//------------------------------// // Last Moments of a First Date // Story: Reticence // by Fire Gazer the Alchemist //------------------------------// Two ponies, locked together at the foreleg, darted through the quiet Canterlot streets. The nighttime air nipped at their coats as it breezed passed. Their running was undeterred, however, fueled by enough panic to ignore chilly winds. “Are we late?” Marble’s hoof was jittery, even with Minuette holding it. “I don’t want to miss the train; Limestone will get mad.” She swallowed. “Unless she already left! She wouldn’t leave me right? Even if she was going to miss the train? Oh Celestia, I’m going to miss the train!”  Her pace picked up, to the point where she was nearly dragging Minuette. The rough sounds of horseshoes on concrete mixed with the uneven clip-clopping of frantic hooves as her marefriend struggled to keep up. Her marefriend… Marble’s heart was somewhere between fluttering and soaring when she just thought about it. To go from a guaranteed break-up to a fully fledged and official relationship over the course It had taken some time for them to separate from their embrace. Only Minuette’s concern that Marble would miss her train had done the trick, and had sent her into a frenzied state in the process. After all, how long had they cuddled back in the park? It could’ve been hours for all Marble knew. Time just seemed to slip away when she was with Minuette. “What am I going to do? Do you you think I can hitchhike back home? But that might make Limestone more upset if I take a ride from strangers… But then she’d get mad at herself for leaving me and forcing me to do that, and when Limestone’s mad at herself she can get really—”  A giggle slipped past Minuette’s lips, probably because she could never stop finding Marble’s worries to be cute. “Calm down, Shy Pie. Limestone would never leave you behind.” “Then she’s going to be so mad,” Marble squeaked. Her teeth found her lower lip and bit down. Hard. “She won’t be mad,” Minuette assured her, giving her hoof a gentle squeeze. “We’re not even late yet.”   “How can you tell?” Marble squeezed back, loving the feel of Minuette’s hoof in her own. Minuette nudged her head forward, directing Marble’s attention up and over. The approaching train station came into view, its bright windows a beacon in the  dim expanse of Canterlot’s horizon. The faint outlines of train steam lifted above the roof of the building, signifying the presence of a train. “It’s still open,” Minuette answered. “And your train’s one of the last, so I figured we’re right on time.” Marble just nodded. Somehow, Minuette had been paying closer attention to the train schedule than the pony who actually needed to use it, and that was only very embarrassing.   “Though, I am sure Limestone and Lemon Hearts already beat us there,” Minuette said. Marble stiffened. “I mean we spent a lot of time just—”   “Uh… Minuette?” Marble cut her off.   Her marefriend looked back with an inquisitive look. “Yeah, Shy Pie?” “I think Limestone’s going to be really mad when we get there.” Minuette’s brow compressed. “Really? What makes you say that? I mean, besides the obvious.”   “Well…” Marble didn’t have a good way to say this. It was only just now that she had really considered what it meant for those two to be alone together. Limestone, who had gone on this double date for her sake, and Lemon, who had come with the hopes of wooing Limestone. And all throughout the night, Limestone had either been ignoring Lemon’s feelings or been ignorant of them. But with the two being alone, and Lemon being particularly persistent… Images of explosions flashed across Marble’s vision, but even that wouldn’t encapsulate the depths of her sister’s rage if she were the find out that she’d been set up on a real date without knowing. And Lemon Hearts… what would she do if she found out Limestone wasn’t here because she wanted to date her? Marble had felt bad just thinking about being apart from Minuette. What would happen to Lemon if she had her feelings shot down tonight? “I… I think… maybe…” Marble struggled to put words to her concern. “I think something might have happened… between them.”   “A bad something?” Minuette guessed. Marble limply nodded. “How bad a something?” “Um… Date-ruiningly bad.” Marble whispered. Minuette nodded, lips tightening. “Ooh, that’s pretty bad. But what do you think happened?” “Well…” Marble stopped walking and pressed her hooves, guiltily. “I think… it might be my fault.”   “What?” Minuette cocked her head, eyebrow’s furrowing. “Why would it be your fault?” “Uh…” Marble fidgeted. Her hooves refused to stay still as she tried to muster up something to say. Compared to telling Minuette about the Pairing Stone, this was nothing. But nothing was still something when it came to Marble. “I… I asked Limestone to come tonight so I wouldn’t be scared… I didn’t tell her Lemon liked her…” Minuette’s eyes widened as understanding dawned on her. “Oh… Oh crap.” Marble shook. Minuette was worried now. Minuette of all ponies. The mare who could keep her cool in any situation, diffuse all sorts of tension, and was able to maintain a level-head when emotional was actually worried about this. What had she done? “Uh… Uh… We can fix this, right?” Marble whispered. By ‘we’, Marble really meant Minuette, the mare who had had all the answers so far that night. Surely she could figure something out, right? “Maybe…?” Minuette pinched her lips together. Marble fought back a wince that wrinkled her forehead. That was not the answer she’d been hoping for. “I shouldn’t have lied… I’m sorry.”   “Well what are you apologizing to me for?” Minuette asked. Marble’s mouth popped open to respond, but she froze at the realization that she didn’t really have an answer to that beyond the fact that it was her basic instinct to.   Minuette pulled her hoof away from Marble’s, eliciting a brief squeak of remorse. But Marble’s rising fears of Minuette’s ire were dashed when her date wrapped that same hoof around her neck. “Save the sorries for later, Shy Pie. Right now we’ve got to focus on Lemon and Limestone.”   Marble bit her lip and nodded. “Do you know what to say to them?” She imagined Minuette would have to devise something to say to both a raging inferno of… well, rage, and a sea of blubbering tears. But if anypony could do it, Minuette coul—   “Not a clue.” Minuette offered a hopeful smile. Marble felt her heart stop. “But we can’t waste time trying to figure it out.”   “Okay.” Marble’s voice was smaller than usual. Minuette pulled her forward, before her hoof slipped away from Marble’s neck and back down to her hoof. The bliss of their legs interlocking was overshadowed by the potential danger they were heading into, be it the midst of the world’s worst breakup that wasn’t really a breakup, or the aftermath of it. They made it to the train stations mere moments later, and Minuette was forced to slow down her pace then. Inside, there was a surge of ponies, even though few, if any, trains were departing right now. Almost none of them looked particularly happy, either tapping their hooves, impatiently glancing at a clock, or aimlessly shuffling into the crowd gathered by the only parked train nearby. And then their presence was washed away by the shrill beep of an intercom turning on. “Again we apologize for the delay with our departing train to Dodge Junction; boarding will begin shortly. Our final train will be arriving in approximately ten minutes which will make stops in New Horseleans, Nickerlite, and Las Pegasus.” The tin-y, reverberating voice of the intercom, bookmarked by a second beep, made the hair on Marble’s body stand at attention. Instinct pulled her focus to the nearby train, labeling it the delayed, Dodge Junction bound one. Then the realization that they only had ten minutes left really hit her. She squeezed Minuette’s hoof, not wanting to let go. Even though she planned to see her again, the thought of leaving now, after everything that happened, carried with it a foreboding sense of finality. Maybe that was on account of her parents…  Marble shook her head. She could let that distract her right now. Limestone! Limestone was her top priority right now. Making sure she wasn’t too angry, and Lemon not too heartbroken, was more important than what she was going to say to her parents later. Pulling her attention away from the train, Marble saw Minuette’s head swiveling around the station, looking through all of the irate passengers in waiting as she did her best to find the other half of their double date. In an effort to mimic Minuette’s laser-like focus, Marble searched for her sister and Lemon Hearts as well. The station was brimming with ponies, forming a multi-colored sea to navigate. Picking out just two would be like trying to find a pebble in a rock pile.  But luckily, Marble had played Camouflage with Maud and Boulder enough times to develop a somewhat keen eye of her own.   She looked away from the mob by the train, knowing there was no point for Limestone to be there when she wasn’t planning on going to Dodge. Her focus turned to the sparsely populated waiting area on the other side of the station. Fine tuning her ears for a shouting voice, Marble kept her eye out for the angry pony to match. To her surprise, nothing of the sort matched that anywhere she looked. Maybe she’d ended up looking in the wrong place? Or perhaps they were somehow earlier than them? “Over there!” Minuette suddenly pointed. Marble’s head jolted to the right, following Minuette’s hoof to a bench midway through the station. For a moment, her eyes glossed over the pair sitting there, expectations clouding her perception to the point where she though the gray and yellow ponies calmly sitting down couldn’t possibly be Lemon and Limestone. “I don’t think…” Finally Marble’s eyes had to acknowledge the truth. “That’s them?” Minuette furrowed her brows to a fine point. “They don’t look in too bad a shape. You think nothing happened after all?” Marble shook her head. Lemon Heart’s excitement had peaked when they’d been left alone, and Limestone’s temper was too short. By all accounts, this train station should’ve been reduced to rubble from her sister’s explosion. Unless… Unless they had had a falling out, but were only keeping up appearances for Marble and Minuette’s sake. Limestone had come under the pretense of helping her feel better, so that might explain the lack of destruction. But then, if Limestone was bottling up all her rage then that probably wasn’t a good thing. And Lemon Hearts on top of that… “We should go talk to them,” Marble suggest, her voice a whisper. Normally she’d be against walking straight into a minefield, but this couldn’t be ignored. Minuette nodded in agreement. “Yeah, definitely.” They each squeezed the other’s hoof, either for luck, for fortitude, or for hopefully not dying. Minuette took the first step forward, but Marble refused to be dragged along this time. She took a bold step forward, ready to fix whatever mess had been created, even if she would have to own up to her mistake and take the blame for it all. And it took all of five seconds for that courage to drain away. A new record. By the time they made it halfway to Lemon and Limestone, Marble was shaking. It wasn’t even so much the potential screaming that was messing with her. It was just the anticipation for it. The agonizing feeling of what might be overshadowed every other feeling, causing Marble to radiate anxiety. Sensing this, Minuette nuzzled her cheek mid-step. No words needed to be exchanged, because as a new blush spread over Marble’s cheeks, confidence spread through her body once more. By the time Minuette pulled away, Marble was almost ready to try again. Working up the nerve to take a deep breath, she picked her pace back up to match her marefriend’s. Limestone and Lemon grew in size along the horizon. With each step, Marble’s view of the two became clearer. What was baffling about this, is that no matter how much clarity getting closer gave her, Marble still failed to see even a hint of animosity between them. Not that she wanted there to be, of course. But it did concern her that her expectations were wrong. Had the topic of Lemon’s crush not even come up? Marble chewed her lip. She of all people knew how tempting it was to avoid bringing up her feelings for fear they would get shot down, and the difference in Minuette and Limestone in that regard was a vast ocean of approachableness. But Lemon kept all of her feelings to herself and Limestone ended up leaving… what kind of ending to their first, and likely only, date would that be? There was no way Lemon could get any sort of closure out of that.   Marble could imagine everything Lemon was feeling, from the isolation that came with bottling up her feelings, the anguish about worrying she wasn’t good enough, and the self-loathing that every passing second she didn’t speak up brought. Well, she didn’t have to imagine them; she’d felt them all first hand. And she was determined to not let Lemon leave with any of those feelings. For better or for worse, she had to let Limestone know how she felt! Pulling ahead of Minuette, Marble felt a spike in her confidence. Her pace went up a notch now that she had suddenly felt a swell of empathy. “Whoa!” Minuette cried out, finding herself in the position of the draggee for once. “Sorry,” Marble whispered back.   Dragging wasn’t an issue for long; Minuette was more than capable of matching her pace, and did so with ease once she got used to it. She caught up to Marble, flashing her a genuine smile to ease her worries. “No problem. I’m kinda anxious to get to them too.” They were even closer now, so much so that the features of their face had appeared out of the amorphous blobs of color they used to be. Marble still hadn’t worked out what she was going to say, assuming she’d still have the courage to say anything when they finally made their way there. She just hoped Minuette was having better luck coming up with something. Her mind continued to spin regardless, upping the intensity with each step closer. But then, her brain stopped dead. Her clearer look at her sister and Lemon brought with it a realization. Limestone’s mouth was moving, and in a not at all shouty way. Lemon nodded along and then her mouth moved in response. They were talking to each other! Actually talking! As in, sustained conversation without blowing up or breaking down respectively. It was almost like they were on a perfectly normal date or something. Marble was floored. Then, in her shock, she tripped over her hooves and fell onto the floor. “Marble!” Minuette’s sharp shock hit her ears as their hooves slipped apart. The splat noise made when Marble introduced to face to the floor was decidedly wimpy. The sting it brought with it was anything but. Her muzzle nuzzled the floor violently, eliciting a whimper from Marble. The sharp pain that flooded her face would fade before too long, but was potent enough right out of the gate to make her eyes watery. She didn’t spend much time face to face with the floor, because Minuette swooped down to get her. Her hooves gingerly wrapped around her, lifting Marble up. “Are you okay?” Minuette asked, keeping even her voice soft knowing how fragile Marble could be. “I’m fine,” Marble whispered back. She felt her nose radiating the pain of the impact, but it certainly wasn’t enough to turn the water in her eyes into full on tears. The sting from her meeting with the floor was already fading, allowing Marble to refocus her attention back to her sister and Lemon Hearts. A whistle cut through the air, signifying the delayed train to Dodge was taking ponies to board now. Marble’s vision felt the consequences of this, as ponies flooded her vision. A rainbow of a crowd blockaded their path in no time. Their impatience only propelling them faster as they surged toward their seats. Feeling smushed between it all, Marble clasped her hoof into Minuette’s, and immediately felt a spark of relief in this sea of anxiety.   Once the crowd had all been funneled into the train, Marble finally felt a little better.  Now the station looked like it had been completely gutted. Only a hoofful of ponies remained, waiting for the last train out of Canterlot that night. Aside from their soon-to-be-reunited group, Marble could count maybe half a dozen who had stuck around. All of the tension her body had built up from the crowd melted away with that realization. It was much easier for her when so few were around. But the tradeoff was that now it was much easier to see them coming. No ponies clogged the path to Limestone and Lemon, making it a straight shot to them. It also made Marble’s view that much clearer. Once again, she found herself taken aback at just how civil the two were being, particularly Limestone. It was all Marble could do not to fall on the floor again. “What’s going on with them?” She asked, before slamming a hoof on top of her mouth with the realization that she’d said that aloud. “It looks like they’re talking.” With a firm grip of her hooves, Minuette walked them forward again. “Right… I know,” Marble assured her. “It’s just… why?” “Well, we won’t know until we ask them.” Minuette smiled as she pulled ahead slightly. “Come on, we have to talk to them eventually.”  Marble hesitated for a moment, before nodding. She hadn’t even realized that her confidence had left her yet again. At this point she didn’t think she could get it back in time. And to rub salt in that wound, Limestone looked away from her conversation at that very moment and ended up locking eyes with her. Oh no… Marble thought, squeezing her eyes shut. Here it comes. She braced herself for Limestone’s shouting and general lack of composure. It only made sense, after all. Limestone had obviously been bottling up all of her rage to release it on her and— “Marble!” She was jolted back by a sudden force. She felt hooves lock around the back of her neck, pulling her face into Limestone’s shoulder. It took a moment for her to even process what was happening, but once she opened her eyes it became pretty clear. Limestone was hugging her. She couldn’t even believe “Wha—” “It’s okay,” Limestone cut her off. She patted Marble’s back in an apparent effort to comfort her. “You can let it all out now.” “Limestone!” Marble exclaimed, her voice muffled from being buried in her sister’s shoulder. Wriggling, she managed to free herself only slightly. Limestone kept her forelegs superglued around her neck, in the most sisterly hug she’d probably ever given. So right away Marble knew something was wrong. Desperately, she looked over to Minuette for assistance. Her pleading eyes were all it took to get her message of confusion and concern across. Minuette cleared her throat. “Okay, Limestone. I think that’s—” “Minny!” Lemon popped out of nowhere, suddenly flinging herself around Minuette in a bear hug to rival Limestone’s. Caught off guard, Marble saw her marefriend stumble back as the wind was knocked out of her. “I’m so, so sorry!” Lemon continued, squeezing on Minuette tightly. “I had no idea, you two! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Marble’s ears flopped down. Lemon looked like she was on the verge of tears, but she was apologizing? If anyone needed to say sorry, it was obviously Marble. She had been the one to string them both along so carelessly on this double date. So just what the heck was going on? “Limestone!” Marble yelled at a voice that barely topped a whisper. She struggled and pushed, managing to break free of her sister’s shoulder and make eye contact with her. “What is this?” “Uh… I’m comforting you,” Limestone said.   Marble’s lips tightened. She knew her sister was inexperienced in that regard, but that barely explained anything. “B-But why?”   “Yeah,” Minuette called out. Looking over, Marble saw Minuette’s face half buried in Lemon’s chest fluff as the comfort hug grew even tighter. “And why do I need to be comforted too?” The confusion on the part of both mares only led to confusion for the rest. Limestone’s eyelids fluttered in shock for a moment as she was rendered speechless. Luckily, Lemon could still form a sentence or two. “Because of the Pairing Stone!” she cried. “Limestone was telling me everything about it, and that you had to break up with Minny because of it.” So that’s it, Marble realized. She’d left Limestone the impression that she was going to break off everything with Minuette, and her sister had been prepared to comfort her through all that right off the bat. It was touching to think Limestone was willing to go so far out of her element just for this. A doting, emotion-savy pony she was not, to say the least. But they way she hugged Marble, with a physical firmness meant to brace a limp body, would have really meant a lot if she had needed it. “Limestone, it’s okay, really.” Marble couldn’t wiggle free of her own volition, and would have to settle with convincing her sister with words. For just a moment, Limestone loosened her hold and gave Marble a look. Then her body tightened around Marble once again. “Liar. I can tell you’ve been crying.” Marble bit her lip, blinking back the tears that had hidden in the corners of her eyes. It seemed the remnants of her fall were playing dirty.   “No, Limestone, I…” Marble stopped short. Her teeth slowly dug into her bottom lip with the realization that, technically, she had been crying a lot. Just… not for the reason Limestone thought. Or, exactly in the way she thought, but not anymore? Marble frowned; how was she supposed to explain her way out of this one? “Uh… I think you girls are missing some context,” Minuette cut in. By virtue of her magic, she was able to escape Lemon Hearts’ death hug with comparative ease.   “Context?” Limestone’s voice was cold enough to send a shiver down Marble’s spine. That tone… Limestone was making it pretty obvious how she felt right now. Her little sister was, as far as she knew, broken-hearted and beating herself up all because of this mare. And right now, Limestone was radiating off no shortage of overprotectiveness and anger respectively. Marble could feel her skin tingle from the sensation alone. But Minuette was undaunted, slipping right past Limestone’s aura of menace to wrap her hoof around Marble’s. Even though she was still caught up in a sisterly hug, Marble couldn’t help but blush. Limestone finally backed away when she saw this action unfold, releasing Marble from their hug. For a moment, her eyes darted from Marble to Minuette to their interlocking hooves before shuffling the order and doing it all over again. Lemon popped in from the side, looking equally as confused as her new knowledge of the situation was smashed to bits right in front of her. As jarring as that was, it couldn’t be nearly as bad as the destruction of Limestone’s worldview. “What the heck is going on here?” She asked an edge of concern now overtaking the rage that had been building. “Well… Uh…” Marble’s head drooped to the floor as she became unable to meet her sister’s eyes. What are you doing? She berated herself. You mean you can’t even tell Limestone that you’re going to keep dating Minuette? What are you going to do about Ma and Pa? A fuzzy bit of chest fluff suddenly hit her cheek, snapping Marble to attention once again. Minuette had drawn in closer, offering moral support via fuzzy nuzzles. “I decided I didn’t want to break up with Minuette,” Marble mumbled, to the point where she could barely hear herself. “What?” Limestone cocked her head, pointing her ear closer to her. “I want to be with Minuette!” Marble said, louder this time. She boldly entwined her hoof with her marefriend’s, finding the courage to pull her eyes away from the floor even if she could hardly meet Limestone’s inquisitive gaze. “Aww…” Lemon Hearts said, her hooves reaching up to clutch her heart as she smiled widely. Marble merely blushed, almost retreating behind her mane. She guessed it must’ve been pretty sweet watching from the outside, but on the inside she was stone-cold terrified. And it didn’t help that Limestone took the news far less saccharinely.  “Uhh…” It wasn’t the worst reaction—in fact, given everything to consider it was probably the best Marble could’ve hoped for—but it didn’t inspire a lot of hope. “Um… Limestone?” Marble didn’t want to put any pressure on her sister, but the silence was becoming worrying. It was almost like… “Are you mad at me?” She felt Minuette’s hoof tighten on her own, likely as a result of her marefriend preparing to jump to her defense. Limestone didn’t speak right away, but her mouth did drop open as if she was about to. Marble rolled on her heels, ready to backpedal once the shouting started. Lemon Hearts leaned in from the left, a look of concern on her face as Limestone continually failed at making words happen. For a while they were stuck like that, the question hanging in the air with an atmosphere of tension surrounding it. Only the distant whistle of a train served to break up the silence that had descended upon their group. Finally, Limestone said something. “...No?” The unsure tone behind that answer wasn’t enough to let Marble breath just yet; she had to know for certain. “Even though I’m going against…” Her voice dropped to an even softer whisper, almost as if she was talking about a taboo. “...the Pairing Stone?” Limestone breathed a hefty sigh. Beside her, Lemon winced. Marble still wasn’t sure how much she knew about the situation, but clearly it was enough in regards to the Stone. “Marble,” Limestone began, stopping as her brain tripped over what she wanted to say. “...You know I’m not the one you need to worry about.” She frowned. Of course she knew. She knew all along it was Ma and Pa that would be the most upset with her. She just couldn’t afford to think about it too much, lest she break down right now. “I know.” “And you’re going to go against tradition anyway?” Limestone asked, her voice so even-toned Marble couldn’t even tell if latent rage was building or not. Regardless, the question made her quiver. It lasted only a second, her resolve returning thanks to her firm hold on Minuette, but the fact that it happened at all only worried her more. If just being asked that question by Limestone was enough to do that to her, what would happen once her father asked it? “I…” Marble’s mouth was suddenly to dry to speak. She closed it, rolling her tongue around as she tried to work up the nerve to do something. From the corner of her eye, she saw Minuette turn. Pulling her head towards her, Marble met her eyes. “Yes,” she said. No reservation. No hesitation. Just the truth, plain and simple. Minuette smiled so brightly Marble thought she might go blind, but didn’t dare turn away. There was no way she was going to miss even a second of it. “Aww…” Lemon beamed. “You two are just too adorable.” Limestone, for her part, at least didn’t shout. But she did exhale a long, slow, painful sigh. “Oh come on, Limestone,” Lemon huffed as she seemed to reject the notion that anypony could witness this without experiencing cuteness overload. “Have a heart.” Limestone’s eyes darted over to her, and she growled briefly through her teeth, not that it seemed to faze Lemon. She just rolled her eyes. “Come on, I know now you’re a big softie deep down, so why don’t you just admit that you’re happy for Marble?” “What?” Spots of pink sparked to life under Limestone’s gray cheeks. “I’m not a softie!” she yelled, sidestepping the question. Softie? Marble blinked, her attention drawn back to the two. How had Lemon Hearts gotten that impression out of her sister? After all, Marble knew about her sister’s sensitive side, but she so seldom saw it that it almost felt nonexistent. “And besides,” Limestone muttered, shooting a glance away from the group before her eyes settled on Marble. “It’s not like I’m the one you need to convince.” Marble gulped. “...Yeah… I know.” “But I thought you were going to break things off with Minuette anyway.” Limestone’s eyes darted between the two. “What happened?” “Yeah, I was wondering about that,” Lemon added. “Well…” Marble bit her lip, not wanting to recall how close she had been to throwing everything away. “I decided that no rock was going to come in between me and Marble,” Minuette said, pulling Marble in for some neck nuzzles. She happily obliged, blushing by the time she brought her face out. “And I’m glad you did.” “Awww!” Lemon danced in place on the tips of her hooves. “You two are going to give me diabetes or something at this rate! Okay, I have to know everything! What happened? And where? And who did what and—” “Whoa there. Easy Lem.” Minuette giggled. “I’d happily tell you everything, but I’ve got to know what happened between you two first, because I feel like something pretty important went down between you two.” Limestone’s specks of pink burned brighter, gaining ground as they plotted to take over her cheeks. “Oh, right!” Marble exclaimed, reminded of the fact that things were a lot less… explody, between those two. “Did something happen?”   The battle for control over Limestone’s face concluded; victory went to the blush. She turned her head, looking anywhere but them in a desperate attempt to cool down. Marble could sympathize, definitely knowing what that was like.   “There was a… bit of a miscommunication,” Lemon admitted. “I thought this was a date and Limestone… didn’t.” Marble bit her lip. So the truth had gotten out, just as she feared. “I’m sor—” Lemon suddenly wrapped her hooves around Limestone’s neck, effectively hugging a bear trap. “But she was very understanding about it… eventually.” “W-Whatever,” Limestone muttered. She suddenly lurched free of Lemon’s hold. “And you don’t have to hug me or anything!” Lemon giggled, right at the exact moment Marble’s jaw hit the floor. “You… you…” Marble couldn’t believe her eyes. Somepony was actually being playful with her sister? And wasn’t being attacked? “Minuette… am I awake?” “Um… I think so.” She gingerly pinched Marble’s hoof, the sting proving her wakefulness once and for all. “Yup.” “Wait, what? Did you two...” Marble asked, failing at words. Limestone went from pink to red in a hot second. “No! We just talked and stuff, okay?” Lemon nodded. “She told me about the Pairing Stone, and how you didn’t see Minuette in it, and that you’ve been thinking about it this whole night until you thought you had to break up.” She smiled. “Which is why is so amazing to see you both together still!” She gave Limestone a light, playful shove. “You really had me worried there for a minute.” “How was I supposed to know my sister was going to go against a hundred generations of tradition all of a sudden?” Limestone asked. “I didn’t know either, to be fair,” Marble admitted. A sudden, shrill whistle, now much closer, cut into their conversation. The rapid, metallic clacks of a locomotive came to dominate the station as a train spilled into view and slowed to a stop on the tracks before them, drawing everypony’s attention. The intercom blared to life. “Ladies and gentlecolts, we apologize for the delay. Our final train tonight has arrived. Again, this line makes stops in Nickerlite, New Horseleans, and Las Pegasus.” The doors to the train cars slid open, with an air of finality to them. Marble turned back to Minuette, knowing their time together was up. “Uh… I guess…” Marble turned her head to the floor, not wanting to say it out loud. Minuette just wrapped her forelegs around Marble, nuzzling her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, Shy Pie.” At first, Marble could only respond by turning her face beat red. “...okay,” she finally managed, learning into the snuggle. “See you soon Minuette.” Their hug ended, each other’s hooves falling limply to the floor. Minuette didn’t break eye contact though, her brows curved into a look of worry. “Are you sure you don’t want me to be there when you tell your parents?” Marble swallowed, her lips tightening at the prospect. It was true that she’d choked up a bit just from telling her own sister; who knew how it might go with her parents? And that was without taking the aftermath into consideration. But, Marble also knew that she couldn’t use Minuette as a crutch for this. This was her family, this was their tradition, and this was her choice. If she was going to convince them of that, then the words would have to come from her mouth and hers alone. “I’m sure,” she whispered. Minuette gave her a small smile. “Okay. I guess… write to me once you know?” Marble nodded. “Of course.” Minuette smiled. “Good, ‘cause I’m already planning our second date. Have you ever been to a water park?” Marble blinked. “Uh…” She felt a nudge behind her that sent her a few steps forward to the waiting doors of the train car. Jutting to a stop, she looked back to see Limestone. “Come on, Casanova,” her big sister said. “We gotta get on before they leave us here.” “Oh, right.” Marble stepped to the train, the floor below her soon shifting from hard tiles to a firm carpet. She turned back as Limestone stepped on, catching Minuette’s gaze. “I guess I’ll… see you soon.” Minuette giggled. “Well you don’t have to say it like we’ll never see each other again.” “Oh! Uh… I’ll see you soon,” Marble said, with a little more confidence. Minuette smiled. “Good, now it sounds like you believe it.” She leaned in, planting a peck on Marble’s nose without a warning and pulling back before she could even react. And by the time she did, words completely failed her. Air left her lungs, making a prolonged squeak that threatened to shatter eardrums. Marble’s face ignited in an instant, the faint feeling of Minuette’s lips against her snout now burned into her memory. Her marefriend just giggled a little at her expense as she backed out of the doorway. “Bye, Shy Pie.” “Bye,” Marble squeaked out, barely able to stop herself from exploding. Struggling to contain herself, Marble felt her entire body shaking. Minuette had just kissed her for pony’s sake! How was she supposed to react to this? How could she react to this? She was in uncharted waters now! Well, the whole night had been Marble in uncharted waters. This was a whole other ocean of the unknown for her. But she didn’t get a lot of time to react or reflect. In the time it had taken her to not blow up, Lemon Hearts had stepped forward, and now dominated the view out of the train car’s door. “H-Hey, Limestone?” she asked, shuffling her hooves anxiously. Marble was able to calm down enough to notice her sister’s slight head turn towards to train’s interior. ‘Yeah?” Lemon bit her lip, taking a breath before she spoke again. “When you get back, are you going to check the… uh, you know...” Even at this angle, Marble could see Limestone’s jaw clench. Her sister turned back around to face Lemon, her expression apprehensive. “I guess I kinda have to now,” she mumbled, not quite as angrily as anypony expected. Despite her overwhelming urge to burst, Marble glanced between the two with growing curiosity. It only now dawned on her that she still didn’t know what had really happened between the two during their time alone. She opened her mouth to fix that. “Wha—” “Last call for the final train!” The intercom suddenly blared to life. “Departure will be in just one more minute.” To punctuate this, the shrill whistle of the train cut through all other background noise, dominating everypony’s ears for just a moment before fading back to merciful silence. “Well, see you guys,” Limestone said as she walked deeper into the train to find a seat. “B-Bye!” Lemon Hearts called out after her. Her body fell visibly with her exhale, but she still turned to Marble with a smile. “Hey, so… uh…” “Yeah?” Marble ask softly, almost afraid to acknowledge her for fear of what she might say. “Thanks for, you know, getting Limestone here tonight.” Lemon rubbed the back of her neck, looking down with a frown. “It didn’t really go the way either of us were hoping for… but I guess it could’ve been a lot worse too.” “Oh…” Marble swallowed. Seriously, what happened between you two? “Uh… well, you’re welcome then?” Lemon offered her another smile, this time one that didn’t have to be mustered up. “I’ll see you around, Marble,” she said before bowing out to leave the couple with their last seconds of alone time. Now alone, together, Marble could feel the seconds ticking down until the doors between her and Minuette slammed shut. Her hooves shuffled as she tried to figure out what to say. “Uh—” “Don’t worry,” Minuette said. Marble blinked. “Huh?” “About your parents, silly. You don’t have to worry about talking to them. Not after everything you’ve done tonight,” Minuette told her. Marble swallowed. While it was true she’d done some things tonight that herself from last week, yesterday, or even this morning would never have dreamed of doing, it still didn’t feel like she was ready to break the news to her parents. Even if Minuette had faith in her. “I don’t know… what if I just break down and start stuttering like an idiot? Then I’ll never be able to tell them what I want.” Minuette just giggled. Marble blinked, actually a little offended by that. “What?” “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed yet,” Minuette said. Her brows scrunched. “Noticed what?” “You stopped stammering ages ago, Shy PIe.” Marble’s eyes widened. “What?” Minuette just smiled as the doors to the train car slid closed between them. Before she knew it there was a lurch as the locomotive pushed itself forward. The image of Minuette on the platform slowly moved to the left as the train accelerated. “Wait!” As the possibility of being separated from Minuette became a reality, Marble was forced to contend with that fact all of a sudden. She chased Minuette, running back along the train car for as long as she could, just hoping to keep the image of her marefriend in her sight a little while longer. The same feelings came over Minuette—or at least, she seemed willing to help prolong the night for Marble—as she took off jogging after her, dress swishing in the breeze she kicked up. But Marble eventually reached the end of her train car, and Minuette the edge of the platform. Both jolted to a stop, catching each other’s eyes one last time. A bright smile. A final wave. A sad smile. A final wave.   The train left the station, stealing Marble’s final seconds with Minutte. “Bye…” She whispered, voice cracking. Marble lingered in the corner of the car, face pressed up against the window so that she could watch the image of the train station grow smaller and smaller in the horizon. Canterlot suddenly felt very far away. She felt very far away. Pulling away from the side of the train, Marble didn’t let those thoughts get to her, lest she be compelled to jump out and run back. Instead, she turned her attention to the inside of their car. It was mostly empty, with the only other passenger besides her being her sister. Limestone had claimed a window seat already, as she sat towards the back and watched the side of the mountain intently. To be fair, there were some good rocks out there. They way Limestone sat implied no hidden aggression, a rare sight when it came to her. It was then that Marble remembered she still didn’t fully understand what had happened when her sister had been alone with Lemon Hearts. Well… it’s going to be a long train ride. Marble left her spot, scurrying over to sit with Limestone. As she plopped down in the seat beside her, Marble saw her sister didn’t even turn to acknowledge her. She was just… staring. “Uh… Limestone?” Marble asked, cautious about poking the resting bear. Limestone turned, her eye sliding back to meet Marble’s. “Yeah?” About a hundred questions bubbled to the forefront of Marble’s mind, but only a handful of them weren’t guaranteed to get an outburst right off the bat. Taking the extra second to carefully consider the words on the tip of her tongue, Marble decided to ask about the most recent development that had her puzzled. “What did Lemon mean when she asked you to check?” Right off the bat, Limestone’s jaw clenched. Marble prematurely winced, bracing herself for a defensive retort, only to be shrugged off as her sister turned back to the window. “Nothing, all right?” Marble blinked, having not expected to have her question so coldly deflected. Was Limestone actually mad at her after all? It wouldn’t be a surprise, but Marble certainly hoped that wasn’t the case. Regardless, she fell to silence, not wanting to agitate Limestone anymore, at least for the moment. The clacking of the train on the rails filled the empty space for a moment. Then… “You know Lemon Hearts likes me,” Limestone said. It wasn’t a question. Marble flinched, but knew she couldn’t deny it. “Yes...” “You knew when you asked me to come with you tonight.” “...Yes.” Limestone turned her whole head this time, giving Marble a hard stare. “Why didn’t you mention that?” “Well…” Marble swallowed. She could feel the swell of emotions behind that tone. One wrong step would be disastrous now. Lying would be bad, saying nothing would be bad, and even the truth was a bad idea. But it was the best bad idea, too. “I thought you wouldn’t come if you knew.” Limestone nodded, as though she had expected and prepared for that answer. “But why did you want me to come?” Marble turned her tongue over in her mouth. “Because I was nervous about being alone with Minuette, so—” “That’s it?” Limestone asked. “Nothing else mattered then? You just couldn’t have come tonight if you didn’t have me here too?” Marble shook. It was just for a second, but it was quite telling. “Uh… Well… I guess… I did consider Lemon’s feelings… a little.” Limestone’s gaze softened, from one of somepony who didn’t want to hear her answer, to one of somepony who already known it all along. “You were trying to give her a real date with me, weren’t you?” Marble looked down at her lap. It had been such an innocent wish; she’d only wanted to help her friend. Why did she feel so guilty? “Yeah…” Nothing. Then, a sigh. It was like Limestone was trying her best not to get mad. Or well, madder. For some reason, she just turned back to the window, watching the mountainside race by. Marble raised her head, shaking as she thought about all the rage that Limestone could be bottling up right now. “I’m sorry!” she said suddenly, causing Limestone’s shoulders to stiffen. “I know I shouldn’t have done it. It’s just… when I told Lemon you probably wouldn’t want to go out with her… I saw her face… and I just couldn’t stop imagining how I would feel if Minuette said something like that to me!” Marble turned her body forward, facing the seats in front of her rather than her own sister. “I don’t know what I expected to happen. I just didn’t—” “I’m not mad at you,” Limestone cut her off. Marble looked up to find Limestone was looking back at her again. “You aren’t?” Marble asked, astounded that this was even a possibility, let alone reality. “I mean, not at you,” Limestone corrected, her brows lowered as her eyes slowly drifted away. “You’re mad at Lemon,” Marble realized. Her head sank once more, ears folding down. So much for her good intentions. She’d ruined everything for Lemon after all. Except… Limestone groaned. “No… I mean, I guess not?” “What?” Marble’s head bounced back up. “But… then who are you mad at?” Limestone just bit her lip, crossing her forelegs as she shifted forward to point herself at the seat before them. “Don’t worry about it.” “But… What happened?” Marble asked, volume rising from a whisper to her indoor voice. This was serious enough for it. “Why won’t you say what you and Lemon did when you were alone? Why aren’t you yelling at me right now? What did you promise to check for her?” With each question, Limestone tensed more and more visibly. That last one seemed to be a breaking point. “I said don’t worry about it!” she snapped, finally raising her voice at her sister. Marble froze, and instinctual reaction whenever Limestone was yelling. Limestone’s teeth clenched were visibly shaking. As she saw her sister shrink from her, her face relaxed some. “Look,” she said. “I told you I don’t want to talk about it, all right? Things happened. I know she likes me. I’m going to see the Pairing Stone tomorrow, so just lay off, okay?” Marble blinked, her paralyzed state wearing off now that her sister’s ire had faded. Confusion was next to set in as she processed those words. There her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. “Wait, you’re going to see the Pairing Stone?” Limestone winced. Understanding suddenly overtook Marble, recalling an earlier promise that allowed the puzzle pieces to click into place. “Is that what you promised to check for her?” Limestone shrank into the corner of the seat. “Well apparently it was a real date and all, so I kind of have to.” As much as her sister tried to hide it, there was no denying the pink blush blooming at her cheeks. “It is?” Marble needed to be pinched for the second time that night. Limestone was actually going to check the Pairing Stone to see if Lemon Hearts was her soulmate? “How? Why? Wha—” “For the last time, I don’t want to talk about it!” Limestone grumbled. “But you’re actually… I can’t believe…” Marble couldn’t find the words to finish her sentences. They were too busy causing a whirlwind in her brain to make their way out of her mouth. Limestone’s ears drooped down as her mouth wiggled into a scrunched frown. “Look it… I’m just doing because I have to. Since tonight turned out to be a real date and all, I can’t put it off any longer.” Marble’s eyes darted down to the floor and back up again. There was a lingering question that couldn’t go unspoken for long, but she felt at this point it could wait a little while. Limestone was already content to scowl in her corner. Whether she really was that mad or she was just hamming it up for the sake of appearances, it was probably best if the subject was put to rest.   I guess I can always ask Lemon about it anyway. Marble reasoned. If all went well, she’d be back in Canterlot before too long. If all went well. The thought caused Marble’s relaxed legs to tense into her body. She pushed her forelegs into her lap and fidgeted, suddenly reminded of the fact that she still had one, massive obstacle to overcome if she wanted to be with Minuette: her parents. What she would say to them to break the news had yet to cross her mind, but a myriad of reactions flooded her thoughts in an instant. Most of them angry. None of them all that pleasant. It’s not that she thought her parents would be particularly cruel in their response, that wasn’t really what had her so nervous. It was the thought of their disappointment that made her so uneasy. She didn’t want to do this to them. No matter what, they didn’t deserve to have to deal with the first pony to break from the Pairing Stone’s path, or any of the fallout that may result. They shouldn’t have to have a disobedient daughter, nor would Marble even choose to be one in any other circumstance. And that in itself made her feel particularly guilty. It was almost like she was choosing Minuette over her parents. Even if she wasn’t disowned or anything that extreme, there would likely always be this lasting feeling between them. A broken promise never to be repaired. “You’re worried about Ma and Pa, huh?” Limestone suddenly said. Marble snapped out of her trance-like thoughts, her attention pulled back to her sister. Looking down, she saw how tense and closed off her whole body looked; she was wearing her emotions on her sleeve. “...Yeah,” she whispered, forcing her muscles to relax in a meager attempt to convince Limestone everything was all right. Limestone, for her part, just seemed to be glad the topic of her mystery hours with Lemon was dropped. She happily pounced on the opportunity to steer the conversation elsewhere, even pulling herself out of the scowl corner to talk. “I guess I can’t do much to calm you down. I have no idea how they’ll take it.” “Other than badly,” Marble guessed. Limestone propped her head on her hoof, leaning her fore leg against the wall of the train as she stared back out the window. “Well… yeah.” She curled her hooves. “Do you think they’ll hate me?” “You’re impossible to hate,” Limestone said. Marble’s head popped up, not just from the swift response, but from the fact that Limestone of all ponies said that. Limestone! “But they’ll be mad… right?” Limestone snorted. “Of course they’ll be mad.” Marble swallowed. Obviously. She knew the answer to that question before she asked it. But what she really wanted to know was… “How mad?” There was a pause, and Marble could see Limestone narrow her eyes to think in the reflection of the window. “Depends,” she finally said. “On what?” “Well, on… whatever this is, I guess.” Marble blinked a show of incomprehension. “What?” Limestone finally turned back to her. “What is this, Marble?” she asked, point blank. “Is this going to be, like, a fling you want to have before you settle down? Are you really going to go against tradition for somepony you just met this week? Or… what?” Her eyes darted around the train car, desperate the find somewhere to look that wasn’t Limestone. Eventually they ran out of hiding spots and were forced to make eye contact with her sister. Marble swallowed. “Minuette and I decided… that we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Marble admitted. Her legs shook, but she willed them still. “So I’m going to be with her, and we’re going to see what happens.” Limestone huffed a tiny laugh. “I guess that’s the best anypony could hope for when you’re set on going against a magical rock of destiny.” “...I guess so.” Marble said. Really, she didn’t want to try and fight against destiny. She’d just been hoping that destiny would have sided with her. But now that what she wanted something out of reach, this was really the only option, for better or worse. But that didn’t mean things had to go terribly, right? Her parents were reasonable enough ponies, even when stubbornly entrenched in their traditions. All Marble had to do was make them understand where she was coming from. Perfectly doable. Absolutely. Sure… “Marble?” Limestone’s words drew her attention suddenly. “Yeah?” she asked. “You’re shaking.” Marble blinked, and looked down. Her body spasmed and jittered in her seat, nothing from her chin to her hooves able to stay still. “Oh…” She struggled to get a hold of herself, needing to feel secure without the presence of Minuette. She was nervous, Marble could freely admit that much. Who wouldn’t be in her situation? It was just… she’d been doing better with this kind of stuff lately, and now she couldn’t help but feel that her sudden case of the shakes was a bad omen for what was to come. Marble swallowed. Her first date with Minuette was over, and she prayed it wouldn’t be their last.