Chapters Chapter 1: United Rock Workers
“I need thee to attend the union meeting tomorrow, Marble,” Igneous Rock Pie asked his daughter after finishing his rock soup. It was rare for Marble’s father to make a request like this. All of the Pie family, except Maud and Pinkie, were gathered at the dinner table, one of the rare times when everyone did not wordlessly return to their rooms after finishing their meals.
Usually, it would be him or Limestone representing the Pie rock farm when official matters arose. However, due to an unexpected delivery of rocks, both of them would be absent from the farm for the time being.
Marble did not say anything, which was typical of her. She looked over to her mother, Cloudy Quartz, as to ask ‘Why not her?’, her family was used to Marble’s nonverbal communication, so they quickly understood what she meant by her gesture.
“Illness has stricken me, my Marble,” her mother coughed slightly into her hooves. “I need to take some time to rest.” Marble felt disappointed that she hadn’t noticed her mother was sick. She wasn't an attentive pony, so it must have slipped by her during the day.
“You’ll be fine,” her sister Limestone said in her usual raspy, slightly aggressive tone. This didn’t stop Marble from sweating and looking at the floor. “Just make sure they mark you present and report back any news they have. Easy.”
"Thou art under no compulsion to lend thine agreement to their so-called 'new ideas.' Our presence there is but a duty owed unto the community." her father added. This was the first time Marble had seen a hint of nervousness in his usually stoic face.
Marble remembered how their membership in the farmer’s union came to be. Last year, the return of the Crystal Empire caused a crash in the rock economy, as tons of cheaply sourced gems made their way into the market and caused the demand for rocks to plummet. Multiple rock farms went bankrupt or had to take loans from the bank to keep running.
The Pie family farm was hit hard by the recession. With tons of their own rock going unsold that year.
Facing ruin, many of the rock farmers came together to pool resources in order to survive. This effort was led by the Ores, one of the few families not affected as much by the rock recession. Their new union was called the "United Rock Workers."
Igneous Rock was initially apprehensive about joining the new union and did not do so at first. They were spouting ideas like "collectivizing" and "class solidarity," concepts that scared the ever-proud and conservative earth pony. But he could not deny that their family would not survive without assistance. So he reluctantly joined.
It was thanks to the efforts of her sister Pinkie Pie and her "Rock Concert" that the demand for rocks finally stabilized again, but the damage had already been made.
She groaned in a low voice, finally accepting the duty entrusted to her. She looked back at her father and slowly nodded.
"Thank you, my daughter."
She was not looking forward to tomorrow.
Marble started her trek to the Ore family barn, where the union meeting was to take place. On the way there, Marble began to think about how she didn’t know many of the other rock farmers in her town—or anyone else for that matter.
The town’s inhabitants mostly stuck to their own clans. She didn’t even remember her super-social sister Pinkie making any friends until she moved to Ponyville. It was probably only thanks to the Pairing Stone that new families could be made.
The only other pony outside of her family, and this fact is disputed, that Marble recalls making a connection with was Big McIntosh. Oh, Big Mac… She hoped he came back for this year’s Hearth's Warming.
Marble arrived at the barn and heard chattering coming from inside. It took all her courage and a reminder of Limestone’s angry face not to run away back home.
As she walked inside, she noticed how the farm had been converted into a sort of mini town hall. At the front stood a podium, centrally positioned and facing the rows of chairs that were neatly arranged for the attendees.
Marble saw a group of about a dozen earth ponies already seated. They all looked like hardened workers, with a mix of muted-colored coats, which was common in Rockville. There were also a variety of clothes present—some wore overalls, others wore ascots.
At the entrance, there was a tall, skinny stallion taking attendance with a clipboard. He wore a brown ascot hat that complemented his navy-colored coat, and he also wore a pair of round glasses.
“Name?” the navy pony asked.
“...”
Oh, this is awful already , Marble thought.
A few seconds passed.
After the initial shock, Marble remembered that she had prepared for this situation. Shaking slightly, she took out a note and handed it over to him.
“ ‘My name is Marble Pie. My father was not able to attend, so I was sent to represent the Pie farm.’ ” The navy pony eyed Marble after reading the note. She blushed from the sudden attention. He then looked back at his clipboard and crossed something off with a pencil.
“Thanks for attending, Marble. Your family’s attendance is noted.” Marble sighed internally, relieved that one of her duties had been fulfilled.
“I’m Iron Ore, by the way. Nice to meet you,” he offered a hoofshake.
“...”
Marble wished she could vanish into thin air right then and there.
Iron gave a worried look at the grey mare in front of him and put his hoof down.
Cough
“You can take a seat now; the meeting will start soon.”
Marble nodded and went to look for the seat closest to the back she could find.
The meeting started shortly after that, with Iron Ore taking the stage at the podium after finishing the attendance count. He was probably the union’s leader, Marble thought.
They first discussed the ongoing conditions of the year’s harvest, current rock prices, and other such matters of concern to the community.
Now out of the spotlight, Marble could make mental notes, such as Iron having a slight city accent, although she couldn’t place from where exactly.
There was no noise coming from the barn outside of the speaker's voice.
“We collected enough bits to buy a rock dusting plane. With it, we can increase all of our members’ rock output. We are currently in the process of looking for a pilot."
How nice it must be to be able to fly. Marble often wished she could fly away from her problems on the ground. She was jealous of pegasi in that way.
As the meeting went on, Marble became more comfortable, forgetting how she was in the same room with a lot of strangers.
“Now for the main topic of concern,” Iron cleared his throat. “The bank has recently foreclosed on the farmhouse of Rusty Nail.” Marble listened.
“As usual, capitalist forces have forced a hardworking family that has tended to their lands for generations into an unfair, shackling debt to meet their ever-growing need to extract value from our lands.”
This must be the "Marksism" part, Marble thought, using fancy words such as “capitalism.” The only thing Limestone told her about Marksism was that they wanted to take away Holder’s Boulder.
Marble considered sneaking out, but the barn was small enough that it would be very noticeable if she tried to make an exit.
“The bourgeoisie seek to hold an auction for the Nail farm in three days. We must make sure this auction does not go as they plan!”
“Hear, hear!” The ponies in the front yelled, stomping their hooves on the ground. The rest of the ponies in attendance followed, except Marble, who became scared of the sudden rowdiness.
Still, Marble could appreciate the sentiment of standing up for a pony down on their luck. It reminded her of when her sister Limestone used to protect her from bullies back in school.
“But he is a class traitor!” a young, off-white pony yelled in the middle of the crowd, bringing the room to a quiet.
“Rusty Nail brought this upon himself by not joining our union. We should take the farm in order to use it communally.”
Other ponies in the crowd agreed with his sentiment, nodding amongst themselves.
“Now, now,” Iron gestured to the audience to calm down, which they did.
“I don’t truly believe Rusty Nail is a class traitor,” he took a breath. “Like everyone in this room, he is a victim of capitalism. It is hard to admit that you have been exploited, especially when you live in a system that teaches you that getting help from others is a weakness.” Marble held her breath, totally engrossed in Iron Ore's voice.
“This does not mean we should turn our backs on him. On the contrary, we should actively help those members of our community—the stubborn ones, those who don’t have a voice —because it’s the right thing to do. This is how true social justice can be achieved: by standing up for one another. Now, who’s with me?”
The crowd erupted in a loud cheer, the loudest of the night. But Marble did not feel scared this time. On the contrary, she felt shivers down her spine. For the first time, Marble experienced a strange and unfamiliar emotion. She felt… empowered.
Marble found herself wondering why she felt that way, standing in a room full of screaming ponies—a situation that would usually be her personal hell. Yet she joined in, softly stomping her hooves with the rest of the farm workers. A smile crept onto her face, unbidden but welcome.
Iron Ore noticed the mute pony and smiled.
As the rest of the union members slowly trickled out of the barn, Marble remained seated in silence at the back, processing everything that had just happened.
Her quiet reflection was interrupted when she noticed Iron Ore walking toward her, his approach immediately triggering her default mode of panic.
“I’m glad you attended, Marble. It’s good to see you have some class solidarity in you.”
“...” Marble nodded and smiled slightly. For once, she didn’t feel the urge to run away.
“I just wanted to give you this. I think you’ll find it interesting.” He handed her a small red book.
The Equestrian Socialist Manifesto by Caramel Marks, the cover read. Marble wordlessly took the book. After everything that had happened, she knew she needed to give it a read.
“I’m usually in the field if you have any questions about it—or if you just want to chat.” Could it be? Was Marble making a friend?
Marble felt happy tears welling up but managed to hold them back as she exited gracefully.
On her way home, she saw a flock of crows flying in a V-formation, together. She felt, in that moment, that she might one day join them.
Author's Note
Hello everyone, thanks for reading :)
I already have most of the fic outlined so I hope updates won't be too infrequent
Side Chapter: Words from Caramel Marks
Author's Note
This is a small in between chapter that gives some context to some of the discussion that will be happening in chapter 2, expect political debates to be coming 👀
Side Chapter: Words from Caramel Marks
Marble slowly sneaked out of her shared bedroom in the middle of the night, while Limestone snored loudly in the background.
She carried a gas lantern and the red book the union boss had given her. Marble had kept the book hidden out of fear of how her family might react if they saw it. She made her way to the house's living room and turned on the light.
Opening the book to the first page, she found a black-and-white picture of a unicorn wearing a hat.
Comrade Marks
She started going through the book. While it was a relatively short read, Marble could not understand many of the concepts and points being made due to the phrasing and old words it used. She would definitely need to give it a second, maybe even a third, read.
There was one part that did speak to her, though.
Excerpt from cutie marks and the bourgeoisie
“…the capitalist class has thus alienated the commonpony from the means to achieve their destiny. The craftspony, bearing a linen shirt cutie mark on their flank, now depends on the bourgeoisie and their machines of production to continue their trade, lest they be displaced by market forces that have destroyed their old way of life. This alienation extends even to the very symbol of their purpose—the cutie mark—once a proud marker of their trade, now rendered meaningless by the forces of capitalism.
Historically, cutie marks represented the stages of development in the lives of individual ponies or groups of ponies. They were a means of classifying labor at a time when workers still owned the means of their own production. However, the rise of the division of labor, driven by market demands and the bourgeoisie’s eagerness to maintain control, has stripped ponies of the ability to fulfill the paths set by their cutie marks. What was once a complete expression of a pony’s craft has been reduced to a fraction of a task—the craftspony’s cutie mark now representing merely one one-hundredth of a linen shirt.
Given this, I do not call for a return to the old ways but instead advocate for a complete rejection of cutie marks as a means of labor classification. The industrial revolution has demonstrated that workers unable to adapt to new technologies are inevitably crushed by the relentless march of progress. Cutie marks, with their static nature, are fundamentally incompatible with this new age. For instance, the transportpony, whose cutie mark once signified mastery of carriage driving, finds themselves entirely displaced by the locomotive engine—if, of course, we insist they continue driving carriages simply because of their cutie mark.
Cutie marks must therefore be seen as nothing more than a physical characteristic of a pony, no more informative of their abilities than the color of their mane. In a socialist society, where nopony is confined to a single sphere of labor, each will be free to excel in any branch they desire, unburdened by the constraints of a symbol imposed upon them at a young age.”
Marble thought about her own cutie mark, 3 marbles in the shape of a triangle...
She turned off her gas lamp and returned to her bedroom, hoping nopony noticed her.
Marble attended the auction with her father and sisters, Limestone and Maud, the latter having returned from university for the summer vacation. The auction was held at the edge of the Nail family property. The farm spanned about five acres and grew various types of rocks. What made the property unique, however, was a small lake formed by a sinkhole—one of the few places where plants grew on the otherwise barren land.
A podium had already been set up with a microphone, and the auctioneer, a purple pegasus wearing a suit and tie, was present.
Around a hundred ponies had gathered, many of whom Marble recognized from the union meeting. She assumed they had brought their families as well. The Nail family was also present, though they stood apart from the union members. Rusty Nail, the patriarch of the family, was an old, beige-colored pony who had come with his daughter. None of the ponies there appeared to be outsiders from beyond Rockville.
In a corner of the crowd, Marble spotted Iron Ore talking to two other bulky ponies whose appearances reminded her of goons from a Daring Do story. Marble moved ahead of her family, wanting to thank the union leader for the book while also curious about his conversation with the “goons.”
“Were there any interested buyers you had to deal with?” Iron asked in a low voice.
“Just a couple of snowbirds from Canterlot,” one of the goons whispered in the strongest Bronclyn accent Marble had ever heard. “Let’s just say we showed ’em a little bit of our rustic hospitality—y’know, in case they were thinking about buyin’ some land and becoming our new neighbahs, o’ course.”
“Good.” Iron quickly scanned his surroundings. “You know the plan in case unexpected buyers show up last minute. The auction doesn’t start for another 30 minutes.”
“Yes, boss,” the goons nodded and dispersed into the crowd, leaving Iron alone.
Whoa. Even Marble could read between the lines of what was happening, and she had to admit—it was kinda badass.
“Oh hey, Marble. Nice to see you,” Iron Ore said, spotting her before she could finish her thoughts and walking over.
Although she had approached him first, Marble still struggled with interacting with the whole interacting with ponies department.
“Mmhmm,” she murmured, avoiding eye contact with him.
“Salutations,” Igneous said as the rest of the Pie family caught up to her. Marble silently thanked her father for stepping in.
“Igneous, it’s good to see you. Your family’s presence is greatly appreciated,” Iron said, shaking hooves firmly.
“My daughter hath spoken of thy plans with the union. Verily, it is a noble endeavor thou dost undertake." Igneous replied, taking off his hat and holding it to his chest in respect.
“It’s nothing. As a community, we’re only as strong as our weakest link.” Marble recalled her father’s muted reaction to her report about the union meeting, but he had still agreed to join in solidarity.
“I see you’ve got your thugs at work, big boss,” Limestone remarked in her usual sharp tone.
“Ah, Limestone. Always a pleasure.” Iron chuckled. “I’ll remind you my offer still stands—security for the union could use someone with your skills.”
“Hah! You wish. I’ve got better things to do than be muscle for a bunch of commies, even if breaking the muzzle of some rich snob sounds fun.”
Iron turned to Maud, who stood quietly in her blue frock. “And you must be another Pie.”
“Hi. I’m Maud,” she said in her monotone voice, accepting his hoofshake.
“Maudileena is getting an education in rock science at university,” Igneous added proudly. Maud was the first Pie to attend university and was close to earning her PhD.
“Not many rock ponies pursue higher education. You make your community proud,” Iron said with a smile.
“I just like rocks,” Maud replied flatly, leaving an awkward silence.
Before Iron could excuse himself, a cerulean mare trotted up, she wore a red headscarf and blue overalls. “Pops! Word from town—there’s a car coming this way!”
“Shoot.” Iron glanced at the road. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
The Pies looked confused, and Iron introduced her. “This is my daughter, Cassiterite Nancy Ore.”
“You can just call me Cassie,” she said, rubbing the back of her head.
“You’re the big boss’s kid? That makes you what, the little boss?” Limestone quipped with a grin.
“That’s funny, coming from you.” Cassie, a head taller, gestured above Limestone’s height. “Who’s little again?”
“You piece of—” Limestone growled, but Maud stopped her from lunging. Cassie stuck her tongue out playfully and left with her father.
Marble watched in fascination. Cassie was the first pony to successfully clap back at Limestone and live to tell the tale. Marble wondered if they might become friends.
The Pies stood together, waiting. Limestone, still fuming after being roasted, had to be calmed down by Maud and Igneous.
Suddenly, a car approached and parked near the auction site. It was a Marecedes-Benz. The gathered crowd fell silent.
The passenger door opened, and out stepped a stylish earth pony with a light gray coat and a well-groomed, powdered white mane. He wore purple sunglasses, a white suit, and a cravat.
“Ahem, this is the auction, right? I heard there was a lovely property for sale. I was thinking of using it for a new studio,” he said aloud to no one in particular, his insufferably smug voice fitting his demeanor.
The two goons in the crowd exchanged looks and began approaching the new, hoity-toity guest.
“Heeeyyy, how are ya?” one of the goons said in a heavy Bronclyn accent, stepping uncomfortably close to the rich pony. The second goon flanked him.
“I—I’m doing well,” the rich pony stammered, caught off guard but trying to maintain composure.
“Well, that’s good to hear.” The Bronclyn-accented goon leaned in. “Listen here, pal. There’s somethin’ you might wanna know about this farm before you go placin’ any bids.”
“Oh? And what’s that?” the rich pony asked, visibly sweating.
“There was this fella once, a rich snob from outta town. Nobody liked him. But one day, the neighbors came together and… found a way to deal with him. You wanna know how?”
“N-No.”
“Do you really wanna know?” The goon’s voice dropped ominously.
“I think I’d rather not.” Hoity tugged nervously at his collar. “Ah, would you look at the time? I think I have a spa appointment!” He bolted for his car, which quickly sped off.
The auction proceeded as planned after Hoity Toity’s abrupt departure. Despite the auctioneer’s best efforts, no one placed a bid except for Rusty Nail, allowing him to buy back his barn. The old farmer broke into tears when the gavel fell, and the crowd erupted in cheers for the Nail family, their unity echoing that of the union.
Marble stood apart from her family, lost in thought. She felt a tangle of emotions she couldn’t quite unravel: envy, longing, and self-doubt.
She had seen the approving looks on everypony’s faces when the goons had intimidated Hoity Toity. Their silent pride in the union's strength was palpable. Marble wanted that . She wanted to be needed, to be someone others relied on, to be part of something bigger. But what could she do? She wasn’t strong like Limestone, smart like Maud, or charismatic like her twin, Pinkie.
Her thoughts darkened as feelings of inadequacy crept in. Maybe her lot in life was to stay on the rock farm forever.
Her brooding was interrupted by a voice. “You’re Marble, right?”
Marble looked up to see Cassie standing before her. Startled, she stood at attention, her nervousness about meeting new ponies taking over.
“My father told me you’ve been reading theory. I’m glad to hear that! We need more educated mares in the revolution, am I right?” Cassie grinned, holding out a hoof for a bump. Marble hesitated but gave a weak one in return.
“I just wanted to invite you to a revolutionary book club me and some of the other union members are starting. The location’s secret, but I can let you know if you’re interested.”
Marble’s eyes widened. She was getting invited to events now? She silently thanked Caramel Marks. She nodded eagerly.
“Hey, Marble, where are you? We’re leaving!” Limestone’s voice rang out from somewhere behind her.
Marble waved goodbye to Cassie and hurried back to her family.
Author's Note
Thanks for reading!
The upcoming chapters should focus more on Marble's new social group and her growing and interested for aviation, so be on the lookout for that.
As always feedback is greatly appreciated :)
Chapter 3: Marble's Club part 1
It was a warm summer day in Rockville. Two fillies were playing marbles behind a rock silo, hiding from the sun in its shade. They were taking a break from working in the rock fields. One of the fillies, a gray one, grabbed her marble and lined up her shot with the other orbs. In her mind, she could already picture the angle her marble needed to take, how much force she needed to apply, and how it would interact with the other marbles.
Clack!
She took the shot. Her marble struck another, then another, the chain reaction scattering every marble out of the circle. She won the game immediately—again.
“Wow, sis, you’re so good!” the other filly said in amazement. She was pink with a curly mane. The two couldn’t look more different in color and personality, yet they were clearly close. The gray filly gave her sister a smug look of victory and grabbed her personal marble—a purplish one, her lucky marble. Her older sister liked to remind her how marbles weren’t made of actual marble, but of glass.
Marble Pie loved playing marbles. She was good at it—one of the few things she felt she excelled at—but no one else liked playing with her. “You make the game not fun,” the kids at school would say. Even her other two older sisters often found excuses when she asked them to play. “We need to prepare the rockslide for today’s harvest,” they said today. It was always Pinkie who found time to play, who kept going even after losing round after round. Pinkie made Marble feel special, and Marble loved how Pinkie always seemed glad to bring a smile to her sister’s face.
So why , Marble wondered, was she leaving? Things had changed ever since Pinkie got her cutie mark. She had discovered her purpose: to be a party pony. But Rockville wasn’t the place for parties. The people were too rigid, too stone-faced. Even after Pinkie’s first party managed to make the family laugh, she couldn’t spend her life throwing parties just for them. Pinkie needed to spread her wings.
“The Cakes are here,” Marble heard their Ma call from a distance. Marble wished this moment wouldn’t come, or that Pinkie might change her mind and stay. But when she looked at her sister, she knew her decision was final. Marble had already cried all her tears when their parents announced Pinkie was leaving. She’d even pleaded with her to stay, but deep down, Marble knew this was what was best for her party-loving sister.
Even so, Marble couldn’t help but feel betrayed. Defeated, she picked up the marbles still on the ground and stuffed them into her bag. Her once victorious expression had turned into a frown.
“Oh, Marble,” Pinkie said softly, pulling her into a hug. “You know you can always write me letters when I’m in Ponyville. And I’ll visit, I promise!” Pinkie’s words were meant to reassure, but deep down, Marble felt that things would never be the same again.
The two sisters walked back to the family house together. All the Pies had stopped their work to wave Pinkie goodbye as she left with their family friends, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, to start her new life as a baker’s apprentice in Ponyville. Pinkie’s luggage was already waiting outside. Marble was surprised that she didn’t cry, though even her serious older sisters, Maud and Limestone, shed tears as the goodbyes and one last family hug were shared. Once Pinkie was gone, the family returned to work.
“Hey, sis, come help us with the rockslide,” Limestone called to Marble. Controlling a rockslide was a tedious process requiring precise preparation. Maud and their Pa were already searching for a weak spot in the mountain to strike. Marble sighed, annoyed by the slow progress, especially in the heat. Couldn’t they see the fault line near the top of the mountain where the rocks were already gathered? Frustrated, she grabbed one of her marbles and threw it at the fault line.
The moment she let go, she knew she’d made a mistake. The others weren’t ready.
“Get back!” Igneous yelled as the rocks began to fall. But instead of chaos, the slide went off perfectly, with all the rocks settling exactly where they needed to.
“Marble Pie!” her mother shouted. “You could have gotten someone hurt! What were you thinking?”
Marble blushed, overwhelmed with shame. She wasn’t sure what had come over her.
“That was amazing,” Maud said in her usual flat tone, more a statement than praise. “How did you see that fault line all the way from over here?”
Marble glanced at Maud, the only one not glaring at her. She didn’t think what she’d done was anything special—until she felt a strange tingle on her flank. She looked down to see three marbles in a triangle shape appear.
Her cutie mark.
The angry stares turned to wide-eyed wonder. Her father was the first to speak. “You’d better not pull a stunt like that again, missy. Now help us move these rocks to the south field.”
The family returned to work, but Marble couldn’t help feeling… disappointed. She had always imagined she would become a different pony once she got her cutie mark, but instead, it only seemed to reinforce who she already was.
She sighed and tucked her bag of marbles away. She didn’t feel like playing anymore.
The Pies were surprised by Marble’s request to leave the house after work today. She rarely left the house willingly, especially by herself. Marble told her family she planned to go to the library to read some books.
“Oh, my sweetie pie,” her mom said, feeling delighted that her youngest daughter was getting out more. “You’re a grown mare already. You don’t need to ask us for permission if you want to go.”
Really? Marble rarely thought about her age. Technically, she could leave the farm and start her own life if she wanted to... Not that she wanted to, she thinks.
“Just let us know where you’re going and when you’ll be back,” her father added. Marble wasn’t planning to stay out too late—though she could if she wanted. After all, there was no farm work tomorrow.
“Since when are you interested in books?” Limestone asked. Marble shrugged and gave a forced, fake smile. Reading wasn’t exactly her hobby of choice. In her free time, she usually preferred lying in bed or combing her mane—she had a look to maintain, after all.
“Well, whatever. Just don’t wake me up if I’m asleep by the time you get back,” her sister said dismissively. Maud was somewhere else in the farm studying rock formations.
Marble could not concentrate on her work today as many thoughts raced through her mind. Cassie had given her a note with the location of a saloon near the city center, along with a password she needed to use to enter. She had never been to that part of town, so she was scared, but she couldn’t deny that she was also very excited. It all felt so mysterious, so dangerous, so thrilling.
Before she left, Marble grabbed a small purse to hold her copy of The Socialist Manifesto . She also took time to prepare her appearance. She applied makeup, which Maud had taught her to do, and chose a mint-colored sundress to complement her fur, along with a straw sun hat adorned with a black band. Marble wanted to look her best for her new “comrades,” after all.
Once she was ready, she took a trolley into the city. During the ride, Marble reread The Manifesto in case they quizzed her on it. As the trolley approached the city, she began to notice how different it was from the rock farms. The city was new and modern—perhaps not as much as Manehattan—but it was the first time Marble had seen so many buildings packed close together or structures so tall. Beyond that, she noticed the smoke rising from factory chimneys and the dirt that littered the streets.
“We’re arriving at Celestia Boulevard!” the conductor announced, ringing his bell. This was Marble’s stop. She stepped off the trolley, tipped her hat to the conductor, and he tipped his hat back before driving away.
Five seconds later, Marble placed her hooves on her face, blushing furiously as she realized what she had just done. She couldn’t believe how metropolitan she was becoming! But never mind that—she needed to find the saloon mentioned in Cassie’s note before she was late.
“Take a right on Celestia Boulevard, walk down two blocks, then take another right and continue until you see a door with a horseshoe at the top,” the note instructed. Marble followed its directions exactly.
As she walked, she couldn’t help but fantasize about what the meeting might involve. Would they make her swear loyalty to Marx with some kind of blood ritual? Or perhaps they would plan a revolution? (It was in the books, after all.) Whatever it was, Marble felt ready.
She didn’t have to ponder for long, as she soon found herself standing in front of the door with the horseshoe at the top. She knocked on it.
“Who is it?” A slit in the door suddenly opened, revealing two sets of eyes. Marble was starting to get used to sudden interactions with other ponies, so she only panicked a little this time. Deep breaths. Remember the password.
Oh, shoot, Marble thought. She had to speak now. Nothing was actually stopping her from speaking; she just… didn’t feel like it. On the farm, it was easy enough to communicate with just “mh-hmms,” and her family never bothered her much about it. Well, that was over now, Marble decided. It was time for the new Marble to emerge!
“The baker’s cousin,” she said to the door, surprised that her vocal cords were working after so long. Her voice sounded similar to Fluttershy’s but slightly higher and with a hint of a country accent.
“What?” The eyes in the door kept staring at her.
“the baker’s cousin,” she repeated.
“Listen, lady, if you’re trying to sell me something, I’ll let you know that—”
“I said, THE BAKER’S COUSIN! ” Marble yelled at the door. She could feel the pony behind it flinch, and passersby turned to stare at her.
“I got it! I got it!” the voice behind the door said hastily. “Geez, we’ll have to change that password now.” The door opened, and Marble was quickly pulled inside.
Marble was ready—she was in the club now! Inside, she saw... a room with a pool table in the middle, several wooden chairs, and a table with various snacks on it. Nopony else was inside aside from the door pony.
“You’re the first one to arrive, so make yourself comfortable,” said the pony who had let Marble in. Now that she got a closer look, she recognized him as one of the goons from the auction—the one without the accent. However, instead of the overalls he had worn at the auction, he now wore a black wool necktie and a pair of glasses, which looked a little funny in contrast with his bulky physique.
Marble sat down on one of the wooden chairs and waited for a few minutes. The other pony was reading a book by the door, which she noticed was not The Socialist Manifesto. Marble felt like something was missing.
That’s right! The pony hadn’t introduced himself to her. She waited for him to do it. Any moment now…
A few more moments passed. Marble began to fear she’d have to do one of the things she hated most: start a conversation.
“So, uhm… what’s your name?” Marble asked. Her voice was still weak but strong enough to make sure she could be heard.
“Oh.” The pony looked up from his book and toward her. “I’m Bell Pepper. Nice to meet you. Although most ponies here just call me Zebrican.”
“Nice to meet you, Zebrican. I’m, uhm…” She fiddled with her hooves. “I’m Marble Pie.”
“Nice to meet you, Marble,” Zebrican said from the door.
“Why do they call you Zebrican?” Marble asked, curious about the nickname.
“It’s probably because of this,” he said with a small laugh. He pulled up a bit of his black turtleneck, revealing a white coat with black spots scattered across it. It didn’t look exactly like a zebra’s pattern but was close enough.
“Oh, wait,” Zebrican suddenly said, his eyes widening in realization. “You’re Pinkie Pie’s sister, right?”
Marble guessed she should have expected the topic of her sister to come up. Pinkie was probably the most famous pony to come out of Rockville, especially after the release of the friendship journal. She remembered how Limestone had to kick tourists off their farm—sometimes literally—in the months after the book’s release.
“Yes, that’s me,” Marble replied. She didn’t like it when the topic of Pinkie Pie came up. She didn’t go out enough to hear other ponies compare her to her sister, but that was fine because she could do that all by herself.
“Well, I’m glad that you support the cause, Comrade Pie. We’re always happy to have new ponies interested in worker’s rights..”
Marble didn’t know why, but she felt a shiver down her spine when Zebrican called her “Comrade Pie.” It just felt… right. It made her sound important.
“Well, uhm, I’m happy to be here, Comrade Zebrican,” she said. He gave her a nod and a smile before returning to his book.
That went better than she expected, Marble thought. She continued waiting dutifully for the other ponies to arrive.
Author's Note
Hello everyone 👋
This chapter went through a couple of rewrites but I'm happy how it ended up.
I splitted up in 2 in order to keep a consistent chapter length. The second part should be coming out in a couple of days.
As always feedback is welcome. Right now I'm looking for an editor if anyone is interested in helping out with the fic :) Feel free to send a DM through here if you're interested.
Chapter 3: Marble's Club part 2
The rest of the ponies started to trickle into the meeting room for the book club. Cassie and some other ponies came in. There were five of them in total in the room, including Marble. Zebrican and Cassie were there, but the other pony with the accent also arrived. Marble had learned his name was CJ—at least, that’s what the others called him. Another pony, a pegasus named Arm Chair, also joined the group.
“Welcome to the first meeting of the Revolutionary Book Club of Rockville,” Cassie said. She was the conversation leader of the book club, and judging by the few empty chairs, she probably expected a couple more ponies to show up. Nevertheless, she continued. She held up her copy of The Socialist Manifesto . “Tonight, we’ll be discussing Chapter 1, On Cutie Marks and the Bourgeoisie ,” she said.
Marble was very attentive, of course, but judging by the fact that the other ponies wore mostly casual clothes—or no clothes at all—she had indeed overdressed. She tried not to focus on her own embarrassment by concentrating on the book club conversation.
“Oh yea, that’s the part where Marx said Cutie Marks were basically useless, yeah?” CJ said. Marble doubted a little that CJ had actually read the book, considering he had beelined to the rock candies on the snack table the moment he entered the room. Nevertheless, he seemed to at least know the basics.
“That’s one way to interpret it,” Zebrican said. The chairs were all set up in a circle so they could all see one another. “The way I thought about it was more that in a socialist society, ponies would be more compelled to find labor that fits their abilities and the needs of the state, rather than just strictly what their Cutie Mark compels them to do.”
“Not only that, but certain jobs will be needed more than others during the revolution. Ponies must be willing to accept work that may not align with their Cutie Marks in order to bring about true equality,” Arm Chair added, wagging his hoof at no one in particular, eyes closed.
Marble frowned a little. This didn’t sound particularly appealing. As much as she didn’t like her own Cutie Mark, she had seen plenty of ponies who were happy with theirs and had fulfilling jobs. Still, she kept her thoughts quiet for now.
“That’s not the only problem with Cutie Marks,” Cassie spoke up. She had the same authority as her father, but with youthfulness added on. “We’ve all clearly seen a common pattern of Cutie Marks in the bourgeois pony: the money bags, the crowns, the diamond rings. Are we to believe that their life’s purpose or their talent is to hoard all the excess capital and leave us nothing but the rock crumbs? I say, to Tartarus with that!”
The other ponies in the room murmured in agreement and nodded. Cutie Marks were really weird, Marble pondered. All her family had rock-related Cutie Marks—aside from Pinkie Pie—so there was probably some hereditary aspect to them.
They went discussing the rest of the chapter, and Marble began to sweat once she realized something, she was the only one who hadn't spoken up yet. Were they going to think she wasn’t interested in the book club and kick her out? She started to panic. She needed to say something quickly—anything. She waited for a lull in the conversation and finally spoke up.
“So… when are we starting the revolution?” Marble blurted out, looking at the others to see how they would react.
The others stared at her in silence. Had she messed up? This is why I don’t speak, Marble thought.
The silence was broken by wild cackling coming from CJ. Well, that was that for her new friends. Marble felt tears well up and was seconds away from bolting out of the room.
“No, no, she’s got the spirit!” Cassie said quickly. Sensing Marble’s trembling, she got off her seat and patted Marble gently on the back.
Did this mean she wasn’t being kicked out of the club? Marble looked toward Cassie, and Cassie gave her a reassuring smile.
CJ finally stopped cackling and began breathing again. “Oh, don’t mind me. I just didn’t know you were a mare of action like that. You’ve certainly got more spirit than some of the ponies here.” He glanced at Arm Chair, who nervously looked the other way.
“It’s too soon,” Zebrican said, shaking his head.
“Well, it might not be as soon as you think,” Cassie rebutted. “Rockfeller and the rest of those capitalists have begun buying up tons of land here in Rockville, looking for oil. Let me tell you, the Nail Farm was only a small victory. Once the capitalists gain enough power, there’ll be nothing stopping them from abusing the workers.”
“But wouldn’t Celestia stop something like that from happening? Or the Elements of Harmony?” Marble asked. She hadn’t meant to disagree—she didn’t want to upset anyone—but she couldn’t imagine her sister Pinkie letting something like that happen. The Elements had stopped Tirek, after all.
“I’m sure that’s what the ponies in Severyana thought as well,” Cassie said, letting the silence hang for a moment. “All it takes is a real crisis, and the current system would collapse. We must be ready for that.”
Marble was processing everything that Cassie was putting up. It was all very new to Marble still, but in her mind it did make some sense, she did live through a recession once and was lucky to make it out alright. A lot of the relief funds that were supposed to make it to the farmers in need were skimmed by the politicians in charge of distributing them.
“Well, Steel Stallion, let’s hope we steer clear of any real crises for now,” Zebrican said, laughing a little to cut the tension. “We won’t be taking part in any revolutions anytime soon, but we can at least make sure things are right for the workers in our little corner of Equestria.”
“And it takes ponies like Comrade Marble here to take the first steps,” CJ added, getting off his chair and standing next to Marble to pat her on the back.
Marble felt tears welling up again, but this time they were different—these were happy tears. By herself, Marble was nothing. The word “unimportant” would be too generous. She was worthless. But these ponies, these comrades , believed in her. They believed she was part of something greater.
“I—” Marble tried to speak, but she choked up, the tears coming faster. “I want to help you guys.”
“We’ll find a way you can help us out, Comrade Marble,” Cassie said. “Welcome to the union.”
Even though the book club had officially ended, the ponies lingered in the meeting room to socialize and enjoy the snacks on the table. CJ and Arm Chair were engaged in a competitive game of pool, while Marble, Cassie, and Zebrican stood by the snack table, sharing stories.
“So, you’re telling me you and your sister had to fight off a pack of diamond dogs trying to take over your farm?” Cassie asked, laughing as she grabbed a hoofful of rock chips from the table.
Marble nodded, smiling shyly. “It wasn’t easy, but we managed to chase them off.”
“Wow,” Cassie said, clearly impressed. “You’re tougher than you look, Marble.”
Having friends was so fun , Marble thought. Why had it taken her this long to find some? She couldn’t help but wonder how Pinkie would react to all this—especially to the fact that she had joined a party .
A loud exclamation interrupted her thoughts.
“Darn it!” CJ shouted, throwing his pool stick onto the floor in frustration. “How did you beat me again?!”
Arm Chair stood tall, grinning smugly as he leaned on his cue stick. “Skill, my friend. Pure skill.”
“That’s it. I’m not playing anymore,” CJ grumbled, stomping over to the snack table to grab some rock candies.
Arm Chair chuckled and turned to the room. “Who’s next? Anyone brave enough to take me on?”
“Ugh, someone needs to teach him a lesson,” Cassie said, narrowing her eyes as she glanced at Zebrican.
“Don’t look at me,” Zebrican said, raising his hooves defensively. “I’m terrible at pool.”
“How about you, Marble?” Cassie asked, turning her attention to her.
“Well, uh… I guess I could try,” Marble said hesitantly. She walked up to the pool table and picked up the stick CJ had thrown.
“Good luck,” Arm Chair said smugly as he began setting up the balls on the table. “You can take the first shot.”
Marble took a deep breath and stepped up to the table, gripping the pool cue tightly. She stared at the arrangement of balls, imagining the perfect angle she needed for the shot. Marble felt an old part of her head that hadn't been used in a while be activated, her analytical mind kicked in and she visualized the right amount of force.
This isn’t so different from playing marbles, she thought.
She aimed carefully, drew back the cue, and struck.
Clack!
The white ball hit the triangle with precision, sending the colored balls scattering. Every single one rolled into a pocket, clinking as they disappeared.
For a moment, the room was completely silent.
Then CJ’s voice broke the quiet. “Holy… That was incredible!” He rushed back to the table, examining the now-empty surface with wide eyes.
Arm Chair stood frozen, his jaw hanging open. He blinked, then muttered, “No way… That was… You cleared the table in one shot!”
“That was nothing…” Marble said, blushing furiously. She stared at the floor, her ears twitching nervously. She didn’t think it was that impressive.
“Nothing?” Cassie exclaimed, laughing. “Marble, you’ve got a good eye on you! That was amazing.”
“Seriously,” CJ added, still in awe. “I’m never playing against you, ever. You’re a pool shark in disguise!”
“We can make Marble the union’s designated pool shark,” Zebrican added, laughing along with the rest.
“Yeah…” Cassie rested her left hoof on her jaw, looking thoughtful. “Say, Marble, do you have any interest in flying?”
Marble blinked in surprise. “Flying…?”
“Well, recently we got this rock-dusting plane, and we’re looking for a pilot to fly it.”
“But… I don’t know how to fly a plane,” Marble replied.
“Well, neither can the pony who thought it was a good idea to get the plane in the first place.” Cassie shot a glance at Arm Chair, who looked a little flustered.
“A plane would improve our rock yields!” Arm Chair said defensively.
“And you didn’t think about getting a pilot to fly that piece of junk first?” Cassie shook her head. “Anyway, I’d have to convince Pops to hire a flying instructor, but I should be able to manage that.”
“Why me, though? I’m not even a pegasus.” Marble had only ever seen pegasi flying planes before—the most notable example being the Wonderbolts.
“Pfft, you don’t need to be a pegasus to fly planes. Those things fly by themselves, and you’ve got a good eye, it seems,” Cassie said with a reassuring smile. “Besides, I think all of us would rather see one of our own rock ponies flying up there than some random pilot we don’t know.”
“Maybe I could look into it,” Marble said noncommittally, though she couldn’t deny the appeal of the idea.
Cassie grinned. “I’ll get you the details later. I think you’d be perfect for it.”
As the conversation moved on, Marble couldn’t help but smile. She felt a growing sense of belonging. For the first time, she wasn’t just Marble Pie—she was part of something bigger, something meaningful.
