Serene

Part I : The Silver Shoals

~ 🌙 ~

Tuesday, May 1st, Year 3 of Princess Twilight

Marble Pie sometimes wondered why she trusted any word that came from Pinkie’s mouth. Not that her sister didn’t mean well, but…

Pinkie could be a bit biased in her assessments. Marble should have spotted the problem early, especially when her twin had told her the Silver Shoals was the place for her ‘super-duper-extra-relaxing’ solo vacation. Relaxing, the Silver Shoals could probably be called that, if one did not mind the considerable number of tourists that crowded the picturesque little village. Marble firmly belonged in the ‘did mind’ category.

In recent years, the quaint fishing village had developed into a villegiature hotspot, its population often multiplying tenfold during holidays. Even during weekdays, there were still far too many ponies for Marble’s tastes. On her second day of wandering around, Marble had scratched off all the activities Pinkie had said couldn’t be missed, having done none of them.

Marble did find some interesting spots, however. The whole town was composed of hundreds of buildings, most of them raised on wooden stilts over the hilly shore and linked by meandering, labyrinthine pathways. Wandering off from the busier beachside, Marble stumbled upon an antique shop. The collection of maritime curios — and lack of crowd — sparked Marble’s interest.

She pushed the door, a soft, pleasant shime signaling her presence. A soothing aroma of tea and flowers welcomed Marble inside the quiet store, the pleasant smell immediately putting her at ease. Marble didn’t see anyone, but she could hear two or three ponies in the cluttered aisles. Enough not to be creepy, not enough to be annoying. Perfect.

Marble idly wandered along the shelves, peering over their content. There were quite a lot of interesting little things — bottled ships, antique lamps, old paintings, silverwares, sea shells, and the likes. The wooden floor creaked under her hooves as she stepped over the planks, a sound which reminded her of home on the rock farm.

As Marble made her way into another aisle, she finally saw another pony, a pony significantly taller than her. Princess Luna. Marble froze, seeing the dark, slender, ageless alicorn so close in front of her, examining a few antiques with an expression that was somehow both intense and relaxed.

The Princess’ gaze fell on Marble. Icy terror filled the young mare’s veins, like every time she was put in the spotlight. Luna gave Marble a polite nod and a calm smile, merely acknowledging her presence. Marble’s fears vanished like a cold mist under sunlight, and she returned the gesture automatically. Luna went back to her perusing, and Marble moved on to the next aisle.

The exchange had lasted an instant, but it stayed on Marble’s mind as she kept exploring the boutique; Luna’s cyan eyes, her calm smile… their image etched in Marble’s memory.

The antique store was by no means big, but it was full of little discoveries, and Marble took her time. Beside her and the princess, the only other pony inside was an old, hard-of-hearing stallion who appeared to be the shop’s owner. Eventually, Marble made her way toward the exit, promising the old stallion she’d be back to buy a few things before she left town.

Another voice called to her, a feminine voice with a hint of an ancient inflexion in her speech, Luna’s voice, “Sorry to disturb, but your opinion would be most valuable.”

Marble turned around curiously, coming face to face with the Princess of the Moon. “Hm?”

“I ponder on these stones, and would need an expert’s advice. Are these true ocean’s gems as stated, or mere quartz from the nearest quarry? Unfortunately, I can not tell.”

A coffret holding a set of translucent stones floated in front of Marble, held aloft by Luna’s cobalt blue aura. Marble observed the stones a moment before looking back at the princess. She could already answer Luna’s question, but there was something more pressing on her mind.

“Um, how… erm… You know who I am?”

Luna gave Marble a gentle, knowing smile. “Marble Pie. I know your sister, Pinkie Pie. And… we’ve met before, you and I. Do you not remember?”

Met? Marble certainly did not remember meeting with Princess Luna before; she had seen her, but not from up close. Unless…

Yes, she had indeed met the princess before, but not physically: in her dreams. The memory was a wisp in Marble’s mind, almost lost, but still there. She cleared it from her thoughts, putting her focus back on the living princess in front of her.

“Oh, I see… Well, these stones are regular quartz. They’re pretty, but common. That would make the twenty-five bits on the price tag excessive, except for this bead over there, the dark blue one. It’s a real gem; you’d have to ask a jeweler what it is exactly, but it’s worth a lot.”

“I see. It is good to know. Thank you, Miss Pie.” Luna gave her a courteous nod, and went back to her business.

That… was odd, Marble thought as she left the antique shop.

~ 🌙 ~

By the middle of the afternoon, the spring’s Sun had heated the Silver Shoals considerably, which was why Marble was very glad to find an ice cream kiosk by a little plaza.

Unfortunately, the ice cream machine broke down as the stallion at the counter prepared her order. His claim that it’d be ‘just a minute’ turned out to be far too optimistic; it was only fifteen minutes later that Marble finally left the kiosk with a giant banana-chocolate-peanut butter ice cream — the stallion having given her extra for her patience.

Adding to her annoyance, Marble realised all the nearby benches had been taken during the wait. With a sigh, she made her way to find a new spot, precariously balancing a pile of ice cream far too big to eat by herself.

Of course, it didn’t take long for Marble to drop her treat. The tumbling ice cream didn’t hit the ground, however; surrounded by blue magic, it reconstituted itself and floated in front of Marble. She picked it back up, somewhat confused.

“Hello again. You should sit down, and enjoy your dessert before you lose it.”

Marble looked back and saw Princess Luna once more. “Oh, um… thank you. I-I was looking for a place to sit, actually.”

“I understand. Come, then. I know a spot just around the corner where we can enjoy this pleasant weather in peace. For me too, a little break would be welcome.”

Marble followed Luna around a side alley, and indeed arrived at a secluded bench with a view of the sea. She settled next to the princess, and took a big bite from her hard-earned treat.

“Mmmmh!” Yes, the effort had been worth it.

Luna gave her an intrigued look. “This does seem appetizing… but, is it not a fair bit too big for one mare to eat?”

Marble stared at the mountain of bananas, ice cream and fudge. “Um… mmhmm. I didn’t order it like this: the stallion gave me a bigger one because I had to wait a while.”

A little smirk appeared on Luna’s face. “Perhaps it had less to do with the wait time, and more to do with your natural cuteness.”

Marble blushed, taking a bite of ice cream to dodge the subject. The princess let out a soft giggle.

“Sorry, I should not tease…” Luna approached. “Say, would you share your dessert with me? It seems delightful."

Caught by surprise, Marble hurriedly swallowed a big mouthful, and almost choked on it. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that from a princess. Marble had never shared her food like this; she didn’t even have a spoon.

Why would she want my half-eaten sunday? She can surely afford to buy her own… They’d probably give her a free one if she asked.

Taking a look at the alicorn, Marble met Luna’s hopeful gaze. That settled it, and she raised her ice cream to offer it. “Um… okay.”

Luna smiled brightly, and took a bite, licking the chocolate off her lips. Looking back at her treat, Marble stared at the princess’ bite mark.

She probably left some saliva…

Deciding it didn’t matter, Marble ate too, then brought it back toward Luna. They shared the ice cream, taking turns eating. Soon, Marble stopped caring about her earlier reservations, and simply enjoyed her time with the princess.

“Ah, I enjoyed this! Thank you very much for sharing this, Marble,” Luna said, licking her lips as they finished.

“Um, it’s no problem. It was too much for me anyway.”

They stayed there, looking at the sea.

“Princess?” Marble said after a while. “Am I boring you? You don’t have to stay with me, if you don’t want to.”

Luna came back from whatever thought she was lost in, and gave her a puzzled look. “Boring? No, not at all. I love to enjoy the day like this. Truthfully, it is pleasant to share this with a pony who can enjoy the peaceful silence.”

“Oh… Sorry to disturb you…”

Luna did a double take, backpedalling a bit, “No, no, I did not mean so. You do not make me uncomfortable. Simply, most ponies are… unpleasantly loud, and obnoxious.”

Marble actually giggled. She very much understood what Luna meant. “Yeah, Pinkie told me I could get some relaxation here in the Silver Shoals, but it seems like it’s mostly loud clubs and windsurfing.

“Hah! My sister loves those. That is her, in fact.” Luna pointed at a group of surfers in the bay.

Squinting, Marble observed the riders. Indeed, Princess Celestia was amongst the group, windsurfing on the waves.

“Since we retired from the throne, my sister has been enjoying herself. I think her presence is the source of all this industry of tourism, though I cannot blame her. Still, there are plenty of ways where one can enjoy the Silver Shoals in peace. Would you like a tour? I so seldom get to enjoy the pleasant atmosphere with another pony.”

“Oh, mmhmm,” Marble replied, surprised by the proposition. “That would be nice.”

~ 🌙 ~

Hours later, Marble was in a cozy restaurant, enjoying local specialties with Princess Luna, who kept ordering dishes for the two of them.

Not that Marble had much doubts to begin with, but Luna really knew her stuff. It was strange to hang out with an alicorn, though it really wasn’t as overwhelming as Marble would have thought; the princess was nice and friendly — perhaps a little formal, but it suited her somehow.

"Your hooves and mane are really well maintained, especially for a pony who works with stones every day," Luna commented as they finished their last plate of fried kelp.

Marble blushed, hiding behind her bangs. "Oh… thank you, Princess. I… I take good care of them. I used to go to school in Rockville, and I learned from other fillies in class." She raised her foreleg, glancing at her hoof. "Though, I guess I'll have to redo them soon."

"So do I," Luna replied with a sigh. "I could really use a hooficure. Oh! Why don't we go back to my home, and do a little makeover?"

Marble's jaw dropped. "Uh, wha—"

Luna came down from her excitement, noticing Marble's expression. "My apologies, I was out of line, inviting you like this. You probably want to return to your hotel soon, after such a day."

Looking down, Marble fiddled with her hooves. She followed Luna outside, the alicorn paying the bill without asking for Marble to pitch in. They parted on the front door.

“This has been very enjoyable,” Luna said, her ethereal mane shimmering with the sunset’s warmth. “I wish you a pleasant evening. It is my hope that we meet again before you leave the Silver Shoals.”

“Yeah… Good night.” Marble gave Luna a courteous nod, and watched her depart.

Marble wondered what she’d do for the evening. Return to her hotel room? That would be kind of boring. It was still pretty early. Hang out in town? She didn’t know what she’d even do.

Princess Luna spreads her great dark wings, preparing to take off, leaving Marble to herself.

Without thinking, Marble cantered to catch up with the alicorn. “Wait, Princess!” Luna turned around, quizzical, her wings folding back in place. “Um, I don’t really have anything to do tonight, so… erm… I wouldn’t mind doing something with you, if… you know… that’s not a bother.”

Luna smiled wide, and brought Marble into a bone-crushing hug, making the gray mare gasp. “Oh, most wonderful! You and I will have much fun! Erm… sorry…” She released the slightly shell-shocked Marble, who shook her head to clear her mind and make her long, two-toned mane fall into place. “Come, I shall lead you to my home.”

“O-Okay…”

Princess Luna’s house wasn’t in town, but a short walk up the nearby cliffs. Built on a single floor, it had a great terrasse and bay windows overlooking the ocean. The other sides were surrounded by beautiful gardens and tall hedgerows. An ornate metal gate bore the inscription ‘Eventide Cottage’. The mention ‘Home of Luna’ was inscribed on a wooden sign, along with ‘No solicitors. Ask Celestia if you need something’.

Ushered inside, Marble peeked around, curious about what the home of a princess might look like. The Eventide Cottage wasn’t particularly small, but it was nowhere near the palace Marble had been expecting. It was beautiful though, with white stone walls, silver accents and fabrics of various shades of blue. The layout consisted of a main room — including both kitchen and living room — surrounded by other rooms: a bathroom, a library, an office, a bedroom and what appeared to be some kind of arts-and-crafts room. Luminous glass orbs bathed everything in a relaxing bluish light.

Luna flopped like a filly on her large, alicorn-sized bed, Marble joining her with a little grin. The princess levitated a box from her vanity and placed it on top of the plush bedsheet, revealing a dazzling variety of cosmetics.

“Woah!” Marble gushed, giddy with excitement. “This is amazing, Princess!”

The alicorn giggled. “Please, call me ‘Luna’. I would like to be friends with you, Marble.”

Friends? The actual Princess of the Moon wanted to be friends with boring little Marble Pie? It was so entirely unexpected, and it gave her a shiver, part nervousness, part thrill.

“I… I’d like to be friends with you too, Prin— erm… L-Luna.”

A bright smile lit up Luna’s face. “Wonderful! We can have a sleepover! Should I give you a hooficure? Or, I could brush your mane?”

“Hehe! Whatever, you want! Then I could do yours, too.”

They shared a knowing grin.

For the next couple of hours, both mares took care of each other. As the sun dipped over the horizon, brilliant stars replacing it over the vast ocean, Marble felt positively radiant. It had been ages since Marble had any fun filly-style like this, doing makeovers with somepony else; her parents were out of the question, Limestone hated it, Maud wasn’t interested, and Pinkie was… Pinkie. Marble didn’t really have anypony else.

Taking care of Luna had been fun too, once Marble managed to actually get over her nervousness and touch the millenia-old royal alicorn. She had polished and varnished the princess’ hooves, who also taught her how to preen her great, dark blue wings.

It all had been incredibly relaxing. So relaxing, in fact, that Marble eventually fell asleep on the princess’ bedsheet as Luna brushed her soft, silky mane.

Not wanting to disturb her new friend’s slumber, Luna gently pulled the blankets over Marble’s sleeping form, and left the bedroom. A while later — Luna had stopped doing night shifts, but she still never went to sleep before midnight —, she joined Marble for the night. The little gray earth pony had not moved an inch, though she was snoring a bit. Luna slipped under the covers on the opposite side of the bed, careful not to wake Marble.

A few minutes later, she had fallen asleep too.