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.

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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?

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.

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.

P-P-Princess Celestia...?

[ 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.

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.

[ 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. ]

[ 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.

[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.]

[ Celestia feels for you, Fluttershy, really. All this dirt on her nice white gown? That's the end result of her first afternoon of test-driving this ridiculous two-legged body.

Which is why she hurries to put Fluttershy at ease. ]

Really, there's no need for that sort of formality here. After all, we're not in Equestria anymore.

[ But you won't catch her telling you to call her 'Celestia,' either. ]

[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?

[She tries to stand back up, flustered.]

I'm sorry... b-but it really is good to see you again!

Something of considerable magnitude, yes. I, myself, am quite capable of raising both the sun and the moon; my sister, however, is not as powerful as I am. It may be a strain on her.

[ So who raises the sun and moon back where you come from, good sir? Those pesky celestial bodies don't just rise on their own. ]

[ Well, that catches her attention. She sombers. ]

... Have you been here very long?

[ Surely not. She would have heard about Fluttershy going missing. ]

[...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.]

Um... a year and a half, I think... But time works differential here...

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?

[ Okay, that is alarming. ]

A year and a half? I've heard nothing about your absence in Equestria.

That's just it... when we get back home, we return from when we left. And we don't remember our time here.

It's nice to meet you, too!

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

... I suppose that's a comfort. My sister will never know I'm gone.

[ For that matter, Celestia herself won't know she's been gone, once she gets back. It's a strange thought. ]

But without a way to return to where we came from, will this land be able to sustain a growing population?

Actually, um... you've been here once before... But you got sent home... That's why you don't remember. I even have one of your Pokemon from before.

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.

[ Now that's downright impressive. She's already been here once and she doesn't remember any of it. ]

I see. What sort of Pokémon did I have?

[ She's been reading the handbooks and contemplating the information therein. It seems like there are quite a few varieties. ]

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first sunrise ☼ audio/action for new bark

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