//------------------------------// // Icebreakers // Story: Reticence // by Fire Gazer the Alchemist //------------------------------// The streets of Canterlot were surprisingly quiet at night. Marble liked that. They were walking downtown, past a park that was probably named after a long-dead famous pony. The leaves of its trees reached over the sidewalk, and were kept company by the occasional street lamp, which gave the four mares pockets of light as they strode down it. Every so often, a pony would pass their little party, but always parted to one side or the other to let them by. It was a nice change of pace from the constant battle that was walking Canterlot’s streets during the day. Marble liked that, too. But most of all, Marble liked walking next to Minuette. She moved at her own pace and her date would match it easily. Right now, they were strolling leisurely as they made their way to their next location… where ever it was. Whenever Marble glanced over, she could always count on seeing Minuette. If the two happened to make eye contact, Minuette’s face would brighten to a smile that would send Marble’s heart fluttering. They were even close enough that their forelegs would brush against each other from time to time. It was wonderful. Behind them, Limestone and Lemon Hearts had paired up. Whenever Marble glanced back at them, she always saw Lemon Hearts with a conversation on the tip of her tongue, and Limestone looking grumbly at the concrete. They were quiet for the most part. So was Marble. And even Minuette. ...Maybe the quiet isn’t so nice, Marble thought. They hadn’t really talked since leaving the restaurant. If Marble had to guess why, she’d say it was due to their surprise guests leaving a bad taste in everypony’s mouth. To be honest, she was a little rattled by it. The fact that ponies had been watching her, spying on her that whole time made her unnerved. But it was probably a lot worse for Minuette and Lemon. To be spied on was one thing, but to have it be by such close friends must be a huge violation of trust. Like if one of Marble’s friends had… Oh wait… Her chest tightened at the realization that she didn’t have any friends who could lose her trust by doing something like that. In all honesty, Twinkleshine and Moon Dancer were the closest she had to that. Marble looked over to Minuette, who was keeping her eyes on the sidewalk ahead of them. She took care to note that now that Minuette thought nopony was watching, she’d elected to keep her face stern. “A-Are you okay?” Minuette tilted her head towards Marble, raising an eyebrow. “Hmm?” Marble’s eyes darted to the ground, the sky, and to the right before finally summoning enough courage to meet Minuette’s. “I… I just wanted to make sure you weren’t really upset about Moon Dancer and Twinkleshine. I-If you wanted to s-stop then—” “Oh, Shy Pie.” Minuette nudged her playfully. “It’ll take more than a couple nosey friends to ruin our date.” “B-But don’t you feel b-betrayed?” Marble stuttered. “T-they’re your friends and they went behind your back and you looked so mad and—” “And they aren’t going to be a problem anymore.” Minuette said. “Trust me, I’m fine. Lemon and I will have a long chat with those two on the importance of respecting each other’s privacy and that will be that.” “Are you sure?” Marble asked. Minuette just smiled. “If you’re still worried they might be following us, then don’t be. I know those two. They’ll stay far away from us if they think they ruined the date.” “A-And you’re sure they didn’t?” Marble asked Minuette gave a soft giggle, before nuzzling her nose against Marble’s cheek. “I’m sure.” Marble’s face burned, her lips involuntarily twitching up. Her heart thumped wildly, even after Minuette pulled away. She really needed to try and get that under control. The chilly nighttime air helped force her blush down. She looked off to the side until she was sure that her face was a more manageable color before turning back to Minuette. “Are we almost there yet?” A grumbly voice called out from behind them. Minuette glanced back with Marble following. Limestone’s lowered brow look of annoyance seemed to indicate that she was sick of walking by now. To be fair, they had been hoofing it for the past few blocks. Marble wouldn’t complain if they were close to their destination. “Only one more block now,” Minuette told her. Limestone grunted in mild approval. “Are you sure we’ll like… whatever this is?” Marble asked. The last thing she wanted was for Limestone to cause another scene. She knew her sister meant well… or, wanted to mean well, but blowing up in public wasn’t helping anypony. “I think you will. It’s something that’s really easy to love.” Minuette winked. Marble offered a shaky smile, still unsure. As they continued down the sidewalk, the faintest sounds of pulsating music hit her ears. Even at a distance, Marble could feel the force of the beat as it sent a tingle crawling across her skin. Her ears flicked as she realized the source of the sound was close to where ever they were heading. She swallowed nervously. Music late at night in the city… Marble could only draw one conclusion from that: they were going to a club. She really, really hoped that wasn’t the case. She hated clubs. Granted, Marble had never been to one before, but that didn’t stop her from disliking it based on what she knew about them. Loud, frenzied, crowded, sweaty and smelly… yeah, experience wasn’t necessary for her to know she wouldn’t like them. Which is why she prayed that Minuette wasn’t bringing them to one. They reached the edge of the street a few minutes later and rounded the corner. The pumping music only grew in volume, causing Marble to bite her lip. Right across the street, she saw it. It was a small, rectangular shaped building, with a row of windows lined so closely to one another that they may as well have been continuous. Escaping from these windows was a flurry of red, green, and blue lights, each bouncing in and out of existence to the beat of the music, causing seizures for epileptics miles away, no doubt. The whooping and hollering of ponies was also present, though drowned out by the much heavier noise of the electronic song. Outside the club, ponies lined up outside the corner, hugging the walls of the club as they waited to get inside. Marble swallowed at the sight, her knees locking up. “Come on.” Minuette gave her a tug and a smile, jutting Marble forward. “O-Okay.” Marble must’ve let some worry leak into her voice, because she heard Limestone grunt from behind. Minuette continued dragging her forward, closer and closer to the club. Marble’s mouth twitched with anxiety as she tried to say something, to explain that she didn’t want to do this. But Minuette had such a wide smile on her face… she was really excited. Marble didn’t know what to do. She glanced back, catching a glimpse of Lemon Hearts and Limestone. Her sister was eyeing the club dubiously, shooting her a glance that basically said ‘are you sure?’. Lemon had a small smile on her face, and only gave Marble an encouraging nod. The noise from the club was so loud now that Marble’s coat rippled from the force of the music. The bright lights danced across her vision, blocked only by a silhouette of her date. Minuette glowed in the light, making her only more beautiful. And harder to talk to. They’d already crossed the street. By now they were practically at the club door. It was too late to mention her reservations, Marble knew that much. They were going to do… whatever it is ponies did in clubs. Clenching her jaw, Marble shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitability of the music to become deafening, the lights to become blinding, and the date to become horrible. Except none of that happened. Minuette strolled right past the club. Marble opened her eyes, just so she could blink in surprise. The club building was already receding behind them by the time she realized what was happening. Shocked, she turned to Minuette. “W-Wait!” “Yeah?” Minuette glanced back curiously. “Uh…” Marble gave the club another look. “W-Weren’t we going there?” Minuette furrowed her brows, looking past Marble to see the club. “Really? It doesn’t look like your type of place. Did you want to check it out?” Marble stiffened. “U-Uh… no! I just thought that… well…” “Relax, Shy Pie.” Minuette gave her an endearing smile. “I’m not an idiot. I wouldn’t do that to you, okay?” Fire ignited on Marble’s cheeks. “R-R-R-Right…” She couldn’t believe how dense she was. Of course Minuette knew her well enough not to take her to a club. She had Limestone figured out so easily, after all. It only stood to reason that she also understood Marble very well. She probably knows me better than I know me, Marble reasoned. “So where are we actually going then?” Limestone asked. “Right next door.” Minuette nudged her head over. Marble followed with her eyes, coming across the club’s neighboring establishment. Limestone narrowed her eyes. “Uh… Icy Skate’s Ice Skating?” Lemon Hearts gave a hopeful smile. “Yeah. It’s couple’s night, so they play a lot of slow songs and have this disco ball and lower the lights and…” Limestone’s eyebrow rose. “And… what?” Burying her face off to the side, Lemon Heart’s coughed. “Andit’sveryromantic… erhem.” Minuette’s eyes met Marble’s. “So, what do you think?” “Oh… well…” The way Lemon Hearts described it made it seem very nice. There was just one problem. “I’ve never ice skated before.” Minuette just smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll show you. It’s super fun.” “B-But what if I fall?” Marble really didn’t want to look stupid in front of everypony, least of all her date. “Then I’ll catch you.” Minuette nuzzled her cheek again, doing wonders for Marble’s blush. “O-o-okay.” For whatever reason she couldn’t seem to stop smiling, not that she wanted to. “All right then!” Minuette pushed open the door to the ice rink.  A blast of chilled air rushed free, smacking them all across the face. Marble shivered; it was almost like she had jumped into a pool in the dead of winter. “I’ll go grab us some skates,” Minuette said. “Lemon can show you two where the rink’s entrance is.” Minuette disappeared off to the left just as Marble finally got through enough of the teeth-chattering air to take in her surroundings. The door opened up almost right in front of the rink. There was a chest high guard that surrounded the ice, but Marble could easily see above it. What she saw was a massive expanse of ice, easily twice the area of her house. Some ponies were already out there, skating around. In pairs, of course. The lighting was soft, but still enough for her to see clearly. As for the promised disco ball, it was already dangling from the ceiling, spinning slowly and causing a hundred little lights all around the room to dance around. Marble even briefly saw Minuette as she made her way to the other side of the building that housed a counter. “Come on,” Lemon suddenly said, snapping up their attention. Marble turned to see her already moving to the opposite end of the rink. “We can meet Minuette over by the gate once she has our skates.” Marble nodded and started walking after her, with Limestone not far behind. They were quiet for only a moment. “So, you guys have never skated before?” Lemon asked. Marble could tell there was genuine curiosity in her voice. “No,” she said. “I-Is that bad?” She could almost feel Limestone narrow her eyes. “Yeah, is that bad?” Lemon hopped right into a smile, likely hoping to ease their worries. “No, not at all. I’m just a little surprised. Do they not have a skating rink back at Nickerlite?” Marble didn’t even need to think about it. “There isn’t much of anything in Nickerlite.” “Oh, well then you guys are in for some fun!” Lemon said. Marble gave a hopeful smile. Limestone grunted. They made their way around the edge of the rink, the chill from the ice now concentrating on her side. Marble’s ears twitched as she heard the scratching of metal against ice as couples gracefully—or not-so gracefully—glided in circles beside her. She knew she wouldn’t be nearly as good as even the worst skater out there, but she had hope that she wouldn’t make a complete fool of herself, which is a better mentality then when the date first started. As they reached a small opening, Lemon stopped walking and turned, her dress swishing daintily. Limestone raised an eyebrow. “You sure you’re going to be able to skate in that?” Lemon blinked, pinpricks of pink forming on her cheeks. “Aw, what’s the matter? Are you worried about me, Limestone?” Had it been anypony else, that little bit of flirtatious teasing might have gotten a blush out of them. Or any reaction for that matter. Sadly, Limestone either didn’t care, or was oblivious to the remark. In fact, it was probably both. “I just don’t want you falling down when you’re supposed to be teaching me how to skate,” Limestone replied. “Oh.” Lemon Heart’s ears started to fold down, but suddenly perked back up. “You mean I get to teach you how to skate?” There was a squeak of excitement in her voice. “Uh, yeah? Who did you think was going to?” Limestone asked. Lemon’s mouth stretched into an ear splitting grin. She looked as though any second she might start squealing with pure delight while dancing in place. Marble guessed she was hoping for an… intimate skating lesson. Just like you are with Minuette. Marble blushed as the thought came to her. At least, so far that is, her earlier fear of losing interest in Minuette was completely unfounded. Whether it was talking with her, or being close to her, Marble could safely say that she still wanted to be with Minuette. ...If only— “Got ‘em!” Minuette suddenly popped into the group, right by Marble. Had it been anypony else, Marble might’ve leapt high into the air, squeaking with surprise as she entered low Earth orbit. It was a reflex whenever somepony invaded her personal space without her knowing, but maybe that was precisely why it didn’t happen this time. Minuette didn’t feel like an invader. She felt… welcome. As Minuette levitated four sets of skates for everypony’s eyes to grope, Marble found herself in awe. The hairs on the back of her neck weren’t standing up, her heart hadn’t skipped a beat, even her muscles hadn’t gone rigid. Minuette had just walked up beside her and started talking and Marble had taken it like a normal interaction. And that was what was so incredible about it! How many times in her life had she had a normal interaction. Marble could think of maybe a handful. Maybe. And they were all with either her sisters, her parents, or Boulder. But here, in a situation where Marble would have—should have—jumped with fright, nothing of the sort happened. She was fine. She looked at Minuette’s profile as her date began passing out the skates. Now over her surprise about not being surprised, Marble realized just how comfortable she was around Minuette. It was to the point where she could practically sneak up on her and everything would still be fine. How could she not be her special somepony? “Marble?” She snapped out of her thoughts, head shaking. Reality fell into place around her, Minuette standing front and center as she levitated forward a set of skates for Marble. “Uh, yes?” she asked, sheepish at the realization that she had zoned out for so long. “I was wondering if you wanted help putting on your skates,” Minuette said. “Oh.” Marble briefly looked past her to see the rest of their party already sitting down at some nearby benches. Lemon Hearts was happily humming to herself as she magically tied the laces of her skates. All four were pulled tight with one swift yank, and Lemon cut off her magic to inspect her work. Next to her, Limestone was having… issues. She’d put the first two skates on her forelegs, and was quickly coming to a realization of why that was a bad idea. Limestone struggled to even hold the next skate in the blades of the first two, untied laces flinging and tangling every which way as she desperately tried to get the skate on her hoof. Marble turned her focus back to Minuette. “Uh… yes please.” Minuette nudged her head over to indicate a spot they could take on the opposite bench and they made their way over to it. Marble sat down first and tentatively outstretched her hooves for Minuette. She’d never worn skates before, but as her set was levitated over her hooves found that they were, unsurprisingly, a lot like shoes. She watched as the laces rose up, wrapped in Minuette’s aura, crossed, tightened, looped, and pulled their way into four knots. “There you go,” Minuette said. Curious, Marble moved her fore hooves around some, getting used to the skates. She placed her forelegs down by her side, the blades touching the bench as she prepared to push off. “Oh!” Minuette’s voice caused her to stop dead. “Sorry, just don’t try standing until you have me to brace against.” Minuette planted herself right by Marble so their sides were touching. Her magic now turned to her own skates, which she started wiggling onto her hooves. “Grrr!” Marble looked across from them to see Limestone wrestling with her third skate still. The blades of her skates pinched and crushed the heel as she furiously tried to shove her hoof inside. “Um… would you like some help?” Lemon Hearts’ horn sparked to life, following a hopeful smile. “I got it,” Limestone grunted. She shifted, biting the blade of the unworn skate and trying to shove her hoof into it. It was… kind of akin to a puppy trying to chew its paw. Marble tried—and failed—not to laugh at her sister’s actions. It was just so goofy that she couldn’t stop a sharp snort from exiting her mouth. Limestone glared upwards, eyes narrowed, and Marble clamped her mouth shut. Her sister looked from her over to Lemon, whose horn was still alight; offer still on the table. She spat out the skate. “Fine.” Her smile growing ever wider, Lemon scooped up the last two skates and got to work. Marble was surprised to see her sister actually accept somepony's offer to help. She could count on one hoof the number of times she’d seen that happen before. “There we go.” Minuette gave her laces one last tug and lowered her hooves. Marble looked back to her, just as Minuette started to get up. Even with all four hooves on the ground, she still wobbled in response to the skates. Instinctively, Marble bit her lip in fear that Minuette would fall over and get hurt. But Minuette’s experience saved her and she regained her balance after just a few seconds. She took a few cursory steps as Marble breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay,” Minuette said. “Wanna try standing now?” “Uh… sure.” Marble prepared herself as best she could and let her hind legs touch the ground. It was a weird feeling when the edges of the skates hit the ground. Marble didn’t really know how to describe it. It was sort of like trying to balance on very thin rocks, something she hadn’t ever tried after watching Pinkie fall and chip her tooth in an attempt. Nervous, she put a little weight on the skates and felt her legs wobble. She tried to grip the edges of the bench with her forehooves, but considering they were inhibited by more skates that didn’t happen. She bit her lip and looked up at Minuette, who was now standing as normally as ever. Her date gave her a little nod of encouragement and Marble took a deep breath. In one quick motion, she stood. And promptly fell. She squeaked as the blades slipped underneath her, taking her legs and eventually her whole body with them. Bracing herself to hit the floor, Marble slammed her eyes shut as she jerked to a stop. Wait a minute… Her eyes popped back open to find that she was bent over at an angle, only halfway to her face-mashing meeting with the ground. A brief glance at her body revealed the soft gold of Minuette’s aura holding her in place. She looked back up at her date, who merely smiled. “Told ya I’d catch you.” Marble returned her smile as her body shifted back into place. Minuette took a step closer, bringing her into physical catching range now. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by Marble who blushed to acknowledge it. “You think you’re ready to try again?” Minuette asked. Marble nodded. The magic keeping Marble in place dissipated in a puff of sparkles. Her legs, though perfectly positioned on the skates, returned to wobbling like it was a bad habit. Marble took solace in the fact that she had lasted a good second longer this time as she plummeted back towards the ground. Minuette intercepted her tumble, catching Marble against the side of her body. Marble could only continue to blush as her cheek buried itself against Minuette’s neck. “Okay, I think maybe you should just stick close to me until you can stand on your own,” she suggested. “Y-Yeah…” Marble was a little embarrassed at her inability to even stand up with the skates on, but getting to be this close to Minuette was a good trade off. What she really had to be concerned about was going on the ice. With Minuette’s help, Marble was propped upright yet again, though still braced against the blue body of her date. “Okay, steady?” Minuette asked. Marble wobbled in response. “It’s okay, just take your time.” Minuette continued to support her while Marble struggled on. Her legs were acting like jelly, possibly because she was pressed up against Minuette, but she still tried to stand up straight. As tempting as it was to spend the rest of the night leaning against her date, Marble knew that probably wasn’t the best idea. Taking a deep breath, Marble tentatively pulled away and gave balancing another shot. She felt Minuette’s leg against hers to help keep her steady as she trembled in place. Slowly, Minuette brought her leg away and Marble’s body stopped shaking. Though she wasn’t free from the occasional tremor, she found that her body was finally stable on skates. “There we go!” Minuette gave her a smile of congratulations, which Marble returned even though they both knew this mini-celebration was a bit premature. After all, Marble still had to walk to the ice rink and then actually skate on the ice. But standing was still a good first step. She heard a sudden clang and turned her head around to see the aftermath of her sister slamming her front hooves down on the metal bench. She could see Limestone’s legs wobbling just as badly as hers had been, maybe even worse now that she finally had all of her skates on. The blades of her skates slid across the bench, generating a wince-worthy grinding noise as Limestone clamored to not fall over. “D-Do you need help?” Lemon asked. “I got it!” Limestone growled. She demonstrated just how much she ‘got it’ by trying to take her hooves off the bench and promptly falling over. “Gah!” “Oh my gosh! Are you—?” “I’m fine,” Limestone growled from the floor. Or at the floor. She was at such an awkward angle that it was a little hard to tell where her aggravation was directed. “Here, let me—” Lemon’s horn sparked to life, wrapping Limestone in her aura. Limestone repressed a scowl as she floated upright and was set down. Her legs were still unstable, so Lemon took a step forward, silently offering her help. Limestone grunted, apparently frustrated by the fact that Lemon couldn’t figure out she didn’t like accepting help. “Thanks,” Limestone reluctantly growled. “All right, now that we can all stand, who’s ready to get out onto the ice?” Minuette smiled jokingly. Marble bit her lip. She’d only just sort-of mastered standing with skates. Going on the ice might be too big of a step right now. “M-maybe not yet?” she whispered. Minuette turned back to her with the most understanding smile imaginable. “No problem.” Marble paled. She didn’t want to disappoint her. “W-well, I g-guess I’m ready…” With a tilt of her head, Minuette furrowed her brow. “Are you sure? If you need some time before hitting the ice that’s totally fine, Marble.” She didn’t call me Shy Pie. Marble swallowed. “Y-Yes, I’m sure.” Minuette pursed her lips with hesitation. “All right then.” She hooked her foreleg around Marble’s and held her tightly. “One step at a time, okay?” Marble trembled. “Okay.” Minuette moved first, taking the hoof that wasn’t stopping Marble from falling over and stepping forward. With a glance back she indicated that it was her turn. It wasn’t easy, but Marble worked up the nerve to scoot her hoof forward just a tad. The skate screeched across the floor, cutting into the notes of the soft song that was playing. With an encouraging smile from Minuette and a deep breath, Marble lifted her hoof from to floor to try again. She wobbled. And took a step. “There you go.” Minuette graced her with a ambush nuzzle. “You’re getting it.” Marble tried not to explode half-way through her next sentence. “Th-th-th-th-thank y-you.” Their intertwined hooves moved forward as well, this time with much less wobbling. Though, it became relatively clear that Minuette was providing all the stability. Marble couldn’t stop her body’s tremors as they moved closer and closer to the ice rink, but her date was a far cry from her level of ineptitude. Before too long they were standing inches away from where floor met ice. Marble bit her lip with worry, partly afraid that the sheer heat radiating from her face would melt the ice if the two touched. Her other worry was that it would only take one step before she fell flat on her face, lending credence to her first worry. Minuette glanced back and Marble followed her gaze so they were both looking back at Lemon and Limestone. The latter was still fighting both her skates and gravity for her right to stand up straight, while the former was still standing there in all her awkward-smile glory, horn illuminated and ready to help should Limestone say the word. Limestone wasn’t going to say the word, though. “We’ll be out on the ice if you need us,” Minuette called back to them. “Okay,” Lemon Hearts said. “Uragh!” Limestone slipped again, barely catching herself on the bench. She turned their way, and forced down her frustration in order to smile her way. “Have fun, Marble.” “Thank you.” They turned their attention back to the ice. Minuette gripped her hoof tightly and smiled.“Here goes nothing.” “R-Right.” Marble was doing her best to look eager. Minuette moved their joined hooves forward, the metal skates settling on the ice and slipping back and forth slightly. Whether this was from Marble’s own shakiness, or the inherent property of ice being difficult to stand on, it was hard to say. What it did tell Marble was that if she wasn’t holding on to Minuette, she’d have fallen by now. She watched as Minuette put her second hoof out onto the ice, but faltered when her turn came up. Thankfully, Minuette just pulled her along, knowing experience could assuage her worries better than any words. Marble squeaked at a frequency pony ears couldn’t detect. She knew this was a fact, because if Minuette had heard the sheer fear in her voice, they would’ve stopped immediately. They went from zero to gliding in a heartbeat. Marble couldn’t follow it too well, but she knew one second they were still and the next they were flying across the ice. Wind whipped by her mane as the grinding sound of her skates slicing the rink hit her ears. There was a solid ten or twenty seconds where Marble tried to scream. Her jaw fell open and air pushed its way out of her lungs, but no sound could escape as they rushed onto the ice. Immediately, Marble’s limbs began shaking. The ice looked unforgiving, even as it rushed underneath her, and Marble knew she had a good chance of finding that out firsthoof. She pressed her body up against Minuette, too scared to blush as she let her date take the lead. Her trembling at least slowed down as she got a cheekful of blue fur, but her tiny heart was racing beyond belief. She couldn’t process the music, the disco lights bouncing around the room, or even the other couple's skating by. It was just fear, plain and simple. Keeping her body pressed up against Minuette, Marble just hyperventilated as their time on the rink really began. Even though she effectively had some dead weight to carry around, Minuette was graceful as she glided across the ice. Which, thanks to the transitive powers of holding on for dear life, meant Marble was somewhat graceful as well. They swooped over the the curved top of the rink, and Minuette took the time to turn around slowly, eventually coming to a stop at the head of the ice. With their speed dropping, Marble was able to panic a little less. Inhaling deeply, she found herself calm enough to take in her surroundings. The gentle cutting of skates against ice could barely be heard over the music. The room was so dim that she had a hard time making out the back half of the rink, even with the disco ball’s fleeting specks of light. When Marble squinted, she was able to get a better glimpse of the couple's out on the ice. Most were skating in pairs, but none were clinging for dear life to their partners like she was. Embarrassed, she tried to pull back and stand on her own, but Minuette was just so… comfortable. It was like gravity, she tried to pull away, but just couldn’t. “See, that wasn’t so bad,” Minuette told her. “Heh…” Marble struggled to make words happen. “I-I-I guess n-not…” She pulled away more successfully this time to be eye level with her date, wobbling only slightly on top of the ice. Minuette leaned forward and nuzzled her cheek. “Sorry for going so fast. I just got a little excited. Don’t worry, you’ll start loving it in just a second.” Marble opened her mouth to ask what she meant by that, but before she knew it they were already off again. She squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for another rush of fear. Except… Marble peeked an eye open to see the ice sluggishly moving below them. It took her a moment to realize, but she figured out that they were moving at a much leisurely pace than before. Without the terrifying adrenaline rush attacking her, Marble felt a lot better about taking in the feeling of skating now. It was, calm. And peaceful. And… kind of easy. Granted, she was still attached to Minuette, who was doing most of the work, but now that she had gotten used to standing on the ice it wasn’t so bad anymore. A gentle breeze tugged her mane back, and Marble felt a smile creep onto her face. Minuette kept them on the outer edge of the rink as they skated, keeping the room always in full view. The soft lighting and romantic music really started to take their full effect, and Marble could see why Minuette had chosen this spot for the second half of their date. It was perfect. She’s perfect. Just… not for me… Marble swallowed. The Pairing Stone’s choice coming back to her once more, raining on her parade with the reminder that Minuette was the perfect match for some other pony, and Marble was just… nothing. “Something on your mind, Shy Pie?” Minuette suddenly asked. Marble jolted back to reality. Minuette really could read her like a book. “I… I was just thinking.” “What about?” Marble bit her lip. Her heart ached at the realization that she should tell Minuette the truth… just, not now. Not while the night was so perfect. “I-I was just thinking… that I don’t know a lot about you,” Marble said. It was a half-truth of sorts, not to mention the first thing that rolled off her tongue, so she went with it. “Ah.” Minuette looked to her, smiling. “So is that why you asked about my favorite color earlier?” Marble nodded. “I getcha.” Minuette brushed her skates across the ice, propelling them forward. “After all, dates are about getting to know each other.” They are? Marble was honestly surprised by this. Considering this was her first date she wasn’t too shocked that there were things about them she didn’t know, but at the same time she’d been under the impression that a date was just a time to be romantic. “So what do you want to know about me?” Minuette asked. “Uh…” Marble tried to think. There was so much she wanted to know about Minuette, but with so many options to choose from it almost felt like nothing stood out. She settled on something topical. “Where did you learn to skate?” “Right here, actually.” Minuette looked up in memory. “It was right after my first week at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I had so much homework. Like, stacks of it. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” “I’d believe you,” Marble whispered. Minuette just flashed her trademark smile. “Anyway, I was kicking myself trying to learn some dumb magic theory, when Twinkle and Lemon stopped by and asked if I wanted to get away from it all and just have some fun. “We tried a bunch of different things, Twinkle suggested an arcade, Lemon wanted to check out the museum, and I wanted to just grab some milkshakes and hit the park. We… uh, we didn’t really end up liking each other’s plans too much.” “So you came here?” Marble guessed. “Bingo.” Minuette grinned. “We spent some time walking around and bickering until we stumbled upon this place, so we gave it a shot. Though, I wasn’t exactly very good at skating back then.” Marble looked down at the way Minuette’s hooves danced over the ice. Expertly precise, yet casual. How could she not have been a natural? Minuette seemed to guess what she was thinking. “Oh yeah, I sucked. Like, really sucked. I must’ve fallen on my face a dozen times right off the bat.” “Really?” Marble couldn’t even picture it. “And you still came back?” “Well yeah.” Minuette giggled to herself. “We had a blast laughing at each other falling down. And naturally we all wanted to get better, so we kept trying.” “...I probably would’ve given up,” Marble admitted. “Well that’s silly,” Minuette said very matter of factly. Marble looked up at her. “You never know what you’ll miss if you don’t try. I mean, if I’d given up after my first time skating, I wouldn’t be here with the cutest girl ever, now would I?” Marble’s brain exploded. Everything seemed to short circuit at once, including her legs. She flailed, slipping and plummeting toward the ice, but too shocked to do anything about it. She didn’t even brace for the inevitable face-slam. “Whoa!” A veil of magical aura wrapped around her, catching her mid-fall. Marble turned around to see Minuette’s worried face as they came to a stop by the wall of the rink. “Are you okay, Marble?” “Y-y-y-y-you think… I-I-I’m... c-c-c-c…” The remnants of Marble’s brain was having a tough time forming sentences. Luckily, the part of her brain that made her blush had survived the explosion and was working in full force. Marble couldn’t even begin to imagine how red she was, but she guessed it might even be enough to change her natural coat color. Minuette just giggled. “Yes, you are cute. Especially when you’re all flustered like this.” She brought Marble in closer and rubbed their noses together, triggering explosion number two. Marble forgot what words were and just squeaked now. Minuette thankfully pulled away and set her down, interlocking their hooves again. She gave Marble a minute to stop trembling with joy before launching back into their peaceful skating again. Even though other couples whizzed by, Marble could barely register them. She was paralyzed with happiness right now. She never imagined anypony could have this effect on her, but here it was. Marble wasn’t sure if she was about to pass out, or explode a third time, or even something in between those two extremes. But it didn’t matter, not really. The frigid air suddenly felt warm, the slow song bouncing around the room was a choir of angels. They weren’t skating, they were floating. Maybe it wouldn’t last. Maybe the Pairing Stone would rip this feeling away from her. Maybe it would just be that the night would end. Right now, Marble didn’t care about any of that. She was just happy. Happier than she’d ever been before. She nestled her head against Minuette and closed her eyes. Everything was perfect. “What the—Ack!” Marble’s eyes shot back open. Ahead of her, Limestone was swiping at the ice, trying to keep her footing without falling over. Marble realized that they had made it back around to the gate, just in time for her sister and Lemon Hearts to step in. “I got you!” Lemon Hearts rushed onto the rink, horn igniting as she grabbed Limestone mid-fall. Setting her upright, Lemon skated in close. “Uh… are you all right?” Limestone looked away, likely embarrassed that she had needed help right out of the gate. “I’m fine.” Lemon looked around, seeing Minuette and Marble approach. She observed them for a moment, before reaching forward and hooking her leg around Limestone’s to mirror them. “H-Here…” Her face flushed. “Y-You should stick close to m-me.” “Whatever,” Limestone grumbled to herself, wobbling. Minuette nodded at them as they approached. “Glad to see ya on the ice. Ready for the fun to really start?” “Totally,” Lemon said, hugging Limestone’s leg with the widest possible smile. “Sure,” Limestone quipped. She looked to her sister, seemingly taking comfort in the fact that Marble hadn’t gotten hurt during her first lap. “Awesome!” Minuette pushed forward, twirling them around the pair. “See if you can keep up with us! Marble’s already got this down.” “Uh… yeah.” Marble smiled as they took off. The sound of Lemon and Limestone’s skates were soon to follow them. She just gripped Minuette as their speed picked up to an almost strolling pace. She was glad Minuette had taken them here. Ice skating was fun. What isn’t fun with Minuette? Marble thought to herself. I love everything she suggests. I love honeycomb salads, piñatas, curry, her… Marble flinched. I-I love Minuette? Oh no...