Time, perhaps, for a bit of relaxation. All this excitement can certainly be quite the thrill, but every now and again it feels good to just watch the clouds go by. I'm glad you've decided to stick with that alicorn form of yours; I think a trip to a cloud is in order. Follow me!
*woosh!*
Alright there we are, back in the air again. I think there seems to be a nice cumulus over that way a bit, ooh and it's a high-up one too! Don't be nervous, I get what you're thinking; the air gets thinner the higher up you go, right? Well, in Equestria that's true, but here, well, just watch!
*the mage soars ahead*
See what I mean? The air hasn't thinned. Alpha Elysium's atmosphere is distributed into a giant mesh by its magic; the air is layered out and held at a comfortable density no matter how high up you go. It makes life for all those who fly quite easier as there's no need to constantly check weather conditions for safe flying.
Ah, here we are, a nice, soft cumulus cloud. These big, puffy clouds make the ideal beds for pegasi and alicorns, like us, alike. Feel free to stretch out a bit, relax as you will!
*you both lay down on the cloud*
Hear that? It's the gentle rushing of the wind currents around you. The spires tend to make a whistling noise as the air rushes around the spheres at their tips, and the wind itself echoes slightly as it wafts through the sky. Oh, well, listen to me go on and on, please, feel free to ignore my prattling. Just relax, take it all in.
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If I may...
Try taking a look over the edge of the cloud. Don't worry, it won't be scary; you're nice and safe up here.
*you and the mage take a look*
Ah, what a view! From up here you can see half of Alpha Elysium! Look, down there are the fields that we were at before. There's the giant forest over that way, and there are a few farms here and there off to the side. They grow the giving plants that I showed you before, although I suppose the terms “grow” and “farm” are misnomers here. Remember, nothing dies in Alpha Elysium, not even the plants. I suppose the best way to describe it is that the ponies who live in those areas tend to the plants as best they can; they give back to the plants that give so much. Perhaps the best way to describe those places are gardens rather than farms, and the ponies that live there as caretakers rather than actual farmers.
Perhaps that should be our next stop through Alpha Elysium. It might be nice to show you how the land and ponies support one another. Perhaps we'll go there after a bit more rest; after all, we only sat down a mere few minutes ago.
Tell you what; when you're good and ready to fly, just let me know and we'll be off towards one of the crop fields.
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*you nod at the mage*
Ah, well that was a good rest, wasn't it? Well well then, let's be off!
*the mage takes to the air. You follow suit*
Just watch out for any down drafts, they can be a bit unexpect-whoa! Hoo hoo! There's one! Give me a minute to return to altitude.
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Ah, there we go. You see, thermals are those rising columns of air that you use to stay up when gliding. They have an inverse, however, called sink. Those downdrafts are what's termed “sink”, and just as a thermal will push you up, sink will pull you back down. Don't fret though; with a bit of practice and patience, thermal navigating is quite manageable.
*you feel yourself fall slightly as you enter a pillar of sink*
Whoa, easy there! Okay, now fly to the side of the sink column. That's it. Now flap a bit, yes, just like that, and... voila! Perfect! You're right back up at altitude.
You know, if I didn't know better I'd swear you'd been an alicorn your whole life. Got to like those shifter amulets!
Anyway, we're nearly there at the garden now. Let's head in for a landing!
*the two of you approach and land gently, your alicorn wings letting you gracefully land along with the mage. Looking around, you see all sorts of ponies of all different breeds watering, caring for, and in some cases even talking to, the giving plants that provide so much for the land's inhabitants.*
Let's watch them work for a while. As you can see, they treat the plants as if they were other ponies, caring for them as best they can until--
*the mage is interrupted as a plant suddenly dives into the ground and vanishes*
Ooh, yes, I should have mentioned that. These plants are quite special indeed. You see, when they've been pampered and cared for enough, they dive back underground and sprout up again somewhere else in the world. In some cases, multiple plants move back and forth whenever they're needed somewhere in order to keep everypony happy and sound.
And don't worry about the plants; they never really tire or wear out, they just like to relax too every now and again, hence gardens like this.
Maybe you should give it a go. Try walking up to that plant over there. It's looking a little lonely right now, and maybe you could help cheer it up.
*you walk over to a sort of droopy-looking plant. It takes notice of your shifter amulet and perks up slightly, going from looking slightly wilted to fully healthy.*
It seems this one's taken a liking to your amulet. Don't worry if they look wilted, by the way, they're all perfectly healthy! Sometimes they just get a bit tired every now and then, but it's more like minor cases of boredom rather than actual stress or tiredness.
Let's hang around a little while longer; maybe these plants could teach you a few things about Alpha Elysium.