Scene #3591: For Fun, Just Add Yellow!

Owner	Pose
Twilight Sparkle	Winter in Ponyville! Snow is everywhere, as are little fillies and colts playing in it. There are probably dozens of snowponies about town. Despite the roughly freezing tempuratures, all anypony seems to need to keep warm is a scarf. Although the ponies are active, most of the animals have gone into hibernation or migration, so wildlife around Ponyville is a bit sparce at the moment. Twilight Sparkle has decided to spare a bit of time with Spike so they can build a snow dragon, after Spike saw so many snowponies but not even one snow dragon. Why wouldn't anyone want a snowdragon? So, in the side yard of the library that Twilight and Spike call home, the two purple people are working to make a dragon. Spike even has a bucket of gems he is planning to use as eyes and spines and such! "I mean, come on," Spike is saying. "Not even one snow dragon? I mean, I know that most dragons have a bad temper, and destroy things, and horde stuff, and make smoke when they snore, and are really big so a little snow dragon doesn't do them justice, but I'm a dragon! You gotta have at least one snowdragon." Twilight Sparkle giggles a bit after the list of reasons not to build a snowdragon. "Well, dragons are not very common. It would be like building a snow griffon instead of a snowpony. Most ponies simply don't think of it."
Rarity	Not everyone in Ponyville was making snowponies. Though some may wish that such a quiet, constructive task was all they were doing! Case in point would be the mix of "WHEEEEE!" and "AAAAAAUH!" that ring through the air as a sled comes barreling through the town. The cheering has to be from Sweetie Belle, who's leaning on the front of the sled having the time of her life with the ride, while Rarith is hunkering down behind her covering her eyes with her hooves. "Good heavens, make it stop already!" "But we're almost home now!" "I told you that hill was way too steep!"
Jinxel	* THEN * One of the problem with living in an area of Equestria where the seasons turn themselves and very few people visit is that there isn't anyone to plow your front yard. Or, well, anywhere for that matter, so keeping the roads clear can be a bit of a hassle... and there's no place more isolated than the Everfree Forest, where few dare to tread since the return of NIGHTMARE MOON! Still, that won't deter Jinxel, who has waded through snowbanks through the forest to reach the outskirts, and now stands poised triumphant upon a hilltop overlooking Ponyville, in spite of the weather! Not much longer now, and she'll be able to see her friends! Nothing could possibly go wrong! * NOW * Fillies are playing in the snow and ponies are going about their business on this fine winter day, when a distant rumbling can be hear, drawing the eyes of those on the outskirt of town... and over the hill crests a /massive snowball/ rolling down the hill like an unstoppable force of nature, poking out of which is the head of a certain Bad Luck Pony who, amidsts all the spinning calls out "GANG WAAAAAAAAAAY!" Ponies scream! Fillies flee! The flower trio faints dead away (as per their usual when anything remotely bad happens) as SnowJinx careens through the middle of town, scooping up any ponies caught in her way like some frosty Katamari ball.
Yang Xiao Long	"Well, that was a thing." says a brilliant yellow pony as she enters town, trotting along and looking at herself curiously. She's wearing a lot more than the locals, and it certainly marks her as an outsider. The Sled gets Yang to jump out of the way, skidding a little in the snow at the side of the road, before the shout of GANG WAY rings out. "Someone's in trouble!" She steps out into the path of the snowball, rears up on her hind hooves, and deploys.. well they can't be called gauntlets for hooves... They expand along her forelegs to the elbow, and cover her hooves in metal. She then plants her hind hooves and prepares. The JinxBall comes right for her, and then with a sound like a dragon coughing(It's a gunshot), Yang blasts a kinetic pulse through the ball to break it up!
Twilight Sparkle	All the commotion draws the attention of Twilight and Spike, who both dash off to see what is going on. Then have to dive out of the way as the sled containing Rarity and Sweetie Belle comes flying by. "Rarity?" Twilight says after she is back on her feet. "Rarity!" Spike exclaims, then takes off to try and catch the sled. Rarity could be in trouble! Then, that giant snowball comes rolling in. Ponies panic, many cry out that it must be another Nightmare Moon attack! Twilight takes off toward the giant snowball, ready to try and stop it with magic. Then, Yang jumps out and attacks the snowball! "Wait! I wouldn't do that! That is Jinxel in there!" Twilight calls out, but too late. There is no telling what badluck, giant snowballs, and kinetic pulses combine to make!
Jinxel	The answr? A SNOWPLOSION! As the kinetic pulse ripples through the giant snowball, it promptly detonates, spraying snow (and ponies) in every which direction as the landscape gets showered in white. Most of the ponies come down in soft fluffy snowbanks. As for Jinxel... well, as bad luck would dictate, she comes down right into the chimney of a house and disappears inside with a large plume of soot. Followed immediately by the sound of heavy thumping, dishes breaking, a cat screeching, until finally Jinxel comes tumbling out of the front door like a golfball out of one of those absurd mini-put displays and flops over, utterly dazed and confused. @_@
Rarity	At the all too familiar wail of "THE HORROR!" in chorus followed by fainting Rarity dares to peak from behind her hooves. Only to see the massive snowball rolling from the opposite direction. "... oh dear..." Rarity reachs past Sweetie Belle to grab the front of the sled and veer it to the side, just as Yang is jumping in to intercept the Happy Fun Snowball. It's such a hard turn that the old fashioned sled actually careens up on one runner. It thuds back to the snowy ground a moment later, and Rarity lets out a sigh of relief. A little too soon, as the sled runs headlong into a pumpkin someone left out from Nightmare Night and got frozen over. That brings it to a dead halt that catapults both riders into the end. And Sweetie Belle is still "WHEEEEEEE!"ing the entire time, until she finally FWUMPS down in a snowbank. Rarity just happens to land in the arms of/on top of Spike. What a hero! (in his own mind). Sweetie Belle pops out of the snow a few moments later. "That was fine, lets do it again!" "Let's not and pretend it never happened," Rarity retorts in exasperation.
Yang Xiao Long	"Uh o--" FWUMP. Yang is buried in the explosion of snow. It looks like she's down for the count, until that paricular spot of snow begins to rapidly melt, and then with a burst of fire(!?) Yang emerges, mane billowing in her self produced little breeze. She looks over at Twilight, then at Jinxel. "Hey, you okay?" she asks, returning her weapon to its standby state, the bracelets dangling around her fetlocks before she trots over to support the tottering Bad Luck Pony. "What's a Jinxel?" she asks towards Twilight.
Twilight Sparkle	Spike winces as Rarity and Sweetie Belle hit that pumpkin, then gasps as Rarity flies right toward him! "I've gotcha, Rarity!" he calls out, running around with his little arms held out like he actually might catch Rarity. It is more accurate to say she landed on him, but baby dragons are surprisingly soft when it comes to cushioning a fall. There is a Spike-shaped crater in the snow beneath Rarity after the landing, and once she is up a single purple dragon claw pokes up from it. "Y-..you are...safe..m'lady." Spike says, his speech a bit slurred and broken by the blue diamonds floating around his head. Twilight gets buried in snow only a short distance from Yang, and moments after Yang melts the snow around herself, Twilight pops from the snow, a bit of it sticking on her head in the shape of a pointed hat. "Jinxel!" Twilight exclaims before making her way over to the bad luck pony. Twilight smiles lightly to Yang. "This is Jinxel. She is a very nice pony, but has a bit of bad luck." Twilight explains, then helps dust soot off of Jinxel. "Jinxel, are you hurt?"
Rarity	"Thanks to you, Spike dahling." Rarity doesn't ruin the young dragon's moment even as she plucks him out of the snow with her magic, which entices a giggle out of Sweetie Belle as well. A few light shakes to dislodge snow from his spines and then Rarity sets Spike back down. Somehow she is entirely unsurprised that the giant snowball was a result of Jinxel's unlucky streak.
Jinxel	"I'm okay..." Jinxel says with a wavering voice as she lifts her head, her eyes still rolling around as she does so. Then after a vigorous shake, she manages to clear the daze from her head and wobbles to her feet, "Um... sorry about that. I was coming down the hill leading to town and I... tripped." Beat, "And then started rolling." Longer beat, "Through the snow..." Even longer, more sheepish beat, "Into a ball..." Another pause, followed by Jinxel scratching the back of her head, "Though the middle of town..." She manages a sheepish smile, "Um, sorry?"
Yang Xiao Long	Yang chuckles a bit, helping dust off the Bad Luck pony. "Hey, nobody got hurt, right? It's all good in my book." she remarks, hooking a foreleg around Jinxel's withers to give her a friendly hug. "Oh! I should introduce myself! Name's Yang Xiao Long. I'm a Huntress in training at Beacon Academy... I think I took a wrong turn in the warpgate."
Twilight Sparkle	Spike has a pretty silly smile when Rarity is done with him, and one can practically see the hearts floating around his head. Then, he coughs a bit and puffs up his chest as heroically as he can. "It was nothing, m'lady!" he says, then looks around. "Hey, where did Sweetie Belle go?" Twilight blinks, then looks around at all the ponies poking their heads up from snowdrifts and various other things. She smiles after that as Yang introduces herself. "Hello Yang. I am Twilight Sparkle, and this is the town of Ponyville, located in the land of Equestria. You are from Beacon Academy? I was given a tour of the academy. It is quite impressive! Despite being a school about combat, it seemed to be quite well-equiped for higher education as well as martial arts."
Jinxel	Jinxel just blinks for a moment as she's hugged, then goes all n_n instead, "Oh, it's nice to meet you miss Yang! I don't think I've heard of Beacon... but then, I don't get out of the Everfree much these days." Then she turns her gaze towards Twilight and smiles, "By the way Twilight, Bramble really likes the gift you got her, even if she grumbles a lot about 'goody four-hooves egghead' all the time."
Rarity	The answer comes when Spike happens to look in the other direction and gets a snowball magically thrown at him! Sweetie Belle giggles as she ducks back down behind the snowbank she landed in. Rarity turns her attention to the other conversation, ears perking at the mention of Beacon Academy. "Oh, you must be one of the other students that was mentioned." A pause, then the unicorn cocks her head up to rub her chin with a hoof. "Though for the life of me I can't remember who it was I heard it mentioned by. What a bother."
Yang Xiao Long	"Oh yeah! I remember seeing you now!" Yang replies to Twilight. "Blake was taking you and some others around... I met you guys in the training room!" Jinxel continues to get that hug, Yang being oblivious to the personal space invasion. "Only ones I know that are really active with the Union are Me, my sister Ruby, and Blake. Weiss doesn't seem to be getting out much apart from from lessons." replies the golden earth pony. "Oh, she /did/ drag me out to visit that Galandia place... biiiig clockwork planet thing." she remarks.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight smiles happily as she hears about Bramble. "I thought she might like it. And how did you like your gift?" she says to Jinxel. Twilight nods to Yang when she recognizes the pony. "Usually it is hard to tell who someone is when they are a pony, but with you...it was pretty easy." Twilight says, giggling a bit. "Galandia is rather spectacular itself, isn't it? A clockwork planet with an actual creature as its sun?" she says, then smiles as Rarity approaches. "Rarity! I see you survived your sleigh ride with Sweetie Belle?" Spike gets nailed by a snowball, knocking him down , then he laughs. "Hey! You better watch out!" he says as he gathers up snow and crafts a snowball of his own, then goes running after Sweetie Belle!
Rarity	Rarity watchs as Sweetie Belle takes off running, forcing Spike to follow her, and laughing the entire time. "Oh thank goodness." The unicorn flops back on her haunches. "She was wearing me and my nerves out, as nice as it was to get to spend a day together in sisterly activities." She takes a moment to make sure her scarf and cap aren't mussed up by all the frantic activity.
Yang Xiao Long	"Yeah, Beacon's the best academy around for training Huntsmen and Huntresses." replies Yang. "We need to know not only how to fight, but how to talk... I checked out the Union databanks, and... I guess Huntsmen and Huntresses perform a role like those Jedi Knights. Peacekeepers and all that."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight giggles a bit and pats Rarity's shoulder sympathetically. "I am surprised she is not with the other two Crusaders." she says as she watches Spike chase after Sweetie. He throws his snowball at her, then continues chasing, his hands raised in a playful menacing pose. "Don't you know you shouldn't mess with dragons?" he pretend growls as he chases after Sweetie. Twilight looks over to Yang. "I don't have much experience with the Jedi, but anyone who tries to keep peace and protect people is fine in my book." she says, smiling. "Since you are here, would you care to try some local cuisine? It is about dinner time anyway, and my favorite cafe is right around the corner."
Staren	MOMENTS AGO Staren has come to visit Equestria! He seems content to remain in unicorn form, white fur blending in with the snow, although he's not entirely unclothed -- for winter, he's wearing the cloak and cowl from Ezio and the scarf he got in 2013 underneath. He mutters to himself as he walks through the snow, "Would wood really be a sturdy enough building material? Certainly plentiful... entire forest... entire /planet/... wonder how big I can make it... /should/ I make it big... need to make golems of different sizes and compare the speeds... how much does materials matter? Would a quadrupedal design be faster? Or perhaps a centauroid design..." BLAM Staren looks up. NOW Staren bounds in and screeches to a halt as he sees... people standing around, talking. He looks around in confusion, catching his breath. "Heard pant an explosion pant"
Rarity	Rarity laughs softly. "They have the entire winter for that Twilight dear. But this is one of the few days I can safely close my shop for the day without missing any business to spend with her, sister to siter.... Though a chance to catch my breath courtesy of Spike is certainly appreciated." Followed by a soft huh at Yang. "Sounds a bit like our role as the Harmony Knights as well."
Yang Xiao Long	Yang is about to say something, when her stomach growls. Loudly. "Uh... ehhehe, I guess I could eat something, I was heading back to Beacon to hit up the cafeteria." she chuckles and rubs the back of her head. That's about when Staren comes rushing up. "Explosion? Oh! That was me. Giant snowball came rolling into town." she replies nonchalantly.
Staren	Staren looks at Yang for a moment. Then back at the scattered snowplosion remains. Then back at Yang. "...Huh. You new here?" his words remain terse as he catches his breath, then smiles and waves to the others. "Hi Twilight pant hi Spike pant hi Rarity pant hi Sweetie Belle pant Hi Jinxel pant"
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight nods again as she watches Sweetie and Spike chasing each other around. "I can imagine. I suspect as far as foals go, Spike is rather low maintenance." she says to Rarity before nodding in agreement to the Harmony Knights comment. "Except there is no academy for Harmony Knights." Twilight adds before blinking as Staren gallops up. Yang explains some of what happened, and Twilight continues for her. "Jinxel tripped on the hill overlooking town, and naturally ended up in a giant rolling snowball. Our new friend Yang tried to stop it with her powers, but it resulted in an explosion that covered much of the town and ponies in snow." Then, Yang's belly grumbles and Twilight giggles politely. "Alright." she says, then gives Staren an affectionate nuzzle. "Would you like to join us at the cafe?" she asks Staren befor ethey start off for it. The cafe is a charming outdoor eatery with haystacks around tables.
Rarity	"Just another day in Ponyville," Rarity brings up the end of the explaination. That's not sarcasm. "Prehaps I shall join you all until Sweetie tires Spike out. Though..." Rarity pauses, turning her head to look around. "Something seems to be missing. After all, we have a new friend in town, and ye--" That would be when the pink pony with absurdly puffy pink hair seems to drop out of midair on top of Yang! "Did I hear somepony mention a new friend?! GAAAAASP she's shiney!" It promptly turns into a Pinkie Pie bearhug. "She's so shiny I GASSSSSP almost as much as I GAAAAAAASPed the first time I GAAAAAAAASPed at Twilight coming to town!" "Yet, she proves us wrong. Say hello to Pinkie Pie, Yang." Rarity narrows her eyes just slightly. "Whom seems to be a bit tardy." Pinkie Pie pfffs and rolls her eyes in response. "Well it's no fun if you're -expecting- me."
Yang Xiao Long	WHUD. Yang blinks as something lands on her, and then she's getting HUGGED. "Uh... Hi." . o O (Oh man she's like Nora. Mental note, never let them meet.) "I'm Yang, nice to meetchya, Pinkie." she offers, seemingly unaffected by having and entire pony on her back. She's strong like that.
Staren	Staren nods at Twilight's explanation, then smiles and returns the nuzzle. "Sounds good!" He looks to Yang, "You wanna come too, try pony food? It's safe to eat like this." he taps a forehoof to his chest. He's slightly taken aback by Pinkie's sudden arrival, but it's not like he's never seen her before. Staren smiles at her antics, "Hi Pinkie! Got anything planned for new years'?"
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight blinks when Rarity mentions Pinkie. She is about to agree with Rarity when Pinkie appears! Twilight giggles as Pinkie lands on Yang. "Yes, Pinkie. That was a rather large gasp." Twilight says, rolling her eyes in amusement. Twilight calls out to Sweetie Belle and Spike to come along before she leads them all to the cafe and takes a seat on a haystack. "If you do not feel like having things like hay and grass, there are plenty of things that are natural for humans to eat." Twilight says as the waiter brings them a collection of menus. Spike hears Twilight calling and scampers after them. "Hey! Wait up!"
Rarity	"Oh silly Staren," Pinkie Pie replies as she slips off Yang's back. "I'm the ultimate party planner pony, what -else- would I be doing?" She glances at a foreleg, even though she's not wearing a watch or anything. "Speaking of, now that I've done my job as the ultimate welcoming pony, I need to go make sure Vinyl's got the club ready. Later!" And just as quickly as she appeared the pink pony bounces off. Literally. Rarity just sighs softly as she takes a seat herself. "You get use to her after a while. For the most part."
Yang Xiao Long	Yang nods a little and blinkblinks. "She reminds me of one of my classmates. She's in another team, and her name is Nora..." she shrugs and orders something relatively safe. "So... I gotta ask..." she ventures. "Why am I a pony?"
Staren	Staren looks back and forth as various people speak. "Well... That depends on what you mean by 'why'... The fact is, humanoids who come here take the form of some local species, although once you know about the effect, you can resist it with concentration when you step through the gate. As for the 'how', I have some theories that this involves conceptual manipulation... basically, some force or effect that takes any concepts tied to humanoid-ness and then adjusts them, re-conceptualizes them, I'm not really sure how it actually works, as something quadrupedal instead... umm, anyway, the end result is you get people turned into ponies, and their gear becomes something they can still use even in pony form. The effect goes away when you leave. As for /why/, I have no idea, although it does help for being able to fit into pony-sized houses, use stuff designed for ponies, and eat pony meals, so I guess it's beneficial?"
Twilight Sparkle	"You get mostly used to her after a while." Twilight adds, meaning Pinkie Pie. When Yang asks about the pony field, Twilight shrugs lightly. She listens to Staren, then giggles a bit. "The actual why is unknown, but I believe whoever or whatever created this world created the field to keep things in balance. If humanoids started moving to Equestria without transforming, then local supplies would have to be altered to accomidate humans and other humanoids. Also, the foods required are different, so if many humans started moving here it could disrupt the balance of nature. Humans that become ponies have the same needs as natural ponies, so there is little difficulty for a human visiting or moving to Equestria to integrate." Twilight giggles softly at a thought. "Or, it could have been Discord. He is a rather powerful creature. If he knew about other worlds then he might have set it up just to...troll people?" Twilight seems unsure that troll is the right word. She shrugs again after that and smiles. "So, I guess the answer is...I don't know."
Rarity	Rarity shakes her head a little. "You two trying to explain it takes all the mystique out of it," she teases the two intellectuals. "Equestria's reality follows a lot of rules that other worlds do not, it's best to leave it to that if one was to ask me."
Yang Xiao Long	Yang broke. She's staring at Staren like he's grown an extra head. And when Twilight speaks up, it's another blank look. Eyes glaze over and she just kinda... stares. "Oooookay... well, that's a thing." she finally says after a moment, shaking her head to clear the fuzz.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Speaking of the ponification field, Yuna actually resisted it the last time she came back to Equestria - she's walking around in human form, dressed in the black turtleneck and red jumper which she seems to get the most mileage out of during the cold time of the year. She is wearing proper boots and tights, though, rather than leaving her legs bare as she makes a distinctly bipedal path through the snow. "Hey Rarity, hi Twilight, hello Staren," the blonde idol greets the three whom she knows. "And welcome to Equestria!" she adds with a smile, bowing to Yang.
Staren	Staren sighs at Rarity's comment, but doesn't start an argument with her. Yang gets another sigh and an eye-roll when it's clear she's tuned out. "You're a pony while you're here. You'll turn back when you leave. With a little concentration, you can keep your form next time you come here." he condenses it. "Hi Yuna!" He smiles and greets the singer. Then he turns and looks at the menu. "Umm, hmm... what would you reccomend, Twilight?"
Yang Xiao Long	Yang blinks and looks to Yuna. Okay, a human in pony-land sticks out, no wonder that field thing exists, good to know. "Hey, Yuna!" she offers. "It's me, Yang." she says. Her QT mark? It's her symbol, the burning flame, emblazoned on her flanks in gleaming orange. It kinda mixed in together with her shining golden coat, but it's there.
Rarity	Rarity glances up from considering orders at the familiar voice. "Why hello Yuna dahling." She gives the idol/magical girl a critical looking over, then nods her head approvingly. "That is certainly a suitable casual style for you for the season, dear. Enjoying the Equestrian winter?" It's not quite so bad when every blizzard is practically predictable thanks to pegasus control.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight is oblivious to Yang's boredom concerning the analysis of the ponification field. "It is indeed a thing, and a rather impressive thing. Whether natural or artificial, the ponification effect is something worthy studying." she says. Then, Yuna appears. And in human form no less! "Oh! Here is a good example. Hello Yuna!" Twilight raises a forehoof to wave to her friend. "Yuna is able to resist the field quite readily, as is most anyone who visits. But, she often allows herself to be transformed, like Staren here, for convenience and ease of integration." When Staren asks about what she suggests, Twilight hmms. "My favorite is the daisy and daffodil sandwich, but the cucumber and chrysanthemum salad is good, too." she says as she looks over the menu herself. Spike hops up onto the haystack closest to Rarity, then waves to Yuna. "You gotta try the hayfries if this is your first time here, Yang. They are extra crispy and go great with ketchup or ranch!"
Staren	Staren shakes his head a little at the tail end of the pony field discussion. "In truth we just don't know. I'm studying similar phenomena in hopes that one day I'll understand a great deal more about the Multiverse, but that's a conversation for another day." He turns to order, "I'll have a daisy and daffodil sandwich with hayfries please!" and then looks to the locals. "Cold air and snow... I don't get this, living on a spaceship. It's weird, realizing you've been missing a familiar thing like that."
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Ohhh ..." Yuna smiles sheepishly. "So you finally made it out to Equestria to visit? I hope you're liking Ponyville! - And the weather's fine, Rarity, thanks for asking! Better than what passes for 'winter' some places, that's for sure ..." Then again, there are planets Yuna's been to where 'winter' is only distinguishable from 'summer' by getting more consistent torrential rain, or where 'summer' is noted only by the sun reflecting off of the snowy plains instead of the sky being dark and full of stars (when it's not snowing again). Ponyville actually gets four discrete seasons thanks to the efforts of the pegasi, and Yuna appreciates all of them. "The barley, lettuce and tomato sandwich is pretty good if you're still getting used to the food here," Yuna suggests further to Yang, waving back to Twilight. "And yeah, I actually live here a lot of the time now, so I've had practice ... but I like being a pony, too, so I don't try to keep my human shape when I'm coming back from most trips off-world. Made things interesting furnishing my cottage, that's for sure." She seems content to stand nearby and talk, but if somebody invites her to sit (and/or actively pulls a chair over for her), she won't say no.
Rarity	"I just want some hot cocoa to recoup from spending all afternoon out with Sweetie Belle. With extra marshmellows.. oh, and a dallop of whipping cream on top. The real stuff, mind you, none of this artificial sweetener nonsense." The waiter gives Rarity a bit of a look, though it's more one of those being use to the fashionista's frivilties and enduring it because she's typically an excellent tipper for the service.
Yang Xiao Long	Yang orders a pretty basic salad, and just, sits there, listening to the others. She doesn't really have much to add to the discussion, most of it goes right over her head.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight nods to Staren as he looks at the snow. "It's strange. When I lived in Canterlot, I thought only about my studies. I barely even took notice of the seasons. I knew they changed, and that pegasi weather teams were changing them and controlling the weather, but I didn't appreciate the hard work that goes into something as seemingly simple as snow. Now, I've seen the inner workings of the weather factory, and how pretty the results can be. I can't imagine not being able to see things like snow or flowers or blue skies when I look out of my window. Stars are lovely, but I think I would miss the sunshine and things fairly quickly." Twilight also orders the daisy and daffodil with hayfries, while Spike orders just a large order of hayfries. With extra ketchup. "So, how is business at the boutique? Is your winter line doing well?" Twilight asks Rarity as they wait for their orders.
Staren	Staren's eyes widen slightly when Twilight mentions weather factories. "I need to visit one sometime..." He continues to look out over the snow. "I spent most of my time sitting in a room underground, before. But, I'd go up to the house sometimes, often for meals, or family time, or at least to sleep, and then I'd see the snow out the window. And I used to make frequent trips to Lazlo -- the city itself I mean -- for my operator work there, but I've phased that out more and more in favor of Multiversal matters over the past few years. And Amalgam... I don't know if the planet even /has/ a winter, I never thought about it. It's an alien world and we're just getting established there, you know?" Staren turns to Twilight. "Actually, I was /just/ thinking about how we're going to need vehicles to explore the planet and we don't have our manufacturing facilities up yet, and I might have a solution with a kind of piloted golem, a hybrid of technology and magic!"
Rarity	Now most of the talk is going over Rarity's head too. Which is probably why she just gives a polite "That's nice dears" and starts sipping her cocoa once it's brought.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Hot cocoa sounds good," muses Yuna. "Especially on a cold winter day ..." A moment later, she's appropriated an empty haystack-seat nearby - maybe not at the same table, but within conversational range - and places her order, intercepting the waiter on the way back from delivering Rarity's drink. Cocoa, a hot sandwich of some kind (they probably have grilled cheese here, right?), she'll decide on dessert later. "So how badly does the snow cut into businesses here?" she asks Rarity (and Twilight) while she's waiting on her order.
Rarity	"Oh, it's been fine dear." Finally, a conversation topic Rarity can actually contribute to again. "A bit slow after the holiday, but that's a good time for a break, no? But overall, everything is just fine."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight Sparkle nods to Staren. "I'm sure we can get a tour of the weather factory." she says before blinking at Staren's golem idea. "Don't many worlds have magitech? Even here in Equestria we have a few devices that run off of unicorn magic." she says, smiling gently. "It shouldn't be hard to develop magic technology golems." When Yuna asks about snow and business, Twilight shrugs lightly and smiles. "Ponies are pretty used to this kind of weather. We have it nearly a fourth of the year, and it isn't nearly as bad as some places I have seen. I read that some Earth cities get snow so deep it can actually block doorways, and the automobiles they use have trouble in such conditions. But, for us, it is just a few inches deep. It really don't affect business at all, except for the expected seasonal changes such as clothing and food preferences."
Staren	Staren smiles at the mention of a weather factory tour, and nods at her response to his invention. "It should be very swift to develop, at least an initial prototype. I think I can put one together by tomorrow, or maybe even tonight!" He blinks. "...Oh right, party tonight. Well, tomorrow then!" On the subject of snow, he comments, "It's cold in Lazlo, but it only snows like a fifth or sixth of the year, maybe about... two to four big snowstorms a year? But if it gets really bad, magic can usually help clean it up. And we have snowplows. In the suburbs people might wait for it to melt if it gets really bad, but life can't just stop in the big city, you know?"
Rarity	"Twilight still isn't allowed near snowplows with magic," Rarity murmurs without looking up from her cocoa. One Winter Wrap-Up avalanche accident was enough as far as most of Ponyville is concerned.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight's ears splay as Rarity says that. "I was only trying to help..." she says softly before taking a bite of her sandwich that has just arrived. Spike snickers as he munches on hayfries.
Yang Xiao Long	"Whoa whoa waitasecond..." Yang blurts out, looking up from the salad she's got her muzzle shoved into... a leaf hanging from the side of her mouth. "You guys actually have to 'clean up' the seasons?!"
Yuna Kagurazaka	"What happened with the snowplow?" Yuna wonders - also wondering what KIND of snowplow; her first thought is of one of those trucks that industrialized Earths tend to use in big cities. She has to stop and correct herself, though; she's probably SEEN local snowplows. "And yeah, the ponies of Equestria actually help manage the seasons, lending a hoof with stuff that Nature does on its own in most other worlds." She shrugs gamely, "It works well enough, from everything I've seen. It's kind of fun, too - even if I don't have the kind of abilities to help out as directly as most unicorns do." Her sandwich and cocoa arrive, and Yuna digs in.
Rarity	Rarity raises a brow a bit at Yang. "Well of course dear. Our weather is handled with precision by a pack of perfectly professional pegasi... And Rainbow Dash. Why would the changing of the seasons be any different?" She shakes her head a little, though the comment may be somewhat in jest considering how long they've been dealing with the Multiverse. "You poor people and your worlds that leave everything to nature's randomness."
Staren	Staren's not sure what incident is being referred to, and gives Twilight a curious look -- but the look on her face is all he needs to hear. He moves to sit next to her on her haypile and lean against her with a forehoof around her shoulder. At Yang's question he looks to her, then back to Twilight. This seems like something for the lavender unicorn to explain best.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight giggles a bit at Yang, then nods as Rarity explains the weather control, then she goes into what happened with the snow plow. "Well, my first year here, I found out that ponies here didn't use magic to clean up winter like they do in Canterlot or Manehattan. I was happy to participate in the tradition, but without my magic I wasn't sure what I could do to help. One of my attempts, I had a bit of encouragement to...bend the rules." She peers at Spike accusingly, who just looks off to the side innocently. "I was still fairly new to my studies of animation spells, and when I tried to animate the plow so I could push it, it kind of...ran away with me. And then...well, you know the snowball that Jinxel showed up in earlier? That...is basically what happened." Twilight seems comfortable enough to relate the story, but she is still obviously a bit embarrassed by it.
Yang Xiao Long	Yang blinks a little owlishly. "There's a forest on Remnant that's always got fall-shaded leaves and constant ground cover of fallen leaves." she says without altering her facial expression. "We call it Forever Fall. We get sweet sap from the trees there." Yang has left the building. Alternatively: The Yang you have dialed is unavailable at this time.
Rarity	"Oooh, that must be wonderful for syrup." Rarity dunks one of the large fluffy marshmellows in her cocoa and then plops it in her mouth a lot more daintily than is likely needed for the consumption of such a treat. "The forest is the one place that alters seasons on its own and not many ponies for there. That is why it's called 'Everfree'."
Staren	Staren listens to the story, and gives Twilight a comforting squeeze after she relates it. He listens to Yang, and then to Rarity, and then back to Yang. /Do/ they make syrup out of this? Also, Rarity's hot chocolate looks really good... c_c Staren raises his free hoof to flag down a server, "I'd like a hot chocolate too please! With marshmallows and cream."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight nods slightly to Yang, then smiles as Rarity speaks up. "It isn't one season all the time in the Everfree forest, but it does have much more unpredictable weather and seasonal changes. Not to mention the many dangerous creatures that call the Everfree home." Twilight snuggles up against Staren when he wraps a foreleg around her. "So, Yang, what are your studies focused on in Beacon? Other than combat, of course. I mean, do you have a field of study, such as biology or physics? Or is it more of a general education institution?" Staren is provided with a cup of cocoa soon after he has ordered it, and after Yang's question Twilight uses her magic to pick up a napkin and offer it to Yang. "You..um...have something on your face."
Yang Xiao Long	Shakeshakeshake, shake it off, shake it off~. This sends the leaf fluttering down onto the snowy ground as Yang once again, shakes out of the fuzzy haze that listening to intellectual people chatter seems to set in. "Oh, uh... it's a bit of everything really. Combat's a big part of it, but we also study history and properties of Dust, along with the mundane stuff, reading, writing, arithmatic, basic science and stuff like that."
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna nods to Yang, "I'd been wondering about that a bit, actually. Beacon seems like your world's version of a college, at least for Huntsmen and Huntresses? That was what I was thinking when I applied to become a student ..." She must have been hungry; half of Yuna's sandwich is already gone.
Rarity	Rarity cocks her head a little to one side. "Sounds a lot like the school you went to in Canterlot, doesn't it Twilight? I mean, that was for magic, but it seems to come the same combination of elaborate specifics and general education.
Staren	Staren smiles as Twilight snuggles close, then stirs and blows on his hot cocoa to cool it a bit. "Dust and aura... I admit I'm kind of curious about them..." He looks at Yuna, surprised. "Oh, you're going to Beacon?" Not that it's odd, he just didn't know. He can't comment on Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, though. "Aside from the military academy, schooling in Lazlo usually doesn't involve combat -- the exception being if you're studying magic or getting help developing any natural psionic powers you happen to be born with. There /are/ classes in battle magic and combat use of psychic abilities."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight giggles a bit as Yang shakes her head like that. She puts the napkin down, then hmms. "It does sound a bit like Celestia's school." Twilight agrees. "Which would make it less like a college and more like an elite high school. Still, the facilities are impressive. I am glad that they have not forsaken the academic side for the martial side." Twilight looks to Yuna after that. "So, you applied there? Can someone not native to that world use Dust?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna nods to Staren, grinning. "Yep! I was kind of surprised that they let me enroll, but it's the closest thing I've found to a college I could go to that'll help with my duties ..." Doesn't she usually introduce herself as a singer, though? Granted, everyone here knows she's more than just an idol singer; she's fought alongside each member of the group at one point or another. "As for Dust," she continues, addressing Twilight, "Elner thinks it'll be possible. Aura, we don't know about for sure, but she's pretty sure we can make a Dust-compatible magazine for the Matrix Divider once I've learned the basic principles. That might be a project for Lloyd, down the line."
Yang Xiao Long	"Dust's just, kinda like a solid state energy source. Powdered Dust is volatile, it's what we use in bullets, explosives, and all that kinda stuff... but some people can focus their Aura and make 'magic' like effects... Weiss can do that kinda thing with her Glyphs. Some others use strands infused with Dust in their clothes too."
Rarity	"Interesting. But farther discussion shall have to wait until another time." Rarity gulps down the end of her cocoa, and leaves a tip for the waiter on the table alongside the empty mug. "I should really go find where Sweetie Belle got off to before the girl gets herself into trouble."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight nods to both Yuna and Yang. "I am sure you will do well there, Yuna. Even if it turns out you can't use Dust, going to a military academy could be quite helpful to you." Twilight says, then tilts her head. "Weiss...did I meet her on the tour?" Twilight asks Yang. Spike lets out a snort as Rarity mentions keeping Sweetie Belle out of trouble. "Good luck. She's been gone like...an hour. I'm surprised Ponyville is still standing." he says as he finishes off his hayfries.
Staren	Staren nibbles on his sandwich as the others talk. "Well, that should be interesting... maybe I'll get a chance to study dust and aura one day. There's just so /much/ to examine in the multiverse, I'm backed up like crazy on research projects..." Staren comments. Then Rarity observes that Sweetie Belle is missing and he looks around and doesn't see her either. "Uhhhhhhhhhh... Huh." At Spike's joke, he snorts. "Oh come on, they're not /that/ bad. They're more likely to just cover the town in tree sap!" he grins at Spike.
Rarity	"That in itself would be impressive, considering how -slow- sap flows in winter." And Rarity notices the sled is gone, too. "Maybe she went to see if Applebloom was done with winter chores yet. I shall see you all later, dahlings." She gives a brief wave before wandering off.
Yang Xiao Long	"See ya around!" Yang calls after the white Unicorn. "Professor Ozpin's left an open invitation for the Union to come and do stuff, just don't go around abducting people." she says to Staren. "You'd get lumped in with the White Fang or something."
Twilight Sparkle	Spike snickers as Staren brings up the tree sap. "Seriously, how do they even get covered in tree sap so often?" he says before raising a hand to wave to Rarity. "Bye Rarity!" Twilight also waves goodbye. "See you later!" Twilight blinks as Yang bring up abductions. "Is...is that something that happens often at Beacon Academy?"
Yang Xiao Long	"Not really, the White Fang have done it occasionally, but we can never find where they're hiding... they're more interested in stealing weapons and Dust than people." she replies, polishing off her food, before taking a drink of something warm to wash it down with. "Oh yeah. The White Fang are a group of Faunus that got tired of being treated like second-class citizens... I dunno all the details, Ozpin or the librarian at Beacon might know more... or ask Doctor Oobleck."
Staren	Staren waves as Rarity heads off. "Byyyye, Rarityyyyy! And happy new year!" He rolls his eyes and sighs at Yang's comment about abducting people. "I assure you I only do ethical research."
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna just sighs at the mention (joking or not) of abductions. "I've been kidnapped before, I didn't really have a problem with it until I found out the people behind my kidnapping wanted to launch me into the Ultra Black Hole. And I'm more worried about what some people would do with me if I got abducted this far away from my home sector ..." She quaffs some more of her hot cocoa, then waves to Rarity as the white unicorn heads back to her home. ""I'm not sure Beacon really counts as a 'military' academy, either; Huntsmen and Huntresses aren't soldiers, are they? Fighters by necessity, because of the Grimm, but nobody said anything about soldiers ..."
Yang Xiao Long	"Tell that to Atlas... but that's another story." replies Yang.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight blinks a bit. "Being a military academy doesn't necessarily mean they produce soldiers. It just means it is a place of learning that has an emphasis on combat." Twilight says, then looks at Yang. "Is it not a military academy? I apologize if I have made a mistake."
Yang Xiao Long	Yang shrugs. "It's a Huntsmen Academy. Huntsmen and Huntresses by definition are warriors. We're not soldiers, but we're not a defined military force, confined to a single nation, either."
Staren	Staren nods at Twilight. "Most of my /formal/ education was at the Lazlo Defense Force's training academy. Soldier doesn't seem an inaccurate word to use, but Lazlo isn't at war and doesn't want to be -- still, they need people to police the streets and to defend the city and surrounding settlements from any attacks by monsters or bandits. Sounds like your Grimm necessitate something similar."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight considers that for a few moments, then nods. "I will call it a Huntsmen Academy, or Beacon Academy, then. It wouldn't do to call it something it isn't." she says with a smile. Then, she stands and gives Staren a nuzzle. "Spike and I should return to the library now. I have some studying to do, and Spike needs to get to bed soon."
Yuna Kagurazaka	"I should probably head back to my place too," Yuna admits, finishing off her cocoa to wash down the last bite of her sandwich. "Good to see you, Yang; I'll see you back at Beacon - next week, or are classes in session tomorrow?" She places money on the table to pay for her meal and gets up from her seat, brushing a few stray bits of hay off, then waves to the rest of you. "See you all around, and have a Happy New Year!" she smiles.
Staren	Staren waves a hoof to Yuna as she leaves. "You too!" When Twilight says she's leaving to go home, he gives her a surprised look. "Even though it's new years? You don't want to check out Pinkie's party? Even if you don't... I'd like to keep you company all the same. Or maybe it's more of the other way around -- you have Spike anyway, but it seems a shame to spend the evening completely alone when so many ponies," he waves a hoof in the club's direction, "Are celebrating."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight considers that. "That is true. And I suppose it is alright for Spike to stay up every once in a while." Twilight smiles, then nods. "Alright, let's go to Pinkie's party." she says. Spike seems pretty excited to get to stay up, especially for a party. "Alright! Tonight and the Summer Sun are like the only nights I get to stay up!"
Staren	Staren gives Spike an affectionate pat on the head. "To Pinkie's party!"