private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with Randimaxis

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad looked a bit unsure, having never really been one for thrills like what was posed to him. Still, this was no doubt a very impressive piece of engineering. He looked over at Silver with an intrigued, yet skeptical look. "Well... if you think it's safe enough for two... who would I be to deny you your moment?"

 

He sighed, steeling himself for what was coming, "Alright, let's do it."

 

Selena stifled a laugh as she watched the exchange, she knew Illiad wouldn't like the ride too much to start, but it would be funny to hear him traveling through it with Silver. No screams though as he just got quiet whenever things had gotten tense or exciting like this in the past. 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver's smile grew.  "Glad to hear it.  C'mon!"

 

She slid effortlessly into the sphere; Illiad... not so much.  But he did manage to get inside - and it was actually comfortable, as there was room enough on the cushion for two.  As long as they sat close.

 

Silver nestled in next to Illiad, then glanced out at Dax.  

 

"Pull the lever, Dax!"

 

The young stallion smiled.  "Have FUN, Illiad!"  Then, he pulled it.

 

The initial takeoff was... fine.  Absolutely fine.  Illiad felt almost NO inertial drag at all - but the contraption was shooting them through the tube.  From the outside, there were only little windows to see the sphere's progression; INSIDE the tube, multi-colored lights zoomed past, giving the illusion of being whisked away through a field of colorful stars, streaking past the two of them.  The lights were interesting, but the different shunts through other parts of the machine were just as exciting.

 

However, Illiad only got to see part of this wonder...

 

As they reached the spiral, Silver suddenly wrapped her hooves around Illiad, and kissed him DEEPLY.  She pulled him tightly to herself, hungry for affection, and continued to plant kisses all over his muzzle and neck, nuzzling and snuggling in between each one.

 

Apparently, Silver had not only made a grand roller coaster... but she'd also made a place where she and Illiad could have a moment alone... well, pseudo-alone, as far as Selena was concerned.  It wasn't until they were underground that she finally sat back and gave him a shy, sweet whinnygiggle and a wink.  With that, the ball launched from the ground, and >CLANG!< back onto its' platform.

 

Dax walked over and looked inside.  "Didn't I tell ya it was fun!?"

 

Silver simply kept smiling... though, by now, her name might be better suited as 'Crimson', as the blush she wore almost seemed to reach her barrel.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

It seemed the ride was a series of surprises for Illiad, first, the reduced feeling of the forces on the ball made the ride feel quite a bit more gentle than it had looked from the outside, altogether much more enjoyable than he had anticipated. Then there was Silver's display of affection, while not entirely unexpected, it was certainly a bit more forward than he had anticipated. That's not to say he didn't appreciate it, however, it was a fruitless endeavor to try and keep up with Silver's affections while inside the ball, so he did what he could and resolved to just enjoy it.

 

Once they reached the end he too had a pretty deep blush to match, but that didn't stop him from giving her one last kiss before exiting the ball. "Well, that was quite the experience."

 

Selena had a pretty smug expression on her face as she watched them disembark, having had a decent view of the whole thing, though her expression shifted to a bit more of an impressed smile as she caught llliad's attention with her waggling eyebrows. " Well this has certainly been a creative adventure, I guess that just leaves Dax left to show." She turned over to face him with a curious look, "If you're ready to show us that is?"

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax gave a small, cryptic smile, yet turned and headed for the door.

 

"Okay... follow me."

 

He led them out of Silver's doorway and to his own, where he opened it and motioned to Illiad and Silver.

 

"After you."

 

They stepped inside.

 

The first thing they noticed was the absolute lack of a blank room.

 

What they saw was a beautiful shoreline of pure, white sand.  Palm trees framed the beachfront, fading into an entire forest of them stretching back behind it and into the distance.  From said forest, sounds of animal life peppered the background ambiance of the waves.

 

And the water...

 

The ocean before them was a beautiful, luminescent blue.  It's soft glow seemed to almost pulse with the tide, and it was cool, blue, and soothing.  The ocean seemed to stretch out for miles, far past the horizon line behind it.  The light of a single moon shone down, illuminating the entire area with the glow of precious moonlight.

 

Above, there were a number of stars... though they didn't fit any sort of pattern or constellation that had ever been seen, heard of, or existed.  They twinkled above, winking at the three entities standing on the beach.

 

Silver looked around with her mouth hanging open.  "Dax... where ARE we?"

 

Dax blushed.  "Planet Illiad."

 

Silver gave him a look of pure uncomprehension.

 

"Well," he began, smiling sheepishly, "we were able to make anything our imaginations could come up with, right?  So, I just thought about all the stars and our world, and all the things I'd read about in my books, and... well, I made a planet."

 

"You... made... an entire... world?"

 

"Well... actually, I made a whole galaxy."

 

Silver just stared.

 

Dax pointed at the stars above them.  "See, each one of those stars up there is another planet - fully formed and even populated with little animals and such.  There's Planet Silver, Planet Slapper, Planet List, Planet Zinger, Planets Beck and Call - they're a binary star - and all sorts of stuff.  There's even a Blackwater Nebula, where my family's planets are... right there, see?"

 

He pointed to a visible swirl of purple and blue, five stars dotting the interior.

 

"How... how did you..."

 

"That part was actually kinda easy.  See, when I had lots of spare time as a colt, I used to imagine up my own worlds, where other ponies all liked me, and everything there was exactly how I wanted it, regardless of anyone else's ideas.  I could pretend I was on my own planet whenever I felt lonely, or afraid, or just miserable... and it usually made things feel better, afterwards.  So, with that in mind, I just adjusted my own designs for my own little world, duplicated them a LOT, then changed the makeup of each planet until not a single one was like another.  That... took some thinking... but I think I accomplished what I'd set out to do."

 

Silver was absolutely speechless.

 

Dax turned to Illiad.  "Is... is it good?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena's reaction seemed a bit out of place, "So THIS  is what was draining so much of my energy!" She didn't look angry, though, in fact, she looked rather relieved, complete with a sigh. " I was worried I had contracted some sort of magical illness or something. I would never have thought you would be able to create such a draw all by yourself."

 

Illiad on the other hoof had quite a wide-eyed stare. "You... really did all this yourself? I mean you'd have to I guess but this... this is simply unbelieveable. I mean, it took a bit of doing for me to make the thing I did, but for you to have put forth even a rudimentary approximation of complex life from just your own mind and willpower is simply amazing."

 

Her form shuddered and seemed to lose focus for a bit before she drew herself back together. "That being said, though, you are understandably well over the sustainable resource limit, so if we want this dream to last longer than the next few minutes we're going to need to trim some stuff down okay? I already archived Illiad and Silver's things to memory, but we're really going to need to slim what you've done down."

 

She looked serious, though caring, with a slight bit of pain as well. "I really do like it, though, you've far outdone what the others have done at this point. I just can't hold it all here for long. I may be more mentally conscious than the rest of you but even I can't keep all of this in my head for too long." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax looked (and felt) a bit hurt by Selena's request, but he nodded.

 

"I... kinda figured it might be too much.  Hold on."

 

He closed his eyes.  Almost instantly, the green glow that usually followed him in the dream world reached out from his form, and bathed the entire area in an emerald light.  As they watched, one by one, the stars in the sky winked out, until there was nothing above them but a blank black expanse.  It looked lonely and chilling, looking skyward and seeing nothing there.

 

Slowly, though, the black began to fade little by little until it was the familiar white of the blank room's walls once more... although considerably farther out.  Apparently, the planet was still whole, still there.  But even that began to shrink, bit by bit, until there was nothing more than the sandy beach they'd first stepped onto, surrounded by white.

 

It was surreal; the edges of the beach just sort of petered out, fading to white like an unfinished painting, the canvas showing at the edges.  It now appeared that they were standing on a small strip of sand... and there was a small sandcastle there now.  Nothing spectacular - a colt could have built it - but it certainly wasn't there before.

 

Otherwise, they were surrounded by the white room once more.  Dax's glow slowly sunk back into him, and he opened his eyes again.

 

"Sorry," Dax looked to Selena apologetically, "I didn't mean to put any strain on you, or anything like that.  I just wanted to... to... I'm just... I'm so sorry."

 

Though his emotions were a mixture of disappointment and shame, he still gave them a small, rather sheepish smile.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena sighed as the strain was lifted off of her, "Oh Dax, you're far cuter and more caring than you have any right to be."

 

She ghosted over to him to wrap him in a hug, "Now it's time for me to do something for you."

 

The white walls around them started to take color again, though instead of it being an inverse of what Dax had done, it was more like what they had seen earlier was being painted on the walls, the beach for all intents and purposes seemed to stretch out into the distance, the ocean seemingly endless, and the stars starting to dot the night sky again, each twinkling like they had before. She lifted Dax's head to see it as she gestured out at the expanse. "You see? Now it's like your room. Everything you thought up is still there, just presented in a way that it takes up very little active space. The other planets and stars simulated as much smaller, and much closer to keep the room small, and the rest mostly illusions rather than actual constructs. We can even move about your worlds by generating the constructs as we come into contact with them rather than keeping everything built all the time."

 

Illiad got over his awe enough to take a seat near where Selena had embraced Dax. "I do like that sandcastle, it's really a nice touch to the beach. I am curious, though, about more than one thing. First, what is it that makes this planet Planet Illiad? I suppose Silver too would want to see the planet you've made for her as well as what makes it really hers." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax's blush almost outshone his black coat when Selena embraced him... but he did lean into it a bit.  Illiad felt a small explosion of emotion from this: confusion... surprise... a touch of shock... and maybe a bit of a shy crush, as well.

 

Silver was still boggled by what she'd seen.  "A whole galaxy?  Dax, I... I had no idea you had this kind of... I mean, you never seemed to... w-w-what I MEAN is..."

 

Dax gave a humble smile.  "Well... I did a LOT of thinking when I was a colt.  I'm serious when I said I didn't have any-..."

 

His mood dipped for a second, but he shook his head and smiled at Illiad.

 

"I call it Planet Illiad because it's what I put together based on you.  See?"  He pointed to the ground.  "Sand, to start with - of course - but it's more than that - the sand's actually made of tiny little pearls.  Look," he scooped up a hoofull and held it out for them to see.  Inside, on close examination, were hundreds of tiny little pearls, all rounded and smooth and VERY shiny.

 

"Each one is a pearl - that was me trying to actualize the fact of Illiad's being a secret treasure... 'cause, y'know, he's... special."

 

Silver gave the Trojan a sweet smile.  "He certainly is."

 

He continued, "But then there's the palm trees, which I read about in one of my natural biology textbooks - and further back, past the forest, there's a palace for him.  Though," he said, "it might be a bit too regal for your tastes.  Still, I wanted to try to put a bunch of nice things here for you.  Such aaaaaaaas..."

 

He pointed with a hoof, and they all saw a very curious sight: running down the beach at a breakneck pace, was what appeared to be a paintbrush with legs.  It was being chased by a square of canvas, which was flapping away behind it and keeping pace.

 

"The brush and scroll are friendly; they love to be picked up and doodled with - there's a bunch of 'em on Planet Illiad!  There's pencil-critters, too... and paint blossoms... and even wild paper rolls!  And they all really enjoy being used, so you'd never be out of art supplies here!"

 

He began to pace a bit as he spoke.

 

"The planet is roughly about 40% water, with land masses ranging from snowy mountains to bowl valleys.  It has a single moon, which I named 'Odyssey', an exotic word that means an adventure - like the one we're having now!  The majority of the planet is covered in either sand or palm trees, but there's a few surprises as well, like an active volcano and a waterfall where the water falls UPWARDS; that can be seen from the palace."

 

"There's a deep well, where you can draw buckets of whatever you'd want to drink - you can get soda, water, apple cider, orange juice... whatever you can imagine, just drop and then raise the bucket, and it's yours!  There's also-"

 

There was a rumbling sound that almost seemed to shake them all to the core, but the Blackwater simply smiled.

 

"... then there's HIM."

 

From above, what looked like the massive bulk of a dragon came whooshing out of the scant cloud cover and dove directly at them.  Once it was close enough, it slowed and flapped.  That was when Silver spoke up.

 

"Dax, is... is that a..."

 

The dragon landed... or, more like the dragon machine landed.

 

It was a clockwork dragon, complete with wings and tail, and what appeared to be small flames guttering in the back of it's steel throat.  It was all shiny silver and red chrome, with scales that reflected the faces of those around it, not to mention the scenery.  It had what looked to be twin Blackwater-Cut emeralds for eyes, which seemed to glow with an inner fire.

 

Once it reached the ground, it looked them all over before focusing on Illiad... and bowing low before him.

 

"OH MY GOSH, IT'S A CLOCKWORK DRAGON!  Dax, how did you..?"  She was all over it in a heartbeat, zipping from angle to angle, looking it over with hungry eyes.

 

Dax just smiled his smile.

 

"It's not sentient... but it IS yours, Illiad.  After all, it's your planet... and everything here is under your command."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad seemed to be just stuck staring at all there was to see, watching Selena conjure things right from Dax's memory of the creation as they became relevant. With such a level of detail, it was no wonder it had reached the upper limit of Selena's mental faculties. It took a while before Illiad was able to compose his thoughts into actual words, wishing there was some way of this place Dax had created to be real, to be somewhere he could visit outside of a dream, though he had no doubt that he would be visiting this place again in another dream.

 

"I just... wow." Words could not express how much amazement sat within himself at such a mental feat, to carry this around inside himself. He wondered if any other creatures had such universes inside them.

 

He smiled though at the mention of the moon's name, "Funny you should name the moon Odyssey, I'm actually familiar with the culture the term came from, though it also has a more personal aspect that you'll be more familiar with next week."

 

Then the dragon landed, for a brief moment panic struck him at its mechanical nature, but it subsided as he saw the eyes, they weren't the unfeeling ones from his vision, though not very emotional they still made an attempt to convey something of emotion.

 

Illiad shook his head and chuckled at the whole thing, it spoke of both the sophistication of an adult and the childishness still within Dax.

 

Selena disappeared from Dax's side and reappeared atop the clockwork dragon with a smile on her face. "This is sooo cool!"

 

(This next bit is not going to be canon as I don't want to deal with The Author as a character right now. But I think it's a cool scene nonetheless.)

 

In a distant place, a strange creature stood, watching the world of his creation as more threads poured out of his mind, adding themselves to the already intricate design before him. Lines of creatures, knots of interactions, weaves of events, and tapestries of tales strewn about him as he worked. He had just finished a small tale, a mere coaster compared to the work he was returning to, when he looked closer at the triple weave he was performing, the black/green string he affectionately called Dax, it having been a gift with the silver string by another creator like him, had done something rather interesting when mixed with the crystal string. As he looked closer he saw, a tiny tapestry of its own there manifested deep within itself at the heart of the weave. He'd have to pay a more personal visit.

 

In a blink he was there, the small hole he had built for himself within the story, the place he watched from when he wasn't writing it. Another blink and Dax was there in the room with him, a third, and Dax and the author were in another view of the tapestry room, a timeline stood before them, lines of different colors all traipsing in and out of connection with the strong central line, they zoomed out off the line to see a sea of parallel lines, parallel universes with a certain crystal line spiraling between them like a string binding them together.

 

Then it was over, Dax was back where he had been and not a second had passed, but he was left with a newfound appreciation for what he had created that such a being would take notice of him and show him what further could be done.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

 

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax blinked once... twice... then looked at his friends.  Would they believe him if he told them..?  

 

No... no, I get the feeling that was just for me.

 

The Blackwater stallion smiled up at Selena.  "Isn't it, though?"

 

"Dax... that dragon... how do YOU know so much about clockworks?"

 

He blushed a bit.  "Well, from books... and you, Silver."

 

Her eyes widened.  "M-m-me?  But I've NEVER built anything like THIS!"  She made her way over to the dragon, and tentatively laid a hoof on its' side.  "I mean, it's beautiful... but you REALLY couldn't have come up with... with THIS... from MY work, could you?"

 

"Silver," he grinned, "your work is amazing.  I've seen you sketch out a number of things, seen you bring some of them to life, and I've watched you fix all sorts of stuff around the quarry - if I hadn't picked up SOMETHING, then I'd be pretty dense, don'cha think?"

 

Sighing, she smiled back.  "Dax... if I had even the smallest hoof in this, I'm flattered.  Really, I am."

 

He beamed at her, then turned back to Illiad.  "I'm really glad you like it; I was kinda wondering if it would be... well, if you wouldn't like it.  I just wanted to show you that... well..."  He motioned to their surroundings.  "... your friendship means the world to me; even if it's another world entirely."

 

"Awwwwww..."  Silver smiled sweetly.

 

He turned to Selena.  "I even have a planet for you... but, um... well, it's not like a... normal planet.  Because you're nowhere in the same room as 'normal', anyway - you'd need something REALLY unique!  And Silver," he turned to her, "yours is really cool, too.  I just..."

 

He looked at them all questioningly.  "I didn't want to take up all our dreamtime with just MY stuff... this is supposed to be for ALL of us, right?  Am... am I being selfish?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena looked down at Dax from her perch atop the clockwork dragon, seemingly content to pretend it was flying around despite not really having the room to fly around on it without dragging the others along. "Are you foaling me? You create for us these amazing things, and wonder if you're being selfish by showing them off? I think hardly! You won't get another chance like this to show this off for a long time, I for one wouldn't mind spending the rest of tonight on a guided tour of your universe, or at least to what you made for Silver and I. Given what you made for Illiad here I know it will be something truly amazing!"

 

Illiad smiled too as he chimed in, "You thought up this amazing world and you've only known me really for a few weeks at best, you've known Silver for so much longer, thus I would think her world would be even more amazing in regards to things she would enjoy. This whole universe even... Honestly there isn't anything I'd rather do tonight than get to see it with the two of you."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

If Dax's mood had sunk when he'd been told to shrink the world, it soared as he was asked to give them a tour.

 

"I'd love nothing more... really.  Thank you - all of you."

 

He smiled broadly as he turned and looked to Selena.

 

"Okay... Planet Silver next!"

 

Obligingly, the world around them shifted until they were standing in an open field of flowers.  

 

Steel flowers.

 

Each set of petals on every flower was a gear, which spun softly as the wind lightly blew past them.  Their stalks had little trails of green light that pulsed from flower to ground, and combined they made a green rippling effect across the surface, which was also steel.

 

There was a forest at the edges... but the trees?  They too were metal; it was as if they were Weeping Willows - but their flowing greenery was replaced with what looked like tinsel.  Each strand seemed to have a mirrory-shade to it, reflecting light softly, in a dazzling array of colors, like a prism.

 

Floating in and around these metal beauties were tiny little balls of light.  There were numerous colors, and they seemed to lazily drift along in the air, almost like bubbles.  One of these, a green one, landed gently on Silver's muzzle.  She crossed her eyes, then suddenly gasped.

 

"It's... it's a clockwork!  B-but I don't... what is it?"

 

Dax laughed.  "They're supposed to be like Breezies, which I learned about those from Mr. Stump, one of my old biology tutors.  I just took the design, made it metal instead of its' usual composition, then gave it a glow.  Cute, aren't they?"

 

At the outskirts of Illiad's vision, there was a flash of white light.

 

In the distance behind them, a large, dark stormcloud was rolling in.  It looked quite ominous, especially as a small jolt of lightning arced through said cloud, sending runnels of electricity rolling along the boiling, cottony surface.

 

"It's a storm?"

 

Dax smiled.  "Eeyup - a BRAINstorm!"

 

As if his joke conjured up reality, it suddenly began raining - and the rain looked more like cartoony thought bubbles, the kind you'd see in a comic strip when someone was thinking.  One of them landed right on Illiad's head, and he heard Silver's voice in his mind:

 

[... seven ounces of titanium dust, mixed with a gel-based polymer, soaked overnight in pure saltwater...]

 

And it was gone.  The thought hadn't been intrusive, nor blaring; it had simply sounded like he'd heard her muttering to herself in passing - but inside his mental ear instead of his physical ones.  It was... a bit strange.  But, in his own way, Dax had brought a pun to life; it was literally raining ideas.

 

"Now, above that cloud is YOUR palace, Silver!"

 

"A-a-above?"

 

As the cloud parted from the rest of its surroundings, a large gathering of tubes - like a pipe organ - resting atop a platform that seemed to float impossibly on top of the cloud itself.  It was a mobile castle!  It soared over their heads, the bubbles of the brainstorm popping lightly on the ground around them.

 

"Dax..." she said, but stopped there; she was smiling and speechless.

 

"The castle moves around all over the planet's surface, never taking exactly the same path twice.  Where the brainstorms go, it gives some of the mecha-critters below ideas, and they use their own mechanical skills, in turn, to build the forests and flowers you see here.  The entire planet is constantly replenishing itself, thanks to your castle and the brainstorms.  It's all one big machine, and every creature and plant is a cog..."

 

She turned to stare at him.  "Dax... this is... it's... wow..."

 

He smiled, and Illiad could feel the absolute joy and acceptance radiating from him as he took in the reaction and praise.

 

"And every bit of it responds to you."

 

As if on cue, a swarm of colored lights flew upward out of the flowers around her, surrounding her with a whirlwind of a display.  She laughed in surprise, and turned a few circles as they passed her, floating toward the forest's edge, ready to create once again.

 

Dax turned to Illiad.  "Planet Silver is roughly two-thirds the size of Planet Illiad.  It has mostly flatlands, but there are mesas and plateaus that dot the landscape as well, and there's a LOT of lakes, but no ocean - and the lakes are all freshwater, so as not to promote rust.  There are TWO moons here - named 'Not Really' and 'More Like'."

 

Silver gave a short bark of a laugh, then covered her muzzle and just blushed.

 

"And there's a Lake Easle... and it's heart-shaped."  He smiled sheepishly again.  "With pink water."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis, 

 

Illiad remained standing, even though the field was very pretty steel was not all the comfortable to sit on given all the angular edges of the flowers. He was, nonetheless, amazed at everything there was to see around him. "You really are much smarter than most give you credit for. Even though I get the idea that most of the clockwork is more an approximation where the dream takes it the rest of the way rather than you having the fundamental understanding of how to build everything here, otherwise you would actually build these things in the waking world and become rather famous for it, imagine a pony your age creating the first approximations of artificial life."

 

He shook his head slightly with a big smile, "Really, though, I must say I'm impressed."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax gave a soft grin.

 

"Yeah, the actual clockwork's kinda fudged... but the concepts are valid.  I've always been really imaginative - or so my tutors have told me - but I've..."

 

He teared up just a bit.

 

"... I've never really had anypony... actually, anyONE... to really share it with before.  Harcourt and Oglevy - they've seen some of it, but... you're the first friends I've really ever had the chance to do ANYTHING creative like this for.... that I WANTED to do this for... which makes me want to go all out for you - ALL of you."

 

Silver walked over and gave Dax a tight hug.  "Dax Blackwater, I am absolutely honored to call you a friend; I knew you were clever, but this?  This makes ME feel like I'm slacking!"

 

"Silver, I never would have even considered anything like this if it hadn't been for your tinkering... and your willingness to share and show.  Thank you for that, Silver - your kindness and skill went a long way for me."

 

He turned to Selena.  "And this dreamworld... this place of such amazing fantasy... I don't think words exist in the Equestrian language - in ANY language - to ever properly thank you for an opportunity like this.  To just... create... you're an amazing miracle of magic, Selena - and you're a wonderful friend."

 

Now he focused on Illiad.  "And you.  I..."

 

He suddenly dashed over and threw his forelegs around the Trojan, hugging him tightly and almost literally gushing the kind of affection that good friends often share.  

 

"Thank you; none of what I've experienced this week would have been even remotely possible if you hadn't sent that first letter.  You'll never really know what that meant to me... but I'm sure by now you could take an educated guess, I'll bet.  Thank you, Illiad Easle, for being my friend."

 

He sure was a huggy-type, wasn't he?

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad returned the hug as he ruffled the colt's mane, "And thank you Dax Blackwater, for being my friend. Thank you for showing me this wondrous world of a quarry and this unique universe of yours that you keep in your head."

 

Selena came over to join the hug too, "I suppose I am a miracle of magic, there may never be another like me, but I know there will never be another quite like you Dax, and I'm glad I got to be myself around you." She looked up and over at Silver, " You too, of course, I'm glad I got to spend time with both of you."

 

She stepped back from the hug as stared at a tiny sundial that appeared on her hoof, "It looks like we have enough time to visit another planet before we'll have to end the dream as Illiad and Dax have a pair of trains to catch."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax nodded.  "Okay then - next stop, Planet Selena!  But, let me tell you," he grinned, "it's certainly different."

 

The scenery shifted once more, and they were all standing on what appeared to be a large, square platform made entirely of diamond... CLOUD diamond, to be exact.

 

The platform was simply floating there, and surrounding it were all sorts of other platforms, all moving in different directions: up, down, sideways, diagonally... and their slow progression made it look almost like they were situated for leaping from one to the other.  They moved seemingly randomly, but after a moment's examination it appeared as though each platform had a predetermined pattern that it followed, keeping every one of them from accidentally striking each other.

 

"What in... Dax?  W-w-where's the planet?"

 

The Blackwater laughed.  "We're ON it!  Or rather, a section of it - take a look!"

 

He motioned to the edge, and Silver tentatively stepped to it... and gasped.

 

Beneath the platform were what appeared to be MILLIONS more, all moving and twisting in their random-yet-determined patterns below them; there was no actual planet surface there - it was all made of these platforms.  

 

Yet as one looked, the shifting squares took on momentary visages below; a strange, yet wonderful form of flowing, moving art as they arranged themselves, completely by design, into three-dimensional landscapes, portraits, still-life art... and a number of these were displayed at each simple movement - blink, and you'd miss a Manehattan gallery's worth. 

 

Silver didn't comment or react, other than the stare of a mind awed by the sight before it.  Dax turned to face Selena, and gave her a soft smile.

 

"It's more of an idea of living art than a planet, actually... but since we first met, I've seen you as a miraculous creation, beautiful and wondrous, that represented something that NO ONE has ever truly known before.  So I really had to think about this one abstractly, and find a way to make it the most incredible thing in the entire universe - literally."

 

"From every angle, with the right kind of eyes, you can see hundreds of pictures in less than a minute... and it's perfectly safe, too!  Watch!"

 

Dax stepped right off the platform... and fell UP.  The stars were visible in what would be an eternally night sky, but it was the moon.  And the one next to it.  And the one next to THAT one.  On top of this, there wasn't just the sight of multiple moons to view; they were all in a direct line across the sky, perfectly spaced and enchantingly luminescent - like a lunar belt. 

 

Outward from the 'planet' he went, panels seemingly pre-pre-programmed for his passage and moving aside.  He 'fell' until he cleared the entire area... then floated there for a moment.  His eyes closed, stepping confidently, a happy Dax simply started walking in air.  As he drifted back down, he began stepping on another platform - as smoothly as if he'd been there to begin with.

 

"All gravity here is relative; you can fall any direction you'd like.  In fact, if you think at it hard enough..."

 

He squeezed his eyes shut, making a rather determined little face, until the platforms all shifted mere fractions of inches - and there were multiple views of Illiad Easle, from the moment he stepped off the train to this very scene, and flashes of each and every moment in between he'd had with the Blackwater stallion.

 

"... you can make it display anything you could ever imagine or remember."

 

"Selena - this is all for you."  He grinned shyly, but the genius behind his eyes shone like an emerald in the moonlight.  "Thank you for being my friend."

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

As they traveled Selena held on to the slightest bit of fear that what Dax made for her would be... underwhelming, it would be understandable, though, she was the one he knew least after all, thus how could she expect that he would create something that uniquely represented her?

 

She was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only was the planet very much like her, it surpassed her wildest dreams of what something so unlike her could represent her so well. She stared in wonder at all the things around her as Dax demonstrated, there was the freedom of her dream realm, the changeability of it all.

 

Illiad looked over the edge of one of the platforms and shuddered from a familiar memory before moving squarely to the center of the platform and willing the one he was on to stop moving, Selena remembered that experience and didn't blame him for making himself feel a bit safer.

 

She turned towards Dax, a serene smile on her face, " I never thought you would be able to capture me so well after having known me for such a short time. I do appreciate your friendship too Dax. Thank you for being my  friend."

 

A thought occurred to her and she willed it to life, a few of the nearby platforms shifted into motion, looking a bit like angular ponies and dancing about, floating in every direction in loose circles around the group. Nearby one particular angular stallion, who looked a bit more there than the others, was dancing with a much less angular mare who looked strikingly like Selena, though Selena was still sitting with the group. If anything the angular stallion looked a bit like the thing that attacked PANIC from before.

 

" Only in one particular dream had I danced before you came around, Dax. Illiad always was too close to me to do it without an audience. I really do appreciate it."

 

Illiad looked a bit chagrined by the comment, "Yeah, I guess I didn't want to look like I didn't care. I saw how much she enjoyed dancing with you, so I wanted to experience that enjoyment for myself as well."

 

After a few minutes of the dancing, Selena stopped it, letting the platforms return to their natural state and motions. "Well, it looks like our time is just about up. Illiad and Dax are going to need to head out for their train soon, wouldn't want to make you guys oversleep just for my enjoyment."

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Dax chuckled.  "It's weird - having had a night like this, only to wake up to another adventure... but a weird I could get very used to."

 

Silver turned and locked Dax in a hug.  She gave his mane a friendly touseling, then stepped back and gave him a thorough looking-over.

 

"Dax Blackwater - this just tells me you're as smart as I always knew you were.  I hope you have a safe trip, and you'll no doubt come back with all sorts of stories!  You be careful out there, okay?"

 

He nodded at her, then she turned to Selena.

 

"This is all so amazing... I really mean it!  YOU'RE amazing!  I've never ever, ever, ever met anyone like you... and from what I've experienced?  Your friendship is its own kind of magic... thanks for being so very stellar!"  She gave a slight giggle.  "Well, maybe not exactly a heavenly body in the sky, but more like you're out of this world!"

 

She walked over and gave Selena a hug, then turned to face Illiad.

 

"You."

 

She sauntered over to him, the look in her eyes being one of rather undisguised emotional hunger.

 

"You've done what no other stallion has ever managed to do - you got my attention romantically, Mr. Easle.  For years, I purposely AND accidentally stayed clueless as to the wiles of romance... and then you came along.  Illiad, you've shown me a type of love I'd been missing.  And you've shown me what sort of things I'm actually capable of.  And best of all?"

 

She leaned in and kissed him fully on the lips, lingering there long enough for the stuff of dreams and memories to record.

 

"... I do believe I LIKE it."

 

She nuzzled against him, warm, soft, and scented like machine oil and lavender.

 

"I love you," she whispered.

 

Dax looked over at them and smiled; it did his heart good to see two good friends finding something special in each other.  He then glanced over at Selena as Illiad and Silver had their moment.  Selena certainly was the most unique being he'd ever met.  She was so kind, so sweet, so very intelligent, so kind, so...

 

Stop it, Dax - I know what you're thinking... and there's no way someone like her would ever find someone like you to be...

 

Dax shook his head and looked over toward the pair.  "Illiad?  You wanna stay here, or should we get ready to leave now?"  He chuckled.  "Or do you perhaps need an extraction?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad smiled as he kissed Silver back and returned the affectionate nuzzle. "I love you too." He whispered right back at her.

 

Selena was glad to see that Illiad had found someone who could care about him as much as he cared about everyone around him, there weren't too many of those in his life and most of them were changelings. Not to say that the changelings were bad, just that it was nice to have another non-changeling in the friend group. Besides, if this kept up she would have another guest on the regular.

 

She sighed as she thought about Dax, while he was so adorable and so much someone she could see herself falling in love with, she was already infatuated with another, in a vision she had, one she hadn't shared with Illiad, she saw who she would end up with, someone who completed her so perfectly, another being of magic. Nonetheless, she could still appreciate Dax as a friend, a very good friend.

 

Illiad sighed as he looked over towards Dax while still staying close to Silver, "I guess we should get ready to go then, wouldn't want to feel rushed in packing and then forget something after all."

 

Selena nodded as the contents of the room slowly faded, a sad look on her face as she realized she wouldn't be able to hold up such a wonderous place again without all three of her guests to help support it, it was just too complex for her to hold up on her own in any capacity beyond just looking at it.

 

They all found themselves back in the center room they started in, then that too started to fade from their vision, slowly being replaced by the darkness that was the back side of their eyelids.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Strangely enough, Silver didn't feel like her usual self when she woke up - she felt invigorated.  Awake.  Alive.  She hadn't woken up feeling this jaunty in a long time - particularly without coffee.  It had to have been the wonderful experience they'd had last night - and she was so glad she got to see it.

 

The stars were still there when Silver opened her eyes.

 

But, Selena said it was time to wake up... why are the stars out?

 

Then she glanced around and laughed; they were the painted-on stars of Dax's room.  They were still laying on the palette in the floor - according to the clock on the dresser, it was indeed morning.  She gave a languid stretch, a long yawn, then snuck a look over at Illiad.

 

He is SO handsome... and intelligent... and brave... and now?  Going home.  To HIS home.  Dax is so lucky, and he doesn't even know it.  Speaking of which...

 

She looked over to the other side of their makeshift bed, on the other side of the lantern.

 

Dax's eyes were open, but to different levels, with one at three-quarters open, and the other about a third.  The green glisten of his irises stood out even further from the veins of bright red, and he made a sound like a zombie freshly-risen from the grave.

 

"MmmmmMmMmmMMMrrRRGH..."

 

He sort-of blinked; it didn't help.

 

"Dax?  Are you... okay?"

 

Aparently, Selena's warning about overdoing things and Illiad's comment about being tired the next day were exactly as they'd said; there was indeed a downside to building an entire universe in a single night.  

 

"Poor Daxie," she grinned, "guess you overdid it a bit, huh?"

 

He gave her a red-eyed glare... then a small chuckle and smile.

 

"... guess so."

 

He slowly began to stretch as Silver leaned over and nuzzled lightly against Illiad's cheek.

 

"Good mooooorrrrrrniiiiiing..." she purred into his ear, her eyes on Dax to make sure he wasn't paying attention; she might have been bold in her dreams, but Silver was still quite shy in the waking hours.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

Illiad gave a deep yawn as he rose from the blankets at Silver's words in his ear. He gave her a quick kiss before he too looked to the clock, "Good morning to you too. Well, it looks like we have just enough time to finish packing and such before we should get on the carriage and get going."

He stood fully up from the bed, a shiver running through him as he contacted the cooler air outside the blankets. He inspected his robe and grimaced, "Yeah, this is going to need to be washed when I get home, and speaking of which, Dax, it would be a good idea to wash up before we leave if you weren't planning to already, we'll be on the train for a few hours and it is definitely more comfortable the more recently you've been cleaned."

He started to make his way top the door before turning back to give Silver one last hug, "I'm really going to miss you, take care of yourself you hear? I fully intend to see you again even if it won't be very soon."

With that, he made his way out the door and back to his room to pack himself up for the trip. He shed and rolled both of his robes, the one he had been wearing and the one that Havoc had damaged, and placed them in his luggage along with the book Dax have him and the fancy outfit Vylia provided. He set out the cloak Dax had got him as he quickly bathed himself, putting it on soon after drying and being pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it was.

He did one last check of the room to ensure he hadn't missed anything, packing up all of his belongings while straightening the things that weren't his.

The room cleared, he grabbed his bags and proceeded in search of one of the Ons do they could be put on the carriage.

Edited October 2, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver gave a slight sniffle, but returned the hug, smiling sweetly as the Trojan bid his farewells.

 

"I'll be here, Illiad; not so much as right in this spot... but more like you'll know where to look for me."

 

Right here in the quarry... inventing, creating, building... and now, yearning.  Take care, love.

 

... she wished she could say, but she got the idea he felt that from her already, so she waved and smiled instead.

 

Dax murmured and gathered himself up like a bundle of dirty clothes, stumbling for his bathroom.  He bumped into the door, but only grunted - no harm, no foul.  The door shut, and he started getting the warm water ready.

 

And tried not to fall back to sleep.

 

=============================================

 

In the grand entrance hall, Beck stood off to one side, stacking some light luggage by himself; through the windows, Illiad could see Call outside with the harness, rigging it up even as Vylia Blackwater herself, in a charming sun hat and matching dress, pointed and spoke, giving directions.

 

At the front walk that circled the steps, towards the side where the path began that led down to the yard, Luther stood there with Chuck, Redd and Slapper, talking to them.  It looked serious; Luther ALWAYS looked serious, so it wasn't that big of a shock.  For what it was worth, the other three were all listening intently.

 

They were so very different, yet they had their own way of working together.  Chuck was good at keeping his head, and did a lot of the thinking.  Knee was certainly a voice of conscience, and had a few tricks up his sleeve.  Even Redd had a purpose, and kept the workers in line in his own way.  Between them, they handled the quarry like a rather squeaky, yet efficient machine.

 

Knee glanced right at him, once, through the window.  He subtly winked, then went right back to the conversation.  

 

Luther finished, they all spoke, then the three foreponies of the Blackwater Quarry headed back into the yard proper; the visitor was leaving, the excitement over, back to business as usual.  

 

Though now, Illiad got the distinct impression that it wouldn't be long before the next adventure showed up - the place was too special to stay boring for long.  And that was it's own magic.

 

Luther made his way back to the carriage.  He looked at it's frilly frou-frou-ness... and his muzzle momentarily wrinkled in disgust.  Then, almost comically, his eyes darted over to Vylia - and seeing her involved in talking to Call, he relaxed.

 

Beck, seeing Illiad headed his way, smiled and stood straight.  "Sir Easle, might I help you with whatever bags you may have?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad nodded to Beck as he passed the bags magically over towards him. "It just occurred to me that transferring all of the Blackwater's gifts on our train transfer is going to be a bit difficult with just me and Dax to do it. Maybe they should just caravan the goods down, though it would take a bit longer and be less secure than the train." He shook his head and sighed, "I'll figure that out later, it shouldn't be too much trouble. And really once we get to Troy they'll be taken care of and I won't have to worry about them any longer."

 

He sighed as he looked over at Beck more directly, "Oh! I'm sorry I didn't address you directly, yes I would like some help with my bags if you're offering." He set them down so Beck could collect and arrange them in whatever way he saw fit. After ensuring the letters from Taps were still with him as well as Selena's diamond, he made his way over to Luther, "Good morning."

 

He momentarily thought about adding a bit of small talk to the end of his greeting but decided he would let the stoic stallion decide whether a conversation was warranted at this time.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther looked at the Trojan with his usual scowl, but his eyes said he wasn't at all disappointed to see him.

 

"Illiad."

 

He stepped over to him, standing tall and thick next to Illiad's frame.

 

"Arrangements have been made - all luggage and deliveries have been secured and paid for, and the porters know this.  What we discussed will be onboard; it left here early this morning, and is already on the train."

 

He looked at the fellow stallion for a moment, then cleared his throat.

 

"I had doubts when Daxter originally came to me with news of your arrival.  I no longer do.  You have proven worthy of the trust he has put in you... and I thank you for that.  I will be able to rest knowing my child is safe with you."

 

At this point, Vylia turned and saw them.  "Illiad, dearie!  Glad to see you're ready to go... but where is Daxter?  It's very unlike him to be late for this - he's been going on about it for SO long, I would have almost thought he'd have been here before the TWINS!"

 

She sauntered over, and gave Luther a light nuzzle as she made her way next to him.

 

"You two boys... are you talking about me behind my flank?"  She smiled teasingly at her husband.

 

Luther, completely poker-faced, replied, "Always."

 

It was the right response.  She giggled and kissed Luther's cheek... and he almost smiled.  Almost.

 

Oglevy's head poked out of the carriage.  "ILLIAD!"

 

Suddenly, there was a small blue cyclone swirling around him as the colt zipped out of his seat and flew rapid circles around the unicorn.  

 

"You can sit between Dax and I!  Have you seen the Canterlot Castle from the pathway?  Is the train from Troy?  Will it look different?  Will there be Trojans there waiting for you?  How long will the trip be?  Are you and Dax sitting together?  Are you homesick?  Why can't you stay another week?  Can I come too, next time?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad was impressed once again at Luther's efficiency, though really he should have expected it by now. "I appreciate your confidence in me Luther, I hope I'll never give you any reason to think it misplaced."

 

He turned to Vylia as she approached, "Last I saw him he was getting himself prepped and finalizing his packing for the trip, I'm surprised though that he didn't beat me out here, we were up late last night, though, so he may have accidentally fallen back asleep, someone ought to go check on him if he isn't out here soon."

 

He looked over at Oglevy and smiled, though a brief bit of surprise crossed his features at his words, he had assumed that it would only be him and Dax up to the train, with the farewell being here at the manor rather than at the train station, but he supposed this would work too. "I have seen the castle from the pathway yes, the train we'll be boarding in Canterlot is a standard Equestrian train and it will only be taking us as far as Dodge where we'll transfer to a Trojan train which does look quite different from the Equestrian ones. From what I've heard they look similar to the crystal engines, though made of metal, I expect at least one Trojan will be waiting for us when we arrive in Troy, the trip is about four hours from Canterlot to Dodge and another hour from there to Troy, after which it will be another hour to Deltrot. Yes Dax and I will be sitting together on the train, I'm not homesick, and I can't stay another week because then I wouldn't have time to show Dax around Troy before my other obligations interfere with my schedule. Perhaps you could come visit at some point in the future, but we'll see."