Scene #2180: My Little Dragonrider

Owner	Pose
Twilight Sparkle	Late afternoon in Ponyville. The many colorful ponies are going about their daily lives. Foals are running around playing, farm ponies are selling their goods around the central square. Twilight Sparkle is stretched out on a park bench reading a book, and her number one assistant, Spike, is wandering around nearby. Chasing butterflies, poking at flowers, looking around for stray gems. The path from the warpgate leads right into town, so even if Valka gets ponyfied, she will be easily able to find her way into town.
Valka	Well, let it never be said that she's not adventurous. Late afternoon finds Valka exploring, using her note taking and maps to figure out where warp gates go, when she slips into this part of the world and finds things remarkably....different. Where she was once a tall, slim Viking warrior-woman, the transition to Pony land has transformed her into a small light-colored mare with green eyes, a red mane and braided tail, a bag over her shoulder, and a cutie mark that looks remarkably like a dragon curling on itself. Cloudjumper came too and...well...he's certainly not a pony anymore, but he is more cartoonish than before. "Ahem, well.." Valka says to herself, looking up to Cloudjumper. "It's odd, certainly, but it bears exploration. You head back through the gate. I'll see what's in that village over there." The dragon, suitably soothed, heads back through the warp while Valka, after getting used to walking on four legs, heads into town to see what might be afoot.
Yuna Kagurazaka	In the residential district of Ponyville, there's a white unicorn-pony with a blonde mane who's alternating between sitting on her haunches (mostly under a conveniently shade-bestowing tree) and pacing around; somehow she's holding what looks kind of like a smartphone in one hoof, although she slips it into a pouch hanging from her shoulder so she doesn't risk stepping on it. There's also a little robot-faerie thing flitting around, mostly keeping pace with her. A robo-faerie who bears a suspiciously striking resemblance to the mark on the white unicorn's flanks, as it happens.
Staren	Ahoof, Valka, what might be a/hoof/. Get with the lingo! Stuff just KEEPS HAPPENING, and Staren's tired of dealing with it. He's been taking a vacation for the past week. And for him, that includes spending what time with Twilight that he can. Yes, that sometimes includes sitting next to her on a bench as they both quietly read. He's whipped up another protoabstractum tablet book to read on, which appears as a book with clear crystals set into it, one of which is shaped into his family's [><] mark on the front. Now and then, he turns a page with a hoof. He's currently a pony, a white-coated unicorn with his mecha's head for a QT mark and a silver-and-opal pendant around his neck.
Twilight Sparkle	As Valka walks into town, she is ambushed by a cheerful, hyperactive pink pony with a mane and tail that look very much like cotton candy. "Hi! You're new, aren't you? I know you are new because I know eeeeverypony in Ponyville! Wait...if you are new, does that mean you don't have any friends here?!" The pink pony gasps dramatically, then takes off like a bullet. Twilight blinks as she hears Pinkie being hyper, then hops up and nuzzles Staren before she heads toward Valka. "Hello there! Sorry about Pinkie Pie. I am Twilight Sparkle. What brings you to Ponyville?" It is then that Twilight notices Yuna pacing back and forth. "Yuna? Are you alright?" she asks just as Spike comes waddling up beside Twilight. "Are we done reading yet? I have some more napping to do." the little purple and green dragon says before yawning softly.
Valka	Give her a break! She's only been a pony for like three minutes, tops! She'll get the lingo. Valka skids to a halt at Pinkie Pie's verbal assault, watching the pink pony prance around before dashing off like a shot to, more than likely, find her a friend or two. She can only shake her head a little at that, huffing using a hoof to push her mane out of her eyes - just in time to see Twilight Sparkle approach. Tiny talking pony peoples...with a familiar voice. Something resembling realization appears, the new arrival hopping up on the edges of her hooves for a second. "You're Twilight Sparkle?" Emphasis can be heard on the first word of that question. "You and I spoke on the radio briefly a few days ago. I'm Valka, the newcomer from Berk." She pauses, looking at herself. "Well...I was Valka before going through the portal, at least." She smiles. "Hello."
Yuna Kagurazaka	The white unicorn with the blonde mane looks up, blinking, and puts her smartphone away again. "Just trying to figure something out, I didn't realize solar panels were going to be that expensive. And then there's the storage battery ..." She trails off with a bit of a rueful chuckle, then 'bows' to Valka. "I think we talked on the Union chatterband - Valka, you said? You still are, don't worry," she grins. "I'm Yuna, this is Elner." She tilts her head towards the robo-faerie, who 'bows' slightly in mid-air. And speaks. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Valka," says Elner, its voice relatively genderless but leaning towards female.
Staren	Staren smiles at the nuzzle and turns to watch Twilight curiously as she walks up to... he tilts his head and replays the audio he heard in the last few seconds... someone new! He telekinetically closes his book, levitates it into blue saddlebags, and levitates said bags onto his barrel after stepping off the bench. "You know," Staren comments to Spike, "You could nap /while/ we're reading, if you like." He then approaches Valka, smiling as she explains herself. "You can still be Valka. I don't think any outsiders have adopted new names here. It's not like Twilight calls herself something else when she goes elsewhere, after all." He tilts his head at Yuna, ears flicking once. "Perhaps I can help. What are you trying to make?" Suddenly realizing he's forgotten something, he looks back to Valka. "I'm Staren, by the way, researcher of problems for the Union." He smiles and steps forward, then holds out a forehoof as what might be an analogue to offering a handshake.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight Sparkle blinks in surprise, then smiles brightly to Valka. "Valka! It is wonderful to meet you in person!" Twilight says cheerfully. Spike blinks, then moves in close to Valka. "Wait, you are the dragon rider lady? So...where's your dragon? He didn't want to meet the awesome and mighty Spike, protector of Ponyville?" The little dragon flexes, acting like he is amazing even though he is too cute and not muscular enough to actually show off in that manner. Twilight can't help but giggle a bit as Spike tries to show off his biceps. Twilight was about to say something else, but Yuna and Staren get to it first. She smiles before nodding in agreement with them. "From what I understand, only your physical shape is changed. You are still who you were before, and your shape will return when you leave here." she says to Valka. Yuna's words make the purple pony blink. "Are you trying to set up a new energy station here in Ponyville?"
Valka	Valka takes a step back as she's greeted from three directions, looking a bit wary. The sight of the tiny purple dragon seems to calm her just a little - something familiar in a very, very unfamiliar world. "I've talked to a lot of people on the chatter channel. I leave it on, sometimes, just to listen. It's surprising what's shared on there, sometimes." Valka finally says with a soft chuckle, returning Yuna's bow with one of her own, nearly losing her balance when she goes too low. Straightening, Valka turns to Twilight Sparkle and feels herself blushing through her light-colored fur. "Y..yes, I'm the dragon rider lady. Cloudjumper is on the other side of the portal. He found this place a little....odd for him. Besides...he's roughly the same size as that house over there, and I thought the less attention I draw, the better." Fat lot of good /that/ did, huh? "Energy station? Technology is still kind of odd for me."
Valka	The hoof-shake she tries, but nearly falls over doing it. "Sorry.." Valka says, blushing. "Still learning my balance with four legs.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna offers Valka a hoof (or at least a shoulder to lean on) in getting her balance back. "You'll get the hang of it," she says encouragingly. "Just takes time and practice ... or you could stay human, it just takes a little focus on your way into this version of Equestria. Or the right amount of innate power that you 'resist' it without trying." She looks to Staren and Twilight. "And I was mostly trying to set up so that I can have electricity in my house here," she explains. "Although if I wind up generating enough electricity for others to use, I certainly won't turn them away." She grins. "I should contribute something besides occasional concerts, right?"
Staren	When Valka stumbles a bit, Staren is suddenly a human... or, no, not quite, he's got cat ears and a tail... kneeling and catching her to help her up. Once she's got her balance, he gently lifts and 'shakes' one forehoof, kind of like how one might shake a dog's paw. He steps back and shifts back to pony form, then looks to Yuna, rubbing his chin. "Electricity, huh? Solar power's an option... I imagine Celestia doesn't exactly want anyone setting up a nuclear reactor...If you were /naturally/ a unicorn, I'd suggest a magic-to-electricity converter like I got Twilight, but they're kind of expensive and you'd need unicorns to come 'round and charge it... or maybe your magic would work? Hmm. We'd have to test that..." he mutters to himself as he considers.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight also moves to catch Valka, but Yuna and Staren have it under control, so she just smiles. "It can take a while to get used to being a pony, but as you can see, there are many who enjoy it." she says, motioning to Staren as he changes back to a pony. "Staren and Yuna are from outside of Equestra, and now both practically live here." "Oh." Twilight says to Yuna, then smiles. "Well, I suppose that is an important resource for you. We don't power many things with electricity here, though, so any extra electricity will probably just go into your storage device." As the subject of magic generators comes up, Twilight nods. "A solar collector will not be as able to provide electricity, but as long as there is sunlight it will provide energy without having to hire a unicorn to power it."
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna peers at Staren. "There is no way I would even suggest building a nuclear reactor on Equestria," she says sternly - a tone which almost doesn't seem to fit her usual demeanor. She's almost defensive about something ... and Twilight and Staren can probably pin down what that 'something' is better than Valka; they've known her long enough. She relaxes again, though, nodding to Twilight. "Yeah - I'm mostly thinking that solar panels can collect power when the sun is shining, and I'll have it in the battery for rainy days or night time. Which is really when I'd be most likely to want to have the lights on, for example."
Valka	Suddenly, Valka is falling, and then, almost as suddenly, she's caught by a a pony-formed Staren that's not pony-formed, but cat eared. The simplicity of that shift gives her the impression that he's practiced this quite a bit and, from the concentration she seems to be putting on changing, it's not working as well as she would hope. Still, with a smile she straightens as much as she can and nods. "I see. Perhaps with practice I can shift as easily as Staren can, but for now, I think it might be best to stay in the form that I'm in. After all, it all goes back to normal when I go through the gate, right?" The discussion about lights at night and electricity gives Valka a bit of a pause. "Um...Couldn't you use candles? Or...without thumbs, I guess it would be hard to light them. And what's a nuclear reactor? IT sounds rather...not nice."
Staren	"I don't have a house here," Staren clarifies, then sidles up to Twilight and puts a forehoof around her, "But I do love to spend time with my marefriend! She's the best." he smiles. Staren blinks at Yuna. There's a beat. He states, flatly: "Sorry, I was doing that thing again where I say ideas out loud as I enumerate them, even if I then reject them, rather than only saying workable ideas. But I believe I can help with a workable solution." He looks back to Valka. "You can't. I'm a natural shapeshifter -- you'll have to leave Equestria and come back again to switch forms. It /is/ pretty easy, though, to resist turning into a pony, if you wish." He looks between Valka and Yuna. "We're used to electric lights. Also, candles aren't as bright. A nuclear reactor... suffice to say, there are two kinds. One... is unpopular with some people because if it breaks, it can poison the surrounding land and make people very sick. The other is harder to make, but doesn't create poisonous byproducts, and works by harnessing the same process that powers the stars." He looks up to the sky as he says that last bit, then back at Valka. Then he looks at the others. "How'd I do? Was that a good explanation?"
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight's ears splay as Yuna goes a bit serious on them. "Well...nuclear power is alright if you use fusion rather than fission." she says gently, then smiles to Staren as he works on explaining the various aspects of what he said. "Well, only assuming that someone knows what powers a star." she says to Staren, then noses him affectionately. "And that someone is familiar with atomic science." She then looks to Valka and smiles. "Try not to worry. There are many things in the Multiverse that are beyond the scientific or magical capabilities of one world or another. We are only moderately ahead of your world, from what I have heard of it."
Valka	"I don't even know where the line is, for advancement levels." Valka exclaims after a moment or two. "I mean, here....this does look relatively similar to Berk - minus the dragons everywhere, of course, but last night I went to a place full of shining lights and flying things and smells and...." She trails off. "Magic and metal, all mashed together with my little island. It's a lot for a pony to take in." See? She's getting the lingo, even unintentionally. "It's nice here." She finally says, looking to the gathered ponies. "It's quiet, like home."
Staren	Staren attempts to approximate a shrug by bowing his head slightly while rocking forward on his forehooves. "I suppose I am fortunate to come from a world where magic and technology are both advanced, populated by a wide variety of creatures. The Multiverse, for the most part, felt larger, rather than stranger."
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Candles burn down over time, and even clean candles give off a bit of smoke," Yuna explains. "And yes, electric lights can be brighter and more stable than a candle's flame." She lets out a breath. "And the fact is, even a 'small' reactor would still be a huge construction project - and frankly, I don't want Equestria to get developed like that. Technically, I probably shouldn't go to the trouble of setting electricity up for my own home, but ..." She shrugs, "I'm a child of 23rd century Earth, I'm used to being able to plug my phone in to charge it, stuff like that. I guess it's one thing I'm still weak about - but I'm not going to try and change Equestria, I don't WANT to change Equestria, or to let anyone else change it over the will of the ponies and other beings who live here." She looks at Twilight and Staren, grinning. "Besides, if we were going to set up a fusion reactor ... why not use the one that Celestia's already in charge of?" She tosses her head a bit, indicating where the sun currently is in the sky.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight smiles happily as Valka says she likes their home, then blinks as Valka uses pony lingo so quickly. "Oh! You are getting used to being a pony already!" she says, then looks to Yuna. "We will be, thanks to your solar panels." Twilight says with a smile. Spike hops up on Twilight's back at this point, tired of being overlooked. "So, what's your dragon like, Valka? I haven't met more than a couple of Equestria's dragons, and they were not exactly friendly, even to another dragon." He snorts softly. "The nerve..."
Valka	The talk of reactors, electricity, the twenty third century, and solar panels actually cause Valka's head to hurt a little. Specifically the time. She knows the number twenty three, but without context, it's just...a number. Perhaps it's best to not worry about such things. Still. The compliment causes Valka to smile. "Just slipped out. I guess it's part of the magic that turned me into a pony." At Spike's question, Valka looks over. "Well, Cloudjumper's not really my dragon...we're friends, more than anything, really. Partners." she explains, shifting from one hoof to the other. "Explaining all the dragons of my world? Well....it honestly would be easier to show you because we have them anywhere from your size to as large as....oh....a decent-sized mountain or building. They do not talk, however....it's mostly non-verbal communication. Still."" Valka giggles. "I'm sure that, from time to time, you like someone to sit and just listen."
Staren	Staren thinks he explained it simply enough. It's not like he tried explaining atoms! A reactor makes power. Simple! He listens curiously to Valka's explanation. "Dragons the size of /mountains/?" his eyes widen a bit. "My, that /is/ big."
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight is about to say something as well when the sun quite suddenly dips below the horizon, and the moon swiftly rises before coming to a stop in the center of the sky. Twilight blinks, then giggles. "I guess it is getting late." she says, then looks to Valka. "Would you like to stay the night? Or will...Cloudjumper?..be waiting to pick you up?" she asks. Spike's eyes widen at the idea of a dragon as big as a mountain. "Woooaaah...do you think I will get that big, Twilight?" Twilight smiles. "It is possible, I suppose, but most dragons in Equestria only reach a small fraction of the size of a mountain." She then ruffles Spike's spines affectionately. "But, who knows? You are a very special dragon, after all."
Valka	"IF you don't mind a large dragon curled up outside the door, he can stay the night as well. He's waiting for me on the other side of the gate. And besides, it gives me time to talk to this little dragon about the dragons here, and to share information about my world with you as well." Valka seems a bit more comfortable now as the group heads off to wherever ponies stay for the night.
Twilight Sparkle	Twilight guides Valka back to the library that she calls home. "Oh...hmm. Spike is well accepted by the ponies here, but a large dragon might be a bit more than they are used to. I do not mind if Cloudjumper comes to rest here, but we must be sure he remains calm." Twilight opens the door to the library, then motions inside. "The guest room is through there, and the kitchen is well stocked if you get hungry." she says, then yawns softly. "Oh dear...I guess I have been staying up too late studying."