trans_9 | Suddenly, Princess Celestia! [Open]

Celestia had lived a long life, but the past few days were the strangest she had ever experienced. She had awoken from a pod in a strange chamber, only to find herself whisked away to a strange maze soon after.

This maze had had her most concerned - as Princess of all Equestria, she had duties and responsibilities, after all. She could only hope that her sister Luna was managing on her own, and do her best to escape this maze and return to her beloved subjects.

Escape came unexpectedly though, when Celestia found herself suddenly dropped from the mess hall ceiling, where she landed on top of one of the tables with a thud, her hooves sending plates and trays and cutlery flying in all directions. Have a rather elegant pony - or perhaps a horse? - with a long horn on her forehead, graceful wings adorning her back, and a mane and tail that was a multicolour and gravity-defying sight standing on your table, diners, looking rather bewildered.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I hope I didn't ruin your meal," she said, with a chuckle. Then she looked around at her surroundings, her expression turning concerned. "Now this doesn't look at all like Equestria..."

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"Ah, you must be more familiar with earth ponies," Celestia said, amused. "Only pegasus ponies have wings, and unicorns have horns."

Lowering her head, Celestia whispered conspiratorially in Shoutarou's ear. "But I am a little strange myself, I must admit."

So not only were there ponies, but they're split into categories? "Different variations? Huh."

The lowered head, the whisper, those coupled with the whole 'dropping in' bit made him suspicious. "Be strange all you want, long as it doesn't cause trouble for the other crewmembers.

"Oh, I don't intend to cause any trouble," Celestia said, with a chuckle. (A little bit of...livening things up every now and then didn't count as trouble in Celestia's opinion anyway). "But perhaps you could help me? I need to return to Equestria, my home. My subjects will be incredibly worried."

Shoutarou's head tilts a bit, then he gives the princess a strange look. "...Stacey didn't brief you?"

"I don't believe I've met anypony named Stacy," Celestia remarked.

Shoutarou looks rather perplexed. "She wasn't in your head, telling you about the ship, the war and all that after you popped out of the pod-thing?"

In any other setting, talking to a magical Pegasus unicorn about spaceship voices in your head would get Shoutarou sent off to a loony bin...

"Oh I do recall a voice," Celestia said, kicking her head back as she remembered. "She was not able to tell me much, I'm afraid - soon after I found myself whisked away to a very peculiar maze, where another voice told me there would be cake at the end. It seems that I've missed all of the introductions!"

"So it seems..."

Shoutarou sighs, running a hand through his hair. Even after doing it for a while, delivering bad news never gets easier.

"There's a lot of here - different races and stuff, from different worlds. Worlds that no longer exist thanks to beings called the Ohm. We've been...well, recruited by Stacy, this ship we're on to fight back - to try and get our worlds back."

Celestia paused, her expression turning concerned. "Worlds that no longer exist?" she asked.

No more Equestria? But that couldn't be right. Equestria was her home, her responsibility. She would never have let it be destroyed, not while she still lived.

"Yeah. Seems these Ohm are world-destroying bug-things." He sighs again. "It's weird, but that's apparently what's going on."

"But why would they destroy worlds?" Celestia asked. "Why would these creatures wish to destroy Equestria?"

"Of that... I'm not certain. I never really thought to question that. I just know they need to be stopped."

"Can Equestria be restored?" she asked quietly.

"There's talk that we might be able to restore our worlds." Shoutarou gets a quite determined look on his face. "Any chance beats no chance."

"Then I will do what I can to restore Equestria," she said firmly. As Princess it was her duty and her responsibility. She could not let her subjects down. "Thank you for your help, kind sir."

Shoutarou nods, and out of reflex, holds out his hand for a handshake... And then promptly moves it back to scratch his head in a clumsy attempt to save face.

"You're quite welcome."

Celestia blinked down at the hand for a moment, wondering what purpose Shoutarou had held it out for. Then she chuckled - perhaps it was just a strange human custom.

"Well, I had better be going," she said, trotting as she turned in a half circle to face the mess hall's exit. "I think it's about time I see some more of this place, don't you think?"

Shoutarou nods. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. I know there's some other ponies out and about."

"Thank is wonderful news!" Celestia said. "I will have to find them - and thank you, for all your help. It has been a pleasure talking with you."

And with that, Celestia left the mess hall to begin her search.

Suddenly, Princess Celestia! [Open]

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