sunraising | first sunrise ☼ audio/action for new bark

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...That would be gravity, ma'am.]

The sun and the moon. You raise them?

[See, the thing is, "raise" can be used in a couple of different contexts, and the depressing thing about living in Johto for nearly a year is that you start to learn not to take anything for granted.

Or she's just crazy.

Either way.]

I raise the sun, and my sister raises the moon.

[ And when her sister is bad and gets locked in the moon, Celestia raises it herself. She doesn't feel the need to mention this part.

But he's obviously not from Equestria, with the questions he's been asking her. So, then... ]

How are they raised in your land?

Then you and your sister are deities of some variety? In that case, it's an honor to speak with you.

[Couldn't hurt to schmooze a little, anyway.]

Ah — in my land, they're not precisely raised; they only appear that way due to the way it spins.

[ The way it... spins. Okay. Celestia can buy that. ]

Deities? Hardly. [ ... Well, sort of. ] We're princesses.

[Welcome to the heliocentric model of the universe, Celestia.]

Then I should say, it's an honor to speak with you, your highness. And welcome to Johto, unplanned an excursion though it may be.

[ Everything revolves around the sun? SEEMS LEGIT. ]

Please, 'Princess' is fine. [ It's 'Your Majesty,' anyway, for Reasons, but she's not going to mince royal titles while making first impressions. ] And thank you very much.

I'm afraid you haven't told me your name.

[If only hydrogen and helium were as lovely as you.]

Princess Celestia, then. And please forgive me for not introducing myself sooner; I'm Yagyuu Hiroshi.

It's no problem at all. [ She smiles warmly. ] I appreciate the warm welcome.

And has someone told you the basics of what's happened to you?

I do believe I've sorted out the most important details. I was taken from Equestria and brought here, turned into a human to nullify my magic, and I'll be remaining here... possibly for quite some time.

That's correct. You've likely also been given a bag containing various necessities for your travels, as well as a starting Pokemon as your partner to help you along with the journey you're about to take.

Ah, yes. She should be around here somewhere.

[ Celestia turns the camera in her hands, providing a shaky view of the trees and grass surrounding Route 29. She searches a moment before the unique silhouette of a Sigilyph comes into sight. It floats in and out of the trees at the edge of the route. ]

I do believe she's been guarding me.

[Unique is an understatement; he'll just be blinking a minute in surprise, because he's seen a lot of people with a lot of starters, but he's pretty sure he's never seen anything like that before.]

She's very impressive, Princess. Have you named her?

[ The Sigilyph turns toward the camera and floats closer, blinking small, round eyes. ]

She puts me in mind of a little bird, with her bright feathers spread as she moves from tree to tree. I believe I'll call her 'Apus.'

That's a fine name.

[He's not Yanagi, so the specifics of the reference are escaping him, but she's right about the description.

Meanwhile, as per usual, Lady chooses this opportune moment to poke her head into view and see who her trainer is talking to.]

Her coloring is quite unique, too — I feel as though I've seen something like it before, though I can't quite recall where.

[ Apus draws nearer to the camera still when she spots Lady, and she makes a small sound, almost like a tuning fork being struck. Without turning the 'Gear, Celestia peers around the edge of it to see what it is that Apus is looking at. ]

Oh, my. That's a lovely creature you have, there.

[Lady, having the innate sense that the woman her trainer is talking to is roughly as flawless as she herself is, proceeds to give Celestia a thorough glance-over with her large, dark eyes, examining and quite possibly judging.

It is all fine and well to be fabulous, Celestia, but kindly take note that her trainer already has one impeccable lady in his life, thank you.]

Ah, thank you. I'm quite fond of her, myself. Her name is Lady, and I suppose you could say she's something of my guardian, as well.

[ And kindly take note, mouth-breather, that if the Wonderful Wizard of Equestria were in her pony form—

wait, that's not right.

Celestia smiles at Lady warmly.

that's better. ]

Did you have magic in your world?

[Who are you calling a mouth-breather, you —

...charming, well-mannered woman of class.

Lady's flick of her tail is slightly less dismissive than usual as she snuggles up against Yagyuu in what is apparently a frequent and not altogether unexpected habit.]

That depends on what you consider magic, Princess. A power capable of raising the sun or the moon? Not at all. But sleight of hand and things you might call parlor tricks, we certainly have, though in the end they're only illusions.

[ Celestia smiles warmly at Lady. It's nice to see a Pokémon so affectionate with her trainer. ]

Illusions can be a magic all their own, but I gather that they're not, in your world. So all of this is new to you?

I should clarify: they're illusions with a non-magical explanation for how they were performed. Even if sometimes that explanation is as simple as "the illusionist is very, very good at his work".

[But. Moving on.]

As to this being new...well, it doesn't seem so now, after the time I've spent here. And there's something very like this that exists as a game in my world, so some of my friends have found it quite familiar. Personally, I've largely fallen out of finding it wondrous and simply consider it strange.

I can't imagine the wonder wearing off. I've been ruling Equestria for — [ a beat ] — quite some time, and I still find new things to wonder at.

You may find it more tedious when you consider that some of us have been away from our homes, our families, and our friends for a very long time.

first sunrise ☼ audio/action for new bark

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