When I finally got to the tower, I was exhausted. Not only form the hours of flight practice, or the hours traveling(I wish so hard I would someday become as good at teleporting as Sparky), or the trek up from the Hive. Or even the implications of hive politics. More like it was a combination of all above that just made me want nothing more than to crawl into bed and tell Celestia where she could shove that ball of light she liked to show off.
Thunder Cloud came in to land next to me a second before my hoof hit the door to push the outer door open, "Sir," he said with a smile, "Welcome back."
I shot him my best sourly alicorn' look, "...Thanks. Buzz off."
"Tired huh?" he asked, not changing his tone even a little. The bastard. "Sure thing. Just need to give you this first," he said and handed a scroll over."
I glared at the scroll like it would make it burst into flame before I sighed and took it, "Thanks."
He saluted quickly before lowering his hoof again, "Long day?"
I sighed again, "You could say that. You?"
"Just got on, actually. Night shift rotation this week. Woke up like two hours ago."
Dayguard night shift. Bloody hell.
"Welcome to the club," I said and looked at the scroll. If I didn't open it until tomorrow, I didn't need to act at it until tomorrow and I didn't know what it contained. But no... if it wasn't important from somepony important, then it would have arrived with the rest of the mail. Not be delivered by a guard pony, "Don't you have anything better to do than ambush poor ponies with mail? What happened to officer school?"
"Invasion and then Princesses going out of town for a bit," Cloud said and shrugged his wings, "Everything got pushed back for extra patrols."
"Oh."
He shrugged again, "Everything is going back to normal again in a few weeks. Besides, that's directly from Princess Celestia."
Ah.
Cloud had been a courier for the Day Guard most of his career as he was a natural long distance flier. He was cleared to carry above top secret messages. Even in Canterlot there wasn't that many ponies in the Guard with that kind of rating and most of them having much more important things to do.
"...Which mean that this is likely too important to put off until tomorrow," I sighed and looked down at the scroll.
Bollocks.
"Likely, sir," Cloud agreed, "Well, I'll leave you to it before I get in trouble for slacking off or something."
"Next time you get a message for me, tell them to buzz off."
He grinned, "Don't think that would look good on my next performance report," and then he dropped the smile to salute, somehow managing to make it just professional enough not to get in trouble while still making it look like he was taking the piss, "Sir," he said with a nod before taking to the skies.
Likely plenty of practice.
I sighed once more and looked down at the scroll again before unrolling it. Might as well get on with it.
It didn't contain any of the usual official language Celestia used in official communications. Instead it was a simple, 'Page, come see me as soon as you are free, there are some things we need to discuss. Celestia'.
I had gotten notes like that from her in the past.
This one annoyed me though, I wanted to sleep! I wanted to pull Luna into the bed with me for cuddles!
But she didn't send them for nothing. Damn it.
Flicking my ears in annoyance, I turned away and started towards her section of the castle before starting to slowly get an idea.
Well, if she were going to summon me like this today, she deserved to be messed with... and she didn't know of my change. I hesitated... it would delay going home to Luna, but really, how often would I get this kind of opportunity?
At this time she would be in her quarters, having some tea while going over paperwork. Alone.
Spreading my wings, I shifted them before taking to the air. I went slow, focusing on flying steady rather than fast.
I knew that if I tried for fast, I still wobbled and I really didn't feel like meeting a sudden tower.
Circling up around the wall at what was hopefully a safe distance until I reached the right balcony before going in for landing as quietly as I could. I silently snuck up to peak in the window. Yep, right room, Sunshine was right at the desk I expected her to be at.
The door to the balcony was open, giving me an easy way inside. Come on, Sunshine...
Picking the cup up, she turned away from the window to look at a couple of documents floating in her magic. Perfect!
Dropping my illusion, I rounded the corner and screee'd with my wings spread wide. Celestias reaction was not quite what I expected and the next thing I saw was a sun-bright beam of energy flying straight at me.
I scrambled in panic, throwing up a shield as strong and fast as I could. It was the fastest I had ever been able to bring a shield up with that kind of strength.
It was perfect.
I’m pretty sure it being perfect was pretty much all that saved my life, but I might as well held up yesterday's newspaper against an oncoming train.
Everything went very bright, there was a crashing sound, everything hurt there was and a faint sense of movement.
Somepony touched me. I could hear something.
"No. No no! Page... Page, stay with me. don't try to move!"
She sounded worried. That wasn't good. Why couldn't I move? Everything was dark. Everything hurt.
"Guards! Get the-" the sound faded away for a second and everything went silent, dark and a bit colder.
"-age!"
I forced my eyes open just enough to catch a glimpse of flowing rainbow fields.
Celestia. Sunshine.
"No! No! Stay here. I’m so sorry! I-I can't... please!"
She sounded very far away.
"Plea- I can't los- not after thi- I lo-"
Silent darkness.
oh crap...
.....
Well fuck.
oof
well this would be one hell of a twist ending to this series...
See. I love page. But you should have seen this coming. There's no way in hell she wouldn't blast you in the face
And this is why you don't pull that kind of prank during a time of crisis or war, the target may well violently overreact.
OH YOU BETTER NOT BE KILLING PAGE OFF LIKE THAT!
Oh for frog snacks.
9991005
If that's how it ended I would go back and turn every like I've ever given to this series into a dislike. Fuck that noise.
Lol :v
9991005
9991012
Fortunately...
So we know he didn't die.
Oh........ass. Thats not good.
The princess took a SCREEEEEn Shot for the occasion.
could of been like a flashbang just he was channelling a shield at the same time that overloaded his magic.
...don't think I missed that last part
And after this I'm hoping that we find out what Celestia summoned Page for wasn't all that important...because I'm a fan of Irony.
Well shit...
Not going to point fingers but that could have gone better.
Damn
Silly comments. Of course Page isn't dead.
He's just been infused with even more alicorn magic on top of Discord's chaos magic. Now he's gonna be an ascended alicorn with flowy, fabio-esque magic mane effects.
9991084
A double alicorn! Two horns! Four wings! Eight hooves!
So it was a normal magic blast or Celestia has a secret magic spells for thestrals?
A special spell to specifically hunt bat ponies/thestrals?
If yes:
She is probably the reason why they are so rare and in hiding even more
I can see Celestia going for crusades but more like extermination and now keeping it a secret
9991005
Pity it wasn't April's Fools day, wasn't it?
9991060
Something like that? I still feel that there is an important missing piece
Please I can't lose him, not after this time, I love him
9991111
media1.tenor.com/images/3365524b62c1df08ead769b36b870d95/tenor.gif?itemid=15120710
9991116
Probably "yes"
BTW, this makes the perfect spot to mark this story "Complete"
Pfft.
I'm taking too much enjoyment in the suffering of characters, but it's just too damn good!
After the invasion she going to be on edge dumb move page
Almost die to scare the immortal Sun Alicorn? Worth it
I think jump scaring an immortal sun goddess bad enough to get super-saiyaned into Oblivion qualifies for a Darwin award, or at least an honorable mention.
And that's how Page added another Alicorn to his collection.
Clearly Page should have adapted Bram Stroker's Dracula before Star Wars. Celly might have bitch slapped him with a bundle of garlic before going with the stake to the heart. Nope, just Death Starred his ass.
Hmmmm....
Should we start placing bets on what happened to Page?
Missing wing(s), now?
Missing foreleg(s), now?
Missing rearleg(s), now?
Missing ear(s), now?
Missing eye(s), now?
Missing nostril(s), now?
Missing tooth(s), now? (hey, don't bitch...you can't use the plural spelling if it was just singular, after all)
Missing some other part of his face, now?
Missing a good chunk of his torso, now?
Missing horn(s), now? (hey, you know what I'm talking about--depending on which "horn", this could qualify Page for a Darwin Award)
Missing a bit(s) that is normally attached to one of the above "horns", now?(potential Darwin Award applies, here, too)
Missing a tail, now? (what? you expected potential plural here!?)
Missing some other part(s) of his anatomy, now?
Plea- I can't los- not after thi- I lo-
Hmm
“Pleabian I can’t loosen the knot after thirty I lose.”
Hiver, if I saw the complete label on this after this chapter, we would have a problem.
9991212
I'm guessing missing his wings and severe burns over the majority of his body. Possibly losing his eye(s) or vision. He did "open" them but kind of to the tune of "oh hay it's pony heaven."
9991221
Oh, thanks for reminding me
I knew I forgot something
9991174
Would a bat pony jump scare, really be that scary or just cute?
What we would see
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/5/7/2033479.gif
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/6/6/2059360.gif
!jumpscare warning!
What probably Celestia saw
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/11/1/755510.gif
orig14.deviantart.net/a741/f/2014/319/b/8/new_bonnie_by_crueldude100-d86gyj7.gif
9991147
I Will find you and kick you in the groin for that suggestion.
It may take me literal decades, but I will succeed eventually.
9991236
derpicdn.net/img/view/2019/10/13/2167044.gif
9991212
how about none? he is already suffering from Discord. maybe some burns
All things considered he was exhausted and annoyed. That combination usually leads to bad decisions.
9991147
Don't you fuckin dare give him the idea to end this here, if I find this story is complete and we gotta wait months for the next, im gonna kick you
9991111
2 "Richards"
9991221
I’m guessing Coma, and Time skip to the end of the series.
9991239
What is that from?
9991303
No, if hiver does what you just said, I'm going to cry in an corner until I pass out
You jump scared a pony who moves astral bodies with her mind before telling her you where a vampire?
... Page...
Ur a dumbass.
And everyone died, the end!
9991302
Now you're just being silly.
Aaa yesss... It like the 'fake murder/ lunatic'prank. Funny unless someone get hurt or killed. Fantastic masterpiece of epic failing...
9991355
of course... the minimum should be ser to 6