first sunrise ☼ audio/action for new bark

[sunraising]

[action]

[ Like so many others today, a woman emerges from that house in New Bark Town, bag in hand. She's hard to miss: over six feet tall in uncomfortable-looking heels, with hair down to her knees in waves of pastel colours. She's wearing a white gown and a crown on her head, but most remarkably, she looks like she needs an instruction manual for her feet.

She takes two steps out of the house and actually windmills her arms, overbalancing backward and falling on her ass. Ouch. ]

[audio]

[ Late in the afternoon, a message makes its way across the network. The voice may be familiar to some. She sounds fairly upbeat, all things considered. ]

Well, this is certainly an adventure. It would seem I've been transported to another dimension. I thought it might have been the work of Discord, but it's much larger than that, isn't it?

[ A beat while she weighs what she just said. Much larger than Discord can't be good. ]

I'd like to find a way back to Equestria, but I imagine that if there were a simple way back, there wouldn't be so many of us here, would there? [ A note of gravity enters her voice. ] Still, I'm concerned that my little sister might not be able to handle my duties on top of her own. If anyone can offer advice or assistance on getting back to my world, or even sending a letter there, I would appreciate it.

My name is Celestia. I look forward to meeting you all.

Comments

[Video]

[friendyousohard]

P-Princess?

[The familiar voice, tinged with her usual reverence, awe, and a certain amount of shock, accompanies the appearance of a mostly unfamiliar face, save for the hair.]

Princess Celestia, is that really you?

[Video]

[sunraising]

[ It's a few minutes before Celestia responds, less because she's trying to figure out the video function and more because she had to make up her mind as to whether she should let Twilight see her.

Eventually she does, though, clicking on the video function to a shot of her sitting on a log. Her white gown is streaked with dirt and grass stains, her hair is tangled and her shoes are on the log beside her. Her crown is even askew, though she straightens that out quickly. ]

Hello, Twilight. [ Her tone suggests moderate surprise. ] I see you're a bit far from home, yourself.

[Video]

[friendyousohard]

[The sight is... bizarre. She'd been trying to think of what Celestia would look like as a human when she heard the message, and she wasn't that far off, but actually seeing it is still just thoroughly head-scratching.

The rather unkempt appearance of her mentor doesn't help matters. She's almost never seen Celestia in a state like that.]

To say the least... I didn't expect to see you here, Princess. It's... well, I'm glad to see you, but at the same time, you shouldn't be away from Equestria, so this is pretty conflicting.

Still, you're here now, and... well, none of us can really do anything about that, I'm afraid. You'll go home when Johto wants you to.

[video]

[eclectical]

Hi, Celestia! My name is Jade!

Unfortunately no one's found a way to get back to their own universe... No one's found a way to communicate with people back home, either.

[video]

[sunraising]

A pleasure to meet you, Jade.

[ Her initial friendly smile sombers quickly, though. ]

Is the influx of newcomers constant? I noticed there were quite a few besides myself in New Bark Town.

[video]

[eclectical]

It's nice to meet you, too!

Yeah, it is pretty constant... New people seem to show up every couple of weeks.

video;

[usedlaserbeam]

I'm afraid you're not likely to receive much advice or assistance in the matter of returning, since as you said, if there were a way to do it, more of us would have by now.

[Pause.]

Though I must say, you're handling the circumstances of your arrival with far more grace and aplomb than most people would, given the situation.

video;

[sunraising]

[ Celestia smiles in appreciation of the compliment, but it's almost a cursory gesture, with little actual pleasure behind it. ]

I was afraid that was the case. I suppose I can only hope that my sister can manage until I can return to her.

[ Being trapped here permanently doesn't appear to be an option, in her book. ]

video;

[usedlaserbeam]

[Now that's the kind of smile that Yagyuu can recognize in an instant — the kind given because it's the correct response, but not necessarily the real one.]

Manage what, may I ask? Something of great magnitude, I presume?

video

[3_butterflies]

P-P-Princess Celestia...?

video

[sunraising]

[ It only takes Celestia a moment to recognize Fluttershy, even in a strange new form. She offers a warm, reassuring smile. ]

Hello, Fluttershy. I'm glad I'm in good company, at least.

video

[3_butterflies]

[omg omg omg WHAT DO.]

Y-you're here again! ... or, uh, the first time, since you said... I-I mean, hello! I mean...

[She stumbles, and tries to bow like a human would.]

[audio]

[tapestodiane]

_{[Ah, he recognises this voice, long ago as it might have been.]}

Princess? I'm sure you've been informed by now, but there is no way to leave this world, nor contact any others.

[audio]

[sunraising]

[ 'Princess?' She's sure she didn't mention that. So is this somepony from home, or... ? ]

Yes, I have, thank you. I'm afraid I don't recognize your voice; did you make my acquaintance when I was here before?

[audio]

[tapestodiane]

Ah, sorry. Yes, I did, for a time. My name is Dale Cooper.

_{[There's a bit of a smile as he goes on. From what he's heard of her, and what he knows about her, she would be the kind to take all this information easily, and it seems she's been filled in.]}

I hear you haven't been left out of the loop.

[audio]

[usedquack]

At first I thought it was a bad man from my own world up to no good too, but it's not. This place is actually kind of fun, and I heard that time doesn't pass while we're here, so no one will miss us.

[audio]

[sunraising]

That is a comfort.

Tell me, do you believe that this is the work of a bad man from this world, or perhaps another?

[ Duck sounds young; Celestia has found that young people are often much better at identifying true malice than adults. Perhaps she'll have some insight. ]

[audio]

[usedquack]

Probably from this world. This doesn't seem like Drosselmeyer's kind of story. It's way too fun and not tragic enough.

video;

[broomwithaview]

I'm sorry, there's no real way out of here just yet. It's not all that bad, though.

video;

[sunraising]

I have heard a few people say that it's a pleasant place to stay. Do you like it here?

[Video]

[strawberryredgrave]

(Hello, sun goddess pony. Have a badass demon hunter chime in to the call.)

Some people are saying you might be able to go back if you collect all the gym badges, but no one really knows. Did you find some sort of cutesy monster with you when you got here?

[Video]

[sunraising]

[ Celestia turns the camera on to a Sigilyph, floating just beneath the lowest branches of a nearby tree. The Pokémon turns to regard the camera, blinking. ]

She is cute, but I certainly wouldn't call her a monster. I call her 'Apus.'

[Video]

[strawberryredgrave]

(Huh...well that's a new one. Dante hasn't seen it before, but he rarely expresses surprise anyway.)

Monster's just a simplified term; the real one's pokemon.

Apus, huh...? Pretty cool name. I don't have one like that; instead, I have this guy.

(He points the camera to his Scizor, who's clearly busy punching trees in the background as per his training regime assigned by Dante.)

I call him Sparda. He's some sort of metal...bug claw thing. These guys come in all sorts of designs and shapes and stuff. It's different from what I'm used to, that's for damn sure.

[Video] celesstiaaa. I can actually tag now. ;w;

[pianokeys]

Welcome to the wo~rld of Pokémon, Celestia.

[Video] and then Cassie stopped tagging for four days. ;;;

[sunraising]

Why, thank you. [ Her smile is warm. ] And who might you be?