For Marble Pie, her first day on campus had been a whirlwind of activity! Not only had she obtained her schedule and found her classes, but she'd also obtained the required textbooks and had even signed up for a few social clubs that had caught her eye, to say nothing of having toured the dormitories and the many dining locations. It was a world far beyond that of her family's rock farm, that was for sure.

Yet now the still somewhat shy earth pony with fuschia eyes was settling in for the night. She hadn't even had time to unpack all her things, that's how busy she had been. And she really didn't feel like going through the burden of having to take everything out and put it in its proper place. That could wait until tomorrow.

However, there was something that Marble felt the need to do before she could call it a night and head to bed. Turning on a small desk light within her dorm room (as of yet she didn't have a roommate), Marble got a pen and a piece of paper and started writing. And what she wrote down went something like this:

Dear Pinkie Pie,

I hope this letter finds you well. If it does, great! If not, sorry for bothering you. You don't have to read this letter if you're not in a good mood (though I'm hopeful that you are).

My first day of college went really well. Everypony's so nice and friendly here. And it turns out I'm not the only pony coming here from a small town, it seems like almost everypony on campus comes from places I've never even heard of before. And strangely, many of them come from farms, just like me. Well, maybe not exactly like me because I'm pretty sure they're not rock farms, but you get the idea.

I haven't forgotten the promise we made to each other, that'd we'd keep in touch while I'm away. I don't have much else to report at the moment, so sorry if this letter is a bit short. I promise I'll have more to say and more to write about next time. Maybe then we can catch up on what's been happening on your end.

I'm not sure how long it'll take for this letter to reach you, but feel free to respond whenever you find the time. Don't let me distract you from your responsibilities.

XOXO,

Marble Pie

And even though it was late, Marble still took the time to place her letter into an envelope and put a stamp on it. She then made a mental note to mail it out the next morning, before she would start the process of unpacking.

Much to Marble Pie's surprise, she got a response to her letter within a day of having sent it. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised, it was just like her older sister (if only by a few minutes) to write back as soon as she got a letter. That was just what made Pinkie Pie, and Marble wouldn't have it any other way.

Yet it wasn't until the end of her first week in college that the earth pony mare with bangs hiding her eyes found time to sit down and read what her sister had written to her. She was certain it would be nothing but good news, because what other kind of news could there be from Pinkie Pie?

The letter from Pinkie read as follows:

Dear Marble Pie,

Oh my gosh! I am so so SO happy that you wrote to me already! And I'm also happy to hear that you're already settling in to college life so well. I hope Limestone isn't jealous now that she's the only one among us Pie sisters who hasn't left the rock farm yet. But between you and I, I think she likes being on the farm and helping Mom and Dad run it.

Oh, sorry, I'm getting off track, this is supposed to be about me. Everything's fine on my end, no need for you to worry. And I'm not saying that because I'm trying to hide something. I'm saying that because everything really is fine. I'm still working with the Cakes right now, planning parties, and of course there's Twilight's friendship council. Oh, and I can't forget the School of Friendship, that definitely takes up a lot of my time.

I'm already looking forward to seeing you for Hearth's Warming! Maud says we can have the big family get together at her place this year, and that's gonna include our fourth cousins twice removed. Last Hearth's Warming was so special, even though I know it broke your heart to learn that Big Mac already had a special somepony. Oops, didn't mean to bring that up. Forget I said that.

There's really not much else I have to say right now. But I just had to write back to you as fast as pony possible! I'll try to make this a once a week thing at least, but I can't Pinkie Promise that. Things have been quiet since Twilight took the throne, but you never know when that might change.

Well, I gotta go now! I think I hear Mrs. Cake calling my name!

XOXO,

Pinkie Pie

A warm smile crept across Marble's face by the time she finished reading the letter. Nothing had changed, Pinkie was still Pinkie. And it warmed Marble's heart to know that her big sister had fully made peace with Marble's decision to go to college. As of yet, she didn't even know what she wanted to study or what she wanted to get a degree in. There were so many possibilities.

Already, Marble was thinking of what to say to Pinkie with her next letter. But that would have to wait a while. The weekend was coming up, and she had already made plans through one of the clubs she had joined. She was going to see a movie.

Almost a week went by before Marble Pie again found the time to sit down and write a letter to Pinkie Pie in Ponyville. Now the still somewhat shy earth pony mare's heart was aflutter. It took a great deal of concentration to hold her pen steady and start writing, composing another letter. When she had finished, this is what she had written down:

Dear Pinkie Pie,

I'm so glad to hear that things are going well for you in Ponyville. I know you had some doubts about where you were meant to be not that long ago, but it seems you've put them all aside now. I'm sure you've heard this a million times already, but you're so lucky to live with the Cakes and work with them. I imagine you'll probably take over from them someday and become a master baker in your own right.

Not that I'd want you to give up throwing and planning parties. They're what make you you, and I wouldn't have you any other way.

Things are going great on my end! Classes have been keeping me busy, but I've still found time to try out a few clubs. And guess what? One of them was able to get me in to see that new movie that just came out, you know the one: It's that dramatic documentary about how buckball became Equestria's greatest pastime.

Another club I found really interesting is the chess club. Turns out I'm actually really good at it. Already, they're thinking of asking me to represent them in an official tournament next month. I still haven't decided if I want to accept yet, it's all happening so fast.

How are things on your end, big sis? Any new developments you want to inform me of? Have you heard anything from Mom and Dad asking about me? How are Maud and Mudbriar doing?

Feel free to let me know. Or if you made some sort of Pinkie Promise not to tell, I understand. You take those very seriously.

In fact, can I ask you to make a Pinkie Promise not to tell anypony about something? I'm still a little unsure of what I want to do with my life. I've only taken a couple of basic classes right now, nothing else really seems to speak to me. I guess I can't exactly be like Maud, she already knew what she wanted to be when she went away to get her rocktorate. Maybe you and I are the same in that regard, we're taking longer to figure out where we want to go in life.

XOXO,

Marble Pie

P.S. It's okay to talk about Big Mac. If I'm being honest, him and I didn't really have much anyway, it was really just a crush. I'm happy that he's happy.

And with that, she sealed the letter into an envelope and set off to mail it to Ponyville.

Marble didn't have to wait long for Pinkie's reply. It came the very next day in the form of a letter. And this time, Marble wasted no time in settling down within her dorm room to read it.

Dear Marble Pie,

First of all, I agree to keep your secret. I Pinkie Promise (Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye) that I won't tell anypony what you told me. I think it's okay to not have everything figured out in life. Our cousin Applejack seems quite content with her life as it is, she doesn't seem to think there's anything greater she could want to be. And I kind of feel the same way. Sometimes it's okay to just be happy with what you have, to not worry about something that's not a super duper urgent kind of thing.

Second, I'm so glad you're not still upset with Big Mac over Sugar Belle. I'll be sure to tell him what you told me the next time I see him. And I think you and Sugar Belle should really get to know each other. After all, you're family now.

Speaking of family, Mom and Dad are doing just fine on the rock farm. And Limestone's working hard to keep the rock farm in tip top shape. But she's also gonna see about opening her own mine on the property, she says that that way she can help resupply the rock gardens more easily.

Maud and Mudbriar are doing fine too. I'm betting that Mudbriar's gonna propose to Maud any day now, assuming she doesn't end up proposing first. Even Mr. and Mrs. Cake seem to think they're gonna get married soon, and three guesses as to who's gonna have to plan the wedding reception and help with the catering?

Pound and Pumpkin Cake are getting ready for preschool. Can you believe they're almost four years old now? Seems like only yesterday they were born. Even Flurry Heart's grown, she's not that same baby alicorn who used to always get into trouble.

And as for me, well... what else is there to say? Everything's fine with me. There's so much going on right here in Ponyville, every day there's something new and exciting happening. At this rate, I think I'm gonna have to expand my party planning cave to keep up with the demand for my parties.

I gotta go now, I'm foalsitting the twins again.

XOXO,

Pinkie Pie

Satisfied and delighted with her sister's response, Marble Pie could now turn her attention back to her college life and the demands it was inflicting upon her.

It was amazing how quickly time was passing. At this rate, before the earth pony mare knew it, it would be right before Hearth's Warming and her first semester of college would be drawing to a close.

A few more letters were exchanged back and forth between the two sisters as the weeks went by. Their correspondence slowly started to become less frequent as fall settled in fully. Between Marble's classes and clubs, and Pinkie's many activities (including her parties and the friendship council), it was understandable that they found themselves with less free time to write to one another.

Yet when at last the semester was almost over, Marble finally found the time to write more than a brief letter to her sister. She now had a lot more she wanted to share. And so she wrote as follows:

Dear Pinkie Pie,

Sorry my last couple of letters have been short, there just wasn't much going on and my classes got very demanding very quickly. Plus, I'm sure you've been busy too.

But things are starting to quiet down now, and I have much that I want to tell you about.

I guess we can start with the most obvious: I decided that chess just wasn't for me, so I backed out. I don't mind playing it from time to time, but competing against other ponies who might be just as good: That's just not my style. Sorry, I'm sure you really wanted me to go.

Not to worry, though, all of my other clubs have been a ton of fun. There's even a nature club where we've gone on walks through forests, fields, and other places. Something about that just speaks to me, letting me be alone with my thoughts and feelings.

I'm not currently seeing anypony at the moment if that's what you're wondering. I've gone on a few dates, but nothing's really clicked for me. And I don't think I'm in any rush to get into a relationship. I'm sure someday I'll find the one. After all, I hear that Mom and Dad weren't officially married until they were in their thirties. I guess I never thought about how a magical stone telling you to love somepony doesn't automatically make your marriage legal in the eyes of Equestria, not that I think Princess Celestia would've been bothered.

Speaking of which, former Princess Luna actually showed up unannounced to our drama club about a week ago. It totally blew everypony's mind! She was such a good actress, I'm honestly surprised she hasn't taken up the art full time following her retirement.

And I think I'm starting to get a good idea of what I want to be. Given how much I like nature and like peace and quiet, I think I'm going to be a farmer. Not a rock farmer like Mom and Dad, more like what Big Mac and his family do for a living. But I'm not going to specialize in any one crop, I'm going to grow a whole bunch of different crops! Won't that be exciting?!

You can count on me to be there for the big Hearth's Warming get together at Maud and Mudbriar's place. I wouldn't miss it for the world! And is it true what I'm hearing about you and Cheese Sandwich? Are you two officially a couple now? He seems really nice, and I'm sure Mom and Dad would approve of him if you brought him over to see the whole family.

I'm already looking forward to next semester when I can start pursuing electives more in line with my interests. But for right now, I've gotta focus on getting through the classes I already have. Finals are gonna start any day now, and I want to pass every class with good grades!

XOXO,

Marble Pie

And as soon as she had finished writing down the last words, Marble Pie raced away to mail her letter to Ponyville! She wanted to ensure it got to Pinkie as soon as possible.

A week ticked by with no reply, causing Marble to become worried ever so slightly. Had her most recent letter not arrived in Ponyville? Had it gotten lost somehow? She knew that was a busy time of year for the post office, and Ponyville's post office didn't exactly have the best reputation for the speed of its deliveries.

At last, right before Hearth's Warming and just as Marble was getting ready to leave for Ponyville, her long awaited response from Pinkie came!

Marble Pie eagerly read over it again and again on the train ride to Ponyville. There was so much to take in, and she wanted to be sure she had understood everything. That nothing had escaped her.

The letter read as follows:

Dear Marble Pie,

Oh my gosh! I am so so SO glad you'll be coming to Ponyville for Hearth's Warming! Maud and Mudbriar will be happy too. And they say they have a big announcement they're going to share with everypony, honorary family included. I think we're finally gonna hear about a proposal. If I'm right, the catering and the reception is going to be huge! Well, okay, maybe not huge, Maud doesn't like big parties. But still, a wedding is a big deal.

As for me and Cheese Sandwich, who told you about us?! I haven't even told my friends yet! We only just started seeing each other about a month ago. It was the strangest thing, I wasn't expecting it all. I just bumped into Cheese Sandwich one day, and at first he just said he was in Ponyville to look for a possible location for a second gag factory of his. But then he started wanting to spend time with me, especially when Sans Smirk kept encouraging him. And then one day he just blurted out that he loved me, like loved loved me! And I was all like: Whaaa?! And he was all like: But I'm serious!

I did think about asking him to come to Maud and Mudbriar's place with me. But I don't want anything to overshadow their possible announcement about marriage. Besides, Cheese said he already made plans for Hearth's Warming on his own. It's kind of a shame he doesn't have any family of his own. I'm sure he'd love being a part of our family. But I don't wanna rush it and mess it up somehow.

I'm glad to hear former Princess Luna is enjoying her retirement. It feels so weird not having her and her sister on the throne. After a while, you just sort of got used to it. Makes me wonder if former Princess Celestia has shown up anywhere unexpected. Probably not, but you never know.

And I for one think you'll make for a fantastic farmer, Marble! You weren't by any chance thinking of moving to Ponyville after you're done with your studies, were you? I'd love to have you in Ponyville with me, just like I love having Maud in Ponyville adjacent. But I understand that I can't force you. You should go wherever you feel like you'd be most happy. If it's Ponyville, great! If it's not Ponyville, that's still great!

Don't feel too bad about chess not working out for you. It's like the time I tried to be really, really serious. It didn't work out for me. You're you, and you shouldn't try to change that. It's okay to like something just for the fun of it, things don't always have to be serious or something you have to make a life out of. Ponies can have hobbies. That's just what makes life so much fun.

By the way, do you know anything about a long lost brother of ours? I did a little bit more genealogy research, and I thought I saw an 'Octavio Pie' listed in our family records. But I couldn't be sure because that part was all smudged. And if it's anything like our connection to the Apples, there's probably no way to tell if this 'Octavio Pie' really exists or not. Could just be I was seeing things. In fact, forget I said anything. I'll ask Mom and Dad about it someday, probably not at the Hearth's Warming party though.

See you real soon!

XOXO,

Pinkie Pie

Marble's smile grew wider and brighter. Everything seemed to be looking up for her and her sister. And this upcoming Hearth's Warming was sure to be one to remember.