Nar Yakushi

The stone walkway ahead of Amy closes just after having opened up to swallow her boyfriend. Before the stone walkway has even fully closed back up, she steps around it, and begins a quick jog into the plaza ahead. She takes note of how brightly lit the plaza is, despite the lack of any lit light fixtures within. A glace upwards shows that a moon hangs directly above the city. Not only is it a bright, full moon, but it's much larger than it should be. Almost twice the size of what she remembers the moon back in Equestria to look like. The light it gives off lights the plaza in a brilliant, but soft white light, giving her full visibility, despite it being the dead of night. When she looks even further beyond the plaza, down the road ahead, she notices that Canterlot Castle in particular appears to practically radiate moonlight. Not as though it's reflecting the moon's light, but rather, is another source of it. As she jogs into the plaza proper, Amy takes note of her surroundings. In the middle of the plaza is a great fountain, which depicts two, mythical looking figures standing back to back. Both appear to be male alicorns. Each sports an ornate crown atop their head, but each figure is distinct from the other. One figure's hair appears as though it were made to resemble a flame that takes the shape of medium length hair. The crown atop it's head features a brilliant, orange opal in the middle, which causes the moonlight that hits it to turn a soft orange. He wears a long, flowing cape, and has his arms outstretched, as if offering a hug. His build is well muscled, but lean. The other figure sports long, flowing hair that appears to trail upwards near the bottom. His crown sports a dark purple amethyst, which causes the light that hits it to reflect a deep, lavender. He stands tall, with a regal air about him, but a warm smile upon his lips. His build is lean, and thin. Despite their difference in build, the two appear to be of the same height.  As Amy approaches the fountain, it appears to sputter to life. Water spurts from each of the Alicorns' horns, quickly growing into two steady streams. The streams of water arc through the light reflected from the gems, giving each a unique color as they arc through the air, and into the basin below. Closer inspection reveals ornate carvings on the outside of the basin. Depictions of the sun, and moon, stars, and the various different races that inhabit Equestria all around them. As the basin begins to fill with water, Amy notes just how clear the water is. If it weren't for the moonlight shimmering off of the top, she may have thought the water was being drained from the fountain. Her jog comes to a stop as she peers into the fountain. In all honesty, she was kind of hoping there might be some coins inside. Amy places a hand upon the rim of the fountain, and leans over to peer inside. (https://youtu.be/CM1D_tGGtbQ?si=GkDKlxQFecnRnDbB)

Nar's fast descent is slowed to a stop as the chute he fell down gradually curves from vertical, to horizontal. Darkness gives way to candlelight. As his eyes adjust to the change in lighting, his brain works to make sense of the scene before it. The sight it beholds when his eyes finally manage to adjust momentarily stuns it with confusion. Nar had expected the end of the chute to either be some sort of death trap, trash compartment, or just an empty, stone room. Instead, what greets Nar is what could only be described as a giant child's playroom. Stacks of massive, story tall wooden blocks make up the walls of the room. All around, giant versions of children's playthings sit, towering over Nar. There's a set of jacks, tinker toys, some sort of structure made of plastic blocks, a few large figures, and plush toys, and off in the distance, what looks to be some sort of jack-in-the-box. Once he's surveyed his surroundings properly, Nar lifts himself out of the chute he'd fallen into, and steps out into the playroom proper. The moment his foot touches the foam matting that makes up the floor of the room, a feeling washes over him. Someone is watching him. He can't tell who, or from where, but his mind is throwing up all sorts of alarms. Nar takes a step forward, only for a sudden bright light to blind him from above. A noise begins to float through the air. An ethereal song, with no apparent source. (https://youtu.be/ddMoMRUTAmY?si=CipHTJ1MAuqnZTDn) Nar's mind begins to race. It scrambles to think of a course of action. He continues his steps forward, while his head frantically shifts from place to place, looking for some unseen threat. As the music picks up in tempo, Nar's mind can come only to one conclusion. He bursts into a sprint, eyes darting in search of some sort of exit. For a moment, he thinks he hears a brief chuckle The tempo continues to increase, in turn, hastening Nar's steps. Try as he might, he is unable to control the rising panic in his thoughts. It's as if some unnatural force was these thoughts into his mind. Just as panic begins to set in, the music comes to a stop. Without realizing it, Nar begins to run past the jack in the box. A loud 'boing' sound emanates from the box as the lid flies open, and a spring shoots out. The spring appears to immediately curve downward, to deposit a figure directly in front of Nar. He falls back onto his rear, throwing his hands behind him to catch himself. Then, his vision focuses. (https://youtu.be/cyi67Aoul2Y?si=bCSjdOX6NRlmTSZ_&t=165) The right half of a comedy mask stares down at Nar. The mask appears to be situated on the right side of the face of a figure, dressed in the blue, and purple garb of a jester. The left side of the figures face is obscured by a swath of shadows, that stop directly where the mask begins. A strange, purple orb glows behind the mask's eye hole. It seems to gaze into Nar's very being. Then, with a sudden jolt, the figure clasps it's hands together, and let's out an excited "Oooooh!" The spring appears to disconnect from the figure of it's own accord, then quickly retreats back into the box, where the lid then closes. "A visitor!" The jester exclaims in a somewhat nasally, high pitched voice. "It's been so long since I have had company!" The jester then steps back, and offers a hand to Nar to assist him up. Still in shock,  and thoroughly confused, Nar reaches up for the hand by instinct. He's quickly pulled to his feet, wherein the jester begins a bow. "Court Jester, Pulsar, assistant to the King! At your service!" The jester then stands from his bow, and awaits a response from his guest. When his guest fails to respond, the jester clasps his hands once more. "Now, my friend, this is where you introduce yourself to Don't worry! I don't bite!" Nar finally manages to shake his shock, and confusion. His senses begin to return, but he does not give the jester the response he desires. "Where? What is this place? I thought I saw Canterlot Castle before I fell down here." The jester heaves a shrug. "I suppose introductions can wait. Yes, you did see Canterlot Castle above, because you ARE in Canterlot, my friend! Shocking! I know! Actually, I'm quite surprised you've found your way here myself! I haven't seen an outsider in nearly 2000 years! Not since the banishment anyway! In either case, you're in quite deep my friend! Quite deep indeed! You see, unlike me, The King does not like visitors! And he-." The jester stops himself, placing a hand over the mouth of the half-mask. "Well, I shouldn't gossip. After all, it's rude to talk about people. Especially when they're listening." Before Nar can ask about 'The King', the jester continues. "Anyways! Welcome to my prison! I know, quite a cheerful place to call 'prison', but, that is the case. Though I assume that since you're here that means this is your prison now too. But it won't be so bad anymore! Now that we have each other's company!" While the jester is busy being giddy about the prospect of having a captive 'friend', Nar takes the time to survey his surroundings closer. Along the walls, it looks like there are doors to other rooms. At the back of the room is a much larger, stone door, which rests within the middlemost block at the bottom of the wall. He begins to come to terms with the fact that he's probably going to have to play along with this 'Pulsar' guy, if he wants to have any chance of getting out of here. He lifts his arm, and points to the large, stone door. "I assume that means there's a reason you can't open that big door over there?" The jester nods. "Indeed! The King has placed a curse upon this prison, so that I will forever be unable to free myself! He even filled the other rooms with trials that, even if I complete, will not grant me freedom! Just to mock me! The King has a very cruel sense of humor." At this, Nar lifts a finger. "Wait. You can't free yourself? Or just 'nobody can escape in general'?" The jester begins to nod. "The exact bounds of the curse are that I may not free myself from-." The jester pauses, mid sentence. The shadows on the left side of his face suddenly shift to cover the right side, covering the mask. As the shadows move, they reveal a face underneath. That of a unicorn with light blue fur, and a short, lavender mane. His eye is wide, as if he's just come to a revelation. His voice appears to shift from high-pitched, and nasally, to low, and soft. "I cannot free myself, but the curse does not specify I cannot be freed by another!" Nar locks eyes with Pulsar's eye. A wide smile forms on the half of his now revealed face. "This means this may not be a prison for either of us for much longer." The smile softens. "Tell me friend. What is your name? I must know." At this, Nar finally answers. "It's uh. Nar." Pulsar reaches out, and clasps Nar's right hand with both of his own. "Then allow me to apologize for my initial reaction, Nar. I'm not quite myself when I must use the mask."