So it turns out train cars are like, really hard to get inside! Diamond didn’t think they’d actually lock the door. It was ridiculously dangerous. What if somepony got stuck outside, and had to get in? That’s dangerous! She managed to get up on the roof, by way of the ladder, but her hoofing was too shaky up there, and she was deathly afraid that they would go through a tunnel. So she found another ladder, and went down it, to in-between the train cars. There, she was constantly accosted by the rumbling clacking clanks and thumps of the cars fighting with each other from where they were connected together. The doors were locked so she just had to perch there, trying to ignore the nauseating movement of the train under her. She felt like she was going to throw up but she was so hungry. Hadn’t she just eaten? Diamond glared angrily at her uncooperative stomach and ... whatever was below it. This was so stupid. She didn’t even feel pregnant! The evidence was undeniable, but it took a freaking detective investigation to figure out that you were even pregnant. Couldn’t be obvious, like a big “foal inside” sticker on your belly. At least it was hard to fall asleep with all this noise and motion. She definitely didn’t want to fall asleep here where the wrong bump or jostle could make an unwary pony fall between the cars. She instead spent her time looking around to see if she could spot Canterlot. It was on a big mountain, so it should be easy to see, but she couldn’t see it anywhere even when she climbed up to the top of the train. She waited and waited, and still this train seemed to take forever. The land around was running out of grass, as if that weren’t frightening enough, growing drier with rocky buttes visible off in the distance. Still no Canterlot. And to her dismay, the daylight started to fade to amber. It was evening? How long was this train going to take?! She just sat there on the dias miserably, clinging to the railing as the hot day faded to a cool, then an icy night. There was a wind blowing through the train cars that just seemed to edge its way right under her fur. And the worst thing is, she couldn’t fall asleep. Diamond Tiara was starting to get really tired. She just wanted to stop and get off and... go eat something... deserty or whatever. Couldn’t you eat cactuses or something? But she couldn’t get off until they reached Canterlot, and her only solace was the train only seemed to stop for passengers, not any additional supplies to put in this boxcar back here. If Diamond could just get inside it... but she couldn’t, so she had to wait the whole night. And she was so tired, she... sort of braced her rear against the railing, and lay her head down on her front hooves. She still couldn’t fall asleep, but at least she could sort of rest her head, and she really didn’t want to fall and... she was so cold she was all shivering and fluffy. Why was it so cold wasn’t this like, a desert or something? Yet despite all the factors against her, Diamond did manage to get a few hours of fitful sleep, waking up in terror, but so absolutely tired she just dropped right back off again. When the day came, Diamond had never been gladder to see the sun again, or at least its indirect light. The cold in her bones swiftly chased away and she started feeling somewhat comfortable again. But then it just kept getting hotter. She was sweating by the time the train pulled up to the stop, the conductor distantly announcing “Last stop, Appleoosa!” Diamond’s blood would have run cold, if any part of her was capable of being cold. She didn’t pay much attention in school, but she knew at least basic geography, and Appleoosa was famous, the most distant frontier town, deep in the buffalo lands, and... she’d been going the wrong way! The train had been taking her even further than Canterlot! Her mind raced trying to find some way out of this, something she could have done different, some pony she could have fooled, or... or something! She hadn’t even thought to ask if it was even going to Canterlot. It was just... the train... Her heart leapt in her throat as she saw the conductor walk casually past her. The boxcar next to her rattled, and a lock clunked open, and soon there was the sound of several ponies walking around in it. They were... it was the last stop so of course they were checking the train out before they were leaving. The only thing that had saved Diamond was ironically being unable to get into the boxcar in the first place! She wiggled to the other side of the train, and peered around fearfully. There were ponies all over the place, none watching, but they’d see her as soon as she ran. But... they wouldn’t worry if she was walking. So Diamond stared at the closest pony, a yellow mare with orange curly hair until the mare looked away from the train cars and—Diamond leaped out, landing on all fours and looking around frantically. Nopony was watching. She ignored her screaming instincts to run and forced herself to relax, turning her nose up and trotting slowly in a meandering course away from the train. She was ready to run if anypony noticed, but if they did nopony even accosted her. Soon she was behind a building with some cover from the beating sunlight. How could anypony even live here? It was like, totally hot. She sat on her haunches and her lip quivered, but she firmed her muzzle and just tried to think rationally about things. All she had to do was get on the right train this time, and she could be in Canterlot before you know it. That means she had to find out what the right train is. No, she could take any train at this point, since this was the end of the line, but she wanted to take the farthest longest train. She also didn’t want to repeat her experience of yesterday, riding in between the cars. Furthermore, she was hot enough to sweat, and that was making her thirsty. Or worse. Diamond licked her forehoof and found aside from the omnipresent dust and grime, she tasted very salty. “Okay Diamond, don’t panic,” she told herself, “Just... get some water, get some salt, and get some... grass... or something. Then you can find out about the train.” How was she going to do it though? So many ponies here, they couldn’t be eating sand, so the only question was, how was she going to manipulate them into giving some of their food to her? She had ten bits, some ratty old saddle bags, and an empty strawberry carton that she should really probably ditch before anyone made the mistake of thinking she was a thief or something. In the end she ended up going with what she was best at, and it went horribly. The trouble is Diamond knew all about what to do after you had the stallions’ money. Her job was to convince them it was a good idea to spend it, not to convince them to spend it in the first place. Daddy was the one who always handled those affairs and Diamond saw her stallions under very formal and well established arrangements. So she didn’t really... know how he did it, or what factors to take into account while doing so. But she desperately wanted some real food and water, so she had to give it a try. Took her a while to find a stallion. She didn’t even want to think about trying it on a mare. At least stallions, she could understand. But there was one at last, out there working on the wall of one of these unpainted wooden buildings. Tan stallion with pale green hair sticking out of his stetson. Cutie mark of a hammer, go figure. “Hey~” she said sauntering up to him like she actually wanted to see him. “How much longer are you gonna be doing that?” she asked coyly. He paused, and looked down over his shoulder from where he was reared up on the side of the building hammering nails in. “Oh, hey there filly,” he said around the hammer in his mouth. “Nother ‘couple hours I suspect,” he said mildly, “Then ah gotta a couple hours break, for a nahs siesta. Why d’you ask?” “Well, I was hoping maybe I could make your siesta a little bit more... fun,” she said, batting her eyes at him. “How you gonna make sleepin’ more fun?” he responded in confusion, taking the hammer in hoof. “Oh, we wouldn’t be sleeping,” Diamond purred out. “Then what’s a point of siesta?” he said contrarily. “Ah ain’t gonna stay wake durin’ the hottest day hours, y’hear?” “I’m trying to help you,” Diamond said, gritting her teeth. And he finally smiled in understanding. “Well why didn’t you say so?” he told Diamond cheerfully, throwing the hammer in the dirt at her hooves. “You c’n nail the bottom boards while ah get the top ones.” She cringed away from the hammer, saying, “I’m not gonna... hammer in nails!” “That’s alla help ah need,” he said around the second hammer he’d already bit down on, hammering in nails one after the other. “So either pick it up, or leave me alone.” She stared at him in frustration and confusion, but he just ignored her. Finally furiously she just bit down on that dusty old hammer and went over to the wall. He was gonna play the waiting game, huh? Well, she didn’t know how to hammer in nails, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her. She had to get this stallion’s money somehow! The nails were the hard part. Swinging a hammer was easy, even if it was really heavy, but you couldn’t get the nails pointed at the wood if you held them in your hoof. She kept dropping them, and then just balanced the nail on her pastern, clumsily tapping it with the hammer until it was embedded enough into the wall to not fall out when she moved her hoof away. But they kept rolling off then, and an ill placed strike whacked her right in the hoof making her yelp in pain and drop the hammer. And that got the stallion’s attention, alright. “Gosh lil’ filly, you alright?” he said to Diamond who was hissing and clutching her hoof. “Havin’ trouble hammerin’ in nails?” he asked incredulously. “Ain’t your folks showed you?” “N-no,” Diamond said, placing her hoof down firmly without pain... good. “I just... wanted to spend some time with you!” Her smile was calculated, but hopefully sincere enough. “Okay,” he said amiably, “Now start hammerin’ and let me see what you’re doin’ wrong.” “I want you to start hammering,” Diamond grumbled. “Ah already am!” he pronounced aggrivatedly, “You’re the one who keeps hittin’ her hoof now!” “No, hammering me,” Diamond said in absolute exasperation. “Well okay then,” he said to Diamond’s relief, adding, “If you want hammerin’, then you start hammerin’ and ah’ll tell you what it is you’re doin’ wrong.” Diamond wanted to growl at his ultimatum, but her stomach growled louder, so she was just going to have to do whatever he wanted. She picked up the hammer again, and lifted a nail— “Gosh golly filly, what’re you doin’?” he exclaimed in alarm making the nail roll off Diamond’s sore pastern. “Hammering nails?” she said snidely. “That’s what you told me to do.” “Ya gotta put the nails on your hoof groove!” he admonished her. “You’ll whack your pastern every time if’n you do it that way!” Diamond learned two things that day. Firstly that the hoof groove was useful for more things than just combing your hair roughly straight when you had no beauty products nearby or available. He taught her how to balance the nail in it, and any slips with the hammer hit her nail, which was a lot better than the fleshy part of her hoof. She was still like twice as slow as him, and he finished up the half of the bottom boards for her, but well it was kind of... cool seeing the ones she did nail. They were kind of crooked, but like, they wouldn’t be nailed at all if she didn’t do that. Diamond kind of liked that feeling. But the second thing she learned is that stallions are absolutely totally utterly and completely dense when it comes to convincing them to put their penis in your vagina for money. She sat there glaring at the snoozing stallion, who totally misinterpreted her every word and wouldn’t stay awake for anything. The worst part is, he was right. Diamond had never sweated so much in her life. The hammering took so much work, and that sun overhead was really punishing. Her forehooves were sore, and her neck had a kink in it from all the hammering. She really just wanted to collapse beside him and sleep, except for one little problem. She still didn’t have any food! Matter of fact the water was... a far greater concern. Her throat was so dry it felt like chalk. But after this stupid stallion stopped distracting her, she did manage to find water. There was a big trough of water right there on the side of the street. But, no matter how long she watched it, there was nopony around it who she could pay for some water. Finally in desperation, she just stole some, making sure any of the other ponies who were using it didn’t see her before sneaking up and plunging her muzzle in, gulping up water so fast it made her throat hurt. Then she scurried away before anyone could catch her. There were plenty of guard ponies here, even way out here, so she did not want to get caught for stealing water. Especially not with the whole Blueberry thing fresh on her mind. Water taken care of, Diamond ended up spending the whole day trying to get food. Nopony would even think about fucking her though. Once she even got so desperate that she was lifting her tail and shaking her rump at a posh looking stallion, saying, “Hey, you wanna piece of this?” And to her honest entreaty, he got furious! “You rude little filly!” he shouted her down, “Where is your mother? I’ll be telling her about this!” Diamond really didn’t know what to think, and just whined, “I’m not being rude. Don’t you want inside me? I just need like a sandwich or something and you totally can.” But then he said, “Oh! Oh my...” and straight out tried to scruff her! She fought her way free and managed to flee the scene despite his calls to “Come back, at once!” But that was about the last stallion in town, outside of guards who daddy said to never approach. So now the sun was going down, she was hungry, and tired from running, and so mad with everypony here. She didn’t want to stick her face in some big sloppy cunt just to get food. But what else could she do? She was just so angry that she just laid down and And tears started coming out of her eyes. “Stupid,” she told herself, trying to ignore them, and the weariness that wanted to make her fall asleep and never move again. She wasn’t sure if she fell asleep or just lay there being upset, when a hoof prodded her side. “Scuse me, filly,” a mare’s voice said. Diamond just spun her head around and glared at her, snapping out, “What!” “Hey, ah wuz just seein’ if you wuz okay!” the straw colored straw hatted mare said to her irately. “You need some—” “No, I’m fine!” Diamond said sharply from her prone position on the dirt next to a building. “Why would you ever think there’s a problem? No, everything is perfect because you’re too stupid to see if anything is wrong! You only ask me now? How dare you, you stupid—” but she didn’t continue to shriek any further, because the straw pony was already quickly trotting away with an angry huff. “Fine,” Diamond sat up and crossed her forehooves. “I didn’t need her help anyway.” Her cheeks felt crusty when she rubbed them with her hoof. She looked queasily at the tear goobers her dirty pastern picked up. Then she... they were salt after all and she really okay it was gross but she couldn’t afford to lose anything anymore. Not until she found her stallion. She had to be strong for him, a big strong adventurer who could save him from whatever problems he had gotten into. Perhaps he’d been imprisoned, by the princess herself! She just tried to ignore the taste of dirt in her mouth as she licked herself. It was stupid, because after Diamond’s little temper tantrum all the other ponies were avoiding her too, the ones who heard her at any rate. How was she going to ask for directions now? Did they think that was a temper tantrum? She was way too tired to have a real freakout. She’d just like... pass out or something. Ponies were trickling back to their homes and buildings as evening came on, so she hurried and walked up to a pink mare, giving her a bright eyed smile saying sweetly, “Excuse me could—” but the mare just shuddered and reared away. Diamond had to just start walking again. Wasn’t until she got a block away that ponies stopped giving her wild eyed stares. “Excuse me,” she said sweetly to a pink pony in a gallon hat, “I don’t suppose you know when the next train to Canterlot is leaving?” She couldn’t get past “the next train” though because her voice was dry again. At least it’d be easy to steal water from those trough things in the dark... assuming they didn’t drain them at night. The mare took one look at her and about jumped out of her hooves saying, “What on earth is wrong with you, child?!” “What is...?” Diamond said squinting at the mare. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she protested, backing up. “You can’t get mad at me, I didn’t say... things...” She had no idea why this strange mare was all riled up. Just looked up at her green eyes wishing she could get an answer so she could stop trying to stand up and just go sleep or something. “What? But? Huh? You...” the mare fishmouthed a bit before exclaiming in a round voice, “Where’s your parents? You ain’t in any condition to be out at this hour! You been travelin’ or something? Your hooves are... an’ your hair! It’s just awful!” “Well thank you for insulting me,” Diamond sneered at her, turning on her heels and walking away angrily. She had to stop after a few paces though, because she was really hungry and... tired and stuff. But she kept walking then, not even sure which way she was going to go. Something yanked on her tail. It was that mare following her and grabbing her by her tail. “Hold on there filly,” the mare said anxiously, “Ain’t lettin’ you just wander off like that. I won’t report ‘em ah promise. Just tell me where your parents are an’ ah’ll just have a nice chat with them.” “I don’t have any,” Diamond mumbled. She was just too beat to fight back much. Had she even slept last night? She couldn’t even remember. Something about the train, and the railing that kept smacking her in the head and... something. “What?” the mare said blankly. Diamond focused on her more clearly, trying to lie smoothly but stuttering, “I-I-I mean they’re in Canterlot.” And... what? (Come on you stupid pony, think!) she told herself. The mare seemed hesitant for a moment her eyes darting left and right, then she just smiled ingratiatingly and leaned down to Diamond saying, “C’mon, let’s just... see about gettin’ you something to eat, an’ then we can talk about...things.” Diamond shied away from her just on general principle, saying warily, “Why? I d-don’t have any money, you can’t have it. I need it!” The mare stared at her, and it was hard to see the expression on her face in the evening light. A cold chill swept through Diamond’s fur. “Ah don’t want any money,” the mare said carefully. “I just wanna talk. That okay with you?” When Diamond couldn’t answer, she said pleadingly, “Come on, you want food don’t ya?” “A s-sandwich,” slipped out of Diamond’s mouth, “Would be nice,” she qualified politely, “And a milkshake with strawberry sprinkles and pan seared asparagus and some steamed cauliflower and an ice cream cone and...” what was she even saying? She just couldn’t stop thinking of food. Real food, not grass. “Can’t promise none of that,” the pink mare said with a weak smile, “But ah got a stew pot going from this morning. You’re welcome to a... a bowl of it.” She seemed really uncertain of herself, like she was uncomfortable with what she was doing. Diamond wasn’t sure she could even exploit that though, because she had never been in a situation like this before either. At least, not outside of her adventure novels... “Okay,” Diamond said hastily. “Where’s the stew?” She blushed and added, “I–I mean I would like, be grateful for your um... hospitality.” With a sigh that sounded like relief, the mare turned and said, “C’mon, my cabin is across town this way.” She trotted off and Diamond started to follow but... well she wasn’t really feeling good about trotting right now. Anything more than a walk just put sharp pains in her hooves. “W-wait,” Diamond said hoarsly, feeling humilated, but also torn by the desperate fear that the mare would just keep going and never come back. But the mare did come back, and frowned at Diamond, who said, “My hooves are kind of... been walking too much,” holding up her sore cannons for explanation. “Look, just like... c’mon up,” the mare fussed, and she stuck her nose under Diamond’s belly, thankfully an earth pony, using her head to flip Diamond right up onto her back. Diamond landed with a shock not even comprehending what was happening. Then the mare started trotting forward again. She was being... carried by a complete stranger. She should have fought, yelled at her and kicked herself off, but... nopony had ever carried her like this, not since.... Instead, she just sank against the moving body beneath her, and wasn’t even conscious by the time they reached the mare’s cabin. “...bringin’ ‘em to our house now?” a rough stallion’s voice roused Diamond, who immediately wished she could have stayed asleep because she was fiercely thirsty. “Or what, let the guard take care of her?” that mare’s voice came angrily in response. Diamond Tiara cracked her eyes open to see a cheery fire glowing within a cast iron pot belly stove, which she had been laid down next to. It was good too, because the air was as cold as it had been last night. “That’s their job,” the stallion insisted. “They keep the streets clean just fine without ya.” “Yeah, well where do the ponies go?” the mare countered. Diamond must have attracted her attention then, because she glanced at the rousing filly, saying, “Oh, you’re awake honey! Y’alright?” Diamond was too scratchy to even say “Water,” so she cleared her throat and said, “Some...” but couldn’t get to the water part. The greying stallion seemed to pick up on what she was saying though, and waved his hoof toward a weird looking can next to her. “Drink up,” he said, “You gotta drink a lotta water in these parts.” Diamond took a second look at the can, more of an aluminum... cup? There was water in it that was all that was important. Diamond lifted it right away in her two hooves and almost felt like crying as her shaky grasp spilled droplets of water over the rim. Trying not to spill she just took a drink. It was the best water she’d ever had in her entire life. “Not all at once!” the stallion said rushing up to her and pulling the glass...the cup away. “Just take little sips,” he said, standing close to her to make sure Diamond obeyed. She felt a lot better when she got the glass down, but she wasn’t sure what the deal with these two was. The stallion was looking at her disapprovingly, but he wasn’t sending her away he was offering her stew. And the mare was sparing the stallion guilty looks now and then. The stew was too brackish and plain and tasted like bitter roots, but it had salt in it, and Diamond couldn’t imagine anything tasting better than it right now. They were amazed as she went through three bowls of the stuff, and another three cups of water before she felt sated. Staring down at the water in the third cup she thought about how hungry she’d have to be before she couldn’t walk anymore. She didn’t know how hungry that was, but her day today had felt awfully close. How did anypony get by with less than three meals a day prepared for you? And so many snacks, little boxes of chocolates and jellies. Tiara could eat them, within reason. She didn’t want to get fat after all. Diamond just started thinking about all the times she had tried to not get fat. She’d never even been hungry before. And she just... all that food... “So what’s yer name, filly?” the mare asked, sticking her face out towards Diamond beseechingly. “Huh?” she said distractedly, lifting her weary head to try and focus on the mare. “Yer name,” the mare insisted. “Maybe we can contact your folks in ...Canterlot.” “It’s D—” she shut her mouth in shock. She couldn’t tell them her name. They could ask questions, and maybe they’d even heard she was missing, and then they’d call Daddy and he’d come to pick her up. Diamond couldn’t let that happen, because her stallion needed her, and he was in Canterlot, not Ponyville! “Delight,” she said at the first thing that crossed her mind. That didn’t sound like a name though, think think! Of course! “Strawberry Delight,” she said with a sincere smile. “Well I’m Rosy Gala,” the pink mare with her cornflower blue mane announced, her cutie mark a slightly less pink than her apple, “An’ this here’s my father, Trompin’ Gala.” “Pleased t’make your aquaintance,” the green stallion with a similar but darker blue mane said, his cutie mark a pair of apples with a half circle over it. Yeah, this was definitely Appleoosa. From what Diamond had learned, the Apple family were such low breeds that they always had too many unwanted fillies and colts, and that’s why they went out to found frontier towns like this. Rosy and Tromping let her stay, which was really nice. A week... maybe a week? Some time ago, she wouldn’t have imagined feeling actually good about only having a blanket to sleep under with just a pillow to brace her hooves on, right on the floor. Now, when they offered it to her Diamond could only think of that terrible night on the train and felt this funny welling up in her chest when they gave it to her. She didn’t let them see her crying, of course, but it was weird because she didn’t feel sad anymore. When she masturbated that night, Diamond kept seeing Blueberry in her imagination, the way he would gaze down at her as he gently plowed her foal place. He was actually kind of... handsome, in a backwoods hick sort of way. His teeth were straight, and the line of his jaw was very subtle, svelte even. His body was way skinnier than his face. Probably because he ate nothing but grass all the time. But that face, just the way he looked at her, Diamond was... Diamond was okay with doing it on her back with him. She was so cozy under the blanket despite the draft leaking in through the unprofessionally constructed walls. She bit down on her hoof so as to not make noise when it happened. Her practiced hooves brought her nethers to ecstasy, and she got to crouch there in delight, doing that incredibly satisfying, sparkly, clenching thing. When it was done, she just felt so relaxed from the tail on up as the final quivers eased off, Diamond slept so peacefully that she didn’t wake up once until the other two roused in the hours before dawn. The next day, they didn’t even make her leave! They just said, “Oh, it’s Strawberry!” Diamond blinked muzzily before she registered that the mare was talking about her, and lifted her white and purple maned head out of the blankets. “How you doin’ cutie?” Rosy Gala said with a smile. “Izzit still dark out...?” Diamond slurred, trying to see if there was any sunlight coming through that dim one window to their cabin. “We always get up way before dawn,” Rosy explained. Diamond was going to object severely to that, but Rosy looked at her and clarified saying, “Th’ mid-day is way too hot, and the night is too cold, so we sleep twice, and do our business in the in-between hours. Lots of ponies do that.” Diamond rubbed her eyes, mumbling, “Oh right, siesta. That’s a thing, I guess.” “It is here!” Rosy said brightly. “Now let’s get everypony all set for what we’re gonna do today.” And by that Rosy meant breakfast. And by that, when Diamond rose to her hooves and wandered into the kitchen, Tromping was there stirring a pot, and said, “Hey there. Grab a skillet, we got haycakes to fry.” Diamond blinked. “M-me?” she squeaked. “You see any other hungry fillies in the room?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. Blushing furiously, Diamond went forward to get the skillet not wanting to let him get the upper hand even a little. She wasn’t sure, but she remembered the servants biting on the handle to lift it, so she did and WOAH it clattered back down as Diamond looked at it more critically, working out her jaw. It was some weird heavy substance, like really heavy. It was all black, and it tasted like iron, but it had to have been like, meteoric iron, because it was probably the densest frying pan she had ever seen. She picked it up a second time, swaying at the weight of it and looked at Tromping for confirmation. “Just put it on th’ fire,” he said, pointing at a charcoal grill sort of thing they had partly sticking out the back of the house with its own window above it. Diamond put the skillet there where presumably the glowing coals below would warm it up. Then she had to learn how to make haycakes. Honestly the hardest part was when she tried to adjust the pan and she burned her lip! Her teeth had given her warning that the handle was hot, but her lip was still smarting as she shouted in pain. “Aw, you use the pot holders filly!” Tromping said in an upset tone, rushing to the “icebox” which had ice in it (go figure). He finished off the haycakes while Diamond had to suck on a hoary tasting chunk of ice. That aside, she had a pretty good situation here. The only real problem was their conflict over her vaginal satisfaction. She was decidedly horny one night, when she sidled up to Tromping by the fire and nibbled his ear the way stallions liked, whispering to him, “You’ve been so good to me, I wonder if we could make that fire a little like, warmer together?” He pushed away from her so quickly she fell over, just standing there looking at her with sparkling worry in his eyes. “Hey!” Diamond protested, picking herself up. “Why’d you do that? I was just trying to like, help you.” She wiggled her tush at him, coyly curling her tail up. “You know,” she purred, “Help you like, between your legs?” And his response to that was shouting, “What is wrong with you, filly?!” “There’s nothing wrong with me!” Diamond protested right back. “You can fit, I promise! I’m really good at it!” “Strawberry Delight, I am a married stallion,” he said somehow both in outrage and sadness. “Ah am not gonna do something like that. What would mah Rosy think, you ever consider that?” “O-oh, right, her,” Diamond said mutedly, letting her tail lower and looking away from him. “Sorry you’re right,” she said. “I guess I should have remembered you were like, married and all.” He just... stared at her a while longer, then walked silently out of the room. Diamond wasn’t sure what happened there, but she could tell he cared a lot about Rosy. She had to be able to use that somehow, possibly by putting Rosy in danger or threatening her? With what, though? Then Diamond had what she thought was a much better idea. “Miss Rosy?” she asked sweetly later, having tracked the pink pony down. “I wonder if you could like, help me with something I need.” “What’s that, ‘berry?” she said, still poking her head in the cabinet she was reared up on distractedly. “I know he’s your husband, and I totally respect that,” Diamond said first off, “But you know how it is, right? I just want to ask your permission to put his penis inside me. Just a little bit, only once and a—” she didn’t get to finish because Rosy responded by lurching backwards so fast she toppled off the stool and fell to the floor with a surprised whuff. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” Diamond said rushing up to her, as sincerely as she could. Internally Diamond was seething with a confused anger at these ponies and their weird reactions. It wasn’t anything like the adults she usually interacted with. But outwardly she was the picture of caring, giving, concerned friend. “Ah think I can see how you done got yourself pregnant...” Rosy wheezed, sitting up and holding a hoof to her temple. Diamond’s eyes widened at that, forgetting her original worries to try and see herself. “Oh my gosh,” she said walking in circles to try to see her own belly, “Am I showing already? I didn’t think it would be so soon! Do I look different? Is it my scent?” Rosy stopped Diamond’s motions with a hoof on her withers, saying, “N-no, that ain’t it! It’s just...” she added in a sort of depressed tone, “Just as estrus season passes, we find a filly wandering around, all on her lonesome? Anypony could put two and two together.” Diamond tilted her head at Rosy, saying uncertainly, “I don’t get it...?” “Perhaps it’s best if you don’t,” Rosy said sadly, turning back to her task at hoof. She wouldn’t say anything else about it either, even when Diamond fussed about it. And when Diamond was so generous to offer that they lick each other to orgasm, she got chased all the way out to the living room! Rosy wasn’t having any of it, and Tromping clearly was hers, so he was off limits to Diamond. Rosy was off-limits to Diamond because... reasons? As the dynamics of this weird relationship evolved, there was clearly only one pony who was never off limits to Diamond, and that pony was Diamond Tiara herself. Alone in the late morning, Diamond Tiara stroked her soft vulva, with a pleased mmm resonating in her chest. Touching herself there always reminded her of stallions, how their fat tools could open her up down there. The fleshy mound she was rubbing on so pleasantly could just open up and wrap around them, and goad them into ejaculation in there. She was all alone in their house during the day, and though the shade was far cooler than the sun, a trickle of sweat still trailed down her temple while she played with herself, her body awakening into that sensation that was always exciting no matter how familiar it became. Her wavy mane was a shambles, her tail dusty and drab, her coat in muted colors from its natural cleanliness, but it was still a body capable of feeling like this and for that Diamond Tiara was grateful. Ponies were walking around outside, but Diamond didn’t care. She got to stay in the quiet darkness and lean into her hoof, breathing more heavily as she felt those soothing waves ripple through her. Her tail twitched, and with a reckless brush of her little clitoris, her legs kicked in the air spasmodically and a quiet mewl escaped her. She was going to orgasm so good this time because unlike yesterday, and the day before, she was ready for some real fun. They wouldn’t let her leave, saying they were trying to find help for her and she couldn’t be seen on the streets, but clearly lying just to keep her there until they could find a way to cheat her. It’s what Diamond Tiara would have done after all. She didn’t mind though, because it gave her some time to rest and recuperate, the food was tasteless but filling, and nopony even knew Diamond was doing this with herself while she was alone. She hoped masturbating wouldn’t hurt the foal. Staring down at the pink of her groin, spread, the intense thought occurred to her that she might have a hard time reaching herself down there, if her belly got big. Her hoof would have to stretch around her big, round belly with a foal inside—she gasped and fumbled with her other hoof to get herself. It was just too much to think that, too late to hold back even a little bit. She just frigged herself intensely to greater and greater tingling, until it blew over her and she was hunched forward, clenching helplessly on the inside, thinking about the child within her, the swelling that was sure to begin soon. Diamond Tiara was going to be a mother she was going to—! She—she relaxed as the contractions eased, and her vagina settled to a warm, fuzzy stillness. Now calm and breathing more evenly, with her other hoof, the one that wasn’t slick from her vulval juices, Diamond Tiara picked up what she had acquired earlier for this purpose. It was a stroke of genius brought on by missing the feeling of a stallion inside her. Who needs some dumb old dildo, when you can make use of what you have at hoof! Lining up the nice bright juicy carrot at her groin, Diamond started teasing her lips with it. She wondered if anypony else had thought of this. Well if not, too bad, it was all hers to enjoy. After an orgasm like that, she was really aching to grab on something in there. When Diamond Tiara used a dildo on herself it was a weird feeling of power as she penetrated. There was no grunting stallion forcing her, so she could take it at her own pace, but at the same time the closer it came to slipping inside her little entrance, the more she hungered to be filled rough and hard. She ended up almost frantic to get the piece inside her, and this carrot was no exception. Teasing herself with the barest penetration into her vagina she gave a high whimper as her hooves shook with the urges spreading from her groin. She placed both hooves on the carrot, and pushing firmly Diamond felt the exciting satisfaction that now there was a penis inside her. There wasn’t really of course, but that’s what she felt, quivering as she spread her legs, leaning back and pulling on the carrot needily, her insides spreading as she grunted, shoving it deeper and deeper. They grow their carrots in sand, in Appleoosa, and that lets them grow down nice and long, and Diamond wasn’t aware of this fact but she was glad nonetheless when there was no way for her to shove it any deeper and there was still carrot sticking out of her groin. The carrot could have been thicker, but she liked that sort of deep, invasive, poking feeling, that reminded her of where a stallion’s penis went before filling her up with cum. With her insides so situated, Diamond returned her attention to her clitoris, leaving the carrot just to fill her so she could slicken up her right hoof toying with that pleasure button, while gently stroking her tickly belly with the other hoof, the soft hairs on her pastern making the nipples rise up and thicken. She stared with fascination at herself as her vaguely felt inner contractions made the carrot move like a living thing. Just the slightest tweak and it would wiggle around—and she could feel it in there, her precious tunnel so satisfied by that filling feeling. The carrot was working as she’d hoped, and she found her breath hitching up as she headed toward another orgasm again. Her hoof left her nipples to pull on the carrot like a joystick, stretching her on the surface and even inside as its hard surface distended her pliable inner walls. With her hands piked between her legs, orgasm was sure to come now. She kept at it determinedly, her head tilting back as she breathed hotly in the warming air. With her legs askew to either side of her, Diamond chased those inner flutters, and with soft and hard strokes began to feel the tingling rising up in her higher, and higher. She was bucking back and clenching and tingling in waves and waves “Yesh!mmn” she mumbled joyously as she slid into a glorious peak of desire. It wasn’t long before she couldn’t stop clenching on the carrot and she flopped back on her back then, sliding giddily down the hill of that ultimate pleasure as her body took over. The carrot was so stiff and hard inside her, as her cunt squeezed down on it, her legs kicking lightly as the inner compulsions spread through out her whole body. The contractions slowed, and she managed to lift a hoof, hissing as her clitoris winked against it sensitively, every stroke of her vulva around that carrot a small explosion of pleasure in her brain. At last, she slipped out of orgasm... mode or whatever you called it, and a nice pleasant sense of relaxation washed over her. She lay there with her hooves curled above her and that vegetable wedged inside her satisfied pussy. Diamond would have slept like this if it was a dildo, but she didn’t fancy leaving something so stiff inside her for any length of time, plus she was a guest and that meant she couldn’t risk being caught. So she rolled on her hooves, giggling at the sight of a carrot sticking out behind her. Then with more controlled contractions and her hoof, she worked the carrot in reverse, inching it bit by bit out of her until it slid out the last few inches by its own weight and plopped wetly to the floor. Diamond touched herself at the thought of that sort of reverse orgasm, she learned to do with the dildo, but she didn’t go to climax this time. Just enough to feel a pleasant buzz, before turning and delicately picking up the carrot in her teeth. It clearly had been inside her, as anypony could see from its glistening surface, but it wouldn’t be long before that dried away. She cleaned the floor carefully, but the gleaming carrot she merely transported on her way to the root cellar. She just snuck back into the root cellar she’d found, and carefully deposited it with the other carrots. Maybe they would put it in the stew; that would be just great. Locking the root cellar, and returning the key to the bedroom dresser, Diamond paused to peek outside the linen drapes. It wasn’t just for their sake that Diamond didn’t go outside. That sun really was punishing. Most ponies stayed out of sight this time of day, either in siesta or underground in the salt mines. She didn’t know what those two ponies who took care of her were up to, but she didn’t intend to spend one more day this far south into the desert. Diamond had plenty of time to wander the tiny building she was in during the day, taking stock of what she could use, and what she could just take, on her journey to Canterlot. They left their bits under the mattress; can you believe that? Well they’d be her bits come next morning. She’d been pretending to be friendly for way too many days now; it was actually starting to get uncomfortably enjoyable. Too easy to just live like this, and let other ponies swindle and cheat you. So like daddy always said, it was time to use up Rosy and Tromping, make them lower, and her the winner. “Strawberry? Y’round?” Rosy said, poking her nose in through the front door. She relaxed on seeing Diamond. “An’ how are you doin’?” she asked kindly. “Oh I’m doing great,” Diamond said with a matching smile. “I don’t know what I’d have done, if not for your kindness!” “Shucks, filly. It wasn’t no big deal,” Rosy said with a blush, coming all the way inside. “We’ll get you the help you need, don’t you worry about it. Just have to wait for... Trompin’ to come home so we can... discuss it over dinner.” Considering the discussion last night, and the night before, Diamond had a good idea how this one was going to go. She took Rosy’s mind off of it though, by slyly asking, “Say, could I like, help you with dinner? I really like wanted to help make oh I dunno, like a carrot stew or something.” That in itself was valuable information, because Diamond had never made a stew before, and she wanted to know now just in case she didn’t have servants to do it for her, even if Rosy was willing to be a temporary servant. Diamond was going to be on a long journey, and unlike servants, that kind of knowledge she could take with her. Like she didn’t realize you had to boil the woody vegetables first to release their flavor then strain out the fibrous remains and put in the real vegetables at the end, like potatoes, spinach, carrots and corn. If you put them all in at once, you couldn’t strain out the tough roots, and the softer vegetables would turn to mush being boiled that long. Cutting kernels off with a knife, that was another thing Diamond hadn’t seen done in person before. Diamond wasn’t sure, but from the shape of it, she was pretty sure she learned how to chop carrots with that very carrot, thus adding her own special secret touch to the pot. She didn’t realize just how much salt you added to a stew. The vegetables just soaked it up like a sponge. Diamond wished she’d paid more attention to the spices her servants had used, because salt and pepper definitely left anything tasting way too bland, but that was one thing Rosy couldn’t teach her. By the time Tromping arrived dust covered and weary, the stew was filling the house with a delightful smell. Diamond wasn’t used to this two meals a day thing, so she was absolutely starving. They had like, bread and stuff, and she was just downing it compulsively with that smell in the air. She ate a lot of stew, too. Diamond thought she was eating more than usual, but she also hadn’t gone without food for so long before, so she couldn’t be sure whether it was just starvation, or if it was already the child growing inside her. She had to hide a smirk over dinner, as they told her what they were going to do and argued over hospital costs or something. It turns out the stew was delicious.