A Misplaced Marbleby TheCrystalRingChaptersFirst NightSecond NightThird NightFinal NightFirst NightAuthor's Note me, pounding out a contest fic in a month during my final semester at college: haha, i'm in danger First Night Marble has never seen such a beautiful garden, before. Of course, she doesn't consider herself very well-versed in gardens, to begin with. Plants and stones rarely play nice together, so Papa never keeps the former around. But, for once, it doesn't matter what he thinks. Right now, she is in Canterlot, and the information she needs won't collect itself. But the garden truly is spectacular. The lawns are delicately trimmed, and the evergreen trees—cypress, but Marble doesn’t know the difference—are evenly spaced. Nearby, the high walls of the hedge maze rise like mountains from the ground. And she loves mountains, of course. Very rich in minerals. The greenery is secondary to her actual reason for coming here, though. A sculpture garden is nothing without its statues, right? Moonlight streams down in columns of spotlights, illuminating the gray of her coat every time she steps into one. Not many ponies look at gray things, but that suits Marble just fine. Attention has always been more of Pinkie’s thing. And despite them being open all hours of the day, ponies rarely come to the gardens at night, so it’s quite perfect for her. Fittingly, most of the sculptures look gray in the dimness. They stretch on as far as her eye can see, like piles of salt from a mine. How wonderful, surely they will be able to help her with what she needs! So she approaches the nearest one—a caped mare holding a functioning flag—and sets a hoof upon its base. “…hello?” she whispers out of habit. “My name is Marble P-Pie. Are you a-awake?” There’s quiet, and then: Oh, you’re talking to me, oh my goodness! Most ponies just look at me, but you want to know my opinion, oh my! Hello, hun! Yes, I’m awake now! A smile works its way onto Marble’s face. “Mhm… I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you, but I w-wanted to know a little bit about you, if you don’t mind.” Dearest, I don’t mind at all! I represent Victory, or at least that’s what my sculptor said I represent. Isn’t that nice? A little old hunk of marble like myself, made into a masterpiece for all kinds of ponies to admire. Beats living in the Earth any day! Lovely rock for carving, marble. Marble herself is grateful her parents chose such a pretty stone to name her after. Of course, she doesn’t think she can ever live up to the standards such a name puts on her, but that’s okay. Marble’s content with not standing out. “W-Who visits you the most often?” Marble continues, craning her neck to look up at the statue’s face. “W-What are they like?” There are two main groups, I’d say. I love the schoolfoals the most—usually, their teachers are well informed on how important and special I am, which is always pleasant. Nothing like teaching the new generation! There are also the rich aristocrats and celebrities, but they’re more concerned with my origin and sculptor. I’ve gotten offers you know! Lord Fancypants is very persistent in that regard. “How w-wonderful,” Marble congratulates, ignoring how her neck cramps from the awkward angle it's in. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re getting the recognition that such a b-beautiful piece of stone deserves. Surely, you’re one of the most p-popular pieces here, right?” Of course, why wouldn’t I be! There's only one sculpture in this garden that’s more fabulous than I, after all. And he… Marble patiently waits for the statue to continue, before her brow furrows at the lingering silence. “He…?” …he’s strange. He’s popular with visitors, yes. But he’s not like the other statues. He’s been here far longer than the rest of us, yet I don’t know anything about his make or material. Isn’t that bizarre? “Mhm, very…” Marble pauses to think for a moment. “W-Where is he at?” Over by the labyrinth’s entrance. It’s odd because the Princess has him at the prime location for viewing from her balcony. What’s so special about him that I lack? “I’m sure it’s a matter of p-preference—you’re still very gorgeous, Ms. Victory.” Lowering her head, Marble nods to herself. “Thank you so much for the talk, I’ll be going now. Have a w-wonderful night.” You too, honey. But be careful if you go to see him… “Mhm, I w-will,” Marble replies, lowering her hoof back to the ground. “Thank you.” Walking away from the Victory statue, Marble glances up at the Moon. It’s not quite full—perhaps in a few days?—but the Mare in the Moon markings are prominent. What are Moon rocks like? Do they have an equivalent in Equestria? Would they be able to help with what her family needs…? Turning a bend in the path, Marble looks down from the sky and halts. To the left is the entrance to the hedge maze, and to the right is something she’s never seen before. Long and spindly, the creature almost divides the horizon into two. Standing on mismatched legs atop a pillar encircled by a serpentine tail, it holds a lion’s paw to its chest and a talon extends to its side. Its head, vaguely equine in shape, has its maw stretched wide open. Marble can’t tell if the creature is supposed to be singing, laughing, or screaming; she’s not sure if she’s supposed to know. Cautiously, Marble creeps towards the statue. Surely this must be him. The creature certainly fits the strange bill. But other than his makeup, he doesn’t seem much different than the Victory statue. They’re both pale in that tell-tale marble way, at least. Not scary at all… Taking a calming breath, Marble marches to the statue and places a hoof upon it. Just go ahead and touch me, why don’t you? Didn’t even ask… It’s not like I’m a stickler for rules, but even I know what polite ponies are supposed to do! Starting, Marble almost draws her hoof away before steadying. “Um, I’m s-sorry. You’re right, that w-was rude of me, I should’ve—” …how interesting. A pony who can hear me? Perhaps I can forgive impudence, for once. Just once, though! “Oh, thank you, I…” Marble stops to collect her thoughts. “S-Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, I’m—” You’re Marble Pie, I’ve already heard. Please, I may be old, but I’m not deaf. Blushing, Marble resists the urge to hide in her mane; recognition is so nerve-wracking! “How did you, I w-was way over there…?” I told you—I’m old, not deaf. As it happens, there’s not much to do as a statue but listen. The thing is, ponies don’t usually listen to me, at least not like this. What gives with you? “Oh, um, I…” Giving into the temptation, Marble leans into her mane and mumbles something. You’re going to have to speak up—gibberish is very in line with my ideals, but even I don’t understand it. “My special talent is stone-speaking!” Marble lets out, face flaming afterward at the outburst. “I, um, I c-can talk to and hear the thoughts of any rock I put my hoof on. I have to actively be listening though, s-so that helps me avoid hearing voices all the time.” Ah. Well, that explains why I heard you talking to Ms. “Besotted-With-Fancypants” Victory, over there. Absolutely scathing conversationalist, that one. Don’t know what I ever did to earn such ire, I’ve been well-behaved for centuries. That snaps Marble out of her self-consciousness—such an old stone! "Centuries? How long have you been a-around?" Far longer than that! But, of course, you wouldn't know anything about me. Who I am is a very hush-hush affair. Celestia is quite boring in that regard. At this point, Marble has fully emerged from her hair. She’s never met somepony who talked about the Princess in such a manner. A unique temperament that perfectly complements an equally unique exterior. But if he’s been in this garden for centuries, he must be rather important! Excited, she doesn’t hesitate with her next words: "And w-who are you, if I may ask?" A low laugh rumbles along the statue’s length. Asking even after mentioning Cay-Cay’s cover job, eh? How bold. But, if you insist— The voice makes a noise like somepony clearing their throat. I am Discord, and Discord means… me! Haha, that’s a clever line to those in the know. Anyways, you should be honored to meet me! “A p-pleasure,” Marble attempts to curtsey, but it more resembles a bend of the knees. “But I s-suppose I’m not one in the know, then.” Ahh, don’t feel bad! I’m seldom one in the know, even when it is I that needs knowing! But, of course, there's something you need to know, isn't there? A crease forms on Marble's brow. "How do you mean?" The laughing quiets a bit. Nopony visits at night, certainly nopony who lives in Canterlot, at least. And visiting just to talk to a bunch of statues instead of reading their plaques? Quite unusual… and I make it my business to know things that are unusual. "W-Well…" A strand of Marble's mane sticks to the corner of her mouth, but she resists the urge to fuss with it. "My family lives far a-away here, on what ponies would call a 'rock farm'. Or at least, most of my family does—my twin moved out quite a w-while ago. Anyways… "Times have been hard. Maybe they've a-always been, but Papa is a prideful stallion, and I've only learned about the w-whole thing from Mama. Ponies aren't using rocks to b-build houses and dams like they used to. So I thought I s-should use my gift to try and explore alternative markets we could aim for…" Ah. Well, the nobles of Canterlot certainly have their flights of fancy every now and again. Plenty of bits amongst them are just aching to be thrown at the arts. And who better to ask about what art they're tossing cash at than the art itself? Marble's eyes widen. He already figured it out? Even without her having to stumble through her words like a fool? She’s always been better at talking to rocks than ponies, but even the former don’t comprehend her that easily! Feeling something warm in her chest, Marble smiles. "That's rather a-astute of you to catch onto, it's usually hard for me to c-communicate my thoughts very well…" I understand you quite perfectly. In fact, why don't I make you an offer? "W-What kind of offer?" Marble tilts her head. "I'm afraid I don't have much to give." Come back here tomorrow, and the day after that. Do so for however long you're in town. Tell me about yourself, and keep this old guy company. In return, I'll give advice on how to remedy your little problem. Let me give you some now. Discord’s voice stops, and Marble loses track of how many seconds pass before he speaks again. You spoke to me because you sought what made me so popular. Well, you'll find no naturally occurring stone is quite like me. And not in that namby-pamby "we're all special" sort of way. No, I'm in a league of my own. Discord chuckles once more. But you have other statues to attend to, yes? Go collect your information, and we can talk again tomorrow—I have nowhere else to be, you see. I can't promise that some of these other folk aren't going to be terrible bores, however. Marble nods. "Mhm, thank you… Have a good night, Mr. Discord." I do believe I will. Second NightFor the entirety of the next day, Marble thinks about Discord. It’s not like he was the only statue in the garden; in fact, there were nearly thirty of them! But as it turned out, much of the information they offered was along the line of Victory’s. The statue representing Prosperity was made of lepidolite, a very expensive mineral that Marble had only seen in photos before then. And while the knowledge that aristocrats were very interested in owning lepidolite is enlightening, Marble knows such a mineral doesn’t grow on the family farm. It was largely the same quality of info everywhere else. Actually, the most helpful statue turned out to be the last one she spoke to: Love, who noticed which themes tended to attract which audiences. “And what kind of p-ponies are attracted to the Discord statue?” Marble had asked Love, eyes wide and curious. She’s not sure what possessed her to ask. It was almost morning at that point, and she really didn't want to encounter any ponies if she could avoid it. But the way Discord talked and kept up with her meekness was so strange. In a good way, of course, but still strange. She wants to know more. Oh, ponies like him for all kinds of things. He looks so different from the rest of us here that I'm not surprised. But I never hear much gossip about him, because while he's popular with the ponies, most of the statues don't like the vibe he gives off. "He seemed p-perfectly fine to me…" Marble replied, a frown on her lips. "Snarky, but isn't that an a-appealing trait?" On the right pony, perhaps. I really don't know, I've never talked to him since we're so far apart in this garden. But I'm sure he has plenty of knowledge, even if it's not what one thinks they want. I'd be cautious, just in case—knowledge comes with age and experience, and he knows more than he lets on, I'm sure of it. Afterward, when Marble returned to her cheap hotel on the other side of the city, she headed to sleep. The mattress was as hard as stone… like an actual bedrock. That was more of the sorta thing Pinkie came up with, but Marble supposed everypony had their moments of brilliance. Even her. When she wakes the next morning, it takes a moment for her to remember. But soon, the entirety of her conversation with Discord comes rushing back, and firmly weighs on her mind throughout her attempts to find an affordable eatery for food. Even the cheaper places are so crowded… Finally, she finds a café tucked in a corner that allows her a meal for relatively few bits. Eating a biscuit is such a strange departure from the rocks at home. Both are bland, in their own way, but that suits Marble just fine. Papa would have a fit if he heard that she'd been eating plant-based food, anyways. No need to stir the pot anymore than she does by existing— "Are you enjoying yourself, sitting here all by your lonesome?" "Eep!" Marble jumps, the remains of her biscuit falling to her plate as she looks around frantically. A stallion stares at her with colorless eyes that barely peek out from long black bangs. "Perhaps so, judging by that reaction. So it's true, what they say." Marble scrambles to get her voice to come out. "I'm sorry, w-what's true?" "This is,” the stallion drolls. “‘I am many, yet also few. Business follows and friendship too. To earn or entertain is my goal. But even you fulfill my role’. What is my name?" This talk is illogical—even a pony as inexperienced with conversation as she is knows that. Nopony just approaches somepony and speaks in riddles. But instead of disengaging and leaving the café like a logical pony, she stops and thinks. “S-so something that can fulfill all those roles?” Marble starts. “It can’t just be a p-physical thing, then. Maybe s-something metaphorical, too? B-But even I fulfill that role…?” She squints hard at her biscuit. “W-Well, the only thing I’m really good at is keeping others… “…company, that’s it!” Marble straightens up and meets the stallion’s gaze. “Your name is c-company! Even one p-pony like me is keeping you company. A-And many ponies can form a business or theatre company in the sense of an organization or troupe. That must b-be it.” The stallion slowly blinks before his lips lift. “Correct. Well done, indeed. I’m sure you keep many ponies company when they need it.” Marble scratches the side of her head and blushes. “A-Aw, that’s very sweet of you. I confess, I w-was confused about what you were doing, but that was fun! Thank you, Mr.…?” Something glints in the stallion’s colorless eyes. “Call me Company.” And with that, he exits through the café’s front door, leaving Marble alone with her biscuit. A couple of minutes later, Marble steps out into the brisk spring air. Startling, Marble feels her eyes dampen. The breeze… this same breeze must be at the rock farm now, huh? Papa and Mama are depending on her, even now. This whole thing might seem like a fun vacation, but she’s on a mission. And if Discord could provide her with answers… She very much wanted to see him again. The hours drag on, and by the time it’s well and truly dark, Marble feels a bit stir-crazy. She’d purchased enough biscuits to last her the day, but the thought of being out and about among high society makes her queasy. She already knows she’s not nearly fancy enough to blend in, and if they found out she’s a rock farmer! Ha! Pinkie loves laughter—enough to share it with the family even!—but Marble doesn’t think she likes it when it’s directed at her. But she didn’t bring much with her to do, here in her hotel room, so she resigns herself to rereading her geology guidebook a grand total of three times to pass the hours. But even her guidebook didn't have any hints to what Discord is made of. Regardless, Marble enjoys the walk back to Canterlot Castle; a chance to stretch her stone-stiff limbs! And the Moon, slightly more full than the night before, lets her see quite perfectly when she reaches the sculpture garden itself. Nothing has changed, besides the Moon. But that just makes locating Discord all the easier. “Hello, Mr. Discord,” Marble greets, before putting her hoof on his pedestal. “I hope you’re s-still doing well.” Ah, Miss Pie! I see you remembered to greet me first, how wonderful. Manners are ever so important, even for somepony like me. And yes, I’m doing as well as I can—had myself a good night, as instructed! “Oh, that’s good!” Marble exclaims, before deflating slightly. “B-But I didn’t mean to lecture you on how you needed to spend your night…” Psh! I believe it’s good for my health to be told to do something every so often. Keeps me spry! But, honestly, it’s refreshing to talk to anypony but Celestia, especially when the conversationalist is as interesting as you. “M-Me?” Marble flushes bright red, and fights the urge to paw at her mane. “I’m nothing s-special. I mean, just look at me!” I am looking at you. What’s so wrong with yourself? Marble pauses, for no one’s really asked that before, have they? “W-Well… I’m not very interesting to look at. Certainly not like you are! I’m gray, and gray is… b-boring.” Who says? Marble's hoof almost slips from its position. "P-Pardon?" Who says gray is inherently boring? I think it’s quite exciting—so many ways to interpret it! You could spell gray with an A, or grey with an E… in fact, what's stopping somepony from spelling it graigh or greigh by ending it with an IGH? Not to mention how gray is all some animals can see! "Oh, I never thought a-about it that way," Marble responds, a blush still firmly on her cheeks. "S-Sorta like how anything can be gray if you take a black-and-white photo of it, right?" Exactly. In my opinion, even something that looks boring can be an incredibly fascinating aspect of one's world, if allowed. But perhaps that's philosophizing for another day. I want to know more about Marble Pie. That is what she agreed upon, isn’t it? It's still so strange that anypony would care about her life, even if her grayness isn't as boring as she initially thought. But, somehow, Discord's attention on her doesn't feel overwhelming at all. Odd, but she welcomes it. "Give me one s-sec…" Marble gently sits on the ground, hoof still extended to touch Discord's base. "Mhm, okay then, w-what would you like to know?" Firstly, you spoke of your parents and your twin. Who all comprises your family? Marble nods; that’s a familiar enough topic. "That's p-pretty simple. There's Papa and Mama, w-who are named Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz. And then there's my older s-sisters, Maud, Limestone, and P-Pinkie, my twin." Baby of the bunch, I see. And such a large family! What are they like? "P-Papa and Mama are… old-fashioned, I suppose." Marble begins. "Much of our farm is how my ancestors had it. But it's not the same w-world they were raised in, anymore. The old methods aren't enough to keep us a-afloat now—it's very clear to me that's the case." Thus why you came to this sculpture garden in the first place. But I must confess, I am curious if your parents even know you're here. Judging by the traditionalist vibes, I'm guessing not. Letting out a small noise, Marble shakes her head. "No, they don't. I told them I w-was going to visit Pinkie in Ponyville. B-But I'd been saving bits up for a while to come here, instead." A rule-breaker, eh? Always lovely to meet a kindred spirit. But, of course, you're doing it for their own good. Losing your family farm wouldn't be good for anypony, hm? Marble nods. "Mhm. My p-parents are strict, but reasonable. If I can s-show them a way that would make our financial problems go away, I want to.” There’s a long pause, at that. Perhaps she said something wrong? But, inanely, Marble runs her hoof along Discord’s pedestal, instead. The rock feels like a cat's tongue in spots, but is perfectly smooth in others. How bizarre… Before she can say anything more, Discord speaks again: Pardon me for the silence, you just reminded me of something. But, anyway, I can respect being so driven. And your sisters? What are they like? “Oh, they’re very fun!” Marble brightens. “Limestone and Maud are also twins, like P-Pinkie and I. Limestone w-wants to take over the main quarry duties, but Papa hasn’t let her yet. She’s a little s-sour, maybe, but she means well. There’s no one as p-passionate about the farm as she is.” And Maud? “She’s an educated mare, a-actually,” Marble reveals. “She’s a-attending school to get a rocktorate. I’m not s-sure what she wants to do with it, or if she’s coming back to the farm afterward, but I’m happy for her. She doesn’t say much, b-but neither do I, usually.” What about Pinkie, your twin? Quite an odd name out, isn’t her’s? Giggling, Marble tilts her mane to the side to peer up at Discord’s face. “W-Well yeah, but you’d understand once you see her! She looks so b-bright and bouncy, and her personality matches her looks too. We were inseparable as fillies, s-spending every moment we weren’t doing chores together. After all, it's because of her that life on the rock farm w-wasn’t so dreary! But…” But? Marble’s bangs fall back into her eyes as she looks down. “But she left the farm w-when we were still young. Moved in with the local bakers in P-Ponyville, ‘cause they were able to help her realize her dreams. But still, she’s always s-so far away from home…" And so far away from you. "Mhm…" Something between a sob and a laugh escapes from Marble, yet it vanishes as quickly as it appeared; she gazes up at Discord once more. "It's funny, I never talk about this s-sorta stuff at home. I don't want to seem s-soft, y'know? Stones a-are supposed to be built solid and strong. Yet, I miss Pinkie, every day. I miss her laugh, I miss her smile, and I even miss her c-corny jokes. B-But I’m not enough to keep her around, am I? Discord hums. Isn’t that the way of life, though? Things are ever-shifting, ever-moving. Sometimes, you can only experience life by doing something different, something exciting. Every singular moment that goes by is never like the last, when you can live that way. So to me, it sounds like Pinkie craved something that wasn’t etched into your family’s traditions, more than she intended to ditch you. Pinkie has always been unpredictable, hasn’t she? Even before that strange day when she first threw a party, even back when they were born! Marble remembers seeing the photo of the two of them, side by side, one bright pink and the other dull gray.Joined at the hip, even then. In that sense, they were severed apart when Pinkie left, weren’t they? It still didn’t feel fair, even despite what Discord said. But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? Life is hardly fair, even when you’ve done nothing to deserve its ire. "Eep!" Marble jumps—she didn't mean to say that aloud! "I mean, I don't want to sound s-selfish or something. I just… w-wish it didn't hurt so much." I understand completely. Usually, I loathe trying to make sense of things, but you learn perspective, after being around as long as I have. And I know what it is to be abandoned. Marble pauses at that. "You do?" Of course. I've outlived countless ponies, after all. Seen entire bloodlines crumble to dust before my very eyes. Immortality has a way of making you alone. And, once I was put here, I had no one to talk to. Besides Celestia, I suppose, but she tends to abandon, too. "W-Would the Princess do that?" Marble wonders aloud, her free hoof pawing at the ground. "She's supposed to be better than a-all of us normal ponies, right? You would think! But, then again, there is no such thing as normal. As I said before, even the most unassuming thing is capable of captivating. Why, when I first met Celestia, she was nothing more than a lost filly scrabbling in the mud! Eyes widening, Marble leans in. “S-She was a filly too, once? How did you even meet, being a s-statue as you are?” Discord doesn’t answer right away. Marble doesn't want to rush him, of course, so her gaze wanders, eventually ending up on the Moon. Quietly, it hangs in the midnight sky, pearl-pale and nearly perfect in shape. It definitely will be full, sometime soon. If not tomorrow, the day after. She's beautiful, isn't she? Surprisingly, Marble doesn't startle at the way Discord's voice cuts through the silence; she lowers her eyes to allow Discord to re-enter her sight. "W-Who? Oh, do you mean the Moon?" Indeed. I knew her too, once upon a time. Hard to talk to her now, with her so far away, but I'm sure she's hurting for company more than I am. "I s-see… oh, w-wait, company!" Marble bursts out, her excitement overriding her self-consciousness for once. "I met a s-strange stallion today, he told me a riddle about company! And I a-actually solved it, too!" Discord chuckles, the sound reverberating through Marble's entire being. You keep very good company, Marble, so I'm not surprised. But it's getting late, I'm afraid. Go rest up, and we can talk more tomorrow. Oh! But I forgot to give you my advice, haven't I? Marble, who was in the process of standing up, halts. "No, I s-suppose you haven't. But I don't w-wish to be a hassle!" No, no. We made a deal, and deals are something I don't take lightly. Anyways, the Moon is rather beautiful, yes. Yet, in truth, she and I are similar in more than our make. But I’ll tell you this—legends hold more secrets to this tale than you might think. I wonder if you can puzzle out why… Dramatically, Discord releases a sigh. I do enjoy our conversations, Marble, even if they always feel so short. But c'est la vie, I suppose, nothing good can last, as they say. Finally making her way to her hooves, Marble nods. "Mhm. I enjoy them, too. I'll s-see you tomorrow, Discord." Until next time! Third NightBut in truth, Marble doesn’t actually “go rest up”. No, the following hours see her sitting upon the steps of the Canterlot Library, watching as the Sun overtakes the Moon in the sky. Dawn in Canterlot is almost as quiet as the night was, but that suits Marble just fine. Her brain is buzzing so much that she scarcely notices she’s no longer alone until an “ahem” breaks through the fog. “Eep!” she starts, spine ramrod straight as she spots the elderly mare that made the noise. “Oh, I’m s-sorry, I didn’t see you there…” The mare is a pale violet, her mane an even more faded pink. She shifts the pile of books upon her back just slightly, her spectacles shining in the swelling sunlight. Though she is much older than Marble’s mother, something about the presence of those glasses makes the tension in her shoulders ease, just a bit. “It’s quite alright, dear, though I will admit you surprised me a bit!” the mare titters, the lines around her eyes deepening with her smile. “Ponies don’t normally wait on the library’s doorstep for it to open. Well, one pony does, but I feel like she’s a bit of an outlier. Anyways, I’m Dusty Pages, the head librarian. Lovely to make your acquaintance!” “Marble P-Pie, nice to meet you,” Marble answers, raising to her hooves. “P-Pardon me, but I’m hoping to check some books out. If that’s a-alright.” "Well, I'm afraid only those with library cards can check out books, and you have to be a Canterlot resident to apply for one," Dusty shares as she goes to unlock the front doors. Marble's face falls. "That makes s-sense, I'm sorry if I was a bother…" "Oh, dearie, don't misunderstand me!" Dusty chirps, finally pulling the doors open before turning to Marble. "Nothing in the rules says that non-residents can't read the books as long as they stay on premises. I would know, I helped write quite a few of them myself. So c'mon in!" "A-Ah, thank you so much!" Marble beams, following the older mare inside. In no time at all, Marble is settled at a table piled with book upon book. And Dusty Pages was ever-so-helpful in assisting Marble in finding a wide swath of folklore to study. Soon, her eyes are scanning through the tomes at a rapid pace, for she very well can’t leave any stone unturned! She will admit, she doesn’t usually read topics that aren't somehow related to the rock farm. But she considers herself rather detail-oriented; you have to be, after talking to so many different stones. And Discord mentioned legends, didn't he? That has to hint at something he's building up to, some grand piece of advice. It has to! The different tales she reads are fascinating, though. Much more exciting and… and unpredictable compared to her life! She's never considered any deity besides the Princess, but some of these figures weren't even ponies at all! The swirling tail and mismatched features of Discord float into Marble's mind as she focuses on the next page. Could it be that he depicts somepony from these tales? Or perhaps, somehow, he— "You're thinking awfully hard, aren't you? Your muzzle scrunches up quite adorably when you do." "Eep!" Marble jolts, cringing at the heavy thunk that follows her opened book landing flat on the table. "W-Who—" Across from Marble sits a mare. Her white mane hangs in lank strands that follow the tilting motion of her head. "I apologize, I did not intend to startle you. Have you been reading mythology for long?" "Oh, not really." The adrenaline seeps out of Marble as she squints at the distant clock—is it 2 PM already? "Only s-starting today, actually. W-Why?" The mare hums as her eyes slip close. "I was hoping you could answer this: 'Like the goddess Nut along the starry sky, my presence divides your loved ones apart. Like those unfaithful fools within le Fay’s vale, your bitter contempt is what I impart. Like stone and siblings roiling Kronos’ gut, I can break unlike your Fate’s decision. Like cunning Loki affixed to boulders three, the future may not be what you vision.'" The hueless shade of the mare's eyes meets Marble's as she opens them. "'From both mortal souls to heavenly spirits, I will deliver judgment incarnate. But from me to you I simply ask one time: for every being, what do I create?'" Another riddle? This one seems more complicated than the first one, but… Marble shifts through the messy stacks of books to pull out four: Baladi Beginnings, Tales of Trottingham and Bales, Atop Mount Aris, and Sleipnir's Stories. Carefully, Marble picks up Baladi Beginnings and shows the cover to the mare. "Well, a-according to legends in the Baladi region, Nut was a goddess of the cosmos. Long ago, she was p-punished for bending the orders of Ra, a ruler of the Sun. A-And—" Shifting Baladi Beginnings to the side, Marble lifts Tales of Trottingham and Bales. "The unicorn s-sorceress Morgana was also known as le Fay. She b-banished knights who betrayed their lovers' trust into an enchanted wood. A-Also—" More confidently, Marble swaps Tales of Trottingham and Bales out for Atop Mount Aris. "The hippogriffs b-believe that an ancient god called Kronos once ruled their land. A-Afraid of being overthrown by his own kin, he ate his children to fruitlessly prevent that future. Finally—" Almost giddily, Marble raises Sleipnir's Stories before the mare. "The great horse Sleipnir was b-born to Loki, a mischievous yet influential god. As punishment for his crafty b-behavior, he was chained to rock until the day the cataclysmic destruction of the world would s-set him free." Marble meets the gaze of the mare once the final book is lying back on the tabletop. “All four of these fables s-share something—their subjects are trapped. And a-anypony can be trapped, can be imprisoned. So it's a p-prison you create!” The mare, who had not severed eye contact while Marble gave her explanation, slowly blinks before smiling. “Correct. Congratulations are in order—you’re a very quick learner, it seems.” Beaming, Marble shuffles the books back into a pile. “W-Well, mhm, I suppose so! It’s p-pretty exciting learning new things. Especially since I can never b-be as awe-inspiring as those within these stories.” “Hmm…" In a fluid motion, the mare stands up on her hooves, her stare never moving from Marble. “You know, they say Sleipnir was gray in color, much like the boulders his father was bound to. Much like you.” The mare laughs a dry laugh. “But it wouldn’t do to trap you into a conversation, hm? Don’t forget—prisons come in all shapes and forms.” And with that, she disappears between the bookshelves, leaving Marble alone with her tomes. Marble finds it hard to concentrate, after that. Can she be blamed? Two riddles in two days. Are they connected, somehow? After all, that mare looked an awful lot like the stallion at the café… But soon, her attention returns to the book she was reading before she was interrupted, one that details the mythology of Equestria itself. Turns out, strange creatures that embodied certain concepts roamed Equestria long ago. The draconequui, according to the book. They came in all shapes and sizes, but something about them makes Marble think… Isn't "discord" a concept, too? Eventually, Marble leaves the library when Dusty Pages begins to lock up. She offered to help the elderly mare, but Dusty would hear nothing of it, citing something about maintaining her perfect librarian record. So Marble steps out into the night after thanking and bidding Dusty a good evening. Marble has not slept at all today, but somehow, she doesn't feel tired. Rather, she feels excitement buzz through her body. She's learned so much today, and she hopes Discord could tell her even more. She can't recall the last time she's felt this joyful. Maybe she never has, before. For a while, Marble wanders the slowly dwindling streets of Canterlot, her hooves clacking upon the cobblestones as she moves. In the light of dusk, almost everything is cast in tints of gray. It's comforting, in a way. Almost like the rock farm, in its monochromatic hues. That's why she's here, after all. So it probably doesn't matter how she's feeling, so long as she accomplishes her goal, right? By the time Marble enters the sculpture garden, the Moon has returned to the pinnacle of the sky, a flurry of stars surrounding the planetary shape. A slight wind blows through the grass and trees in turn. Yet Discord still stands unmoving, a stalwart force against the nature around him. Marble doesn't hesitate to approach him. "Nice to s-see you again, Discord," Marble says, sitting on the ground to trail her hoof along his base. "Gosh, it feels like no time at a-all since I was last here. Are you s-still doing alright?" I suppose I am, though I will admit I'm doing much better now that you're here. But, oh, it sounds like you've had a busy day! Care to share? "Mhm, it w-was wonderful." A smile settles on Marble's lips. "I w-went to the library. Never s-seen so many books in one place. Especially not ones s-so intriguing!" Ahh, I see. I've heard of the library before, though it was built long after I was put here. Quite behind on my sightseeing, I'm afraid. But do you read often? Marble huffs a shadow of a laugh. "No, not really. There aren't a-any libraries or bookstores near the farm, so I mostly only have the family's rock-related b-books to read. And I never really tried reading a-anything at the Rockville schoolhouse, ‘cause…" ‘Cause what? Were there only stone-flavored offerings there, too? Marble squints at the ground. “Not c-completely, no. It’s just… that is…” Suddenly, Marble jerks her head up and fixes her gaze upon Discord’s closed eyes. “So I’ve always been a-able to hear what rocks are thinking, right? Always. It never s-seemed odd to me, when I was really little. And P-Pinkie always had my back, anyways. “But s-she left, y’know…” Tightness pulls at Marble’s features as she continues. “And it w-wasn’t the same, after that. Do you know that p-ponies whisper when you’re strange? Or that they p-pelt you with pebbles as you walk home? It felt like every day that somepony w-would tell me that my name was fitting, b-because I’d lost my marbles. And it didn’t help that I s-sound like I do…” The silence is tense until Discord speaks. Did you tell your family about all this? Did anypony care? “No, I didn’t tell them,” Marble forces out. “I told you, stones are s-supposed to be solid and strong. P-Papa and Mama were always so busy with the farm, and Limestone and Maud had a different c-class period. I didn’t want to make it harder on a-anypony than it already was. So I k-kept quiet about it. Kept quiet a-all the time.” Marble, look at me. Marble hadn’t realized her eyes had closed, and liquid blurs her vision as she opens them. “W-Wha—?” Nothing is more chaotic than the emotions of others. It’s something I thrived off of, once upon a time, something I yearned to see. But ignorance can turn into viciousness just as easily as it can fear. And I, myself, have never been understood. A memory dislodges as Marble scrubs at her eyes, and she looks up at Discord’s closed own again. “…did the Princess not understand you, when you met?” Discord makes a snorting sound, sudden and sharp. In a way! Cay-Cay and I were thick as thieves, once. She felt isolated, y’see. A newly-crowned young Princess with control over the Sun itself. Ponies tend to feel like they can’t be anything but reverent towards you, when you’re like that. So when we met, I thought things would be different for both of us. I didn’t care that she was practically a living goddess, and she didn’t mind that I was… Discord’s voice peters off, as if he is looking for the right words. A polite pony would let him think, but the syllables are rushing out of Marble before she can even parse them: “She didn’t mind that you w-were a draconequus, right? Or that you depicted one, I s-suppose.” Quiet. Not even the evening insects within the garden are audible. Marble is trying to put together an apology for overstepping or assuming or whatever it is she did when Discord talks in a softer tone. You never cease to amaze. Well, there’s no “depiction” about it—I am a draconequus, in the flesh. Rather rocky flesh, but that’s hardly my fault, really. So you can stop saying my name in italics, dear, I think we’re past that point, now. A gasp escapes Marble’s lips as she looks Discord—or Discord, rather—up and down. “You w-weren’t always stone? I didn’t realize that w-was even possible! Is that p-part of your draconequus abilities?” Anything is possible—I think us conversing at all is proof of that. Yet I hate to break it to you, but I’m not responsible for this particular arrangement. No, the credit belongs to our sunny little Celestia. Distantly, Marble recalls the library books she poured over earlier. So many of the mythology figures have that one thing in common… "You're imprisoned w-within this garden, aren't you? S-She… trapped you here." Blasphemy tastes strange upon Marble's tongue. Yes, she did. You surely read about the nature of draconequui. And I am Discord. I create chaos with the snap of a talon or paw, and things never remain constant in my presence. That is simply what I am, and to pretend otherwise is futile. But, ultimately, Celestia didn't understand that. Didn't understand me. “B-But how?” Marble questions, as a million more vie to escape. “How did the P-Princess do this? That’s so… s-so…” Cruel? As I said, ignorance is a chaotic thing, indeed. But she doesn’t view her actions through that lens. Celestia is a warrior for "harmony", and she wields an ancient power to force that ideal, at any cost. If somepony bends that definition, they are to be punished. Even if they are her companions, or even if they are her family. Family? Marble screws her eyes shut as she thinks. Many of those imprisoned within the tales she read were done so by loved ones. The entrails of Loki's slain son Nari were used as the chains that bound him to the boulders. The children of Kronos were consumed and contained within their own father's stomach. Prisoners within le Fay's vale were punished for scorning those they swore romantic fealty to. And Ra… Ra controlled the Sun, just like the Princess. When Nut disobeyed Ra's command, he banished her to the very thing she held dominion over. And didn't Discord say… Eyes shooting open, Marble zeroes in on the Moon above her, surrounded still by stars. The same book that described the draconequui mentioned the Mare in the Moon legend. Even the foals living in Rockville knew of it. For long ago, there were two sister Princesses whose names were lost to time. But that's not completely true, is it? “You s-said you knew the Moon,” Marble finally begins, the sound magnified in the silence. “And two s-sisters ruled the heavens together, once. A P-Princess of the Sun, and one of the Moon. Both w-working in harmony, until the S-Sun Princess felt forced to exile her sister…” Eyes wide with emotion, Marble’s voice drops in volume. “That was P-Princess Celestia, wasn’t it? She trapped her own s-sister in the Moon, just like she trapped you.” Discord guffaws deeply, as if laughing at a joke concealed inside that loaded question. Ah, that’s why I like you, Marble! Very attentive to details. And I did tell you that the Moon and I have a lot in common. We both cared for Celestia, and look where it got us! Sky and lawn ornaments for all eternity. Oh, but she keeps us in perfect view of her balcony! That means she feels something back, right? A whirlwind of thoughts rages within Marble's head. She sees no reason why Discord would lie about this; to even threaten the image of the Princess is criminal in itself. But he said he's been around for centuries. To be stuck in one spot, never able to move on or grow… “Maybe this isn’t very meaningful for me to s-say, but…” Carefully, Marble brings her other hoof to settle against Discord’s cool stone. “I met s-somepony today while reading at the library. Mhm, and she told me that p-prisons come in all shapes and forms. I didn’t really get it, w-when she said it, but maybe I do, now. “You… loved the P-Princess, didn’t you?” Marble’s mane falls into her face as she murmurs. “Her s-sister loved her, too. And maybe it’s not the s-same, but I love my family. Yet… yet I’m s-stuck, aren’t I?” Marble doesn’t wait for a response to either question. “I’m stuck, b-because I don’t want to let my family down any more than I do by simply being me. My p-parents have the farm, and Limestone is set to inherit it. And Maud has her degree, and P-Pinkie has her parties in Ponyville. But w-what do I have? Who am I, even, b-besides a freak who talks to rocks all day long? Just look a-at me…” I never stopped looking at you, Marble. But let's say you are a freak, like you said. If that's what you are, it's most certainly what I am. For look at me! I'm the very embodiment of things that are abnormal. So you're not alone, in that regard. Sniffling, Marble peeks out from her bangs. "Y'know, it's nice to have s-somepony to talk to about this. We're b-both unique, but I suppose some p-problems are universal. I just wish I didn't have to leave a-after tomorrow…" …Marble, do you know what will happen, tomorrow night? "Huh?" Pushing her mane aside, Marble looks up. "I mean, I'll p-probably be coming by to say goodbye, right?" Perhaps you will. Yet—putting my physical state aside—nothing is set in stone. You could say your farewells, and we could never see each other again. But I said I would help you with your predicament when we first met. And I value my word very highly. Marble's brow furrows. "B-But is there anything you could do, for any of my p-problems? ‘Cause I thought that s-saving the farm would make me belong, b-but now I'm not so sure…" I suppose it depends, really. Tomorrow, I’ll ask something of you. Only you can decide what happens, then, what you choose. Because I think you crave what your twin did, all those years ago. It takes a second for Marble to sort through her memories. “You s-said you think she wanted… change, right?” Yes! Change is a wonderful thing, after all. But no one can change your mind but yourself. Forcing these sorts of things is impossible for most, and unpalatable for me. No, it’s much more fun when things are spontaneous, wouldn’t you say? A contemplative look forms on Marble’s features. There it is again, that sense that Discord holds an ancient power just like the Princess. He never said what all “discord” entailed, but surely it must have been something incredible for the Princess to imprison him, right? As it is, he can’t even move, but what if… “Do you…” Marble starts, before reconsidering her words. “No, c-could you do anything you wish if you were free? Or even do s-something for somepony else, if that’s what you wanted…?” A deep rumble resonates from within Discord. Ah, a long time ago, the answers were yes to the first, and no to the second. Not because I was incapable, but because there was nopony I would do that for. Nopony. But I told you before that one learns perspective through immortality. And for you, I would bring down the very Moon. Face flaming, Marble tries to get her words together to respond to that declaration, but Discord speaks first: But I think that’s enough Earth-rattling revelations for tonight. You need to rest, don’t you? And actual rest this time, in your bed. Asleep. Most rules are meant to be broken, but I think that’s a good one to uphold. That breaks Marble out of it, even though her blush takes an embarrassed tone at being caught. “Mhm. You’re right, of c-course. I’ll try to s-sleep, though I have an a-awfully lot of thoughts to keep me up, now. Goodnight, Discord. A-And… thank you.” The pleasure is all mine, Marble. Until tomorrow. Final NightTruly, Marble finds it difficult to get any sort of rest that night. Normally, she sleeps like a rock. It's more efficient that way, what with her and her sisters having to get up at the crack of dawn for chores. Every second of shut-eye is precious on the farm, and so the habit stuck. But Discord's words keep wriggling around in her head. Tomorrow, he is going to ask something of her. Yet, Marble isn't sure there's much she will be useful for. Even sealed as he is, he's a lot more powerful and all-knowing than she is. There's no possible way she will ever measure up to that potential, so what can he possibly ask for? Yet the many hours of being awake eventually catch up to Marble, and her eyelids slip close as her breathing slows. When her eyes open, Marble does not find herself in her bed. Rather, she's surrounded by tall hedges that tower like cliffs. Above her, the perfectly circular Moon drifts across a purple-dark sky devoid of stars. She looks at the celestial body for a while, at how the deep craters mark the presence of the Moon Princess within. How many times has she looked at these shapes, longing to solve her family’s financial woes? And how many times has the Moon Princess looked back down at her, longing to return to the ground? “She's beautiful, isn't she?” Tearing her eyes from the Moon, Marble only briefly searches for the source of the voice before finding them. Before her, a small foal stands. While their fringe is a pale slate, the rest of their mane tumbles around their shoulders in a darker hue. Were they there the whole time? “Mhm, s-she is,” Marble responds, even as a sense of déjà vu nags at her. “I’m s-sorry, do we know each other?” Something in the foal’s gray eyes sparkles. “No, we don’t. But we could, couldn’t we? After all…” Sitting with a flourish, the foal smiles. “‘Furry or feathered, false or fair-weather, I’m the one who bonds like minds together.’ Who am I?” How many riddles has Marble heard these past few days? Three of them, now. And every riddler looked so similar and as devoid of color as she is… But this one isn’t difficult at all, is it? After talking to Discord every night, she feels she’s actually become the subject of this riddle. She hopes he feels the same. “You’re a friend, a-aren’t you?” Marble softly answers, though there’s no one besides the foal that can be disturbed by her volume. “Furry, feathered, false, and fair-weather are a-all idioms themed after friendship. And most friends have similar things in c-common, right?” The foal slowly blinks before bringing their hooves together to clap. “Correct. And you never know who will be a friend to you, do you? Even somepony you never expected could change your life, forever.” “Mhm…” Marble agrees, gaze trailing upwards towards the Moon another time. “A-All my life, I only had my sisters as friends. S-So I don’t understand… I c-can’t understand why Discord might want to be mine. Especially since ponies as a-amazing as the Sun and Moon Princesses were his, at one point.” The foal nods. “Sometimes, a pony needs somepony unlikely to lean on. It's so easy to give up because something is hard or scary. But lending a helpful hoof through those struggles makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it?" Huffing quietly, Marble looks at the foal again. "I'll a-admit, I'm not sure I completely follow. But I s-suppose some things don't need to be understood to be true." "Makes sense to me!" Whistling an aimless tune, the foal rises to their hooves. "Even if there's no fun in making sense. But tomorrow is a busy night, right? You have somepony depending on you, after all." "B-But I'm worried…!" All at once, the hedges around Marble seem to close in, and the light of the Moon feels overwhelmingly bright. "What if I c-can't help him at all?" "Isn't that the exciting part?" the foal answers, even though Marble cannot see them through her now screwed-shut eyes. "You'll never know if you don't try." The twinkling laugh of the foal is all Marble registers as the light beyond her eyelids ebbs away. Once they reopen, she's greeted by the cracked ceiling of the hotel room. Logically, it makes sense that that was all a dream, even if she normally can't recall the ones she has. But… The foal felt so real, and just as alive as the stallion and mare before them. Could they really have only been a part of her imagination…? Sluggishly, Marble fumbles out of bed. Despite her buzzing legs, she manages to reach the window and pull the curtains aside. Beyond them, the waning rays of the setting Sun shine in the far distance. Did she sleep the whole day away? But if it’s sunset now, that means night is soon to follow. Drowsiness forgotten, Marble moves away from the window to shuffle most of her possessions together, even if only to kill more time. Yesterday, Discord said he is going to ask something of her. Normally, the expectations of others weigh heavily on her, like a millstone around her neck. Even now, she can feel the burden of her family’s predicament within her veins. So why would anypony rely on her when she often crumbles apart like chalk in a foal’s grip? Only once her belongings form a misshapen pile does Marble leave the hotel room to journey out into Canterlot. The streets are mostly barren, with only an occasional carriage or passerby filling those spaces, but that suits Marble just fine. It allows her hooves to move on auto-pilot towards the castle, even. Yes, having others relying on her in any sort of way normally threatens to crush her. But Discord has been… kind to her. Not that her family hasn’t, but aren’t they obligated to be? She was a stranger to him, in every possible way. For there was no way he would’ve known she would show up in the garden all those days ago. There was no possible way he would’ve known she would be able to communicate through his stony state. Yet he talked with her. Always jovially, but never mockingly. Like he enjoyed having her around. Almost like Pinkie, but there’s something about the lilt of his voice. Something about the way his syllables always seem calculated, despite the unpredictability life offers. If anypony in the entire world could help her find herself, show her how to finally be enough, it surely must be him. Marble wants to have faith in something, for once. Eventually, she steps into the sculpture garden once more. Just like her dream, the full Moon is alone against the deep amethyst sky. And just as before, Marble finds her way to Discord’s side with ease. “Hi, Discord, how a-are you?” Marble asks as she places her hoof on his base. Absolutely splendid! I chilled here by myself, doing some thinking. Hard to relax that way, of course, but I’ll manage! But I trust you got some rest where I didn’t? “Mhm, I did,” Marble replies. “How did you put it, b-before? ‘I had myself a good night, a-as instructed?’” Ha, that was it, indeed! But it’s wonderful to hear you managed to catch those pesky Z’s. Simply wonderful… There’s silence, for a time. Marble tries to ignore the jitteriness that hums within her muscles. She’s wary of bringing up Discord’s promise from yesterday, but still, she wants to know what he believes she's capable of doing for him. What did Pinkie call this feeling? Nervicited? Marble Pie. “Eep!” Somehow, Discord speaking catches Marble off-guard, despite her waiting for it to occur. “I mean, w-what’s up?” Marble Pie, I could never have imagined these past four nights going the way they have. For over a thousand years, I’ve been here in this garden. All alone, the entire time. After all, Celestia’s guilt over trapping me has hardly convinced her to come to visit very often. But I digress— For over a thousand years, I’ve been without company. Standing here as I am, within this prison of stone. Yet now, I do believe I have a friend, don’t I? I have you. Oddly, a strange sense of familiarity curls in Marble’s memories at the words. Has she heard something similar, recently…? Nonetheless, she responds: “I’ve a-always felt alone, all my life. And I thought maybe, if I p-proved myself to be capable, as something inherently different from myself… that p-ponies outside of my family would like me, for once. But you didn’t care, did you? You s-said I was fine as-is, strangeness and all. And you w-want to be my friend, even…” Without warning, Marble rears up on her hind hooves and wraps her forelegs as high as she can reach around Discord’s pedestal. “So I w-want to repay you somehow, even with how little I have to offer…” Clinging around Discord as she is, Marble feels something within him rumble through her bones. Has anypony ever told you you are truly spectacular? Words are so easy to play games with—look at riddles, for one! But I mean it, I really do. After all, I’ve never seen somepony be able to communicate with rocks and stone, as you can. “W-Well, mhm, I haven’t either!” Marble lets out a laugh tinged only slightly with self-deprecation. “And I haven’t met s-somepony as special as you, either. Guess w-we’re both one-of-a-kind, right?” Indeed. There’s nopony else who can compare. Nopony else at all on this little Earth. But that reminds me… Marble releases Discord to look at his face, a crease forming on her brow. “Reminds you of w-what?” The Earth… isn’t the Earth a rock, too? After all, that’s where most of the stones ponies use come from, correct? After a moment, Marble nods. “I s-suppose so, though I’ve never really given it much thought. W-Why do you ask?” Discord hums a low note. Before I get to that, you need to remember that I’m the draconequus of discord. I gain power from every little thing that feeds into disorder. Thus, I’m considered the natural enemy of Celestia’s perfect harmony. But you and your family have been failed by harmony, haven’t you? Marble’s mind feels like a jumbled-up puzzle. “W-What do you mean…?” Everypony is told they matter within this society of ours. That everypony has the same value, and all are rewarded if they just work hard enough for it. But that’s not true, is it? Your family works tirelessly on the farm, but they’re facing bankruptcy. That’s why you came here in the first place. And by simply utilizing your talents, you’ve been ostracized from your peers for years. Are struggle and ridicule all that harmony has to offer…? “I guess you’re not w-wrong, are you…?” Marble’s head sorta hurts from questioning the very fabric of civilization, but she can’t find any fault in his reasoning. “B-But what can I do about it? I’m just one p-pony…” Perhaps you can’t do anything alone… but I’m here, aren’t I? You see, even despite Celestia’s efforts, bits of disharmony slip through the cracks. Everyday and everywhere, even right here in this garden. And, piece by piece, that chaos feeds into my strength. As such, I’ve felt this prison around me steadily weaken, like a sculptor chipping away at a block. And I do believe I could break free… with your help. That wasn’t what Marble thought he would say at all! “B-But how could I…?” Well, you see… if you can talk to stones, what’s stopping you from talking to the very Earth itself? Any possible response Marble could have given melts out of her brain in that instance, and all that comes out is a breathless squeak. She walks on the Earth every day, doesn’t she? Almost all ponies do. But she never thought to listen to it…! Discord takes that as a cue to continue. I told you I would ask something of you, didn’t I? Well, this is it. I want you to speak with the Earth, and do something as spectacular as you. Because you have the power to free me, and change the worlds of everypony alive. Marble blushes furiously. Surely, Discord has too much belief in her, right? To be able to undo ancient magic from the Princess herself seemed… quite impossible, really. But no, she told herself she would have faith in Discord, and if that means trusting in his judgment… Well, how can she refuse? “Okay, I’ll do it…!” Marble’s head dips in a self-reassuring nod. “Even if I’m not actually s-sure what ‘it’ is.” You never cease to amaze me, Marble. I have no doubts you’ll find the perfect solution. Bobbing her head again in acknowledgment, Marble steps off the paved stone surrounding Discord’s pedestal. Once in the nearby grass, she digs past the turf until she can get her hooves onto the soil beneath. Taking a deep, shaking breath, she speaks: "Hello? A-Are you listening, down there…? I was hoping we could… talk?" There's no response. Anxiety rushes through Marble's veins, and she wishes she was closer to Discord so she could still hear him. But no, everypony is relying on her to succeed, aren't they? She can't give up here! Reinvigorated, Marble opens her mouth to speak again when her entire body shakes all at once— Hel… lo? Little… po… ny… Brightening, Marble plants her hooves more firmly into the dirt. "Hello! I hope I'm not b-bothering you, Mr…. er, Mrs.? P-Pardon me, I'm not sure what to call you…" We are… Gai… a… "A-Ah, nice to meet you, Gaia,” Marble greets—but where are her manners? “Oh, I forgot to s-say who I am! I’m—” We… know who… you are… Mar… ble… Pie… “Really?” Marble’s gaze tilts down to where her hooves are surrounded by sediments. “That’s s-surprising, I’ve never spoken to you b-before… have I? The ground beneath her groans. Not… di… rectly. But… We have… al… ways… watched… ov… er… you… Marble starts. “B-But w-why? I’m not anypony s-special…” But you… keep Our… child… ren… com… pany. Even… through their… physi… cal… prisons. You are… a friend. That’s right. Almost all rocks come from the Earth—from Gaia—so that would mean They’re all stonekind’s progenitor. Still, that strange sense of familiarity overtakes Marble at Gaia’s voice. She’s heard those words before— “That’s w-what Discord said,” Marble starts. “And those three p-ponies who told me riddles. That by k-keeping stones company despite their prisons, I've b-become a friend. But how w-would you…?” All life… was born… from Us. And We… listen… to what… ponies… have to… say. Yet they’ve… for… gotten… Us. For… gotten… where they’ve… come from. But… Your… fam… ily… never… forgot. For… gener… ations… they would… tend… to Our… child… ren. So We… gave them… a gift. We… gave them… you. Marble feels quite like somepony kicked the wind out of her. “You w-were the one who gave me my talent…?” We… were. But… it was… up to… you… on how… you used… this… blessing. And… despite… hardship… you talked… with Our… child… ren… any… ways. Under… pres… sure… you… per… severed. We are… grateful… to you. Marble resists the urge to bring one of her hooves up to cover her reddening face. “A-Ah, thank you? It’s not that b-big of a deal, honestly. P-Ponies don’t usually want to talk to me, after all. But I’m glad that p-pleases you, truly.” Again, the surface beneath Marble shivers. You… need help… don’t you? We… heard him… ask you. We… remem… ber… him. From long… ago. You must… know… that he… is… unpre… dicta… ble. Do you… trust him? Wholly… and… complete… ly? Does she? Marble’s breath catches in her throat as her mind churns. She’s known Discord for less than five days. What if the Princess was right, sealing him away? And what if she punishes Marble for disobeying her order? Or punish her whole family! That would be awful… But isn’t being the object of derision awful, too? And Marble’s family is currently suffering under the Princess’ reign even without her direct influence. Discord has already changed so much of her worldview just by talking to her, so if he was free… Well, the answer is quite obvious, isn’t it? Marble firmly nods. “Mhm, I do. Because of your gift, I was a-able to meet Discord, who helped me treasure it even more. And together, w-we can shoot for the very Moon. P-Please, help me do that.” If that… is what… you wish. Hold… on. Marble pauses, befuddlement on her features. “‘Hold on’? W-What do you—” The surface beneath her creaks ominously, which almost knocks her over. Before she can fully process what’s happening, an incredibly loud CRACK sounds all around her, and it takes all her effort to keep her hooves on the ground. Frantic, she spots an almighty rift encircling the land she and Discord occupy. Again, the ground shudders. Fare… well… Mar… ble. Good… luck. “W-Wait, what’s happe—” As it turns out, everything happens, all at once. The piece of ground surrounded by the fissure violently quakes, sending Marble tumbling off her hooves. Scrambling to cover her flattened ears against the cacophony of noise that suddenly floods her senses, she squeezes her eyes shut. But despite that meager protection, she hears the KER-RAAACK! that splits the air. Jostling side to side, she’s suddenly pressed into the soil by an extreme force that overwhelms just as much as the veritable gale-storm pummeling her. But before she can even cry out, everything stops just as suddenly. Marble waits for a second. Two. Three. Tentatively, she opens her eyes. Gray strands of mane hang tangled in her face. Bringing a shaking hoof up, she pushes the hair aside, clearing her vision. A foot or so ahead of her, the grass drops off jarringly, with the dark sky taking its place. Carefully making her way onto her hooves, she tiptoes to that edge, and looks down. Far, far below her, minuscule structures sprawl like an ant farm. The largest shape is only the size of a toy marble, if that. And from the ground sprouts a tower of bedrock, striated in many earthy tones of stone, leading up to the ground beneath her. Gasping, Marble looks up. The Moon is much, much larger than she’s ever seen it. When she said to shoot for the Moon, she didn’t intend to be taken literally! Oh, but this is spectacular, isn’t it? Discord will be so proud of her. …Discord! “Discord!” Marble turns away from the edge to face his direction. “Did you s-see what I—” Only the pedestal remains where Discord sat. Where did he…? A voice breaks through the air. “Ahhh! How wonderful it is to feel the breeze through my fur again!” Startling, Marble’s eyes shoot upward again. Above her floats Discord, seemingly without the aid of his wings. His stony skin has melted away into a mishmash of different colors, from blue to yellow to green to red. Part of Marble warms at seeing that his head is still gray, like she is. Said head turns, the sharp saffron of his eyes piercing through the gloom. “There you are, Marble!” Discord smoothly moves down towards her, despite his previous centuries of immobility. “Love the new mane-style, very festive! And I must say I’m quite impressed with your performance, here. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think you’d rocket us up into the sky!” “Discord!” Marble exclaims, face aflame with delight. “You’re moving a-around! You’re free! Oh, b-but I think you did most of the heavy-lifting. I just helped a b-bit.” Waggling his talon, Discord grins toothily. “Even though I’m usually quite a fan of it, that’s utter nonsense! Because of you, I’ve checked out of the Stationary Suite, for good. And now that I’m out, it’s time for the real change to begin. Behold—” With his paw, Discord snaps. Suddenly, his abandoned base melts into a large marshmallow that explodes into a swarm of small, pale birds. Faces toasty brown and tails aflame, the flock swoops to the grass, which at some point transfigured into green graham crackers. Picking every “blade” off, the birds dip them into the glass of chocolate milk that Discord now holds. Bizarrely, the glass disappears instead, coating each cracker in translucent brown. When the birds fly off, all that’s left behind is a white cylinder of milk that shatters when Discord throws it against the dirt. Stunned, it takes a moment for Marble to find her words. “W-Wow… you can do all that with only a s-snap? W-What else can you do…?” “Anything,” Discord replies simply. “Anything and everything at all. But wait! I told you I’d bring down the very Moon for you, didn’t I? I think I have a more fun alternative, though. Watch this!” With a practiced movement, Discord raises his talon. Eyes guided by the motion, Marble has a perfect view of his claw, framed as it is by the Moon behind it. He snaps again. And the Mare in the Moon markings vanish. Feeling her eyes widen, Marble doesn’t protest as Discord picks her up from the grassless ground. “W-Where did the markings go? Is the Moon P-Princess…?” Chuckling, Discord holds Marble up above him, the shape of her messy mane silhouetted on his face. “Well, if we’re gonna have a big ol’ party smashing Celestia’s society up, why not do it with an old pal? I’m sure Luna will be thrilled to join in!” Tucking Marble under his arm, Discord gestures to Canterlot below them. “After all, the three of us can make a world where you can literally be whoever you want to be, and still thrive. Where you can be a little strange, or a lot strange! For we freaks have to stick together, right?” To be whoever she wants to be… Marble likes the sound of that. “W-We should go find her, then!” Marble cheers, wiggling her hooves back and forth. “S-She sounds like she’d be a perfect member of our little ‘club’, right?” Discord guffaws at that. “That’s for sure! So let’s make a welcoming environment for our first club meeting, then! The entire world is our garden, now!” As they descend from the elevated piece of Earth, Marble snuggles closer to Discord’s side. Perhaps ponies will call them crazy, and perhaps they won’t understand what this change will accomplish. The Princess certainly won’t. But for once, Marble isn’t scared of what the future might bring. For it’s nice when a misplaced marble finally feels found.
First NightAuthor's Note me, pounding out a contest fic in a month during my final semester at college: haha, i'm in danger First Night Marble has never seen such a beautiful garden, before. Of course, she doesn't consider herself very well-versed in gardens, to begin with. Plants and stones rarely play nice together, so Papa never keeps the former around. But, for once, it doesn't matter what he thinks. Right now, she is in Canterlot, and the information she needs won't collect itself. But the garden truly is spectacular. The lawns are delicately trimmed, and the evergreen trees—cypress, but Marble doesn’t know the difference—are evenly spaced. Nearby, the high walls of the hedge maze rise like mountains from the ground. And she loves mountains, of course. Very rich in minerals. The greenery is secondary to her actual reason for coming here, though. A sculpture garden is nothing without its statues, right? Moonlight streams down in columns of spotlights, illuminating the gray of her coat every time she steps into one. Not many ponies look at gray things, but that suits Marble just fine. Attention has always been more of Pinkie’s thing. And despite them being open all hours of the day, ponies rarely come to the gardens at night, so it’s quite perfect for her. Fittingly, most of the sculptures look gray in the dimness. They stretch on as far as her eye can see, like piles of salt from a mine. How wonderful, surely they will be able to help her with what she needs! So she approaches the nearest one—a caped mare holding a functioning flag—and sets a hoof upon its base. “…hello?” she whispers out of habit. “My name is Marble P-Pie. Are you a-awake?” There’s quiet, and then: Oh, you’re talking to me, oh my goodness! Most ponies just look at me, but you want to know my opinion, oh my! Hello, hun! Yes, I’m awake now! A smile works its way onto Marble’s face. “Mhm… I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you, but I w-wanted to know a little bit about you, if you don’t mind.” Dearest, I don’t mind at all! I represent Victory, or at least that’s what my sculptor said I represent. Isn’t that nice? A little old hunk of marble like myself, made into a masterpiece for all kinds of ponies to admire. Beats living in the Earth any day! Lovely rock for carving, marble. Marble herself is grateful her parents chose such a pretty stone to name her after. Of course, she doesn’t think she can ever live up to the standards such a name puts on her, but that’s okay. Marble’s content with not standing out. “W-Who visits you the most often?” Marble continues, craning her neck to look up at the statue’s face. “W-What are they like?” There are two main groups, I’d say. I love the schoolfoals the most—usually, their teachers are well informed on how important and special I am, which is always pleasant. Nothing like teaching the new generation! There are also the rich aristocrats and celebrities, but they’re more concerned with my origin and sculptor. I’ve gotten offers you know! Lord Fancypants is very persistent in that regard. “How w-wonderful,” Marble congratulates, ignoring how her neck cramps from the awkward angle it's in. “I’m so happy to hear that you’re getting the recognition that such a b-beautiful piece of stone deserves. Surely, you’re one of the most p-popular pieces here, right?” Of course, why wouldn’t I be! There's only one sculpture in this garden that’s more fabulous than I, after all. And he… Marble patiently waits for the statue to continue, before her brow furrows at the lingering silence. “He…?” …he’s strange. He’s popular with visitors, yes. But he’s not like the other statues. He’s been here far longer than the rest of us, yet I don’t know anything about his make or material. Isn’t that bizarre? “Mhm, very…” Marble pauses to think for a moment. “W-Where is he at?” Over by the labyrinth’s entrance. It’s odd because the Princess has him at the prime location for viewing from her balcony. What’s so special about him that I lack? “I’m sure it’s a matter of p-preference—you’re still very gorgeous, Ms. Victory.” Lowering her head, Marble nods to herself. “Thank you so much for the talk, I’ll be going now. Have a w-wonderful night.” You too, honey. But be careful if you go to see him… “Mhm, I w-will,” Marble replies, lowering her hoof back to the ground. “Thank you.” Walking away from the Victory statue, Marble glances up at the Moon. It’s not quite full—perhaps in a few days?—but the Mare in the Moon markings are prominent. What are Moon rocks like? Do they have an equivalent in Equestria? Would they be able to help with what her family needs…? Turning a bend in the path, Marble looks down from the sky and halts. To the left is the entrance to the hedge maze, and to the right is something she’s never seen before. Long and spindly, the creature almost divides the horizon into two. Standing on mismatched legs atop a pillar encircled by a serpentine tail, it holds a lion’s paw to its chest and a talon extends to its side. Its head, vaguely equine in shape, has its maw stretched wide open. Marble can’t tell if the creature is supposed to be singing, laughing, or screaming; she’s not sure if she’s supposed to know. Cautiously, Marble creeps towards the statue. Surely this must be him. The creature certainly fits the strange bill. But other than his makeup, he doesn’t seem much different than the Victory statue. They’re both pale in that tell-tale marble way, at least. Not scary at all… Taking a calming breath, Marble marches to the statue and places a hoof upon it. Just go ahead and touch me, why don’t you? Didn’t even ask… It’s not like I’m a stickler for rules, but even I know what polite ponies are supposed to do! Starting, Marble almost draws her hoof away before steadying. “Um, I’m s-sorry. You’re right, that w-was rude of me, I should’ve—” …how interesting. A pony who can hear me? Perhaps I can forgive impudence, for once. Just once, though! “Oh, thank you, I…” Marble stops to collect her thoughts. “S-Sorry, I didn’t introduce myself, I’m—” You’re Marble Pie, I’ve already heard. Please, I may be old, but I’m not deaf. Blushing, Marble resists the urge to hide in her mane; recognition is so nerve-wracking! “How did you, I w-was way over there…?” I told you—I’m old, not deaf. As it happens, there’s not much to do as a statue but listen. The thing is, ponies don’t usually listen to me, at least not like this. What gives with you? “Oh, um, I…” Giving into the temptation, Marble leans into her mane and mumbles something. You’re going to have to speak up—gibberish is very in line with my ideals, but even I don’t understand it. “My special talent is stone-speaking!” Marble lets out, face flaming afterward at the outburst. “I, um, I c-can talk to and hear the thoughts of any rock I put my hoof on. I have to actively be listening though, s-so that helps me avoid hearing voices all the time.” Ah. Well, that explains why I heard you talking to Ms. “Besotted-With-Fancypants” Victory, over there. Absolutely scathing conversationalist, that one. Don’t know what I ever did to earn such ire, I’ve been well-behaved for centuries. That snaps Marble out of her self-consciousness—such an old stone! "Centuries? How long have you been a-around?" Far longer than that! But, of course, you wouldn't know anything about me. Who I am is a very hush-hush affair. Celestia is quite boring in that regard. At this point, Marble has fully emerged from her hair. She’s never met somepony who talked about the Princess in such a manner. A unique temperament that perfectly complements an equally unique exterior. But if he’s been in this garden for centuries, he must be rather important! Excited, she doesn’t hesitate with her next words: "And w-who are you, if I may ask?" A low laugh rumbles along the statue’s length. Asking even after mentioning Cay-Cay’s cover job, eh? How bold. But, if you insist— The voice makes a noise like somepony clearing their throat. I am Discord, and Discord means… me! Haha, that’s a clever line to those in the know. Anyways, you should be honored to meet me! “A p-pleasure,” Marble attempts to curtsey, but it more resembles a bend of the knees. “But I s-suppose I’m not one in the know, then.” Ahh, don’t feel bad! I’m seldom one in the know, even when it is I that needs knowing! But, of course, there's something you need to know, isn't there? A crease forms on Marble's brow. "How do you mean?" The laughing quiets a bit. Nopony visits at night, certainly nopony who lives in Canterlot, at least. And visiting just to talk to a bunch of statues instead of reading their plaques? Quite unusual… and I make it my business to know things that are unusual. "W-Well…" A strand of Marble's mane sticks to the corner of her mouth, but she resists the urge to fuss with it. "My family lives far a-away here, on what ponies would call a 'rock farm'. Or at least, most of my family does—my twin moved out quite a w-while ago. Anyways… "Times have been hard. Maybe they've a-always been, but Papa is a prideful stallion, and I've only learned about the w-whole thing from Mama. Ponies aren't using rocks to b-build houses and dams like they used to. So I thought I s-should use my gift to try and explore alternative markets we could aim for…" Ah. Well, the nobles of Canterlot certainly have their flights of fancy every now and again. Plenty of bits amongst them are just aching to be thrown at the arts. And who better to ask about what art they're tossing cash at than the art itself? Marble's eyes widen. He already figured it out? Even without her having to stumble through her words like a fool? She’s always been better at talking to rocks than ponies, but even the former don’t comprehend her that easily! Feeling something warm in her chest, Marble smiles. "That's rather a-astute of you to catch onto, it's usually hard for me to c-communicate my thoughts very well…" I understand you quite perfectly. In fact, why don't I make you an offer? "W-What kind of offer?" Marble tilts her head. "I'm afraid I don't have much to give." Come back here tomorrow, and the day after that. Do so for however long you're in town. Tell me about yourself, and keep this old guy company. In return, I'll give advice on how to remedy your little problem. Let me give you some now. Discord’s voice stops, and Marble loses track of how many seconds pass before he speaks again. You spoke to me because you sought what made me so popular. Well, you'll find no naturally occurring stone is quite like me. And not in that namby-pamby "we're all special" sort of way. No, I'm in a league of my own. Discord chuckles once more. But you have other statues to attend to, yes? Go collect your information, and we can talk again tomorrow—I have nowhere else to be, you see. I can't promise that some of these other folk aren't going to be terrible bores, however. Marble nods. "Mhm, thank you… Have a good night, Mr. Discord." I do believe I will.
Second NightFor the entirety of the next day, Marble thinks about Discord. It’s not like he was the only statue in the garden; in fact, there were nearly thirty of them! But as it turned out, much of the information they offered was along the line of Victory’s. The statue representing Prosperity was made of lepidolite, a very expensive mineral that Marble had only seen in photos before then. And while the knowledge that aristocrats were very interested in owning lepidolite is enlightening, Marble knows such a mineral doesn’t grow on the family farm. It was largely the same quality of info everywhere else. Actually, the most helpful statue turned out to be the last one she spoke to: Love, who noticed which themes tended to attract which audiences. “And what kind of p-ponies are attracted to the Discord statue?” Marble had asked Love, eyes wide and curious. She’s not sure what possessed her to ask. It was almost morning at that point, and she really didn't want to encounter any ponies if she could avoid it. But the way Discord talked and kept up with her meekness was so strange. In a good way, of course, but still strange. She wants to know more. Oh, ponies like him for all kinds of things. He looks so different from the rest of us here that I'm not surprised. But I never hear much gossip about him, because while he's popular with the ponies, most of the statues don't like the vibe he gives off. "He seemed p-perfectly fine to me…" Marble replied, a frown on her lips. "Snarky, but isn't that an a-appealing trait?" On the right pony, perhaps. I really don't know, I've never talked to him since we're so far apart in this garden. But I'm sure he has plenty of knowledge, even if it's not what one thinks they want. I'd be cautious, just in case—knowledge comes with age and experience, and he knows more than he lets on, I'm sure of it. Afterward, when Marble returned to her cheap hotel on the other side of the city, she headed to sleep. The mattress was as hard as stone… like an actual bedrock. That was more of the sorta thing Pinkie came up with, but Marble supposed everypony had their moments of brilliance. Even her. When she wakes the next morning, it takes a moment for her to remember. But soon, the entirety of her conversation with Discord comes rushing back, and firmly weighs on her mind throughout her attempts to find an affordable eatery for food. Even the cheaper places are so crowded… Finally, she finds a café tucked in a corner that allows her a meal for relatively few bits. Eating a biscuit is such a strange departure from the rocks at home. Both are bland, in their own way, but that suits Marble just fine. Papa would have a fit if he heard that she'd been eating plant-based food, anyways. No need to stir the pot anymore than she does by existing— "Are you enjoying yourself, sitting here all by your lonesome?" "Eep!" Marble jumps, the remains of her biscuit falling to her plate as she looks around frantically. A stallion stares at her with colorless eyes that barely peek out from long black bangs. "Perhaps so, judging by that reaction. So it's true, what they say." Marble scrambles to get her voice to come out. "I'm sorry, w-what's true?" "This is,” the stallion drolls. “‘I am many, yet also few. Business follows and friendship too. To earn or entertain is my goal. But even you fulfill my role’. What is my name?" This talk is illogical—even a pony as inexperienced with conversation as she is knows that. Nopony just approaches somepony and speaks in riddles. But instead of disengaging and leaving the café like a logical pony, she stops and thinks. “S-so something that can fulfill all those roles?” Marble starts. “It can’t just be a p-physical thing, then. Maybe s-something metaphorical, too? B-But even I fulfill that role…?” She squints hard at her biscuit. “W-Well, the only thing I’m really good at is keeping others… “…company, that’s it!” Marble straightens up and meets the stallion’s gaze. “Your name is c-company! Even one p-pony like me is keeping you company. A-And many ponies can form a business or theatre company in the sense of an organization or troupe. That must b-be it.” The stallion slowly blinks before his lips lift. “Correct. Well done, indeed. I’m sure you keep many ponies company when they need it.” Marble scratches the side of her head and blushes. “A-Aw, that’s very sweet of you. I confess, I w-was confused about what you were doing, but that was fun! Thank you, Mr.…?” Something glints in the stallion’s colorless eyes. “Call me Company.” And with that, he exits through the café’s front door, leaving Marble alone with her biscuit. A couple of minutes later, Marble steps out into the brisk spring air. Startling, Marble feels her eyes dampen. The breeze… this same breeze must be at the rock farm now, huh? Papa and Mama are depending on her, even now. This whole thing might seem like a fun vacation, but she’s on a mission. And if Discord could provide her with answers… She very much wanted to see him again. The hours drag on, and by the time it’s well and truly dark, Marble feels a bit stir-crazy. She’d purchased enough biscuits to last her the day, but the thought of being out and about among high society makes her queasy. She already knows she’s not nearly fancy enough to blend in, and if they found out she’s a rock farmer! Ha! Pinkie loves laughter—enough to share it with the family even!—but Marble doesn’t think she likes it when it’s directed at her. But she didn’t bring much with her to do, here in her hotel room, so she resigns herself to rereading her geology guidebook a grand total of three times to pass the hours. But even her guidebook didn't have any hints to what Discord is made of. Regardless, Marble enjoys the walk back to Canterlot Castle; a chance to stretch her stone-stiff limbs! And the Moon, slightly more full than the night before, lets her see quite perfectly when she reaches the sculpture garden itself. Nothing has changed, besides the Moon. But that just makes locating Discord all the easier. “Hello, Mr. Discord,” Marble greets, before putting her hoof on his pedestal. “I hope you’re s-still doing well.” Ah, Miss Pie! I see you remembered to greet me first, how wonderful. Manners are ever so important, even for somepony like me. And yes, I’m doing as well as I can—had myself a good night, as instructed! “Oh, that’s good!” Marble exclaims, before deflating slightly. “B-But I didn’t mean to lecture you on how you needed to spend your night…” Psh! I believe it’s good for my health to be told to do something every so often. Keeps me spry! But, honestly, it’s refreshing to talk to anypony but Celestia, especially when the conversationalist is as interesting as you. “M-Me?” Marble flushes bright red, and fights the urge to paw at her mane. “I’m nothing s-special. I mean, just look at me!” I am looking at you. What’s so wrong with yourself? Marble pauses, for no one’s really asked that before, have they? “W-Well… I’m not very interesting to look at. Certainly not like you are! I’m gray, and gray is… b-boring.” Who says? Marble's hoof almost slips from its position. "P-Pardon?" Who says gray is inherently boring? I think it’s quite exciting—so many ways to interpret it! You could spell gray with an A, or grey with an E… in fact, what's stopping somepony from spelling it graigh or greigh by ending it with an IGH? Not to mention how gray is all some animals can see! "Oh, I never thought a-about it that way," Marble responds, a blush still firmly on her cheeks. "S-Sorta like how anything can be gray if you take a black-and-white photo of it, right?" Exactly. In my opinion, even something that looks boring can be an incredibly fascinating aspect of one's world, if allowed. But perhaps that's philosophizing for another day. I want to know more about Marble Pie. That is what she agreed upon, isn’t it? It's still so strange that anypony would care about her life, even if her grayness isn't as boring as she initially thought. But, somehow, Discord's attention on her doesn't feel overwhelming at all. Odd, but she welcomes it. "Give me one s-sec…" Marble gently sits on the ground, hoof still extended to touch Discord's base. "Mhm, okay then, w-what would you like to know?" Firstly, you spoke of your parents and your twin. Who all comprises your family? Marble nods; that’s a familiar enough topic. "That's p-pretty simple. There's Papa and Mama, w-who are named Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz. And then there's my older s-sisters, Maud, Limestone, and P-Pinkie, my twin." Baby of the bunch, I see. And such a large family! What are they like? "P-Papa and Mama are… old-fashioned, I suppose." Marble begins. "Much of our farm is how my ancestors had it. But it's not the same w-world they were raised in, anymore. The old methods aren't enough to keep us a-afloat now—it's very clear to me that's the case." Thus why you came to this sculpture garden in the first place. But I must confess, I am curious if your parents even know you're here. Judging by the traditionalist vibes, I'm guessing not. Letting out a small noise, Marble shakes her head. "No, they don't. I told them I w-was going to visit Pinkie in Ponyville. B-But I'd been saving bits up for a while to come here, instead." A rule-breaker, eh? Always lovely to meet a kindred spirit. But, of course, you're doing it for their own good. Losing your family farm wouldn't be good for anypony, hm? Marble nods. "Mhm. My p-parents are strict, but reasonable. If I can s-show them a way that would make our financial problems go away, I want to.” There’s a long pause, at that. Perhaps she said something wrong? But, inanely, Marble runs her hoof along Discord’s pedestal, instead. The rock feels like a cat's tongue in spots, but is perfectly smooth in others. How bizarre… Before she can say anything more, Discord speaks again: Pardon me for the silence, you just reminded me of something. But, anyway, I can respect being so driven. And your sisters? What are they like? “Oh, they’re very fun!” Marble brightens. “Limestone and Maud are also twins, like P-Pinkie and I. Limestone w-wants to take over the main quarry duties, but Papa hasn’t let her yet. She’s a little s-sour, maybe, but she means well. There’s no one as p-passionate about the farm as she is.” And Maud? “She’s an educated mare, a-actually,” Marble reveals. “She’s a-attending school to get a rocktorate. I’m not s-sure what she wants to do with it, or if she’s coming back to the farm afterward, but I’m happy for her. She doesn’t say much, b-but neither do I, usually.” What about Pinkie, your twin? Quite an odd name out, isn’t her’s? Giggling, Marble tilts her mane to the side to peer up at Discord’s face. “W-Well yeah, but you’d understand once you see her! She looks so b-bright and bouncy, and her personality matches her looks too. We were inseparable as fillies, s-spending every moment we weren’t doing chores together. After all, it's because of her that life on the rock farm w-wasn’t so dreary! But…” But? Marble’s bangs fall back into her eyes as she looks down. “But she left the farm w-when we were still young. Moved in with the local bakers in P-Ponyville, ‘cause they were able to help her realize her dreams. But still, she’s always s-so far away from home…" And so far away from you. "Mhm…" Something between a sob and a laugh escapes from Marble, yet it vanishes as quickly as it appeared; she gazes up at Discord once more. "It's funny, I never talk about this s-sorta stuff at home. I don't want to seem s-soft, y'know? Stones a-are supposed to be built solid and strong. Yet, I miss Pinkie, every day. I miss her laugh, I miss her smile, and I even miss her c-corny jokes. B-But I’m not enough to keep her around, am I? Discord hums. Isn’t that the way of life, though? Things are ever-shifting, ever-moving. Sometimes, you can only experience life by doing something different, something exciting. Every singular moment that goes by is never like the last, when you can live that way. So to me, it sounds like Pinkie craved something that wasn’t etched into your family’s traditions, more than she intended to ditch you. Pinkie has always been unpredictable, hasn’t she? Even before that strange day when she first threw a party, even back when they were born! Marble remembers seeing the photo of the two of them, side by side, one bright pink and the other dull gray.Joined at the hip, even then. In that sense, they were severed apart when Pinkie left, weren’t they? It still didn’t feel fair, even despite what Discord said. But that’s just the thing, isn’t it? Life is hardly fair, even when you’ve done nothing to deserve its ire. "Eep!" Marble jumps—she didn't mean to say that aloud! "I mean, I don't want to sound s-selfish or something. I just… w-wish it didn't hurt so much." I understand completely. Usually, I loathe trying to make sense of things, but you learn perspective, after being around as long as I have. And I know what it is to be abandoned. Marble pauses at that. "You do?" Of course. I've outlived countless ponies, after all. Seen entire bloodlines crumble to dust before my very eyes. Immortality has a way of making you alone. And, once I was put here, I had no one to talk to. Besides Celestia, I suppose, but she tends to abandon, too. "W-Would the Princess do that?" Marble wonders aloud, her free hoof pawing at the ground. "She's supposed to be better than a-all of us normal ponies, right? You would think! But, then again, there is no such thing as normal. As I said before, even the most unassuming thing is capable of captivating. Why, when I first met Celestia, she was nothing more than a lost filly scrabbling in the mud! Eyes widening, Marble leans in. “S-She was a filly too, once? How did you even meet, being a s-statue as you are?” Discord doesn’t answer right away. Marble doesn't want to rush him, of course, so her gaze wanders, eventually ending up on the Moon. Quietly, it hangs in the midnight sky, pearl-pale and nearly perfect in shape. It definitely will be full, sometime soon. If not tomorrow, the day after. She's beautiful, isn't she? Surprisingly, Marble doesn't startle at the way Discord's voice cuts through the silence; she lowers her eyes to allow Discord to re-enter her sight. "W-Who? Oh, do you mean the Moon?" Indeed. I knew her too, once upon a time. Hard to talk to her now, with her so far away, but I'm sure she's hurting for company more than I am. "I s-see… oh, w-wait, company!" Marble bursts out, her excitement overriding her self-consciousness for once. "I met a s-strange stallion today, he told me a riddle about company! And I a-actually solved it, too!" Discord chuckles, the sound reverberating through Marble's entire being. You keep very good company, Marble, so I'm not surprised. But it's getting late, I'm afraid. Go rest up, and we can talk more tomorrow. Oh! But I forgot to give you my advice, haven't I? Marble, who was in the process of standing up, halts. "No, I s-suppose you haven't. But I don't w-wish to be a hassle!" No, no. We made a deal, and deals are something I don't take lightly. Anyways, the Moon is rather beautiful, yes. Yet, in truth, she and I are similar in more than our make. But I’ll tell you this—legends hold more secrets to this tale than you might think. I wonder if you can puzzle out why… Dramatically, Discord releases a sigh. I do enjoy our conversations, Marble, even if they always feel so short. But c'est la vie, I suppose, nothing good can last, as they say. Finally making her way to her hooves, Marble nods. "Mhm. I enjoy them, too. I'll s-see you tomorrow, Discord." Until next time!
Third NightBut in truth, Marble doesn’t actually “go rest up”. No, the following hours see her sitting upon the steps of the Canterlot Library, watching as the Sun overtakes the Moon in the sky. Dawn in Canterlot is almost as quiet as the night was, but that suits Marble just fine. Her brain is buzzing so much that she scarcely notices she’s no longer alone until an “ahem” breaks through the fog. “Eep!” she starts, spine ramrod straight as she spots the elderly mare that made the noise. “Oh, I’m s-sorry, I didn’t see you there…” The mare is a pale violet, her mane an even more faded pink. She shifts the pile of books upon her back just slightly, her spectacles shining in the swelling sunlight. Though she is much older than Marble’s mother, something about the presence of those glasses makes the tension in her shoulders ease, just a bit. “It’s quite alright, dear, though I will admit you surprised me a bit!” the mare titters, the lines around her eyes deepening with her smile. “Ponies don’t normally wait on the library’s doorstep for it to open. Well, one pony does, but I feel like she’s a bit of an outlier. Anyways, I’m Dusty Pages, the head librarian. Lovely to make your acquaintance!” “Marble P-Pie, nice to meet you,” Marble answers, raising to her hooves. “P-Pardon me, but I’m hoping to check some books out. If that’s a-alright.” "Well, I'm afraid only those with library cards can check out books, and you have to be a Canterlot resident to apply for one," Dusty shares as she goes to unlock the front doors. Marble's face falls. "That makes s-sense, I'm sorry if I was a bother…" "Oh, dearie, don't misunderstand me!" Dusty chirps, finally pulling the doors open before turning to Marble. "Nothing in the rules says that non-residents can't read the books as long as they stay on premises. I would know, I helped write quite a few of them myself. So c'mon in!" "A-Ah, thank you so much!" Marble beams, following the older mare inside. In no time at all, Marble is settled at a table piled with book upon book. And Dusty Pages was ever-so-helpful in assisting Marble in finding a wide swath of folklore to study. Soon, her eyes are scanning through the tomes at a rapid pace, for she very well can’t leave any stone unturned! She will admit, she doesn’t usually read topics that aren't somehow related to the rock farm. But she considers herself rather detail-oriented; you have to be, after talking to so many different stones. And Discord mentioned legends, didn't he? That has to hint at something he's building up to, some grand piece of advice. It has to! The different tales she reads are fascinating, though. Much more exciting and… and unpredictable compared to her life! She's never considered any deity besides the Princess, but some of these figures weren't even ponies at all! The swirling tail and mismatched features of Discord float into Marble's mind as she focuses on the next page. Could it be that he depicts somepony from these tales? Or perhaps, somehow, he— "You're thinking awfully hard, aren't you? Your muzzle scrunches up quite adorably when you do." "Eep!" Marble jolts, cringing at the heavy thunk that follows her opened book landing flat on the table. "W-Who—" Across from Marble sits a mare. Her white mane hangs in lank strands that follow the tilting motion of her head. "I apologize, I did not intend to startle you. Have you been reading mythology for long?" "Oh, not really." The adrenaline seeps out of Marble as she squints at the distant clock—is it 2 PM already? "Only s-starting today, actually. W-Why?" The mare hums as her eyes slip close. "I was hoping you could answer this: 'Like the goddess Nut along the starry sky, my presence divides your loved ones apart. Like those unfaithful fools within le Fay’s vale, your bitter contempt is what I impart. Like stone and siblings roiling Kronos’ gut, I can break unlike your Fate’s decision. Like cunning Loki affixed to boulders three, the future may not be what you vision.'" The hueless shade of the mare's eyes meets Marble's as she opens them. "'From both mortal souls to heavenly spirits, I will deliver judgment incarnate. But from me to you I simply ask one time: for every being, what do I create?'" Another riddle? This one seems more complicated than the first one, but… Marble shifts through the messy stacks of books to pull out four: Baladi Beginnings, Tales of Trottingham and Bales, Atop Mount Aris, and Sleipnir's Stories. Carefully, Marble picks up Baladi Beginnings and shows the cover to the mare. "Well, a-according to legends in the Baladi region, Nut was a goddess of the cosmos. Long ago, she was p-punished for bending the orders of Ra, a ruler of the Sun. A-And—" Shifting Baladi Beginnings to the side, Marble lifts Tales of Trottingham and Bales. "The unicorn s-sorceress Morgana was also known as le Fay. She b-banished knights who betrayed their lovers' trust into an enchanted wood. A-Also—" More confidently, Marble swaps Tales of Trottingham and Bales out for Atop Mount Aris. "The hippogriffs b-believe that an ancient god called Kronos once ruled their land. A-Afraid of being overthrown by his own kin, he ate his children to fruitlessly prevent that future. Finally—" Almost giddily, Marble raises Sleipnir's Stories before the mare. "The great horse Sleipnir was b-born to Loki, a mischievous yet influential god. As punishment for his crafty b-behavior, he was chained to rock until the day the cataclysmic destruction of the world would s-set him free." Marble meets the gaze of the mare once the final book is lying back on the tabletop. “All four of these fables s-share something—their subjects are trapped. And a-anypony can be trapped, can be imprisoned. So it's a p-prison you create!” The mare, who had not severed eye contact while Marble gave her explanation, slowly blinks before smiling. “Correct. Congratulations are in order—you’re a very quick learner, it seems.” Beaming, Marble shuffles the books back into a pile. “W-Well, mhm, I suppose so! It’s p-pretty exciting learning new things. Especially since I can never b-be as awe-inspiring as those within these stories.” “Hmm…" In a fluid motion, the mare stands up on her hooves, her stare never moving from Marble. “You know, they say Sleipnir was gray in color, much like the boulders his father was bound to. Much like you.” The mare laughs a dry laugh. “But it wouldn’t do to trap you into a conversation, hm? Don’t forget—prisons come in all shapes and forms.” And with that, she disappears between the bookshelves, leaving Marble alone with her tomes. Marble finds it hard to concentrate, after that. Can she be blamed? Two riddles in two days. Are they connected, somehow? After all, that mare looked an awful lot like the stallion at the café… But soon, her attention returns to the book she was reading before she was interrupted, one that details the mythology of Equestria itself. Turns out, strange creatures that embodied certain concepts roamed Equestria long ago. The draconequui, according to the book. They came in all shapes and sizes, but something about them makes Marble think… Isn't "discord" a concept, too? Eventually, Marble leaves the library when Dusty Pages begins to lock up. She offered to help the elderly mare, but Dusty would hear nothing of it, citing something about maintaining her perfect librarian record. So Marble steps out into the night after thanking and bidding Dusty a good evening. Marble has not slept at all today, but somehow, she doesn't feel tired. Rather, she feels excitement buzz through her body. She's learned so much today, and she hopes Discord could tell her even more. She can't recall the last time she's felt this joyful. Maybe she never has, before. For a while, Marble wanders the slowly dwindling streets of Canterlot, her hooves clacking upon the cobblestones as she moves. In the light of dusk, almost everything is cast in tints of gray. It's comforting, in a way. Almost like the rock farm, in its monochromatic hues. That's why she's here, after all. So it probably doesn't matter how she's feeling, so long as she accomplishes her goal, right? By the time Marble enters the sculpture garden, the Moon has returned to the pinnacle of the sky, a flurry of stars surrounding the planetary shape. A slight wind blows through the grass and trees in turn. Yet Discord still stands unmoving, a stalwart force against the nature around him. Marble doesn't hesitate to approach him. "Nice to s-see you again, Discord," Marble says, sitting on the ground to trail her hoof along his base. "Gosh, it feels like no time at a-all since I was last here. Are you s-still doing alright?" I suppose I am, though I will admit I'm doing much better now that you're here. But, oh, it sounds like you've had a busy day! Care to share? "Mhm, it w-was wonderful." A smile settles on Marble's lips. "I w-went to the library. Never s-seen so many books in one place. Especially not ones s-so intriguing!" Ahh, I see. I've heard of the library before, though it was built long after I was put here. Quite behind on my sightseeing, I'm afraid. But do you read often? Marble huffs a shadow of a laugh. "No, not really. There aren't a-any libraries or bookstores near the farm, so I mostly only have the family's rock-related b-books to read. And I never really tried reading a-anything at the Rockville schoolhouse, ‘cause…" ‘Cause what? Were there only stone-flavored offerings there, too? Marble squints at the ground. “Not c-completely, no. It’s just… that is…” Suddenly, Marble jerks her head up and fixes her gaze upon Discord’s closed eyes. “So I’ve always been a-able to hear what rocks are thinking, right? Always. It never s-seemed odd to me, when I was really little. And P-Pinkie always had my back, anyways. “But s-she left, y’know…” Tightness pulls at Marble’s features as she continues. “And it w-wasn’t the same, after that. Do you know that p-ponies whisper when you’re strange? Or that they p-pelt you with pebbles as you walk home? It felt like every day that somepony w-would tell me that my name was fitting, b-because I’d lost my marbles. And it didn’t help that I s-sound like I do…” The silence is tense until Discord speaks. Did you tell your family about all this? Did anypony care? “No, I didn’t tell them,” Marble forces out. “I told you, stones are s-supposed to be solid and strong. P-Papa and Mama were always so busy with the farm, and Limestone and Maud had a different c-class period. I didn’t want to make it harder on a-anypony than it already was. So I k-kept quiet about it. Kept quiet a-all the time.” Marble, look at me. Marble hadn’t realized her eyes had closed, and liquid blurs her vision as she opens them. “W-Wha—?” Nothing is more chaotic than the emotions of others. It’s something I thrived off of, once upon a time, something I yearned to see. But ignorance can turn into viciousness just as easily as it can fear. And I, myself, have never been understood. A memory dislodges as Marble scrubs at her eyes, and she looks up at Discord’s closed own again. “…did the Princess not understand you, when you met?” Discord makes a snorting sound, sudden and sharp. In a way! Cay-Cay and I were thick as thieves, once. She felt isolated, y’see. A newly-crowned young Princess with control over the Sun itself. Ponies tend to feel like they can’t be anything but reverent towards you, when you’re like that. So when we met, I thought things would be different for both of us. I didn’t care that she was practically a living goddess, and she didn’t mind that I was… Discord’s voice peters off, as if he is looking for the right words. A polite pony would let him think, but the syllables are rushing out of Marble before she can even parse them: “She didn’t mind that you w-were a draconequus, right? Or that you depicted one, I s-suppose.” Quiet. Not even the evening insects within the garden are audible. Marble is trying to put together an apology for overstepping or assuming or whatever it is she did when Discord talks in a softer tone. You never cease to amaze. Well, there’s no “depiction” about it—I am a draconequus, in the flesh. Rather rocky flesh, but that’s hardly my fault, really. So you can stop saying my name in italics, dear, I think we’re past that point, now. A gasp escapes Marble’s lips as she looks Discord—or Discord, rather—up and down. “You w-weren’t always stone? I didn’t realize that w-was even possible! Is that p-part of your draconequus abilities?” Anything is possible—I think us conversing at all is proof of that. Yet I hate to break it to you, but I’m not responsible for this particular arrangement. No, the credit belongs to our sunny little Celestia. Distantly, Marble recalls the library books she poured over earlier. So many of the mythology figures have that one thing in common… "You're imprisoned w-within this garden, aren't you? S-She… trapped you here." Blasphemy tastes strange upon Marble's tongue. Yes, she did. You surely read about the nature of draconequui. And I am Discord. I create chaos with the snap of a talon or paw, and things never remain constant in my presence. That is simply what I am, and to pretend otherwise is futile. But, ultimately, Celestia didn't understand that. Didn't understand me. “B-But how?” Marble questions, as a million more vie to escape. “How did the P-Princess do this? That’s so… s-so…” Cruel? As I said, ignorance is a chaotic thing, indeed. But she doesn’t view her actions through that lens. Celestia is a warrior for "harmony", and she wields an ancient power to force that ideal, at any cost. If somepony bends that definition, they are to be punished. Even if they are her companions, or even if they are her family. Family? Marble screws her eyes shut as she thinks. Many of those imprisoned within the tales she read were done so by loved ones. The entrails of Loki's slain son Nari were used as the chains that bound him to the boulders. The children of Kronos were consumed and contained within their own father's stomach. Prisoners within le Fay's vale were punished for scorning those they swore romantic fealty to. And Ra… Ra controlled the Sun, just like the Princess. When Nut disobeyed Ra's command, he banished her to the very thing she held dominion over. And didn't Discord say… Eyes shooting open, Marble zeroes in on the Moon above her, surrounded still by stars. The same book that described the draconequui mentioned the Mare in the Moon legend. Even the foals living in Rockville knew of it. For long ago, there were two sister Princesses whose names were lost to time. But that's not completely true, is it? “You s-said you knew the Moon,” Marble finally begins, the sound magnified in the silence. “And two s-sisters ruled the heavens together, once. A P-Princess of the Sun, and one of the Moon. Both w-working in harmony, until the S-Sun Princess felt forced to exile her sister…” Eyes wide with emotion, Marble’s voice drops in volume. “That was P-Princess Celestia, wasn’t it? She trapped her own s-sister in the Moon, just like she trapped you.” Discord guffaws deeply, as if laughing at a joke concealed inside that loaded question. Ah, that’s why I like you, Marble! Very attentive to details. And I did tell you that the Moon and I have a lot in common. We both cared for Celestia, and look where it got us! Sky and lawn ornaments for all eternity. Oh, but she keeps us in perfect view of her balcony! That means she feels something back, right? A whirlwind of thoughts rages within Marble's head. She sees no reason why Discord would lie about this; to even threaten the image of the Princess is criminal in itself. But he said he's been around for centuries. To be stuck in one spot, never able to move on or grow… “Maybe this isn’t very meaningful for me to s-say, but…” Carefully, Marble brings her other hoof to settle against Discord’s cool stone. “I met s-somepony today while reading at the library. Mhm, and she told me that p-prisons come in all shapes and forms. I didn’t really get it, w-when she said it, but maybe I do, now. “You… loved the P-Princess, didn’t you?” Marble’s mane falls into her face as she murmurs. “Her s-sister loved her, too. And maybe it’s not the s-same, but I love my family. Yet… yet I’m s-stuck, aren’t I?” Marble doesn’t wait for a response to either question. “I’m stuck, b-because I don’t want to let my family down any more than I do by simply being me. My p-parents have the farm, and Limestone is set to inherit it. And Maud has her degree, and P-Pinkie has her parties in Ponyville. But w-what do I have? Who am I, even, b-besides a freak who talks to rocks all day long? Just look a-at me…” I never stopped looking at you, Marble. But let's say you are a freak, like you said. If that's what you are, it's most certainly what I am. For look at me! I'm the very embodiment of things that are abnormal. So you're not alone, in that regard. Sniffling, Marble peeks out from her bangs. "Y'know, it's nice to have s-somepony to talk to about this. We're b-both unique, but I suppose some p-problems are universal. I just wish I didn't have to leave a-after tomorrow…" …Marble, do you know what will happen, tomorrow night? "Huh?" Pushing her mane aside, Marble looks up. "I mean, I'll p-probably be coming by to say goodbye, right?" Perhaps you will. Yet—putting my physical state aside—nothing is set in stone. You could say your farewells, and we could never see each other again. But I said I would help you with your predicament when we first met. And I value my word very highly. Marble's brow furrows. "B-But is there anything you could do, for any of my p-problems? ‘Cause I thought that s-saving the farm would make me belong, b-but now I'm not so sure…" I suppose it depends, really. Tomorrow, I’ll ask something of you. Only you can decide what happens, then, what you choose. Because I think you crave what your twin did, all those years ago. It takes a second for Marble to sort through her memories. “You s-said you think she wanted… change, right?” Yes! Change is a wonderful thing, after all. But no one can change your mind but yourself. Forcing these sorts of things is impossible for most, and unpalatable for me. No, it’s much more fun when things are spontaneous, wouldn’t you say? A contemplative look forms on Marble’s features. There it is again, that sense that Discord holds an ancient power just like the Princess. He never said what all “discord” entailed, but surely it must have been something incredible for the Princess to imprison him, right? As it is, he can’t even move, but what if… “Do you…” Marble starts, before reconsidering her words. “No, c-could you do anything you wish if you were free? Or even do s-something for somepony else, if that’s what you wanted…?” A deep rumble resonates from within Discord. Ah, a long time ago, the answers were yes to the first, and no to the second. Not because I was incapable, but because there was nopony I would do that for. Nopony. But I told you before that one learns perspective through immortality. And for you, I would bring down the very Moon. Face flaming, Marble tries to get her words together to respond to that declaration, but Discord speaks first: But I think that’s enough Earth-rattling revelations for tonight. You need to rest, don’t you? And actual rest this time, in your bed. Asleep. Most rules are meant to be broken, but I think that’s a good one to uphold. That breaks Marble out of it, even though her blush takes an embarrassed tone at being caught. “Mhm. You’re right, of c-course. I’ll try to s-sleep, though I have an a-awfully lot of thoughts to keep me up, now. Goodnight, Discord. A-And… thank you.” The pleasure is all mine, Marble. Until tomorrow.
Final NightTruly, Marble finds it difficult to get any sort of rest that night. Normally, she sleeps like a rock. It's more efficient that way, what with her and her sisters having to get up at the crack of dawn for chores. Every second of shut-eye is precious on the farm, and so the habit stuck. But Discord's words keep wriggling around in her head. Tomorrow, he is going to ask something of her. Yet, Marble isn't sure there's much she will be useful for. Even sealed as he is, he's a lot more powerful and all-knowing than she is. There's no possible way she will ever measure up to that potential, so what can he possibly ask for? Yet the many hours of being awake eventually catch up to Marble, and her eyelids slip close as her breathing slows. When her eyes open, Marble does not find herself in her bed. Rather, she's surrounded by tall hedges that tower like cliffs. Above her, the perfectly circular Moon drifts across a purple-dark sky devoid of stars. She looks at the celestial body for a while, at how the deep craters mark the presence of the Moon Princess within. How many times has she looked at these shapes, longing to solve her family’s financial woes? And how many times has the Moon Princess looked back down at her, longing to return to the ground? “She's beautiful, isn't she?” Tearing her eyes from the Moon, Marble only briefly searches for the source of the voice before finding them. Before her, a small foal stands. While their fringe is a pale slate, the rest of their mane tumbles around their shoulders in a darker hue. Were they there the whole time? “Mhm, s-she is,” Marble responds, even as a sense of déjà vu nags at her. “I’m s-sorry, do we know each other?” Something in the foal’s gray eyes sparkles. “No, we don’t. But we could, couldn’t we? After all…” Sitting with a flourish, the foal smiles. “‘Furry or feathered, false or fair-weather, I’m the one who bonds like minds together.’ Who am I?” How many riddles has Marble heard these past few days? Three of them, now. And every riddler looked so similar and as devoid of color as she is… But this one isn’t difficult at all, is it? After talking to Discord every night, she feels she’s actually become the subject of this riddle. She hopes he feels the same. “You’re a friend, a-aren’t you?” Marble softly answers, though there’s no one besides the foal that can be disturbed by her volume. “Furry, feathered, false, and fair-weather are a-all idioms themed after friendship. And most friends have similar things in c-common, right?” The foal slowly blinks before bringing their hooves together to clap. “Correct. And you never know who will be a friend to you, do you? Even somepony you never expected could change your life, forever.” “Mhm…” Marble agrees, gaze trailing upwards towards the Moon another time. “A-All my life, I only had my sisters as friends. S-So I don’t understand… I c-can’t understand why Discord might want to be mine. Especially since ponies as a-amazing as the Sun and Moon Princesses were his, at one point.” The foal nods. “Sometimes, a pony needs somepony unlikely to lean on. It's so easy to give up because something is hard or scary. But lending a helpful hoof through those struggles makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it?" Huffing quietly, Marble looks at the foal again. "I'll a-admit, I'm not sure I completely follow. But I s-suppose some things don't need to be understood to be true." "Makes sense to me!" Whistling an aimless tune, the foal rises to their hooves. "Even if there's no fun in making sense. But tomorrow is a busy night, right? You have somepony depending on you, after all." "B-But I'm worried…!" All at once, the hedges around Marble seem to close in, and the light of the Moon feels overwhelmingly bright. "What if I c-can't help him at all?" "Isn't that the exciting part?" the foal answers, even though Marble cannot see them through her now screwed-shut eyes. "You'll never know if you don't try." The twinkling laugh of the foal is all Marble registers as the light beyond her eyelids ebbs away. Once they reopen, she's greeted by the cracked ceiling of the hotel room. Logically, it makes sense that that was all a dream, even if she normally can't recall the ones she has. But… The foal felt so real, and just as alive as the stallion and mare before them. Could they really have only been a part of her imagination…? Sluggishly, Marble fumbles out of bed. Despite her buzzing legs, she manages to reach the window and pull the curtains aside. Beyond them, the waning rays of the setting Sun shine in the far distance. Did she sleep the whole day away? But if it’s sunset now, that means night is soon to follow. Drowsiness forgotten, Marble moves away from the window to shuffle most of her possessions together, even if only to kill more time. Yesterday, Discord said he is going to ask something of her. Normally, the expectations of others weigh heavily on her, like a millstone around her neck. Even now, she can feel the burden of her family’s predicament within her veins. So why would anypony rely on her when she often crumbles apart like chalk in a foal’s grip? Only once her belongings form a misshapen pile does Marble leave the hotel room to journey out into Canterlot. The streets are mostly barren, with only an occasional carriage or passerby filling those spaces, but that suits Marble just fine. It allows her hooves to move on auto-pilot towards the castle, even. Yes, having others relying on her in any sort of way normally threatens to crush her. But Discord has been… kind to her. Not that her family hasn’t, but aren’t they obligated to be? She was a stranger to him, in every possible way. For there was no way he would’ve known she would show up in the garden all those days ago. There was no possible way he would’ve known she would be able to communicate through his stony state. Yet he talked with her. Always jovially, but never mockingly. Like he enjoyed having her around. Almost like Pinkie, but there’s something about the lilt of his voice. Something about the way his syllables always seem calculated, despite the unpredictability life offers. If anypony in the entire world could help her find herself, show her how to finally be enough, it surely must be him. Marble wants to have faith in something, for once. Eventually, she steps into the sculpture garden once more. Just like her dream, the full Moon is alone against the deep amethyst sky. And just as before, Marble finds her way to Discord’s side with ease. “Hi, Discord, how a-are you?” Marble asks as she places her hoof on his base. Absolutely splendid! I chilled here by myself, doing some thinking. Hard to relax that way, of course, but I’ll manage! But I trust you got some rest where I didn’t? “Mhm, I did,” Marble replies. “How did you put it, b-before? ‘I had myself a good night, a-as instructed?’” Ha, that was it, indeed! But it’s wonderful to hear you managed to catch those pesky Z’s. Simply wonderful… There’s silence, for a time. Marble tries to ignore the jitteriness that hums within her muscles. She’s wary of bringing up Discord’s promise from yesterday, but still, she wants to know what he believes she's capable of doing for him. What did Pinkie call this feeling? Nervicited? Marble Pie. “Eep!” Somehow, Discord speaking catches Marble off-guard, despite her waiting for it to occur. “I mean, w-what’s up?” Marble Pie, I could never have imagined these past four nights going the way they have. For over a thousand years, I’ve been here in this garden. All alone, the entire time. After all, Celestia’s guilt over trapping me has hardly convinced her to come to visit very often. But I digress— For over a thousand years, I’ve been without company. Standing here as I am, within this prison of stone. Yet now, I do believe I have a friend, don’t I? I have you. Oddly, a strange sense of familiarity curls in Marble’s memories at the words. Has she heard something similar, recently…? Nonetheless, she responds: “I’ve a-always felt alone, all my life. And I thought maybe, if I p-proved myself to be capable, as something inherently different from myself… that p-ponies outside of my family would like me, for once. But you didn’t care, did you? You s-said I was fine as-is, strangeness and all. And you w-want to be my friend, even…” Without warning, Marble rears up on her hind hooves and wraps her forelegs as high as she can reach around Discord’s pedestal. “So I w-want to repay you somehow, even with how little I have to offer…” Clinging around Discord as she is, Marble feels something within him rumble through her bones. Has anypony ever told you you are truly spectacular? Words are so easy to play games with—look at riddles, for one! But I mean it, I really do. After all, I’ve never seen somepony be able to communicate with rocks and stone, as you can. “W-Well, mhm, I haven’t either!” Marble lets out a laugh tinged only slightly with self-deprecation. “And I haven’t met s-somepony as special as you, either. Guess w-we’re both one-of-a-kind, right?” Indeed. There’s nopony else who can compare. Nopony else at all on this little Earth. But that reminds me… Marble releases Discord to look at his face, a crease forming on her brow. “Reminds you of w-what?” The Earth… isn’t the Earth a rock, too? After all, that’s where most of the stones ponies use come from, correct? After a moment, Marble nods. “I s-suppose so, though I’ve never really given it much thought. W-Why do you ask?” Discord hums a low note. Before I get to that, you need to remember that I’m the draconequus of discord. I gain power from every little thing that feeds into disorder. Thus, I’m considered the natural enemy of Celestia’s perfect harmony. But you and your family have been failed by harmony, haven’t you? Marble’s mind feels like a jumbled-up puzzle. “W-What do you mean…?” Everypony is told they matter within this society of ours. That everypony has the same value, and all are rewarded if they just work hard enough for it. But that’s not true, is it? Your family works tirelessly on the farm, but they’re facing bankruptcy. That’s why you came here in the first place. And by simply utilizing your talents, you’ve been ostracized from your peers for years. Are struggle and ridicule all that harmony has to offer…? “I guess you’re not w-wrong, are you…?” Marble’s head sorta hurts from questioning the very fabric of civilization, but she can’t find any fault in his reasoning. “B-But what can I do about it? I’m just one p-pony…” Perhaps you can’t do anything alone… but I’m here, aren’t I? You see, even despite Celestia’s efforts, bits of disharmony slip through the cracks. Everyday and everywhere, even right here in this garden. And, piece by piece, that chaos feeds into my strength. As such, I’ve felt this prison around me steadily weaken, like a sculptor chipping away at a block. And I do believe I could break free… with your help. That wasn’t what Marble thought he would say at all! “B-But how could I…?” Well, you see… if you can talk to stones, what’s stopping you from talking to the very Earth itself? Any possible response Marble could have given melts out of her brain in that instance, and all that comes out is a breathless squeak. She walks on the Earth every day, doesn’t she? Almost all ponies do. But she never thought to listen to it…! Discord takes that as a cue to continue. I told you I would ask something of you, didn’t I? Well, this is it. I want you to speak with the Earth, and do something as spectacular as you. Because you have the power to free me, and change the worlds of everypony alive. Marble blushes furiously. Surely, Discord has too much belief in her, right? To be able to undo ancient magic from the Princess herself seemed… quite impossible, really. But no, she told herself she would have faith in Discord, and if that means trusting in his judgment… Well, how can she refuse? “Okay, I’ll do it…!” Marble’s head dips in a self-reassuring nod. “Even if I’m not actually s-sure what ‘it’ is.” You never cease to amaze me, Marble. I have no doubts you’ll find the perfect solution. Bobbing her head again in acknowledgment, Marble steps off the paved stone surrounding Discord’s pedestal. Once in the nearby grass, she digs past the turf until she can get her hooves onto the soil beneath. Taking a deep, shaking breath, she speaks: "Hello? A-Are you listening, down there…? I was hoping we could… talk?" There's no response. Anxiety rushes through Marble's veins, and she wishes she was closer to Discord so she could still hear him. But no, everypony is relying on her to succeed, aren't they? She can't give up here! Reinvigorated, Marble opens her mouth to speak again when her entire body shakes all at once— Hel… lo? Little… po… ny… Brightening, Marble plants her hooves more firmly into the dirt. "Hello! I hope I'm not b-bothering you, Mr…. er, Mrs.? P-Pardon me, I'm not sure what to call you…" We are… Gai… a… "A-Ah, nice to meet you, Gaia,” Marble greets—but where are her manners? “Oh, I forgot to s-say who I am! I’m—” We… know who… you are… Mar… ble… Pie… “Really?” Marble’s gaze tilts down to where her hooves are surrounded by sediments. “That’s s-surprising, I’ve never spoken to you b-before… have I? The ground beneath her groans. Not… di… rectly. But… We have… al… ways… watched… ov… er… you… Marble starts. “B-But w-why? I’m not anypony s-special…” But you… keep Our… child… ren… com… pany. Even… through their… physi… cal… prisons. You are… a friend. That’s right. Almost all rocks come from the Earth—from Gaia—so that would mean They’re all stonekind’s progenitor. Still, that strange sense of familiarity overtakes Marble at Gaia’s voice. She’s heard those words before— “That’s w-what Discord said,” Marble starts. “And those three p-ponies who told me riddles. That by k-keeping stones company despite their prisons, I've b-become a friend. But how w-would you…?” All life… was born… from Us. And We… listen… to what… ponies… have to… say. Yet they’ve… for… gotten… Us. For… gotten… where they’ve… come from. But… Your… fam… ily… never… forgot. For… gener… ations… they would… tend… to Our… child… ren. So We… gave them… a gift. We… gave them… you. Marble feels quite like somepony kicked the wind out of her. “You w-were the one who gave me my talent…?” We… were. But… it was… up to… you… on how… you used… this… blessing. And… despite… hardship… you talked… with Our… child… ren… any… ways. Under… pres… sure… you… per… severed. We are… grateful… to you. Marble resists the urge to bring one of her hooves up to cover her reddening face. “A-Ah, thank you? It’s not that b-big of a deal, honestly. P-Ponies don’t usually want to talk to me, after all. But I’m glad that p-pleases you, truly.” Again, the surface beneath Marble shivers. You… need help… don’t you? We… heard him… ask you. We… remem… ber… him. From long… ago. You must… know… that he… is… unpre… dicta… ble. Do you… trust him? Wholly… and… complete… ly? Does she? Marble’s breath catches in her throat as her mind churns. She’s known Discord for less than five days. What if the Princess was right, sealing him away? And what if she punishes Marble for disobeying her order? Or punish her whole family! That would be awful… But isn’t being the object of derision awful, too? And Marble’s family is currently suffering under the Princess’ reign even without her direct influence. Discord has already changed so much of her worldview just by talking to her, so if he was free… Well, the answer is quite obvious, isn’t it? Marble firmly nods. “Mhm, I do. Because of your gift, I was a-able to meet Discord, who helped me treasure it even more. And together, w-we can shoot for the very Moon. P-Please, help me do that.” If that… is what… you wish. Hold… on. Marble pauses, befuddlement on her features. “‘Hold on’? W-What do you—” The surface beneath her creaks ominously, which almost knocks her over. Before she can fully process what’s happening, an incredibly loud CRACK sounds all around her, and it takes all her effort to keep her hooves on the ground. Frantic, she spots an almighty rift encircling the land she and Discord occupy. Again, the ground shudders. Fare… well… Mar… ble. Good… luck. “W-Wait, what’s happe—” As it turns out, everything happens, all at once. The piece of ground surrounded by the fissure violently quakes, sending Marble tumbling off her hooves. Scrambling to cover her flattened ears against the cacophony of noise that suddenly floods her senses, she squeezes her eyes shut. But despite that meager protection, she hears the KER-RAAACK! that splits the air. Jostling side to side, she’s suddenly pressed into the soil by an extreme force that overwhelms just as much as the veritable gale-storm pummeling her. But before she can even cry out, everything stops just as suddenly. Marble waits for a second. Two. Three. Tentatively, she opens her eyes. Gray strands of mane hang tangled in her face. Bringing a shaking hoof up, she pushes the hair aside, clearing her vision. A foot or so ahead of her, the grass drops off jarringly, with the dark sky taking its place. Carefully making her way onto her hooves, she tiptoes to that edge, and looks down. Far, far below her, minuscule structures sprawl like an ant farm. The largest shape is only the size of a toy marble, if that. And from the ground sprouts a tower of bedrock, striated in many earthy tones of stone, leading up to the ground beneath her. Gasping, Marble looks up. The Moon is much, much larger than she’s ever seen it. When she said to shoot for the Moon, she didn’t intend to be taken literally! Oh, but this is spectacular, isn’t it? Discord will be so proud of her. …Discord! “Discord!” Marble turns away from the edge to face his direction. “Did you s-see what I—” Only the pedestal remains where Discord sat. Where did he…? A voice breaks through the air. “Ahhh! How wonderful it is to feel the breeze through my fur again!” Startling, Marble’s eyes shoot upward again. Above her floats Discord, seemingly without the aid of his wings. His stony skin has melted away into a mishmash of different colors, from blue to yellow to green to red. Part of Marble warms at seeing that his head is still gray, like she is. Said head turns, the sharp saffron of his eyes piercing through the gloom. “There you are, Marble!” Discord smoothly moves down towards her, despite his previous centuries of immobility. “Love the new mane-style, very festive! And I must say I’m quite impressed with your performance, here. Never in my wildest imaginations did I think you’d rocket us up into the sky!” “Discord!” Marble exclaims, face aflame with delight. “You’re moving a-around! You’re free! Oh, b-but I think you did most of the heavy-lifting. I just helped a b-bit.” Waggling his talon, Discord grins toothily. “Even though I’m usually quite a fan of it, that’s utter nonsense! Because of you, I’ve checked out of the Stationary Suite, for good. And now that I’m out, it’s time for the real change to begin. Behold—” With his paw, Discord snaps. Suddenly, his abandoned base melts into a large marshmallow that explodes into a swarm of small, pale birds. Faces toasty brown and tails aflame, the flock swoops to the grass, which at some point transfigured into green graham crackers. Picking every “blade” off, the birds dip them into the glass of chocolate milk that Discord now holds. Bizarrely, the glass disappears instead, coating each cracker in translucent brown. When the birds fly off, all that’s left behind is a white cylinder of milk that shatters when Discord throws it against the dirt. Stunned, it takes a moment for Marble to find her words. “W-Wow… you can do all that with only a s-snap? W-What else can you do…?” “Anything,” Discord replies simply. “Anything and everything at all. But wait! I told you I’d bring down the very Moon for you, didn’t I? I think I have a more fun alternative, though. Watch this!” With a practiced movement, Discord raises his talon. Eyes guided by the motion, Marble has a perfect view of his claw, framed as it is by the Moon behind it. He snaps again. And the Mare in the Moon markings vanish. Feeling her eyes widen, Marble doesn’t protest as Discord picks her up from the grassless ground. “W-Where did the markings go? Is the Moon P-Princess…?” Chuckling, Discord holds Marble up above him, the shape of her messy mane silhouetted on his face. “Well, if we’re gonna have a big ol’ party smashing Celestia’s society up, why not do it with an old pal? I’m sure Luna will be thrilled to join in!” Tucking Marble under his arm, Discord gestures to Canterlot below them. “After all, the three of us can make a world where you can literally be whoever you want to be, and still thrive. Where you can be a little strange, or a lot strange! For we freaks have to stick together, right?” To be whoever she wants to be… Marble likes the sound of that. “W-We should go find her, then!” Marble cheers, wiggling her hooves back and forth. “S-She sounds like she’d be a perfect member of our little ‘club’, right?” Discord guffaws at that. “That’s for sure! So let’s make a welcoming environment for our first club meeting, then! The entire world is our garden, now!” As they descend from the elevated piece of Earth, Marble snuggles closer to Discord’s side. Perhaps ponies will call them crazy, and perhaps they won’t understand what this change will accomplish. The Princess certainly won’t. But for once, Marble isn’t scared of what the future might bring. For it’s nice when a misplaced marble finally feels found.
