The Snowbelisk, Deconstructed

[Maxx]

[imgleft]https://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/imag ... uncert.png[/imgleft]Beauty Past Compare had been relieved to find the snow stopping after three baffling days of inclement weather, but had almost cursed the Motherfather out in an incredibly unladylike fashion given that it meant her travels could have been put off a mere few sunrises and sunsets. She had been to Honeyed Plum with a meek, heartfelt apology, briefly stopped by to check that Strange Creature was alive from a very far distance (her newfound civility was not quite so practiced as to handle her) and she had gotten back to the Royal Rainbow Troupe with the play percolating in her head as she walked. She was currently prancing up and down as she delivered her proposal.

"- a story so extreme it could scarcely be considered reality, but is. A timeless story of how us little Swamp creatures band together to defeat a faceless evil. We skip the tedium of travelling upwards after the first few groans," she had managed to avoid the wee animals, and thereby had summarily skipped them, "into the den of the creature. Ah, and so it is!"

She rears, her little front hooves cycling aggressively.

"To describe it would be fruitless. To mimic it would be futile. It is the shock that plays out upon my face," she paused and added, "and some others, that describe the sheer scale of the horror I - we - encountered.

"As I - we -" this was difficult for her but she was trying, "writhe and throw ourselves at the vast being, soon our own faces contort - first, soulful and determined, then as we arise from our attempts to conquer the creature, we then find...the true monster was within ourselves."

Her back was turned as she demonstrated the abstracted fight, and she slowly turned to convey all faces over her shoulder and her bobtail. Her eyes were surprisingly expressive for the eyepad in the way.

"How are we to fight another, when we have to fight ourselves? A strike, and another! They are thrown outwards, but inevitably fall upon each other, and back upon us."

She demonstrated with turning kicks, and started to gasp in wonder.

"We look towards the audience, crawling, pleading. Another strike - upon ourselves, only. Then we see them and entreat them to touch us, with love, with feeling. Like mewling little foals, begging.

"Upon the touch, our faces turn to wonder. It is the strength of our friends, our distant family, that entreat us: be strong! You are loved! You are powerful! With that, our bodies rise, and we turn back - we rush each other, with vigour, with hope, and with courage. There is an unmistakable expression of love as we fell each other, and a trust that leaves our collapsed bodies entwined.

"Then, the light rises, bright and encompassing. It glints gently and warmly off us all - the monster, us, and the audience. It is gracious, it is loving and it sets the fallen kin free."

"And then I sing the ending song of love, hope, and giant shard-infested bears. I'm thinking I'll be silhouetted with - fireflights? A big ol' bonfire? Whatever looks more dramatic is worth the effort."

Beauty had definitely deconstructed the obelisk expedition in a very particular way, but at least there was more than one actor in it.