It was September 1st of the year 2019.
Twilight Sparkle had been crowned ruler of Equestria a fortnight before, and the future looked bright under her wise leadership. Every creature saw in Ponyville a safe haven in which to learn the union and friendship between peoples who until then had practically ignored each other.
After the celebrations, life resumed as usual, whether calm or brazen. Lightning Dust, captain of the Washouts, had tirelessly continued her tour of somersaults and dizzying evolutions, and for the next day she planned to perform in Rockville, Pinkie Pie's birthplace.
That remote place of Western Equestria was perfect for the risk-loving pegasus: few inhabitants, little possibility of receiving complaints and whining about the noise of the explosions or the dangerousness of the show.
So, with her trusty Rolling Thunder and Short Fuse, she had pitched her tent in the vast, wild wasteland of Rockville.
"What an obscenity!" exclaimed Cloudy Quartz, adjusting the glasses on her nose and continuing to embroider the scarf to give to Pinkie for Hearth's Warming.
"A show between jaws and explosions! Whoever organized it has crude and barbaric tastes!"
The family was gathered in the living room, and nopony had said a word against the head of the family.
"You're not going to go there, aren't you..." muttered Igneous Pie, sitting in an armchair reading the newspaper.
"Well… I mean…" stammered Limestone, who had brought the flyer home.
"I find it differently boring. And then I like jaws. Sometimes they are made of steel and sometimes of cast iron…"
"What are you saying, Maudileena! I'm surprised at you!" her mother lectured her, getting the pony's usual neutral gaze in return.
Thus began a lively discussion, in which Mudbriar, Maud's betrothed and permanent resident of the Pie household, also took part.
Marble was the usual silent one. She sat on the living room carpet, unable to formulate her thought; she would have liked to see all that jubilation of explosions and daredevils…
If only she had opened her mouth, if only she had given voice to her will…
"Here, you see…"
Everypony stopped to look at her, as it had always been since her early foalhood: Marbellina Jane Pie, the quietest of the Pie household, the quiet twin of the very noisy Pinkamena Diane Pie.
The gray mare took courage:
"I was the one who convinced Limestone to take the flyer. I would like to go to the show."
It was as if somepony had made Mama Pie eat a toad.
"But how... Marbellina... You... Just you..."
"Yes, mom, just me. Does that surprise you?"
"Immensely! How did you come up with such an idea?"
"I want to do something different, challenge myself. I'm always locked up at home, I would like to be around people!"
Cloudy was stunned. It was as if somepony had sucked the shyness out of her youngest child. She couldn't even appeal to the changelings, since they had now stopped taking the place of other creatures to deceive them.
"Honey, what are you saying? Are you really that unhappy here with us?" her mother asked, in a bitter tone.
Marble went up to her, and placed a hoof on top of hers, still busy sewing.
"Mom, this will always be my home. I just want to spice up my life a little. That's all."
Though hesitant, Cloudy finally cracked a half smile.
The next morning, the three Pie sisters and Mudbriar got up early to eat breakfast and prepare to watch the show.
Once they arrived in the large field just outside Rockville, Marble's attention was immediately captured by the two Washouts who appeared on stage: Rolling Thunder was a very tall pegasus with soft white hair, while her companion, Short Fuse, was all the opposite: short and with serrated hair, almost as if it had been shaped by lightnings.
And then there was her, the captain, the splendid Lightning Dust.
Golden hair and eyes, turquoise fur and a personality so strong that it couldn't be contained: Lightning represented everything Marble secretly wanted to be…
"One moment of attention, ponies and non-ponies!" suddenly exclaimed Lightning Dust, aided by a megaphone, "We need a commentator for our show! Don't worry, nothing formal, we just want you to let yourselves be carried away by passion and spend a day with us as protagonists!"
Something stirred in Marble. A mysterious force made her right arm rise.
"I VOLUNTEER!" she cried, drawing Limestone's incredulous and Maud's slightly surprised gazes upon her.
"Oh, the long-haired gray pony takes up the challenge! You got guts, girl! Get on stage!" Lightning encouraged her.
Once in front of the audience, Marble was dressed in a black T-shirt with the Washouts logo, and Rolling Thunder heavily rigged her eyes with a gaudy turquoise eyeshadow, as well as swiping generous amounts of mascara on her lashes. Her lips were painted a rich plum color, and her hair was dusted with a temporary dye that faded it from dark gray to lilac. She felt like a rock singer, and looking in the mirror, Marble found herself beautiful. She was no longer the pretty but plain girl, the dull wall paper. If only she had thought of it before, maybe Big Mac would have dated her…
… If her parents had seen her, most likely they would have collapsed to the ground screaming to the scandal. They were good ponies, but all those loud antics weren't exactly cut out for them.
After the make-up session, Marble was given the lineup of the show and she energetically began to read what it was written on that sheet; she didn't even look like herself:
"Hello and welcome here in Rockville, you kind audience! Before starting, I would like to remind you of our motto!"
"Leap before you look!" shouted those present, enthusiastic.
Marble smiled. By now she felt motivated.
She lifted her head, indicating a high path with four loops and a straight line with large snapping jaws, like carnivorous plants.
"Ladies and gentlecolts, only the most indomitable ones would be willing to try this course at home! See those ten shiny-toothed monsters? The Washouts will have to leap into their evil jaws before the snap, otherwise..."
Marble's purplish eyes gleamed wickedly, eliciting an "uuuuh" of excitement and fear from the audience.
"Are you also ready to focus on the Grim Speedster? This marvel has four loop-the-loops, to be faced tethered to powerful rockets. Obviously, our heroes will have to get rid of the rockets before they explode, don't you agree?"
This cheeky role fit Marble oddly like a glove. She had to play a character, and that made her feel free. How long has it been since she felt this way? She had always lived on her twin's reflected light.
But now… Watching Lightning Dust hovering with her determined and purposeful glance, completely indifferent to the fact she played with fire every day… She felt that she had to get moving, to stop letting life slip on her like she was already a hundred years old.
The girl kept her eyes chained to the spectacle, and she breathed a sigh of relief when even the last rocket exploded in the sky drawing flowers of various colors.
After the show, there were those who left satisfied, those who queued up for an autograph and those who started chatting with the other spectators.
Marble was invited with her sisters and her future brother-in-law to Lightning Dust's tent, and the latter burst into thunderous compliments:
"You look like you were born to be a commentator! How about always following us?"
Had she really been rootless, like Lightning herself, Marble would have said "yes" without a second thought, but she would never have given up her work on the farm.
"Thank you very much, Lightning, but I have to help my family with the farm. Thanks anyway for the opportunity you gave me."
The captain of the Washouts made an unexpected move: she walked over to the earth pony and lifted her chin with her wing feathers.
"Hope to see you in our next show."
Marble, in defiance of her earlier bravado, blushed brightly.
"Y-Yes. I would like it."
Thus it was that the Pie family took their leave of the Washouts. Marble Pie was completely on fire, and her heart was pounding. She already knew that she would keep the memory of that extraordinary day forever, and it didn't matter that her parents disapproved.
"So? How was it?"
Cloudy was quite apprehensive, though glad to see her daughters unscathed from explosions and other evil contrivances.
Her happiness was short-lived: approaching Marble, she noticed traces of the temporary hair dye.
"Oh, my Twilight…" she murmured.
"It'll go away after the first bath, mom, don't fret!" laughed Marble, immediately followed by Limestone.
Her mother didn't say anything else, she just watched her daughters and future son-in-law go up to their respective rooms.
"Marbellina is taking off, Igneous…" she then said to her husband, when she was sure she was not being heard.
"She's twenty-seven, Cloudy… It's about time her true character showed itself."
Longing tears filled Cloudy's eyes.
"Yes… Maybe you're right."
That night, Marble struggled to fall asleep. She observed the sky quilted with stars, trying to draw a convoluted circle among them, and imagining the spectacular Lightning Dust darting between them.
Only at one o'clock sleep came to visit her, and the mare abandoned herself to her dreams.