You manage to rush out of the room, avoiding th...
"Excuse me."
"Pardon me"
"Coming through."
"Excuse me, but I need to squeeze through here, thanks.
" Whoops, sorry ma'am, didn't mean to grab you there., heh heh."

Getting out of here was going to be a lot harder than you initially thought. In fact, it might be the hardest thing you can imagine. Every step you took, every warm body that you pushed or gently elbowed out of the way, another two or even three, would from behind to replace them. It seems like no matter what progress you thought you made, no matter how far you traveled the mob would inexorably push you back, like trying to fight against the pull of the tides.


"Suddenly, Celestia held up a single hand with her palm outward, and softly commanded, Wait.

Right on cue, the crowd of glassy-eyed, smiling humans immediately ceased their advance, forcing you to stop as well to avoid sticking out.

Celestia's eyes roved over the faces and profiles of her "toys", seemingly searching for something in the cluster of tightly packed humans. Your breath was laborious and your eyes shrank to pinpricks as you waited in suspense, fearing for the worst.
Then she curled her other fingers and thumb inward save for her index and pointed right in your general direction.

Something... is not right here... Something... does not belong.

Celestia stood up from her throne and reared up to her full height, which somehow managed to be even more terrifying than when was seated.

Something is off here, and I intend to find out what it is.

Celestia scanned the crowd, carefully sweeping her eyes over the gathered masses, clearly looking for the flaw that dared tarnish her perfect dream.
Namely, you.

You tried not to wince at her loud, booming voice or to show any emotion at, really, keeping that glassy stare in your eyes and taking slow, measured breaths to offset the welling bubble of panic in your chest.

If she found you... Well, you didn't really want to think about what she'd do if she found you. Let's just say that it would bad news bears for everybody and leave it at that.

Celestia took slow, methodical steps forward, looking down with her keen sense of perception for anything wrong or out of place.

As she moved the crowd reverently kept in lockstep and moved backward, clearing a wide path for the princess and then converging around her heels.

You managed to keep up with the shuffling and reshuffling of feet through careful observation, matching the almost mechanical movement of head and hips turning the best you could, though you knew you weren't perfect and all it would take was one slip up to get you spotted.

Celestia walked out into the center of the red carpet, the very same that had almost swallowed you up and stopped.

Then...
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June 2, 2023