24th Spell: [Video]

[friendyousohard]

Why is there no map for this place... You know, I think that's a project that really needs to be undertaken. Maps of all the various caaaaaaaaa- oof!

[Stepping onto one of the ice-covered floors that covers the ice path, Twilight is interrupted by suddenly slipping and sliding all the way over to the wall on the opposite side, which she crashes headlong into.]

Urgh... that was unpleasant. Alright, just need to pay a bit more attention, let's tryyyyyyy- argh!

[Another step has her legs slipping straight out from under her, and she slides across to another corner of the room on her knees, face first. After a highly unpleasant sounding crash, she lets out a low groan and slides down the wall until she's face down, making highly unhappy noises.]

I. Hate. This. Cave.

[As if to add insult to injury, the Pokemon who's been holding the gear this whole time proceeds to step out onto the ice and easily slide its way over to its hapless trainer, holding out the gear.]

What? Oh just... just shut it off, Champ. I don't even want to worry about that map idea until I'm out of this place, now. Oh, my head...

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[friendyousohard]

[Her expression goes completely blank for a moment, and she just nods her head at his explanation.]

I see. Excuse me one moment, would you Riku?

[She turns the gear over, places something over it to muffle any sound, and then:]

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHH!

[Her screaming fit complete, she pulls the gear back into her lap.]

Well, that's going to be very useful the next time I need to get someplace new, thanks for letting me know.

[islandshore]

[It's a good thing she muffled that scream, else Riku might've started to worry. Smart move on her part, really, though when she finally does come back, he's wearing an awkward half smile. Something tells him she wasn't too pleased by his reveal.]

Hey, no problem. You gonna be okay, though?

[Never hurts to check, especially since she did step away for a moment.]

[friendyousohard]

I will be fine. I just need to keep my composure, put my focus into plotting our course and avoiding as many of these ice patches as I can, and Stop. Falling. Over.

[She clenches her hands briefly, but takes a deep breath and relaxes them with a sigh.]

I never was very good on the ice, truth be told. The last time I tried to skate I wound up spinning out of control into a snowdrift.

[islandshore]

Was that before or after you got dragged here? Because, man, ice skating on all fours...

[Riku shudders. Yeah, that sounds like it'd be a pretty huge nightmare.]

[friendyousohard]

Before. It was during Winter Wrap-Up and I was trying to help score the ice... really I tried almost everything that day, but the ice was remarkably bad.

[islandshore]

Winter Wrap-Up...

[What's that supposed to be? Some kind of holiday? Then again, given the name...]

So, what? You guys celebrate the end of winter?

[Or maybe it's something a bit more literal. Whatever the case, she's got his full attention.]

[friendyousohard]

No, we cause the end of winter. Did I never tell you that we control the weather back home?

[Because yeah, that's something to be completely chill about, Twi.]

[islandshore]

Well, you might've, but dang... You ponies control everything about the weather?

[Maybe it's not too big of a stretch after seeing Pokémon with moves like Sunny Day and Rain Dance, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't impressed.]

[friendyousohard]

Yes indeed! The princesses control the rise of the sun and the moon, pushing the world along on the calendar. The pegasi are able to move clouds into position or destroy them, bring moisture into the air to make new ones, take care of the strength and direction of the wind, and so forth. Earth ponies take care of things down below, clearing snow and readying the fields, waking up animals from hibernation and such. And us unicorns use our magic to help out in any number of ways. In fact in Canterlot, where most of the population is unicorns, the shift from winter to spring is basically just one big spell.

[islandshore]

[Riku stays silent at first, soaking in everything Twilight's said. Princesses controlling the sun and the moon... The first question that pops into is head is how that affect's the planet's rotation. He even opens his mouth for a moment, tempted to voice his question, but he waits, taking in the rest of her descriptions.

Ponies controlling the skies, caring for wild animals, and casting huge spells, all in the regulation of their world?

Riku laughs, a wry smile crossing his lips.]

Man, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were talking about Legendary Pokémon.

[friendyousohard]

Princesses Celestia and Luna are probably equal in power to at least a few of the Legendaries. Maybe not the likes of Dialga and Palkia, but Ho-oh and Lugia, yes.

The rest of the phenomena are more due to teamwork than sheer power, though.

[islandshore]

Still, stuff like that's practically unheard of in my world. Try to push a cloud, and you'd just pass right through it...

[And destroying them? That'd take some powerful wind, to say the least.]

[friendyousohard]

Well that's true for most ponies as well. Pegasi just channel magic energy that way, with control over the weather, the way Unicorns can make our own phenomena and Earth Ponies can enhance their stamina and attune themselves to the land for truly amazing agricultural skills and the like.

[islandshore]

So you're all just a bunch of magic ponies. Must be a drag to have that all stripped away...

[Sigh. It's one of those things he can't fully relate to yet, coming from the past.]

Still, it's obvious that you've made the most of it.

[friendyousohard]

Well, you do what you have to. I've never denied that I wouldn't love to have my body and my power back, but I've treated this as a learning experience, and there's a lot to be said for this world as a whole, really.