Post by Diamond on Jan 29, 2013 2:30:12 GMT -5
Synopsis: Diamond has FINALLY completed her mission- and is presenting her assembled star to Princess Luna.
Cast: Luna, Diamond Dancer
Palace of the Moon
Here, on a hill in the depths of Everfree Forest, a great city died. Now it stirs in its grave, answering the call of Princess of the Night and her unnatural servant. Amid that pile of rocks scaffoldings and tools and work benches are scattered. Many of the walls of the ancient Palace of Canterlot are back in place, although they're still grey and dusty and severe. The old throne room even has a ceiling, although it only covers the long stretch leading up to the throne and hasn't reached the throne itself. The rest of the ruins are still choked with suspiciously mobile plants, perhaps escapees from the brooding sharp-peaked shape of the Lunarium that sits at the bottom of the hill, right at the end of the road the workponies use to retreat to Ponyville at night.
[ Exits: <In>to the Lunarium, <B>ack to the Everfree Forest
Luna holds court. This is a process that usually involves sitting around in the rain, since 'over the throne' does not seem to be a priority for the ceiling construction crew. Tonight that's not the case. She's sitting around in the bitter winter cold instead, lounging on one side on her ancient stone throne. The rest of the bare, grey stone great hall is roofed over and heated with toasty braziers, but the princess sits exposed, flipping through an old leather book with stars on the cover.
The winter's calm and bitter cold, are doing very little to hush the flurry of butterflies that are spiraling about in Diamond's stomach. With all that she's been through, underground, in the air, and dealing with the denizens of Ponyville, this is proving to be her biggest challenge yet. She's summoned everything she can muster to step into the throne room, rolling along with her what looks like a large bolder of molten lava (larger than herself) Only instead of red glowing magma, it consists of a comforting, light that shines dimly under her hooves. The little girl moves stops at the foot of the throne, and sits simply. Breathing hard, eyes wide and nervous, she looks up and simply spits out the first words that come to mind. "I did it."
Luna closes up her book gently, and in a blue flash it teleports away. That leaves her plenty of time to watch Diamond roll the ball up the hall. Her expression remains imperiously blank the whole time, but Diamond does have her attention. Not that there are other petitioners to compete. "So thou have. Is it thy wish to keep the star for thyself, or return it to the sky to shine out of reach?"
Diamond_Dancer wasn't expecting this question. She'd simply assumed that Luna would whisk the star away and that would be that. The prospect of keeping it makes her already dry mouth drier and her heart beat faster. " Um. As much as I would like to keep it, your highness. I don't dink a star belongs down here on in Equestira. I dink it it should go up in da sky. "She manages. "Although, I'd like to keep maybe, a little peice. If dat would be ok?" She asks quietly. She doesn't mention the number of monsters, creatures and other interested parties drawn to the energy of the star- nor what she had to go through to protect it.
Luna nods, still solemn and detached. "So be it." Her expression doesn't really change, but sitting up and her eyes blazing white does make her look much more serious. The star lifts itself up off the floor, its own glow intensifying slowly. It twitches, and a little flaming white ball smaller than a hoof drifts out of the mass. Then the star rolls forward down the hall in midair, until it meets Luna's outstretched forehooves. She leaps up out of her chair, hoisting the huge flaming ball above her head, and doesn't exactly throw it. It just keeps rising, up and up and up, until it's a speck in the heavens... and Luna floats slowly back down to the throne.
Emotions were never Diamond's strong point, as the star starts to pull away from her, she reaches out to try and grasp it- or at least touch it one last time. She's worked so hard to even GET it- to keep it safe, and now it's gone, just like that. Tears start to well in her eyes- but they're dispersed by anger. She worked so hard and now it's just gone! Taken away! But the anger ebbs as soon as it appears leaving a bitter emptiness and depression in it's wake, followed by elation. She managed to TOUCH a star. She did it- her life's dream! And now watching her princess in person return a star to the heavens is an even bigger thrill! "T, thank you." She says quietly, only now noticing the small flaming orb crafted from the star's remains.
Luna settles back into her previous posture, leaning against one arm of her throne, glittering mane and tail blowing in the frigid wind. Her eyes fade back to their normal bluegreen as well. "Thy quest was successful. As per our agreement, we have a role for thee. Thou have proven that thy persistence allows thee to achieve the impossible. We shall use that. When thou are ready, we have thy next task in mind." She leans her chin on her hoof, watching Diamond and waiting for her response.
Diamond_Dancer's swallows quietly, still staring at the little piece of star given to her, before her ears perk towards the princess in regards to her saying "she has a role. As much as she tries to hide it, the girl is still a foal, and now it comes out in full. She bounces in place, alternating legs in a happy little dance of energy and excitement. Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes "YES!!!" She shouts, blushes furiously and tries to swallow down her inescapable glow. "I, I mean, yes! Err, Y, Yes your highness!" She squeaks, although her forelegs continue to pat-pat-patta-pat the ground happily.
Luna finally shows some expression. Her eyebrows lift, suggesting some sort of amusement as she watches the little filly gambol. "Thy next quest is one of personal significance to ourself, too dangerous to send normal ponies, and too lengthy and obscure for us to go ourself or spare Firefly. We desire a collar. It is old beyond old, dating almost from the days of chaos, but made of such hard flint we suspect it still exists." Her horn glows, and she extends one wing. As the pinion at the end twiddles about, a massive, roughly shaped collar that must be several inches thick sketches itself onto the flagstones in front of Diamond.
Diamond_Dancer takes a step back, eyes immediately drawn down to the flag stone in front of her. Ears still perked for every bit of information she can gather about her new quest, she nods her head, even if she doesn't understand WHY she's seeking out a collar, she understands that she is to seek it. "Yes. (Oh YES!) Uh. Collah. Gotcha. D, does dis mean I'm officially a night pony now? Like Fiyahfly, or Nettie?"
Luna tilts her head, giving Diamond an especially intense, solemn stare. "That is not a thing we decide, or can give or take. It is of thy own nature. Whether I am convinced or no, if thou are a night pony then thou are a night pony. There are some number of ponies who have romantic dreams of winning our royal favor or of being different and special, yet they know nothing of the night. We can say thou are not of their number, that is all." Sitting up more straight, she claps a hoof twice on the arm of her throne - and since it's made of stone, the noise rings up and down the hall. "Wish thou to hear the details of thy task?"
"W, well I meant like, part of you royal court, or like an official title ya know?" She asks, before she sits up straight immediately, giving a very 'Rainbow-Dashish' salute and her expression turns solemn and serious when the conversation returns to the new quest given. "Yes your highness! What is d'hy biddin?!"
Luna nods in admittedly very solemn approval of Diamond's enthusiasm. "We last saw the collar at the bottom of a mine up near the Crystal Empire mountains. The mine disappeared when the land settled after Discord's defeat. It disappeared so thoroughly that we are certain that its contents fell into the caves of the deep burrowing races far under the earth." Her eyes unfocus, looking off over Diamond's head as her voice gets equally distant. "I am... almost positive that the collar is intact. I believe I would know if it was not. Never have we had a servant we could devote to such a search who was likely to succeed. Find the collar. Return it to us. If thou find it among a stallion's bones..." Now, finally, some emotion shows through. Her face tightens with sadness, then settles back into her normal imperial reserve. "...treat them gently and with respect."
Diamond_Dancer nods her head. She's not the brightest little filly, but she can tell when something is painful. She doesn't press the subject of the stallion's bones, nor why the collar is so important. All she knows, is she's supposed to retrieve it. "I'll bring you'se da collar, your nightlyness! I won't letcha down!" She announces stoically. Mission accepted.
Luna nods again. If anything, she gets even more serious, her face hard and her frown commanding. "Thou act in this matter as my personal servant, executing my wishes and in my name. Do not abuse that power, lest thou be cast from my service. If ponies require the nature of thy position, tell them thou serve us as the Night's Errant." She waves her hoof out at the darkness. "Thy audience is complete. We suggest returning to Celestia's palace to rest and regain strength, but how thou persue this task is up to thee."
Diamond_Dancer nods her head, turning immediately, but unable to hide the growing elation in her heart. Still, before she leaves she pauses and turns sheepishly back towards the princess. "Err...Y, your darkness. I...I um..."She draws in another breath. "I shall persue dis task, and I shall not fail. But um, in regards to a personal maddah. De pony named Bardigan? He's muh bruddah, and dis was our first hearthswarmin eve togeddah. He got me all dese really nice gifts, but I didn't really know what to git for him. Um, he's a playwrite, and a bard, and he's sorda, kinda, sorda, maybe, sorda, kinda, has a ding for you'se. So, uh, maybe, while I'm gone, you'se could, uh, I dunno...uh...maybe send him a gift, or, um, somedin'?" She asks sheepishly.
Luna stares. And stares. The royal poker face comes in quite handy here. The seconds stretch out, and she has to say something. "The playwright has enjoyed considerable favor from us already. Thou have served us well, however, and we have a gift we tried to give him once and he was not ready to receive. We shall try again because thou ask." A rather grim smirk suddenly breaks her impassivity, and she adds, "It is no secret. Feel free to tell him to expect our present again. For now, we order thee to go rest and enjoy the luxury of being a royal servant for at least one night." Her wing uncurls, and gives a small but very firm and pointed wave towards Canterlot.
Diamond_Dancer salutes again and nods her head. "I will! I'll let him know, and I'll get you'se da collar, and I won't let you'se down your nightlyness!" She chirps, excitement riddling her voice. She grasps the little glowing peice of her star under one wing, turns sharply on her hooves and bolts from the ruins with the impossible energy of an excited filly!
Cast: Luna, Diamond Dancer
Palace of the Moon
Here, on a hill in the depths of Everfree Forest, a great city died. Now it stirs in its grave, answering the call of Princess of the Night and her unnatural servant. Amid that pile of rocks scaffoldings and tools and work benches are scattered. Many of the walls of the ancient Palace of Canterlot are back in place, although they're still grey and dusty and severe. The old throne room even has a ceiling, although it only covers the long stretch leading up to the throne and hasn't reached the throne itself. The rest of the ruins are still choked with suspiciously mobile plants, perhaps escapees from the brooding sharp-peaked shape of the Lunarium that sits at the bottom of the hill, right at the end of the road the workponies use to retreat to Ponyville at night.
[ Exits: <In>to the Lunarium, <B>ack to the Everfree Forest
Luna holds court. This is a process that usually involves sitting around in the rain, since 'over the throne' does not seem to be a priority for the ceiling construction crew. Tonight that's not the case. She's sitting around in the bitter winter cold instead, lounging on one side on her ancient stone throne. The rest of the bare, grey stone great hall is roofed over and heated with toasty braziers, but the princess sits exposed, flipping through an old leather book with stars on the cover.
The winter's calm and bitter cold, are doing very little to hush the flurry of butterflies that are spiraling about in Diamond's stomach. With all that she's been through, underground, in the air, and dealing with the denizens of Ponyville, this is proving to be her biggest challenge yet. She's summoned everything she can muster to step into the throne room, rolling along with her what looks like a large bolder of molten lava (larger than herself) Only instead of red glowing magma, it consists of a comforting, light that shines dimly under her hooves. The little girl moves stops at the foot of the throne, and sits simply. Breathing hard, eyes wide and nervous, she looks up and simply spits out the first words that come to mind. "I did it."
Luna closes up her book gently, and in a blue flash it teleports away. That leaves her plenty of time to watch Diamond roll the ball up the hall. Her expression remains imperiously blank the whole time, but Diamond does have her attention. Not that there are other petitioners to compete. "So thou have. Is it thy wish to keep the star for thyself, or return it to the sky to shine out of reach?"
Diamond_Dancer wasn't expecting this question. She'd simply assumed that Luna would whisk the star away and that would be that. The prospect of keeping it makes her already dry mouth drier and her heart beat faster. " Um. As much as I would like to keep it, your highness. I don't dink a star belongs down here on in Equestira. I dink it it should go up in da sky. "She manages. "Although, I'd like to keep maybe, a little peice. If dat would be ok?" She asks quietly. She doesn't mention the number of monsters, creatures and other interested parties drawn to the energy of the star- nor what she had to go through to protect it.
Luna nods, still solemn and detached. "So be it." Her expression doesn't really change, but sitting up and her eyes blazing white does make her look much more serious. The star lifts itself up off the floor, its own glow intensifying slowly. It twitches, and a little flaming white ball smaller than a hoof drifts out of the mass. Then the star rolls forward down the hall in midair, until it meets Luna's outstretched forehooves. She leaps up out of her chair, hoisting the huge flaming ball above her head, and doesn't exactly throw it. It just keeps rising, up and up and up, until it's a speck in the heavens... and Luna floats slowly back down to the throne.
Emotions were never Diamond's strong point, as the star starts to pull away from her, she reaches out to try and grasp it- or at least touch it one last time. She's worked so hard to even GET it- to keep it safe, and now it's gone, just like that. Tears start to well in her eyes- but they're dispersed by anger. She worked so hard and now it's just gone! Taken away! But the anger ebbs as soon as it appears leaving a bitter emptiness and depression in it's wake, followed by elation. She managed to TOUCH a star. She did it- her life's dream! And now watching her princess in person return a star to the heavens is an even bigger thrill! "T, thank you." She says quietly, only now noticing the small flaming orb crafted from the star's remains.
Luna settles back into her previous posture, leaning against one arm of her throne, glittering mane and tail blowing in the frigid wind. Her eyes fade back to their normal bluegreen as well. "Thy quest was successful. As per our agreement, we have a role for thee. Thou have proven that thy persistence allows thee to achieve the impossible. We shall use that. When thou are ready, we have thy next task in mind." She leans her chin on her hoof, watching Diamond and waiting for her response.
Diamond_Dancer's swallows quietly, still staring at the little piece of star given to her, before her ears perk towards the princess in regards to her saying "she has a role. As much as she tries to hide it, the girl is still a foal, and now it comes out in full. She bounces in place, alternating legs in a happy little dance of energy and excitement. Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes "YES!!!" She shouts, blushes furiously and tries to swallow down her inescapable glow. "I, I mean, yes! Err, Y, Yes your highness!" She squeaks, although her forelegs continue to pat-pat-patta-pat the ground happily.
Luna finally shows some expression. Her eyebrows lift, suggesting some sort of amusement as she watches the little filly gambol. "Thy next quest is one of personal significance to ourself, too dangerous to send normal ponies, and too lengthy and obscure for us to go ourself or spare Firefly. We desire a collar. It is old beyond old, dating almost from the days of chaos, but made of such hard flint we suspect it still exists." Her horn glows, and she extends one wing. As the pinion at the end twiddles about, a massive, roughly shaped collar that must be several inches thick sketches itself onto the flagstones in front of Diamond.
Diamond_Dancer takes a step back, eyes immediately drawn down to the flag stone in front of her. Ears still perked for every bit of information she can gather about her new quest, she nods her head, even if she doesn't understand WHY she's seeking out a collar, she understands that she is to seek it. "Yes. (Oh YES!) Uh. Collah. Gotcha. D, does dis mean I'm officially a night pony now? Like Fiyahfly, or Nettie?"
Luna tilts her head, giving Diamond an especially intense, solemn stare. "That is not a thing we decide, or can give or take. It is of thy own nature. Whether I am convinced or no, if thou are a night pony then thou are a night pony. There are some number of ponies who have romantic dreams of winning our royal favor or of being different and special, yet they know nothing of the night. We can say thou are not of their number, that is all." Sitting up more straight, she claps a hoof twice on the arm of her throne - and since it's made of stone, the noise rings up and down the hall. "Wish thou to hear the details of thy task?"
"W, well I meant like, part of you royal court, or like an official title ya know?" She asks, before she sits up straight immediately, giving a very 'Rainbow-Dashish' salute and her expression turns solemn and serious when the conversation returns to the new quest given. "Yes your highness! What is d'hy biddin?!"
Luna nods in admittedly very solemn approval of Diamond's enthusiasm. "We last saw the collar at the bottom of a mine up near the Crystal Empire mountains. The mine disappeared when the land settled after Discord's defeat. It disappeared so thoroughly that we are certain that its contents fell into the caves of the deep burrowing races far under the earth." Her eyes unfocus, looking off over Diamond's head as her voice gets equally distant. "I am... almost positive that the collar is intact. I believe I would know if it was not. Never have we had a servant we could devote to such a search who was likely to succeed. Find the collar. Return it to us. If thou find it among a stallion's bones..." Now, finally, some emotion shows through. Her face tightens with sadness, then settles back into her normal imperial reserve. "...treat them gently and with respect."
Diamond_Dancer nods her head. She's not the brightest little filly, but she can tell when something is painful. She doesn't press the subject of the stallion's bones, nor why the collar is so important. All she knows, is she's supposed to retrieve it. "I'll bring you'se da collar, your nightlyness! I won't letcha down!" She announces stoically. Mission accepted.
Luna nods again. If anything, she gets even more serious, her face hard and her frown commanding. "Thou act in this matter as my personal servant, executing my wishes and in my name. Do not abuse that power, lest thou be cast from my service. If ponies require the nature of thy position, tell them thou serve us as the Night's Errant." She waves her hoof out at the darkness. "Thy audience is complete. We suggest returning to Celestia's palace to rest and regain strength, but how thou persue this task is up to thee."
Diamond_Dancer nods her head, turning immediately, but unable to hide the growing elation in her heart. Still, before she leaves she pauses and turns sheepishly back towards the princess. "Err...Y, your darkness. I...I um..."She draws in another breath. "I shall persue dis task, and I shall not fail. But um, in regards to a personal maddah. De pony named Bardigan? He's muh bruddah, and dis was our first hearthswarmin eve togeddah. He got me all dese really nice gifts, but I didn't really know what to git for him. Um, he's a playwrite, and a bard, and he's sorda, kinda, sorda, maybe, sorda, kinda, has a ding for you'se. So, uh, maybe, while I'm gone, you'se could, uh, I dunno...uh...maybe send him a gift, or, um, somedin'?" She asks sheepishly.
Luna stares. And stares. The royal poker face comes in quite handy here. The seconds stretch out, and she has to say something. "The playwright has enjoyed considerable favor from us already. Thou have served us well, however, and we have a gift we tried to give him once and he was not ready to receive. We shall try again because thou ask." A rather grim smirk suddenly breaks her impassivity, and she adds, "It is no secret. Feel free to tell him to expect our present again. For now, we order thee to go rest and enjoy the luxury of being a royal servant for at least one night." Her wing uncurls, and gives a small but very firm and pointed wave towards Canterlot.
Diamond_Dancer salutes again and nods her head. "I will! I'll let him know, and I'll get you'se da collar, and I won't let you'se down your nightlyness!" She chirps, excitement riddling her voice. She grasps the little glowing peice of her star under one wing, turns sharply on her hooves and bolts from the ruins with the impossible energy of an excited filly!