The sun was shining above as I exited the tower. It was morning, but the sun was already high and burning bright.
I adjusted my satchel and then headed towards the prison. I moved past groups of still chained up Storm King troops as I moved into the castle courtyard. They would be packed onto trains and taken to the border. Until they arrived there, they wouldn’t be released and would be under heavy guard.
Giving the guards by the door a nod, I moved past them as they unlocked it. One of them joined next to me as I moved along the corridor and down through the prison to a familiar destination.
The guard unlocked the door and then closed it behind me, leaving me outside Commander Tempest's cell.
She looked up from her cot, eyes blinking at me, “...Oh, it’s you again.”
“Indeed,” I said as I sat down on the stone floor, “How are you doing?”
“Stuck in here,” she answered coldly.
“Yeah, that would suck,” I admitted, “I think I’m going to look into the entire prison thing. Could really need less stone walls and a bit more rehabilitation.”
It did seem like one part where Equestria was rather backwards. Rehabilitation really was where it was at.
“...So, here to torment me again?”
I shrugged my wings and lifted a bottle of ice cold cider from my satchel, opening it with my magic before taking a sip.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, “That was impolite of me. Do you want one?”
Fizzlepop blinked at me, “I… uhm… yes please.”
Nodding, I pulled a key from my satchel and unlocked her cell door, trotting inside and taking out another bottle, opening it for her, “Here you go.”
She slowly took it with her hoof, looking between me and the door before she sighed and took a sip.
I sipped at my own cider before I sighed, “Come on, it’s way too nice of a weather to be stuck in here. Besides, I’m hungry,” I told her as I started towards the open door, “I know this great taco stand. Now, I don’t know how you are with spicy food, but they’re pretty great.”
Fizzlepop Berrytwist stared at me like I had grown a second head, “...What?”
I frowned, “...Unless you don’t want to?”
She scooted off her cot and kept her eyes on me, “Why?”
“I’m hungry. I had to skip lunch.”
She still seemed hesitant, but she followed along, carrying her bottle along as I lead her out of the prison through one of the side entrances, avoiding the courtyard and the other prisoners.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll escape?” Fizzlepop finally asked quietly.
I frowned at her, “Are you planning to?”
Fizzlepop looked away and sipped her cider again before blinking and shielding her eyes with her hoof as we exited into the bright sunlight. It had been planned to rain today too, but I had ordered the weather ponies to make it extra sunny instead.
Sunny it was, birds chirping, bees buzzing in the flowers. A perfect summer day.
I sipped my cider, “Come on. Oh, and I really recommend extra cheese, it makes them stick together a lot easier.
Fizzlepop looked around but followed along slowly, “...There’s no guards…”
“Well, if you’re not going to escape, why would we need guards?” I asked before I looked at her, “...Are you planning on attacking me?”
“...No…” she answered softly.
I nodded and pulled the magic inhibitor from around her broken horn, dropping the ring into my satchel.
She gaped at me and then reached up to touch her broken horn, “But…”
“I hardly think that was needed in the first place,” I told her, “You’re dangerous enough with your hooves that you having magic or not didn’t really matter anyway.”
Fizzlepop stared at me as she felt her broken horn, small sparks playing around it before dying down again as she picked her bottle back up, “...I could escape like this.”
“You could escape with the ring on as well,” I said with a shrug, “If you want, you still can. Leave Equestria, go back to the Storm King. Or somewhere else I suppose. To be completely frank, I wouldn’t stop you.”
She blinked slowly, taking half a step back, “I’m free to go?”
“Well, technically not,” I said and shrugged my wings, “Not until you leave Equestria's borders anyway according to the still forming peace treaty with the Storm King. You can go back to him if you like.”
Fizzlepop looked down at the bottle in her hoof for a long moment so I continued, quieter this time.
“...He could never fix your horn, Miss Berrytwist,” I told her, “I don’t know if anypony can. But I can promise that I will do what I can to find out, if you like me to.”
She didn’t answer, so I continued instead,
“The train leaves for the border in two hours,” I said, “How about we go have those tacos and you can think it over?”
Fizzlepop Berrytwist didn’t answer for a long moment before she nodded and looked to meet my eyes, “Okay.”
“Okay tacos?”
She sighed, “Okay, I’ll stay. Not a fan of tacos.”
I stared at her and then pointed towards the city with my hoof, “Not a fan of tacos!? T-to the train with you! Banishment!”
That actually got a smile from her and she snorted, quickly hiding it with a hoof and looking away.
I grinned, “How’s curry then? I know this great little curry place!”
“...Never had it…”
“Then I insist!”
“...You’re a very strange pony, Lord Page.”
I shifted my wings and rolled my eyes as I started towards the city proper, leaving Fizzlepop to hurry to catch up, “Ponies keep saying that. I can’t figure out why.”
The shippening...
Neither can I
9958158
It's one of the greatest mysteries of Equestria without Girls.
We must kill the storm king. Kill them all
Of course, Tempest will chose to stay in Equestria, giving Storm King the excuse to declare the ponies are not holding up their end of the bargain for not sending her back to him and the war will be back on....
Yeah, it's not like they know that you technically aren't a pony or anything. (The ponies who know that are used to you by now)
How to win friends and influence ponies.
i.imgflip.com/jfnha.jpg
9958200
And now imagine, that Page may do it on purpose, forcing Storm King into war, so he could destroy him, as it should be. Also competent guard captains don't grow on trees, so double profit.
I know, that this would be very OOC for him and Celestia and Luna would be critically angry about this, but we can have theories and I believe that Chrysalis would hold Page in even higher respect after such master ploy.
9958303
And then she would facehoof so hard when finding out it was by accident.
Huh... Playing nice and giving her all reason to stick with Equestria instead of the Storm Moron... Chrysalis would be proud of him. Maybe make him a Honory Changeling for his twisting of mind without force?
9958232
9958156
Cant say i like it but since i call him Waifu horder i give it a like anyway
9958184
But think of the children... The would make excellent Soldiers
9958202
Pretty sure is sarcasm masked...
9958200
To be fair hes going for any reason even if he has to make em up... The joker seem to have more commen sence than the Storm wanne be King since the jokers at least knows death is out of the question from his nemesis...
9958303
I could see Page doing that on purpose if it was just Celestia at risk during the negotiations, but with Luna there, no--Page wouldn't be that heartless and duplicitous to put Luna at risk.
End results would be the same, of course, since Page is expecting the negotiations to simply be a trap set by SK, regardless.
...heretic
...Page, are you seducing the, now former, enemy commander ?
9958344
Waifu horder for the most benefishal mare for Equestra I really would prefer have her ass bucked for all she caused but i see her usefull side as ally... Maybe later as low ranking guard to allow her to prove her worth?
9958306
Even if, Chrysalis would pretend, that she don't know this, because it would allow her to push a lot of her agendas...
- I always knew, my daugher, that Page's image of being generally plain, good person was only a pose, mask. Look, how with one genially simple move, he both thwarted his "co-rulers" and his enemy plans and wrested, then secured for himself powerful enemy lieutenant. And this all without breaking of any pact nor oath! You should learn from him, Skitter, my dearest heir.
- Mother, I know, that you perfectly know, that he didn't do this on purpose. He simply wanted to help this poor mare.
- Oh, my daugther, you must learn, that all great schemer's always say, that their plots are just "accidents" or "simple good deeds". Shame he is pony, not changeling, as he would be so great mate for you. Imagine changelings, that would come from this. How strong and devious they would be.
- Mother, seriously...
9958316
Slaughter them all.
Can we call him the Alicorn of Subversion?
9958200
Alternately, this gives the Canterhorn Hive a high level opening in which to send another changeling agent in the place of Tempest Shadow, while keeping Fizzepop Berrytwist relatively close at hoof where she can be asked questions from time to time to help improve the spy's performance...
9958311
I could actually see Queen Chrysalis doing this. She'd be so proud of Her Little Predictor proving his worth as an ally once again.
hum Page is up to something.
Looks like Page got...
i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/019/580/anotheronelol.jpg
9958400
Who says she cant have him as mate? She is on my Top 5 Waifu list for Page.
Luna
Sunset Shimmer
Soon to be Changling Queen
Twilight or Twilights
Celestia
I can totally see these two being pals and or bar buddies.
Maybe more?
Hmmmmss
Aaand you just made me want Curry..... thanks :P
9958529
I think the problem is... ahem... biological incompatibility. Crossbreeds in general tend to be sterile, and that's in the comparatively rare cases where they're possible to begin with.
9958412
He's the Alicorn of Stories. Being genre-savvy is part of that.
“I need a sergeant who can toughen up my Legion. Somepony who has been outside Equestria, knows worldly tactics and defense.”
“I could just kill you in your sleep.”
“I could have done the same to you.”
“Touché. And my horn?”
“I am rich and connected. Not saying I can, but you have a better chance with me.”
“...ok.”
“Okay.”
“Kiss on it?”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Reiterating that he needs to make nice with Cadance pronto, so that Cadance can give Luna a...very bountiful blessing.
The best wedding gifts cry 9 to 11 months later, right?
Is It wrong I ship this? It's ok for a royal (Prince blank page) to have a harem surely. He's married to Luna but in a relationship with Sunset soooo
Sunny better watch out. And Sunshine. And Skitter. And Twilights. And kitchen sink. And...
9958861
They are ponies. Equestria would think him strange if he didn't hava a herd.
9958968
That makes to mutch sence to ignore... OK EVERYONE lets vote top 6 Candidates for it... I think mine looks most realistic atm. Unless we lose Midnight than i guess Cadance get it
Its morning. Why is the sun so high?
Something screwy here
Tempest is definitely one of the hotter mares in Equestria... and would totally work in the Harem. Though I still think Celestia is going to join in sooner rather then later... the whole 'male alicorn' thing and the possibility of finally having foals of her own... yesssss.
This is one of a bare tiny few stories I have been willing to read as it comes out. Normally I only read completed stories due to impatience, but I am intrigued enough to bite down and enjoy in small doses.
*MEANWHILE*
*A Tempest figurine is pushed forward to a Chrysalis figurine*
Princess Cadance: If I "help" and play this correctly, I will finally get the tsundere vs tsundere battle I always wanted! BWHAHAHAHAHA!
*Flurry Heart takes the Chrysalis figurine and flys away*
Princess Cadance: FLURRY! Mommy was doing important stuff with that! She needs it for...work!
*Flurry Heart giggling as she is being chased*
So THIS is what Celestia meant about the value of Page as the only male alicorn...
9959167
9959556
i suppose but i think in Equestria Physics are more a suggestion than a rule.
9959557
Oh, physics definitely exists, alright.
I like to think that everything in the universe follows some kind of fundamental rules. Rules can be bent, but they can't be broken, so finding out how magic operates within those boundaries is always good speculation
9959565
I will refrain from bringing up Pinkie Pie and Discord. As that is too easy.
9959639
Yeah, they don't count. And in any case, you just have to preface all the laws with "unless acted upon by one of these flankholes."
Seriously, most people give those two a blanket exemption from whatever system of physics they're making, and if 9959565 isn't one of them I'd like to know how.
"Page, what's this I'm reading about the former enemy's HIGHEST COMMANDER being appointed to your guard?"
"OH nothing dear, I just thought since she actually has killed things before and commanded an army, and invaded equestria no less, she's already more qualified than 99% of the guard."
Meanwhile in the Crystal (love) Dungeons of the Crystal Palace of the Crystal Empire
"HOW CAN YOU NO SHIP PAGE HOW CAN YOU NO SHIP!" Cadance shouts as the scene unfolds on her (also) crystal projector, her intricate plans of shipping falling apart behind her
Hmmmm. sarcastic thinking noises
As the song says, "people make bad choices when they're mad or scared or stressed." Fizz is just the latest in a string of ponies that have made their choices out of desperation, out of a feeling of being backed into a corner. All Page is really doing, is taking a step back, giving them room to breathe and think, and (metaphorically) asking, "All right, you now have choices, and the time to make them. Now what will you do?"
Hm... Making the enemy your friends eliminating them as a threat. Neat 👍
11644162
Friendship is a very underrated weapom of fear destruction.
9968760
They always had choices, they just choose the path of the weak.