images.jpg (8 KB, 199x253) google iqdb

8 KB JPG

Didin't read

>>11750145 (OP)
Chase her down.
And hope we don't both run right into an ambush.

Ready for whatever.

>>11750145 (OP)
hey there
are you going to upload them to your paste bin once your finished ?

>>11750241
Though your legs carry you as fast as they can, Celestia is able to keep ahead of you with ease. It's not surprising, really, that a pony your size could outrun you, but you're determined to catch her anyways. She seems content to let the chase continue, laughing back at you, leaving only a few feet between the two of you.

"Can you run no faster? You'll never catch me like that!" She starts bouncing back and forth in her gait, teasing you with how easy she's keeping her lead.

You merely grunt in reply and pump your legs faster. Before long, the two of you have made a complete lap around the clearing. Celestia stops right around where you had first laid down. Seeing your opportunity, you leap at her for a tackle, but she jumps into the air, hovering over you as you miss and stumble onto the ground. You only have time to roll onto your back before she lands atop your stomach, pinning you.

Her smile, while not unexpected, confuses you. All this time you'd seen her with her sister, or the Elements, or with anyone, really, she'd never smiled quite like she is now. It's not that it's genuine, just... unrestrianed.

"I win."

>>11750435
Since there's an archive, no, I don't plan on posting everything to pastebin as well.

Link is at the top of OP.

>>11750486
"Okay...okay, you win..."
Hug her.

>>11750486
I'd say tickle her a bit or something but that might be inappropriate.

Uh....hm.

genuflect?

I'm kidding, I'm unsure what to do from this vantage point.

>>11750486
"I can't breathe"
Squirm under her crushing weight

>>11750561
Then tackle her when she least expects it.

>>11750508
well shit
now I have to save every thread and skip all the posts
whis will be annoing as fuck to read

ur lazy

>>11750561
>>11750584
"I can't... breathe..." you say, faking a gasp and squirming underneath her.

"Oh, no!" She stands up, taking her weight off you, looking down with concern. "I'm sorry."

"Then I'm sorry for this!"

You grab her forelegs, yanking them off the ground to distrub her balance, then flip her onto her back and roll on top. You've got her pinned in seconds.

"You fiend! Taking advantage of my kindness! Who do you really work for?" she says in mock anger, weakly pushing at your shoulder with her forehooves.

"I'll never tell you. But now I've got my prize: a princess, helpless underneath me. I wonder what I should do with her."

She curls her lower lip in an adorable pout, silently pleading with you to release her. The two of you stare at each other, panting. You can't tell for how long. It feels like you've found something in Celestia and released it in this field, something that she'd been bottling up inside. For what reason only she knows. Maybe she felt she couldn't let her subjects see it. Maybe she didn't want to admit to herself it was a part of her, or maybe she liked keeping it to herself.

As time passes, you see her face shift from playful to relaxed to pensive. Her struggles and pantings cease. Something's definitely on her mind.

>>11750773
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"Or...whatever it is you guys use for currency here."

>>11750812
this

>>11750812
>>11750875
"Penny for your thoughts? Or... whatever it is you guys use for currency here."

Her eyes break from yours and look to the sky again. "I miss her. Whenever there was a crisis, there was always someone I knew I could count on to do the things I could not. Of course, I have the other Elements, my friends, and my sister, but it's not quite the same. I can only hope I taught her well enough to endure whatever she might be going through right now." She looks back to you. "You know, I think the two of you would get along very well."

"Really?"

"Oh yes. She is the curious sort, would likely spend all her time asking you about your species, culture, all sorts of thing. That's what made her such a great student. Reminds me a bit of myself in my younger days. Maybe that's why I chose to be her teacher."

"We'll get her back."

She raises an eyebrow at you. "Do not mistake my longing for despair. I've no doubt we'll find her eventually. It's more that I very much wish she was here right now." Picking you up with magic, she sets you down softly on the ground next to her. She rolls over onto her stomach, watching the trees as the wind brushes them back and forth. "And I wish I had not failed her. But such is the duty of a leader. You cannot save all of them all the time."

>>11751032
Rub her belly.
"You can do your best...and all things considered you seem to do a lot better than some of the ruling powers back on Earth."

>>11751096
oh no wait, she's laying on her belly now.
disregard the bellyrubs part.

>>11751032
Reassuring hand on the back, tell her you'll do everything you can to retrieve her faithful student.

In the meantime though, what can we do to help her be more relaxed? More like how she just was?

>>11751032
Ask her whether she feels that some of the animosity from the opposition may be justified.
She mentioned you can't save them all and it seems as though they were the ones who couldn't be.

>>11751106
Instead of disregarding bellyrubs, rub her back.

>>11751139
Rose also mentioned something about dragon attacks earlier.

>>11751153
Yep

>>11751096
Laying a reassuring hand on her back, you start rubbing her between her wings. "You can do your best...and all things considered you seem to do a lot better than some of the ruling powers back on Earth."

"You are very kind to say so."

>>11751139
>>11751153
"These ponies you couldn't save... are they from this area? The ones who fell to the dragon attacks?"

She casts a glance your way before looking back to the clearing. "The dragon attacks, yes. They have given me much distress in the past, and I imagine much more in the future. If I could come down here and banish every dragon that dared to threaten my ponies, I would. But I cannot, and ponies suffer in my absence." She sighs. "Yes, these are some of the ponies I couldn't save. Can't save. They are right to hate me."

The night wind picks up again, chilling you to your core. It has only gotten colder since you left camp, and the moon is not even at it's peak yet. You shake the cold off and lay both hands on Celestia's back, giving her a comforting rub and warming your hands at the same time. With the heat she's giving off, you imagine the cold doesn't bother her at all.

"Is there anything I can do to help you relax? Get you mind off of it?"

[cont]

>>11751424
>>11751126
"Mmmm, you've done so much already, and that back rub is wonderful. There is something I can do, though. I haven't done this in far too long." Closing her eyes, she bows her head in concentration. Her mane and tail slow their usual ethereal flow gradually until it stops completely, then slacken much like ordinary hair would. Huh. You had no idea she could do that.

"Ahh, that feels fantastic. I haven't let my mane down in forever." She stokes her mane with a hoof, smiling at it. "I should've done this sooner."

>>11751435
That's a neat trick.

>>11751435
"You want me to braid it for you now?"
Say it in a joking tone.

>>11751481
As if anon could do a competent job.

>>11751481
That sounds like a potential disaster.
What happens when she returns her mane to its wavy state?

>>11751435
Tentatively run fingers through the end of her mane.

Keep reassuring that you're here for the long run.

>>11751456
"That's a neat trick."

Throwing her head back, she tosses out her mane as if bragging. "Alicorn manes tend to do silly things after a long time. The power within our bodies grows over time, eventually beyond the point where we need to diffuse it somehow. While most of that power goes into moving the sun, there's still enough left over that it must find its way out of my body. So it leaks out through my mane and tail, giving them that wispy appearance. It's much more relaxing for them to lay flat like this, but to do so requires concentration on my part." She leans in like she's sharing a secret. "Plus, I like showing it off to my subjects. Makes me feel more like a princess."

>>11751481
"It's unfortunate they don't get to see it like this. I think it's nice." Tentatively, your reach out to her mane, running your fingers through it. It's soft as silk, but much more tangible now. Before when you'd felt it, it was much closer to thick air than actual strands of fiber. The scent hits you as well, like a gentle perfume, sweet and intoxicating. "You want me to braid it for you?" you say, grinning.

Covering her mouth, she giggles. "Oh, that wouldn't do. The moment I let my mane go back to the way it was, the braid would disappear. Besides," she says, yawning, "aren't you the least bit tired? It's awful late."

You look up at the moon as it makes its journey across the dark blanket of the sky.

[cont]

>>11751771
She's right, it is late, and now that you think about it, you are pretty tired. The only thing really keeping you up is the chilly wind and the conversation with Celestia.

Noticing the goosebumps on your arms, Celestia smiles and drapes one of her large, graceful wings over your back. It's surprisingly warm. "That better?"

>>11751780
Put arm around sun horse, under her wing and across her back.

"Much."

>>11751780
"Yeah."

>>11751780
>>11752119
Wrapping an arm around her, you pull her close. "Much."

You rest your head against her neck; she doesn't protest. Her warm body makes a comfortable pillow underneath her luscious coat and cozy mane. With your ear pressed against her, you can hear her breaths, smooth and even, as the two of you enjoy the scenery. You wonder what it is about nature that's so interesting in provate moments like this. Celestia's probably seen it all a hundred times before, but here she is, with you, enjoying it all again without a peep of discontent.

Maybe she's trying to find that answer, too.

With each inhale, you take in her scent, like you're laying in a sea of flowers, each with their own distinct smell, but working together in a way you've never experienced before. You absentmindedly bring your other arm around Celestia, nuzzling into her. She lets out the tiniest little chuckle, one you'd never notice if you hadn't been leaning up against her.

"You know," she says.

"Hmmm?"

"It's not so bad..."

You'd ask her what, but all you can do now is sleep.

[cont]

>>11752210
And your slumber takes you away, whisking you off to someplace you've never seen before. One moment you're leaning against Celestia, smiling, and the next you're standing in a white void. There's ground beneath your feet, but you can't make it out from anything. The world is white and silent.

You take a few steps forward, testing the invisible ground. It seems to hold up, steps echoing throughout the void. It doesn't seem like anyone else is here, given how well sound travels.

"What a weird dream," you say to yourself.

"A dream, yes, but not without purpose."

You spin around, looking for the source of the voice, but see nothing. It isn't a voice you recognize, either.

>>11752224
"And you are...?"

>>11752224
Luna pls no
I just want sleep

>>11752255
"And you are?"

"I am the Guardian, and you are not of this world." The voice speaks plainly. If you had to guess, it's female, but the Guardian doesn't seem to have a body at all. From the tone, however, they sound so very welcoming.

"That's stating the obvious. Why are you here?"

"The question is, why are YOU here?"

Would it hurt to have an ounce of tact? "Okay, fine. Why did you bring me here?"

"No, I am asking why you are in this world."

"I don't know, I didn't choose to come here."

There is a pause. "You must leave."

You open your mouth to reply, but can't think of a good response. True, you had been trying to leave, but you have no idea how to go about doing it. Besides, you were starting to like it here.

"Who are you to tell me to leave? What if I want to stay?"

"I am the Guardian. You must leave. You cannot stay."

"Why?"

"Because you disrupt the Balance. I cannot maintain it while you are here."

"Okay, then, fine. Take me back."

Another pause. "I cannot do so."

"Then why don't you tell me how?"

"If you find the method that pulled you here, you can reverse it to return. You may also convert your form to an energy I can control, and I will return you."

You scratch your head. None of this is making sense. Is this Balance and Guardian something Celestia might know about? Or is someone trying to fool you?

[cont]

>>11752622
"I have no idea what you're talking about. What is the Balance?"

"The Balance is what ensures life may continue. It prevents any one power from consuming the world that the Creator's children may live as they wish. Too much Chaos, and creatures of Harmony die. Too much Harmony, and creatures of Chaos die. They both must be allowed to live. I cannot give them that chance while you are here."

>>11752634
It's a ruse until proven otherwise.
Perhaps we just don't see the balance disruption we cause.
Mention it to Celestia in the morning obviously.

>>11752634
And why is that? Am I unpredictable, so you may not plan accordingly?

What if I help you preserve the balance instead of leaving?

>>11752622
"'Convert my form to an energy you can control'? What does that mean?"

>>11752748
Spitballing
Whatever The guardian is, it seems that we aren't able to be influenced by him.
I'm not entirely sure how that presents a problem since beyond words we couldn't wildly influence anything through force.

>>11752731
Crossing your arms, you consider the situation. It seems much more likely that you're being tricked into leaving, that someone is invading your dreams, pretending to be some powerful being that needs you to leave. The entire time you've been here, you've never seen an instance of imbalance, just some unruly citizens and evidence of a revolt. Such things happen. It would be too early to take drastic action. You'll mention this to Celestia in the morning and see what she thinks.

>>11752738
"Why is it that you can't control the Balance while I am here? Can I help to fix that?"

"You are not from this world, and therefore I cannot account for the actions you take and the consequences of such. I am blind to your energy, and the longer you are here, the more you affect. Anything you affect, I cannot balance. You are an unknown. There is no way for you to fix this except by leaving. Things will return to what they should eventually."

This Guardian is either very stubborn or truly believes your removal is the only way to fix things.

>>11752748
"'Convert my form to an energy you can control'? What does that mean?"

"I cannot control your physical body. If you were to become energy of this world, I would be able to understand your structure, determine your origin, and place you there."

"That doesn't mean anything to me."

"That is all the explanation I can offer."

>>11752912
The thing is making sense.
Even if it is a bit of a control freak I suppose that's its job.

>>11752912
"How long do we have before things destabilize?"

>>11752980
I would imagine the amount of changes happened immediately.
If we accidently stepped on a caterpillar then some predator for want of it as food dies. A butterfly effect.

As much as you disliked this thing, it might actually just be doing its job, albeit in a direct, rude way. How were you supposed to know any of this though? It's not like coming here and messing things up is your fault. You never chose this.

>>11752980
"How long do we have before things destabilize?"

"That depends on you. The more you do, the more lives you affect, faster a complete destabilization will happen. Should you choose to live out the rest of your life alone, affecting no one, things may never become dire. It is a risk I will not take, however."

"A risk YOU won't take?"

"It is not what I prefer, but I will begin to shift the Balance against you, should you not leave. I must preserve it, even if I must alter it for the time being."

"That sounds counter-productive. If I'm messing with the Balance, and you mess with it more, won't this destabilization happen even faster?"

"I do not know. I do not know how your actions will shift the Balance. It may help just as much as it may hurt. That is why you must leave."

>>11753083
I never asked for this.

>>11753083
"I don't know how to leave...can't you give me some time to try to figure it out?"

>>11753237
"I don't know how to leave...can't you give me some time to try to figure it out?"

"You may have some time. Do not do anything significant in the meanwhile. If your unfluence on the Balance becomes too much, I will be forced to take action. Leave as soon as you can. That is all."

"Wait-"

And you're awake. Your eyes open, revealing a dark blue sky burning with the sunrise. So much for that conversation. At least the Guardian was giving you a little time. But sit around and do nothing while Celestia looks for Twilight? You don't know if you can do that.

Letting out a deep breath, you try to get up, only to find yourself pinned to your pillow by a rather large, white wing. Momentarily confused, you situate yourself, recalling last night, remembering you fell asleep... using Celestia as a pillow. You can't help but blush.

It's her fault for being so comfortable.

"Good morning. You slept well, it seems."

You could sweat the sun brightened with her smile.

"Well enough, though I've had better dreams."

"What did you dream about?"

>>11753482
Tell her everything.

>>11753482
...Something terrifying, and if Luna isn't behind it then I have a real problem.

>>11753520
>>11753598
"Do you know who the Guardian is?"

Her smile wavered. That is not a promising sign.

"Yes, she was there at the Beginning, the ruler alongside the Creator. There is little evidence left of her existence but the stories passed down by her followers and her relic. I did not know you had studied up so much on our past."

Frowning, you shake you head. "That's the thing. I didn't. In my dream, I was visted by someone or something calling themselves the Guardian. They told me I needed to leave this world immediately, as I was tearing it apart."

The smile has vanished from her face now, replaced by the passive, straight face of a princess. "We must go back to camp, tell the others." She helps you up with the wing that had been your blanket, then stands up herself, starting off towards the camp, mane and tail returning to the way they were before last night. The relaxed, carefree Celestia of yesterday's evening was gone.

"Unless... you wish to confide only in me?"

>>11753775
It may be a bit early to tell the others.

It will also affect them to have that knowledge in some way, so perhaps we should keep it to ourselves until it becomes relevant.

>>11753775
I'm not sure if it would be a good idea to tell the others.
I'll be ostracized and cast out for fear they may be harmed too.

>>11753775
"No, it's probably best to have this out in the open."

>>11753934
>
How did you arrive at that conclusion?
The more people know, the more things spin out of control.
Celestia was the logical choice since she has the best chance of returning us home.

>>11753989
Because the last time we tried to keep a secret it came back to bite us in the ass.
I likened it to Lee revealing he was bitten in TWD.

>>11754019
We're not keeping it a secret.

>>11753835
>>11753888
That's a good question, actually. Do you really want everyone to know this right away? You could be ostracized for it and cause a lot of undue stress. Plus, as much as Celestia may trust her guards and citizens, who is to say they won't try something? You're still just a stranger to them. No, it's best to control the information for now.

"I... I think that would be best. I don't really know for sure if it was someone else trying to trick me. There's not enough information to be spilling it all out just yet."

"If that is what you wish. I don't want to cause a panic, or for any harm to come to you. Please, continue when you are ready."

Nodding, you recall the dream, thinking to the important bits of information. You relay everything you can remember to Celestia: about the Balance, how the Guardian explained she could not control you, how much time you may have before destabilization, and the Guardian's threat. You may not know what 'shifting the Balance' against you entails, but it doesn't sound benign.

Celestia, through the entire explanation, keeps her composure, nodding at times, inquiring further at others. You never feel a pressure or guilt while speaking and in fact, you feel as if a load has been taken off when you finish. This must be one of the reasons why she's such a great princess.

[cont]

>>11754319
"I think I understand the situation," she says after you finish. "This is not something I deem we must share at the moment, but should things take a drastic turn, realize I cannot keep this a secret. As much as I wish to protect you, there are more things at stake here."

"I understand."

Celestia turns back toward camp, motioning for you to come with her. You start off, hands in your pockets, looking down at the ground. This could mean the end of your journey. Even with no way to go back at the moment, you may need to keep to yourself; stop affecting lives. Or, at least, try to stop yourself. Whether it's possible or not is another thing altogether.

"I am curious," says Celestia. "When you were told you had to return, were you happy? Or have you found you enjoy it here?"

>>11754356
I don't know.
I understand why I must go, but I have a life on earth, just a much as I would have here(possibly less so, but whatever)
It's hard to say.

>>11754356
"...Can it be both?"

>>11754430
>>11754515
Hearing the question, you know you should have an answer for it, but as much as you try, you can't answer on way or the other. There are two sides here, each in conflict, but each appealing in their own way. You can't cast away the life you have on Earth, just as you can't deny the wonder of a life here.

"I don't know. I understand why I have to go, but I have a life on earth, just like I am building one here. It's hard to say." You offer a weak smile. "Can it be both?"

Laying a wing across your shoulders, Celestia allows that unrestrainted smile back and, for a moment, you can see that alicorn you played with last night. The one you'd really like to get to know better. The one that didn't shoulder the weight of the world, but rather tossed her load back at her fate, defying it by simply sticking out her tongue.

"Of course."


~

That's all for today. Come back Wednesday for another session! 7pm UTC-5 (USA central time)

>>11754723
thanks SA!