Kiernan
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Tua Culpa, Culpa Mea
Posts: 384
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 12, 2013 1:02:04 GMT -5
Xanadia... The Butterfly Islands... Kai knew neither of these places, and was certain that the Ponyville in her mind was not the same as the one he spent a few weeks in about a year back. The look on her face was not a trusting look, he decided. She didn't trust him. While she was smart enough to know not to trust somepony you'd only just met, he was honestly trying to understand her. But mayhap he should be a bit more specific?
"I know nothing of Xanadia, or these Isles you speak of. Undoubtedly, your version of Ponyville is different, too. Still, it's the only lead we have for common ground. Tell me of your Ponyville," he said, straightening his back. After a few moments, he added, "Please."
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Post by Becka on Mar 12, 2013 9:41:12 GMT -5
Hy hadn't heard of any of those places, although the Butterfly Islands sounded lovely. Perhaps if things in Whinnyopolis didn't work out she could go there. It sounded peaceful - like it was never attacked by anything bad.
Hy glanced at the door, but it was still early enough that only a few ponies were out, and none of them seemed inclined to glance at the hours of operation posted on the door. Hy guessed she had time for a story of an older version of Ponyville before she opened the shop. Especially if it would make the unicorn feel better.
She nodded to Whisp encouragingly. "Yes, please. Do tell us. How long ago did you live there?"
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Post by Nightbow on Mar 14, 2013 4:42:57 GMT -5
Whisp's ears flattened with disappointment. No Xanadia ... well, perhaps that was a good thing.
She now stood before the challenge of placing her Ponyvile on their timeline. With the ongoing PAARS outbreak yet unknown to its citizens, the little unicorn didn't have much to go on in terms of events. After all, all she had experienced from the war that broke out the year before was how Star Dasher had showed up on the nursery doorstep, drenched in blood in the middle of the night ...
Trying to be tangible, she told them what she knew: "I was saying at the Ponyville Nursery. And, uh, the name of the mayor was ... Pink, something." She realized to her horror that there wasn't much more to it. In her mind she trotted back onto the rainbow cobblestone paths, past the square fountain, back to the nursery ... where they all gone now, or warped beyond recognition? She went further back. Back to the Cotton Candy Café, where she had first encountered Kailani. It all became too much and a wave of sorrow rocked her heart and shook her body as if she was a ship trapped in storm.
"Look ... it ... it doesn't matter," she stammered, throat thick with tears that spilled out, splashing onto her hooves. Oh why did she have to be mericlessly swept away into this future in which she wasn't supposed to know ... and why ... without her? "I felt the floor in the nursery fall away underneath my hooves," Whisp explained recalling the nauseating sensation of falling in your sleep, "and I ended up here, with my friend. A pony called Knight Shade warded off the monsters and took us to a castle in the woods. It belongs to Queen Eclipse, a huge pony who wishes to rule over darkness and light. She killed Kail and she almost got me too ..."
At this point Whispering Wind had to pause and drink some more water. Face stained with tears, she requested the kind strangers to heed her warning. "She is crazy. And she won't rest until she possesses both of the rainbows. She believes that her sisters have the Rainbow of Light, but the Rainbow of Darkness is still lost. She mustn't have them!" The only thing that could possibly save them in this scenario would be if the sisters used the rainbow to defeat Eclipse. But Whisp knew that the rainbow had since split to seek out its champions. "Where are the stripes now?" She demanded.
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Kiernan
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Tua Culpa, Culpa Mea
Posts: 384
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 14, 2013 9:41:48 GMT -5
As she was kind enough to indulge into how she knew Ponyville, Kai was disheartened to realize that he could not tie the two together. Still, he kept a positive air, because that meant that she probably wasn't crazy, until he looked back up and she was crying again. He came to the conclusion he had pushed too far, and further delving would only make the situation worse.
It wasn't until she issued a warning that he realized just how wrong he was. The Rainbow of Darkness? Why did this sound slightly familiar? He remembered reading something, a few years back, which briefly mentioned it. If he could find it again, he could find something, mayhap. He tried to remember the situation: roughly midday, he had just eaten lunch, his apprentice had just gone to bed, he was heading from the top of a ladder... The Library of Gim. He cursed himself. No use trying to find a book in a smoldering pile of ash.
"You said Eclipse's sisters have them," he said, trying to salvage any information he could. "If you can tell me who her sisters are, I may be able to find them." Leaving empty-hoofed was not part of his plan.
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Post by Becka on Mar 14, 2013 10:41:49 GMT -5
When Whispering Wind began to cry again, Hy rubbed her back gently with a hoof. Poor thing - loosing her friend must have addled her mind, for she was speaking nonsense about Queens and Rainbows.
"Hush, you're safe now. There is no Queen in Equestria, only the Princesses or Day and Night."
But the young unicorn blurted out something about stripes, and Hy was truly lost as to what she meant. She looked at the stallion who seemed to be playing along with the young one. Perhaps that was best. Play along until they could figure out what in Equestria the unicorn was talking about.
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Post by Nightbow on Mar 15, 2013 8:52:34 GMT -5
"Day and night," repeated Whisper. "That's what she said! She thought that they still possess the Rainbow. But they can't, can they?
"You said Eclipse's sisters have them. If you can tell me who her sisters are, I may be able to find them."
Whispering Wind shook her head. "I don't know who her sisters are. She said one of them soar the skies by dawn, the other by dusk. She claims they usurped her throne and sent her into a realm of Darkness. Do you know these princesses?"
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Kiernan
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Tua Culpa, Culpa Mea
Posts: 384
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 15, 2013 9:20:23 GMT -5
Kai grinned. He did know who she was getting at, which meant they had finally reached a common ground. "Now we're getting somewhere," he nodded. "I know exactly who you're talking about. If you'll give me a few days, I may be able to speak with one."
He was referring, of course, to the elder of the two, as they had never met, and repercussions would be fewer, or at least lesser, than if he were to meet with the younger one. "If I might know where you are staying, I will find your stripes, and bring to you their whereabouts, if I can."
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Post by Becka on Mar 15, 2013 10:31:32 GMT -5
It certainly sounded like the unicorn was talking about the Princesses, but they had no other sister...did they? Hy had lived in Canterlot for most of her life, but she'd never heard of another sister. There was Princess Cadence, of course, but she was their niece, and not the type of pony who would kill anyone.
In any case, it sounded like the stallion was going to talk to the Princesses about this Queen, so Hy didn't have to worry about it further. When he asked where the little unicorn would be staying Hy realized she probably didn't have a place to stay at all.
"You can stay here until you find a place of your own," Hy said quietly. "I'm Diamond Hydrangea, but you can call me Hy."
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Post by Nightbow on Mar 15, 2013 15:02:50 GMT -5
Whisp's jaw fell open. He did know the princesses. He would tell them about Eclipse. The unicorn didn't know what to say.
"You can stay here until you find a place of your own. I'm Diamond Hydrangea, but you can call me Hy."
"Yes please," said Whisp with a gentle nod. It was supposed to be a semi-bow as was customary in her homeland, but sitting on a barstool she couldn't do any better. "Thank you. My name is Whispering Wind." She looked at the peculiar stallion. "Who are you?" She needed to know the name of the messenger.
"Please ... please do tell the princesses about Queen Eclipse's return. The pony p- the Rainbow of Darkness, is safe for now, I suppose ... but they need to know a Champion has fallen. The Rainbow of Light is - the world - is in jeopardy!" Her words were very sincere. She wished she could ask him to take her with him.
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Kiernan
Member
Tua Culpa, Culpa Mea
Posts: 384
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 15, 2013 20:53:59 GMT -5
Kai shook his head. He had to remember to introduce himself one of these days. One of the drawbacks of growing up with the nearest life form not trying to kill him being five-six miles away, he reasoned. "My name is Akaitora Franz Peterson, but I prefer Kai. It saves time and energy."
He considered what the princess's schedule might look like over the next few days. Undoubtedly, Princess Celestia would be swamped with the Summer Sun Celebration, so today and tomorrow would be out of the question. He could swallow his fears and speak to Princess Luna, praying that she wouldn't recognise him, he could do that tomorrow evening, at best.
"I'll try my best to find out what I can about the Rainbows, this queen, and inform them of what's happened to your friend. Kail, right? Or is there something more detailed I should call her? If she's this important, I want to give her the respect she deserves."
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Post by Nightbow on Mar 16, 2013 4:27:48 GMT -5
"Kailani Hoofspen. They wouldn't know her anyway," Whisper Wind said darkly. "But if they know of the whereabouts of the stripes, tell them to assemble them. Ponyland needs its Champions. Now more than ever, I would think." Kail had told her about the terrible battles between good and evil. First the near-death experience in Course, then the Dark Stripes came to Ponyville, and lastly the war of the false gods. Even if the youth hadn't been there for any of them, she couldn't imagine anything more horrific than Queen Eclipse wielding the Rainbows. She hadn't even made herself known yet, and Kail was already ...
"We're running out of time."
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Kiernan
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Tua Culpa, Culpa Mea
Posts: 384
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Post by Kiernan on Mar 16, 2013 16:37:26 GMT -5
"Kailani Hoofspen. Got it," said Kai, as he turned and walked to the door. "As soon as I see the princesses, I will tell them what you have told me. I am sorry for your loss, and if I didn't show it very well, it's only because I can't fix it."
He opened the door, stepped outside, and turned around. "I'll be back here when I can. It has been a pleasure to meet both of you." And with those words, he left, the door swinging shut behind him.
[Kai has left the building!! And the thread.]
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Post by Nightbow on Mar 18, 2013 11:41:15 GMT -5
[I'm willing to finish this as it is. Whisp's probably just going to sulk anyway. XP]
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