Heaven's BBS | Video

[letteropener]

[Celestia looks excited this morning -- but also unusually mussed, her magnificent flowing mane disheveled even as the color bands within it drift obstinately according to only their own whim.]

Hello, everypony! If I may, I wish to introduce you to a new arrival here in the Far Shore, who might otherwise be unusual enough that you might wonder about her otherwise. [She turns to address, to all appearances, her mane.] Do come out.

[After a moment, a purple-and-orange beak pokes out of the mess, followed by a flame-orange head with bright yellow eyes. This is as far as the bird can manage to get out of that immense mane.]

This is Philomena, and she is a phoenix. I think they are considered mythical to many of you, much as dragons are? I don't often have cause to keep her cooped up, so I hope that if you see her around the Far Shore, you will be courteous to her and as tolerant of her mischief as she deserves. That is, once we get her out of my mane...

Comments

[unlucky7]

[There's an easy answer. Ginia giggles at Celestia as a bear - so fuzzy! - and claps her hands together at the sight of Philomena. What a truly beautiful bird.]

You're welcome.

If Philomena makes it over to my temple someday, I'll make sure the dogs leave her alone.

[letteropener]

[Celestia lifts a foreleg, letting Philomena come to a perch on her knee. Though the phoenix's talons are neither subtle nor dull, she grips with a gentle pressure that Celestia has no problem with -- a testament to just how much smarter Philomena is than a hunting hawk or perhaps even a macaw.]

Oh, I hope so, for the poor dogs' sake!

[unlucky7]

Honestly, I'm inclined to degree.

[Pal would probably be bullied pretty easily, the poor friendly boy. Sleepy probably wouldn't care, but Regal... she's a very good dog and a very good guard dog. Best to keep her and Philomena separated.]

So you woke up and she was there? No message or warning or anything?

[letteropener]

That's exactly the case. It seems to happen fairly often around here, to judge from what I have seen on the BBS, and some other hints.

[unlucky7]

A good thing she's not a "literal always on fire" bird or that would have been a rude awakening.

[letteropener]

Oh yes, very much. But that would also present a host of other problems. Like right now, for example!

[unlucky7]

Don't tell me she's already causing mischief.

[Has it even been five minutes????]

[letteropener]

Aside from getting stuck in my mane, not yet. But I would probably be very uncomfortable with her perched on my leg if she were all fire.

[unlucky7]

Hopefully you have a day of peace before she begins causing mischief.

But if she does something amusing, let me know?

[letteropener]

I think we will be taking a bit of time to catch up, before everything falls into place as it once was. Oh, I do hope this doesn't change the whole mythology of Inti too much...

[Will it somewhere be written now that Inti has a great firebird messenger or something?]

[unlucky7]

I imagine that'll take a few hundred years at the minimum.

[letteropener]

I'm not so sure, since nothing like this has apparently ever happened before, with so many gods being taken over by those of us from other worlds. But I suppose if they don't realize Inti is now a pony, it can't be that fast.

[unlucky7]

If anything, it's pretty easy to play Philomena off as an icon of the sun. Might be harder if she was an ice bird.

[letteropener]

An ice bird? Oh, that certainly would be different!

[Philomena fluffs herself up a bit, as if the very thought makes her cold.]