The lights flickered off.
 
Marble Pie sat alone in the dark, mulling over her thoughts. Her sisters didn’t even say goodnight to her that night. She didn’t remember the last time they did, really. It wasn’t their fault; they had families and obligations of their own to worry about. But why did it have to hurt so much?
 
It had been many years by now. Life on the rock farm began to change when Maud got kicked out. Of course, Marble missed her dearly. But her mind was too preoccupied with him. She had her entire life with him planned out. What joy when the choosing stone betrothed them! But it was no use. He was already taken, by a mare much more outgoing than her. She was everything Marble wasn’t; the mare of his dreams…or so it seemed. Years later when he divorced her, he already had his eyes on another mare. It was clear Marble had no place in his heart.
 
Things started to get busier on the rock farm. Limestone became pregnant with her son and soon after wed her betrothed. Pinkie got married and went on the road with her husband. Maud returned home with her wife and a child on the way. All of Marble’s sisters had started families of their own…except her. She couldn’t deny she was happy for them…what loving sister wouldn’t be? But deep down, Marble wished she had what they did: somepony to hold and confide in, foals to care for and watch as they grow into beautiful mares and stallions. Why couldn’t she have that?
 
It must have been her fault, Marble thought. She was too shy and meek to love; she couldn’t so much as carry on a conversation. The rest of her sisters had much more interesting and endearing qualities. They could hold their own as individuals while still function in a relationship. If you asked  
Cheese, Trixie, or Zephyr about them, they would surely beam with pride as they gloated about her sisters. Meanwhile, Marble was just…there. She had faded into the background long ago.
 
Marble was at her wit’s end. She couldn’t take it anymore. With tears streaming down her face, she turned her gaze to the bottle of pills on the counter. They were prescription pills; Limestone took them for her migraines. But Marble knew that enough of them could end it all-the constant, aching feeling of loneliness and misery that constantly wore away at her. She figured her sisters wouldn’t even notice her absence at first, but she sat down to write a letter anyway.
 
“Dear Limestone and Maudelina…” Marble wrote, pouring all of her feelings into her writing. Her tears dripped onto the page. This was it. There was no turning back. The pain would be over soon…
 
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
 
“Hm?” Marble looked up just as she was about to sign her name. Who could be knocking on the door at this hour? It could have been Maud, from the next house over. Wiping her eyes, Marble went to see who was there.
 
Marble couldn’t believe her eyes at what she saw upon opening the door. It was a baby! She looked around to see who could have left it there, but there was not a soul in sight. The baby yawned, shivering and grasping onto what appeared to be a rolled-up note.
 
As she gazed upon the tiny bundle, Marble felt a strange spark within her. This baby had nopony else to take care of him. For now, he was Marble’s responsibility. He needed her to provide warmth and safety for the night. With no other options, Marble picked up the baby and brought him inside. She glanced at the note on the table before softly crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash. That wasn’t needed anymore. For now, Marble Pie had a reason to live.
 
Sequel to: