Dubstep

Phew! That took care of most all of today's errands! Starlight Glimmer wiped a bit of sweat away from her brow as she trotted along. The mare had been out and about for what felt like the greater majority of the day. She had books to take to Twilight, a dress to try on for Rarity, and not to mention she was planning on visiting Bevel later that day! She really did have her hooves full! That didn't mean however she hadn't the time nor inkling to stop by and visit Applejack when she had seen that the mare was having a special sale on their apples. There was never any question on the freshness or quality from their farm, plus she had been meaning to get a couple of bushels just the other day but hadn't the time to swing by! But with a break in today's busy schedule, how could she not? Though the mare hadn't been expecting a line. Starlight whistled to herself in surprise. It wasn't every day that Sweet Apple Acres had a line of all things. She giggled to herself quietly and shrugged as she took her place in line. Good thing she was free, this could be a little bit of a wait.

Ahh! This was it! A wonderful start to a wonderful school year. Students seemed to be in high spirits already, and seemed to be rather accepting of their new Headmare. Starlight Glimmer herself was feeling pretty good herself as she made her way off to the councilor's office. Apparently there had been a rumour around that she herself was going to be the Headmare...truth be told she wouldn't have said no if asked...but she was sure Twilight had her reasons. Whatever the case may be, the unicorn was all too happy to continue helping as the academy's councilor. To that effect she had made sure to decorate her office accordingly! Changed out the curtains to make the place feel fresh so to speak. Around the room she had various gifts and knickknacks that her friends or students had given her, as well as a couple of her favourite kits hanging from the ceiling to give it a little extra personal flair. With a mug full of apple tea — thanks Applejack — Starlight would open up her door and take a seat. She was fairly confident there wouldn't be any issues that she'd be needed for, it was the first day of school after all, but a good councilor always has their door open for a student in need, no matter how small the worry.

Starlight had to admit, this was a strange and bittersweet turn of events. In the brief beginning moments, the mare could hardly believe that Twilight had intended to step down as Headmare, it seemed so out of character for her. But, with the added responsibility placed at her hooves by Celestia and Luna, she could hardly blame her for wanting to not drown herself in responsibility...for once. The question that lingered for Starlight after that had been who exactly would be able to fill her horseshoes! The obvious choice would have been one of the girls, of course, but sometimes the obvious choice isn't the correct choice. The unicorn didn't know Bluebl...er...belle, very well at all. Like most she had heard the rumours good and bad, Starlight was hardly a stranger to that sort of thing herself. Quietly she sat off and to the back, smiling politely as Twilight went through her speech, she could only imagine the nervousness that was coursing through the princess as she continued. Starlight made a mental note to take her out later, getting something to eat was always a good way to de-stress. When the princess' speech landed upon her continuing role at the school, she would stand and wave at the students before taking her seat once more. Starlight knew which part was coming next and quietly held her breath as she waited the reaction of the students. The expected gasps slowly settled down into a quiet murmur before turning into silence again as Twilight continued. It was hard not to tear up a bit herself, seeing Twilight nearly doing so. As she passed by, Starlight wouldn't hesitate to give her friend and mentor a gentle hug before letting her go with a smile. And as Twilight passed, so did Bluebelle, a picture of poise and grace belaying the swirling vortex of self doubt that was probably just under the surface. Starlight remained quiet, listening intently to the princess' speech. She had heard Twilight practicing hers more than a few times over the course of...well honestly she had lost track of time on that but let's say she heard it more than once. But Bluebelle's was new to hear, and would serve well to gauge the kind of pony she would be working for here on. And from the sound of it, it was a wise choice on Twilight's part. As Bluebelle's speech came to an end, a silence fell over the crowd once again, as the students looked to one another. Change was hard for anyone, especially the youth, she knew that far too well. But she also knew too well how the approval of your peers could affect you, and so before the silence could turn awkward, Starlight would be the first to applaud the new headmare.

Chuckling softly, Àilóng would raise up to his hooves. He wasn't terribly surprised that his little comment either went over Yuè's head or was simply brushed off as worded wrong. Whatever the case may be, the disguised dragon was pleased with his friend's choice of their next activity. Truth be told, this was the one he had been looking forward too all night, but he had been so enraptured by the Empress' company that the passing of the time had all but been a blur. With an offered hoof and a smile, Àilóng would seek to help the mare up to hers. "Well, we better not waste time then! If we help one another I'm sure we can have them built and ready to fly before it's too late. Perhaps we can make one together as well?" smile growing into a kind grin, the glamoured king would lead Yuè towards the tables.

Hawke arched a feathered brow, so the hunky kirin wasn't a kirin at all but an...Okami? The griffon wracked her brain for a few moments as she tried to recall where exactly she had heard that term before. Wait, duh. Ravencrest's books! Okami were a type of yokai, but yokai weren't usually so forthcoming with their yokai-ness, were they? Maybe Taira here was an outlier? Whatever the case may be, it didn't change who the stal...er...wolf was. Hawke smiled and wandered over to Pinkie's side to get a better look at her acquaintance now that his disguise had fallen. "Can pack a lot of wolf in that kirin disguise of yours huh? Man oh man, creatures must get cricks in their necks staring up to talk at you." she playfully teased. She expected the race to be full of surprises, but more so in the way of who would win and lose or leads being exchanged, etctera. Not one of the competitors turning out to be an almost mythological creature. Still, it was nice to see she wasn't the only one hiding who they were. Even if it was for entirely different reasons. Chuckling she gently poked Pinkie in the side with an elbow. "Congratulations by the way Pinkie. You really pulled it off back there! We'll definitely have to race together again sometime. Of course, that'd have to wait until after our date." she gave Pinkie a wink before turning her attention back to Taira. "And congratz to you too! Had a debate going in my head who was going to win between you and Applejack for that last stretch back there."

Fifth place! Okay. Hawke could live with that. Third would have been fantastic, she'd have felt a lot more pride in her accomplishment then fifth, but at least she placed. Not to mention the fact she was the only griffon that placed! That actually did mean a lot. Well to her anyway, she wasn't sure how any ponies here felt about it. Though a lot of hometown griffons would probably just scoff at the idea of being in a race against ponies, let alone getting fifth place in a competition. Most races, not even third place got anything. Hawke bowed her head down as the Mayor placed the gorgeous wooden medal around her neck before raising back up with a smile. "Thank you ma'am, I'm honoured." Hawke was hardly surprised at the other medalists who placed ahead of her. While Boulder Dash could have certainly pushed ahead into the lead, Pinkie Pie managed to beat him out with her last burst of speed. And Taira and Applejack? Well as she expected, it had came down to those two, but it seems this time the farm pony had came out on top! Hawke was thankful she pushed herself as hard as she could in the last few moments. It had given her enough time to bury those negative thoughts and memories away for another time. Today was a time to celebrate! The race was done, she placed, the cute mare she was going on a date with later placed, there was going to be a party or two! What wasn't to like? Consideration on that was cut short however by the sound of a colossal sneeze rocking the area. A large wave of mist exploding out around from Taira...Poor guy would have to get his allergies in check, surely there was some kind of medicine that...would...What? Where the kirin once stood was a huge, like HUGE wolf. Same colours, same medal, yeah that was Taira but what was Taira?! Hawke's jaw dropped in shock and confusion as she watched the wolf huff and sniffle and sneeze..."So...everyone sees this right? It's not exhaustion from the race making me hallucinate, is it?..."

"Heheh, sorry Bevel, you just make it so easy!" Starlight replied with a giggle and a wink before turning her attention back to Bon Bon. "Well he's sort of my all around assistant I suppose. We made sure when we were discussing the details of the job that he has free time to model for Rarity though, I didn't want to take that away from him." the unicorn gave a nod as she paid for the second bag of candies. "He only started recently but he's been such a great help so far. So I figured a little treat couldn't hurt!" waggling the bag she waved to Bon Bon and made her way back towards where Bevel and Valen were seated. It seemed that nearby the spontaneously papering kirin from before was having a nice little conversation with Twilight. Rather than interrupt the conversation at hoof, Starlight gave a little wave the stallion as she took a seat between Bevel and Valen. "Here you go Valen, enjoy! Bon Bon makes some of the best candies around." She wanted to say that Sugarcube Corner had her beat on cakes and pies and whatnot, but Starlight bet she could hear someone say that from a mile away and be there with a sales pitch on why the bon bons couldn't be beat or something.

Starlight chuckled and smiled and levitated the collection of stuff over by where Bevel was and sat it down gently. "Well if you're sure! You go ahead and take a seat and catch your breath, and I'll pick you up some bon bons. I think even Rarity would agree a little treat now and then won't hurt." she gave Valen a friendly wink before stepping back over to Bon Bon's booth to place a second order. The familiar, and exceedingly loud, voice of Yona's 'cheering' startled the unicorn into nearly dropping her bits. As expected the yak had a very impressive set of lungs on her. Before the mare's ringing ears could recover though, Bon Bon showed off her own set of pipes. Starlight had heard that going to concerts could risk damaging your hearing, but she didn't expect the stands of the Running of the Leaves to do the same. Maybe now though she could get her order in an-Nope, now there a new pony...er. Kirin on the scene...Where did he even come from? Nevermind, now was the chance to aaaand there was the loud ringing of Bevel's megaphone. Starlight was screaming internally but managed a smile as Bevel landed near by. "I think they can probably hear the cheering over in Canterlot, Bev." she teased, giving the inventor a kiss on the cheek before finally stepping forward to Bon-bon's booth again. "Hey Bon-bon, I'm getting another order of bon bons for my assistant, if you please?"

Starlight blinked in surprise as she saw Valen carrying everything. The mare was quick the hurry over and grab most of it in a telekinetic grasp, placing a gentle hoof on the worn out colt's shoulder. "Valen are you alright? I didn't say you had to bring everything! Just a few suggestions of things to grab if you wanted to." she said with a chuckle and a little shake of her head. "Today's supposed to be a relaxing day for you as it is for everyone else. But thank you for thinking of me never the less." Starlight gave her assistant a hug and a pat on the shoulder as a thank you. Valen had really been proving to be a top notch helper around the school and in life in general. It was little wonder why Twilight valued Spike's help so highly. "Are you hungry, thirsty? I'll grab something for you if you'd like. My treat. You look like you could use the chance to catch your breath!"

Hope you feel better soon friendo

Starlight smiled cheerfully and dug out the six bits owned. Well, she had only asked for a dozen, but oh well. Today was a festival day, she could afford to indulge now and then. "Thank you Bon Bon, I'll be sure to enjoy them!" with her purchase paid for, the mare stepped to the side to allow those behind her some room to go. In particular a young colt who seemed...extremely eager for the candy. She couldn't really blame him! Popping one of the treats into her mouth, Starlight would wave as — speak of the princess — Twilight and Spike arrived, along with Celestia and Luna as well! With a quick little gulp of her treat, Starlight stepped forward to greet her friends "I figured you all would make it sooner or later! I'm glad you all had the time to come." just from living with Twilight she knew how busy one Princess' schedule could be to organize, let alone three of them for one event! "If you're still looking for some place to sit, there's plenty of room over with me and Bevel!" she motioned over towards the other mare who was still cheering her heart out for Discord. "If you can handle her, hehe, enthusiasm." Well that was everyone she was expecting so far...except Valen was a little late, she hoped her assistant didn't get turned around on the way here...

Starlight jumped a bit in surprise when Lyra popped up, though she chuckled afterwards. She was much more used to that sort of thing now, after being friends with Pinkie Pie so long! "Heheh, glad to hear it." Perhaps a bit of Twilight's worry wart habit was rubbing off on Starlight, but it still felt nice to have confirmation that ponies were doing well! Especially during holidays and festivals. After dealing with everything that could happen at the School after all...But she was off today! No need to stress about any of that. "Her allergies can turn her into a walking hurricane." Starlight confirmed Bevel's explanation. After all, the unicorn had seen it first hoof more than a time or two. Watching her friend cheer, she couldn't help but chuckle when she thought about how listless and reserved the mare had once been. Friendship really did seem to bring out the best in ponies. "I'll be back that way in a little bit, Bevel!" Starlight waved with a smile as Bevel made her way back over to their seats. "I'll just take a regular dozen bonbons. As for why I'm not hopping into the race, I really did consider it! But Discord's taking part because of a liiiiittle rivalry with the qilin that joined in. And I didn't want to give him even more reason that he felt he had to prove himself. So instead, Bevel and I are cheering him and our friends on from the sidelines this time around. As for Twilight?" Starlight glanced around the area to see if she could spot the princess before shrugging. "Knowing her I'm sure she's around somewhere! Probably running through a checklist to make sure everything's running smoothly."

Starlight chuckled and rolled her eyes. While the mare had decided to forego the cheerleader apparel, she was never the less here to cheer on her friends — disguised or no — as they made their way through the Running of the Leaves. "Eeeeasy there Bevel! Be sure to leave some candy for everyone else." she chuckled as she approached to put a leg around the mare to give her a hug. "I'm sure our friends might want some after the race too." Starlight herself had briefly considered joining in on the race too, buuuuut she figured that'd make Discord have twice as much to prove. Trying to impress her and beat this curious qilin acquaintance of his. Giving Bevel a little nuzzle she'd let the excitable mare free and turn to wave to Bon Bon with a smile. "Good afternoon Bon Bon! You've done an amazing job as usual, everything looks so good. This must have taken you all day." with a little poof of her horn, Starlight would summon a little coinpurse to dig a few bits out, may as well indulge her sweet tooth as well! "Oh, and how's Lyra doing? Well I hope!"

I'll participate with Hawke!

Hmm. That is a good point and an even better question. Just what would Auntie say about this. Àilóng took another bite of the Fire Flakes as he contemplated. This was not a matter of the country though, it was a matter of the heart. It was a matter of helping bring the world to a friend who hadn't the time to see it herself. The disguised dragon shook his head and swallowed his food. "It would be presumptuous of me to assume the Matron's thoughts on the matter one way or the other." Two could play at the impish game. Though he wasn't as constrained by them as he was sure that Yuè felt, he still knew those courtly manner and regal attitude. "And besides, it's not as though I cannot finish my Kingly duties before I take a trip. Or even take care of it before they begin for the day in case of breakfast." Àilóng grinned and leaned against a foreleg he let rest upon the table. "And besides, it'd be worth it to make you smile! Speaking of, where shall we head off to next? I'm sure there's loads of activities you've been itching to take part in." he motioned dramatically around at the festival. Food of course was great an all, but the First Moon always had so so much to offer!

34) I would figure we likely have other planets in the system. As of right now we've not come up with any or named any, but it could be a possibility that could be discussed in the future. 35) Another case of it currently not being named. I like the idea of Equus fairly well, but we've not got anything official. 36) Other staff, feel free to correct me on this. I believe that we do allow that sort of thing under the Unofficial Lore section. 39) It sure does! I actually have a character relevant to this question! >Here<

This was all going...amazingly well! Àilóng hadn't really expected her to be able to let go of the Empress mentality so easily, even if it was just for a night. But perhaps tonight was one full of surprises. The disguised serpent returned Yuè smile with a bright grin of his own. He'd probably end up getting an earful from someone back in Longri-la for all this kerfuffle, but it was worth it to see her smile. Genuinely smile, not a painted on one for the sake of the crown. "I can do that." he replied in complete seriousness before taking another bite of the Fire Flakes. Traveling hither and yon to find great meals to bring to the mare he loved? Plus the icing on the cake of getting to try food from around the world too to find the best delicacies for her? Who could turn THAT down? "I'll start tomorrow. I hear Polyneighsa has some wonderful dishes. Perhaps the day after I can stop by Germaney." the king tapped his chin in thought. There were quite a few places to choose from, where would he even begin!

Through the streets of Long Kong, the busy streets were parting warily as a serpent dragon flowed through the streets with a mud caked shovel resting on his back. By now most ponies in the city knew the dragon as the owner of one of the best noodle shops around. He would argue the best but who has that kind of time. Others knew to keep their mouths shut about his day job though. Yángguāng, or just Yang as most called him, worked as the enforcer for the Divine Protectorate. So those in the know were right to be frightened at the sight. Who knew which poor sod he had just buried? Possibly alive?! Of course, Yang wasn't about to say that he had just got done planting a new tree nearby his shop. Let em cower, it was more fun that way. Buried mook or no, diggin a hole was thirsty work and it was break time at last. There was a new bar that was opening from what the dragon recalled, maybe this one would have something better than the swill some places seemed to hock as brew. Yang zipped up into the air to avoid the rest of the traffic and flew off towards his destination. It didn't take long to get there, obviously. Dusting his paws off and leaving the shovel leaning by the door, the serpent slid in to the Howler's Den. Smooth Jazz? Ech. Well it could be worse he figured. Either way, it was nice to get away from work and Work for a change an...ah Tartarus is that the boss? And Corva? Was this going to turn into a work day? Yang snorted softly to himself and floated on over anyway. "Hey boss, hey Corva. Small world catching both of you here. What's up." the dragon greeted his co-workers before nodding in greeting to the bartender as well.

It warmed Àilóng's heart to see Yuè smile! Doubly so when he was part of the source of that happiness. Too much of her time was forced into that placid stoic facade that she felt an empress needed to be to garner respect. She needed time to be able to feel like a normal qilin now and again, time to step away from her worries and just be Yuè again! The dragon took a bit of the Fire Flakes as he listened to his friend's story. YEP those were hot alright! Àilóng wasn't unaccustomed to spicy foods by any means, though his favourite leaned more to sweets and savouries. Idly he lead the way over to an unoccupied bench where the two could sit and enjoy the meal sized portion of snacks without clogging up the walkway while they did. "Sworn sister...Mei right? I don't think I ever had the pleasure of meeting her." Àilóng replied between bites. "Though, if you would enjoy it, I'd be happy to bring you treats to the palace now and then. Or sneak you out for some."

Yuè was nervous, it was plainly clear to the dragon. He had known her for far to long to expect her to be completely calm in the face of such a sudden tumultuous evening. So much happening at once everywhere, it was understandable that she was overwhelmed at first. But he was quite happy to see she took a moment to breath, relax, and center herself. Because really, if she wanted to draw attention, the best way to do that would be to have a panic attack, and neither of them wanted that. What did surprise Àilóng momentarily however was how her mood seemed to do a complete one-eighty as she excitedly beckoned the disguised serpent to follow her! And so he did through the miniature crowd of people over to...Ah, Fire Flakes! Of course, that certainly was to be expected. There was rarely an inner foal that could resist the call of Fire Flakes, the King was guilty of it for more than a number of foods. Of course he hadn't had his spirits crushed by a stifling title nearly as bad as Yuè...But that was neither here nor there. Not missing a beat, the 'stallion' stepped up to the stand and paid for an extra-large serving for them to share, withdrawing the fund from a pouch at his side that was...that was there before right? Regardless, he paid for food and stepped over to his friend with a smile. "Here, I figured one this size to share would be more filling over one smaller for each of us."

Àilóng had anticipated some sort of reaction from Yuè, but not one quite like this. Truthfully he had been expecting a polite chuckle and a jest or two. But this was certainly welcome. When the mare laid hoof on his cheek and chin, and yes even his mane, it all felt just as it should be. The fur was soft, the scales were smooth, and his mane was silky. A smile spread across the transformed dragon as his cheeks tinged a light pink from a blushing of his own...Welcome indeed. He would be happy just to stay like this with her the rest of the evening but well, he stole her from the castle to have fun and what sort of fun was just standing around huh? The King chuckled and gave Yuè's cheek a rub in kind. "Thank you, I like to think I do fairly good work when I put my mind to it. Shall we make our way? There's so much to do this evening, and I wish to share all that I can with you." Àilóng would grin and motion for his friend to follow along beside him. The festivities, despite the lateness of the evening, were still in full swing. Peddlers selling their festive wares, games still drawing in foal and adult alike for a chance at knickknacks and trinkets, food vendors cooking up a wonderful smelling storm, and all around the city the hustle and bustle of the celebrations were back dropped by all kinds of music. "Where shall we begin?"

The dragon knew that tone. She was trying to reprimand him but it was blatantly obvious that her heart just wasn't in it. She obviously didn't like the Chamberlain, and even the little good that he did do doesn't make up for his frankly terrible attitude. "Of course, forgive my impudence, Empress." Àilóng teased gently as they flew along. Off and away over and past the Outer Ward and towards the entrance of the city. It was probably more than a touch confusing for Yuè as Àilóng made a landing, not within Huangjing, but just outside the city in a small secluded clearing by the trees. "First stop! Heheh. Yes I'm absolutely certain. Not like this though, hang on. Hop off please~" Once Yuè was clear of the dragon's back, Àilóng blew a small ring of smoke into the air. That ring lingered and shimmered, opening a small little pocket into...somewhere that the king reached into. "Surprising to most, I do sometimes think things through." he gave Yuè a wink as he withdrew a necklace from the portal and held it up. It wasn't quite clear at first glance just what the necklace was, which was likely the point, but somepony like Yuè would recognize the Long Pearl nestled in it. "It's not often things like this see use in Longri-la, but they can come in handy." Àilóng draped the necklace around his neck and gave the pearl a little rub. There was a flash light and a thick cloud of smoke that covered where the dragon stood. "Gosh this is a bit over dramatic." he said on the other side of the obscuring cloud. It wasn't but a few moments later that the cloud began to disperse. Once the smoke cleared, Yuè would be met with a surprising sight. Where once stood the long slender form of the Serpent King was a handsome Longma with the same colouration and that same kind smile on his face. "There we go, that should throw anyone off!" Àilóng stepped over and gently let Yuè's mane down. "And thaaat should work for you! Nobody will suspect a thing ah?"

Àilóng knew full well what he was doing, and knew full well how the Chamberlain would react. AND knew full well that Yuè would not want to deal with the Chamberlain. The dragon sometimes came across as having his head in the clouds, but was smarter than some may give him credit for. Thus far everything was going as planned. Not that there was really much of a plan! He smiled as Yuè climbed aboard, and even brighter still as she let herself have a moment of play! Tonight may just work out after all! Wiggling almost like a cat, Àilóng soon zipped off and up into the sky as soon as he was sure that the Empress had a firm grip on his back. What kind of date would it be if she fell off midflight!...Not that uh, not that it was a date though. Ahah. Ha....Were the Chamberlain to peek into Yuè's chamber, he'd only catch her and the dragon already halfway gone into the night! "You really need a nicer Chamberlain." the King commented with a little smile over his shoulder as he made the way towards the night's festivities.

That's about what the dragon had expected Yuè's reaction to be. The poor mare had become increasingly worried every passing day with proper this and wise that and protocols and bluh. It wasn't healthy for her! Àilóng wasn't going to let her worry herself stubborn like her advisors and chancellors and chamberlain. "Oh certainly! Remember, the unexpected arrival of a Long is always an auspicious occasion. Especially on a holiday!" he said with a lighthearted giggle. "Speaking of holidays, tonight is the last night of the First Moon. Surely you're not intending to miss out on the festivities?" he already knew the answer, she had intended on it, whether she really wanted to or not. The weight of this crown was slowly snuffing her passionate flame, and he simply couldn't stand it. Àilóng shook his head. "That just won't do! We can't have you missing out on this wonderful occasion. It's a great chance to connect with your people, and to unwind from the stresses of the days past." And it perhaps gave him a great chance to express how he felt for his longtime friend. The Long held out a claw. "Come on, never let a chance to enjoy your life pass you by."

Words cannot accurately describe HOW excited I am for this song. Not only is it a song by my all time favourite band ever, it marks the teasing beginning of a new saga in Coheed and Cambria's repertoire. The last album, The Colour Before The Sun was awesome, but it was also a departure from the norm in that it was the first non-concept album to date (not counting albums from when they were Shabutie). Before then, their previous albums had followed the store of The Amory Wars, a story and comic series written by their lead singer Claudio Sanchez. This new saga will likely prove to be just as amazing and thought provoking. I could go into the premise we were given here, but you can click through to the Youtube video to give it a looksee there. Without further ado, enjoy!