thenearshore | Flying Dreams Are One Second From Falling Dreams [closed]

Kairi was about to answer Celestia concerning not all humans being able to ride the cloud, or the fact that she actually isn't even sure what the rules are since it's not her cloud in the first place, but all of that goes out the window.

"Wings? Of my own?"

You have her undivided attention, princess.

Mai gave a polite smile (with hints of amusement at Kairi's sudden interest), though she shook her head at Celestia.

"I'm not going to say I've never been curious about flying...but I'm not sure this would be the time for me to want to learn how. Maybe when we're not preparing to chase after an ayakashi mid-air."

Trunks was examining Reisi's barriers; both practically in terms of touching one physically, as well as with a focused look that meant he was studying them. Then turning back to the other shinki with that same look, trying to figure out how. But only for a few moments, because staring wasn't polite. It might also be something the other could do, but could not remember how, much like Trunks' ability with chi.

"I'm willing to go with whatever's easier. If we have wings, we might have to worry about how to compensate for balance and extra limbs." It wasn't a 'no' though.

"That may be true," Celestia allowed, not particularly finding any value about arguing over the magic of it all. "Ponies normally do not, but you all are humans and could potentially react differently. If you are satisfied with the magic platforms and the... cloud?"

Why was it yellow. That was a little weird.

The barrier is perfectly solid and feels quite sturdy for having literally appeared out of thin air. Even given a thorough investigation, there's no clear indication of exactly how Reisi creates them.

Glancing up at the sky with a determined expression, "In any case, we should make haste if we don't want it to escape."

He begins setting out two additional paths to his own for whoever else wishes to use them. They're laid out in an orderly fashion, each platform an equal distance away from the last. The paths don't cross as to avoid confusing one's path with another, but they are close enough for the group to spot one another.

"Flying for the first time seems troublesome." So that's Chikusa's verdict on the matter. That sounds like a whole lot of effort into learning something on the fly, for a dangerous situation, for a skill they might not ever need again.

....Ah. But wait. His mouth quirks to the side slightly. "...Actually... To spare room for the platforms... I'll go with you, Celestia..."

So that leaves whoever else wants to follow Reisi.

"Could... I have wings too? You know, just in case?" She smiles brightly. It sounded so cool! She had no idea what Celestia was offering, only that there was the practical side of potentially falling off of Nimbus, but also WINGS!

"If it's not too much trouble, of course. I know you needed help with something important to have so many of us here, Princess."

"Easily done, and yes. We'd best hurry."

The spell of winged flight was actually not easily done by most standards, requiring an amount of effort and focus and power greater than most unicorns could muster, and even the skilled could struggle with. Celestia was, of course, Celestia; she made it look easy, as she lowered her head to point her horn to Kairi. The golden magic that shot out surrounded her in a brilliant flare, and when it subsided, revealed Kairi's newest addition: a pair of brilliant butterfly wings, translucent and radiant.

Why was he not surprised? Not that they weren't pretty, but Trunks was kind of glad he'd opted for the platforms now. Then again, none of their methods were exactly stealthy, so sneaking up on the ayakashi was likely out of the question.

"Ready when you are." A nod of thanks to Reisi, before he's taking one set of platforms. Definitely appreciating that the other had set them out in such a way they were close enough to be in contact, but not interfere with each other.

Well, if she's the one saying to hurry.... Hopefully Celestia won't mind if Chikusa just goes straight over to her. He's already announced his attention, after all. Hopefully that means she's expecting the way he's going to try and carefully get onto her back.

Not "careful" because he's being considerate, but careful because he doesn't want to get his legs tangled up in wings. So much wing.

This is one of the best things to happen to Kairi in her whole memory, as far as she's concerned.

"I know this is important to you and your followers Celestia, but I'm so excited!" She practices fluttering the wings a little directly above Nimbus and then moves forward a little while Nimbus tracks underneath of her. "Come on everyone, last one up there's a rotten egg!"

And she for one is moving onward so as not to be a rotten egg.

Mai had opened her mouth to question if Kairi was still going to be using Nimbus with her wings, when...she watched the young woman take off, Nimbus close at her heels. Ah. Well, that answered that question.

"Right behind you, Trunks." Mai called to her shinki before taking another set of platforms. Her steps were cautious at first until she got used to sensation of walking on them. Once she felt sturdy enough, however, she took off in a light job in order to reach where they needed to go as quickly as possible. All the while, keeping an eye on her footing. Especially the higher up she got.

Celestia offered Chikusa a little help with her magic, the better to get him situated. Once he was comfortable -- physically, she figured 'emotionally' was a lost cause in this circumstance -- she spread her wings wide, then took to the sky.

Shortly after reminding them of their haste, Reisi himself takes to a path of platforms. Newer platforms appear out of nothing to extend their paths in an orderly fashion and lead them into the sky. Though as they proceed, the platforms from earlier disappear over time.

The disappearance of the platforms behind them was concerning, even if it made sense. Still, Trunks had committed to this and so had Mai--so had they all really. He'd just have to trust in his fellow shinki and gods.

"So, details or tips to spot the ayakashi?" Called as a general question. Albeit he hoped Celestia would answer, since this was primarily her organizing. "Reisi, if you want to take point since they're your platforms, I can bring up the rear with Mai in the middle." Also thinking strategically, but open to negotiation.

There's nothing Chikusa can really say right now- partially because he's trying not to choke on all the rainbow hair that Celestia has no shortage of. Instead, as everyone tries to plan things as they take to the skies, he keeps his line hand ready and the other holding onto Celestia.

If anything suddenly comes at them, he'll be prepared to toss up a defensive borderline. It's the best he can do while in midair.

Mai waited until she was pretty far up in the air, pausing long enough to glance behind her. Already, the distance was too high to safely jump down from the remaining platforms. She frowned for a moment at the thought of her return trip no longer being available...but, for the moment, there was little else to do but keep going forward.

Or, in her case, pause long enough to fold her arms across her chest and glance around.

"If it's flying, then wind gusts might be a clue. Something that doesn't feel natural or goes against the current breeze direction."

"If you've never been around an ayakashi before, it's hard to miss the chill that goes up your spine," Kairi says seriously, butterfly wings still flapping. She doesn't expect that this new shinki Trunks would have the same kind of reaction that she does to ayakashi, but she's heard it's still pretty palpable.

"She has a good idea too - wind gusts and things like that." Kairi starts to look down on the ground. "It could be low to the ground too - hovering near a person it's trying to hurt." Then she looks back up again, spinning around in a slow circle. "If it's in the air though, maybe somewhere birds are flying away from...?"

It's not like they're looking for something as obvious as a vent after all.

"I do not think it will be difficult to find."

Though Celestia was no Princess of the Night, the time she had spent around her sister left her with a sense for certain things nonetheless. And thought she was no weatherpony, she knew enough to spot a dark patch of clouds nestled above the others that struck her as wrong on more levels than she liked.

The pony set her course for the sky, even as a flash of lightning lit the clouds from the inside, and a distant rumble shivered over them, touching their spirits more than it did their flesh. The ayakashi knew they were coming, and it was not pleased.

"I'm on it." Looks like Reisi and Trunks had the same idea.

Keeping tabs on the others' positions on the platforms, he charges onward to take the lead. As such, a path lays itself out before Mai even as she lingers to glance around. Still, far be it from Reisi to take platforms that are still in use or that remain yet untouched.

It seems that they're headed toward a dark and stormy spot in the clouds. As they draw closer, he may have to increase the platforms' sizes or merge some of them together in order to keep them all safe.

"Looks like sneaking up on it is out of the question." Trunks had hung back enough to watch Reisi and Mai, as the 3 on the platforms had loosely-coordinated. That rumble through them was a lot stronger than the child ayakashi's mischief he and Mai had encountered before. Trunks moved, heading to the same set of platforms Mai was using, albeit 2 behind her. It consolidated their paths from 3 different ones, but left him still in the rear enough to play spotter and guard.

Hopefully it'd help make it a bit easier for Reisi to manage them. "Should we try and contain it, or go offensive?" Called and asked of the larger group.

Edited 2017-12-19 10:13 (UTC)

"Up in the air? I don't think we'll be able to contain it," Kairi observes as she flies alongside the others. "I haven't been fighting this style very long - up in the air, on Nimbus I mean - but it seems like it would be really easy for it to escape unless there's enough of us that can form powerful Borderline walls the way you would for an Ablution - and even then we'd need a ceiling and floor, not just three walls."

She shakes her head. "No, as much as I don't like it... I think you're right that we need to go offensive."

"There's four of us." Chikusa's voice finally rises above the wind, and also Celestia's hair. "We could form a pyramid, if it comes down to it, but we would have to be in the right positions." At least, it's something to consider. Now that he thinks about it, he's never made a horizontal barrier before...

Oh well. There's a first time for everything. Sometimes that first time just happens to be during mortal peril. It's fine.

Either way, he's prepared to be flexible and go with whatever is most needed... assuming that they can get the drop on their enemy.

"Oh, listen to the little ones," rumbled a low, amused voice from the depths of the cloud.

Lightning cracked abruptly out of the clear blue sky, and in the split-second of blinding light, the sky went dark with clouds that roiled around deep, deadly-green cores.

"It is only an illusion!" Celestia called out, though the ramifications of such an illusion were all the more alarming. This ayakashi must be terribly powerful, to reach out this way.

"Fear is never an illusion." The central cloud, the first one, the real one swirled abruptly, as it began to collapse. "Fear is the most real thing inside you."

The cloud burst away, as if it had been shredded. Surging out of its center came a pony, terribly glorious in her dark majesty, dark opposite to the Princess of the Dat. "Isn't it, sister?"

Beneath Chikusa, Celestia went rigid, her back arched and one hoof lifted in shock and, yes, fear. Few things could discomfit her, but this -- this was as brutally effective as a knife in the back. In that moment of lost guard, the ayakashi-pony struck. A bolt of pure jet shot out of its horn, hammering into Celestia's chest with the force of a cannon. She shot backwards, spinning three full revolutions, before the momentum imparted to her from the blast at last gave way to friction and gravity. Legs and wings spread bonelessly, blight already crawling down her body, she began to fall.

Edited 2017-12-22 19:00 (UTC)

Since encountering Celestia in her moments of distress during the Harvest Moon, it's clear to Reisi that this ayakashi has taken on the form of the pony's sister. So, not only does it fly and hide among the clouds, but...

"It's spotted us." He calls out before the ayakashi unleashes the bolt from its horn, sending Celestia spinning out of control. It's surprising enough to stop Reisi in his tracks, during which he abruptly pauses ever so briefly in creating the platforms. "We can't charge in, it's capable of shifting forms."

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