Still Not a Party Pony (But Getting a Little Better at It... Maybe...)
Marble’s legs were too stiff to walk forward. She made a few cursory attempts to move them, which probably came off as little more than a pitiful wobble to the mares in front of her.
Come on, move already, she berated herself. It’s only three extra pairs of eyes on you, why are you so scared?
She gulped, glancing around at each of the smiling faces with utter terror. Before Marble could work up the nerve to pass out, she felt a tug at her foreleg. Looking over, she saw Minuette’s comforting smile and for a moment everything was okay.
“Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine, Shy Pie.” Minuette nudged her head toward the group and started over to it, inviting Marble to walk with her.
Marble felt her stomach drop. Her legs still refused to work and she ended up watching Minuette walk halfway to the party table while doing absolutely nothing.
“You okay?” Marble felt her sister’s hoof go around her shoulder and she flinched slightly. Limestone gave her a serious look, all but asking her if she wanted to go home.
“I-I’m fine,” Marble retorted, her brief moment of shock jolting her legs into motion. She hurried after Minuette, unable to look her sister in the eye.
Unfortunately, her walking propelled her right into the conversation zone of the three mares. Marble knew it was too late to stop, backpedal, or pretend she wasn’t able to speak, so the best she could hope for was that these mares weren’t the talkative type.
...Then again, they’re friends with Minuette, so… oh Celestia please help me.
Marble swallowed shakily as she finished her approach. Her legs felt like jelly, and the fact that she hadn’t toppled over yet from the crushing weight of her own fear amazed her. It helped that Minuette was right next to her, at least.
The party’s host was the first to offer her a warm wave and smile. A combo move that almost knocked her out on the spot. “It’s nice to meet you, Marble.”
Marble forced a smile. Okay… don’t hyperventilate… don’t pass out… just talk.
“It’s Moon Dancer to meet you too, nice.” She flinched. Darn it!
Moon Dancer cocked her head slightly. “Uh… what?”
Marble retreated behind her mane. “I-I’m s-sorry…” No, don’t apologize! Just… say something not stupid. “I… uh… um…”
At this point, only about all of Marble's face was obstructed by hair. Not that it did her much good, but it was better than mumbling incoherently at the ground. Thank goodness Minuette was draping her foreleg around her or she would’ve been stuck like that for hours.
Wait…
A blush wormed its way onto Marble’s face as Minuette finished wrapping her in a semi-hug. “You hanging in there, Shy Pie?” she asked in a whisper.
Marble swallowed. “N-No…”
Minuette gave her a loving pat. Was it loving? Marble wanted to believe so. It could’ve just been a friendly one, but maybe Minuette meant for it to mean more because she secretly wanted to date Marble just as much as Marble wanted to date her. Maybe?
Or maybe she was reading too much into it.
“Sorry, Moon Dancer,” Minuette said to the host. “Marble’s really shy. Like, really really shy. She only came as a favor to me, so just give her a sec to warm up to this whole thing.”
“Oh, sure thing.” Moon Dancer gave an understanding smile. “I know what it’s like to be uncomfortable at a party. Just take your time, Marble.”
“...okay…” Marble resented how meek that came out, but it was too late to change it.
Moon Dancer looked over to Limestone. “You’re not shy too, are you?”
“No.” Limestone flicked her head to the side. “I’m just not that big on parties.”
Moon Dancer grinned. “Heh, yeah, I know what that’s like too.” She nudged her head to the nearest table, which was overflowing with pretzels, chips, cake, and the like. “When you’re feeling up to it, we’ve got plenty of food, so feel free to dig in.”
Limestone made a face of indifference, but was betrayed by a rumbling of her stomach. She’d skipped lunch for the rock candy meeting and now had to suffer the consequences of it: eating snacks at a party.
“Food sounds fine, I guess.” She walked over to the table and Moon Dancer followed, grabbing a handful of chips with her magic.
Marble had yet to move, mostly because she didn’t want to risk Minuette taking her foreleg away.
“You all right?” she asked.
Marble poked her head out from her curtain of hair. “I’m f-fine.”
Minuette frowned; an action that punched Marble in the heart. “You sure? Because it looks like you might pass out.”
Marble offered the tiniest smile in existence. “Yeah, heh… ‘might’.”
Minuette brought up a hoof to cover her laugh. Sweet Celestia, that laugh. It made Marble want to melt at just the sound.
“Well, if you’re aren’t up for it, just let me know. I don’t want to force you to be here or anything.” Her hoof started to slowly slip away.
“W-wait!” Marble swallowed as Minuette’s hoof slowed. “I want to be here… really! I just…” Her eyes darted over to Minuette’s friends. “...don’t like strangers.”
Minuette frowned. “Well wasn’t I a stranger to you just a few hours ago? Heck, someponies might say we’re still strangers since we’ve only had a hoofful of conversations.”
“B-But…” Marble’s eyes widened as she realized the implications of what she just said. There was absolutely no way she wanted Minutte to think she didn’t like her.“I-I mean… you’re different. I t-think you’re wonderful.”
“Aww.” Minuette smiled and Marble thought--thought--there might’ve been a hint of pink hidden in those cheeks. “That’s sweet of you, Marble.”
Heart fluttering, Marble tried her hardest to not let her response squeak out. “You’re welcome.”
Minuette’s hoof finished slipping away and its owner took a step toward the party. “Don’t worry, I know you’ll think my friends are just as wonderful as me.”
Oh, I doubt that.
Not to discount the potential wonderfulness of the mares currently stuffing their faces with chips, but as far as Marble was concerned Minuette couldn’t be beat in that category.
Despite her doubt, Marble knew she still had to give Minuette’s friends a chance. After all, she’d practically promised at this point. Not to mention she may actually like these mares after taking the opportubity to get to know them.
It was just that pesky ‘getting to know them’ part Marble wasn’t so keen on.
With each step screaming hesitation, Marble made her way over to the snack table. Moon Dancer sent a smile her way, grateful that she seemed to be feeling up to participating.
As she neared the table, a bowl of potato chips floated her way, courtesy of Twinkleshine.
“Wan thum?” she asked, tantalizing her by shaking the bowl.
Marble’s ears folded down. What was she supposed to say to that? She wasn’t hungry because she’d had lunch earlier, but if she turned down the offer would Twinkleshine be upset? Mad? Would she want to kick her out of the party?
Don’t be silly, Marble. You won’t get kicked out for not wanting to eat chips. You’ll just be ostracized to the point of becoming a wallflower at a party of six.
Well that didn’t help.
Marble bit her lip. Maybe pretending she was hungry was for the best? No, she was a terrible liar. If they found out then she definitely would be kicked out, no question about it.
So…
Uh…
Eaehhh…
Sweat crawled down the back of her neck as she struggled to think of a response that wouldn’t ruin everything.
“Uh… Marble?” Twinkleshine swallowed and waved a hoof in front of the paralyzed pony’s face. “What’s wrong? You’re not allergic to chips, are you?”
“Marble?” And now Limestone was looking at her. Great, just great!
Just say something! Marble swallowed, feeling all of two feet tall. “I-I’m fine, t-thanks”
Twinkleshine blinked and Marble’s entire body clenched in anticipation for the worst.
“Okay then.” Twinkleshine returned the chips to their resting place with no complaints.
Marble let out a sigh of relief, only shaking a lot. Disaster averted.
“So tell us a little bit about yourselves,” Moon Dancer asked, catching both Limestone and Marble in her gaze.
Marble froze. Disaster unaverted.
“Yeah,” Lemon Hearts offered a smile, but thankfully for Marble this one was directed at her sister. “I—That is to say, we—would like to get to know you a little better.”
“Uh, okay…” Limestone gave Marble a brief glance and a nod, silently letting her sister know that she’d take this one. She turned to everypony else and cleared her throat. “We live on a rock farm.”
Everypony leaned in, expecting more. Limestone, however, simply popped another chip in her mouth and started chewing, signifying the end of her backstory.
“That’s it?” Lemon Hearts asked.
“Yup.” Limestone swallowed.
Confused glances were traded between the four mares who had known Limestone the least. Marble, on the other hoof, couldn’t say she was all that surprised at her sister’s curtness.
“Surely there’s more to your personality than the fact that you grew up on a rock farm,” Moon Dancer insisted.
“Are you saying I don’t have personality?” Limestone’s eyes narrowed.
Moon Dancer blinked. “U-Uh, no! Of course not!”
Marble winced, hoping her sister wouldn’t explode, but knowing she probably would now all the same. Limestone’s short fuse had been lit and the rage was already building behind her eyes.
In an instant, Marble ran through the list of the worst-case scenarios in her mind. She figured at best, they’d both be kicked out of the party and go home, never to see Minuette again. At worst her sister would leave them all in tears and Minuette would be mad at both of them for even showing up and then she would never want to see Marble again.
Whimpering, Marble’s ears folded down and her eyes squeezed shut as she waited for the inevitable.
“Okay, let’s all calm down.”
Marble opened her eyes to see Minuette standing in front of Limestone with a gentle, yet commanding look in her eye.
“I’m sure Moon Dancer didn’t mean to imply that you didn’t have any personality, Limestone.” Minuette shot a glance back to her friend. “Right?”
Moon Dancer nodded, grateful the tension was being defused. “Right. I never meant to say that, sorry Limestone.”
Minuette turned, looking the bomb right in the eyes. “Are we good?”
Limestone still looked ready to go off, but her eyes wandered over to Marble and her whole expression softened. “Yeah, fine. Whatever.”
And just like that, the bomb was deactivated.
Marble gaped in awe. No one short of Pa had ever been able to force Limestone to calm down and that was only in very rare circumstances. Yet Minuette had done it with ease.
“Well.” The smile returned to Minuette’s face. “Now that that’s over, how about we just get back to the party?”
She looked back at her with an encouraging smile, and Marble was quick to return it. However, on the inside her heart was thumping wildly against her chest. Already this party had been the victim of two almost-disasters and it probably wasn’t even half over! Marble doubted she had the fortitude to survive the rest.
“So, uh, about the whole ‘living on a rock farm’ thing,” Lemon Hearts began.
Limestone glared at her. “What about it?”
“You wouldn’t happen to live in Nickerlite, then, would you?”
Both Limestone and Marble blinked in confusion at that one. Rock farming was about the rarest form of agriculture there was and Nickerlite was so small that it didn’t even show up on most maps. To connect the dots between the two wasn’t exactly something the average pony could do.
“Uh, yeah.” Limestone looked at Lemon Hearts with renewed interest. “How’d you know that?”
Lemon’s face flushed for a moment and she failed to respond immediately. “Oh well… you know, I…”
Twinkleshine stepped forward to help her flailing friend. “It’s cause she’s a big rock nerd.”
Limestone’s eyebrow rose. “Really?”
“Twinkleshine,” Lemon begged.
“Well it’s true.” Twinkleshine turned back to Limestone. “You see, we all went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns and out of all the majors she could have picked, you know what she chose? Out of all the crazy fields of magic she could have gone into? Magical crystal studies. Crystal studies for Celestia’s sake.”
“Twinkleshine.” Lemon’s face was bright pink now.
Twinkle grinned. “With a minor in geology.”
“Stop it!” Lemon Hearts shoved her friend, who laughed in turn. “She doesn’t want to hear about all that…”
Limestone regarded the two of them for a moment and rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I mean it’s not like you have a rocktorate or anything.”
Marble thought she saw Lemon Hearts deflate a little bit at that, but doubted it.
“So what brings you guys all the way to Canterlot?” Moon Dancer asked, directing the question Marble’s way.
Swallowing, she mustered up the courage to mumble. “U-uh, w-w-we’re… rock-k candy.”
Moon Dancer cocked her head. “What?”
“Uh…” Marble swallowed. Try harder! You are not going to ruin this. “We came for a… a r-r-rock c-candy… t-thing.”
...Nope, I’ve ruined it.
“Oh, that’s… neat?” Moon Dancer showed clear signs of miscomprehension.
“She means they were here for a sales pitch about rock candy,” Minuette said, stepping into the conversation. “Hey, did you still have any leftover?”
Confidence returned to Marble—a feeling completely foreign to her—and she nodded. “Uh, y-yeah, I should.” She dug into her saddlebags and came back up with a hoofful of ruby-colored treats.
“Hey, those look pretty good!”
Marble let out an ‘eep’ of surprise, realizing that she had forgotten Twinkleshine and Lemon Hearts, both of whom now eyed the sweets in her hoof.
“You don’t mind if we have some, do you?” Moon Dancer asked.
Marble breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, a safe question. She had no qualms about parting with the rest of her rock candy and giving it up certainly wouldn’t result in her getting thrown out of the party. She nodded.
The candy was magically snatched from her hoof a moment later. It wasn’t long after that she had to refrain from giggling slightly as all three mares were struggling to bite down on their treats.
She felt a nudge at her side and turned to Minuette.
“Mind if I have some too?” she asked with a smile.
Marble blushed, but quickly recovered by ripping off her saddlebags and holding up the exposed pouch. “Y-you can have all of it if you want.”
Minuette giggled. “Aw, thanks, but I probably shouldn’t take that much.” Two small pieces levitated free. “I am a dentist after all. Me and candy are supposed to be bitter enemies.” She winked.
“I-I won’t tell anyone,” Marble promised, causing Minuette to giggle again.
A loud crunch suddenly tore their attention back to everyone else.
“Geeze,” Moon Dancer gasped, the shattered remains of her candy still in her mouth. “What’s in these things? Rocks?”
“Yes,” Limestone replied simply.
Moon Dancer froze. “You’re kidding.”
With a snap, Twinkleshine’s candy finally broke, freeing her up to talk again. “I don’t think she is.”
Minuette rolled her piece on her tongue for a moment, pondering if it was a good idea to bite down. Eventually she pushed it to one side of her mouth and looked at Marble. “Is it made out of rocks?”
Marble paled. Was eating rocks a bad thing in Canterlot? She didn’t know, but didn’t want to risk saying the truth, otherwise—
“Yeah, they are,” Limestone replied for her.
Marble cringed. Then cringed harder. And then wished she was invisible. It was only a matter of time now before they all got mad at her now. She even saw Minuette shooting her a concerned glance, obviously a preview of what was to come.
Twinkleshine looked at Limestone, face contorted in confusion. It was clear she was torn between the fact that she was eating a rock and the fact that it tasted so good. “Why exactly did you put rocks in rock candy?”
“It’s not just any old rock if that’s what you’re worried about.” Limestone casually waved away Twinkle’s concern. “We use a special type of mineral in these things. They’re perfectly edible.”
“Oh, well in that case.” Minuette bit into her candy with practiced finesse and started chewing. It wasn’t long before everypony else followed suit.
Marble breathed a sigh of relief for the umpteenth time since the party started. She was getting really good at dodging bullets.
Lemon Hearts finally crunched into her candy too. “I’ve heard about a bunch of kinds of edible rocks before. Which did you use for these?”
Limestone served her a glance with a side of raised eyebrow. “You asking me to give away the secret recipe?”
“Oh, no, of course not.” Lemon Hearts looked away, mumbling as she chewed. “I just wanted to make conversation with you.”
Limestone blinked twice, considering her words. She ended up just shrugging them off, however.
Moon Dancer finally swallowed her candy, smacking her lips. “Hey, anypony ready for the piñata?”
Faces brightened all around them. “Sure,” Twinkleshine said.
“Sounds good,” Lemon Hearts agreed.
“Yeah, I could go for hitting something.” Limestone grinned.
Minuette looked to Marble and then turned back to Moon Dancer with a half smile on her face. “You guys go on ahead, we’ll catch up in a second.”
Marble blinked and opened her mouth, wanting to say something. The words died in the back of her throat, however, killed by a rising concern. As everypony else moved past them towards the piñata, Marble struggled to figure out what this meant.
Naturally, the first thing she did was worry.
After all, that was the appropriate response, right? Minuette randomly wanted to talk to her alone; obviously she wanted to tell Marble that things weren’t working out and that she should just go home before she ruined the party any more.
But the deceptively warm smile on Minuette’s face told a different story entirely. As she drew near, she put a hoof on Marble’s shoulder, sending a jolt through her body.
“Marble, are you all right?” Minuette asked.
She swallowed. So Minuette wasn’t going to kick her out. Maybe. “W-why wouldn’t I be?” Marble struggled out as her emotions tried to level off.
“Because every five seconds you look like somepony’s punched you in the gut.” Minuette’s smile dropped in favor of a more serious look. “Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Marble’s mouth twitched and she lowered her eyes, not wanting to respond.
“Is it the party?” Minuette asked.
Marble bit her lip and looked away. Her eyes fell on the rest of the party goers as they were coming down from a laughing fit. Limestone was wearing a white blindfold, swinging a stick wildly at a neon-colored, book-shaped piñata. Minuette followed her line of sight.
“Is it my friends? Do you not like them?”
“They’re f-fine,” she mumbled. “E-everything’s f-fine.”
Minuette frowned. “Come on, Marble. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
Shuffling her hooves, Marble finally sighed. “I… I don’t want to ruin everything.”
“What?” Minuette tilted her head back in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t…” Marble sniffled. “I don’t want to make them m-mad, cause they m-might kick me out and then you might h-hate me and… and…” She struggled to put words to her inhibitions, but it still came out sounding a lot more pathetic than she meant to.
Minuette blinked in surprise as tears started welling up behind Marble’s eyes. Marble wished she could stop them, but they were pretty much passed the point of no return. She sank into a sitting position and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry.”
It wasn’t even a second after the words left her lips that a pair of blue hooves wrapped her in a hug. Marble felt her breath catch in her throat and her face heated up.
“Oh, Shy Pie,” Minuette whispered. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
Marble blinked back her tears, still not able to breath. Despite this, she tried to say something, but it ended up coming out as a whimper.
“If anypony should be apologizing, it’s me. I didn’t realize just how bad your social anxiety is.” Minuette patted her back. “But trust me, my friends aren’t going to get mad at you for you being you. They’re like, some of the nicest mares I know. They just want to be your friend.”
Marble swallowed and forced herself to take a breath. “O-okay.”
Minuette had no trouble detecting the uncertainty in her voice. “You don’t have to worry about messing anything up, you hear me? I wouldn’t kick you out and I won’t get mad at you. I promise.”
Marble sniffled. “R-really?”
Minuette shifted back, revealing the massive grin on her face. “Totally.”
Marble tried really, really hard not to blush. Emphasis on the word tried.
“T-t-thank you…” She whispered. Her eyes darted to the ground, to the right, to the sky, and then back to Minuette.
She’d be lying if she said this talk had completely washed away all of her worries, but she did feel at least a little better. The assurance that she wasn’t going to ruin her chances with Minuette did bolster her confidence a little bit.
Maybe even enough to… no. No, she wasn’t ready to ask Minuette out on a date. Or even ask Minuette if this qualified as a date. As terrified as she was about potentially screwing up this party, her fear of making things awkward with her crush dwarfed that.
And yet, Marble knew that once she stepped on that train to return home, the odds that she’d ever be sent back to Canterlot were very slim. If she wanted to see Minuette again, they would have to make plans. But if Minuette didn’t say anything then that would mean… that would mean…
She’d have to ask her out.
Oh Celestia...
“Feeling better?” Minuette asked. Her head tilted slightly at the obvious paling of Marble’s face.
Pushing down the butterflies in her stomach, Marble nodded. She’d worry about the fact that she might have to ask Minuette out a little later. “A little bit.”
Minuette flashed her sparkly smile. “Think you might wanna take a few swings at the piñata now? If you don’t it’s totally okay. I understand.”
Marble swallowed and glanced over at piñata side of the party. Limestone was furiously swinging at air, screaming out curses at the paper mache book, which was directly above her head.
“I-I guess so, s-sure.”
“Cool.” Minuette stood up and Marble followed her to all fours. “I think your sister’s had a long enough turn anyway.”
Marble couldn’t deny that. If Limestone spent any longer trying to swing down that piñata the veins on her forehead might burst.
She followed Minuette over to the rest of the party goers, her heart only thumping half as wildly as before. It really did help to know they weren’t going to excommunicate her from the party if she made a mistake.
As they got closer, Limestone threw down her stick in frustration and ripped off the blindfold.
“Ah, forget it!” Limestone yelled, venomously glaring down the piñata. “Stupid thing must be broken.”
“Uh, actually it isn’t,” Twinkleshine said. “You see, if you had actually managed to hit it, then it would be broken and we’d get the candy inside.”
Limestone glared at her, face red from frustration and her eyelid twitching faster than the laws of agitation should allow. She opened her mouth, both ready and willing to vent out all of her piñata-based scorn on the unicorn before her. Marble tensed up when she saw this.
“Okay, why don’t we just calm down a bit.” Moon Dancer stepped between the two and gave Limestone a glance. “No need to get angry over one little piñata, right?”
Limestone huffed, but at least didn’t explode. She turned her head away, mumbling under her breath.
“Uh… I’m sorry you weren’t able to hit it,” Lemon Hearts said to her, likely hoping to calm her down.
“Whatever,” Limestone gruffly grunted. She stalked back over to the snack table, grumbling to herself.
“Well then…” Moon Dancer pressed her lips together and frowned, but eventually shook it off and turned back to the rest of her party guests. “Anyway, who’s next?”
Marble glanced over at Minuette, who gave her an encouraging nod. “U-uh… I would…” she quietly murmured.
Moon Dancer smiled. “Really? Awesome!” Her magic sparked into existence, picking the piñata back up and levitating a blindfold over to Marble.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the stick Limestone had been using also levitating close to her. She tentatively grasped it in her hoof and ‘eep’ed in surprise as the blindfold sealed off her field of vision.
“Ready when you are,” Moon Dancer told her. The piñata jiggled, rustling the candy inside as an indication for her.
Marble’s hoof shook as she held the stick. She just decided that she hated being blindfolded. Seeing nothing but darkness was really uncomfortable, but even so she was determined to at least try. Who knew, maybe if she broke open the piñata she’d have enough courage to ask Minuette out.
Knees wobbling, she took a step forward and swung the stick, slicing through air but not much else.
Taking a deep breath, Marble tried again. Her swing sailed through the air again, but completely missed the piñata.
“Come on, Marble!” Minuette’s voice hit her ears. “You’re so close!”
A blush rose up on Marble’s cheeks and she prayed that her blindfold was wide enough to cover it. Spurred on by Minuette’s words, she took a step forward and swung with all of her might.
THWACK!
“Ow!”
Marble flinched, winced, and cried out all at once. She’d just hit somepony!
No no no no no, oh please Celestia no!
She dropped the stick, letting it clamor to the ground as she ripped off her blindfold. Light flooded into her vision and she blinked to alleviate the stress of it.
As focus came back to her world, she desperately looked around for whoever it had been that she’d whacked. An apology would only go so far, but it was the best she could offer. Though, at this point it probably didn’t matter. Despite Minuette’s earlier assurance, Marble was definitely getting kicked out now.
“I’m so sorr—” The words lurched in her throat as she finally took in the sight before her.
Nopony looked hurt. In fact, nopony was even close enough to her to have been hurt.
“W-What?” Marble looked around and saw Twinkleshine snickering into her hoof.
“Twinkle!” Minuette exclaimed, an annoyed look on her face.
“S-Sorry,” Twinkleshine gasped, breaking out into all out laughter. “I just… haha! Oh gosh, the look on her face!” She fell on her back, rolling with laughter “It was priceless!”
Marble blinked and frowned. “I don’t… what?”
Minuette sighed at her friend and crossed to Marble. “She faked getting hit as a prank.” Minuette turned to her friend. “Even though it was definitely not funny to scare you like that!”
Twinkle calmed down enough to sit back up. “Sorry, Marble.”
Still perplexed, Marble glanced from her to Minuette. “But then… what did I hit?”
Now, Minuette smiled. Without saying a word she nudged her head down. Marble blinked and looked to the ground. Sitting before her was the book piñata, with a massive hole in the center that had candy spilling out all around.
“Congratulations, Marble!” Moon Dancer trotted forward with a smile. “Sorry about Twinkleshine. She’s uh… she’s a bit of a joker.”
“I-It’s all right,” Marble assured her. Her heart rate had finally slowed down enough to be considered ‘fast’ now.
Minuette’s horn lit up and she dragged a still snickering Twinkleshine over by her tail. “All right, now apologize for real.”
“Okay, okay.” Twinkleshine stood up and dusted herself off. Her giggles had finally faded, so she took a deep breath and said, “I’m sorry, Marble. That wasn’t cool of me.”
Marble was able to give a tiny smile in return. “Really, it’s f-fine.”
“In that case…” Twinkleshine’s horn sparked to life and snatched up a bunch of the piñata’s innards. “Better get your candy while you can!”
Marble blinked in surprise as the rest of the horns in the group lit up. The candy on the ground was scooped up seconds later, leaving only a little behind. Although she didn’t really need any, Marble bent down and grabbed a hoofful or two, just as a souvenir from her first duel with a piñata. She slipped them in her saddlebags.
“So out of curiosity, where did you even find a book-shaped piñata anyway, Moon Dancer?” Minuette asked.
Moon Dancer smiled. “Oh, Pinkie Pie made it for me. Apparently she makes book-themed ones all the time for Twilight’s parties.”
Marble’s ears flicked at the mention of her sister’s name. “Y-You know Pinkie Pie too?”
Everypony nodded and Minuette’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I forgot.” Her foreleg snaked over Marble’s back. “Girls, you’re looking at Pinkie Pie’s twin sister!”
“Wait, what?”
“Holy cow, that’s so cool!”
“You’re serious?”
Marble squirmed at the sudden burst of attention. The realization that her sister had met all of these ponies on top of Minuette was pretty crazy. She knew Pinkie Pie was social, but this was insane!
“That’s pretty awesome.” Moon Dancer grinned. “I never would’ve guessed you two were twins just based on appearances.”
Marble shrugged. “I guess we do look kind of different.”
Lemon Hearts laughed. “‘Kind of’ is an understatement. Still, pretty neat. So I guess this means Limestone is also related to Pinkie?”
Marble nodded. “She’s our big sister.”
Twinkleshine snickered into her hoof again. “Big sister, huh? Well that explains it. Lemon always was interested in older mares.”
Marble tilted her head. “Huh?”
Lemon Hearts drove her fetlock into her friend’s side. “Shut up!”
“Oh, don’t deny it, Hearts. Besides, everypony’s already figured out you’ve got the hots for—”
“I said shut up!” Lemon Hearts pushed Twinkleshine, who retaliated in kind.
Marble watched the exchange curiously before turning to Minuette and Moon Dancer. “Umm… d-do either of you know what that’s all about?”
Minuette rolled her eyes at the two of them. “Don’t worry too much about it.”
Moon Dancer nodded. “Yeah, it’s no big deal.”
Marble blinked. “Oh, um… okay.”
“So who’s up for a little pin the tail on the pony?”
It was late afternoon when Moon Dancer finally ran out of party games.
Marble was actually a little exhausted from it all. Especially the water balloon fight. The instant Limestone had gotten wet, everything had turned much more violent than intended.
Still, that was all over now. Reflecting on it all, Marble did have to admit that she’d had fun. Once Minuette had gotten her to ease up a little—a lot—she was able to stop worrying and enjoy herself for the second time since arriving in Canterlot.
As the party began winding down Marble excused herself away from the group in favor of her own thoughts. She knew they would have to leave soon if they wanted to catch a train home.
And even with that deadline in mind, she still hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask Minuette out.
How could she? Minuette had never said that this or their lunch together were dates, which meant she probably didn’t consider them to be dating which meant that Marble would have to ask. Not helping was the fact that Minuette was still the most amazingest, wonderful, beautiful mare she’d ever met.
Also not helping was her hyperventilation.
“Are you okay?”
Marble’s eyes darted to her left to see Lemon Hearts giving her a concerned look. She slowed her raspy breaths long enough to speak. “F-fine. J-just fine.”
Lemon regarded her with disbelief for a moment, but as Marble’s breathing started to return to normal she seemed to accept her answer.
For a moment, neither said anything, but then Lemon Hearts kicked at the ground and took a breath. “Can I ask you something?”
Marble bit her lip, hesitant, but not unwilling. “Okay…”
“Your sister…” Lemon Hearts looked back to Limestone, who was stomping the remnants of the piñata into the ground with a satisfied smile. “...is she single?”
Marble reacted like the words were slaps. “What?”
Lemon Hearts flinched. “I… uh…” She blushed. “I just wanted to know if Limestone was seeing anypony or not.”
“Uh…” Marble still failed to process the question.
“I’m not trying to be weird about it!” Lemon stressed. “I just…” Her face went red. “I kinda… like her… you know?”
Marble couldn’t deny that she understood the feeling. “Uhm… she doesn’t have a marefriend.”
Lemon Hearts whole demeanor brightened. “Do you think… I mean… hypothetically… say I asked her out. Would she say yes?”
Knowing Limestone... “N-Not likely”
Lemon deflated. “Oh…”
Marble bit her lip. She knew that wasn’t the easiest thing to hear. Just imagining being on the other end of this conversation made her stomach flopped and she found herself wishing she could’ve re-worded that last bit. Not that it was untrue; the odds Limestone would return anypony’s feelings were pretty small, but that didn’t mean Lemon Hearts had to be shot down so harshly.
“I’m sorry… I—”
“Don’t sweat it.” Lemon Hearts put on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I didn’t really think my chances were that high anyway. She seems pretty… independent.”
Marble frowned. She was surprised Lemon Hearts was so… accepting of Limestone’s hypothetical—although very likely—rejection. If Marble had been in her spot she’d be bawling her eyes out.
Lemon Hearts started to walk away, but paused and turned back around. “Oh, uh, in case you were wondering: Minuette is single too. And you didn’t hear this from me, but she is looking for a relationship.”
Marble’s face flushed. “U-Uh, w-w-w-what are y-you t-trying to imply?”
Lemon Hearts smiled. “You aren’t exactly subtle, Marble Pie.” With that, she winked and resumed walking off.
Marble turned to face the ground as her blush expanded. She knows? Who else knows? Moon Dancer? Twinkleshine? Limestone?
Well, obviously Limestone, but…
What if Minuette knows?
Marble shook with utter terror at that thought. Was it possible that Minuette knew about her crush? If so, why hadn’t she said anything? Was she just too nice to tell Marble no? Did she not want to risk their friendship? Was she overthinking this as much as Marble was?
“Hey, sis.”
“Eep!” Marble jolted from her thoughts to see Limestone standing next to her. “W-what is it?”
“Time to go.” Limestone pointed over her shoulder to the road. “We gotta catch a train home soon.”
Marble’s eyes widened. They were leaving already? But she still hadn’t worked up the courage to ask Minuette out! Lemon Hearts’ little ‘pep talk’ had just left her at the crossroads of confused and anxious.
“B-But I…” Marble shot a glance over to Minuette.
Limestone rolled her eyes. “Well of course you can say goodbye. Just try and make it quick, okay?”
Marble nodded. Her legs felt like lead, but she still forced them to start moving in the direction of everypony.
What am I going to do? She thought. They were about to leave, which meant she wouldn’t be coming back to Canterlot for a long time. Unless she could work up the nerve to ask Minuette out, they might not see each other again.
But how was she supposed to ask Minuette out? It was like asking a rock to climb a tree! An impossible task that could never—
Well, Boulder managed to do it that one time, but that’s beside the point.
As Marble drew nearer to everypony she felt a lump form in her throat. By the time she was right in front of them, the lump was so big she was surprised she could still breathe.
Minuette looked at her and smiled. “Hey, Shy Pie.”
And just like that Marble’s breath was taken away.
“H-Hi…” She prodded the ground. “I… I have to leave.”
“Aww, really?” Moon Dancer asked, to which Marble could only nod. “Oh well, it was nice having you here, Marble. The party wouldn’t have been the same without you and Limestone.”
Twinkleshine nodded. “Same here; I had a blast.”
Lemon Hearts smiled. “Me too.”
Marble turned up the corners of her mouth just a little bit. “Mmhmm…” She nervously made eye contact with Minuette and prodded the ground.
Lemon Hearts nudged Twinkleshine and Moon Dancer. “Hey, we better go say goodbye to Limestone too.”
“Sure thing.”
As they walked off, Lemon Hearts gave Marble another wink, one that undoubtedly meant ‘go for it’.
Marble turned back to Minuette. “I… um...”
Minuette just kept giving her same breath-stealing smile. “Got something on your mind, Marble?”
“...Mmhmm…”
“I can give you a minute if you need it.”
Marble nodded gratefully. She took a deep breath and pushed down the lump as far as she could. “I… I wanted to… if maybe… I mean…”
Her heart was thumping wildly now. Why couldn't she finish a simple sentence? Why couldn’t she just ask—
“Will you go on another date with me?”
The words slipped out of Marble’s mouth before she even knew what she was saying. She caught the exiting breath with a hurried gasp, but it was too late to unsay anything.
Marble squeezed her eyes shut. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
“Of course I will!”
What?
Her eyes shot open. “What?”
Minuette flashed her another smile. “I said of course I’ll go out with you, Marble.”
It was like a choir of angels singing in her ears. “R-Really?”
Minuette giggled. “Yeah, really. I’ve had a great time with you today, Shy Pie. And let’s face it, you’re super cute. So yes, I’d love to go on a date with you.”
Marble blushed, her heart racing. This was actually happening!
“I just have one question.”
“Yeah?” Marble blinked. “What is it?”
Minuette furrowed her brow in thought. “What did you mean by ‘another date’?”
Marble’s jaw hit the ground as she realized she had said that. “U-uh… I… I kinda…” She sighed, knowing there is no way she could talk around it. “I guess I just considered our lunch together to be our first date.”
“Oh Marble…”
She cringed, not knowing how Minuette would react.
“That wasn’t first date material.”
Marble un-cringed. “I-It wasn’t?”
Minuette giggled. “No, silly.” She put her hoof on Marble’s shoulder. “Okay, so can you make it back to Canterlot next Friday?”
Marble nodded without even thinking about it.
“Great, cause that’s when I’ll show you what a real first date is like. Sound good?”
In an instant, Marble wrapped her hooves and Minuette and squeezed her in a tight hug, forcing her to take a step back. “Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!”
Minuette laughed and returned her hug. “Okay then. Friday it is.”
Marble blinked back tears of happiness. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening! Not only had she worked up the nerve to ask Minuette out, but she said yes too!
She felt so light-headed and giddy that it almost felt like she might pass out. Marble clung to Minuette a little tighter, just to be on the safe side.
In the midst of her overwhelming joy, something caught her eye. Not too far off was Lemon Hearts fighting back her dejection as she said goodbye to Limestone. The sad look on the pony’s face sent a twinge through Marble’s heart. She wished there was some way to cheer her up; especially seeing as how Marble's pessimism was the reason Lemon wasn't trying to pursue her crush. If only there was a way to...
An idea suddenly popped into her mind.
“Uhm… Minuette?” Marble pulled away so she could look her in the eye.
“Yeah, Shy Pie? What’s up?”
Marble pulled out her sweetest possible smile. “D-Do you think we could make it a double date?”
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This is fantastic, seriously fantastic. I've got to feel sorry for poor old Lemon Hearts, though.
Keep up the good work!
This has the exact right mix of frustration and cuteness. I can't wait for the next chapter.
Oh wow. That's pretty spot on, I've totally been there. I'm not usually that nervous, but the first time I asked someone out I could barely talk. Shaking like a leaf, when I did say something it didn't make sense and I stuttered. Then the girl said no and I started praying for lighting to strike me down right then, just to get out of there. And I'm not even religious! I'm agnostic!
Seriously, it was the most terrifying thing I've ever done. After that, nothing seems that scary anymore. Especially impressive because I was a really, really cowardly kid. Freaking Alladin gave me nightmares! The Disney version! Now I go to horror movies for the comedy. Fear of heights? Gone. Spiders? Adorable! The next girl... I'm about ready to pass out from stress just being in the same room while she has absolutely no reason to notice me. Baby steps, I guess. Why does this culture insist that guys have to initiate everything?
I can really empathize with Marble here. Social anxiety is a very real thing, and it really sucks. Hang in there filly!
I am very happy that this was addressed in this chapter. Really look forward to more.
cuteness to the full extend.
....Is Marble trying to hook up her sister....wow.....
This story is giving me diabeetus from all the super adorable painfully shy Marble.
Keep up the fantastic work.
D'awwwwww it's adorable!
Oh, I cannot wait to see Limestone's reaction towards Marble's double date idea!
Hope things go well with Limestone and Lemon Hearts.
Awwwhawhawhaw, that was awesome, and sweet as balls!
nicely written mane! :D
Hahaha, oooooh next chapter is going to be glorious~
Oh wow, Shy Pie really stepping up there at the end! Love it~
I actually thoroughly enjoyed the story so far. I have never seen a story pairing marble with anypony but big mac. i'm excited to see how this goes. I also hope to see more between limestone and lemon too. that is a genius pairing too. it would be funny if while taking a romantic walk marble and minuette come across limestone and lemon in a secluded area making out big time
Interesting and cute enough to get an upvote and a follow.
I've been smiling the while time I've been reading this.
SOOOO SWEET!!
This...too...adorable...
In all honesty, I really feel for Marble here: asking your crush out when you're that shy can be really hard. And, Minuette's response to the "another date" thing is something I've actually seen in real life. A friendly lunch with a friend is one thing, but a date is something else entirely...
Oh dear.
I sincerely worry about Marble's health now. I really doubt she's prepared or capable of handling what Minuette considers a date.
Finally done reading the chappie, and oh my goodness my heart's about to burst from all the fluffy cuteness.
Yay! You did it, Marble! You finally asked Minuette out on a date!
And a double date for Lemon Hearts, too? That's double the awesome! 
I like the idea of a Limestone and Lemon ship. They both have sour fruits on their flanks and you have depicted Lemon Hearts as being at least interested in the whole rock farming idea.
Aww this is so sweet!
Keep this up! It's awesome!
D'aaawwww! Cuteness overload!
Loving this, great work.
And Shy Pie is now my favorite nickname for Marble.
now im excited for some lemon lime shopping
7119392 lemonlime ship all the way
This was a great chapter and over all the story has been amazing so far. Originally, when I read the first chapter I really though I wasn't going to like this story due to Marble sudden 'head over heels' affection towards Minuette, I thought that this story was going to be paced to fast but I was wrong. The pacing over the three chapters have been masterfully done and I've enjoyed reading every bit of it.
I like the background you gave to lemon hearts, it really makes me begin to wonder what kind of major the other ponies took (including Twilight even though she isn't in the story)
I can't wait to read the next chapter, but I'm afraid I must
As always thanks for writing and I've loved reading it.
P.S. LemonLime ship is awesome, even if it doesn't happen in this story.
More lemon lime soda please
This is such a lovely story keep up the good work
-Blizz
Marble's
clenched
singular
forgot a period
Other than that, fantastic chapter as always! I continue to look forward to the adventures of the ultimate shy horse!
Hnggg she's just TOO CUTE!!
Also, now I REALLY want to see what Limestone is like on a date!! O.O
Love the story so far
7136673 Definitely. I LOVE this, an once it's finished, it can be put back in the group. I'm just saying that it's incomplete.
I figured it out here. thought you might drag it out a little longer, but the lemon hearts/limestone thing is gonna be funny, ESPECIALLY if it works out. I officially ship it too and I call The ship Heartstone.
ermagerd
you NEED to continue this
Gosh dang, this just keeps getting cuter and cuter. Great work so far, can't wait to see what comes next!
I thought for sure marble was going to die from anxiety during that party. Poor Lemon doesn't know what she's getting into trying to like Limestone. Lemon and Limes now there's a combination made in heaven. Gods above help them all.
7157850 why not call it LemonLime?
aaawwwww, she could have at least told her that with the pairing stone, to make her understood not all hope is lost.
It is a nice story, but I had to force myself to start before I finally could notice how good it is.
I guess the description made me think about something different happen, and I probably wasn't sure if I liked the idea, but now I'm happy with it.
Now, based on my limited chemistry knowledge, I doth sense a science joke here. Well done.
7573107 I am trying to understand what you mean, whether you are saying Limestone is a Group 1 element (doubt it) or if it is something else I am unaware of.
7670815 Water + Limestone = BOOM! It's because of some of the elements that make up limestone.
781324 Calcium Hydroxide babeh.
Splashin' for a smashin'
7813240
Really? I didn't know that. But then again, Limestone Pie is pretty explosive.
The awkwardness levels are off the charts!
Someone call the fire department for Friday... And the lunar guard... And the hospital... Aaaaaaand the Pinkie Pie.
7117420
Oh hey, would ya look at that, there's my younger self - just tryna kill me in the present, cool, cool. Really just went out there and wrote down a public record of my social death there, huh? nice. only thing better than an execution is a public execution, y'know? gotta get those upgrades
Anyways, don't worry kid, message from the future - it all gets better, waaay better. I remember that girl! She said yes. Actually dated her for five years, nearly got married even. Girls aren't scary, you figure it out