Kickoff [Video/Massive Audio later]

[like_a_dragon]

[A green pony with a matted down brown mop-top appears on the scroll. From the furrowed brows, flared nostrils and fierce grimace, she does not appear... pleased.]

WHAT THE TARTARUS IS GOING ON HERE!?

[Taking a step away from the scroll would probably be a good idea...]

I can't even begin to count all the things that is wrong here! I mean, at first I thought this was a dream but then when somepony actually pinched me -- WITH THEIR MOUTH NO LESS -- I knew that this was actually real. Talking ponies? And the ones with wings? EVEN ONES WITH MAGIC HORNS?? I even saw one that brought in a raincloud! IT WAS RIGHT ON TOP OF ME!!

[She takes a moment and her hoof comes up to scrub off her hair and her face.]

Alright... you know what... considering everything else I have seen before a world of talking ponies is actually not that out there. And, hey, at least my fur color is one that I'd like. Just, in this case, I hope my friends aren't here to have this happen to them.

Also, I have to ask just one question...

Why couldn't I have been one of those cool ones with the wings?

EDIT:

[A little bit later there is a shout. A glorious shout. A mighty shout. It rings to the heavens and may even be heard as far as way as The Crystal Kingdom.]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN PONIES DON'T EAT MEAT?!!!!

[Thanks, Teddie.]

EDIT: x2

[And a little bit after that there is another shout, though not quite as powerful, whatever is doing it definitely has a healthy set of lungs.]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO TV?!!

[Thanks, Rise.]

Comments

[therealrisette]

I just heard you were on the scroll...

[She'll just ignore all the meat talk. That's just... Chie...]

Have you talked to everyone else already? Teddie's here, and Yukiko-senpai and Yu-senpai!

[like_a_dragon]

Oh, um... [meat] ...y-yeah. I was talking to Teddie right now [and he has meat. Yu was talking to me just a second ago, but I haven't seen Yukiko yet.

How are you, Rise? You look...

[Finally Chie gives Yukiko a good look over.]

Horn-y.

[Er...]

[therealrisette]

[Cue widened eyes and silent staring. Chie do you even know what that-]

... Oh! Y-yeah... my horn... it's 'cause I'm a unicorn! Like Yukiko-senpai!

[Phew! Totally hiding where her mind went when Chie said that! It's not appropriate for a pony that looks like she does, anyway.]

So... I guess that means you're an Earth pony? You look really cute, though!

[Stay upbeat and cute... hide the impure thoughts...]

[like_a_dragon]

[You forget that we've seen your Maruyuku and heard things that would make mothers everywhere blush.]

Yeah, I guess that's what I am. I sort of wish that I was a flying pony. That looks fun.

Um...

Is the horn special or something? I thinks I heard something about that in fairy tales and junk.

[therealrisette]

[That was a lifetime ago for her! ... Okay, maybe just a couple of years, but... she's very careful now not to ruin her youthful, innocent image! Usually. Really, she just has a massive complex about being too helpless and immature, thanks to that year in Exsilium. She doesn't deny that any of that happened, but she hasn't had to face it in a long time.]

Yeah! It's how we do magic!

[She seems so proud of that! And demonstrates by floating a random object - her glasses, specifically - in front of the scroll.]

See?

[like_a_dragon]

I LOST OUT OF FLYING AND MAGIC?!

DUUUUUUUUUUUDE...

[Being normal sucks! :c]

[therealrisette]

[Oh no she didn't mean to make her feel bad!!!]

Earth ponies are really strong, though! Senpai's one, too!

[That's... actually not as reassuring as it should be, since Yukiko long since stole his protag card. And he was once described as 'completely submissive' by an admittedly very strange pony. But strength suits Chie! Rise's sure she'll be happy with that!]

[like_a_dragon]

Yeah, I was told about that, but I don't feel any different. Have you seen any Earth ponies do anything special?

[Still, the doubt of being just an Earth pony preys well on her feelings of insecurity. I mean, she's used to not feeling special but she's not special regardless of the world she's in? Urrgh...]

[therealrisette]

I dunno... I haven't really been here very long.

[She wants so badly to think of something to make Chie feel better, but she's coming up empty. Her ears are even drooping a little... until suddenly she perks up again.]

Oh! I've seen some that were really good with flowers and stuff!

[Granted, the best example is a pony that used to be a flower Pokémon, but it still counts! Nozomi told her about that Apple family once, too!]

[like_a_dragon]

IIII don't know if you really want me near flowers, Rise.

[Still, it was enough of an attempt to make her smile.]

How are you? Are you over in the Crystal Kingdom with Teddie?

[therealrisette]

[It was just a thought! At least Chie's smiling now, though...]

I'm okay! This place is a lot better than the last world I was taken to...

[She doesn't really want to talk about that when Chie just arrived, though. Maybe someday, but not now.]

And yeah, everypony's here for the games! It's like a vacation.

[Suddenly, a thought!]

Are you coming, too? ... I know it's kinda crazy, being taken to a place like this, but it's like I haven't seen you in forever!

[like_a_dragon]

Last world?

[Still that was a question that sort of died while it was being made on her lips, as Rise continued talking.]

Ah, yeah. I was planning on heading out that way. I'm just sort of getting my bearings first.

Ugggh... was that a bear pun?

[therealrisette]

[Well... she might have forced the conversation to just blow right past that, but she's not about to completely avoid the topic. Since Chie noticed and all.]

Oh... yeah, that's... kind of a long story.

[In the meantime, she'll just giggle at the unintentional bear pun. Yes, Chie, it counts. Since you brought it up and all.]

Don't worry, I won't tell Teddie~!

[Cue the famous Risette wink! She really won't, though. Better not to give him the satisfaction.]

[like_a_dragon]

[She noticed both the response and the... awkwardness(?) of her response back. Pressing the issue may have more harm than good. So, in other words.]

Huh. Well, when you have the time you should talk to me about it.

["When you're good and comfortable." In other words.]

[She won't dignify the bear pun because she's embarrassed enough as it is.]

How long have you been here? You said earlier that you haven't been here long.

[therealrisette]

[She will, as soon as they get a chance to spend some time together in person! ... So to speak.

For now, she puts on a brave-ish smile and answers the not entirely unrelated question.]

Actually, it's been a couple of months already!

[From her tone, it's as if she's just realizing it's even been that long. But, since it's all connected to much less pleasant topics, her smile drops a little.]

It's been a lot longer since I've been home, though...

[like_a_dragon]

[Yeah, as much as she's trying not to, Chie is noticing that she keeps running into upset and sadness.]

[So rather than ask the obvious, she's just going to ask this instead:]

Rise, I'm getting the feeling that everything is not okay. What's going on?

[therealrisette]

[Well. Now we're out of her perky idol mode and back to the calm, even tone Rise used when Chie first met her. Except her voice is a little smaller and lighter than it was then... if Chie would even notice that.]

It's... not that. Really. It's just...

... A lot's happened. But I don't want you to worry... I'm really alright now.

[She's one hundred percent genuine about this, too. Or seems like it, at least. She's a good enough actress she could probably be convincing even if she didn't really completely mean it.]

We can talk about the rest later, okay? I'm just... really glad you're here.

[That might sound selfish to someone who just arrived. But it's how she really feels.]

1/2

[like_a_dragon]

Huh... uh... okay?

[Her eyes are furrowed and she's very worried. But if Rise is going to clam up then there is nothing she can do, right?]

[Still, there is one small thing she can do.]

Hey Rise?

2/2

[like_a_dragon]

...I'm glad you're here, too.

[Chie's tone is soft and encouraging. Even though she can't be completely satisfied that Rise was not home, she also couldn't be completely upset to be with her friends.]

[There's a warm smile. She really means it, too. And to be honest? She's not that great an actress.]

[therealrisette]

[Oh... oh no. She can sense that concern. The concern and caring and the soft, encouraging voice... it's setting off all her imouto reflexes at once! Like Junko and Sheryl and now Yukiko...

She wants nothing more than to reach through the scroll and hug her senpai and talk about everything. But for now, just knowing she can when they see each other face-to-face will carry her through.

... She may be a good actress, but she can't quite hide how her eyes are misting up. Even though she's smiling, with clear affection for her friend.]

Thanks. I missed you so much...

[She missed everyone, and if the rest come, every arrival will be just as intense and meaningful. But she's going to try and cover up a little bit now.]

I bet Yukiko-senpai did, too! She's been here a really long time...

[It's not fair. She got to come to pony world and date Yu while Rise got sent to that place for a year first. But again. Thoughts for another time.]

[like_a_dragon]

[She could tell there was a lot going on, but Chie wasn't that perceptive. That was Rise's deal, you know? It was her desire to be connected with people that made it easy for her to understand others. Or something like that. Chie wasn't all that great with that sort of thing.]

[So the best thing to do? Follow the change in subject.]

I've heard! But I haven't seen her around. She hasn't left for the Crystal Kingdom, right? I can't wait to see her!

[Seeing Yukiko would be the one thing that would make everything better. What's the worst that could happen?]

damn, this girl has a lot of feelings...

[therealrisette]

[It might be more Rise's thing, but Chie can be pretty understanding and perceptive in her own way. At least, Rise thinks so.]

She and Yu-senpai are coming together... but I dunno if they've left yet.

[She sounds a little disappointed at that. She really wanted to go with them, but after ruining their date in Canterlot, she'd been trying to give them some more alone time to make up for it.

... And there's also the fact that she hasn't quite gotten over the heartbreak of finding out they were definitely in love beyond the shadow of a doubt. The fact that she actually lost. Even if it did happen in her absence.]

Chie's keeps tripping over them D:

[like_a_dragon]

[Chie would understand that, having felt like she lost to Yukiko all the time. It goes hand in hand with being the best friend of one of the most desirable girls at Yasogami.]

Oh? Then maybe I'll catch up with them on the train?

What's it like, by the way. I... uh... haven't really been on them very much.

[Oh sure, she's been on a train a few times to go to Okina. But this is a pony-run train. She wants to know what to expect!]

they're gonna need a long talk soon. with ice cream.

[therealrisette]

[It's a new feeling for Rise! She's Risette! Everyone always wanted her... even if they never wanted her her. Yu did, though. Or so she thought...

Part of her wasn't really surprised. She doesn't feel much like the same Rise Kujikawa anymore. Maybe a little bit here and there, but it's going to be a long healing process after the constant parade of terrible that was the last world she'd been taken to.

She can hold it together with the subject change, though. She's pretty good at holding it together in general, actually. But it's Chie, so... somewhere deep down, she desperately wants to talk about all of this. But not over the scrolls, not even in a private conversation. It waited this long, it can wait a little while longer.]

The trains? They're not like the ones back home! They're kinda... old looking, but nicer? They totally suit this place.

[Chie might not quite understand that yet, but she'll get used to how things generally look in Equestria. All old fashioned but brightly colored and with a lot of more modern touches.]

ooh can there be shaved bacon on top?

[like_a_dragon]

[Chie took a look around.]

Yeah, I'm getting that vibe too. Something about this place tells me it's missing a decade or ten. It's folksy, but way, way, waaaay old-fashioned.

I mean, the next thing somebody is going to tell me is that there is no electricity.

[Uh-oh...]