//------------------------------// // Third Night // Story: A Misplaced Marble // by TheCrystalRing //------------------------------// But in truth, Marble doesn’t actually “go rest up”. No, the following hours see her sitting upon the steps of the Canterlot Library, watching as the Sun overtakes the Moon in the sky. Dawn in Canterlot is almost as quiet as the night was, but that suits Marble just fine. Her brain is buzzing so much that she scarcely notices she’s no longer alone until an “ahem” breaks through the fog. “Eep!” she starts, spine ramrod straight as she spots the elderly mare that made the noise. “Oh, I’m s-sorry, I didn’t see you there…” The mare is a pale violet, her mane an even more faded pink. She shifts the pile of books upon her back just slightly, her spectacles shining in the swelling sunlight. Though she is much older than Marble’s mother, something about the presence of those glasses makes the tension in her shoulders ease, just a bit. “It’s quite alright, dear, though I will admit you surprised me a bit!” the mare titters, the lines around her eyes deepening with her smile. “Ponies don’t normally wait on the library’s doorstep for it to open. Well, one pony does, but I feel like she’s a bit of an outlier. Anyways, I’m Dusty Pages, the head librarian. Lovely to make your acquaintance!” “Marble P-Pie, nice to meet you,” Marble answers, raising to her hooves. “P-Pardon me, but I’m hoping to check some books out. If that’s a-alright.” "Well, I'm afraid only those with library cards can check out books, and you have to be a Canterlot resident to apply for one," Dusty shares as she goes to unlock the front doors. Marble's face falls. "That makes s-sense, I'm sorry if I was a bother…" "Oh, dearie, don't misunderstand me!" Dusty chirps, finally pulling the doors open before turning to Marble. "Nothing in the rules says that non-residents can't read the books as long as they stay on premises. I would know, I helped write quite a few of them myself. So c'mon in!" "A-Ah, thank you so much!" Marble beams, following the older mare inside. In no time at all, Marble is settled at a table piled with book upon book. And Dusty Pages was ever-so-helpful in assisting Marble in finding a wide swath of folklore to study. Soon, her eyes are scanning through the tomes at a rapid pace, for she very well can’t leave any stone unturned! She will admit, she doesn’t usually read topics that aren't somehow related to the rock farm. But she considers herself rather detail-oriented; you have to be, after talking to so many different stones. And Discord mentioned legends, didn't he? That has to hint at something he's building up to, some grand piece of advice. It has to!  The different tales she reads are fascinating, though. Much more exciting and… and unpredictable compared to her life! She's never considered any deity besides the Princess, but some of these figures weren't even ponies at all! The swirling tail and mismatched features of Discord float into Marble's mind as she focuses on the next page.  Could it be that he depicts somepony from these tales? Or perhaps, somehow, he— "You're thinking awfully hard, aren't you? Your muzzle scrunches up quite adorably when you do." "Eep!" Marble jolts, cringing at the heavy thunk that follows her opened book landing flat on the table. "W-Who—" Across from Marble sits a mare. Her white mane hangs in lank strands that follow the tilting motion of her head. "I apologize, I did not intend to startle you. Have you been reading mythology for long?" "Oh, not really." The adrenaline seeps out of Marble as she squints at the distant clock—is it 2 PM already? "Only s-starting today, actually. W-Why?" The mare hums as her eyes slip close. "I was hoping you could answer this: 'Like the goddess Nut along the starry sky, my presence divides your loved ones apart. Like those unfaithful fools within le Fay’s vale, your bitter contempt is what I impart. Like stone and siblings roiling Kronos’ gut, I can break unlike your Fate’s decision. Like cunning Loki affixed to boulders three, the future may not be what you vision.'" The hueless shade of the mare's eyes meets Marble's as she opens them. "'From both mortal souls to heavenly spirits, I will deliver judgment incarnate. But from me to you I simply ask one time: for every being, what do I create?'" Another riddle? This one seems more complicated than the first one, but… Marble shifts through the messy stacks of books to pull out four: Baladi Beginnings, Tales of Trottingham and Bales, Atop Mount Aris, and Sleipnir's Stories. Carefully, Marble picks up Baladi Beginnings and shows the cover to the mare. "Well, a-according to legends in the Baladi region, Nut was a goddess of the cosmos. Long ago, she was p-punished for bending the orders of Ra, a ruler of the Sun. A-And—" Shifting Baladi Beginnings to the side, Marble lifts Tales of Trottingham and Bales. "The unicorn s-sorceress Morgana was also known as le Fay. She b-banished knights who betrayed their lovers' trust into an enchanted wood. A-Also—" More confidently, Marble swaps Tales of Trottingham and Bales out for Atop Mount Aris. "The hippogriffs b-believe that an ancient god called Kronos once ruled their land. A-Afraid of being overthrown by his own kin, he ate his children to fruitlessly prevent that future. Finally—" Almost giddily, Marble raises Sleipnir's Stories before the mare. "The great horse Sleipnir was b-born to Loki, a mischievous yet influential god. As punishment for his crafty b-behavior, he was chained to rock until the day the cataclysmic destruction of the world would s-set him free." Marble meets the gaze of the mare once the final book is lying back on the tabletop. “All four of these fables s-share something—their subjects are trapped. And a-anypony can be trapped, can be imprisoned. So it's a p-prison you create!” The mare, who had not severed eye contact while Marble gave her explanation, slowly blinks before smiling. “Correct. Congratulations are in order—you’re a very quick learner, it seems.” Beaming, Marble shuffles the books back into a pile. “W-Well, mhm, I suppose so! It’s p-pretty exciting learning new things. Especially since I can never b-be as awe-inspiring as those within these stories.” “Hmm…" In a fluid motion, the mare stands up on her hooves, her stare never moving from Marble. “You know, they say Sleipnir was gray in color, much like the boulders his father was bound to. Much like you.” The mare laughs a dry laugh. “But it wouldn’t do to trap you into a conversation, hm? Don’t forget—prisons come in all shapes and forms.” And with that, she disappears between the bookshelves, leaving Marble alone with her tomes. Marble finds it hard to concentrate, after that. Can she be blamed? Two riddles in two days. Are they connected, somehow? After all, that mare looked an awful lot like the stallion at the café… But soon, her attention returns to the book she was reading before she was interrupted, one that details the mythology of Equestria itself. Turns out, strange creatures that embodied certain concepts roamed Equestria long ago. The draconequui, according to the book. They came in all shapes and sizes, but something about them makes Marble think… Isn't "discord" a concept, too? Eventually, Marble leaves the library when Dusty Pages begins to lock up. She offered to help the elderly mare, but Dusty would hear nothing of it, citing something about maintaining her perfect librarian record. So Marble steps out into the night after thanking and bidding Dusty a good evening. Marble has not slept at all today, but somehow, she doesn't feel tired. Rather, she feels excitement buzz through her body. She's learned so much today, and she hopes Discord could tell her even more.  She can't recall the last time she's felt this joyful. Maybe she never has, before. For a while, Marble wanders the slowly dwindling streets of Canterlot, her hooves clacking upon the cobblestones as she moves. In the light of dusk, almost everything is cast in tints of gray. It's comforting, in a way. Almost like the rock farm, in its monochromatic hues. That's why she's here, after all. So it probably doesn't matter how she's feeling, so long as she accomplishes her goal, right? By the time Marble enters the sculpture garden, the Moon has returned to the pinnacle of the sky, a flurry of stars surrounding the planetary shape. A slight wind blows through the grass and trees in turn. Yet Discord still stands unmoving, a stalwart force against the nature around him. Marble doesn't hesitate to approach him. "Nice to s-see you again, Discord," Marble says, sitting on the ground to trail her hoof along his base. "Gosh, it feels like no time at a-all since I was last here. Are you s-still doing alright?" I suppose I am, though I will admit I'm doing much better now that you're here. But, oh, it sounds like you've had a busy day! Care to share? "Mhm, it w-was wonderful." A smile settles on Marble's lips. "I w-went to the library. Never s-seen so many books in one place. Especially not ones s-so intriguing!" Ahh, I see. I've heard of the library before, though it was built long after I was put here. Quite behind on my sightseeing, I'm afraid. But do you read often? Marble huffs a shadow of a laugh. "No, not really. There aren't a-any libraries or bookstores near the farm, so I mostly only have the family's rock-related b-books to read. And I never really tried reading a-anything at the Rockville schoolhouse, ‘cause…" ‘Cause what? Were there only stone-flavored offerings there, too? Marble squints at the ground. “Not c-completely, no. It’s just… that is…” Suddenly, Marble jerks her head up and fixes her gaze upon Discord’s closed eyes. “So I’ve always been a-able to hear what rocks are thinking, right? Always. It never s-seemed odd to me, when I was really little. And P-Pinkie always had my back, anyways. “But s-she left, y’know…” Tightness pulls at Marble’s features as she continues. “And it w-wasn’t the same, after that. Do you know that p-ponies whisper when you’re strange? Or that they p-pelt you with pebbles as you walk home? It felt like every day that somepony w-would tell me that my name was fitting, b-because I’d lost my marbles. And it didn’t help that I s-sound like I do…” The silence is tense until Discord speaks. Did you tell your family about all this? Did anypony care? “No, I didn’t tell them,” Marble forces out. “I told you, stones are s-supposed to be solid and strong. P-Papa and Mama were always so busy with the farm, and Limestone and Maud had a different c-class period. I didn’t want to make it harder on a-anypony than it already was. So I k-kept quiet about it. Kept quiet a-all the time.” Marble, look at me. Marble hadn’t realized her eyes had closed, and liquid blurs her vision as she opens them. “W-Wha—?” Nothing is more chaotic than the emotions of others. It’s something I thrived off of, once upon a time, something I yearned to see. But ignorance can turn into viciousness just as easily as it can fear. And I, myself, have never been understood. A memory dislodges as Marble scrubs at her eyes, and she looks up at Discord’s closed own again. “…did the Princess not understand you, when you met?” Discord makes a snorting sound, sudden and sharp. In a way! Cay-Cay and I were thick as thieves, once. She felt isolated, y’see. A newly-crowned young Princess with control over the Sun itself. Ponies tend to feel like they can’t be anything but reverent towards you, when you’re like that. So when we met, I thought things would be different for both of us. I didn’t care that she was practically a living goddess, and she didn’t mind that I was… Discord’s voice peters off, as if he is looking for the right words. A polite pony would let him think, but the syllables are rushing out of Marble before she can even parse them: “She didn’t mind that you w-were a draconequus, right? Or that you depicted one, I s-suppose.” Quiet. Not even the evening insects within the garden are audible. Marble is trying to put together an apology for overstepping or assuming or whatever it is she did when Discord talks in a softer tone. You never cease to amaze. Well, there’s no “depiction” about it—I am a draconequus, in the flesh. Rather rocky flesh, but that’s hardly my fault, really. So you can stop saying my name in italics, dear, I think we’re past that point, now. A gasp escapes Marble’s lips as she looks Discord—or Discord, rather—up and down. “You w-weren’t always stone? I didn’t realize that w-was even possible! Is that p-part of your draconequus abilities?” Anything is possible—I think us conversing at all is proof of that. Yet I hate to break it to you, but I’m not responsible for this particular arrangement. No, the credit belongs to our sunny little Celestia. Distantly, Marble recalls the library books she poured over earlier. So many of the mythology figures have that one thing in common… "You're imprisoned w-within this garden, aren't you? S-She… trapped you here." Blasphemy tastes strange upon Marble's tongue. Yes, she did. You surely read about the nature of draconequui. And I am Discord. I create chaos with the snap of a talon or paw, and things never remain constant in my presence. That is simply what I am, and to pretend otherwise is futile. But, ultimately, Celestia didn't understand that. Didn't understand me. “B-But how?” Marble questions, as a million more vie to escape. “How did the P-Princess do this? That’s so… s-so…” Cruel? As I said, ignorance is a chaotic thing, indeed. But she doesn’t view her actions through that lens. Celestia is a warrior for "harmony", and she wields an ancient power to force that ideal, at any cost. If somepony bends that definition, they are to be punished. Even if they are her companions, or even if they are her family. Family? Marble screws her eyes shut as she thinks. Many of those imprisoned within the tales she read were done so by loved ones. The entrails of Loki's slain son Nari were used as the chains that bound him to the boulders. The children of Kronos were consumed and contained within their own father's stomach. Prisoners within le Fay's vale were punished for scorning those they swore romantic fealty to. And Ra… Ra controlled the Sun, just like the Princess. When Nut disobeyed Ra's command, he banished her to the very thing she held dominion over. And didn't Discord say… Eyes shooting open, Marble zeroes in on the Moon above her, surrounded still by stars. The same book that described the draconequui mentioned the Mare in the Moon legend. Even the foals living in Rockville knew of it. For long ago, there were two sister Princesses whose names were lost to time. But that's not completely true, is it? “You s-said you knew the Moon,” Marble finally begins, the sound magnified in the silence. “And two s-sisters ruled the heavens together, once. A P-Princess of the Sun, and one of the Moon. Both w-working in harmony, until the S-Sun Princess felt forced to exile her sister…” Eyes wide with emotion, Marble’s voice drops in volume. “That was P-Princess Celestia, wasn’t it? She trapped her own s-sister in the Moon, just like she trapped you.” Discord guffaws deeply, as if laughing at a joke concealed inside that loaded question. Ah, that’s why I like you, Marble! Very attentive to details. And I did tell you that the Moon and I have a lot in common. We both cared for Celestia, and look where it got us! Sky and lawn ornaments for all eternity. Oh, but she keeps us in perfect view of her balcony! That means she feels something back, right? A whirlwind of thoughts rages within Marble's head. She sees no reason why Discord would lie about this; to even threaten the image of the Princess is criminal in itself. But he said he's been around for centuries. To be stuck in one spot, never able to move on or grow…  “Maybe this isn’t very meaningful for me to s-say, but…” Carefully, Marble brings her other hoof to settle against Discord’s cool stone. “I met s-somepony today while reading at the library. Mhm, and she told me that p-prisons come in all shapes and forms. I didn’t really get it, w-when she said it, but maybe I do, now. “You… loved the P-Princess, didn’t you?” Marble’s mane falls into her face as she murmurs. “Her s-sister loved her, too. And maybe it’s not the s-same, but I love my family. Yet… yet I’m s-stuck, aren’t I?” Marble doesn’t wait for a response to either question. “I’m stuck, b-because I don’t want to let my family down any more than I do by simply being me. My p-parents have the farm, and Limestone is set to inherit it. And Maud has her degree, and P-Pinkie has her parties in Ponyville. But w-what do I have? Who am I, even, b-besides a freak who talks to rocks all day long? Just look a-at me…” I never stopped looking at you, Marble. But let's say you are a freak, like you said. If that's what you are, it's most certainly what I am. For look at me! I'm the very embodiment of things that are abnormal. So you're not alone, in that regard. Sniffling, Marble peeks out from her bangs. "Y'know, it's nice to have s-somepony to talk to about this. We're b-both unique, but I suppose some p-problems are universal. I just wish I didn't have to leave a-after tomorrow…" …Marble, do you know what will happen, tomorrow night? "Huh?" Pushing her mane aside, Marble looks up. "I mean, I'll p-probably be coming by to say goodbye, right?" Perhaps you will. Yet—putting my physical state aside—nothing is set in stone. You could say your farewells, and we could never see each other again. But I said I would help you with your predicament when we first met. And I value my word very highly. Marble's brow furrows. "B-But is there anything you could do, for any of my p-problems? ‘Cause I thought that s-saving the farm would make me belong, b-but now I'm not so sure…" I suppose it depends, really. Tomorrow, I’ll ask something of you. Only you can decide what happens, then, what you choose. Because I think you crave what your twin did, all those years ago.  It takes a second for Marble to sort through her memories. “You s-said you think she wanted… change, right?” Yes! Change is a wonderful thing, after all. But no one can change your mind but yourself. Forcing these sorts of things is impossible for most, and unpalatable for me. No, it’s much more fun when things are spontaneous, wouldn’t you say? A contemplative look forms on Marble’s features. There it is again, that sense that Discord holds an ancient power just like the Princess. He never said what all “discord” entailed, but surely it must have been something incredible for the Princess to imprison him, right? As it is, he can’t even move, but what if… “Do you…” Marble starts, before reconsidering her words. “No, c-could you do anything you wish if you were free? Or even do s-something for somepony else, if that’s what you wanted…?” A deep rumble resonates from within Discord. Ah, a long time ago, the answers were yes to the first, and no to the second. Not because I was incapable, but because there was nopony I would do that for. Nopony. But I told you before that one learns perspective through immortality. And for you, I would bring down the very Moon. Face flaming, Marble tries to get her words together to respond to that declaration, but Discord speaks first: But I think that’s enough Earth-rattling revelations for tonight. You need to rest, don’t you? And actual rest this time, in your bed. Asleep. Most rules are meant to be broken, but I think that’s a good one to uphold. That breaks Marble out of it, even though her blush takes an embarrassed tone at being caught. “Mhm. You’re right, of c-course. I’ll try to s-sleep, though I have an a-awfully lot of thoughts to keep me up, now. Goodnight, Discord. A-And… thank you.” The pleasure is all mine, Marble. Until tomorrow.