Catastrophe on Campus

[hfm_npcs]

[Monday morning, a crowd of young adults and presumably teachers are gathered around the college campus, spilling out into the street. Some of them have signs. Most of them seem to just be shouting and sounding generally upset. The signs and words consist of outrage against the schools’ inadequate supplies.]

[The crowd grows thicker as the day goes on, though various teenagers and children leave the school early to wait outside for their harried-looking parents to pick them up.]

[Police come to monitor the events. Some of the teachers and other important-looking figures start heading towards the front to address the buzzing crowd.]

[Later in the afternoon, the frustration seems to only be mounting further until a scream breaks out in the middle of the mass of people. Then another, and another, all from very different parts of the crowd. Was it induced by frustration? Is there something else going on? Either way, the panic is mounting, people are scattering, screams of anger and fear are rising--the crowd and whatever may be in there will be making this situation dangerous.]

Comments

[hfm_npcs]

[One of the girls remains frozen in place in awestruck fear; the other comes to her senses enough to try to drag her compatriot away from the advancing magical pony stranger, making high pitched whining noises all the while.]

[raisethemoon]

[Well. This is not unfamiliar.

Luna huffs out a sigh. She'd like to have a real conversation, but with the lack of a visible threat, she supposes they don't really require her company.]

Go home, child. Are your parents not here? [Honestly - inattentive, that's what that is.]

[hfm_npcs]

[The squeaking one is still trying to drag them away, but the other girl manages a few words in the quietest of voices:]

Our bus didn't come.

[And how are they supposed to get home without it?]

[raisethemoon]

Well! Then you shall require another method of getting home, shall you not? Where are you bound?

[hfm_npcs]

[The squeaking one resumes dragging - she's not supposed to talk to strangers - but the other one points towards the commercial district.]

Over there. We're not s'posed to walk alone.

[raisethemoon]

Ah! Then I shall walk with you!

[Obviously.]

[raisethemoon]

[...there's a part of Luna telling her not to push this too hard. But as ever with her, it is a very small part.]

'Twould be far faster if we flew.

[hfm_npcs]

[For a moment, squeaker and talker both stop dead in their tracks, completely silent. They then engage in a (very loudly) whispered conversation. Squeaker looks unsure; talker looks like all of her dreams have come true at once.]

We're not supposed to talk to strangers, Lily!

But...flying pony ride!

Mom and Dad are gonna be mad!

Flying pony ride, Rose!

What if the bus comes? We need to get on the bus!

But- but-

[Talker - Lily - takes a deep breath and just about yells:]

We wanna ride!

[Rose goes very still, looking between Lily and Luna as though waiting for something to go wrong. It's hard to tell if she's more afraid of what's going on in the crowd, Luna, or the potential parental consequences of a flying pony ride home.]

[raisethemoon]

[Aw. Sisters.]

Excellent! We shall go forthwith! [Luna trots forward before they can change their minds. It's for the best anyhow! They shall be out of the crowd!

...which is still panicked for reasons she hasn't caught on to, but NEVERMIND ALL THAT. She turns and kneels down.]

Climb on, children. I shall not let you fall, but you may hold my mane.

[hfm_npcs]

[Lily lights up and clambers on, lickety-split, careful not to tug on Luna's mane. Rose takes much longer, looking back and forth from her sister to Luna to the still agitated crowd. It's seeing the crowd that makes her decision - she doesn't want to go back in there - and she too climbs carefully on Luna's back, sitting behind her sister.]

[raisethemoon]

[Well then! Let's get away from these crowds!

Luna's usually a quick flyer, but she tries not to take off too abruptly, or to shift her weight too much. She's let foals ride on her back before; they're a different shape and normally a little more trusting of her in general, but it's the same principle. They likely won't want to go too high either, but she at least ascends high enough to drown out part of the crowd noise before asking:]

Which way are we bound?

[hfm_npcs]

[It's far easier to see the crowds from up here and get a good look at what's causing the panic: blobs of darkness, amorphous and constantly shifting, scattered among the people. It's a very different flavor of Nox.]

[Good thing they're all the way up here, huh.]

[Rose is holding on tight, looking down at the crowd in silence; Lily, thankfully, hasn't looked down yet, and instead points towards the commercial district.]

Over there.

[raisethemoon]

[Well, that sure is a thing!

Luna would very much like to go fight those, but obviously not with two children in tow. So she follows Lily's directions instead, gently gliding in that direction.]

So... [Non-Nox conversation topic? Probably.] ...how old are you?

[hfm_npcs]

[Rose stays silent and continues to hang on. The Nox are scary, but the idea of falling is scarier, and she's not about to distract Luna. Lily has no such compunctions.]

I'm four anna half! Rose is seven.

[And then, because it's only polite:]

How old are you?

[raisethemoon]

I am many thousands of years old, child.

[hfm_npcs]

[There's a pair of breathless gasps from the girls. Rose may not be talking, but she's still listening. Lily, of course, expresses her surprise.]

No way!

[raisethemoon]

[Luna laughs; she's had little opportunity to tell young humans that. Foals all know already, that's not as fun.]

Indeed! But my sister is older yet!

[hfm_npcs]

You have a sister?

[Evidently that's what it takes to pique Rose's interest enough to make her speak up.]

[raisethemoon]

[Oh, it is the quiet one!]

Indeed! Her name is Celestia, and she is in this city as well!