Chapters Autumn Blaze gazed over the moonlit rock farm levitating another small stone and sending it careening off the Pie’s back porch. The kirin had a lot to process at the moment. Apparently, the ponies of the town had some kind of magic rock that decided their marriages. Said magic had demanded that she and Marble Pie get married. If Marble Pie had been another kirin Autumn Blaze would have jumped at the possibility of a relationship. The kirin did not take most relationships as long term plans. They were meant to be fun and short. If Marble had been a kirin they'd have just been mates. Among the kirin only the most devoted of couples got married or had foals.
However, to ponies, especially earth ponies marriage was a ”’til death do us part” proposition. Autumn Blaze liked to think she was one of the nicest kirin around but this was far more to ask of a stranger. In the defense of the Pie family, they hadn't demanded that she participate in their traditions but they had explained, in exhaustive detail how wise and perfect the pairing stone plans always are. Autumn Blaze had been as kind as she could be when she said that was the most insane thing she'd ever heard! Autumn Blaze was thankful she was more subtle than that, but she did say that she would have to think on the subject, which obviously to everyone meant no.
Autumn Blaze let out a long drawn out sigh, looking to the side as she checked on her rock pile. The good thing about the rock farm, she had plenty of rocks to throw. As she tossed another out over the rock farm she shook her head. The only real bad part about this event was that she was pretty sure she was breaking the adorable Marble Pie's heart. Marble hadn't been crying when she left but it looked like she was near it. Autumn Blaze had a small part of her saying that she should just fake it for the rest of her life. Now she wasn't about to do so, but it assuaged her conscious just the tiniest amount, she didn't want to hurt Marble Pie, but she wasn't about to do something some stone said. She wouldn't alter her entire life for someone she'd just met! As much as it might hurt the poor Pie it wasn't her traditions that had trapped the poor earth pony mare.
Autumn Blaze stared at the large pile of stones for a few moments before she raised the entire pile up with her magic and tossed them out over the rock farm in a large fan, letting out a loud huff. This was really starting to irritate her... She was really getting annoyed over this... She sighed and got up, hopping down off the back porch and trotted out amongst the large boulders to hide and let off some steam, in a literal sense as she was going to take on a Nirik form within a few minutes since she kept thinking about the way that she had to either trap herself in a risky arranged marriage with a stranger, or break the pretty Marble Pie's heart and quite possibly doom her to a life alone? Autumn Blaze picked up the pace as her hooves started to catch fire.
Marble Pie sighed as she stared out the window of the room, sighing as she knew that tomorrow would bring disappointment. The pretty kirin was being kind but she didn't expect Autumn Blaze to say yes, that would be expecting everything from a practical stranger. She wouldn't technically be saying yes to the marriage immediately, there was a courting period but that would require them to stay together. Autumn Blaze was traveling to see her friends in Ponyville, she might be willing to stay here if that was all, but her home was far away, she couldn't just stay here for weeks! She shook her head and sighed, that danged pairing stone finally gave her what she wanted, in the cruelest way possible!
Her family and she trusted the pairing stone, she was sure that it did actually know that she and Autumn Blaze would do well together, but there was no way to get there. She couldn't just skip all the middle parts, not only would father have a heart attack if they skipped the courting process, she was pretty sure Autumn Blaze would too. There was almost no possible way that the pretty kirin would just agree to marry a mare she'd just met! Marble Pie wouldn't actually be willing to do so either now that she thought about it. Courting? Absolutely! She'd jump at the chance to get to know the Kirin better but despite her impulsive obsession with new things, her trust in the pairing stone, she couldn't legitimately say she'd marry a mare she'd known for a day.
Marble Pie sat up a little straighter, grinning wider at herself. She really was a little proud of herself for admitting to herself that she wasn't about to marry a mare she just met, no matter how new, interesting, and pretty the mare was. She sighed, she supposed she could try to do what Pinkie Pie did, find a mate on her own. After all, not everyone in the town obeyed the pairing stone, and they tended to be fairly successful, it didn't have an unmatched perfect success rate like the pairing stone, but they were fairly successful so long as they were cautious. Marble started to think of the mares and stallions that she would have the options of dating. There was that pretty mare Wheat Stalk from the farm down the road, her chosen mate had died young and the pairing stone didn't often pair the same pony twice so she'd started seeking others. There was also the very nice Gold Archer from town, he ran the local bakery and he had always said he could find his own way without needing the stone to tell him.
Her mind was still wandering when she let out a cry, the bright strange flash of blue-red light from the farm surprised her. She blinked and looked down, what was that? Was there a pony out there? Should she get Limestone...? She shook her head, she could handle it!... Maybe she was just feeling reckless from her issues but she was fairly certain there wasn't anything actually dangerous to her out in the farm.
Marble Pie looked through the boulders of her farm, following the strange light that seemed to be wandering the farm. Marble knew that this was a bad idea, a horribly, horribly bad idea, but she couldn't help it. She was tired, she was upset, and she was curious to a fault, so she couldn't resist the urge to explore something new like this! She came around the boulder and gasped loudly, seeing some strange flaming creature that looked a little like a Kirin, though with fire instead of a mane. The gasp let the creature know that Marble was there, and it turned around to look at her, the fire seeming to flare as she did so, and it yelled. "you! What are you doing out here Marble Pie!?" It started to advance, leaving a small trail of flame behind her.
Marble's eyes widened as both the creature seemed to know who she was and that it was advancing. "No! Stay back!" She backed up only to hit a boulder and turn quickly to try and run, only to see the creature run in front of her, and Marble whirled only to see it run back around the other side of the boulder, surrounding the entire boulder and Marble with a ring of fire, the creature stepped through it, eyeing Marble up and down. It had large fangs that it could easily use to eat ponies! Why did she come out here!? She should have woken up Limestone!
Autumn Blaze took a few further steps forward, as Marble pushed herself back against the boulder. Autumn Blaze's nirik voice was deep, malformed and unrecognizable by Marble. "You are such a problem! This is all your fault! I could so easily solve so many problems..." Autumn Blaze would normally never dream of harming Marble, but nirik thought processes acted differently than when in their kirin forms. Admittedly even as a nirik Autumn Blaze would never actually hurt Marble, but she would fantasize about solving all her problems so easily. With a simple lit antler, Autumn Blaze hoisted Marble into the air, growling a little. "I could tear you apart... Or throw you into my fire..."
Marble yelped loudly as she squirmed, calling out as she was hoisted, at the last moments of her life, to her mind. "Mother! Father! Pinkie! Maud! Limestone! Autumn Blaze! Help! Someone! Please help!" Autumn Blaze flinched visibly when her name was said. Shaking her head Autumn Blaze backed up a few steps, dropping Marble back to the ground. Marble blinked as she looked at the creature shaking it's head and her eyes widened. "You're afraid of Autumn Blaze!" To marble that made sense, the creature looked like an evil Autumn Blaze, so it had to be here looking for her, but it was also afraid of her.
Autumn Blaze shook her head and growled as it regained its control over its surprise. "No, I'm not afraid of Autumn Blaze!" She lunged forwards and pushed Marble over, opening her mouth to show off her long fangs, and sharp teeth that no pony should have. "I am Autumn Blaze you annoying creature! And I think I'm going to solve my problems right now." Niriks loved to spread anger and fear to kirins to try and make more niriks. Even if ponies couldn't turn into niriks it was still in her nature to try and scare and anger Marble as much as possible.
Marble shook her head, whimpering. "N-No you're lying! Autumn Blaze is a kind, thoughtful, caring pony that wouldn't hurt someone else!" Again the nirik growled, but closing her eyes and shaking her head again.
"No! I'm Autumn Blaze and I do whatever I want! Think of when we met, you were so quiet, and shy, so annoying, you couldn't even say a full sentence!" Marbles eyes widened as the creature on top of her continued. "Then you can't approach me like a normal mare, you yell at me! When we get out to the porch you listen quietly, then try to cuddle me, start putting the moves on me then you run away! You barely tell me your name, and then you lure me in for the night! Just so you can trap me here while your family comes home to try and make me take care of their useless little daughter for the rest of my life!" The fire on the nirik had grown to the brightest they'd been since Marble had seen her, but most annoyingly to the nirik Marble looked completely calm now. She had been looking more and more horrified until she simply looked completely calm. "What are you grinning at your foolish mare!? I could rip your throat out!"
Marble shook her head, smiling a bit more now. "No you won't. You are Autumn Blaze. And you won't hurt me." The nirik twitched, growling again as Marble continued. "I trust Autumn Blaze, whatever part of her you are, you don't scare me." Autumn Blaze shook her head, taking a few steps back, growling as she stepped back off the other mare, allowing Marble to stand up, and then sit down calmly watching the Nirik.
The nirik for her part pointed at the earth pony with one of her flaming hooves. "You... You don't know Autumn Blaze! You didn't know about me! You can't know that Autumn Blaze won't hurt you!"
Marble smiled peacefully at Autumn Blaze. "I don't know ." The nirik smiled widely, but that only lasted a few moments before Marble continued. "But I have faith that you won't. I trust that my father raised me correctly in trusting the pairing stone. Trust that the pairing stone is right like it always has been. Trust that the kind, thoughtful, and beautiful Autumn Blaze would never hurt me." She sat with such confidence, simply smiling at the nirik.
Autumn Blaze closed her eyes, shaking her head hard. "NO! No no no! No one can just... Trust the world like that! It is a place... That... ARG!" Autumn Blaze let out a low yell, her face twisted into a rictus of anger. "You cannot! The world is cruel!"
Marble shook her head, noticing that the fire around her and on the nirik were dying down. Marble smiled gently as she stood up, walking a little closer to Autumn Blaze before she noticed something else, the fire didn't actually give off any heat. She reached up and hesitantly pushed a hoof against the fire mane of the nirik, it didn't burn her at all. Even as Autumn Blaze growled at Marble, Marble pulled the flaming pony into a close hug. "You can trust me."
After a few moments, the nirik that Marble was holding close to her slowly stopped lighting up the area with blue and red fire. Autumn Blaze's form returned to that of a kirin, her ears down and her looking to the side, embarrassed by anyone finding her in her nirik form. She had had many dark thoughts about everything she could do to the poor sweet Marble Pie... But Marble Pie hadn't been afraid of her nirik self, after the beginning at least. Autumn Blaze swallowed, looking down at the pony that trusted in her beliefs so much that she could face down some flaming creature threatening to kill her. Autumn Blaze licked her muzzle before she looked down at Marble Pie as best she could. "You trust me... And you... I could have hurt you Marble Pie..."
Marble Pie pulled back, smiling at Autumn Blaze. Marble was a lot calmer interacting with the kirin now that she had faced down the flaming nirik. Autumn Blaze blinked, tilting her head to the side, very bemused by the strange turn. Autumn Blaze wasn't sure how to interact with Marble after that scene. Autumn Blaze raised a hoof and gently pushed Marble Pie's mane back so she could see Marble's face better, causing her to blush a little. Autumn Blaze contemplated her for a moment before letting the hair fall back again, looking to the side contemplating the issue. Trust was... Rare amongst the Kirin. It was meaningless during the silence. And before... When a bit of anger could twist your thoughts into darkness trust was a dangerous thing to have for anyone but the closest of kirins.
Autumn Blaze shifted as she watched Marble, smiling at her. She could trust Marble... Marble had trusted her... But... Autumn Blaze gazed into Marble's eye for a long moment, raising a hoof again to move her hair back, making long eye contact as she contemplated the other mare for long moments. Autumn Blaze swallowed and nodded. "I... Trust you Marble Pie." She hadn't said that to any pony in a long time. But maybe it was time that she tried to trust another pony. Marble pie trusts her, so she'd return the favor, as much as she could. They'd have to have a long, long talk about the possible future plans but... She wouldn't commit to marriage or anything like the Pie's assumed was coming after that stone decreed. But they also mentioned a courting time, she could do a courting time with the earth pony. Autumn blaze moved her hoof in to gently rub at Marble's cheek, causing her to produce a small squee of sound as she nuzzled up against the hoof.
Marble smiled as she looked Autumn Blaze in the eyes, very unusual for her but she was a bit more confident. She wasn't the most courageous pony, but she had faced down whatever darkness was living inside of Autumn Blaze. Marble smiled as she motioned back up to the farmhouse, and standing up. "Time to sleep Autumn Blaze." Autumn Blaze took in a deep breath before nodding, standing up with the pretty earth pony. Starting to follow Marble out of the maze of boulders Autumn Blaze smiled a bit wider, maybe she should tell Marble now, it would probably make her happier.
"Marble Pie." Marble paused, looking over her shoulder as Autumn Blaze spoke. "I'm not going to say we should get married. But I would be open to... Exploring the possibilities of courting and seeing how we might be as a couple." Marble blushed brightly and smiled widely, causing Autumn Blaze to smile. "Though I'm gonna wanna see this pairing stone, it sounds really powerful and I wanna see how good it is!" Marble frowned a little, she didn't want anyone messing with the pairing stone. "I'm not going to hurt it! I just want to see it!"
Marble nodded as she started to lead Autumn Blaze back towards the house again. "Father will be able to arrange that." Since she had faced down the nirik she enjoyed her increased confidence dealing with Autumn Blaze. She was always suspicious of other ponies deceiving her, hiding their intentions, their dark sides, she'd seen Autumn Blaze's dark side. She had been threatened, yelled at, and magicked around by the kirin, she wasn't concerned about the mare hiding anything from her anymore. "Thank you."
Autumn Blaze blinked then smiled, nodding a little. "Well, you just... Uh... To be honest you showed me that I could trust someone... I am willing to give our relationship a bit of a test, no fire in my mane." She did trust Marble, mostly. She didn't completely trust Marble, she hated to think that but she couldn't instantly trust a pony she met yesterday, any more than she could marry said pony she met yesterday.
Marble giggled and shook her head. "No, thank you for showing me yourself." Autumn Blaze stopped for a moment, shaking her head after the initial shock.
"Marble! No, niriks are bad! She's not part of me!"
Marble paused and turned around, surprising Autumn Blaze with another hug. "No, she is part of you, you can't hide from your angry part." She smiled as she let go of the kirin and started to walk again.
Autumn Blaze walked after Marble, staring at her in silent astonishment. She couldn't, this was the shy pony who had said about... About two dozen words to her before now, and then she faced down her nirik form and was encouraging her not to hide the nirik inside of her away from the world. The kirin had become slightly more accepting that niriks were a part of them but they always went off to hide their nirik forms whenever they came up now. No, no, it was because Marble didn't know much about the niriks that she was saying these things. Autumn nodded as they walked up the porch, she would just have to explain to Marble that the niriks were not something to be tolerated.
Marble pie turned to smile at Autumn when they reached the door to her room, the guest room being further down. "I'll see you in the morning. We will have a lot to talk about."
Autumn Blaze nodded. "Yeah, I'll... We'll talk to your father then?" Marble nodded and smiled, walking into her room after giving Autumn Blaze a friendly wave. Autumn Blaze had to shake her head as she walked to her room. Marble seemed like a completely different pony now, she was... Confident now. It was very good, but still very confusing to Autumn Blaze where that all came from. But she supposed that she could learn about Marble's hidden strengths during their courting. And she could make Marble understand that niriks were to be avoided, not accepted.
