680894
Rapid shrugs, surprised to feel the slight burn in her muscles. I know it's more real than any other dream, but I didn't think quite this real. She then kisses him back, equally as lightly. "Whatever you say. It's your loss. Though I'm sure I could figure out something to do with the other me..." She leaves him with that mental image as she pushes herself directly under the falling water. It pounds down onto her, thundering against her back and fur, making even her chitin beneath the illusion thrum with the energy. It was like a powerful, exceedingly loud deep tissue massage, and she allowed herself a few minutes beneath it, enjoying it supremely in her previously burning muscles before she relaxes a bit. The falling water pushes her beneath the surface, tumbling her towards the connecting river, though she swam out of the current when she eventually floats back to the surface, ending at Aurora's side.

680900
Aurora lets the mental image she imparts play through his mind for a bit as she sits under the waterfall. As she resurfaces at his side, one look at her gleaming coat and mane, her bright smile, and his last bit of resistance crumbles, just like always seemed to happen when he looked at her. "Alright, you've convinced me," he says with a dramatic sigh. "Just try to hold onto it for a day when I'm particularly well rested.

"No sense in going through all that trouble only to have it go to waste because I'm too worn out to let you enjoy it," he adds with a wink.

680904
Rapid just smirks at him. "Oh? You act like you wouldn't enjoy the idea." She kisses him. "Besides, I could be a good mare. I'll have one go at you, and let the other just give you a show in the mean time. Or speed the first one along... The possibilities are endless." She swims a little circle around him as she lets him use his amazing imagination to go over each and every one.

680906
Aurora reaches out as she swims past to pull her into his arms, kissing her deeply. "Oh, I would definitely enjoy it. Perhaps a little too much," he says with a smile as he pulls back just slightly from the kiss.

"And I think we both know that neither of us would behave in that situation." With a chuckle, he tilts his head up just slightly to give her a light peck on the tip of her nose.

680914
Rapid rubs her nose against his. "Alright. You caught me. But you're going to have to tell me how you did that at some point, because I couldn't even begin to think of how it would work."

She then pushes off of him slightly. "Later. Right now, I want to spend a little more time with you, whatever you think for us to do." She flips once in the water, getting herself properly soaked once more, then smiles brightly. She wants to see what's on his mind, like one of the earlier sessions where he took her anywhere she could possibly think of... She just hopes he gets the hint.

680919
Aurora smirks a bit as she drifts away from him. "Anything I can think of, hmmmmm? Alright then, let's see......"

After a moment of thought, his eyes light up as an idea comes to him. "How about this then."

He gently swims over next to her, before closing his eyes and lighting up his horn, letting the magic gather.

680929
Curious of what he has in mind, but unable to stop herself, she licks over his horn playfully. "Anything you can think of."

680934
He shudders faintly at the contact of her tongue, but manages to keep his hold on the gathering power. Once he finishes gathering the energy he would need, he lets it pulse out of his horn, creating a wide ring of magic expanding across the cavern. As it passes, the light of the mushrooms dies, slowly lowering the space into darkness. As sight fades completely, the roaring of the waterfall fades as well, and the mist in the air disperses, leaving you floating in the dark waters, silence all around you aside form the gentle splashing of your hooves as you keep yourself afloat.

After a moment, you realise that you can see again, though only in the sense that whatever was shedding the minuscule light was adding texture to the darkness. Slowly it grows brighter and brighter, just barely illuminating the space around you, until you see a faint speck of light deep in the water below you growing closer. As the light rises closer to the surface, the water around you begins to ripple as the water below is displaced by its passage.

Closer and closer it comes, until, with the water roiling and cascading off its perfectly smooth surface, a large spire of opaque ice breaks the surface in front of you, the light you had seen glowing from its depths. As it rises more and more, you see that it's actually a pointed roof of some sort when the floor rises up underneath you, lifting you out of the water. With its passengers on board, what can now be seen as a tower of some kind begins rising faster and faster, rushing through the darkness that once shrouded the ceiling of the cavern.

As you ascend, it becomes apparent that there is no ceiling, only an endless black void that now houses the tall, thin tower of ice. Far, far below you, the tower shudders as a crackling shatter echoes through the darkness. Looking over the edge, you see thick walls of the same glowing, opaque ice erupt from the side of the tower in a great cloud of glowing ice shards. The walls expand out farther and farther, gently curving and twisting to create great enclosed spaces, each one large enough to contain a small village it seemed. The shattered crystals created from he wall's appearance hang suspended out in the void, still glowing faintly.

As the walls continue spreading, more crackles and shattering sounds can be heard as spires much like the one you stand on, only smaller, begin to grow out of the walls, and buildings of every size and purpose begin to pull their way out of the darkness in between them. More and more shards are cast off into the void, all of them adding to the growing collection, making the space around you feel more and more like the night sky.

Finally, in the center of the curving walls and elegant buildings, a massive shattering is heard as a great hall, delicate windows of colored ice dotting its sides, tears its way free of the void, casting the largest cloud of shards into the sky yet. It rises higher and higher, more details and delicate carvings being added to the mighty ice palace as it grows. When the main hall finally reaches its full height, the delicate carving of its exterior continues, spreading out along the other buildings and walls, turning what was once bland, opaque ice, into nothing less than a glowing work of art.

As the carving finally makes its way up the tower you're standing on, cutting curling vines into the railings in front of you, and scenes of birds in flight and rushing rivers into the floors below you and the walls behind you, you stand looking out over a castle of glowing ice, carved with any and every scene imaginable, surrounded by a twinkling star-filled sky.

680951
Rapid stands from atop the icy tower, the intricacy, the detail, and the scope of this ice palace just shutting down her mind for a moment. He just sprang this from his mind... Just like that. She looks over each of the scenes below, displayed perfectly in amazing detail, the ice glittering stunningly, and combined with the starry sky beyond, the whole thing was... it was more than out of a fairy tale. It was the kind of palace only fit for a truly, supremely divine being. And he just thought it up. For me. She turns to looks at him, absolutely speechless, mouthing sentences that no words came from. After a few seconds she just stops, letting all thought drop, which triggers her 'witty' response reflex.

"Apparently you can think of a lot..."

680965
Aurora just chuckles a bit as he looks out over the castle below with her. "You have that effect on me," he says as he gently presses against her side with a smile. "Whenever I'm with you, it feels like anything is possible. All of these scenes and all of the places I've taken you in the dreamscape are just pale reflections of the beauty and power and love and joy that I see in your eyes every time you smile at me, in the feel of your lips when you kiss me, and in every other tiny gesture you make and word you say.

"And yet, as amazing as they may be, not a single one can match up to the muse that inspired them."

680976
That line was so cheesy, romantic and touching even Rapid had to blush as she rubbed her cheek against his, though it's cut short as she looks out on the stunning sight once more. "Aurora... that's just... All of this for me... I don't..." As if I needed more proof that I meant the world to him... How could I ever repay anything like this? She nuzzles against him, wanting to know how amazing he made her feel. "I will never stop being amazed by you." She kisses him. "You seriously make me feel more loved than either of the Princesses by their nation, or Aurus his. A castle like this built just through inspiration from a silly mare like me, I..." She hugs him close. "I was already the happiest mare alive. You're really just trying to turn me into an alicorn, aren't you? You want Princess Rapid with her land of amazingly beautiful creations."

680986
"As nice as the camo mane looks on you, I'm quite content with the way you are right now," he says with a laugh. He wraps his arms around her, nuzzling into her mane, before turning his head to look back across the castle.

"I seem to remember you saying something about ice skating earlier. Do you still want to do that?"

680986>>681001
(Private scene?

Also, Medic, you know who won the fight out of you and Flicker?)

681002 ((Yes, and me. It says on the 1st post of the duel thread))

681001
Rapid nuzzles against him lovingly. "Well then you need to stop being ridiculously amazing, because you're going to force magic's hoof and then there's no going back."

She then smiles. "And yes, I do want to ice skate with you, if you'll bear with me slipping around for a bit."

681004
(So it does...)

681007
"Are you kidding? That's half the fun," he says with a wink and a mischievous smirk.

He turns to look out over the castle below them, a contemplative look on his face. ".....Now where did I put that.....hmmmmm........Ah! There it is." With a smile, his horn begins to shine until he releases the magic into the floor at their hooves. The light glowing from within the icy walls around you flickers for a moment, before expanding out of the ice at the edge of the tower, growing more and more and a curving bridge of glowing light forms, winding down into one of the wide courtyards.

Aurora moves out onto the bridge, and then turns to hold a hoof out to Rapid. "Shall we go then?"

681016
Rapid takes his hoof, slightly starstruck by the magic the whole scene held. It was all so well crafted, so amazing... She felt humbled by it. Really, I caused him to make all of this?

Still, she wouldn't let it ruin the moment as she joined him on the light bridge. "Lead on, sir. Lead on."

681020
With a smile, Aurora takes her hoof as they head down the arching bridge. As the bridge takes them closer and closer to the myriad buildings below them, the intricate carvings on them becomes more visible, showing scenes of animals playing, their joy almost palpable, great forests of trees whose age seems to radiate out from the life like carvings, and a host of other things from more scenes of nature, to cities, to intricate patterns and designs flowing down the streets.

It curves past towers, sometimes close enough that a pony could reach out and run a hoof across the murals carved into them, and before long, it ends in a large courtyard. In the center is a vast frozen pond, the ground around it covered in a fluffy layer of snow. Large trees, made of a clearer ice than the castle itself rise up into the sky around its edges, their leaveless branches hooked and gnarled, a thin layer of snow sitting on them.

As all four hooves touch into the snow, the bridge behind them shimmers a moment before retreating back up to the tower that had spawned it, leaving the two of them standing just a few feet away from the ice of the pond.

681024
Rapid took in every mural, every sight, just slowly feeling... she wasn't fully sure. The carvings would have taken years of time for any mage, or at least days to think up in that kind of detail, and yet here they were, within hoof's reach, spawned over the course of seconds. Great forests, playing animals, everything either had a sense of joy or grandness to it that somehow made Rapid feel very small and supremely self conscious. I can't possibly be worth all of this work. Look at that city! Scarcely does a street look that... beautiful, that happy, and the squirrels! Chittering away in the painting from some unheard joke, not a care or concern in the world.

As she walks, she realizes more acutely the proximity to the pony that created it all, the pony leading her along her way. Her love, Aurora, nothing to doubt that, and yet somehow... more now. He had grown to be this artist, this great mind... and she was his muse? Little, flighty Rapid Fire? Suddenly she was aware of her walking. Keep more formal, steps smaller, back straight, chin up, good, NO! less sway. But he likes the sway... okay, more sway. A myriad of tiny changes went into her walking pattern, so many she couldn't keep track of them all when she reached the bottom of the bridge, deciding to focus on her newest surrounding.

And it was gorgeous. It was a pure winter scene, His beautiful ice plants had reappeared, setting this massive lake wonderfully in a snowy wonderland.. She almost didn't want to touch it. As the bridge disappears, she takes a tentative step forward, tapping her hoof to the ice, terrified to mess up already, but wanting to impress him. She had to become worthy of this gift, as well as all the others... However much work that takes.

681049
As Rapid takes her first tentative steps towards the ice, Aurora notices that she seems.....a bit stiff. Formal almost. Or maybe hesitant? I really wish I had more practice at reading body language......

He walks up next to her, nuzzling her gently. "Just relax. There's nopony here but us, so you don't have to worry about impressing anypony. Just try to have fun with it and you'll pick it up in no time." He slides out onto the ice, skating once around the edge of the pond before coming back to her and once again holding out his hoof for her to take.

"You'll be fine, I promise. Just let yourself relax and you have nothing to worry about," he says with a smile.

681063
Rapid shakes her head. "It's not about just being fine, it's..." she sighs, dropping it for now, though she doesn't much relax. He's not going to get it. After all, he's the one that built it, so he obviously doesn't agree. With a careful hoof she steps onto the ice, remembering enough from last time not to completely slip immediately. Once all four hooves are down, she pushes off, beginning a slow, wobbly slide across the ice.

681833
Aurora frowns just slightly as Rapid wobbles across the ice. He skates his way over to her side to give her something to steady herself on if she needs it. "Rapid, if.....if there's something bothering you, you can always talk to me about it. I'll let it go if you don't want to, but......if you do, I'll listen," he says, concern evident in his voice.

682358
Rapid looks at him, frowning herself, though mostly because she's mad for getting him worried. "Nothing's bothering me! It's just that this..." She spins with a hoof outstretched, almost slipping on the ice as she makes the turn, but catching herself at the last moment. "... all of this, all of this amazing detail, this stunningly beautiful castle in the stars just..." She sits, still turning slowly from her momentum, though eventually she stops with her back towards him, looking at the frozen pond beneath her. "I don't deserve to be the muse for something so amazing. I'm just this one silly little pony, not even special. Heck, not even a pony," she says as her disguise drops, leaving her dark chitin in stark contrast to the snowy landscape.

She sighs at the ice. "Even a princess would be ashamed at a gift like this, let alone some stupid low-level guardsmare... There is nothing I could ever, ever do that could live up to the majesty of all of this..."

682393
Aurora sits in silence, barely daring to breathe after what he had just been told. I guess I'm not the only one to doubt myself more than I should. I'll have to work on that.

Slowly, he drifts over to her side, sitting next to her and looking up at the sky above them. "You know.....before I came here and met you.....I really kind of hated this spell. I had access to one of the most powerful mental control spells ever made, and for what? So that I could dig around in the heads of murderers and psychos and collect memories that I wish I had never seen."

He pauses to look down at the ice below him for a moment, taking a deep breath before turning his head to look at the carvings along the walls of the courtyard, smiling just slightly. "But once I met you, that changed. You thought my Sight and the things I see in my head were....beautiful. I meant every word I said when I told you that the only reason this place, or any of the others can exist is because of you. This spell held nothing but nightmares until you came along and let me fill it with dreams of you instead." He leans lightly against her side, feeling the gentle warmth of the contact, the wonderful feeling of her chitin sliding against his fur.

He looks over at her, a smile on his face as he continues. "I know you're not perfect; you have your faults, just like I have mine. But none of that matters, and you have nothing to force yourself to live up to. I created all of this, and all of the other dreamscapes, because of the beautiful, flawed, amazing changeling sitting here at my side. There's no other pony in the world who could have inspired this, because there's no other pony in the world who can make me as happy as you do."

682472
Rapid leans into Aurora a little more, feeling comfort in his warm fur and the love he was radiating. "I just... I don't think I'm ever quite going to get the whole spell... thing. I mean, it's amazing, and I understand why it must have been bad, but since I wasn't there for that, couldn't actually know about it or experience it... I won't ever really know the full impact. But to me... you knocked yourself out making that precious flower, you've trusted me with your past, you've trusted me even more with your future. Our future. You make me feel amazing in every possible way, you helped the pony who was your rival for my heart and, but for a rude awakening, would have been in your rightful place... You told me about my pregnancy right when I was confused and muddled by it, and you've been there for me every time I've been down since I met you. Add onto that the boundless love and the amazing stallion you are and, comparatively, what have I given you? One spell and the heart of a fickle little mare that had already tried to give it to two others in this city alone before selfishly snatching it back." She sighs, nuzzling slightly into him. "I'll be forever in your debt..."

682532
"Unless something catastrophic happens that forces my hoof, you never will know exactly what I've seen, or what I will see in here once I get back to work." He shakes his head a bit to clear the unpleasant thoughts.

"And I trust you with all of that because you've trusted me with the same. The only reason I had the strength to do any of those other things is because you gave it to me. You've given me your love, you've held me close when I was lost in the darkest corners of my mind, you stuck by me when it would have been so much easier for you to just walk away. And I have no doubt that you'll continue to stick by me in my darkest moments once we get home. I'm going to be in your debt forever too, you know."

A slight smirk crosses his lips as he looks out over the icy landscape. "I guess that means we're stuck together, doesn't it?"

682605>>682532
[[ Gotcha two flavors of background music. ]]

682605
Rapid slowly looks up at Aurora, a smirk crossing her face too. "I guess it does." She then pulls his face to hers, kissing him deeply. I may only have your word to go on that I'm helping you, but, with you... that's more than enough. She breaks off the kiss, continuing to smirk. "Still, couldn't think of a better pony for it. And at least we've already proven that we can keep our time together exciting." She then stands up, pulling him close for a light peck on the nose before pushing off of him strongly, sliding across the lake. In an effortless turn she keeps her motion while heading forward. She picks up speed, banking around surprisingly quickly, then jumping into a single axle, landing with just the slightest wobble. Really, this whole ice skating thing wasn't too hard once she relaxed. She just needed the right pony to help her along.

682660
Aurora smiles as he sees her push away, the usual brightness that he loved so much back in her step. As she does a nearly effortless spin, he can't help but remark, "Tsk, I thought you said you needed practice at this? You're already better than I am." He pushes off, gliding across the ice in a circle, a slight chuckle escaping him as he watches Rapid's antics.

682681
Rapid shrugs. "What can I say? I'm a quick learner. And it's not too different from any of the number of times I've slid down piles of rubble. A building or two, the cliff three times, the one time in the caves... You learn balance eventually." She turns, trying to skate backwards, then attempts a Lutz, landing sideways horribly, crashing to the ice and skidding across it towards Aurora, slowly sliding to a halt not to far from him. "Okay... I deserved that one."

682701
Aurora laughs a bit as he slides over to Rapid's prone form. "Hahaha, I guess you need a bit of practice after all," he comments as he leans down to give her a kiss. As the kiss breaks, he backs up just slightly to offer her a hoof to help her up.

"But having seen your agility first hoof, I probably shouldn't be surprised that you picked it up so quickly," he adds with a wink.

682718
Rapid accepts the hoof up, returning the kiss when she's back on her hooves. "Yeah, well, agility doesn't much help once you land wrong." She sets off quickly this time, skating in a simple circle until the has the feel of the ice beneath her. "Though, there's one thing I saw somepony do once in a skating contest, and I was confused why they got deducted points for it. It was a lot more impressive than any amount of spins or lifts... Let's see..." She stops her circling turn, pivoting so that she's once more going backwards, a lot more steadily than she was previously. She then proceeds to backflip.

The front half of her body pulls up, followed by the back half, which flings up with its own momentum, leaving all of her hanging in the air. For just a moment she feels herself falling, not sure if she'd land it, but somehow she brings her rear hooves beneath her, landing on just her rear right. She wobbles on it for a moment, about to fall forward, when she instead transfers her weight to her forward right, managing to slide gracefully along on just that hoof. It wasn't quite what she had seen, but it still looked cool. She'd take it. "How'd that look?" she asks while sliding past her love.

682762
Sitting and watching her prepare for her trick, Aurora still can't help but be slightly amazed at how quickly she had improved. She really is good at all this athletic stuff. I couldn't do half of that even after being in the North for years and she got it in two days.

Rapid flips over in a backflip, the landing somewhat unsteady, but only a bit. As she slides by, he sits up fully to clap excitedly for her. "That was amazing!"

She continues to slide past, turning and heading back as she reaches the edge of the pond. This time, as she comes by, he kicks off the ice to skate beside her, thoroughly enjoying both watching her perform her daring tricks, as well as the moments like this one, where he simply spends time at her side.

682810
Rapid nuzzles him gently as they skate together, wishing her wings were more like pegasi's so that she could actually wrap Aurora in it without putting on a disguise. Oh well. Can't have everything she thinks before answering his little outburst. "I know, right? Apparently you're not allowed to do flips on the ice, they take away from your score in competitions. But they look so cool!" She frowns at that, continuing to think about the more impressive versions of skating. "There was one other trick I've always wondered why nopony does, but it'd probably just look stupid if I tried it."

The two of them turn lazily, surprisingly in unison as they avoid the snowy bank. "Besides, to do it I'd have to be too far away from you."

682847
"Oh really? And what trick is that?" he asks in genuine curiosity.

"I can't imagine a trick on the ice that would require you to be so far away from me that a little snuggling afterwards couldn't make up for it," he adds with a chuckle as he bumps gently against her side.

682862
"Well..." she says, skating away from his side and circling the pond until she has a long straightaway. "The trick goes something like this." As she skates forward, she lifts herself onto her front right, then cartwheels down the ice, each hoof landing sliding along instead of being a sticking point, causing the rotation of the wheel to spread out with the constant sliding speed. It takes a ton of concentration on Rapid's part to keep her body in the right spot, her balance precise and her control perfect, especially when she has to execute a turn halfway through on only one hoof, but after completing her second cartwheel and returning to all fours she lazily skates her way back to Aurora's side, a confident smile on her face for having accomplished that on her first go.

682886
Aurora watches with excitement as she performs a rather impressive trick that looks unbelievably hard. Yeah, I couldn't come close to that. That kind of balance and agility just isn't something I'll ever have. Who am I kidding, that's not something most ponies will ever have.

As she skates back to his side, he can only shake his head in amazement at what he had just seen. 'That was impressive. I can't even imagine the kind of balance you must have to do something like that."

He slides over against her side, reaching around her shoulders with a foreleg. "And now that you're back, I think that makes it snuggle time," he says as he nuzzles into her neck with a light chuckle and a smile.

682937
Rapid nuzzles him back, bringing the two of them over to the bank so that they don't have to try and snuggle without sliding. "So I take it you liked the trick? I don't know why I don't see skaters doing it. Probably for the same reason they aren't allowed to do flips." She hugs him tight, then pulls both of them into the snow, immediately pulling herself closer to him for extra warmth against the cold. As she does, she kisses him lightly. "And yes, now it's snuggle time."

Kamau wandered around the Library, glancing at book titles as he passed. Pulling a few from the shelf and placing them on his back, he suddenly came across a title that gave him pause.

Germaney: A Culture Guide......Maybe. He thought as he put it onto the stack.

After making his way toward a reading area, Kamau places the stack down and began reading.

682953
Aurora wraps his arms tightly around her as they lay in the chilling snow, the warmth between them warding off its icy embrace. He looks up at the stars above them as he presses himself close against the mare at his side. I really do love moments like this. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without her anymore.

He turns his head to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. "I really do love you. More than I had ever thought possible a month ago."

683022
"Ah. Dear Faultless!" Kamau said warmly."My last venture into the world of the date made me realize how....what was that phrase...cooped up I had been. I decided to come here to get some fresh air."

683025
Rapid snuggles just a little bit closer, returning his kiss. "I love you too. More than anything in the world." She then looks up as well, a smile appearing on her face. "I don't even know what I'd do without you anymore..."

683058
Kamau laughed a little at the mares observation."I know it may sound strange, but it is peaceful here....usually. Anyways, what brings you here, Dear Faultless?"

683057
Still snuggled against her side, Aurora can't help but agree. "I feel the same way. And with a bit of luck, neither of us will ever have to find out."

He lay there in the snow, the stars of their dream world twinkling and shining above them, the contrast between the warmth between them and the chill of the now around them constantly tickling their senses. They lay together like that for several minutes that somehow manage to feel like much longer, and simultaneously not nearly long enough.

Aurora nuzzles against Rapid's neck, kissing her lightly. "Was there anything else you wanted to see while we're here?"

683106
"I was wondering why the librarian had given me a map. You are free to....kill some time with me, If you do not mind waiting a little while. I was just finishing this." Kamau invited, gesturing to the book in his hooves.

683107
Rapid laughs a little. "What, you practically blew my mind with the glacial palace, and now you want to know if I want to see more?" She smirks, kissing him deeply. "You've already done more than I could have ever wished for this session. If you have something else you want to show, go ahead, but if you don't." She snuggles against him a little more, monopolizing as much heat as she can from her love. "I'm happy right here. With you."

683156
Kamau blushed a little." Umm...I have never traveled to Germaney before. I was hoping that the guide would prove informative, so that I may be of use to you....if you wish me to come along that is." As he finishes, Kamau's blush deepens as he tries to look away from the mare.

683143
"I always have more to show you, but since we have a lifetime to get through them all, I think I'll wait and enjoy this for a bit longer." As he says that, he rolls over to pull Rapid into a deep, passionate kiss, pouring all the love he felt for her into it, the warmth between them rising with their heart beats.

683222
"Thank you, Dear Faultless." Kamau says with a soft smile, hugging the mare back."I...love you. I may not say it as much as I am supposed to, but I do."