//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: New Home // Story: Marble Magic // by TheCrimsonDM //------------------------------// Magic Marble Chapter Two: New Home Written by TheCrimsonDm The train jostled down the tracks while plains of green lush grass rolled by. A few other ponies sat in the cabin, quietly discussing things amongst themselves but occasionally glancing toward the two most prominent ponies here. Marble Pie with her galloping heart had successfully managed to wrap all four of her legs around the bench and clung to it for dear life. Pinkie Pie sat next to her bouncing excitedly in place. “See I told you that trains weren’t that scary,” Pinkie Pie said while patting the top of Marble’s rump. Marble flinched at the contact and tightened her grip. She was sure that the train would crash any moment now. Moving at super high speeds, with enough force to plow through a town, she just knew that this ride was going to end in her demise. How could something so fearsome as a train not kill everypony aboard, it was absurd to even consider riding these things. Never again, she promised herself, would she ride a train. When the train began to slow down, she was sure of it. The end had come. It was all over and her entire purpose for moving in with her twin sister was going to die before she could even come close. Never again shall she see her dear old friend. Then the train stopped and a yelp escaped Marble’s throat as she wondered what they had hit. Perhaps they had collided with a town? Or maybe a heard of buffalo or even worse, the mighty yaks could have come to destroy Equestria. Whatever it was, they were all dead. Several long seconds passed before the whistles of Tartarus sounded and everypony got up. She looked around, none of the others looked even half as scared as she was. Didn’t they realize what kind of danger they were in? Pinkie Pie giggled once again and stood up. “We’re here.” Marble blinked at her and felt very confused. Slowly the gears in her brain began turning once more and she dared a peek out the window. The train had stopped in front of a huge town full of bustling ponies, at least two, no three dozen ponies were all walking about. That was the entire population of the home she’d just come from. Her little rock village was so far away now, back in its safe gray plains with the empty skies and endless expanse of flat earth. This rolling sea of green grass, forests and homes were all so different. Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. “Marble, we kinda need to get off the train.” The cabin was virtually empty now. Once Marble finally let go of the bench she found that her legs were stiff from keeping the constant grip on her safety net. Her sister helped her put the saddlebags on and dragged the suitcase outside where the shining afternoon sun was starting to set. They had been in that train since very early in the morning and now that Marble was finally free she felt an intense sense of relief as her tiny heart lifted. Until she looked around and realized just how many ponies were all over the place. Worse yet, there were stallions. A lot of stallions. Marble very quickly found a hiding place by Pinkie’s side and cuddled into her sister’s protective warmth. Surely nopony would dare do anything to her with Pinkie Pie around. The mere thought of somepony, anypony that was, talking to her made her want to cry. “Marble,” Pinkie Pie said as she was shoved a little to the side with Marble’s excessive need for safety. “Let’s get to my place, er I mean our place. We’re twins so it’ll like, be ours now. We’ll share everything, it’ll be just like when we were foals.” Before you got weird and they sent you away? Marble dared not speak her mind, but she remembered why Pinkie was sent to live with uncle and aunt Cake. She wasn’t rock farm material, and baking or whatever would be better suited for her. Her parents had however forgotten one thing when they were trying to help Pinkie find her place in the world. They had forgotten that Marble relied so heavily upon her twin sister, and that neither Limestone nor Maud could rightly make up for her. Pinkie Pie patted Marble on the head. “I know you’re scared, it’s a new place and there’s a lot more ponies here than in our home. I bet you’re also interested in all the cute stallions.” Fire raced across Marble’s face and she bravely defied her sister. “Mm Mmm!” “No? Oh… well then you’re just scared?” Marble nodded ever so slightly. Pinkie Pie grinned. “Dontcha worry little sis, I’ll take good care of you.” The town itself was full of ponies, there were blue ones, and green ones and even pink ones like her sister. Marble had never seen so many vibrant ponies in person. Compared to her dark, bleak homeland, this place was like a living rainbow exploding across the sky. Kinda like the one that she had always wanted to see, but was sadly inside and missed it by only a few brief seconds. Now that she was here, she couldn’t help but to wonder if perhaps she too could witness a life changing rainbow. The Sugarcube Corner itself was a giant building built to resemble some kind of bakery treat complete with icing on top. It was such a strange design but it did its job well. One look at this building and one would know exactly what to expect inside. This was a bakery that had all the most delicious sweets, all of them, or so Pinkie Pie explained. Pinkie Pie pushed her way inside and Marble was given yet another opportunity to see just how many ponies were in this town. Inside this little store, were over a dozen different ponies. Pinkie Pie waved to them and mentioned them all by name, which seemed impossible to Marble, because she couldn’t even remember half of them. Pinkie Pie made her way to the glass counter where a truly delectable selection of the most mouth watering cakes Marble had ever seen lay. She couldn’t even fathom how most of them might taste. Cheesecake, does that have real cheese in it? Or carrot cake, is there actually vegetables in that? What’s triple chocolate fudge cake? How can there be that much chocolate in one cake? Marble was sure she had just died and gone to heaven. Rock cake could go quietly sit in the corner for the rest of her life for all she cared. These cakes were all to be her new best friends. Of course, the question was, which one to start with? The giant awkward and skinny stallion that was Mr. Cake smiled down at Marble. “You know when we first adopted Pinkie Pie she had the same exact look in her eyes.” Marble looked up at him and mouthed the word, adopted. She hadn’t heard about that, sure Pinkie was living here and had been ever since she was nine years old, but the idea that they had adopted Pinkie never crossed her mind. “Yeppers!” Pinkie exclaimed. “And I’ll get to share all of my favorite cakes with my favorite twin!” “Um, Pinkie,” Mr. Cake said. “You only have one twin.” “And that’s why she’s my favorite DUH!” Pinkie Pie bounced into the air. When she landed she turned to face Marble she smiled from ear to ear. “Wait right here, I’m going to get something to help you out!” With that said Pinkie Pie darted off toward the stairs and vanished up them. Marble sat down and felt like a lost puppy. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, or even what she was allowed to do. The sun was nearly gone out of the sky outside and she was beginning to feel fatigued from the trip here. She desperately wished that Pinkie hadn’t run off like that. “You can wait with me behind the counter if you’re nervous,” Mr. Cake offered. Marble nodded and took a seat behind the counter staring out at the ponies inside. A few of them got up and left as the seconds turned to minutes. It was beginning to look like Pinkie Pie might never come back down for her. When the little bell attached to the door rung and somepony she hadn’t expected to see just yet walked through the front entrance her heart skipped a beat. Marble took a timid step out from behind the counter and met the sapphire unicorn’s eyes. Her heart climbed up into her throat and even if she could speak, she didn’t want to. All that she wanted was to be with her again, and now that dream had finally come true. The Great and Powerful Trixie was within hoofs reach. Trixie stood there at the doorway, staring at Marble. She took a step toward her, her eyes glossed over. “Inkie?” Marble wanted to gallop into Trixie’s forelegs, but she sensed it before it happened. Pinkie Pie walked down the stairs with a playful grin over her face, looked at Marble and waved while shouting, “I FOUND IT!” Trixie halted glanced over at Pinkie Pie and then turned. Marble tried to move her legs but they felt like jelly, threatening to buckle under her weight. Pinkie Pie arrived by her side just as Trixie was out the front door. Marble squeaked in defiance but was ignored as her twin sister nodded toward the door with a frown. “What did she want?” Pinkie Pie asked, her tone was full of disgust. Marble shook her head and wanted to scream. Trixie was outside, she was sure of it. If only she could reach her. There wasn’t even enough time to work up her courage before Pinkie Pie had wrapped a leg around her neck and began half dragging her toward the stairs. The unbridled joy had returned to Pinkie’s voice as she spoke, “Oh you’re going to love meeting my friends. I’ll make sure that you get to know all of their names so that when you meet them tomorrow it’s not awkward and I’ll even tell you what they all like. In fact, I think tonight we’re going to study up on them. I have files on all the ponies in Ponyville. Including their work schedules, things they love, things they fear, and even their address. That’s what I was looking for you know, my records, and I found the file I made just for you to review!” Marble’s ear twitched. Files on everypony, including their address? Maybe she has information on Trixie too! *** The walk home for Trixie was quiet and with every step she took she grew increasingly anxious. Even if it had been for just a brief moment she had seen her again, she had seen Marble Pie in the flesh. One of the sweetest mares of all time was living with one of her enemies. So many things ran through her mind, questions without answers, half baked schemes, and endless worries. When she finally arrived at the small place she called home and walked in she felt her heart fully drop. It was obvious that so long as Pinkie Pie was around, she would not be allowed to visit Marble unmolested, it was hard enough to get into Sugarcube Corner alone. Her reputation with the pink mare was not undeserved and that perhaps was the crux of the issue. Just a few weeks ago Trixie was caught red hoofed at the scene of a ruined cake. It was not her fault that she had been assaulted by an imp that decided to possess a cake, how was she supposed to know that would happen? Trixie dropped her full weight into the couch and buried her face into the cushions. “Ugh, this is not fair. Trixie simply wishes to be with Marble again, is that truly so wrong of her?” “Perhaps,” Guile said as he jumped onto her back. He walked in a circle before deciding that Trixie’s back was indeed soft enough to bed down on. “Tell me, have you a good reason to seek out this mare?” Trixie growled. “Of course I do. We were… close. I need to see her again.” “Then go see her.” “Marble’s sister is standing in the way.” “Has this sister proved a problem in the past?” “It’s Pinkie Pie.” The cat purred. “Oh my yes, this explains quite a lot. She is the one that nearly attacked you for making the dragon vomit, no?” “Not my fault that Spike ate a magical book full of dark magic. There were only two ways of retrieving it from him, I think I made the better choice,” Trixie replied. She looked up at her ceiling. “What do your silly romance novels say about situations such as these?” “Romance novels?” Trixie asked. “Is that not what this is?” Trixie grumbled. “It’s complicated. I just want to talk to her.” “So, what is your daring and foolish plan?” Trixie’s horn lit up and the cat was lifted up into the air as she rolled onto her back. She gently set the cat back down over her chest and began gently stroking his back. “I need to see her, and Pinkie is not going to let me without some kind of trouble. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of Marble so avoiding that confrontation is for the best…” “Why not see her without the sister’s knowledge then?” Trixie met Guile’s golden eyes. “Like you mean sneak around behind her back?” “There is nothing wrong with talking to somepony in private no?” A wicked grin grew over Trixie’s lips. “Oh you devilish cat you. You’ve just given me a terrible idea.” “I’m sorry, I was trying to give you a good one.” Trixie rolled her eyes. “I’ll need a grappling hook, black clothing, and my hoofcuffs.” “Why in Equestria would you need all of that?” Trixie’s evil grin grew larger. “A true magician never reveals her secrets.” It was late into the night, and Trixie was well prepared. She wore a black cap, black sweater and even blacker boots. A grappling hook was attached to the saddlebag on her side and even though she moved in near silence through the sleeping town, she was sure that the tools of her trade were all packed away neatly. She had one destination at mind, and as she neared the Sugarcube Corner she could practically taste victory. She looked up and down the building, trying to size up the best way to scale it. The balcony provided both a suitable railing and easy access to her targets living quarters. It had its own share of risks as well, but it was the middle of the night, who was going to stop her? A purple aura surrounded the grappling hook and it slowly lifted up into the air. It didn’t even take a full minute before the hook was up on the railing, secured into a strong position. Best of all it never made a sound. She began climbing the rope, it was difficult but she’d had plenty of practice so it wasn’t impossible. When she was about half way up the rope she heard the sliding door open above her. Her heart climbed up her throat. Looking down she was sure that falling would hurt, a lot, looking up she was also sure she couldn’t make in time to stop somepony from undoing her grappling hook. Hooves clip clopped as they walked across the balcony over to her hook and with each step her heart throbbed. Marble looked over the edge down at her and blinked a few times in surprise. Trixie tried to wave, nearly slipped and decided instead on simply smiling. “Hi, I thought I’d come to visit.” Marble smiled down at her. With her galloping heart calming she was able to finish climbing all the way to the top of the balcony and then over the edge. Once her hooves were safe and secure she gave a reassuring smile to her old friend. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other,” Trixie said. “Mmhmm.” Trixie took a step closer to Marble. “And I’ve missed you a lot. Have you missed me?” “Mmhmm.” Another step closer and Trixie was very nearly touching Marble. She could feel the mare’s hot breath against her neck defying the cold night air. Very slowly Trixie reached out with a foreleg, taking extra caution to make sure that Marble wasn’t scared, before wrapping it around the mare’s neck and drawing her into a tight embrace. Marble returned the hug. “I am so sorry I never properly came back to the farm. You have to understand though, that after what I did to your sister I couldn’t face your parents again. How could I?” Trixie asked. She shook her head. “Even Trixie can’t face down all of her demons it looks like.” Marble nuzzled into Trixie’s neck, a sign that despite her faults she was forgiven. Trixie relished in the simple pleasure of feeling Marble’s soft, but dirty fur. She could still smell the earthy scent of the rock farm in Marble’s mane, and the warm body pressed against her own was like a blanket of love that she had missed so dearly. “We used to do this a lot.” “Mmhmm.” “Midnight rendezvous, holding each other in the dead of night, and knowing that despite how dark the world might seem we still have each other.” Trixie nuzzled into her dearest friend’s neck. “You are my best friend.” “Mmhmm.” “Should we do this again? Meet up tomorrow night at the same time that is?” Trixie asked. “Mmhmm!” Marble hummed excitedly. “Great I’ll come ba-“ “Mm mmm,” Marble refused with a shake of her head. “Then… where should we meet?” Marble lifted up a hoof and gently padded Trixie’s chest. For a moment Trixie stared down at it, and then covered it with her own. “My house? Do you even know where I live?” “Mmhmm.” Trixie wasn’t sure how the mare figured out where she lived at, but at least she could be sure that Marble would keep her word. If there was one thing that Trixie had learned about Marble over the years, it was that excelled at two things; billiards and sneaking out of the house. Besides Marble was an adult, she could make her own decisions. “Alright, I’ll be expecting you at midnight tomorrow my place. Bring your cute little face and I’ll make us some hot chocolate,” Trixie said with a wink. Marble’s face went pink and she looked down at the floor shyly. The way that she looked right then made Trixie’s own cheeks grow warm. Trixie leaned against the wall and padded for Marble to take a seat next to her. Once the mare did Trixie leaned her head against Marble’s shoulder and together they watched the stars twinkling in the night sky. This was the best night that Trixie had experienced in a very, very long time. After awhile, and despite how much it pained her heart, she separated herself from Marble and climbed back down the rope. Once retrieving her grappling hook and waving farewell to her dear friend, she was on her way back home Trixie with a bounce in her step. She couldn’t help but to whistle a joyous tune to herself. If she had been a pony with slightly less self control she may have even broken into song with how happy she was. On second thought, why not break into song? Before she could even open her mouth a light blue mare with rainbow mane walked around the corner of a building. There was a bucket of red paint being held in her mouth and her hooves were stained with the stuff. Trixie had just caught Rainbow Dash red hoofed, though she wasn’t sure what Rainbow had actually done. They both paused and stared at one another. Finally Rainbow Dash managed to set the paint down and ask, “What are you doing out so late?” Trixie didn’t like the implication in the mare’s tone. “I was walking my dog.” “You have a dog?” “What were you doing out here?” Rainbow Dash looked at the paint, then at her hooves then at Trixie. “Uh… walking the… paint…” “You were walking your paint?” “Shut up!” Trixie shrugged. “I don’t really care, Trixie has much more important things to do than get wrapped into a conversation with you.” “You’re walking around with a grappling hook and hoof cuffs, you’re not any better!” Trixie grinned devilishly. “There you are wrong. At least I am competent.” Rainbow Dash reared up. “Why you little.” Trixie’s horn lit up and a cloud of smoke surrounded both her and Rainbow Dash. Just as she heard the mare begin coughing Trixie galloped away. There was never a reason to enter a combat that she knew she couldn’t win. Trixie might be skilled, and sly, and intelligent, and pretty but she was no martial artist. Rainbow Dash was the exact opposite in all those traits. Once Trixie had gotten at least a half mile away from the mare she turned toward home and started her way there. If Trixie had one wish in this whole world, it would be for Rainbow Dash to never discover her secret friendship with Marble. The only images that came to mind for if such an event occurred included Trixie getting being forced to eat dirt while the rainbow maned bully lorded over her. “I’ll make that mare eat dirt before I,” Trixie swore to herself. She looked around and realized she was completely alone. “Talking to yourself, Trixie? Now you do look crazy.” Even with the unwelcomed encounter that night, she still found her spirits to be lifted as she walked home. Seeing Marble again, touching her, smelling her, just being near her presence had set off the fireworks in her heart and gave her cause to celebrate. Perhaps if she were truly lucky, things would work out and they would elope for a wonderful day of play. Of course, now Trixie had to think of a way to get Pinkie Pie out of the way. Out of the many ideas that came to mind, she struggled to find any one plan that could work. She left the thought alone for now, she could think of one later, when she wasn’t so tired.