open Two Hearts, One Fate (SOL)

[ReverieRiver 525]

@, @@Frosty V,

 

(( OOC: I think we can go on to Cloudsdale. ))

 

"We're heading to Cloudsdale now," Galatea told Frost before looking to Thunder. "And it does sound like an interesting place indeed." In the future, the weather was largely regulated by technology in the place of the pegasi's influence; to see the original city of the pegasi, where the ponies controlled the weather, was bound to be an exciting experience for her.

 

Nano paused for a moment. He and Frost weren't pegasi, and thus supposedly would not be able to reach Cloudsdale. However, Nano was equipped with a flight mode, which he activated at once. A pair of solid metal wings (like those on an airplane) sprouted from his sides, and a small fraction of his energy reserves were redirected to his hooves, where powerful propulsors capable of getting him into the air resided. These energy propulsors hummed as he would prepare for takeoff, but not before looking at Frost.

 

"You could ride on my back," he offered, tilting his head slightly.

 

@@00Pony, @@CharChar,

 

Ariel followed along behind Saronyx quietly, again finding it more comfortable to keep to herself and her thoughts. Yet, sometimes even her own thoughts weren't her friend. No, stop that! she mentally chastised herself. It wasn't going to do her any good to focus on the less pleasant aspects of herself and her mind. Thinking about bad things would only lead to bad things.

 

Her ears flicked up when she heard Break speak. Looking in his direction - but making certain to not make eye contact - she answered, "Yes, I believe we're heading to the library." Her ears flattened for a moment as she immediately turned to Saronyx for confirmation. "R-Right?"

 

Then she heard a voice whispering into her ear. It was faint, but its words were distinct in her mind. Pathetic. You should have more confidence in yourself, instead of clinging to others...

 

No... N-No! Leave me alone! she mentally yelled at the voice, trembling for a few brief moments. After a tense minute or so, the mare then relaxed as that dreaded voice said no more. Thank goodness... I hope nopony noticed. Ariel glanced around, then at the stallions accompanying her. To distract herself from the worry, she tried to reset her train of thought, focusing on something else.

 

The first thing that came to her mind then was Break's apparent insistence about going to the library. Even being so out of touch as she typically was, Ariel could tell that that was somewhat out of the ordinary, especially since this was supposed to be a casual tour of the town. Why was he so adamant about the library? Was he perhaps looking for information? What kind of information would he possibly be seeking? She couldn't help but to wonder. But then again, perhaps she was simply reading too much into it.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@@Miss Reaper,

 

"Alright then...here we go!" Thunder stated as he ascended in the sky. "Cloudsdale is where pegasai make the weather. There's also the Cloudsdale Colosseum, where various competitions are held. Not to long ago, The Wonderbolts, an elite team of pegasai, made a training academy for pegasai who want to become one of them." Thunder stated as he continued to fly up towards Cloudsdale.   

[00Pony 286]

@@Miss Reaper,@@CharChar,

 

The Crystal stallion's ears swiveled from Break, to Ariel as each spoke. Saron gave a good natured chuckle, "Yeah, Golden Oak Library seems the place to be. We can head there and figure out where to go next," he started towards the exit, shrugging hi shoulders slightly as he walked, "It's not really the first place I'd of chosen, but hey. It's a curious work of architecture, and Twilight's friendly enough to newcomers, if a bit inquisitive."

 

He moved past his companions, nudging the exit doorway open and stepping through to wait for them to file through themselves.

 

(As I had said dozens of times before, sorry for the wait. Been dealing with some things IRL that have made it difficult for me to think. Sorry again, and I'll try to be far more active from here on out.)

[CharChar 35]

@@00Pony,@@Miss Reaper,

 

Going out into the Sunlight, Break was greeted by the blinding radiance of the outside.  "It's nice out today, isn't it?"  He asked, rhetorically.

 

He started for the library immediately, making sure his .."friends" were right behind him the entire time.  Ponies passed by without much of a care, as they were out to do their own business.  The Library was just in sight, down the dirt path.

I....I feel like something bad is about to happen now.  ...No, I can't stop now.  I have to keep going, no matter how much it's going to hurt.

[Frosty V 309]

@@Miss Reaper

 

Frost watched as the group started to fly towards Cloudsdale, he turned to see Nano have some flying mechanism. This made Frost smile, but he didn't have a way to get there, he turned to go when Nano asked if he wanted to ride on his back. Frost's face lit up with happiness as he trotted over and nodded happily. "Yes I would like that, thank you Nano." He said as he slowly and carefully climbed onto the stallions back with a grunt of effort. "Ok I'm all set, are you good?" He asked

[ReverieRiver 525]

@, @@Frosty V,

 

Galatea listened as Thunder Dash spoke, quietly absorbing the information. She was quickly growing more and more interested in this past world, so different compared to the future world she knew - her inquisitive mind led to a great curiosity. Pegasi making the weather by their own abilities! The Wonderbolts, an elite team of trained pegasi! What else was there to discover that she hadn't known?

 

Meanwhile, Nano looked back at Frost and nodded. The stallion's weight on his back wasn't much to the robot; though he hadn't been built for power, Nano still had the strength of an average stallion at least, if not more. Gradually powering up the propulsors in his hooves, he slowly lifted off and rose into the air. He gained speed, just a little at a time so as not to accidentally throw Frost off. Keeping balance wasn't an issue; stabilizers allowed Nano to easily remain balanced as he flew behind Thunder Dash and Galatea towards Cloudsdale.

 

@@CharChar, @@00Pony,

 

Ariel stepped through the doorway behind Break, lingering a few moments so that Saronyx would move on ahead of her before she continued, trailing behind the two stallions. She squinted when the bright sunlight first hit her eyes, especially unused to such radiance. The sun never shone this brightly in Diadem City, though perhaps that was because its mistress, Princess Celestia, had long been gone on a journey with Princess Twilight to try and find a way to peace. There, in the bleak future, the sun continued on its own without Celestia, and yet never shone as brilliantly as it once did; it missed the warm touch that used to help it rise above the horizon each morning.

 

Looking ahead, having to peek around the stallions in front of her to do so, Ariel saw the library. And to her, it was a curious structure indeed - a tree, of all things! Certainly an interesting sight to see. She wondered how the inside of it would look like, and whether this Twilight would be-

 

Wait. Twilight?!

 

Twilight was here? What was she doing, in this quiet little town, in a library of all places? Diadem City needed her! Ariel's heart started thudding heavily in her chest. It couldn't be coincidence, could it? There couldn't have simply been some other library keeper that just happened to be named Twilight, right? Whether or not Saronyx mentioned Twilight before, she suddenly couldn't remember, but it must not have registered with her somehow if he had.

 

N-No need to overreact, she tried to tell herself. She had been doing so well so far, and that desire to keep a normal appearance still somehow kept her from an anxiety attack in spite of what came across as shocking to her. She took a few deep breaths, and decided that she would have to see for herself if this was really and truly the Princess Twilight. If so... well, royalty or no, she would have to give that mare a piece of her mind for abandoning Diadem City. Maybe she'd even be able to try and convince her to come back, if she was assertive enough. She'd just have to wait and see about that, though.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@@Miss Reaper,

 

"So...where would you like to go first. We can go...to the weather factory, the Wonderbolt academy...the collesuem, or even my place if you want to hang up in the clouds for a while. And one more thing..." Thunder stated as he gathered some electricity and let a light current run through Galatea's body. "You can now walk on clouds because of a spell I just cast on you." Thunder said as he continued to fly.  

[Frosty V 309]

@@Miss Reaper

 

Frost wobbled a bit as he and Nano took off, trying his hardest to stabilize himself, helping Nano out a bit. "Whoa, guess I'm not that used to flying yet! He said with a laugh as he lowered him self so that he almost layed across Nano's back, staring down at the ground below, "Wow its so beautiful from up here! I wish I was a pegasus!" He said happily

[00Pony 286]

(Hey! Look everyone! 00 didn't make you wait for two weeks (he thinks)! Progress!!)

 

@@Miss Reaper,@@CharChar,

 

Saronyx had moved ahead soon as both his companions were through. He made sure not to leave too much of a gap, however. He moved at a pace somewhere between a trot and a walk. The sun was bright and warm, the breeze gentle, the atmosphere filled with positivity. Well, mostly. It was a fact of their biology for Crystal ponies to be empathetic beings, sensing and thriving off the feelings around them. In an abundance of positivity, like Ponyville or the Crystal Empire post Revival, a Crystal pony was at their peak of mood, health, and the aesthetic, crystalline luster of their coats.

 

Of course, negative feeling also had an effect. Enough of that could make even the brightest - which bears both literal and metaphorical meaning to his kind - and most cheery of Crystal Ponies to a depressed and angry wretch. Not to mention their coats became incredibly dreary and dull. Luckily Ponyville was a very cheerful place, and Saronyx had learned over the years to keep a chipper demeanor, despite his empathy screaming at him to do otherwise. As such, his good mood remained and his coat still shone forth with the usual luster.

 

The day's atmosphere was rather infectious. The sun's warmth seeping into his coat and notwithstanding the negative feelings positively radiating from his companions, he remained undaunted on the outside. Break was worried about something. Or if not worried, then anxious... Weren't those the same thing? Ah well. Whatever it was, it likely had to do with Ariel. Poor girl... She didn't seem to be figuring out that this was the past, and she certainly had a lot of internal strife. Saronyx bit the inside if his cheek. The longer he waited to inform her of where - when - she was, the harder it started to become. Call it foolish, but it was. The Crystal stallion knew she would find out sooner or later, and if it wasn't from him telling her... He didn't want to think of what might happen.

 

So in order to keep his spirits up, Saronyx began to hum. Tunelessly at first, but it soon shifted to the Anthem of the Crystal Empire. He wasn't a singer. Not by a long shot, but he could manage to keep a pleasant tune and tone when humming. He could tell when somebody or something was out of tune or if they missed a note, but he could only point it out, not show them how to fix it. That was the task Serenity - his twin sister - put upon herself, always the critic. Wonder what shenanigans she was getting herself into up in Canterlot right now?

 

Saronyx brought his mind back to the present. He was still humming the same Anthem on repeat, mainly to himself. But they had arrived at their destination, for he stood right in front of the trees to Golden Oak library. The Crystal let his tune die out, cleared his throat as he once more reminded himself that he had two walking companions, and gave the library door three, short and solid knocks, then stepped back to wait.

 

---

 

(Alright, Twilight time.)

 

"Well, that's 'The Principles of Quantum Physics'... Again. What was that, the fifth time? You might need to start considering a new book, Twilight Sparkle."

 

A wreath of magenta light enveloped the large book, lifting it from the small stand and closing it with a soft 'thump'. It then lifted it to the empty space upon the nearby bookshelf, sliding perfectly into place alongside its siblings. Twilight sighed, extinguishing the sheath of magic around her horn as she stretched, extending her wings to their full length. It had been some time since she was first granted these wings, and with them the title of Princess. Even now, she was still getting used to their presence.

 

Twilight folded her wings back against her sides once more, trotting briskly down the steps from her bedroom to the main foyer of her library-home, going over a mental checklist of things to do. Nothing really particularly important was going on today. It was just one of those lazy days where she could laze about, drinking some of Zecora's herbal tea mixtures and reading her selection of books for the umpteenth time. Although, there had been some immensely peculiar fluctuations of magical energy earlier. She didn't know what caused them, but she had sure felt the force of their happening. That was actually one of the reasons she read her Quantum Physicis book again.

 

"Now I think about it... Going out to investigate those does seem like a more productive use of my time." She commented aloud, tearing her gaze from one of her high windows. Before she could get much further, however, she felt her ears swiveling involuntarily towards her door. Three knocks, short but solid. That was the Crystal writer, Saronyx, if she remembered properly. He always knocked that way. What might he be doing here?

 

Her curiosity taking point briefly, Twilight trotted to the door, gripping it in the magenta light of her magic's manifestation and pulling it inwards, smiling brightly, "Good afternoon! What brings you by Golden Oak today?" She asked, her eyes moving from making contact with the Crystal's to his two companions. She recognized the stallion as Break Shimmerald, but the mare was completely unknown to her, "Who's your friend?"

 

Saronyx returned the smile in the usual way, "Afternoon, Twilight. This is Ariel, first time visiting from out of town, and I'm sure you've met Break before."

 

The alicorn nodded a greeting to Break as she stepped back and to the side to allow them entrance, "Hello, Break." she said, finally setting her eyes on Ariel. What was that look the young mare bore? Recognition? Something else? Odd.

 

She glanced to Saronyx as he extended one hoof towards Ariel, panning it across to herself as he spoke, "Ariel, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle," She smiled at the other mare and held out a hoof as Saron continued, "Twilight, as I've said, this Ariel. I bumped into her this morning and she seemed a little lost, first time around here and all. I offered to show her around and Break decided to tag along," he chuckled good naturedly, "I think he wants to check out a book or something, he seemed pretty adamant about coming here."

 

There was a look in that shiny old eye of his. A look that stated something was off. Something he would probably discuss with her at some point soon, she had little doubt. She gave Ariel another smile, "Give me a minute to get Break set up with whatever he needs, and I'll be back around to answer any questions you may have, or what have you." She then turned and trotted to Break, "So, what are you after today?"

 

 

Saronyx cleared his throat, "So that's the recently ascended Princess Twilight. Was one of the Elements of Harmony. Pretty neat stories surround that," he glances to Ariel, "So what do you think about this place?"

 

 

(So there's my first post as Twilight. Forgive me if I god modded, or if te continuity or whatever seems off. It is three in the morning for me right now. Also, if using text colors will make discerning who is talking easier, let me know and I will try and use them)

[CharChar 35]

@@00Pony,@@Miss Reaper,

 

Break looked at the Princess for a moment, and motioned her to move towards the bookcase.  "I'm looking for a book on Strange Illnesses and stuff..."  He quickly glanced back at Ariel, but it was so quick that nopony could ever notice.   He leaned in closely, trying to whisper, "Anything on weird eyes that make you act strange?"

 

((I guess we can all play as Twlily? lol))

"Well, yes.  The book you're looking for is 'Brain Block Cases'."  She floated out at brown hard cover book from the shelf above.

 

Break immediately grabbed it and flipped through the pages with his magic,  "Thank you!  I'm just trying to figure something out..."

 

Twilight started to walk away as she left Break to his own devices, she wanted to talk to the new pony anyway.

...Twilight, you're a character, I'll say that much.  ...But anyway, let's look for weird blue eyes or something...  The pages flew by under his magic.  It should be under 'Permanent Afflictions' it seems...

 

dBreak was finally getting to the bottom of ...SOMETHING it seemed, unless another gaping hole in the puzzle were to show up out of nowhere...

[ReverieRiver 525]

@, @@Frosty V,

 

"Anywhere here is fine with me," Galatea said. "Actually, I'd like to see it all! But, I'll let you decide." It didn't matter to her where they went next or what they saw first - everything was to be a spectacle for her to witness.

 

It felt strange when the current went through her; a burst of static electricity that made her fur bristle for only a few moments before settling. She wondered what that was for, until Thunder Dash explained. A spell, from a pegasus? That alone was curious, but to be told that she would be able to walk on clouds! She had heard that pegasi had such an ability, though she hadn't really seen it in practice. She then started thinking of how the clouds might feel beneath her hooves once she and Thunder landed.

 

Nano looked over his shoulder at Frost with happy eyes. There was little concern for him keeping to a stable path; his sensors and stabilizers did half of that job for him. "Flight is a joyous thing, indeed," he said before returning his attention forward. "It is somewhat unfortunate that I can enjoy my flight mode only sparsely - it consumes too much of my energy supplies if used for too long."

 

@@00Pony, @@CharChar,

 

Ariel was too lost in her own thoughts to notice much else as she walked behind Saronyx and Break, pulling herself from the depths of her musings only as they reached the door to the library. She was still anxious about meeting the library keeper - maybe it was Princess Twilight, maybe it was not. She wouldn't know until that door opened.

 

And when that door did open, Ariel was nearly floored by the shock. It was Princess Twilight, in the flesh! She had no outward reaction, however. The unicorn mare simply froze in place, as if her mind were too overwhelmed to do anything at all. All the while during introductions, Ariel stared blankly at the princess; not moving, not saying a word.

 

Only after Twilight moved away to tend to Break did Ariel's brain finally restart. "P... P-Princess... Twilight..." she repeated slowly, as though hearing the name slipping off her own tongue would make any difference.

 

Then Saronyx's words hit her, with even greater impact than the fact that the Princess was here to begin with. She physically recoiled, scrambling several steps backwards and nearly stumbling over her own hooves in the process. "R... Re... Recently ascended?" she echoed with some incredulity, looking to Saronyx with wide eyes. Twilight had been a princess ever since before she was born! "Wha- What's going on...?"

 

When she spotted Twilight heading her way, a peculiar sound escaped the mare - some sort of strangled gasp - as she immediately backed away from the princess, looking as if she'd seen a ghost. In a sense, she felt as if she was looking at a ghost.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@@Miss Reaper,

 

"Okay then...onto the weather factory!" Thunder said as he flew over to the left over some clouds. They then arrived at some gates. Since Thunder used to work there, the gatepony allowed him and Galatea access. "Well, this is where the weather is made. Thunder stated as he slowly walked into the first room. "This here's the snowroom, snow is made and stored in special large clouds for the upcoming winter. Snowflakes are also made here, as you can see." Thunder pointed to some worker ponies crafting snowflakes.  

[00Pony 286]

@@Miss Reaper,@@CharChar,

 

 

 Saronyx stared levelly at Ariel, his mind trying to work out what was going on behind that violet eye of hers. First off, shock and disbelief. That was clear just from her tone and body language. But it was the unwillingness to believe what he had just said. Judging by the fact that she repeated 'recently ascended' and asked what was going on, Saronyx began to realize his folly. He gave a sigh, "Propter cordis,* Saronyx you are a fool." He grumbled as he heard Twilight's hooves clopping against the wooden floor of her home to stand before him and Ariel.

 

The Crystal pony looked to her, the expression on the Princess's face one of confusion. From her he looked back to Ariel, moving to stand between her and Twilight. He reached out a hoof slowly, speaking in the softest and most calming tone he could muster, "Ariel, I'm going to ask you to be very calm and listen to me, alright? I was trying to figure out a way to tell you this that would've come as less of a shock... But I guess that would be near impossible and now's as good a chance as any," one more sigh and then, "Amice mi...** You're in the past. A very long way, I would assume." Saronyx's tone could be likened to that of Celestia, or one of her age and experience. After all, technically speaking, he was.

 

 

Twilight's own violet eyes widened at that little revelation. The past? So this mare, Ariel, was from the future? What was it like? Who was still there? How did she managed to get back here? A perfected time travel spell? But that wouldn't make sense, she would know where she was if that were it. But maybe it was an accident? These and many more thoughts and questions shot through her mind in the span of a few seconds, but she held her tongue as she and the Crystal waited for Ariel's response. Whether Break had heard was unclear.

 

*(Propter cordis = loosely translated 'Heart's Sake'. A Crystal pony expletive used in place of 'For Celestia's sake' or something of that nature.

**(Amice mi = loosely translated 'My friend'.)

[CharChar 35]

@@00Pony,@@Miss Reaper,

 

His ear twitched when he heard a strange noise emanate from Ariel, and couldn't help but look over.  Her face was exasperated and full of awe, but not the good kind, more like the "I'm freaking out right now" kind.  Saron turned to her, and said something that made Break stand up in shock; almost flipping the book he was reading.

 

He froze, hearing a blaring truth go through the air as Saron finished talking to Ariel.  His mouth was agape, but he was turned away from the ponies so they didn't see his face.

 

The...the future?!  What?!  Wait......  Fractals of memory overlapped in Break's mind as he unraveled all that he has learned so far.  The crystals made spires in his mind and connected beautifully to make a neat craft of thought and solution.  Saron knew, the whole time.  But him saying it now means Ariel DIDN'T know he knew, which means my feelings about him were completely justified.  Break peered down at the Book that lay on the floor, it's page had flipped on accident when he dropped it from his magic.

 

He picked up the book with his magic again, and looked at the page it stopped on, the page's title was "Weird Eye Syndrome: A.K.A Ice Eye".  He skimmed it's contents, and made a very decisive conclusion on Ariel's state of mind.

 

His hoof raised and met with his chin as he made a small gasp upon finishing.  The book slowly floated back down to the ground.  He shook his head a little bit; finding his senses returning.

 

Break didn't want to break the news just yet, as he wanted to get a matter straightened out first,  "Saron.  What is your special talent again?"  Break was still looking away, trying not to let them see his stoically darkened expression.  His voice was very straight and had a particular weight to it.

 

The room was on the peak of it's potential outbreak of emotion...  He could feel the atmosphere darken before anypony could answer, he could feel their secrets and hidden thoughts pulsating under chains they made themselves: Even more than ever before.

[00Pony 286]

@@Miss Reaper,@@CharChar, 

 

 

Saronyx turned his attention briefly to Break upon hearing the book hit the floor, but the Crystal didn't pursue that trail of action, maintaining his place before Ariel and the Princess. But then, he didn't have to. He had only just turned to look back at Ariel, trying to read her expression when he was hit with a wave of uneasiness. There were plenty of other feelings mixed in with it. A slight groan was the Crystal stallion's only indicator of this, however. But he knew that things could easily take a turn for... something. He'd witnessed Ariel's destructive powers back in Everfree and was not keen to see them unleashed here. He had no solid reason to believe that Ariel would, but he'd encountered many surprises in his life time and those he'd watched. Anything was possible. Saronyx felt his attention diverted from this train of thought by Break's voice. The Unicorn stallion was inquiring about the nature of his special talent. Saron narrowed his eyes at Break, for he was not facing them. He didn't like that. His body language and tone suggested something he knew that Saronyx didn't about their situation. 

 

All the same, the Visionary sighed after a few seconds and spoke, his tone still as it had been, "Writing and imagination," he initially said, in a blunt manner. A second later, and he spoke again, "At least, that's what I tell everyone that asks. It's true, for the most part. But I'm leaving out one very, very important detail. I'm what is known as a 'Videns', in my tongue. In the common speech you all use, it would translate to 'Visionary'. Aside from my sister, the only ponies I've ever told this are the Princesses. I suppose you and Ariel will make that number to be seven. I would appreciate it if you keep it under wraps."

 

Saronyx looks back to Twilight - who had moved from behind him to a different position so that she could face all three of her visitors - and then to Break as he speaks, "I can see the past. Everything that ever was, in this reality or another, is visible to me. The one place I cannot look, however, is the future." He finishes, his silver eyes coming to rest finally on Ariel.

[ReverieRiver 525]

@@00Pony, @@CharChar,

 

The revelation was like a heavy weight crashing down on Ariel; her weak, quivering legs gave way beneath her, and she fell back onto her hindquarters while her mind tried to further process Saronyx's words.

 

"H-How...? It's not... It's not possible..." she murmured to herself - but the more she thought on it, the more it made sense. It explained why everything seemed so different; why she had never heard of, let alone seen, a place such as Ponyville; why she had seen a stark absence of advanced technology. But how? How did it happen?

 

Her already wide eyes opened even more as it hit her. "Th-The portal... Galatea! S-She... But why?" She shook her head, her mind skipping from one subject to another, like an old record player needle jumping over a beat in the music. "Wh- How am I supposed to get back? I... I'm stuck here!" Saronyx had told her to be calm; but right now, that simply was not going to be possible.

 

She drew her hooves close to herself in an almost defensive manner as she started trembling visibly. Her heart was starting to pound wildly; she could even hear its frantic pulse in her ears, and she was half-certain that the others would be able to hear it. "I'm... never going to be able to get back home..." she whimpered, well on her way to an anxiety attack - if this right now wasn't to be considered one.

 

Trapped in her own fears, she hadn't paid all too much attention to Saronyx and Break up until this point, when Saronyx mentioned the future. The future... She was from their future. But that hardly mattered to her now. The rising sense of tension was too much for her to bear. Her own anxiety peaked, and suddenly, she felt the overwhelming need to escape from the situation.

 

"Get out... Have to get out..." she muttered nervously as her horn started crackling and fizzling with latent energy. Her magic surged from the sheer force of her urgent desire, enveloping her for a brief moment before dissipating; only to reform in another place a mere few feet away. It would seem that a teleportation spell had been attempted, only to fail for her lack of skill in that particular magic. The unicorn mare swayed unsteadily, and soon found herself sitting on the floor once more after losing balance; she had been left mildly disoriented and off-balance from the sudden change of location.

 

She looked around to regain her bearings, her ears flattening when she realized that she was still in the library. Her attempt to get away had failed - miserably so - and she didn't have enough magic to attempt another teleportation spell (not that it would have been more likely to work the second time, anyway).

 

@, @@Frosty V,

[00Pony 286]

@@Miss Reaper,@@CharChar,

 

 

Saronyx's jaw set as he watched Ariel. Judging by her words it wasn't a time spell cast by herself, which was obvious enough. Rather, it was a portal that had seemed to send her here. Someone named 'Galatea' had something to do with it. Was the spell cast by this pony? Or was it not a spell at all? What the green Unicorn mare before him was experiencing would easily be classified as an anxiety attack, and it only seemed to be getting worse. He took a slight step forward, but said nothing, his expression and eyes bearing the emotion of pity, and pain. Being an empathetic being was often that way. Understanding and sometimes feeling what others felt... Some could go mad from it if they weren't prepared. He heard Twilight begin to say something as Ariel's horn began to glow with her magical manifestation. The Princess was cut off however when the gathering energy reached its apex and Ariel vanished in a flash of light.

 

Only to reappear halfway across the room. Saronyx groaned quietly, looking to Twilight who met his stare, "Saron, what is going on?" She asked.

 

The Crystal shrugged, "I don't fully know, Twilight," He gestured to Break, "Could you ask him what he saw in that book of his?" 

Twilight nodded, stepping over to Break and tilting her head, fixing her eyes on what of his face she could see, "Break? You have anything to add?"

 

While she did this, Saron had been carefully stepping towards Ariel, speaking calmly as he did, "Ariel? Can you hear me?" He stopped just two feet before her, slowly sitting as he continued, "Just take deep breaths... What's the matter, amore?*" He had many more questions than that, like who Galatea was, what she meant by the portal and so on, but he could wait to ask them until she was stable once again.

 

*(Amor = 'love', used in the same way that Applejack calls everyone 'sugarcube', or in the way some may expect a British person to call someone 'love'. I imagine Saron speaking with a form of speech much like that)
(Two posts from me in one day?! What is this madness?!)

[CharChar 35]

@@00Pony,@@Miss Reaper,  

 

This isn't the time to get upset, Break.  You wanted to know the truth, and now you have it.  Just stay calm, and get through this...With your friends.

 

Break's expression was a little dark when he looked back, he was upset, but in a rather stoic way.  It was a strange kind of upset, most likely due to the weight of this whole situation that was about to unfold.  The possible outcome of all this was not very pretty.

 

"Twilight, Saronyx..."  He slowly walked over to them, cautious of Ariel's mental stability.  "...Ariel is...  She's got an incurable mental condition, from birth actually."  He couldn't look at Ariel, as the pain of her confused emotions and feelings was just too blinding for him, "Hearing voices, confused emotions, sometimes even a lack of control of her magic...  Her eye, well...  Her other eye...  The condition is called 'Ice Eye'."  He shook his head again, now peering up at Saron.  "This isn't the place for her.  Something terrible is going to happen, I just know it!  I can feel it!"  He put a hoof on Saron's shoulder(Or...chest, or whatever that part around their neck is).  "Je suis désolé.**  I believe the phrase is......  ...."  Break didn't know what else to say.

 

A few locks opened and fell out of sight, never to be seen again.

 

He probably has his reasons...  Everypony does, but that's just what comes with being this way, the way I am.  ...But...  Ariel...  What are we going to do now?  This is only going to escalate.

**I am sorry.  ((I can french too, y'know!  Unless it's just wrong, in which case...BLARG.))  ((Wow, such posts...Very many.))

[Frosty V 309]

@@Miss Reaper

 

Frost able to keep his balance after a few seconds of the flight. Frost stared in awe at all that was happening around him, he had never flown before, and he had no idea that it could be this fun in his while life. He looked down to Nano as he spoke. Frost lifted an eyebrow. "Well I guess that is true given the amount of energy that it would take to get proper lift and thrust. Yet, isn't there a way for you to super charge your energy capacity?" He asked

[ReverieRiver 525]

@, @@Frosty V,

 

Galatea looked around, at once fascinated by the weather factory - just the concept in itself had captured her imagination, but seeing it before her very eyes was even better. The pegasi construction alone was interesting; everything was made of some sort of cloud material, even though the walls and floors seemed sturdy and solid enough... how curious! Perhaps if she could take a sample - no, she probably shouldn't, she told herself.

 

Nano was following close behind them, with Frost still riding upon his back. The robot's ears twitched curiously when the stallion asked of a way to supercharge his energy supplies, and paused before he answered. "Well, my energy core recharges itself whenever I go into sleep mode... I have never attempted to charge myself beyond my typical energy levels. Either way, I would need a strong, reliable source of electricity in order to do such a thing. I fear lightning, however, as it may cause too great of a surge in my system..."

 

He carefully landed as he finished speaking, following Thunder and Galatea through the gate as they walked in. His hooves maintained a slight charge, so as to enable him to walk on clouds as pegasi do, but unfortunately he was unable to bestow Frost with the same gift, so the stallion would have to remain on the robot's back during their stay in Cloudsdale, it would seem.

 

The snow room was noticeably cooler than it was outside; this was to help keep the snowflakes from melting, to preserve their delicately crafted patterns. It hardly bothered Nano, him being a robot and whatnot, but Galatea was starting to wish that she had a scarf or some other warming article of clothing. Oh, well... she thought. At least the entire place won't be like this. It's just the snow room, after all - it would make sense that the temperature is somewhat lower.

 

@@00Pony, @@CharChar,

 

Ariel wanted to move, do at least something, but it simply seemed as if she could not move at all. Her legs were too weak, and shaking too much for her to even stand up. Her ears swiveled towards Saronyx when he addressed her, but her eyes seemed distant, fixed on something far away. And yet, she seemed to be hearing his words, for she tried to take a few deep breaths. Her body didn't want to cooperate so much, though, her breathing rapid and shallow rather than deep and calming, on the verge of hyperventilation.

 

"Can't... can't... breathe..." she said, apparently speaking to Saronyx, answering his question. "Walls... suffocating..." She was starting to get lightheaded from all of the extra oxygen she was taking in, and so she tried to force her breathing into a more regular rate. She took in a few long, shaky breaths, and yet that didn't seem to help calm her racing heart. "I don't... feel good... Have to get out..."

 

Her flattened ears flicked up and towards Break when she heard him speaking - which, at the least, distracted her if only for a few moments. But, no... He was talking about her. Her mental condition...

 

Oh Celestia, he knows?! He didn't know, but now he... does know...? she thought as her head snapped up so she could look at him. The motion whipped her mane back and out of her face; now her other eye was fully revealed at last. But it made no difference now. Break had figured it out. She didn't know how - she thought she had done so well concealing it! - but the truth was out now.

 

So now, they all knew. They knew of her curse, the affliction she'd had to live with her entire life. They knew, and now they would shun her just as any other pony that knew of her condition had in the past - her past, their future. Everything was falling apart.

 

Her ears slowly flattened once more as these thoughts, among others, drifted through her mind. Both her eyes, one amethyst and the other ice, started to water as she sat there, quivering like a leaf in the wind, clinging desperately to fragile security.

 

I'm sorry, she wanted to say. I'm sorry for being this way... I can't help it... But the words could not find their way to her mouth, instead trapped within her thoughts.

 

((Long post is long.))

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,809]

@@Miss Reaper,

 

Thunder slowly walked through the snow room. "Making a snowflake is a very delicate process. So staying quiet is the best choice so the pegasai could concentrate." Thunder said in a very soft voice as he continued to walk on the clouds. They then came to the cloud making machine. "Yep, we have a cloud making machine here. Each cloud is filled with rain. Only white clouds are made here." Thunder stated as he looked at the machine making the clouds.  

[00Pony 286]

@@Miss Reaper, @@CharChar, 

 

 

Saronyx only let a low hum escape his chest at Break's words, not taking his eyes from Ariel. There was good reason to believe his words. They were sincere. But it didn't deter the Crystal. He didn't speak for a little while, hearing Twilight's gasp as she herself registered the Unicorn stallion's words. The recently ascended Alicorn trotted forward, ears perked forward and wings half flared, as she spoke, "Ice Eye? I've read about that but... I thought that it was an inert condition," she let her eyes come to rest on Ariel, a look of sadness within them, "I guess it came back." She said in a quieter tone. 

 

She folded her wings against her sides again, rubbing her chin with one hoof as she stared at no specific thing. Eventually she muttered, "I should probably tell Celestia about this... She might be able to do something to help." She however made no immediate move to do so. Probably due in part to Ariel responding to some of Saronyx's questions.

 

The Crystal stallion nodded slightly at her words, moving away from Break's contact and stepping to Ariel's side. He glanced at Break, giving him an actual response, "Be that as it may, I'm not going to leave her be. I found her here, and it was my choice of words that sent her into this state. I feel that makes her my responsibility and I am not going to neglect that fact." When he finished speaking, Saron leaned down and gently assisted Ariel in standing, letting her lean her weight on him so as to lessen the chance of her falling once again. As before, he spoke calmly, "Come along, Ariel. Let's get you outside, into some fresher air."

 

Saronyx looked to Twilight, giving her a brief nod, "Write the Donec reginae* if you feel you must, Twilight." She nodded and began to float out a quill and paper. As she did this, Saronyx turned his eyes to Break, gesturing to the door with his head, "Would you mind getting the door? ... And perhaps explain to me in a little more detail exactly what it is you do?"

 

*(Donec reginae - loosely 'Solar Princess'.)

(Also experimenting with colored text. It might be spotty at first, but I'll try and make it linear.)

[CharChar 35]

@@00Pony,@@Miss Reaper,  

 

Break walked towards the door, trying to lead the ponies out into the fresh air.  This was the chance to finally let all of their problems come to light, and now he could finally tell him about what he REALLY does.

 

"I'm...I'm a truth seeker.  Well, my special talent is my ability to see through people's lies, even when it isn't outwardly apparent.  It's ...heart breaking at times.  It hurts to see ponies you know and trust to just outright lie to you all the time, even when they don't appear to even realize it.  Sometimes, it gets so bad I even hear pony's thoughts and emotions in their raw form if they're loud enough, apparently....  I'm sorry, but I knew that you were hiding something from me from the get-go, but I didn't want to hurt your feelings or make you distrust me either."  He finally peered up at Ariel, who seemed to be in a worse state than he originally imagined.  "But...I won't just leave.  I have to see this to the end, no matter how much it hurts."

 

He staunchly waited for Saron and Ariel to make their leave with Twilight....

 

((WALL OF DISPOSITION, AGGHHH))

Edited March 10, 2014 by CharChar

[Frosty V 309]

@@Miss Reaper

 

Frost nodded slowly as Nano spoke, he did enjoy speaking with the robot he always was so interested to hear what Nano had to say and even more excited to share interests or ask questions but was getting good at knowing when to hold back his constant flow of questions. "Lighting might nit be the best idea, but I wouldn't know yet because I haven't seen your exact energy output, but it would have to be already very high I would guess." He stated

[ReverieRiver 525]

@, @@Frosty V,

 

"Right. Quiet," Galatea repeated, lowering her own voice. She imagined that snowflake-making was a delicate process indeed; to craft such intricate, crystalline patterns to form a snowflake surely required focus as well as a careful hoof. Upon arriving at the cloud-making machine, she looked at it, studying it in wonder. Of course, as an engineer, something like this would be the most fascinating part for her.

 

One of her ears flicked in curiosity when Thunder Dash mentioned that the cloud made only white clouds. "What about dark storm clouds, then?" she asked. "Are those made elsewhere, then brought in when necessary? Do they occur naturally in other areas?" She seemed keenly interested, curious to know more.

 

Meanwhile, Nano nodded at Frost and said, "Indeed. My energy supply, after a full recharge, is enough to sustain me the entire day, as well as my additional features such as flight mode." He then glanced at Thunder and Galatea, noticing how Galatea seemed absolutely intrigued, looking around with almost childlike wonder and asking several questions. Looking back to Frost once more, he said softly, "It has been a while since I have seen Galatea so... lively." Of course, it had been a while since he'd seen her, period, but to his recollection, Galatea had always been somewhat of a serious mare, with the exception of a few times where he'd seen her get excited over a new discovery or something along those lines.

 

@@00Pony, @@CharChar,

 

Ariel simply sat there, her wide eyes flicking from one pony to another. Finally her gaze settled on Saronyx as he moved to her side. Listening to him speak, her ears quirked in surprise when she realized what he was saying. She was quiet for a few moments more as she slowly stood with his assistance, her legs still weak and quivering under her own weight.

 

To him saying that it was his choice of words that caused her current state, she shook her head and muttered, "Not... your fault. I... It's mine, for being... the way I am... But..." She paused, gently leaning her head against him for a brief moment with a slight motion. "Thank you..."

 

Her ears then swiveled towards Break as he started speaking, her eyes widening once more upon hearing what exactly his special talent was. So it was useless to hide my condition... He could tell I was hiding something from the beginning... And, as he said, it hurt to know when somepony was lying to your face, even though that pony was one you put your trust in. She could only imagine... Here she was, knowingly hiding something, and he probably knew that she was lying to him - and she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at that now.

 

And for a minute, she was convinced that, while Saronyx said he would stay with her, Break would almost certainly leave her behind. And somehow, that thought was upsetting to her. So when he said that he wouldn't leave, it came as yet another surprise to her. Neither of them were leaving. Neither of them shunned her, when she thought they would after discovering her condition...

 

"Th-Thank you, too..." she said quietly, bringing her gaze to Break. Tears started welling in her eyes, and she quickly squeezed them shut to try and hold back the sudden tide of emotion rising up within her. Even she couldn't entirely understand why she was getting so emotional now, though perhaps it was simply the fact that both of them had decided to stay by her side when only one other pony had ever done that for her before.

 

Her breathing started getting rougher and a little more ragged, the air she tried to take in hitching in her throat. Getting emotional like this was only adding to the physical side effects of her lingering anxiety. She really needed some of that fresh air; it was starting to feel a little too stuffy within the library, at least to her.