it down to her withers. She leaned into my pet as I held her foreleg and hugged her against me. "I hope it's over. I really do."

The train rolled to a clean stop. The hitch that was in the tracks by the Pie's estate seemed to be gone. I stood up and cradled Marble in my arms. "Peter, you ready?" She asked with such legitimate concern it nearly stabbed me with its tone.

I pulled my lower lip into my mouth and nodded. "Yeah. I think its over." I walked out to the door outside. No trip, no fall, no nothing. I met the concrete landing with a soft plop. "See, nothing." I held my arm out towards the machines. "I feel like nothings can hurt me right now."

I walked along the concrete platform and onto the now well paved stone brick path to the Pie house. It still stood dull and grey, with the same worn shingles, and boarded walls. And now a small herd to greet me. We all walked towards a center point, meeting half way through the path up to the house.

The father Pie lead hat forward. "Peter...."

I slowly ducked down and let Marble back onto the ground. "Granite, hi."

He looked up at me, his chops thick and grey. "Maud's got a foal." His tone was utterly flat, his face stern as ever. "Oh, and I have your back pay waiting. Been a big month while you were gone."

I nodded. "I'm sure. So, who's the dad?"

Granite cocked an eyebrow. "Well...I asked the same thing, she said she was with you, and I don't think many other stallions were around about the time it happened." He nodded curtly. "So, signs point to you, ifin' you think you could explain what the hay a satyr is, I'd appreciate it very much so."

"A what--a-a-a goat thingy?" I stuttered and stumbled as I tried to continue. "Um...what?"

Marble looked up at me. "Peter, can humans do that? I know griffons and ponies have kids...but I thought humans--"

"Yeah no, she's right." I pointed down to Marble. "We can't. Proven, several times. Ask anyone who's been with a pony."

Granite shrugged. "Well...I don't know much about ya, or your kind rather. But...I got the tests, and the ponies at the clinic said it wasn't no normal foal." He lifted his hat off. "But, I do suggest you do something about it there. I'm not really a violent type, and I don't think I ever will be, but I don't know how well Mama Pie might take a bastard in the family." He nodded slowly. Everything about him felt very slow and relaxed, but with a certain hick kick to it. "I suggest you go and sort this--"

Marble stepped forward. "Dad, Peter asked me to marry him."

Granite turned to his daughter with a tame expression of confusion. "Well...suppose this is great news. Considering the boy brought wealth and a foal where there never was one before--"

"No!" I went stiff as a board. "No!" I looked down at Maud her glazed over look didn't falter once. "Oh fucking come on!" I grabbed my head. "Aaahugah no!"

Marble turned to face me. "Peter?"

"The curse! The god damn curse! The-- shit! No!" I dropped to my knees. "Oh you son of a zebra crossing--cross dressing--giraffe-- ah!" I dropped onto my hands and knees. "No!"

"Yes." A swirling misty voice drifted past. "With a sacrifice of your body, and the pain endured for others, great fortune will follow you the rest of your days." A black and white mist drifted past me. "Healthy foals, large families, and vast wealth for the cost of your month of blood. May you live long and healthily, and may your offspring be the heirs of kingdoms."

I watched as the mist zipped across the grey dusty plains and through a bulldozer. "Oh my god.... Did anyone else see that?" I looked towards the ponies. They just stared at me. "The-- like-- talking mist...." I grabbed my head. "What is going on?"

Marble looked me up and down. "Peter, are you okay?"

I stood up, still holding my head. "Curse...family...I-- Hmm...." I walked towards a moving dump truck. The dirt path rumbled as the large machine ripped towards me, following a deep broken in tread from machines before it. "I just.... I can't." I laid down on the bumpy tracks and stared up at the blue-grey sky. "Nope."

The dump truck slowly closed in, its tires looking to crush my entire body into the mud. The giant machine stopped right before my arm, the tire looming slightly over my side as it hissed and stopped dead. "Oh crap...wrong way." A loud beeping flooded my ears as the giant machine started to backpedal. I was left laying in the mud as the machine left me to live.

Marble popped into view. "Peter...did you just try to kill yourself."

I licked my lips. "Yes."

Marble cocked an eyebrow. "Can you not?"

I sat upright. "I don't think I can." I slapped my hands to my chest. "Oh god...." I stood up and looked around. A large rock was sitting on the ground and seemed to be my only way out. I picked up the rock and held it out to bash my head.

"Peter...don't."

"I have to try!" I screamed, closing my eyes and preparing to smash. "Rau--"

A loud explosion cut me off and sent a piece of shrapnel pinging down the field from a blast site. The bit of ragged stone whizzed up and ripped the stone from my hand, sending it sailing onto the dirt and into two pieces. Inside the stone sat a brilliant blue crystal with a perfect edge.

I frowned at it. I looked back over at the Father Pie and Maud. "So...you sure its mine?"

Maud nodded slowly. Granite coughed into his hoof. "It ain't a foal, and you're the only one around for that time."

I nodded slowly and sat down. "I'll get the rings...."

Marble looked me up and down. "Peter, you sure?"

I looked at her and sighed. "Will you be around?"

Marble smiled at me. "I never left."

I smiled back and nodded slowly. "Well, then yeah." I reached out and pulled her against me. "Not really sure what's gonna happen next. But if you're around, I think I'll be okay."

Maud walked over and looked at us. I held my other arm out and quickly found another mare in my grip. I sighed heavily. "Is Limestone gonna be okay?"

Granite nodded. "She's hangin' around some pony that showed up after you found all that silver." He nodded slowly. "Real good colt."

I nodded slowly. "Alright...." I took a deep breath. "A kid at twenty-three." I squeezed the mares against me. "Well, could have been worse I suppose." I nuzzled Marble's head, then switched to Maud's. "Oh god, I heard something say large families earlier." I squeezed the mares against me. "Oooooh no...."

Granite shrugged. "All that gem and ore you up and found been bringing in quite a bit of money. I'm sure we can expand."

I whimpered gently. "Ooooooh noooo...." I let my voice worble. "What a terrible night to have a blessing."

Author's Notes:

That's all folks. Didn't want this one to just die, so here's an endingish.

Here, check this out if you're craving more.