//------------------------------//
// Excuse Me... 
// Story: One Crazy Pairing (Stone) 
// by Jhoira 
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"Excuse me..." Autumn Blaze perked up when she heard the quiet words from behind her, smiling widely as she saw the timid looking pony behind her, hiding behind her hair and looking away. Autumn Blaze hopped up, in a single leap she was in front of the other pony she'd just met.

"Oh hi! I'm Autumn Blaze! What's your name?" Autumn Blaze extended her hoof, waiting for a hoofshake, until about thirty seconds had passed without an answer or a returned hoofshake Autumn Blaze put her hoof back down, frowning a little. "Hey, are you ok? Are you lost like me? I'm lost! I'm trying to find my way to Ponyville, but hey if you're lost too we can be lost together! It's always better to be lost with a friend than lost alone!" Autumn Blaze smiled widely, though after another thirty seconds of silence that smile faltered and she shifted a bit uncomfortable with the silence. "Uh well... Wait! Were you cursed with silence too!? Oh no! I know just how to... Wait... No, I heard you talk earlier... So you can talk..."

Marble Pie had worked up all her courage to come to speak with the fascinating new creature that she had never seen the like of before, but she hadn't been ready for the absolute cascade of words coming from the other creature. She could barely keep up with normal conversations with her slow and quiet manner, this creature was making it completely impossible for her to get a word in edgewise. She raised a hoof which seemed to get Autumn blazes attention, who started watching her carefully and she smiled shyly as she put her hoof down, Autumn Blaze following it with her eyes before coming back to Marble's face. Marble managed a single word, "Ponyville?"

Autumn Blaze nodded happily. "Oh yeah! My friend Applejack lives there. And my friend Fluttershy! Though I'm better friends with Applejack. But Fluttershy helped me out too. You see my village was having some troubles but Applejack helped us find the cure, and so did Fluttershy. But can you believe that at first Fluttershy thought that we should keep the Kirin not talking? As if not talking was a good thing! I mean I went crazy when I couldn't talk!"

Marble nodded along with the story, she liked quiet times, but Autumn Blaze was just so genuinely excited about everything that was going on it couldn't help but make Marble smile, though it was starting to grate on her a little it was so far in a manageable range. She nodded down the road "Uh... Ponvyille..."

Autumn Blaze nodded. "Ponyville's that way? Great, thanks!"

Marble hesitated, she really should leave it at that... She should let the interesting creature go... "Food...?" Marble motioned back to the farmhouse.

Autumn Blase smiled widely. "Ooh! So we can be friends? That'd be great! I mean I always love a nice snack!" She smiled as she trotted around Marble pie, who was slowly making her way back to the farmhouse. "Whatcha gonna make? Can I help? I've never seen an earth pony cook! I always just used magic! Maybe you have a magic stone that cooks for you? I live up in the forest so we didn't use fire to cook. Luckily all Kirin have magic so that wasn't a problem! We'd just power up some magic and let her rip! We'd make all kinds of things! Though I bet you don't make as many fruits do you? Probably not seeing as you're all rocky around here, probably have wheat fields or something? Maybe daffodils or something rugged that'll live well out here?"

Marble bit her bottom lip but managed to raise a hoof to stop the other pony. "Not... Can you... Please...?"

Autumn Blaze blinked and shook her head. "Can I... Do a cartwheel?" She smiled and nodded. "Oh yeah, I can do a cartwheel! I can also do a flip! I'm a good jumper, I've almost gotten the backflip down but I keep needing to catch myself with magic so I can't do it just yet! I could come back and show you once I've perfected it! Oh! Oh! Or were you asking if I can help you cook? Totally! I'll be happy to help!" Autumn Blaze bounced excitedly. "Oh, this'll be great! I'll learn earth pony cooking! Then I can show you Kirin cooking!... Wait no I can't, you don't have magic... But I can show you how it looks! I'll make you something yummy and then we can switch and see who makes the best food! I mean..."

"Stop!" Autumn Blaze blinked and sat down as Marble burst out with her demand and then blushed crimson, looking to the side. Autumn Blaze tilted her head to the side looking at the grey pony. 

Waiting for a few moments for the other pony to continue before saying hesitantly. "Is there a pit...? Why would you put a pit in the middle of your walkway!?" Autumn blaze started to stomp hesitantly ahead of them, shaking her head. "Uh... There's no pit here... Oh! Oh! What's your name?" She tilted her head to the side, peaking at the ponies cutie mark, those sometimes helped but this time. "Gravel...? Is your name Gravel? Well, that's not a very pretty name! I think I'll call you something else if that's okay! Something prettier! Like... Granite? No... Obsidian? No... Andesite! That's kinda pretty! Oh, wait!" She looked again and giggled to herself. "Those are marbles! Is your name Marbles? That's prettier than gravel! Well Marbles, there's not pit so we can keep going!"

Marble hung her head and let out a small whine, this interesting pony was stressing her out, she wasn't good with talking! Why did she think this was a good idea!? It was cute and interesting for about one minute, maybe two, but now... She wasn't good with other ponies who talked all the time! Autumn Blaze was very interesting but she wouldn't stop! Maybe this was a bad idea... Maybe Marble should just get her some food and send her on her way? She didn't want to go back on her word and not give the other mare a meal, but after that, she'd do her best to kick her out! But what if the other pony didn't want to leave!? Oh no, what had Marble done? She should have listened to Limestone and stayed inside!