Gems Beneath Quiet Quarries
“Wheeeeeee!” Pinkie Pie shrieked as Sunset rounded a tight corner on her bike.
Sunset grinned. Pinkie Pie’s exuberance never failed to put a smile on her face. Although the painful death grip around Sunset’s waist showcased at least some level of self-preservation instinct. She eased up on the throttle, and the bike hummed its low purr. The roads here were getting rocky and uneven, so breakneck speeds were no longer an option.
With every curve and dip, Sunset’s mental map of the area became fuzzier, and she wished for her own sake that she’d spent a little bit longer studying the directions on her phone. Of course, Pinkie Pie knew the way by heart.
“Ooh, take a left up by that rock! The one that kind of looks like a horse, but with its mane halfway shaved off, and with an expression like he’s super glad that the workweek is over but still overcome with a general depression because he knows he only gets two days of respite before he has to saddle up and do it all over again!”
A part of Sunset wanted to stop and see if Pinkie’s description was true, but she just rolled her eyes and turned the bike onto the next road.
Soon enough, they passed under a low stone arch, and a small farmhouse perched on top of a cliff came into view. Barren and rocky pretty much summed up any description of the place Sunset could think of. It certainly lacked the life and warmth of the Apple Family homestead.
None of that seemed to slow down Pinkie Pie in the slightest. As the bike slowed to a stop, Pinkie Pie hopped off and started doing cartwheels. “We’re here, we’re here!” After a few laps around the bike, she righted herself, then gestured grandly. “Sunset Shimmer, welcome to my home! Well, my home home, but not my home. Because, you know, I live with Maud while she’s going to college! But the place where I grew up. Maybe I should just call it the Pie Family Rock Farm?”
Sunset chuckled, then parked and turned off her motorcycle. She pulled her helmet off, and the chilly autumn breeze was a welcome relief to the sweat on her brow. “Hey, you didn’t receive, like, a text did you? About why we’re coming here? It’d be nice not to walk into this completely blind.”
Pinkie Pie giggled. “Don’t be silly! There’s no way my dad would text anyone! All we’ve got is the first letter. She dug a folded piece of paper out her hair, and read it out loud. “Dear Pinkamena Diane Pie, please come to the rock farm as soon as thou art able. Something is wrong. And bring thy magic horse friend.”
“Because being clear and direct would be too much to ask for, I guess.” Sunset rolled her eyes, then started walking towards the house. She could see someone sitting on the porch. “So, you grew up here, huh? No offense, but it doesn’t really seem like your style.”
“Hmm, doesn’t it? Well, I guess you’re right.” Pinkie Pie followed after Sunset, her hands clasped behind her back. “Going to Canterlot High I get to be a lot more… Pinkie, you know?”
Sunset nodded. As she got closer to the house, she could see that the figure on the porch was a young girl, about her own age.
She glared at the both of them as they approached, and ran a whetstone down a wide bit of metal.
“Hi Sis!” Pinkie Pie called out, gesticulating wildly. “This is one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Sunset Shimmer! Sunset, this is my big sister, Limestone Pie! She's kind of in charge of everything around here.”
Limestone grunted, then raised her bit of metal to point it at Sunset. It appeared to be a lawnmower blade with leather straps wrapped around the tapered handle. “So you're the magic horse Pinkamena’s told us all so much about. Here to turn into a giant rainbow and save us all with the power of love?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. Talk about a grumpy reception. None of the other girls knew much about the Pie family, and Pinkie only had glowing praise for her folks. She peered a little closer at Limestone, and saw that she had dark bags under her eyes and a thermos of coffee next to her chair. Well, Sunset could handle a little rudeness.
“I don't know.” Sunset climbed the steps to the porch, and leaned against the railing. “I've developed a bit of a reputation for being a problem solver, especially when it comes to magic, but it's all pretty unpredictable, and I don't know what we're dealing with here. All I can promise is that I'll do my best.” After a brief pause, Sunset put on her best smile and extended her hand. “Still, it's nice to meet you. You look like you've been working really hard for the sake of your family already. I might need your help, so I hope we can work together.”
Limestone stared at Sunset for a long time. A stiff breeze carried a few bits of loose gravel skipping across the porch. Finally, the corners of her mouth twitched in the slightest approximation of a smile. She scoffed, looked away, then grabbed Sunset's hand and shook it quickly. “Alright, fine. You'd better be as awesome as my sister says you are.” She looked up at the window and shouted, “Father! Pinkamena is here with her friend!”
Heavy steps sounded from inside the farmhouse and the door swung open to reveal a tall, grim looking man in a wide brimmed hat. He had dark circles under his eyes to match Limestone’s, and he nodded once at Pinkie. “Pinkamena. It is good to see you again. Thou art most kind in thy haste.”
Pinkie Pie stood up straight and saluted. “Sure thing, pops! Anyone messing with the Pie Farm is messing with me!” She put up her fists, and made a few jabs at the air. “Where are they? Let me at ‘em!”
Papa Pie’s face remained stern, though a twinkle in his eyes suggested amusement at his daughter's antics. He cleared his throat, then turned to Sunset and bowed low. “Thou must be Sunset Shimmer. I must humbly ask for thy assistance in this grave matter.”
Sunset rubbed at the back of her head, then returned a stiff bow of her own. “I'll do whatever I can to help. Though if you could tell me what exactly what's going on, I'll be able to start working on a plan.”
“Of course.” Papa Pie ran a hand down his impressive sideburns, then stepped back. “Thou must be tired from thy journey. Come inside, my wife shall serve tea.”
“Ooh, I want to help!” Pinkie Pie jumped up, her hands in the air. “Mom’s tea is the best!” With barely a second's pause, Pinkie vanished into the open door, her footsteps thundering through the rickety house.
Papa Pie mumbled a quick, “Make thyself at home,” before following after his daughter.
Sunset sighed, then stretched, her bones popping audibly. It had been a long drive. And things weren't apparently that urgent. She turned to Limestone, who still sat with her makeshift weapon across her knees. “Hey. Where's the bathroom here?”
A devilish smirk crossed Limestone’s face. She pointed with her blade to the cliff. “Just go off the edge.”
“Wow.” Sunset whistled appreciatively. “And you don't even have railings to hold onto. You must all have an amazing sense of balance.”
Limestone barked a short laugh. “Upstairs, second door on the left.”
Sunset flashed her teeth. “Thanks.” She made her way through the open door and shut it behind her. The interior of the house was sparsely decorated, but it still had a sense of being lived in. The directions proved accurate.
Once Sunset finished her business, she stepped back into the hallway, shaking her hands dry. A flutter of movement caught her attention, and she saw a scrap of a dark dress vanish around the corner.
Wasn't there supposed to be a third Pie sister?
Sunset smirked, then casually made her down the hall, acting as if she hadn't noticed anything. When she passed by the intersecting hallway, she kept going halfway, then suddenly spun to the left, leaning over the girl who pressed into the shadows. “Hi.”
The girl, who could only be Marble Pie, let out a high pitched, “Eep!” Her eyes grew as wide as dinner plates as she stared into Sunset's, and a deep blush slowly crept up her cheeks.
Something about a reaction so timid excited all sorts of things inside of Sunset. Back in her bullying days, she’d particularly enjoyed tormenting the shy, cute ones. Seeing them squirm and stammer never failed to get a rise out of her. Of course, that was then. Now? She had a sudden suspicion the urge had never really gone away, it had just lain dormant. This time, however, it would just be teasing in a nice, non-malicious way.
Mostly.
“It's nice to meet you. I'm Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset leaned in a bit closer, grinned, and extended her hand. “You're Marble Pie, right? When Pinkie Pie told me that her twin sister was the cutest, most adorable girl in the world, I thought she was just being Pinkie Pie. But I’m starting to think I should take her at her word more often.”
Marble Pie trembled and tugged at her hair, as if she could pull it far enough over her face to hide her embarrassment. After what must have been an eternity of careful mental deliberation and much summoning of courage, she gave the slightest of nods and slowly raised a shaking hand to lightly grip Sunset's with clammy fingers. “H-hi,” she whispered.
Sunset grinned, squeezed back, then pulled away to give her some space. “She tells me you're quiet and shy, too. Don't worry about it. I've got a friend back in Canterlot that's also pretty timid. If you want me to leave you alone, I will. Just wanted to be friendly, as long as I’m here.”
“Mmm.” Marble stared past her for a few seconds, then blinked and looked away. She took a deep breath and, with the faintest of whispers, mumbled, “It's fine.” Her blush practically shone on her cheeks, a luminescent red that wouldn’t be out of place in a herpetarium.
Sunset opened her mouth to offer another quip, but a shriek from downstairs cut her off.
“Sunset! Tea is ready!”
“I hear your Mom makes good tea.” Sunset turned to go, then glanced back over her shoulder and winked. “See you around.”
Sunset made her way down the stairs. Marble Pie didn’t follow.
The kitchen didn’t take long to find, and Sunset walked in on Pinkie Pie and her father already sitting at the table. An older woman, presumably Pinkie’s mother, fussed over the stove. Sunset sat down at Pinkie Pie’s insistence and sipped at the tea that was waiting for her. “Wow, this is good. Thanks.”
Papa Pie stared into his own teacup, his expression distant. “It began three nights ago.”
Sunset frowned, set her teacup down, and folded her hands on the table, waiting patiently.
“I was awoken by a terrible sound from outside. Liketh unto a scream, yet...” He sighed, and suddenly looked a lot older than he had earlier. He rubbed his wrinkled hands together. “If I were the only one to hear the wails, I would assume that some sort of madness had overtaken me. But every member of our family can confirm the presence of… this devil that haunts us.”
“A scream, you said?” Sunset asked, leaning forward.
“Almost human, but not,” Limestone said. She leaned against the kitchen doorway, light from behind framing her in shadow. “Something powerful, terrible. Gets into your bones. And it keeps up, maybe for an hour, maybe two.”
“Tis not all.” Papa Pie took a sip of his tea and sighed. “There is something out there, creeping about. A figure in the shape of a man. It seeks to remain within shadow, yet when the moonlight strikes it, it glimmers like a fresh cut gemstone. So far, it has kept a considerable distance. But each passing night, it slips closer to our home.”
Sunset licked her lips, and glanced at Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie shrugged, her expression serious. “Do you think we should call the girls?”
“I’m not sure how many of them would be able to make it on short notice.” Sunset glanced out the window. Not many hours of daylight left. “It hasn’t hurt anyone, or destroyed any property?”
Limestone grunted. “I’ve been staying up every night, taking shifts with Father.” She hefted her makeshift blade, her eyes glittering like obsidian. “If it was going to try anything, either I or it would be dead.”
Papa Pie shook his head. “It has not caused any overt destruction that we have found. Yet Limestone and I cannot work in the mines while also guarding the house.”
“I see.” Sunset drummed her fingers on the kitchen table and rested her chin on her other hand. “In that case, let’s just observe this phenomenon tonight. We’ll message the girls, tell them to keep their schedules open, in case whatever it is needs a good rainbow to the face tomorrow.”
“Okey-dokey!” Pinkie Pie whipped out her phone, her fingers already tapping out messages at lightning speed.
Sunset glanced between Limestone and her father, then nodded. “Right. Pinkie and I will take over your shifts for tonight. I’ll take the first. You two get some rest. You look like you need it.”
Papa Pie bowed his head. “I am but a simple man, Miss Shimmer. All I seek in life is to work my farm and provide shelter for my family. There is little I can offer thee for thy assistance, other than my eternal gratitude and that of my kin.”
Limestone pursed her lips, then thrust out her weapon towards Sunset, handle first. “I guess I can lend you this. His name is Kaiser. And you’d better bring him back in one piece.”
Sunset accepted the blade, closing her fingers around the leather handle. The weapon itself was light, but the weight of the responsibility it represented threatened to drag her under. Sunset looked up and met everyone's eyes in turn. “I won’t let you down.”
Dinner with the Pie family was both a somber and a rather bland affair, consisting of a weakly flavored soup and some bread. Though Sunset had a sneaking suspicion it would have been so even if there wasn’t a spooky monster harassing them.
Marble Pie had come down for dinner, said nothing, and continuously tried to sneak glances at Sunset whenever she thought Sunset wasn’t paying attention. Once her meal was finished, however, she had immediately fled to her room.
Maybe Sunset shouldn’t have teased the girl earlier. Oh well. The muted evening led to a rather ominous sense of dread building in Sunset’s gut.
One that was rather quickly dispelled once the stakeout actually began.
Sunset sat on a rocking chair on the front porch, Kaiser draped across her knees. It was damn chilly this night, and she was starting to wish she’d brought a thicker jacket. It had been two hours already. The rest of the Pie family slumbered behind her, and the evening was otherwise monster free. The moon shone bright in the sky, illuminating the barren and rocky cliffs and valleys that surrounded this tiny little farmhouse.
All in all, she was bored.
With a sigh. Sunset gingerly ran her finger along the edge of the blade. Limestone apparently took good care of it, for some reason. A thought occurred to her, and Sunset blinked, looking around. There wasn’t a blade of grass for miles.
“Why are you even here?” Sunset hissed. She glared at the weapon, as if she could will it to give up its secrets. Was it rescued from a trash pile? Maybe Limestone had borrowed it from a neighbor that did have a lawn. Maybe Limestone specifically went to the hardware store to buy a lawnmower blade to use as a weapon, rather than anything more practical, like a machete.
The creaking of boards interrupted Sunset’s pointless reverie. She tensed up, hefting the blade. The sound continued, and Sunset relaxed once more. It was just someone moving around in the house. Someone still awake, maybe going to the bathroom.
The footsteps from inside came closer, and then the front door swung open, just a few inches. Nobody came out, however, and Sunset looked over just in time to see dark bangs ducking out of sight.
Sunset chuckled, and smiled. “You can come out if you want. I could use the company. I promise I won’t bite.” She paused for a second, then grinned wickedly. “Unless you want me to.”
Marble let out a barely audible squeak, and the door swung closed.
Well crap. Sunset rubbed at the bridge of her nose, and sighed. She rolled her shoulders, and was about to stand up and try to apologize when the door handle turned again.
Marble Pie stepped out. Her eyes flickered between Sunset and the ground several times, her face lit up like a fire hydrant. She held a thermos in one hand, and a folded up blanket in another. She stood there, fidgeting for a few moments before taking a step closer and thrusting them towards Sunset.
“Thanks a bunch. I was just starting to think how much I could use something like this.” Sunset draped the blanket over her shoulders, then twisted off the lid of the thermos. The scent of fresh coffee filled her nose, steam rising up in the chilly air. “This smells heavenly,” Sunset murmured. “Did you make it yourself?”
“Mmm.” Marble Pie nodded once, then she looked between Sunset and the door, as if she wanted to bolt.
Sunset sighed and leaned back in her chair, letting the warmth from the thermos spread through her fingers. The blanket smelled faintly of peaches. “I won’t keep you here if you don’t want to be here. But I really could use the company.”
Marble Pie bit her lip, then took a deep breath and stepped to the side, resting one hand on the railing and looking up at the sky. She kept her back to Sunset. A breeze pushed the front door shut and she flinched, but stayed.
“Are you scared of the monster?” Sunset asked before taking a sip of her coffee. It was scalding, of course. Bit of a mistake.
Marble Pie shook her head. “Nnnumm.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Really? The way your sister described it, it's some sort of loud, screaming monstrosity. I’d be scared, if I were you.”
“I…” Marble coughed, then licked her lips, and fidgeted a bit before glancing over her shoulder at Sunset and quickly looking away. “‘m a heavy sleeper.”
“Hah. Well, can’t argue with that.” Sunset poured a bit of coffee into the lid of the thermos, where it would hopefully cool down. “So what do you think? Do you think I can handle this monster?”
“Mmmhmm.”
“I appreciate the faith. Though I’m not nearly the badass I’m made out to be. Except for when I am, of course. But there’s a lot of magic and friendship that goes into making those miracles possible. But when that's not on the line, I’m just an ordinary girl. What you see is what you get.” Sunset waited a moment, then leaned forward, resting one hand on her knee and affecting a swarthy grin. “Though, there’s still an awful lot to see.”
Marble glanced over her shoulder, blinked, then snorted with laughter. She immediately clapped her hands over her mouth and looked away, but her gaze returned a few seconds later, a soft smile hidden behind her bangs.
“Yep, definitely going with ‘cute’ on this one. But that’s enough about me. How about you?” Sunset leaned back and took another cautious sip of her coffee. Actually a drinkable temperature this time. It had an odd, almost mineral flavor to it, but it worked. “Pinkie Pie tells me that you're home schooled, right? That she was too, until she moved to the city with Maud a few years back. Your parents seem nice enough. But I have to imagine it gets lonely out here.”
“Oh.” Marble’s smile faded, and her grip on the railing tightened. “Mmm.”
Sunset stood up, carefully setting the thermos and the weapon aside, then made her way to the railing beside Marble. “There’s a strange beauty to this place, even as barren and lifeless as it seems at first glance. But there’s a whole wide world out there, full of amazing and wonderful people and places. I’ve barely scratched the surface of it myself.” A cloud passed over the moon, deepening the shadows around them. “I might be assuming a lot here. I’m good at reading people, I’d like to think, but nobody's perfect, you know? Still, Canterlot High would welcome you, if you ever wanted to join your sister. Pinkie, myself, all of the girls. It’s never too late to change the direction of your life, no matter how much you might think you’re stuck on one track.”
Marble turned to face her, eyes wide and glistening. Her hand clutched at her heart, and she shifted her weight, her mouth opening as if she wanted to say something. Then her expression fell, and she looked away, and shook her head.
“The thought’s even scarier than dealing with a monster, huh?”
“Mmmhmm.”
Sunset sighed and rubbed at the back of her head. “Wish I could offer more. I’ll offer all the help and encouragement I can, and I’m sure Pinkie does the same. But, well, the rest of that strength can only come from within.”
“I know,” Marble whispered. She turned away, her arms clutched over her stomach.
A thought occurred to Sunset, and she raised her hand, almost touching Marble. Maybe she could use her power, to see how Marble felt. Understand her a little better, maybe find a way to help Marble spread her wings. Still, mind reading was kind of rude, especially without permission.
Before Sunset could work all the way through her moral conundrum, her necklace pulsed. Half a second later, something screamed.
Apparently, Limestone had been underselling it. A lot. A hellish shriek ripped through the air, accompanied by a rush of wind that rattled the house. The sound, high pitched, feminine, and echoing with ethereal reverberation, bounced off all the cliffs and valleys in the area, and seemed to redirect it all straight into Sunset’s skull.
Sunset fell to her knees, clutching at her head. Just how long was this going to go on? How had this not drawn the attention of people three counties away?
Finally, the sonic assault faded, lingering echos still bouncing through distant canyons. Sunset looked up, blinking away tears. Down the road, just under the arch that marked the entrance to the farm, stood a shadowed figure. It was hard to make out proportions in the dim light, but two topaz eyes shone like burning coals, staring straight at Sunset.
“Marble. Get inside,” Sunset barked. She took a step back, then froze. Marble lay in a crumpled heap on the porch, though her chest still rose and fell. “Shit.” Sunset backed up a few more steps, and accidentally kicked over the thermos of coffee. It fell over with a splash and steam hissed up from the floorboards. Without taking her eyes off of the creature, she carefully knelt down and picked up Limestone’s blade.
The creature took a lurching step forward, its body shifting about strangely in the darkness. It threw back its head, peals of laughter erupting forth. It wasn’t nearly as mind-wracking as the earlier scream, but each separate giggle or guffaw modulated at a different pitch, a disturbing imitation.
Sunset’s necklace pulsed, warm against her chest. Whatever this was, it had at least some origins in Equestrian magic. She grabbed the blanket from her chair, tossed it over Marble’s sleeping form, then made her way down the porch steps. She waited, Kaiser held at the ready. The wind picked up, her hair streaming loosely behind her.
The clouds broke overhead, right above the creature. It glittered in the silvery moonlight, a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors reflected and refracted all across the grounds.
Sunset raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sudden radiance, then her mouth fell open as she realized just what this creature was. It was a gem! Or rather, multiple gems. Hundreds, thousands maybe, of shifting gemstones, all piled up into a roughly humanoid shape. Another step forward, and it shed diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds onto the lawn as if they were just candy. It looked up, and the various gems that formed its facial features twisted into something that resembled a smile. “It’s you! It’s really you!”
Well, that wasn’t a good sign.
Before Sunset could make a move, the creature leapt forward. It covered a dozen paces in a single stride, then made another, bounding towards her with incredible speed. Sunset braced herself for impact, and possibly a rather unceremonious death, but it skidded to a stop right before her. Up close, she could see that its body was shapely and feminine, and its alien smile seemed almost childish in its glee.
“You’re Sunset Shimmer!” The creature bounced and clapped her hands together, spraying gems across Sunset like spittle and crumbs from an over enthusiastic eater who didn’t know how to shut up. “You actually came all this way, just to see me?”
Sunset blinked, still holding the blade in front of her cautiously. “I didn’t realize I was so famous. You have me at a disadvantage here, you know. What’s your name?”
The creature tilted her head to the side, her features frowning into what was probably confusion. “My name? I just am. I have always been. I am the land, and have…” The rubies that formed her lips pursed, and she raised one finger to her mouth to approximate biting on a diamond nail. “Oh, I know! Call me Pie.”
“Alright, Pie it is.” Sunset spared a quick glance for Marble, still safe on the porch. Adrenaline thundered through her veins, and every muscle in her body was tense and ready for action. Still, if she could talk her way through whatever this was, it’d certainly be a lot easier than fighting her. She had a sneaking suspicion Kaiser wouldn’t even slow her down. “So how do you know me, then?”
Pie giggled, then threw her arms into the air, scattering a mini rainbow in the process. “Everyone here knows about Sunset Shimmer! Every day, Pink-Sister-Pie writes a letter, telling everything about everything she does! Every night, Father Pie reads the letter out loud, so everyone hears stories about Sunset Shimmer, and Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash and Rarity and Applejack and Fluttershy! But mostly Sunset Shimmer!”
“That’s…” The tension started to drain out of Sunset, and she felt a warmth in her chest. Pinkie was that thorough? Even with a family as stern and bleak and out of the way as this one, they diligently listened to every word of Pinkie’s stories about her life and her friends. A family like that… to be honest, it made Sunset a little jealous. But just like that, she felt like she understood Pinkie Pie a little better, which was no easy feat, even with mind reading powers. “Alright. So, let's see if I can work this out. You’re some kind of spirit, tied to this land. You’ve always been here, watching over the Pie family. So far so good?”
“Umm…” Pie tilted her head from side to side. One of her ears fell off, though more gems quickly replaced it. She shrugged. “I guess that sums it up?”
Sunset nodded, then rested one hand on her hip. “So how come you’re out here at night, screaming up a storm and scaring everyone here half to death?”
“Screaming? Scaring? Don’t be silly! I’m laughing, because it's fun! I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, but I’m only a girl. I yell and scream, because if not, my voice would never be heard.”
“A voice that wants to be heard, huh?” Sunset carefully knelt and set Kaiser on the ground. “Alright. I’m here. I’m listening. What is it that you have to say?”
“What I have to say? I…” The topaz that formed her eyes fell out, leaving her with shapeless sockets, and she shuddered violently. “I’m so lonely. I’m so bored. I want to leave, but I can’t. I want to go to Canterlot! I want to see, to feel, to touch, to hear, to smell, to taste, everything there is to offer! You understand, right? Or maybe you don’t. Because you already have everything, you can already do everything. You, Sunset Shimmer!” She looked back up, her eyes now glittering rubies. “You shine brilliant like the sun, so beautiful, so charming, so strong, so confident. I…” She leaned forward, and her body shifted in its shape, putting more emphasis on her feminine curves. “I want to kiss you, Sunset Shimmer. Please, kiss me.”
“Pie…” Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath. The whole display was both terrifying, and somewhat sad. “What you’re feeling… they aren’t the feelings of a simple spirit, are they?” Her expression softened, and she reached a hand towards Pie. “I don’t think I can give you what you want. But I may still be able to help you.”
Sunset’s hand made contact with Pie’s cheek, the gemstones cool under her skin. Pie shuddered under her touch, and her body lit up in a alien blush as rubies bubbled to the surface of her skin.
Sunset’s own gemstone flared with a brilliant light, and her power activated. She could feel something in there, under the surface. She reached out with her magic, delving deeper. She saw a single diamond, floating in a dark void. A spark of magic touched the gem, and it grew, questing, searching out, looking for more. More gems melded together, creating a great tornado of power. Then they found something beyond a mere gem. A light, shining in the darkness. A surge of emotions flooded into Sunset in an overwhelming wave. Something ancient and old. Something simple and mundane. Love, lust, desire, jealousy, longing, loneliness, boredom. Each crashed against her psyche in a torrent of images and unparseable sensations.
Sunset passed out.
A low hum slowly cut into Sunset’s consciousness, and she began to stir. A girl’s voice, humming a wordless melody. Not bad. Whoever it was, she could carry a tune.
Sunset shifted about. She could feel a bed underneath her, soft, and smelling faintly of peaches. Warm sunlight splashed against her face. She let out a soft sigh, and snuggled in a little tighter underneath the covers.
Memories of a lonely gem returned to her, and she stiffened. So much for sleeping in. Whatever had happened last night, she was apparently still alive, so that was a plus. She opened her eyes, then slowly tried to blink the sleep out of them. A strange bedroom came into focus, mostly empty except for a single desk, decorated with a number of photos Sunset couldn’t quite make out at this angle. Marble sat at the desk, hunched over a piece of paper, her pencil scratching away.
Sunset lay there for a bit, admiring the view. Marble really was cute as a button. And she seemed utterly lost in her work, too. Oh well. She’d have to spoil the illusion sooner or later. She sat up, stretching, then smiled. “Hey.”
Marble blinked, turned towards Sunset, then shrieked. She threw her body over her drawing, then looked frantically about, grabbed it, and darted for her closet. She ducked in, fidgeted with something inside, then stepped back out, slid the closet door closed, produced a key and locked it behind her, the paper apparently stashed away. She turned back around, her face bright red and her hands clasped in front of her.
It was hard not to laugh, but Sunset managed to keep herself to an amused smirk instead. “What do you remember happening last night?”
Marble licked her lips, took a deep breath, then mumbled, “We talked. I woke up, you were asleep on the ground.”
“No gem creature?”
“Nnnumm.”
Sunset ran her fingers through her hair, then sighed. That dose of emotion magic had hit hard. Her head still swam in places. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Is there anything to eat?”
“Uhhh…” Marble blinked, then her eyes widened as if she’d just remembered something. She sprinted out her bedroom door and thundered down the stairs, leaving Sunset alone.
Sunset stretched, then peered a little closer at Marble’s writing desk. Most of the pictures on it were group shots of Pinkie and the rest of the girls.
Everything was starting to come together, or at least she figured she had a pretty good handle on it. Equestrian Magic really did tend to make everything way more complicated.
After maybe five minutes, Marble returned, carrying a bowl of steaming soup. She set it down on the bedside table next to the lamp, and then returned to her seat, her hands folded in her lap.
Sunset flopped back on the bed, resting her forearm over her forehead. She affected a rasp to her voice, and croaked, “Thanks, Marble. But I’m feeling so weak. Do you think you can feed it to me?”
Marble’s eyes widened, and she moved her lips several times, no sound coming out. After blushing once again, she coughed, and managed to whisper, “Okay.” She dragged her chair over to sit next to Sunset, and her hands shook as she dipped the spoon into the bowl.
“If your hands keep shaking like that, you’re going to spill soup all over me.”
“Mmm.” Marble took a deep breath, and her hands steadied a bit. She brought the soup closer, then looked into Sunset’s eyes.
Sunset opened wide. But she couldn’t keep a straight face anymore, and snickered.
Marble blinked, stared at Sunset for a moment, then burst out into a giggle of her own.
They shared in laughter together, then Sunset sat up properly, and ate her own soup. “Sorry, couldn’t resist.”
Marble smiled.
Sunset’s phone buzzed against her thigh, and both of them jumped. With a conciliatory smile, Sunset slid it out of her pocket. It was a text from Pinkie Pie.
“Heya sleepy head! Marble tells me you're up and running again. Everything okay? What happened last night. Should we call in the cavalry?”
Marble stared at Sunset’s phone, an odd look on her face.
Sunset looked up, then nodded. “Huh, guess you probably don’t have one of these, huh?”
“Nnnumm.”
“They’re pretty useful tools. They were new to me, not so many years ago. Can’t say I’ve developed that habit of sticking my nose in one during every idle moment though.” As if to defeat her own point, Sunset’s fingers raced across the screen, typing out a reply to Pinkie Pie. “No need for the girls. I’m pretty sure I’ve figured everything out. And I have an idea how I might fix it, too. At least, to some extent.”
“Oooh, tell me! I want to know!”
“It involves your sister.”
“Oh.”
The next reply didn’t come instantaneously. Sunset suspected her serious mood was depicted rather plainly on her face, because she could see Marble tense up out of the corner of her eye.
“Is she going to be okay?”
Sunset glanced at Marble, grimaced, then replied. “Probably. Physically? Yeah, she’ll be fine. Mentally? Shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Emotionally… I don’t know.”
“I see.”
Sunset bit her lip. The next message came a second later.
“I trust you.”
The phone felt heavy in her hand. Sunset sighed, set it down on the bed, and stood up “Hey, Marble. Do you know anything about the creature that’s haunting your farm?”
“Hmm?” Marble shook her head.
“Right, that’s what I thought. You see, at this point, I think I do. I met with it last night, got to talk with it. Her. She’s got quite the… colorful personality.”
Marble frowned.
Sunset grimaced. “I think I know how to stop it. Stop all of it. But it involves you. I’ll need your help. And it won’t be easy.”
“Me?” Marble licked her lips, and she stood up, trembling slightly. “How?”
Sunset placed a hand on her shoulder, and looked into her eyes. “It involves digging deep. Into emotions, feelings, dreams, desires. The stuff you’d rather keep hidden.”
Marble’s gaze darted briefly to her locked closet door, and a look of panic crossed her face. She shook her head. “Nnnumm!”
Sunset stared into Marble’s eyes. Would this really work? Back at Camp Everfree, Sunset and the girls had given a mental pep talk to Twilight when she was on the verge of losing herself. That sort of deep delve had been accompanied by the powers of all six of them working in concert. But in theory, Sunset might be able to break through this emotional barrier on her own. She would just have to do something a bit more intimate than grabbing someone’s wrist.
“I’m sorry for this.” Sunset leaned forward, and pressed her lips against Marble’s. Her gemstone flared to life, and her power drew deep from the well of Marble’s psyche.
Sunset found herself floating in a black void. All around her shone orange light, tendrils of energy snaking back and forth, intertwining and disconnecting. Every cord led upwards, towards a great ball of fire in the sky.
An interesting way to visually process the inner heart of a human mind, she supposed. Sunset traced her fingers along one of the cords of light. It was warm, and in it she could see flashes of Marble’s life, her childhood.
Her necklace pulsed. Something else was here too.
A large mass of cords led down into what was essentially a great pit. Sunset stepped towards it, and found herself staring down the edge. In a mental landscape, distance had no meaning.
She hopped down, and gently floated. The cords lining the walls turned sickly and purple the closer they got to the bottom. Each led to a grand altar in the center, pulsing into a great diamond.
Even keeping a considerable distance, Sunset could feel the torrential emotions of Pie that had knocked her out the last time she’d tried looking. She’d have to detach it from Marble.
Sunset raised her hand, and Kaiser dropped into it. Severing the cords should do the trick, and it was as a good a blade as any. On the other hand, there were an awful lot of them leading into this pit.
With a little bit of mental effort, Kaiser grew, stretching to a hundred feet long, though still as light as a feather. Sunset spun, and the razor edge of the lawnmower blade sliced through the poisonous vines on every edge of the canyon. And most of the canyon itself.
Below, the gem let out an ear piercing shirek, and the canyon shook and trembled around them. Sunset let herself drop to the altar, and placed one hand on the gem. The torrent of emotions pushed back at her, but she was ready for it this time. “It’s okay. You can go to sleep now.”
The trembling stuttered, then slowly died down all together. In her mind's eye, Sunset could see the form of Pie lying down and closing her gemstone eyes.
“Thank you.”
Orange light shone on Sunset from above. She could feel herself slipping back to reality.
One memory stuck with her before she could leave.
Marble, hunched over her desk. Drawing. It was a comic. Surprisingly good looking. The characters were familiar. Sunset Shimmer, and all of her friends. But there was an eighth. Marble Pie. A shy, but talkative, and normal girl. One who could live her life with others, unfettered from doubts and fear and anxiety.
Sunset pulled out of the kiss.
Marble’s eyes filled with tears, and she sunk to her knees, sobbing.
“I’m sorry,” Sunset repeated. She sighed, then sat down on the floor, and leaned against the bed. “Equestrian Magic has been loose in this world for a while now. It has a nasty tendency of infecting and empowering all sorts of things that it really shouldn’t. In this case, it merged with the land itself, gems that have likely been resting in the earth for eons. A new consciousness with no of substance of its own, it latched onto the strongest thing it could. A powerful source of emotions. That is, you.”
Marble wailed, and buried her face in her hands. “Y-you hate me, right? I’m just some weirdo. The little sister you’ve never even thought of. But I knew you, and Pinkie’s stories were always so… I never meant to...” Her words trailed off with a choked cry, and she continued sobbing.
“I don’t hate you.” Sunset rested a hand on Marble’s leg, and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Quite the opposite, really. I think you’re cute as a button and I’d love to get to know you better, Marble. But even as magical as I am, I can’t fix your anxiety, or your shyness, or your fear. I’m no therapist. If that's a step you wanted to take, I’d be happy to help you do the research and find something that worked for you. If you could find the strength to make it to Canterlot, the girls and I would support you however we can. If you can’t, then I’ll do my best to cheer you on from afar.”
“But…” Marble sniffed, and wiped at her eyes. “Would everyone really be happy with someone as useless as me around? I’m not strong enough. I’ll just be a burden to everyone. I’m already a burden to everyone here. This whole thing was my fault. And besides. I’m… with you…” Her gaze flickered down to Sunset’s chest, then she blushed and looked away.
Sunset flashed her teeth. “Hey, I said I thought the opposite, right? I like you. This isn’t some grand declaration of love or anything. There’s still a lot you have to learn about the real me, after all. Like that fact that on some level, I really like to tease cute girls. A real relationship takes a lot more effort than me waggling my eyebrows and being obnoxiously flirty. But if you can make it to Canterlot, well. Who knows what could happen?” Sunset stood up, then held out her hand.
“Mmm.” Marble stared at Sunset’s outstretched hand, her pounding heart loud enough to be heard. She took a deep breath, then took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She wobbled, then sat down on the bed instead. She grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and blew her nose. “I’m sorry.”
“No more apologies, alright?” Sunset leaned in close, and ruffled Marble’s hair. “Look, this was probably a lot to take in all at once. Not to mention all the literal magic. How about I give you some time and space to process all of this? I should probably go tell all the others what happened. Don’t worry, I’ll leave out the personal bits.”
Marble wiped at her eyes a few more times, then nodded. “Mmmhmm.”
Sunset stretched, then turned to go.
Slender hands caught at her sleeve, the grip unsure but surprisingly firm.
Sunset slowly turned back around, eyebrow raised.
Marble looked up at her, blushing more than the capacity of capillaries in the cheeks should logistically allow for. “Earlier…” She licked her lips, her grip still iron on Sunset’s coat. “Wasn’t fair.”
“Wasn’t fair? What wasn’t… oh, right, the kiss.” Sunset felt her own cheeks heat up, and she rubbed at the back of the head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. It was a whole magic thing, and—”
“Do it right.” Marble’s fingers slipped away, but her eyes remained locked to Sunset’s, glistening with both fear and determination.
Sunset blinked, then slowly grinned a grin that was damn near sadistic. She stepped forward and licked her lips, and Marble stepped back. She kept advancing until Marble had backed into the bed. “You want me to do it right, huh? That’s a bold request. You sure about that? If I… do it right, it might shatter your illusions, your fantasy. Whatever version of Sunset Shimmer you’ve built up in head, from all of Pinkie’s stories.” Sunset leaned in close, her breath hot on Marble’s cheek. “You’ll find that the real thing is far, far better.”
Marble let out an adorable little squeak, and gave the faintest of nods.
Pinkie Pie threw open the doors to the cafeteria hard enough that they slammed into the wall. “Sunset!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Guess what came in the mail today!”
Everyone in the cafeteria turned to stare at Pinkie as she sprinted through the aisles waving a piece of paper.
Sunset sighed and rubbed at her temples.
Pinkie Pie skidded to a halt and hopped into the seat across from Sunset. “Well? Guess!”
“Hmm.” Sunset drummed her fingers on the table. “Is it… a piece of paper?”
“You got it right!” Pinkie Pie held up the paper triumphantly. “Hey, wait! It's not the paper, it's what's on the paper, silly! Marble Pie is coming to Canterlot to live with me and Maud!”
Sunset’s heart skipped a beat, and she leaned closer. “Is that so?” It had only been a week since the incident.
“Aaaannnd,” Pinkie Pie said, her expression turning sly. She pulled a second envelope out of her hair, then slid it across the table. “She also wrote a letter for you,” she said in a sing song, waggling her eyebrows.
Sunset took the letter and held it up. It smelled faintly of peaches. She had a sneaking suspicion that life was about to get a lot more interesting.
“‘Atta girl.”
Author's Note
Marble Pie Vector by Siansaar, Cover art composition by Novel Idea.
Thanks to Kalan, Posh, and Novel Idea for editing, and thanks to everyone in the Writeoff for all the valuable feedback on the first draft.
That makes four stories now vaguely inspired by plot points from Bakemonogatari. I'm on a roll here.
This was an entry in both the June 2017 Writeoff "Under The Sun", as well as an entry into Jake's Horse Word Extravaganza.
Next up, we'll ship Sunset with all the remaining members of the Pie family. Starting with Limestone, then Maud, and ending with some really weird swinging stuff with Cloudy Quartz and Igneous Rock.
Be sure to see it on fimfiction never.
