I jumped up and turned around, laying down on my throne, “And this is the throneroom,” I said as I smiled at the group.
“Is that a Rexosaurus skull?” Celestia asked with a curious frown.
I glanced down at it. The upper part of the skull had been removed to make room for the seat, making the applicant face the teeth of the large creature.
“Part of one.”
She shook her head slightly and looked out towards the greenery outside, but didn’t say anything more about it.
Cadence seemed to have something to say though, “I don’t know,” she said with a small frown, “Seems more like something Sombra would have done. A skull throne?”
“Nah,” Sunset said and shook her head with a grin as she moved to sit down next to the throne, “Then it would have been made up of dark crystaaaaalsssss.”
“My throne, I can have it look anyway I like,” I said firmly, stretching my wings as I sat up, “This particular specimen attacked the group before we could really start to construct the village in the first couple of days, while we were still searching for a good site. Twilight and Midnight were away from the camp at the moment and it was only through the heroic efforts of the guards that not a lot more ponies were killed. It was finally killed by a pair of ballistae, but not before we lost four guardsmares to it. Their names are engraved in its lower jaw, they gave their lives protecting everypony else. I thought the creature had been fully disposed off after the battle, but this throne was presented to me by the Nocturnis Guard upon the completion of the throne room.”
Cadence took half a step back, glancing down towards the lower end of the throne before she shook her head, “...I’m sorry.”
Sunset turned a bit to look at me with a small frown, “Page, that’s not the entire story.”
“No, but it’s what of it that matters,” I told her seriously before I looked at them again, “The second skull can be seen crowning the top of the tallest tower in the village. One to face the threats of the village, one to overlook it.”
“A lot of things about Nocturnis aren't really… Pony,” Sparks explained as she moved to sit down across from Sunset, looking at them, “Not the way things are back home at least.”
“Yes they are,” Luna said and moved over to look into my eyes, “They are very pony, just not… the way most modern ponies are,” she said.
I nodded, “This is the first time since the curse that this many thestrals has been gathered in one place,” I said and folded my wings a bit as I smiled sadly up at her, “Everypony has been pooling their knowledge. Scraps of family myths, legends and tales. Trying to scrape together a joined past, a… history. Unicorns have their history, Pegasi have their martial past and Earth Ponies have their traditions. Thestrals are struggling to get the same, some sort of… common thread.”
Luna frowned softly, “That can’t be much.”
“It’s not,” Sparks confirmed with a small sigh, “What there is isn’t enough to fill a small pamphlet and much is twisted by history and even pop culture. But everypony is scrambling, trying to forge their own culture. But we’re almost starting from scratch.”
I looked over, “Flower Rain.”
“Your Highness,” Flower Rain answered as she stepped forward from where she had been waiting by the entrance.
“It’s been a long journey, could you please show our guests their quarters?” I asked her, “I’m sure their guards will have opinions, entertain them within reason.”
Flower Rain spread her wings and bowed elegantly, “Of course, Your Majesty,” she said before she stood up again, folding her wings, “Please, if you’d all follow me?”
It didn’t take long before Luna, Sunset, Twilight and myself were the only ones visible in the room still. I’m sure there were a changeling or two, but when weren’t there?
“Sorry,” I said and sighed, giving Luna a small smile, “I might have been a bit snippy there. We’re all at about two hours of sleep.”
Luna didn’t answer, she just gave me a small kiss before she looked at Sunset, “What was it that he didn’t tell in that story?”
Sunset sighed softly and ignored my warning look to answer her, “That when it became clear that the ballista needed at least one more shot to bring the beast down, he distracted it for almost a minute alone to allow the guard to reload them and to keep it away from the rest of the camp. I was already down, it knocked me out with a swipe of its tail. Page distracted it away from the rest of the guard, buying them time. That’s why only four ponies died that day, we had a dozen injuries and my entire side was bruised for weeks.”
“It never touched me,” I said and shook my head, “And it sounds better than it was, I simply flew around it and cast illusions everywhere.”
“Thought so,” Luna said softly and looked at me, “You didn’t tell me.”
Sighing softly, I nodded and shot Sunset a small glare, “Because I didn’t want to worry you about something you couldn’t change even if it had not been over already.”
Sunset met my gaze calmly but firmly.
“You should still have told me,” Luna said with a frown.
“...Yes… yes I should have...,” I admitted and sighed, “I’m sorry, you’re right,” I said after a moment, “It was just a very busy time.”
“Is there another kind?” Luna asked with a small smile, putting a hoof on the throne and moved in to give me a small kiss.
“I suppose not,” I admitted.
“Speaking of which,” Sparks said and looked at all of us, “We really should go and try to get some more sleep before tonight.”
Sunset nodded, “She’s right,” she said and got up, “Going to be a full schedule tomorrow, especially with our guests” and shot Luna a smile.
Luna smiled back before winking at the unicorn, “Room for me too?”
“Of course,” Sunset said and stretched, blinking a bit sleepily, “If you excuse me, I’m going to go and pass out now.”
Now that sounded like a really nice idea.
I swear every time I get a notification of a new chapter i see the title of the story and I go :" WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE!!!!!!!" THAT song is addictive 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nice
Great chapter hiver! Love it and page did a fine job if I do say so myself
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Same here
yes luna.... join the cuddle pile....
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I think we all do, I even own Appatite for Destruction in LP form. First song that plays and I love it!
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Yes they do you clearly never saw them do it before this is apparent in those who are in the fronts when they get recruits and get the shock of there life when they get there
More interesting information about the taming of fantasy Australia and Page being Page. One thing I'm wondering about is how tall he is now, since it was mentioned at a few points in previous stories that he was growing. With a two year time skip at the rate he was going over the past five instalments, he must be getting close to Luna's height now, assuming nothing has changed in the meantime.
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Lets use his wingspan as measure, last story he was 2 mare snuggles wide, this story he's 4.
The fact that you waited. I know you did. You waited for me to get off work and go to sleep to upload this. You're a monster.
Nice
Hmmm, really wondering what's up with Cadance, from the looks of it, she and Page needs to have a conversation about something
Well, at least the throne is made from a single skull, so it's not Khornate.
Otherwise, well... Remember the blood curse ? Yeah...
I share a bed with my wife (singular) and a cat, and barely have enough room in a Queen size bed.
Page must have a Page sized bed.
Twilight: True. Page's throne is...unique but we should consider ourselves lucky. If it were not for Sunset and I, Page would have gotten his way and incorporated EVERY part of the Rexasaurus into the city.
Luna: ...should I ask what THAT would have looked like?
Page: HEY! A gazebo made out of Rexasaurus rib-cage would have been a prime location for future thestral weddings! And what little foal wouldn't have been happy yelling "YABBA DABBA DOO!" down a tail bone slide?!
Luna: Yabba da-what now??
Sunset: Don't ask. Human pop culture is weird.
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She clearly knows that the next logical part is blood for the blood god)
Sleepy cuddle time now, Cause Page will have to satisfy 3 mares TONIGHT!!!
Thestrals are more or less the unwanted of Equestria
got on an (air)boat and shipped off to lands that are considered perilous to live in
Giant. EVERYTHING. that's trying to kill you
they're all pretty K with it though
it's official we have Pone-stralia
Pony Australia? I mean, they are upsidedown. When they sleep. Sometimes.
Full Disclosure... I expected Luna to ride Page till the next night, especially after that story...
Guess she wants him fully recovered before she snu-snu him into oblivion
A Sleepy Page is a Snippy Page!
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Blood for the Blood God?
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no, the reptiles don't seem dangerous enough for Australia.
though i have read a story that coined it as Thestralia before. can't remember which, unfortunatly.
Loved this extra detail because when ever you say entertain them. There's like no limits if you think you can get away with it
Hot damn, let's hope it wasn't Thestral guards...
Unicorn, Pegasus and Earthponys are not endangered after all. Living citizens over dead heros any day.
Wonder how Blank Page heroics look like:
camo.fimfiction.net/m9VQFXQq7uAH-Jq-Ub7vuZDlTlDBzwtdxPmQ6pLdVLw?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.manebooru.art%2Fimg%2F2020%2F9%2F21%2F286828%2Flarge.gif