I found Sunset laying on her side next to Tempest, both of them completely out of it. I quickly rushed up to her and checked her for injuries. Other than bruises and a split lip, I couldn’t see anything.
“Hey… Sunny… time to wake up…” I said and touched my horn gently to hers, channeling a bit of magic.
Her eyes fluttered open and she gasped before blinking, “W-wha… buck!” she cursed and rolled to surge onto her hooves, I just barely managing to pull back to avoid being head butted.
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” I quickly said, “It’s over.”
She looked around with wide eyes, “What… what happened.”
“Cast a sleeping spell with both Luna and me powering it, Well… I cast it, she poured an oiltanker worth of power into it,” I explained and moved close to her again, touching my horn to hers, “turns out, couldn’t really aim it. It hit everypony in town.”
Sunset sighed softly, leaning against me in turn, favoring her left rear leg a bit, “Twi? Luna?”
I forced a small smile and gave her a small kiss, “Both fine. Luna is waking Celestia, Sparky is still asleep.”
That got a nod from her, “Okay, what now?”
“Well, not sure how long it’ll last,” I admitted, “We better wake as many ponies as possible before they start to do so. Get as many enemies in shackles as possible.”
Sunset nodded and rubbed her eyes, “Yeah… normal wake up spell work?”
“Should,” I agreed and sighed, “Twilight and Midnight first? They might have an idea how to speed things up.”
Sunset quickly nodded and looked around, rushing over to wake Twi up as soon as she located her marefriend.
I looked out across the square turned into a battlefield.
Well, on a scale of one to ten, I’d rate the wedding a solid two out of ten, narrowly beating out Cadence and Shining Armor.
Cadence!
Jumping over the still sleeping Tempest, ignoring her for now other than renewing the sleep spell with a more focused one, I put out the ring of fire on the way to check on Cadence. She had not moved from where the spell had hit her, the obsidian statue unhurt by the damage.
“Cadence?” I asked as I got closer, “You in there, Pinky?”
Putting my hoof against her chest, I listened by her muzzle. No breathing.
I took a quick step back as I looked at her before I swallowed and moved up, touching her with my horn as I focused my magic.
...There. I could feel her in there. She wasn’t actually dead. Just turned to stone and held in some sort of… suspended animation.
Alive, but silent. Her minds and dreams stopped where they were when she was hit. Frozen like the rest of her.
Looking to Shining Armor, I debated letting him sleep for a second because if he saw her like this, he might panic. But we needed the shield back up.
So I stepped over and hit him with the wake up spell.
He blinked awake and then quickly rolled onto his hooves, “Page.”
“Your wife is fine,” I said before he could spot her, “She is just trapped, we’ll find a way to release her,” I explained before he could spot her.
He blinked at me before finding her, “Cadence!”
I forcefully pulled his attention back to me by grabbing his horn with my magic and wrenching him back to look at me, “She’s fine. We need the shield back up now if she is to remain like that! Get to it, soldier!”
Shining Armor shook his head free from my magic before he nodded, “...Yes. Yes, of course,” he said and closed his eyes, magic rippling across his horn before he shot a beam up into the air, the shield starting to reform over Canterlot.
As it formed, I left them there, starting towards Skitter, hitting any guard unicorn I could see on my way to her, giving them the briefest explanation I could about what had happened.
As I approached the sleeping Changeling Princess, I glanced over towards her mother trapped in the black stone.
That should have been me. She tackled me out of the way, taking the spell for me. Why would she do that? A Changeling I could buy doing that, trying their best to keep me safe on Skitter's orders, but what could possibly have compelled Chrysalis to do that?
It didn’t make sense.
Really page??? XD
Damn crissy is gonna have to get a metal for that.
It makes perfect sense, not only are you a very strong voice for coexistence between changelings and ponies but you are also a very powerful emotional support for Skitter, the next Queen.
You, Page, have become a very necessary existence for the Hive to flourish, therefore protecting you protects the Hive
If Chrissy needs a selfish excuse after the fact, she could argue that she saved Page because he was her hive's best chance at survival. It's an open question a) whether others will believe her and b) how they will view her willingness to die for her give.
9876316
She already tried to a book or two ago, but Page didn't let her. Any skepticism can be dispelled by pointing that out.
Good. I see he didn't make the rookie mistake of assuming a supposedly 'downed' oponent will stay downed.
Protecting the food source?
Come on Page! You are the most pro-changeling of the alicorns! Like hay was chryssi letting you go down and risk the hive's future!
9876304
Bug momma wants grandkids
9876333
Oh, aye, but that wasn't nearly as public a display of self-sacrifice as this. This may be the event that flips her to the public perception of "cranky, but with a good heart".
9876370
It's still something that Page knows about, turning a significant portion of the chapter into a farce...
9876304
And no matter what we'll think about Chrissy... she will stoop to any level to protect and make the Hive thrive... even boning a human-turned-pony...
9876497
As much as I would love that I doubt it will happen.
9876376
Could just be that little old Crissy has a couple of feelings for our male alicorn, but has neglected to make them know to our protagonist.
9876633
What I mean is that, as several others have pointed, how is Page confused about her actions? He's better for the Hive than she is, and both are well aware of this.
9876655
I'd say that she's still just as, if not more crucial to the hive than Page is. As she's needed to train Skitter on what it means to be a changeling queen.
Deep down Chrissy knows that Page is the top Predator in the world.
Here's hoping that neither Twilight or Midnight decide that "speeding things up" means casting a mass Wake-Up spell. Or at the very least doesn't mean casting such an area of effect spell without including some form of Friend-Foe filter.
Unfortunately, it can't be by species because Tempest Shadow is a pony, and if she's woken up before she's in shackles and spell restraints she's just going to start waking up her own troops.
Hmmm... That could work after all. All they have to do is secure Tempest Shadow first before Twilight and Midnight start chain-casting species-specific wide area Wake-Up spells in the following order of priority:
*Meanwhile deep inside Cadance's mind*
Cadance: Can't get out...well...guess I have to wait until the spell is broken...better keep myself busy until then!
*brings out the progress charts for all potential Page ships*
Cadance: Hmmm...Chrysalis saving Page definitely means moving my plans for her a little ahead of schedule. I won't try to push it too far tho...not with Celestia and Skitter neck-and-neck for Page's waifu No.3 spot. Now where did I leave that chart for Amber and Midnight?
*Cadance's shipping duties continues*
Tempest stirred back to consciousness. Something had hit her hard and she was pretty sure it was the marble floor. That red and yellow tart was a cream puff, no way she got sucker punched by her.
She staggered to her hooves to be greeted to a 7 by 8 cell with a bed and bucket for the amenities. “Buck.” She hissed under breath. Wait, their was something more. In the corner, their mounted was a mirror. Why? Equestrian Ponies were soft and weak but were they really this vain to think prisoners needed to check their manes during incarcerations?
She walked over and examined the oddity, figuring she could shatter it and make a shiv to...escape.
Their had been a reason they included a mirror special for her. Not only did they remove her armor while she was out they also had taken the time to write on her with permanent marker.
Her split horn was made into a volcano with palm trees on her brow.
A comment on her “lovely cheek bones” engraved on her jaw.
As well as a comment on her cupcake cutie mark, a combo of question marks and the word “ADORBS!”
“I hate...all of you...so much.”
9876734
OF COARSE!!! BEING LOVEBUTT PRINCES OF FOOD IS AN ETERNAL JOB!
9873718
oF COARSE! Boot camp O' Friedship is best boot camp!
9874446
I reject this! We all know Luna's the War Prince of Equestria, page is her boytoy...
9876626
We all know Page will have the Mega harem Lovebutt Princess of Food has decreed for him... THERE'S NO ESCAPE!!!
9876666
NOt really... Chrissy is old guard, all "stealtly drain the wubs and get feed", the most she could teach her is how to make babies (get lord page in a room with some sleeping draught then...)
Princess LoveButt that's jutsu my opinion...
9876734
On one chart she has Applejack’s cutie mark and next to that are some crossed our marks, three diamonds, a rainbow lightening bolt, a trio of horseshoes, one is circled by it. A Hail Mary, if their ever was one, bit somehow she knew, she just knew that these three interconnected triangles were her destined ship.
This was shameless and self serving...I’m not sorry. Good day.
9876834
Unless Luna's had a major lifestyle change, she's still the Warrior Princess of Equestria. Blank Page is still the only alicorn prince.
Ergo, given Blank Page's tactical acumen and battle prowess, he is the War Prince of Equestria.
It's a gender specific title.
I will, however, concede that Page is Luna's boy-toy.
things are going to get shiity for the little wind bag.
the storm jerk is now going to have everypony and Ling out looking to make a dent in his brain pain.
9876856
Cadance: Annnnd done! Now that Page's charts are done, let's look at the ones for other poni--
*picks up Starlight Glimmer's chart with Sunburst's name attached with a lot of question marks*
Cadance: What kind of cinder I was drinking when I wrote this? This pony won't be ready for my kind of help for a few years at least. *throws Starlight's chart aside but keep Sunburst's in her grasp*
Cadance: Now THIS ONE on the other hoof...play my cards right and this stallion will make a great anniversary gift for Shining and I.
*attaches Sunburst's name to Cadance's personal boy toy list*
(Windy_Prance: ....what? Cadance can be self-serving and shameless too!)
9877002
I...hmmmm yes...perhaps...that or Twilight and him...or Midnight...or Twilight and Midnight and him. Lucky guy has quite the nightlife,
9876884
no, Page's the War Princess because he's more pragmatic than Warmongering.
Think Tanya Von Deguracheff but less cute and less viscious...
at least he's not best chair...
9877103
I can't tell if you are trolling me or not, but the rank title is gendered.
Prince for male, and Princess for female.
Luna cannot be a prince unless she becomes stallion, and Page cannot be a princess unless he becomes a mare. Or, I suppose, if either of them identified as the other gender it would also be alright depending on if their culture allows it, but as far as has been established in this particular story both Luna and Page self-identify as being their respective genders.
Other than that, War Prince and Warrior Princess are essentially the same thing. It's just that War Prince and Warrior Princess both roll off the tongue easier than Warrior Prince and War Princess respectively.
Do note that I am in no way objecting to the rest of your post. It's just your misuse of their respective gender titles that was bothering me, as neither character is transgender.
9877073
I think Cadance will find that acceptable too lol
9877110
Am I tr4olling you...? who knows...?
personally I tend to genderbend everything. One of my mottos is "ladies first", which means that I'll let anyone go first, Women and Women without the Wo, and I have thismysoginist POV that states than the weaker is the lady of the duo...
but that's just moi...
sense? What fun is there in making sense?
9876294
Would be fair to at least offer it to her. Helping raising public view of Changelings.
9876304
9876338
9876655
Pretty spot on explained
9876734
Its actualy explained that it for her as if time has stoped when she was stoned... But otherwise i totaly see it happen
9881891
You Just pulled an DISCORD!
9882752
So what? Lazy ass is afraid of Page plus he could show sometimes to be usefull
9876316
Hm. Reminds me of a tsundere.
"It's not like I saved you because I cared or anything!"
9876834
Vynil: *glares hard enough it can be seen through her rocking shades* "Drains the what?"
Makes perfect sense, Chrysalis already tried to kill herself once, this just brings more political capital and defends the one with the most influence and that most likes the Lings.
10340875
Or... she considers him such an asset to the hive that risking him is tantamonious to killing the hive... and of course she might, deep deep down in her cold shivered heart consider him something of a friend.
Stone Page cant make Grubs for the Hive
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The love of a changeling is weird, it's like wanting your salad to eat you.
For the Hive...
Chrysalis and Skitter earned a larve or ten...
Get to it Page
In one of my stories I made the Yeti nation a constant threat to everyone, in another they are the first thing that cones to mind when someone mentions 'invasion'.
If Celestia ever gad a reason to pay someone a visit with a lot of solar fallout, it be after this attack and undeclared war start.