Reticence

Shy Pie and the Cute One

Marble Pie shrouded her face behind her mane, refusing to glimpse at the outside world unless it was pleasantly obscured by hundreds of gray hairs. She'd only just stepped off the train and into Canterlot and she hated it.

It was so loud. From the whistle of the parked locomotive to the tidal wave of background chatter from dozens—dozens—of ponies flooding past her into the terminal. The stamping of hooves, the clacking of metal wheels on tracks, the hiss the doors made as they shut behind her... it was all just too much.

She wanted to be back on the rock farm, growing rocks, breaking them into smaller rocks and then hauling the smaller rocks across the field. There it was simple, quiet, lonely. All of the things Marble loved. But Canterlot was a whole other universe compared to her home and not in a good way.

"L-Limestone?" she whispered through her veil made of mane.

In front of her, her older sister stopped whirled around, ears finely tuned to detect the soft sound of her voice. She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sis?"

"I... wanna go home."

Limestone Pie waited until the last of the exiting passengers passed her before taking a step closer. "Already? We've been here for two seconds, Marble."

"I know," she mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

Limestone pressed her lips into a thin line, rolling her green irises to the ceiling and back. "Look, I don't like being away from the farm either, but we have a job to do, okay? The sooner it's done the sooner we can leave."

"Mmmhmm," Marble replied, slipping into her defensive speaking habits.

Last week, their father had gotten a tip that a wealthy mining company based in Canterlot had been putting out feelers for any new product ideas. Seeing a chance to help keep the farm afloat, he'd decided to try pitching the rock candy recipe that Maud had created. Unfortunately with Maud returning to her university to continue her studies and Pinkie Pie being... never around, the duty had fallen to Limestone and Marble to travel to Canterlot and make the sales pitch.

Marble just wished she knew what she'd done to deserve such a punishment.

"Don't worry, we'll be in and out before you know it," Limestone assured her.

"Mmmhmm," Marble mumbled. She poked at the ground, but made no effort to continue into the hell that was undoubtedly Canterlot.

"Well come on then," Limestone turned and started walking.

Marble adjusted her saddlebags, the rock candy inside clacking together, and rushed to her sister's side. She didn't want to get separated for an instant, fearing that she'd be swallowed up by the city otherwise.

They made their way out of the train station, Marble taking great care not to bump into anypony and Limestone taking great carenot to care about bumping into ponies. Whenever she did the offender would earn themselves a heated glare that sent them scurrying in another direction, which was just fine by Marble. Less ponies coming her way was a good thing as far as she was concerned.

Unfortunately, the second they stepped outside she was bombarded by ponies in all directions. And she'd thought the train station was crowded. There must have been hundreds—nay, thousands—of ponies in the city alone and those were just the ones her mask of hair didn't leave out. The streets were packed! Everywhere she looked ponies were shoulder to shoulder as they scuttled about.

Her years of reclusion on the farm made the scenario before her seem impossible. She knew a lot of ponies could fit into a town but she never knew this many could. Hustle and bustle the likes of which her worst nightmares couldn't imagine must've been a daily occurrence here.