BigMac stood at the station with his young wife under his arm, holding his tiny filly in hers as the train pulled in. He and the others were going to the funeral with the rest of the Pie's. AJ and AppleBloom were both dressed in black. BigMac only owned one black suite, the suit he wore to his wedding. He didn't like having to associate the two events like that but it would have been improper to wear anything less formal. Pinkie stood aside with her sister Maud gently leading her onto the train. Her hair was flat and tied back for the event, she looked like she hadn't slept. Marble hadn't taken the news much better.
Seeing the three sisters so broken nearly killed him. He wished to Celestia, Luna, and whatever other forces might hear him that he hadn't yelled last night. He should have kept calm, he should have been there to support Marble.
"All aboard that's going aboard." called out the conductor.
BigMac was sitting by the window with Marble leaning on him for support. Neither of them spoke the whole trip, which wasn't odd in and of it'self but no one spoke. Not even Pinkie. The whole ride he kept looking back periodically at Marble, scanning her face to ensure she was as comfortable as she could be. She did fall asleep for a bit and he wondered if she had been up all night as well. CloudyQuartz and LimeStonePie stood at the door to the family homestead upon their arrival to greet them. LimeStone's usual aggression seemed to have been subdued as she didn't say a word, merely led them inside for a head count.
He remembered the day he proposed to Marble. Pinkie looked as if she might have exploded with excitement, though now she looked as though she might die. LimeStone had threatened him, now she just stood around looking rather lifeless. For what felt like hours they sat together in the kitchen waiting for the carriage to arrive to arrive that would carry the family to the burial grounds. outside the window he could see the hearse containing IngiousPie and it's drivers. When the second coach arrive they all pilled in for another trip that felt like it drug on forever.
The funeral it'self was mostly a silent blur. BigMac was never to fond of the usual noise and excitement of Ponyville, which was why he tended to keep more to himself, but right now he desperately missed it. CloudyQuartz had asked him to help carry the casket which he had agreed to without protest. Igneous had intimidated him a bit at first with his somber demeanor and strict standards but over time he had grown rather fond of his late father-in-law. The truth was that underneath their cultural differences Igneous reminded him a lot of his own father, just trying to do right by his girls. Despite himself he found his own eyes tearing up as he though back on some of their father, son talks. They were only related by marriage but he had lost his own father so long ago and Igneous had gladly stepped in to fill the role when he learned of BigMac's orphan status.
Once he and CloudyQuartz had come to live on Sweet Apple Acres for a whole month when they learned about AppleBloom's "boy troubles". Her grades were suffering as she had gotten a bit too distracted by one of her colt friends. Igneous and Mrs.Pie had insisted that all she needed was strict moral guidance, so they stepped in to "play the parental role her childhood lacked". The whole incident was a train wreck but BigMac looked back on it fondly. He would miss Igneous' tough love, the man really cared about ponies and would go to great lengths to do what he thought was best for them.
Marble didn't cry during the ceremony, he offered her comfort but she preferred to stand tall, chin up. Her daddy would have been proud to see her so strong, especially with Pinkie bawling her eyes out and LimeStone desperately fighting back tears of her own. After the Ceremony they returned to the Pie house. The Apples would stay the night there and take the train back to Ponyville first thing in the morning. As the night went on ponies seemed to lighten a bit as they began sharing stories.
CloudyQuartz recalled charming anecdotes surrounding their courtship and marriage. Her stories reminded him of his own experiences with Marble. He recalled long afternoon laying in the sun together watching the clouds. No words were spoken, they didn't need them back then. He missed the days when things were that simple, that easy. He looked over to catch Marble smiling as her mother recounted Ingeous' awkwardness with his first foal. It was good seeing Marble smile again. She was beautiful. Little ApplePie sat in her lap thoughtlessly nibbling away at her mothers long mane which had been untied at some point in the night. Eventually ApplePie and AppleBloom were both put to bed and CloudyQuartz brought out some moonshine from her late husbands stash. The adults all sat around drinking to each others good health and Pinkie's hair regained some of it's volume.
At some point in the night Marble stepped outside for a breath of fresh air. BigMac followed her out. For a while they both stood on the front porch breathing in the cold night air. Neither of them spoke, just stood there enjoying each others company. However there was an issue BigMac couldn't just ignore. Perhaps it was the alcohol giving him a bit of extra courage, or maybe it was just the calming atmosphere.
"Marble?"
"M-hm?"
"Ah just wanted ta say... Ahm sorry about the other night," He confessed. "Ah shoulda been more patient, more supportive..."
"No it's ok," Marble assured. "You were right, I was being selfish, seeing Pinkie and LimeStone made me realize that..." her voice trailed off as she looked down at the stone walkway. "Somepony has to be strong for them right?"
"No Marble, no," He said gently. "Ah would never ask ya'll to mussel through this like Ah did, Ah don't want that for ya. Ya deserve better."
BigMac lifted her chin to face him.
"Ah ain't been good ta ya lately an I know it, Ah promises when we get home Ah'll make it up ta ya." He confessed. "Let me carry this for ya." He leaned in to kiss her only to have her place a hoof on his face.
"You can't BigMac," She said. her eyes looked sad, heartbroken even. "Nopony can carry this weight but me, and you..." she cast her eyes down again. "You should go to bed." she said finally.
"What'a'bout you?"
"I'll... I'll be with you soon."
BigMac was a bit reluctant but admittedly rather exhausted. He headed to the guest room and passed out as soon as he hit the bed. He woke up the next morning to find Marble strangely absent. It was early in the morning and most of the house was still asleep if not a bit hungover. He tiptoed downstairs careful not to wake anypony. To his surprise he found Marble asleep on the sofa in the living room.
Why hadn't she come upstairs? She didn't appear to have simply passed out as she had a pillow and blanket that appeared very deliberately set out for her. He sat down on the sofa next to her. For a while he sat there just watching her sleep. she looked so at peace. He thought back to the kiss outside Rarity's shop. What had he been thinking? He had to get that mare out of his head, she wasn't important. This sleeping gray mare beside him was his future, his everything, he couldn't just let that go.
One by one everypony woke and they all shared a quick breakfast before heading out to catch the train. As BigMac was getting their things together preparing to leave, he noticed Marble sitting by the window with her mother. They were talking in a low whisper and CloudyQuartz had a look of sorrow on her face but looked as though she was trying to be supportive.
BigMac walked over to them and placed a hoof on his wife's shoulder, "we gotta get goin' soon if wer' gonna catch the train."
Marble's ears fell back as she fidgeted nervously.
"I shall go see if thou relatives should be in need of my assistance." CloudyQuartz stated as she got up leaving the two alone.
"Whatsa matter dragonfly?" He said using an affectionate pet name he hadn't used in quite some time.
"I'm not going..." Marble mumbled.
"Pardon?" BigMac wasn't sure if he had heard her right.
"I'm staying here with mother and LimeStone," Marble stated with a bit more conviction this time.
BigMac took a step back unsure how to react. "Yer ma needs you here ta help out for a bit or somthin?"
"No," Marble said folding her ears back again and looking down. " I mean. I'm staying here, as in, this is it, we're over." Tears began to well up her eyes but she remained resolute.
"But ah, but we," BigMac's head was reeling. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was going to make things right again. Things would go back to the way they were and everything would be fine.
"Please, don't make this harder then it already is." Marble pleaded.
"Ah just, Ah don't understand." His heart broke as he tried to keep his voice steady, he couldn't believe this. This couldn't be happening.
"BigMac I love you, really I do," Marble confessed with a bit of a struggle. "But I think we rushed into this. The truth is I'm not sure I even really know you..."
"The buck ya talking about?" he almost shouted as he placed both hooves on her shoulders with a bit more force than he would have liked. "Ahm yer husband for Celestia's sake of course ya know me."
"Do I?" Marble asked rhetorically. "I pushed you too far, I know that and I'm sorry. But it made me realize, I don't know you as well as I thought." Marble lifted his hooves from her shoulders and all BigMac could do was stand there numbly. "I'm sorry. But this is something I have to do for myself, for both of us."
This couldn't be happening. It felt like a dream. It felt surreal, out of body. When he went to leave for the train station with the others he found he wasn't greeted with surprise but rather... shame. When the others saw him emerge from the house without Marble and ApplePie their eyes all darted about awkwardly. They knew. Nopony had told him earlier as per Marbles request is turned out. On the train ride home Pinkie made some weak attempts to cheer him up, even if only a little. But he simply sat there staring out the window completely listless. This couldn't be happening. Just like that everything he thought he knew just blew up in a puff of smoke. And nothing would ever be the same.
It had been a few weeks since the funeral and nopony had heard from BigMacintosh. Rarity was starting to worry. Derpy had been delivering the mail that morning. She had accidentally placed some of the Apples mail in her mailbox. She had tried to flag the gray mare down but to little avail so she simply decided to take the envelope to Sweet Apple Acres herself.
The stamp on the envelope looked forebodingly official and it made her worry. It was addressed to BigMacintosh. Why hadn't he left the farm in all this time? She worried that something terrible might have happened. She tried to push her worries aside when AJ came to answer the door.
"Rarity?" AJ responded.
Rarity held out the little white envelope, "Derpy accidentally left this in my mailbox so I thought I'd stop by to give it to you."
AJ took the envelope and inspected it before letting out a deep sigh. "This must be the divorce papers."
"Divorce papers?!" Rarity said with astonishment. "You can't really mean?"
AJ looked up at her with a bit of exhaustion, "Yeah, poor Mac's taken it real hard... Aw buck who am Ah kiddin it's been hard on all of us."
Rarity stopped for a moment to process. Marble left him. Was it because of her? Was she the one take away his happiness? She had to talk to him. She had to try to fix this.
"Do you know where he is now?" Rarity pleaded.
"Atop the big hill Ah figur'" AJ replied. "He's been spendin' a lot a his down time up there lately." AppleJack replied as she gestured towards a particularly large hill bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun.
"Thank you."
Rarity rushed up the hill struggling in her high heels. She couldn't believe it. There had to be some way to fix this there just had to. She stopped at the top of the hill to see BigMac right where AppleJack said he would be. She panted for a moment desperately trying to catch her breath.
"BigMac, huff, huff, I hear about the, huff, the divorce," Rarity looked up at him as he stood to face her with nothing but sorrow in her eyes. "I'm so sorry if this is because of something I did..." she began to plead only to be abruptly cut off.
BigMac pulled her in and kissed her. It wasn't a light peck this time either, this was deep, passionate, full of guilty pleasure. Rarity was surprised at first but couldn't manage to escape his grasp, slowly instinct took over. Tears began to streak down his face. All he wanted was comfort, any small comfort would do. He wanted to stop hurting. He tightened his grip as if the slightest breeze would carry her off. He hoped that Rarity's embrace might ease him as it once did but not this time. After sometime he relaxed his grip and drew away from her lips.
"Feeling better," Rarity asked as she looked up at his tear soaked face trying to get a glimpse of his eyes through his bangs.
"Nope," He sobbed lightly.
"You want to talk about it?" Rarity asked.
"Nope,"
Rarity leaned in and rested her head on his chest. For sometime they simply stood there in the light of the setting sun. Neither said a word. Rarity wouldn't push him this time, now it was time simply to wait and listen.
"Rarity?" BigMac said finally as he rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Yes dear?" Rarity replied.
"What happens now?" He asked.
"I don't really know... I guess we'll just have to wait and see."