A Lot Can Happen in a Year...

Chapters

The Party
The Date
The Beach
The Book
The Talk
The War
Prelude
The Letter

The Party

Marble and Sunset struggled through the crowd as they tried to walk up to Marble’s room. Marble couldn’t help but to squeeze Sunset’s hand tightly, ignoring the tingling sensation it was causing, as she allowed her to pull her through to safety at the stairway. The party was in full swing, as Pinkie had rallied much of the student body into another dance. Being the shy one of the family, Marble couldn’t help the relief of knowing she was heading to her room.

So as the music blared from down stairs, both she and Sunset were climbing up the stairs, all the while, Sunset continued talking. “So you’re saying where you’re from, you believe that technology would break the bonds of the community, and it clashes with the, umm, what’s the word you used to describe us?”

“English.” Marble squeaked.

“Yeah…” Sunset briefly trailed off in thought. “You said you guys are spread out throughout the country, right.”

“O-Only around Pennsylvania, but, jah.”

“So, how do you guys go to visit family?” Sunset asked, raising her eyebrow as they both entered Marble’s room.

Marble led them to sit on the bed before she rubbed her hands together. “W-Well, although the Ordnung, the rules of the church, states that we are not allowed to use technology, we are allowed to ask for others who have the charity to assist us to provide aid whenever we need it. We have public telephones near some of our fields, and we often hitch rides with English friends if we need to get somewhere that’s farther than where a horse and buggy can take us, and we are allowed to use the medicine provided to us.”

Sunset nodded, “Sounds reasonable. Though it sounds like a lot of work. I wouldn’t have thought that I’d be able to survive without magic.”

Marble’s eyes widened. “M-Magic?”

Sunset nodded, “I-It’s kinda real from where I’m from…”

“What could you do with magic?” Marble asked.

“Quite a lot, actually. Lift objects, teleport, cast different kinds of spells. I could be here all day.”

Marble bit her lip while she stuttered, “W-Well, Pinkie did say that you were some sort of sentient horse?”

Sunset nodded, “It’s a long story, something I’d like to talk about later. I mean, you did hear the jist of it, estranged student and all that.” Sunset rubbed her hands, “To be fair, we kinda use magic as you would use these things.” Sunset raised her hands, palms facing toward herself. “It’s just something I had to get used to.”

“Mmhmm.” Marble replied, suddenly paying more attention to her Mary Jane shoes. She just wasn’t used to talking to people for this long, though she giggled at the thought of what Sunset would’ve looked like as a horse.

“What’s so funny?”

Marble looked up, before she looked back toward the bed. “N-Nothing.”

Sunset tilted her head as she smiled, “You were imagining me as a horse, weren’t you?”

Marble refused to look up as her heart skipped a beat. What is she going to think of me? Will she be mad if I said yes?

Marble immediately got her answer in the form of a hand reaching for her chin, lifting her face up so she could gaze into Sunset’s shimmering blue eyes. She was smiling. “Don’t worry, I know it might sound ridiculous to you.” Sunset paused to look towards her hand planted on Marble’s chin, before she quickly let go, blushing slightly before she stammered to continue. “Y-You were saying that you had friends offer you help whenever you needed to get somewhere, what about now? And why are you, Pinkie, and Maud here?”

Marble blushed, “W-Well, there’s this rite of passage many of us have to go through, called Rumspringa.”

“Rumspringa?”

Marble nodded, “Jah, Rumspringa. It’s a time where most Amish communities allow their children to experience the English world thoroughly, up until they decide to either leave or stay in the church.”

“And if they leave it means…”

Marble frowned, “Then we are to cut off nearly all of our contact with them until they decide to baptise.” She shook her head and raised her hands. “I-It’s different from a shunning, that’s when someone breaks the rules of the church. In that case, we break off all contact with them.” She lowered her hands as she realized the weight of the situation. Rumspringa was supposed to be the time where she decided to either leave or stay with her family.

Marble froze up at the thought of the last time she would’ve seen her parents in person possibly being at the bus station, at the possibility of bringing more disappointment to the Pie family. She shivered, and the very thought of it made her feel a tear escape her eye.

Sunset raced into action as she quickly wrapped her arms around Marble. “There, there, you don’t have to say anymore if you don’t want to.” She whispered into Marble’s ear, leaving shivers of a different kind up her spine. Sunset began to gently rub Marble’s back in an attempt to calm her down. Marble’s rush of tears morphed back into sniffles, the rubbing coming from Sunset releasing an aura of calm that wasn’t too dissimilar to the way her mom occasionally hugged her.

Sunset gently pushed Marble back to give her space, smiling. “Tell you what, I’ll take you up on the offer to hang out at the Sweet Shoppe, then we can continue to talk there if you want to. How about that?”

Marble nodded, “Th-Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sunset looked out the door, “So, what do you want to do?” Marble leaned back into Sunset’s hug. “Do you want me to stay with you here for a while?” Marble nodded. Sunset pulled her closer in, as the sounds from the record players and the radios drummed through the walls.

The Date

Marble wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but everything was going to hell. Maud was at community college studying, and while she was going to meet Pinkie at the Sweet Shoppe, Marble really thought it would’ve been a great help if she was here to address the dire problem at hand.

The dress on the bed.

It was relatively simple, trivial even: the navy blue dress with floral patterns seemed a bit… well, immodest. The V-collar dipped lower down the chest than Marble was personally comfortable with, and the skirt was even shorter than what she wore to the graduation party. Though there was more to choose from in Pinkie’s closet (an absurd amount, in her opinion) Marble had underestimated the task of figuring out what to wear. Compound that with the fact that she didn’t want to be in the way of Pinkie and Maud’s lives and she was now stuck in her current conundrum

Marble nervously tapped her cheek as she constantly walked from the closet, to the mirror, and then to the bed, laying out one outfit after another. She bit her nails trying to figure out what to wear. In all her life, she had never had this many choices, or this many clothes that showed off that much skin; and in a way, she was confused. She never bothered to ‘look good’ for anybody, with the exception for Sundays when she went to church partially due to the Ordnung, but even more so with her meek temperament. With Sunset though, she had felt some sort of compulsion to look nicer than she usually was, even if this was just dinner with friends. She was still wearing her dark green amish dress with a black apron and a white kapp when she heard the door knocking.

She dashed for the door, quickly undoing the locks and the doorstop chain. When she opened the door, it revealed a ginger-haired girl with her fist stuck in mid-air, about to send another bout of knocking. Marble gasped, and quickly looked down, whimpering and slightly blushing.

Sunset smiled, “A pleasure to see you, too.” Sunset’s fingers rached for Marble’s chin, causing her heartbeat to quicken as the touch seared right into her, and she looked up. “So, are you ready to go, Marble?” Marble shook her head and looked back down to her feet. “What’s the matter?”

“I-I don’t know what to wear.” Marble blurted out in a quiet whisper. Her blush slightly darkened to a darkly-tinted pink in embarrassment.

Sunset placed her hand on Marble’s shoulder, “Do you have some clothes picked out?”

Marble nodded.

“Why don’t we take a look?”

Marble’s dark pink blush darkened even further to a crimson red as she thought of the prospect of Sunset seeing her in a more… intimate manner. She squeaked and looked away from Sunset. Sunset was briefly startled before she turned Marble back and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t peek if you don’t want me to.”

“It’s not just that.’ Marble whispered quietly.

“Hmm?”

“I-It’s just.. Well… th-the clothes are…” Marble rubbed her arm to try to settle down her quickly beating heart. “They’re shorter than what I wore yesterday… and…”

“You were already pushing your limits just by wearing that.” Sunset finished for Marble, “And you can’t seem to find something that looks great for something like this.” Marble nodded. Sunset’s hand on Marble slid down from her shoulder to her hands, leaving prickles of goosebumps on the Amish girl. “You don’t have to worry about what you want to wear, you have a while to figure things out, don’t you?” Marble nodded. “Well then, I don’t mind if you wear your Amish stuff for the time being. Now how about I buy you some hot chocolate at the Sweet Shoppe, just as promised?”

Marble smiled and nodded. She let Sunset walk her by the hand out to the driveway and to Sunset’s ride.

It was a motorcycle.

Marble had seen dozens of motorcycles both near her community and throughout Pennsylvania, even here in Canterlot. But never had she hitched a ride on one. Sunset’s red and orange Honda 750 looked a lot more dantier than some of the other motorcycles Marble had seen, but that didn’t quench the quickly-increasing heartbeat she had at the prospect of riding something so fast and life-threatening. She quickly tugged at Sunset’s hand, causing her to turn around with widened eyes, one eyebrow raised. “What’s wrong?”

Marble looked forlornly at the Honda waiting for both of them, and hid closer to Sunset.

Sunset wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back, “Don’t worry, Marble, I’m pretty good at riding a motorcycle. As long as you hold onto me, you’ll be fine.” She continued to rub Marble’s back for a few minutes until she felt her heartbeat slow down. “Feel any better?”

Marble nodded again.

“Alright, I’ll walk you through this.” Sunset let go of Marble and walked to one of the saddle bags, taking out a white helmet with a sun sticker emblazoned on it. She put it on then took out a second, plan white helmet, and handed it to Marble for her to put on, which she did, awkwardly over her kapp.

With that, Sunset mounted her motorcycle, and in turn Marble gingerly took a seat, with Sunset helping her sit side saddle. “Now, hold on.”

“Wh-Where?” Marble squeaked out.

“Wrap your arms around me, and hold on tight.”

Marble nervously wrapped her arms around Sunset, and pulled her into a hug, before Sunset flicked the switch, revved up the engines, and drove off. She gripped her hands tightly as she tried to hold on for dear life around Sunset, internally screaming in horror. She closed her eyes. Despite feeling like she was one broken log away from death, she couldn’t help but feel the cool wind on her face, as refreshing as a splash of cool water. She couldn’t help but also notice its noticeable contrast: the warmth and comfort of Sunset Shimmer, and how it enveloped her, almost providing her security and warmth as much as the quilts her mother usually made back in Lancaster county, which helped keep back the cold throughout the winter and fall, through sickness and long storms. And in a way, that was what made Marble calm down even further, holding Sunset tighter against the the cool of the windstream.

But all good things had to end, and soon they arrived at the Sweet Shoppe. Both girls dismounted, and as Sunset stowed away the helmets, Marble turned to look at Pinkie’s workplace,

The Sweet Shoppe was a two story building painted in white, with shingling which shaped the roof so that it resembled chocolate frosted topping on a cake, all wrapped around with pink awning around the middle. The second story was an apartment complex, while the first story had the looks of a proper cafe. All in all, the cafe/bakery looked tame compared to its neighboring buildings, painted in vibrant colors.

“Vibrant isn’t it?” Sunset said, startling Marble “You should go to San Francisco sometime, some of their houses are painted with brighter colors.”

Marble stood there, pondering the vibrancy of such a neighborhood, before she felt a hand clasp onto her: Sunset’s hand.

“Shall we go in?”

Marble turned to look into the windows. There were many different kinds of people in there, from buff, tall high school jocks wearing the familiar blue and yellow Wondercolt letterman jackets, to older men wearing business suits and fedoras, to long haired, barefoot, rose-tinted glasses wearing, psychedelic clothed hippies, to even blue-clad police officers and green-clad soldiers enjoying some coffee and doughnuts. She looked to Sunset and hid behind her slightly.

“Worried that they’re going to judge you for what you’re wearing?”

Marble nodded.

Sunset wrapped an arm around her, “Don’t worry, I’ve been here lots of times. With the clothes people wear when they come here, you won’t stick out too much.”

Marble nodded, and gingerly took a step forward before freezing up in fear. Sunset turned to her, and gave her a smile before she gently nudged her into the cafe/bakery.

The bell rang as the pair entered. There weren’t many people considering it was evening, and so the restaurant was relatively quiet, with groups hanging out by themselves and giving adequate distance from other patrons. Sunset took a seat at a table near the window. Marble followed soon after, tensing as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck raise at the feeling of people turning to look at her. Gingerly, she took a seat across from Sunset, and looked around. Everything was normal, it was business as usual, and best of all, everyone was minding their own business.

“May I take your order?” A voice broke into Marble’s conscience, making her shake her head before she turned to a woman wearing an apron and a teal dress.

“I-I…” Marble turned to look at Sunset, eyes widened and mouth slightly agape.

Sunset smiled and turned to the waitress, “Could you please wait? She’s kinda new here, we’re sorry for taking up your time.”

The waitress nodded and smiled, “Don’t worry, I understand, with that getup and everything. Call any one of us when you’re ready to order.”

Sunset nodded, “Thank you so much.” The waitress walked away, leaving Sunset with a slightly petrified, shaking, sweating Marble. “Are you alright?”

“Mmh hmm.” Marble nodded. Shaking and closing her eyes in shame at embarrassing herself in front of such a perfect person.

Sunset gently reached out and placed her hand on Marble’s shoulder, causing her nerve endings to set alight, much to her confusion. “It’s alright, let’s just focus on getting something to eat, then we can talk, okay?” Marble nodded again.

After several minutes talking about what types of desert were offered, Sunset settled on a milk shake, while Marble decided to get a slice of cherry pie. And with that, the waitress left, leaving both Sunset and Marble to their own devices, only for silence to reign in the booth. Marble sat straight and stiff, her hands rubbing and playing off each other as her nerves began to flare up again, waiting for something to ease the rising tension.

“So… you were saying that the Amish have a period where their children go through a ceremony to figure out who they are…”

Marble looked up briefly, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

“We were talking about that at the party last night before we called it a night, what was it called? Rum… rum-something?” Sunset said, smiling.

Marble sighed in relief, as Sunset had given her the out she needed to talk, “ R-Rumspringa.”

“Yeah, that’s right, I think Pinkie Pie barely glossed over it or something when she introduced you to me. What’s it all about exactly?”

“W-Well, as I said before, it’s the time in the life of an Amish to experience the English world. We can get driver’s licenses, drink, use technology…”

“And all of this is while they live in their parent’s home?”

Marble nodded, “Some of us do move out if we have the money for a limited time, to get a real feeling of what it’s like to live in the English world. It all depends really, on how strict the church is. I heard of some other communities where Rumspringa is the time when people begin to find who to marry, for others it’s a time to see the world before they make the decision to stay in the church.”

“And that’s how you ended up here?”

Marble nodded again, “Pinkie and Maud had their Rumspringa as well, and they both decided to leave the community. We still keep in touch once in awhile. Since they’re not officially baptised and part of the church, there isn’t a restriction on talking with them. So naturally, since they invited me to live with them for the time being my parents were open to it… relatively.”

Sunset tilted her head. “Relatively?”

“You have to understand, Sunset, when I mean ‘expected’, I really do mean expected. No one really does want to leave the church, so not a lot of people leave. And if they do, many of them return eventually. We were raised to believe that we would face damnation if we left the church, so many parents are hesitant to let their children go.”

“And what do you think, Marble?”

“Hmm?”

Sunset leaned on her hand, arm propped up against the tabletop. “What do you think of all this?”

Marble looked down at the grainy table and gently played with a stray lock of hair that escaped her kapp. “I-I’m not sure, I just got here. I-I mean, I only thought of getting here…” And other things, her traitorous mind chimed in, which caused a light dressing of pink to sprinkle on her cheeks, which she rubbed at.

“You don’t have any idea? Any at all?”

Marble shook her head. Sunset rubbed her shoulder with her thumb before she let go. “Don’t worry, with the things that happen around here, I don’t think there’s a shortage on stuff to do.”

Silence reigned supreme again as they waited for their order to arrive, Sunset tapping her fingers against the table, “So, who went through Rumspringa first?”

Marble’s eyes lit up, and so she smiled meekly as she said, “Maud went through it first. She didn’t tell any of us what she did, but she would be gone for days at a time. A lot of them would be at the library, I’d remember that she’d bring home books on mining and rocks and minerals. I guess she believed that the English world would provide more for her, because she decided to leave after a month.”

Sunset briefly stopped tapped her fingers against the table, “Huh, I guess Maud’s obsession with rocks stemmed back a long time. She’s in community college right now, planning to transfer to become a geologist. What about Pinkie?”

Marble bit her lip. “Pinkie… well, Pinkie from what I remember was a dull girl before she went to Rumspringa. She always seemed so agitated, so depressed. She did as she was told, sure, but it felt like she wasn’t supposed to be in the community. In fact, mamm and dad had to talk her into going to Rumspringa.”

Marble looked briefly at the subject of their discussion, rushing as she hurried to make deliveries to the patrons. “At first, she would come back home and say everything was normal. She must’ve met someone special though, because a few months later she started to seem more energetic, more happy, more satisfied with herself. Turns out, she had made friends with one of the bakers in town, and she would often help with planning for some of their clients’ parties.”

Marble turned back to Sunset, “Soon enough, she decided to leave the church, and to go with her friend back to Oregon, where her relatives hired her-”

“And that was how I ended up here!” Pinkie broke in, the sudden interjection causing Marble to jolt and yelp. “Pretty soon I went to high school, and the rest was history. Hi there Marble, how’s Sunny treating you?”

Marble gently nodded, taking several deep breaths, “She’s treated me well, Pinkie, n-no need to worry.”

Pinkie grinned “That’s wonderful, Marble! I can’t believe you’ve already made a friend..” Pinkie’s smile darkened, “However, there’s an eensy weensy thing I want to do…”

Marble froze, her heart sank as her own variant of the famous ‘Pinkie Sense’ blared in her mind for what was coming, “Wh-What?”

Pinkie smiled, “I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, challenge you to a bake off!!!”

Marble’s mouth dropped like a 5-ton weight to the ground, “A-A bake off?”

“Yeah, some of my friends in the shop want to see how well you stack up against me. Don’t worry, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but it’ll help people get to know you better.” Pinkie grinned like mad, “So, what do you say? Are you up to the challenge?”

Marble turned to Sunset, receiving an arm rub in return and a smile. “Up to you, Marble, wouldn’t hurt to see how good you bake compared to Pinkie.”

She turned back to Pinkie, and then hesitantly nodded, “I-I’ll do it”

Pinkie jumped up, “Great! I’ll see if I can set things up with management, this is going to be awesome!!!”

Meanwhile, Marble looked into the distance as she thought to herself, My God, what have I done?

Two hours later, Marble walked out of the diner, covered in flour and panting, As she and Sunset walked back to the motorcycle, Sunset wrapped an arm around her, “Don’t worry, you’ll get her next time.”

Marble sheepishly smiled, “No one was able to stack up against her cooking, even when she was still in the community.” She still wondered how Pinkie was able to make something so strange, yet so ingenious as a cherry chimichanga.

Sunset turned, then wiped some leftover flour off Marble’s nose. “Still, it made for an unforgettable luncheon.”

Hours later, all cleaned up and laying in her bed under the covers, Marble hugged herself as she remembered the warmth she felt while holding on for dear life on the Honda. She couldn’t fall asleep, not with what was running through her head.

While she kept telling herself that it was a simple meal between friends, that didn’t explain the shivers, the tingles, the need to look pretty for Sunset. They didn’t seem to be the same reactions that she had with friends from her community, nor from any of the other English.

What else could they be? Marble thought. When she first got to Canterlot, she thought she’d quickly find the answers, that maybe it was fate and she was destined to be a close friend, a guide for her through Rumspringa. All she had for her effort thus far was more confusion. And so after several hours of restless movement and prayer, she finally went into a fitful sleep.

Author's Note

And thus, Marble never did get to have Sweete Shoppe Hit Chocolate =(.

The Beach

Marble couldn’t believe it.

Sure she had read many books about beaches, even took a look at a few pictures of the seaside on postcards and calendars. But she didn’t expect it to be this magnificent in person. She couldn’t help but to gape in awe as she watched the seaside pass by. From the east, pine trees went on a far as the eye can see, while in the distance, cliffs accented the background, black and brown capped with a white blanket of snow, still trying to melt since winter. To the west, Marble could see the end of the world. White cliffs and moors lined the coast line. Rocks and boulders, broken from eons of time laid at their feet, foliage sprung from on top of the cliffs as a continuation to its sibling in the east. Filling in the gaps were swaths of sandy beaches.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Marble looked to the source of the voice, finding Sunset smiling as she took in the Amish girl’s first reactions at really seeing the Oregon coastline. Marble couldn’t help but nod, and then turn to look around the station wagon.

Sitting at the front was Twilight’s brother at the wheel, with Cadance sitting in the passenger seat. The radio was blaring out a song about ‘creating a world of our own’ as Sunset’s group of six friends sat in the back, talking, playing games and generally enjoying the ride.

Marble turned back toward the shore, and felt the cool air blow into the open window.

Soon the car came to a complete stop, and everyone piled out. Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow, and Applejack ran off to the beach carrying various buckets, baskets, and coolers, with Shining and Cadance following behind with the chairs and umbrellas. All the while, Marble meekly stood back from the group, eyes closed, feeling the soft, cool wind and smelling the salty sea air.

Suddenly, several taps to her shoulder broke through her reverie and she yelped and turned, finding Sunset instead. She beamed at Marble, took her hand, and dragged her to the entryway, “C’mon! Let’s go!”

One hike down a beaten path and a flight of wooden stairs later, and though Marble was panting raggedly from the hike, she couldn’t help but straighten up as she turned to her right. From the stairs she could see a large cliff face in the distance, forests covering further inland, and waves crashing into their base. Erosion had done its job so that an archway was created between a column of stone and a cliff ridge.

Marble turned and saw her friends take off their sandals, and so followed their lead, wiggling her toes through the sand. She walked towards the back of the group, and soon they found the right spot to set up their umbrellas and chairs. With that out of the way, the group of friends before her stripped off their shirts and shorts, revealing several different kinds of swimwear.

At this, Marble hesitated, her finger and thumb fumbling with the sleeve of her t-shirt. While she was wearing a swimsuit of her own, it was a more conservative navy blue one piece, as compared to the many two piece bikinis she saw. But even then, even if the meekest person in Pinkie’s group of friends was wearing a one piece as well, she still froze at the thought of revealing herself to her friends. She felt an arm wrap around her, and instinctively leaned in to it, turning to find that it was Sunset. She turned away and blushed, but quickly looked back.

“A little embarrassed at what the others might think of you?”

Marble nodded. “I-I never wore anything like this before.”

Sunset hummed in understanding. “Don’t worry, it’s just like at the diner. Everyone’s wearing something similar, so you’ll be fine.”

Marble took a cursory glance up and down Sunset’s body, then looked down at her toes, blushing, “B-But you look… u-um, well..”

Sunset giggled, “Stunning, beautiful, hot?”

Marble meeped in confirmation.

“Don’t worry, no one’s going to judge you, it’s not really going to matter.”

It does to me. Marble thought, causing her to blush a deeper red, squeak, and hide herself behind her hair, now bare after months of adapting to English fashion.

“Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine.” Marble squeaked.

“Want me to turn around so you can take off your clothes?” Marble nodded, and so Sunset turned around as she delicately removed her t-shirt and shorts. She tapped Sunset’s shoulder. Sunset turned and grinned, “See? You look great.” Though she scanned Marble’s body in concern, “Did you remember to put on sunblock? You look a bit pale enough to get sunburn.”

Marble nodded, “Pinkie made sure I put it on before we got here.” Squealing and shouting broke into the conversation, as the humane six were already splashing and playing in the sea, with the exception of Fluttershy, who was wading in the more shallow areas.

“Feel confident enough to go into the water?”

Marble shook her head, “P-Pinkie’s been giving me swimming lessons, b-but I’m still scared that I’ll drown.”

“Alright.” Sunset offered her hand out, “Care to walk with me then?” Marble smiled and took Sunset’s hand, as they both began to walk up and down the shoreline. With the exception of the screaming and the cry of seagulls, there wasn’t much but the crashing of the waves which punctured the peace.

After a few minutes of silence, Sunset picked up a stone and threw it out into the sea. She sighed, “You know, I feel lucky.”

Marble hummed in confusion.

“Well, despite the things we’ve been through: at summer camp, in the school when I was trying to fix my reputation, Faust, even during the whole newspaper thing back in winter when I felt like redemption was impossible, at least I still got through better than most people.”

Sunset looked back out at the sea before she turned back to Marble, “Did you remember when I talked about Wallflower?”

Marble nodded, “Jah, the girl you’ve been trying to help socialize more. She couldn’t make it with us because she was hanging out with Trixie, right?”

“That’s the one. She had spent all four years of high school, through all the shit I threw at everyone, through the chaos during the battle of the bands, all of that and not once did she find someone to talk to.” Sunset picked up and threw another rock out into the ocean, cursing it to an eternity drowned. “Not to mention she had to deal with with all the loneliness: all she had was yearbook and her garden.”

“Lots of people find solace in gardening. It’s soothing, and you’re letting the fruits of your labor grow into something beautiful.”

Sunset turned and playfully punched Marble in the arm, “Looks like someone’s been hanging out in the library more often.” Marble giggled in reply. “Still, she had no one to turn to. It had to take a meltdown and an evil plot to destroy time and space for her to face her fear.” Sunset hugged closer to Marble. “She seems like a good girl. If only someone gave her the push, I swore I would’ve probably dated her if that wasn’t a touchy subject here.”

It was at that moment that Marble abruptly stopped walking, she turned to face Sunset with wide eyes. “Wh- What?”

Sunset’s face fell into a slightly gaped, horrified frown as she frantically raised her hands. “I-I mean.. um.. W-well…” she dropped her hands and sighed, “It’s… it’s just that, where I came from, no one really cared what gender you were, to most people, you were just two people in love…” Sunset looked down and dug her big toe into the brown sand. “I-I hope you’re okay with that.. are we still friends?”

Marble stuttered, “S-So you’re saying-”

“That I’m into girls? Yeah..”

Marble looked down at her feet. “So it’s normal? In the English world?”

“It is for me… for some people here though… not so much…”

Marble let go of Sunset’s hand as she hugged herself. I’m not the only one feeling these… things… like I want to kiss her? Marble stood there contemplating before Sunset broke her concentration, “A-Are we still friends, Marble?”

Marble looked back up to Sunset, still a little dazed, but conscious enough to blurt out, “J-Jah, we still are… don’t worry about it.”

Sunset beamed and hugged Marble tightly, “Oh thank you, thank you Marble! You were so nice, and so interesting, I didn’t want to lose you because of something stupid like this, thank you!” She finally let go, “Want to try to go out into the ocean? We don’t have to go out to the deep end.”

“I-I don’t kno-” Sunset pulled Marble into the shallow water, causing her to fall into the sea. The stark cold hit her like an angry horse’s buck, as she quickly stood up and coughed, spurting out some water. She turned to Sunset with a playful, yet malicious grin.

“Marble, what are you thi-” A splash of water hit Sunset, leaving her stunned to the punch. Soon a splash fight started, and so for the rest of the day, the topic of girls loving girls wasn’t the main focus.

Several hours, and several rolls of camera film later, Marble, Sunset, and the Humane Six sat around a fire, some of the girls cooking marshmallows, and to end it all, Sunset and Twilight singing about there being more that’s out there to explore and discover all over a guitar that Sunset brought.

As the girls were huddling around, eyes liddening in well-earned exhaustion, Marble sat there on the log wrapped in a towel, staring at the stars. As her gaze landed on Sunset, she smiled, now knowing she wasn't alone. But with that, a silent sense of dread came along with more questions. Questions that her parents never discussed with her, questions that she needed help on. Questions that perhaps, God might answer.

The Book

Marble needed answers.

She tried the library, but there were no books that even slightly covered what she was worried about. Talking to people was out of the question because she was afraid Pinkie or her friends might find out.

All she knew was that there were secret clubs in downtown Canterlot which catered to such girls, and that was it. She had no idea what to do. Some of her questions were solved: she was curious as to why she never had a crush on any of the boys during the few dances she went to, and now she knew. But now came more questions than ever. Are there other girls besides Sunset that are like me? Why don’t I know of any? Is the Order alright with this? These questions and more raced through her mind.

After several weeks of trying to find answers, Marble turned to the only stable rock she knew that could reliably provide an answer. The Bible.

So to the setting of crickets and cicadas on a hot, humid night, with a window opened, Marble sat at the writing desk in her room, the Bible that she brought with her from Lancaster County laid out across the desktop. For several hours, Marble struggled as her eyes burned and her head ached, only stopping for meals and bathroom breaks, looking over the Bible meticulously and whispering prayer after prayer in Pennsylvanian Dutch .

Finally, to her horror, she found her answer. Leviticus 18:22, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination” Marble gasped. She felt her blood turn cold, her heart sinking similar to how she felt when she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar when she was younger. This… this can’t be all of it… she thought. The Lord may see this as an abomination, but isn’t there a chance I can be redeemed?

With cautious trepidation, Marble continued to read on with trembling hands, a sense of morbid dread filling her thoughts. She found her answer to her thoughts two chapters later: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”

Marble’s heart skipped a beat. Even if the passage had directly referenced a man, by all sense of logic, it would apply to her as well.

Her heart sank as she felt hot tears fall down her cheeks, her whimpers turning into cries as she considered that should her parents find out about this, she would lose them for sure.

She couldn’t believe it. Why? She thought. Why did I have to feel this way? Is this a test for me on my Rumspringa? She felt torn. If she wanted to stay with her family, she’d need to never mention this to anyone. She’d need to fix herself, save herself from damnation.

She’d have to cut off all correspondence with Sunset.

That thought alone tore her apart. But on the other hand, if she continued to see Sunset, if she stayed with her, there was no chance she would be able to see her parents for a very long time, if ever, especially if word came out about what she felt.

With that, Marble cried. For the second time in her life, she felt alone, truly alone.

The Talk

Something felt off.

Pinkie Pie was often respected for her sense of knowing what was going to happen. Others, like Twilight, initially met it with skepticism, only for it to die in the ensuing experiments and investigations.

But, whether they believed her or not she knew something was off with her little sister.

And, as much as it pained her, she had to stand away and give Marble her space. Or that was what Maud said. But it really hurt her. Marble had grown distant over the past week: she barely looked up during meals, and only played with her food. She’d spend most of the day all holed up in her room. Sunset came to visit, but even that didn’t make Marble leave her room.

But no matter how much it pained her, she was aware that this was Marble’s Rumspringa; if there are any problems that she wanted help on she’d come around on her own time.

Pinkie just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

And so Pinkie internally sighed in relief when Mable came down the stairs, hair ruffled, eyes reddened, and looking worse for wear She had finally come down, and was now sitting nervously in front of Pinkie as she poured in some ingredients.

“Hey there, Marble! Do you wanna come around and help me bake? I know you used to love to help mamm out in the kitchen when you were still small.” Marble blushed and, though she looked tired, nodded.

And so the room was silent as she and Marble mixed and poured and kneaded and pounded. It continued for nearly half an hour before she heard Marble take a deep breath. “Pinkie?”

“Yes, Marble?” Pinkie turned to look at her: she had enough practice baking to be able to take her eyes off the puffy dough.

“I-I need help on something…” Marble said to the bowl of dough in front of her. “Do you think you can help me?”

Pinkie grinned, “Marble, you know me! I’m the person that wants to make the world smile, of course I can help!” She pinched Marble’s nose, covering it with flour. Marble couldn’t help but giggle, a tiny smile crinkled on her face. “Now, tell Aunt Pinkie what’s going on.”

“Wh-What does the Ordnung say about um… t-two girls being together.”

“What do ya mean by that?”

Marble took her time rolling the dough and smashing the resultant ball. “I-I mean, you know, together together, like how a boy and a girl gets together at bundling?”

Pinkie’s hair deflated as she frowned, “I-I’ll have to be honest with you Marble… nothing too good, why?”

Pinkie felt a hand touch hers as Marble turned to look at Pinkie. “P-Pinkie?”

“Yes, Marble?”

Marble looked back at the bowl of unattended dough before she looked back. “U-Um… well… I like someone, and she’s a girl.” Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, “And I know the Ordnung doesn’t allow it, and I know I might lose mamm and dadt over this, and that you might hate me as well, but please, please tell me that you love me, that I can stay, I don’t want to be kicked out.” Marble began to break down into tears as she finished her sentence.

Pinkie stopped kneading the dough and quickly hugged Marble, “Oh Marble, come here.” She rubbed her hand up and down Marble’s back, probably staining the shirt with flour, but hey, they were having a sisterly bonding moment here. “I’d never do that, and neither would Maud.” She let go and turned back towards the dough. “I can’t speak for Maud, Marble, but I know that I’m okay with it. Now come on, before the dough rises too much.

As the continued to knead, Pinkie gauged Marble’s reaction. She looked relieved, but something told her that wasn’t the least of her worries. But if the hands-off approach worked, she wasn’t going to break it by pushing at this point.

And it paid off, for when all was said and done and the pastries were being fried in the pot of lard, Marble took another deep breath. “What do I do from here?”

“Have you decided on whether or not you’re going to get baptized?”

Marble shook her head. “N-No… I can’t bear to live without my… special someone, but the thought of losing my parents…”

“Hey, hey, don’t worry about it.” Pinkie interrupted, hugging her again briefly. “Tell ya what, think about it, think about it real hard and pray if you have to, and keep thinking about it until you’re sure you’ve made your decision and go with what you want the most.”

“And if I decide to let father know?’

“Write a letter to him, tell him what you told me about yourself and what you’ve decided.”

Marble sniffled, “C-Can’t you tell me anything else?”

Pinkie shook her head, “This is your decision, Marble. Maud and I already made ours.” She took Marble’s hand and rubbed it with her thumbs, “Just remember, if you do decide to leave the order, you’ll always have a place here with me and Maud, with hot food and warm bed.” Pinkie sniffed as she felt her senses tingling. “Which reminds me.”

She shot over to the pot, took out the pastries, and raced back to Marble, “Would you like a cherry chimichanga, Marble?”

Marble nodded, and so after they were cool, picked one up, and took a bite, her eyes widening in amazement as she hummed in delight. Pinkie chuckled, “Glad to see you like it.”

Marble nodded.

“So, do you feel better now?”

She nodded again, “Even if my problems aren’t gone, at least I know what to do now.” She hugged Pinkie again, cherry chimichanga in hand, “Thanks Pinkie.”

“My pleasure.”

Author's Note

See? Sweets always fix everything... I think... maybe?

The War

“The United States continues to reinforce its garrison in Las Pegaus, a city that Emperor Dainn is fighting back for. As the war escalates between South Vietnam and the Caribou Empire only time will tell the real state of Vietnam’s combat readiness, as well as Equestria’s and to an extent, the world’s first line of defense.”

All over the news, all that Marble could see were images of choppers, soldiers, and corpses. Images of mutilated and starved horses. And this is something that Sunset wanted to fight in? She thought.

It had been over a week since Sunset had received her orders to ship out to Equestria. Marble was still predictably tense over her girlfriend’s well being, but after talking with her sisters and with Sunset before she left, she knew there was nothing else she could do except to pray, pray and hope that God would protect her no matter where she was.

As she and Maud finished up with the cooking, Pinkie walked in holding several envelopes, handing one to Marble. “Looks like Sunset sent you one, Marble. The first one from Equestria.” She said with a smile. She nodded up to the stairs, “Go, don’t worry, Maud and I will take care of this, won’t we Maud?”

Maud looked up to Pinkie and nodded.

Quickly, Marble wiped her hands on her apron and shot up the stairs to her room, now filled with plushies, pictures, and other nicknacks she had gathered from her adventures before Sunset left. Among them was a certain grey plush horse that was smiling down at her from the bed stand.

She snatched a letter opener from her writing desk and cut open the envelope, anxiously opening the letter, hoping for some good news for the first time since Sunset’s departure.

Dear Marble,

Where can I start? I’m in Equestria now, and so far, nothing has happened, so I guess you can sigh in relief. Anyhow, I’ve been getting used to my bunkmates (hope you don’t get jealous that I have new friends) and to some of our Vietnamese neighbors as well. It’s surprising how short they are compared to us, but I’ve heard from the men that they fight harder than we do in the worst situations.

I’m all settled in, and I begin my work tomorrow, which would be far later than it is if the speed of mail is the same. I’ve also seen some of the Equestrians here, and I hate to say it, what they say on the news is right on the ball. You won’t believe how many there are in the hospital right now trying to recover from their torture. I just wish we could do more here than what we are doing right now.

There isn’t really much else to say here, otherwise I’m told the censors would black anything out for the sake of national security. So Marble, relax, don’t worry, I’m alright, I hope to get a letter from you soon.

Your best friend, Sunset

Marble sighed in relief. But just because Sunset arrived safe didn’t mean something couldn’t happen. And to that, she took a deep breath. Relax, you’ve done so much to be with her, you can get through this. And so, she knelt down against her bed, and began to pray.

Because through hell and highwater, she’d wait for Sunset to come home.

Author's Note

And there we have it! A sequel! Sorry about the long wait, college, and high school, and life, oh my! This was originally meant for last autum’s Sunset Shimmer Shipper contest for Journies. Obviously, it wasn’t finished by the due date. Since then though I’ve worked to polish it.

A huge thank you to everyone who had stuck with me. Hopefully with this new year I can flesh out some more stories, until then, see ya!

Prelude

Marble sighed as she finished reading another portion of the Bible. After so many rest stops, so many hours, and so many days, it almost seemed like she was living in the bus at this point.

So why didn’t her nerves calm down?

She was now long gone from Lancaster county, away from the watchful eye of her parents and their neighbors. The same neighbors she knew all her life. Who took care of her and made sure everyone got along well. Who all sacrificed their time to grow bonds with everyone.

The very same neighbors she wouldn’t be seeing for the next few years at least.

Marble hugged the Bible against herself as she turned to look at the many different people on the bus. From businessmen looking over documents, to women with their crying babes trying to rock them to sleep. Sitting right next to her was an old lady who was knitting. It was funny though, with how packed in everyone was, how small Marble truly felt.

Marble, still tense, quietly and quickly unfolded the letter from Pinkie to read it one more time, and to look at one certain picture. One that always gave her some sort of comfort on this long journey. This picture was one of the few colored photos of Pinkie’s friends sitting around Pinkie’s room in one of her slumber parties. Out of everyone in the group, one person stood out. In the middle, sat a girl with glowing ginger hair, smiling, light blue eyes piercing right into her heart.

With her heartbeat slowing down, Marble turned to look out the window, staring out at the landscape as it flew by. Though she was nervous, she felt like she could at least step out into the world.

The Letter

It was now or never.

After countless weeks of praying and thinking and talking. Of more meetings with Sunset and her friends. She finally made her decision.

Now all she had to do was write the letter.

Why did this have to be so hard?

Marble stared at the blank sheet of paper as she tried to think of what she wanted to say, or whether or not to actually say it. What if he shuns me? He can’t shun me, can he? I haven’t joined the church yet. Marble’s more meek side said.

Marble, you have to tell him, you can’t keep up a lie like this for the rest of your life and be happy about it. Her more assertive side said.

But is it worth losing your family and all you know?

Marble clenched her pencil, Sunset would’ve come clean about it, and if she could go through everything she went through and still be strong, then so can I. And so, began to write her letter.

Father,

Over the past few months, I have discovered much about the ways of the English. All of their quirks and habits, the joys… and the sorrows. I have learned so much, father. Pinkie Pie and Maud have been quite generous with me, and even introduced me to their friends. And it is the feeling for one of these friends that drives me to write this letter to you.

Father, I have prayed and thought about this for the past few months as I discovered myself. And it is with great pain that I deliver not one, but two facets of news that shall perhaps strike you to your core. Father, I’m in love, not just with an Englisher, but an Englisher who's also my own sex. And… this isn’t something that I have decided lightly, I have decided to leave the church.

I know you had expectations of me father, to not be like Pinkie or Maud, but as I said I have thought long and hard. And I cannot bear to live my life as a lie, nor live without someone I can truly love, have a family with, and grow old with. I am sorry father, I am so, so sorry. As I said, I have thought long and hard about this, and I wish that someday, even if it is not on this earth, you will find the heart to forgive me.

Your loving daughter, Marble

And with that it was done. Marble looked over the letter, then folded it up. She placed it in a colourful envelope marked for air mail, and placed the stamps and the adhesive needed for the envelope.

And so, with a great weight in her hands, she placed the envelope in the mailbox and raised the flag. She took in a deep breath and then she walked back into the house.

And sure, she still had to deal with her feelings for Sunset, her nightly dreams and passing thoughts, but for now, her weight was off her chest, and for now, she could smile.

For the first time in months, she felt free.