//------------------------------// // 3 - Energy Failure // Story: Boops are Eternal. Boop the Snoot // by L-N //------------------------------// Despite some of her best efforts, Celestia was in a bit of a predicament at the moment. Part of her knew this was coming. She had put... perhaps a bit more effort than she needed to into what she had just done, but... To be quite honest, she had crumpled completely when she saw Anon start to get emotional like that. As a consequence, she knew she had acted quite hastily as well. He'd lasted about three benches down the garden's path before he started to lean into her. It was at five that he practically passed out. Currently, he was tucked up against her side under a wing. 'I know one thing, at least,' she mused silently, 'whatever this is, it's exhausting enough that he passed out onto a practical stranger...' She could make a few assumptions at that. This wasn't only an emotional thing, clearly. She knew the signs very well, and an 'emotional tired' tended to manifest as a sort of desensitization, more than anything else. And while that did appear, it wouldn't be enough to cause this. It didn't seem to be physical, but that couldn't really be guessed with any accuracy right now. He'd been up all night, maybe even more, and on top of that she had no way to know if he was worn out like that or not. And... it didn't help that he'd recently woken up from a few injuries, either. Social? She didn't know enough about that one, either. But it was also one of the least unlikely, since there wasn't any contradicting evidence for it... and it might help to explain his situation right now. ... Of course, there was also the possibility that she'd... maybe stolen his presence an hour too long before, in the throne room... Familiarity did tend to help, after all... Giving her head a small shake, she simply decided to follow her instincts on the matter. She'd do precisely what she promised- spend some time with him, and do her best to make him happy in the interim. She did indeed plan to get every bit of payback she could, especially since his presence only continued to bring up a pleasant memory. With a light chuckle, and a small adjustment to her wing to make sure her 'companion' here was comfortable, she conjured a piece of paper, a small inkwell, and a feather to write with. The funny thing, she realised, was that if he had remained awake... she probably would've panicked at some point, trying to figure out where to lead him. A spare room? It would be empty. A general one? It would be used or filled. Canterlot was rather full post-evacuation. Her own quarters? First, rumours, second, the path would probably be filled with ponies, and she highly doubted he was in the mood to put on a brave face. She knew far too well the kinds of things that could happen when in public, and in a poor mood. Not to mention she couldn't exactly teleport them there either- the few things she remembered from a few old letters received from her student about their interesting guest here (which were mostly formalities, since an alien from another world could be a bit of a danger, hmm?) noted something particular: A general magical resistance, that took some familiarity and practice to work through properly. She highly doubted he wanted to experience what it's like to have one's torso and legs... 'disconnected,' so she was wise enough to not try it until she was more familiar with him. 'Ah, almost done,' she noted, filling in the last few lines on the paper she held. Raven, Could you please prepare room E-3 for me? I have a sudden guest that's arrived, and we'd like to talk a few things over. A few chairs, a desk, and maybe a couch would be enough. Don't worry too much about getting anything perfect- it's temporary, and shouldn't be used after today. My last request will be a bit more difficult for you to fulfil, I know, but could you clear the schedule for today as well? If there is anything critical, please move it to tomorrow, this is a personal matter. ~~ Princess Celestia, Herald of the Sun. ... Now here's hoping she didn't get an earful later. Which she would, anyway. With a small wince and a flick of her horn, the letter was sent off. A small 'pulse' on her chest told her it was acknowledged by her aide, but it didn't do much else but make her wince again. An earful! Sighing, she started to use her magic once again, lightly 'testing' it against the skin of the human next to her. It did indeed have a resistance to it, pushing it back with some force. Even levitation was going to have a bit of difficulty to it. Hmm... She gave him a light nudge instead, lightly tugging her wing against his back, trying to lead him to his feet. "Huh...?" he started to stir, if clearly exhausted. She eased her tugging slightly, and leaned in to whisper a few soft words, "just follow my lead. You're quite tired, and I'm bringing you someplace we can rest, perhaps talk a bit afterwards as well." She gave him another light nudge, "just follow my lead," she repeated. He gave what roughly translated to 'alright' in tired-speak, shambling to his feet with her aid. He was... dead-tired. Oh dear. Not even questioning it. She'd... have to let him pass out properly on that couch for a while, didn't she? Clearing her schedule was obviously a good choice. Possibly worth the earful later, if her instincts were leading her correctly here. After thousands of years, this was certainly a first... She started to move off towards the nearest entrance to the wing of the castle she'd decided to hold up in today (which, conveniently, was close enough to the kitchen to steal a cup of tea while working on a few bits of paperwork,) with her guest. She set a slow pace, letting him... seemingly shamble along with her. Today was going to be very interesting, she felt. Urgh... you feel groggy. Very groggy. 'Wake up Anon, come on...' You feel something shift against your side, and hear the flicking of a few papers. That's not normal, is it? Flicking an eye open, wincing against the bit of sunlight that assaults your senses when you do so, it doesn't take long to figure out who's there. Honestly, it's pretty hard to not recognize Celestia. Flowing, multi-coloured mane, bright white coat... You'd have to be pretty dull. While the grogginess was a bit of a bother, you did remember enough to not freak out completely. After all, she was pretty memorable last... Wait, was it even a last? You were up all night. Was it this morning? Is it still morning? You're waking up anyways. It isn't like you're not used to being close to ponies though, kind of a taboo that had to be broken quickly. Hugs aplenty in Equestria. Any kind of freak-out could be reserved for later. "What time is it?" You manage to groan, propping yourself up slightly, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. "One. You were sleeping for a while," Celestia answered gently, shifting her position to give you a bit more room to adjust. Well, there goes your sleeping schedule. Again. Urgh, you still feel out of it. Could use a- Almost as if she were psychic, a small glass of water was offered to you by a small magical field. You're warming up to her already. Taking it with a small thanks, you prop yourself up into a comfortable sitting position. You were definitely a bit more thirsty than you realised, and the entire glass was gone before long. "Feeling alright?" Her voice rose up again. You just respond with a nod. You were certainly feeling better than last night, at least. Almost relieved, in a way. Kind of hard not to when you have a moment like that, honestly. ... "Thanks," you simply say. "There's no need to thank me, Anonymous," she answered just as simply. The light flicking of papers returns, and you're left with the smallest of dilemmas... What do you do now? Well, no matter what it is... after burning yourself out like that? You knew one thing at least. You weren't going to just... sit back and let things happen. You'd have to take the charge on this one. No, you totally weren't just embarrassed that you passed out. But... you knew that nothing was going to change here unless you did something about it. And you'd be damned if you ever found yourself in that situation again. That... resolve you had in Ponyville. Even if it wasn't turned to something productive, it did tell you one thing. You had the energy, and the will to do this. It was just going to be hard, and dodging the metal pans hitting your forehead was going to be a requirement this time. "I-uh... can I ask you for a favour?" Time to bite the bullet. Even if it was sudden- it was better than brooding over this long enough to give yourself an opportunity to chicken out. The mare next to you shifted in your direction with a clear quizzical look in her eyes. "I need a friend right now." You could forget the whole 'goddess' thing for now. ... The crying princess was humanizing enough for you. Also, she gives great hugs and is warm. You have your priorities.