[3/28/15] Princeshë Celestia and Lightning Dust

Princeshë Celestia had decided to take a little time off! Well, not really. She'd finished up what duties she had lined up for today and had 'retired to her chambers for the day'. From there, Celestia informed her personal guards that she was going on a 'day trip' to Cloudsdale. Well, technically it was only going to be an afternoon-trip now. Thankfully she'd be able to take care of her duty to lower the sun from there should she not have returned. When Celestia left Canterlot Castle, it was as an average-size white pegasus mare with a mint-green mane and tail. For a cutie mark she had a stylized sunflower that was wreathed with 'light'. To some this might be a rather...lazy disguise, but she'd learned that it was remarkably effective to 'hide in plain sight' as it were. In any case, the 'pegasus' mare landed on one of the less-busy cloud 'streets' of cloudsdale, taking a moment to simply stand and observe the ponies with a small smile as they went about their business. >>

Princeshë Celestia >> Now, what was she to do. She'd not been to Coudsdale on one of her 'escape' excursions for quite a few years now! She was normally reluctant to even leave canterlot in an unofficial capacity, but after this last week she really needed some peace. She loved her ponies dearly, but sometimes dealing with nobles really got on her nerves, some more than others.

Lightning Dust leapt from rooftop to rooftop, forsaking the ground even in the case of Cloudsdale's cloudy expanse. There was nothing aerodynamic about walking, though the annoyed glances she got from some ponies as she passed gave away their difference in priorities. She didn't really care; she tried to work a little flight practice into everything she did. Coming to a halt on the roof of a local restaurant, the pegasus debated where to go from there. She could turn around a go home or she could leave the commerce district in favor of practicing in the open. Either way, she could make something productive out of it.

Princeshë Celestia watched some ponies wander down the cloudy road, several forsaking the crowd in order to fly through the air. One in particular caught her attention. The pegasus in question was seeming to leap from rooftop to rooftop. She couldn't help but wonder how many close calls the pegasus has had with ponies taking off from below. Was such reckless behavior common occurance now? From the looks on other ponies, evidently not. One part of her demanded that she follow this pony and make sure nopony got hurt. This was supposed to be her day to relax, though! Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, her concern won out. With a thrust of her wings she took to the air, soon landing quietly upon the same rooftop that the other mare was standing upon. "Hello. That was some mighty impressive maneuvering, albeit rather...dangerous?"

Lightning Dust jumped back, turning her attention towards the other mare. She blinked and then said, "Nah, it's only dangerous if somepony gets in my way." Her eyes flicked up and she grimaced, as though debating whether this was the type of answer she should be giving... or perhaps just annoyed that she had to explain this at all. In truth, this wasn't really a problem. Lightning wasn't likely to run into someone else because that would put her in harm's way; she was reckless regarding how her actions might affect others, but not reckless in regards to her own well-being. Some might call it self-centered, though she would never own up to that.

Princeshë Celestia gazed at the pegasus and 'hmmm'ed thoughtfully as she saw the grimmace and heard what as said. "Is that so." she started with a thoughtful but rather critical look in her disguise's magenta eyes before she simply smiled. "I suppose I believe you. You seem like you'd be skilled enough to dodge a pony should they be taking off from below." she continued, gaining a rather amused look in her eye. "With your contenaunce you must be a trick flier I imagine?"

Lightning Dust was insensitive, but not stupid. She certainly knew criticism when she heard it, or saw it in this case, as the strangers facial expression was part of the giveaway. Well, she wasn't having that. She knew how to kiss flank for authority figures, but she didn't know quite who this random mare thought she was. By the time the words 'trick flyer' met her ears, she had already decided that anything this pony said would likely be of belittling intent. She pinned back her ears and rolled her eyes while flicking her tail. "Yeah, I know a few tricks. And what about you? Looks like you've got an earth pony's cutie mark."

Lightning Dust: [she bein' judgy on yer booty]

Princeshë Celestia: [lol]

Princeshë Celestia let her head tilt some, concealing a bit of a wince. Great, now she'd made the pony agitated. She really needed to go out more in disguise. If only so she could have normal conversation.... Blast it all! She deflated, raised a hoof to her forehead with her ears falling back, and she sighed heavily as she tried to resist the urge to outright sulk at how bad she was doing with this conversation! "It ties in to the sun. Along the lines of the sun bringing life or something along those lines. I forget the exact details. I knew a few things myself, but I'm horribly out of practice." About six hundred as far as 'stunt' flying went. "I'm, uh...dreadfully sorry if I've upset you in some way. I was just concerned."

Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow, quizzical. "You don't know what your own cutie mark stands for?" She flapped her wings dismissively before folding them against her sides, not interested in discussing social faux pas or anything of that nature. The pegasus hadn't been upset so much as condescending and under the impression that her conversational partner was also condescending. As far as she was concerned, she obviously wasn't doing any harm and 'trick flyer' was obviously not a compliment.

Princeshë Celestia rolls her eyes and shakes her head as she turns and wanders for the nearby ledge and looks down at the ponies as they walk about. She winds up lost in the sight for a good few minutes before she shook her head. "Not at all. It merely refers to the sun. Many cutie marks refer to the sun, moon, or weather in various means. Some more direct than others." With that she turned and gazed once again at the pegasus. "It may be similar to the mark of an earth pony, though.... I don't really mind, there is nothing wrong with that."

Lightning Dust] "Alright, then maybe the more apt question would be, like, what were you doing when you got that cutie mark?" Lightning said, tossing her head. "What did the sun or a flower have to do with it?"

Princeshë Celestia gazed at the pegasus as thoughts ran through her head. She couldn't give too much away, but....She didn't exactly want to flat-out lie either! This pony wasn't a noble, and didn't deserve her mis-information, so she didn't really want to treat her as one. "I don't....really want to talk about it." she'd start as she shook her head. "Maybe if we knew each-other better, then fine. The story is rather personal." The diarch in disguise hoped that would work as a....cop-out?


Lightning Dust rolled her eyes. "You wear the mark openly on your flank," she pointed out. "Whatever it is, it's not much of a secret, buddy."

Princeshë Celestia shakes her head and lets out a quiet groan. Of all the ponies she had to try talking to one of the more 'stubborn' ones! One of her eyes developed a rather irritated twitch for a second or two before she just sighed. "Can we please just not talk about it? I'm trying to relax for an afternoon and get away from all my work and especially the nobles in canterlot." she actually whines, one part of her hoping that might actually throw the persistant pony off.

Lightning Dust did stop rolling her eyes, but her brow furrowed and she arched her wings in a peculiar fashion. "Why would you have to deal with Canterlot nobles?" she asked, tilting her head to one side and narrowing her eyes. Not only were they not in Canterlot, but sunflowers didn't appear relevant to the whole nobility issue in any way she could fathom. "What's your day job anyway?"

Princeshë Celestia gazed at lightning with a rather dead-pan stare as she took a moment to mentally swat herself over the head for just making the situation worse. "My family has to deal with the nobles on a regular basis." she'd grumble before standing and making her way to the edge of the building where she could once again look down at the many ponies below as she did her best to think a way out of the hole she'd been diggng for herself! After gathering her thoughts, she finally turned back to the pegasus. "As for the day-job. Look, it really, really, doesn't matter. I came here to get away for a while. Not to talk about it, please?"

Lightning Dust shrugged. "Alright, lady. Don't blow a gasket," she said, gesturing with one wing in a downward sweep to indicate calm down. "We've all got junk we don't want to share, but your job? Sheesh. If you hate it that much, go find a different one."

Princeshë Celestia couldn't help but actually laugh about that. And not a small laugh, it was a good few minutes of the white pony laughing herself silly. Why? Well, she was imagining the look on everypony's faces if she just up and left her current 'job' to her sister like the pony had just 'suggested'. She'd ruled by herself while Luna was...gone. Perhaps the night alicorn could do the same! Soon enough she managed to quiet her laughs down into mere giggles. "You have nooooo idea how many times I've entertained that idea. Unfortunately, if I quit I'm pretty sure there will be a looot of problems for my family and others." Maybe she really should just so Luna could thin out the noble population while she was gone. Her sister has much less patience than she.

Lightning Dust] This pony laughing had to be about the strangest thing Lightning Dust had seen so far. The pegasus took a few steps back, a confused expression on her face. "Yeah, well, forgive me if I think the 'family business' schtick is just another kind of peer pressure," she muttered, breaking eye contact with this maniacal laughing cretin.

Princeshë Celestia couldn't help but notice the confused expression and the fact that her laughing had seemingly bothered the pony a little. But by the sun it was just too funny! If this pony knew who she was....Hah! Eventually her mirth faded and the frown was back as she heard the pony's opinion on 'family business'. It almost sounded like she had experience with such thing. "I can see where you come from saying that, and can say you are probably right in some cases. Sadly it is a little too late for me. I'm doomed to stay in my role; I've been at it for far too long." she smiles and sits.

Lightning Dust straightened up, trying to wipe the dumb look off of her face. "It sounds like you're in a rut," she said. "But what do I know?" With that, she took off. Setting course for the open sky, Lightning left the roof top in the dust, so to speak. Flying gave her something to focus on besides the dodgy comments of one particular pegasus

Princeshë Celestia can't help but just shake her head. She was 'stuck in a rut'... wasn't that the truth. She gazed on as the pegasus took off and moved towards the open sky and opted to simply watch until the pegasus likely went out of sight. The white pegasus curled up and let her thoughts begin to drift about much like the clouds that the city was composed of. It was actually rather nice up here on top of the 'roof'. It was out of the way and hardly anypony saw her as they went about their day. Hmm..perhaps she'll just stay up here for a while.