It wasn’t just a sky carriage that arrived, it was a troop of twenty pegasus guards as well in full formation. Full armor and armament too.
Midnight sighed softly as we drew up on Canterlot, passing above the outskirts, her hooves on the railing of the carriage.
“Missed it?” I asked from next to her, my eyes squinted against the light of the sun above. The reflections and glares from the gold and windows of Canterlot didn’t exactly help either.
“A little,” Midnight said and glanced at me before she frowned and turned, digging through her bag and pulling out a pair of protective glasses. She cast a spell on them, causing the lenses to darken before floating them over to me, “Put these on. I put the reverse of one of those night seeing enchantments on it.”
“...Thanks,” I admitted and took it in my magic, slipping the band around my head and down over my eyes, the world instantly going darker and the glare disappeared.
Midnight looked at me thoughtfully before reaching out with her magic to adjust the lenses a bit, “I should make more of these,” she said, “With the barrier up, a lot of work will be easier done in the day, even by thestrals. Also, for thestrals that have jobs that keep them awake during the day.”
“Good idea,” I said and adjusted the band around my head before I frowned as we approached the tower, “Look at that,” I said looking at the tower containing Celestia’s bedroom and chambers.
It was… scorched. It looked like there had been a large fire. The entire top third looked darkened, the windows were broken and parts of the metal roof had melted. There were large holes in the roof where it had collapsed inwards.
Midnight looked at it, “Fire?” she asked, glancing at me.
“Looks like,” I said and shifted my wings, “Good thing Sunshine is fireproof.”
But the quarters of the alicorn of the sun bursting into flame… she was the undisputed mistress of fire magic.
If she had been there, she could have stopped it.
How did it happen?
The carriage circled down to one of the courtyards where Grey Velvet were waiting for us.
“Princess Midnight, Prince Page,” she said with a smile and then bowed in greeting, “Welcome back.”
“Thank you, Velvet,” I said and gave her a bow back, “How are things?”
She smiled, “Very well, your highness,” she said and straightened up.
“Hello Velvet,” Midnight said with a smile back before she looked at me, “I think we should split up,” she said and looked to Talon, “I don’t know if anypony has told Night Light and Twilight Velvet yet.”
Velvet smiled, “Actually, we have, your highness,” she said and turned, “Please come with me.”
I shared a look with Midnight and Talon before we all followed the unicorn inside.
She led us to one of the private rooms. The door had just opened and we walked inside before we found ourselves pulled into a group hug.
I blinked in surprise before I hugged Twilight Velvet and Night Light back.
“Welcome back”, Twilight Velvet said with a smile as they hugged all three of us.
“Good to be back,” Midnight said quietly and squeezed them tighter. I looked past them, seeing Celestia waiting, smiling softly.
Her public expression she used all the time. But her regalia looked slightly different. Her crown was similar but not identical, it had the same purple gem but the lines were slightly different. And her necklace while in the same shape, some of the engraved lines didn’t match what I remembered. It had roses now, not waves.
I slowly let go of the hug and slipped down on all four before I moved around to Celestia, “Hey Sunshine,” I said, looking up at her.
“Page,” she said with a small smile, “Welcome back.”
I regarded her for a long moment, meeting her eyes before I looked around, “...Would you mind if we talk in a darker room? I would like to take these goggles off.”
“Of course,” she said and smiled at the Sparkle family, “I believe they will be busy for a bit in any case. This way,” she said and turned to guide me to the next room.
The door closed behind us and I walked up to pull my goggles off before I looked up into her eyes, “I missed you.”
Celestia's large warm wings wrapped around me and she pulled me close with her forelegs as she sat down.
I leaned into her warmth but we didn’t say anything else for a long time.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Celestia said softly, my vision mostly filled by the shifting colors of her mane, her nose brushing against my ear, “I was so worried.”
“I know,” I said quietly, “I’m sorry.”
I shifted to look up at her, meeting her eyes, my nose almost touching hers, “I… saw there was a fire,” I then added.
Celestia met my gaze, “There was an accident,” she said softly, “...About a month ago. Some of the things could be saved, but it requires rebuilding.”
About a month ago. When we left. Her regalia looked different.
New.
Didn’t need to be Twilight level smart to figure that one out.
“Celestia,” I said, putting my hoof against her chest, “I…” I started to say before I trailed off. I couldn’t find the words.
“I know,” she answered, her nose touching mine for just a second, “Me too,” she said before she pulled back slightly.
I nodded and shifted back as well, standing up and smiling up at her, “Well, I’m not that surprised about the fire. It was going to happen eventually.”
Celestia blinked at me, “What?”
“Things bursting into fire around you,” I said with a smile, “I mean, somepony can only be that hot for so long before spontaneous fires start to erupt.”
Laughing, Celestia wrapped a wing around me, pulling me close once more against her sunwarm coat, her nose against my mane..
I closed my eyes, leaning against her. She smelled like a warm summer day.
If Celestia is smart she will find a to get a relationship with him before another century passes.
So Celestia got royally pissed and burst into flames? Or royally upset?
I'm kinda confused, but at least we know she feels for Page
And an alicorn of the sun has been added to the harem!
Discord!! Cadence!! I know you're watching! You know what you did!
Thanks for chapter!
Have a good day!
Finally, if they dragged it on any longer I'd have questioned both of their sanity.
If you look at this series as a whole, it was just a slow burn Page/Celestia romance. I approve.
great chapter
Nice
Nice
11366392
Questipn there sanity? Please that left them books ago.
Celestia: "WHO STOLE MY SISTER HUSBAND! I BURN THEM TO ASHES! DAYBREAKER? I BECOME BLOODY WORLD ENDER!
I want my snuggelbat-pone back..."
Daybreaker done did it again.
DAWWWWW
That ending was adorable ... and smooth
Hmmm. A month ago and you can still immediately make out that there was a fire, yet at the same time there’s apparently no active repair work going on (I mean, the crews and scaffolding should be easy enough to spot from the air at the same distance, but no mention of anything along those lines)?
I wonder what’s up with that.
*One moth prior*
Luna:"Celestia, someone stole my Bat-Pone!"
Celestia:"Not again! OK- ok... Who will I have to burn to Ashes ?"
Luna:"I don't know"
Celestia:"Discord! Get your mult flavored ass over here!"
Discord:"How could you possibility know...?"
Celestia:"Mare Dragonmail talk via scroll and Stud talk with Flutterbat"
Discord:"Huh... Didn't see that one coming..."
Celestia:"Discord?" *makes sultry eyes*
*Discord starts to literally sweat a rainstorm*
Discord:"Yes...?"
*Celestia inhales deeply*
'*Bursts into Daybreaker on afterburner*
Daybreaker ender of Worlds:
"WHERE - IS BAT-PONE ?!?!?!
Discord:"I am working on it right away...
*Daybreaker turn back to Filly/Pony Celestia*
Squeaky Celestia:"Good - good, good for you, bad for whoever fucks with my batpone that isn't in the Herd!"
11366508
Do you have any idea how long it takes to get budget for renovations approved? Yet alone site and architectural studies?
...ONE MONTH AGO...
*Celestia finishes reading Twilight's letter*
Celestia: Page is lost in a DIFFERENT UNIVERSE?! How can this day get any worse?!
*Grey Velvet and Chancellor Neighsay walks in*
Grey Velvet: Princess. I'm sorry to interrupt but Chancellor Neighsay is here about his newest batch of spending cuts. Also Prince Blueblood wants to personally address to you his upcoming lawsuit about "some commoner making him chip his poor hoof".
Celestia: ...burn it all.
Chancellor Neighsay: burn what?!
Daybreaker: BURN IT ALL DOWN!
Grey Velvet: AHHH! *Uses the education stallion as a shield*
Chancellor Neighsay: NO NO NO NOOOOOOOO!
*room explodes*
Incoming Herd addition 👍
11366519
Good, but try again
11366359
Well, I can understand Celestia getting REALLY angry upon learning, that miracle being only male alicorn suddenly disappeared without trace with possibility of it being permanent. Tons of glorious plans, that were impossible to be achieved before, suddenly being destroyed possibly forever. Immortal longing for some things can be excused for losing shit.
11366516
If you’re the damn Princess and it’s your own palace (which not so coincidentally also serves as your seat of government and so does its part in representing Equestria to both its citizens and any visitors)? Hmmmm...
11366359
We’ve known since she nearly killed him way back when and she got cut off saying “I love y-“ before he blacked out. But yes, it does seem like she got pissed and let her emotions get the better of her.
But also, JUST KISS ALREADY, FUCK!
Meanwhile hidden behind the 1-way bookcase...
Many ponies in asbestos suits stood around a pannel covered in a series of large brass dials with flickering lights and many switches. In the corner pens jumped along a chart recorder. one pony at the center, consulting the large bank of detectors breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the red phone built into the console.
"Palace Command, this is Celestial Control, we're holding to three roenthaums, not great not terrible, reaction rate is falling since the control has been introduced. Situation is... apple." he said, "I repeat, situation is apple."
celly went full chernobyl with an uncontrolled magical meltdown lol
11366525
*Discord appears in front of Neighsay's hospital bed*
Discord: You heard the comment section! You were not funny enough...you need to go back in that explosion!
Neighsay: What comment section?! Did you just say go BACK?!
*Discord snaps his fingers*
Celestia: ...burn it all.
Neighsay: NOT AGAIN!
*room explodes*
...THIRTY EIGHT TIME LOOPS LATER...
Discord: No no still not quite entertaining enough..can you crawling under sofa after the boom this time? That might work!
Neighsay: Can you at least erase my memory so I don't recall ALL THE PAIN?!
Discord: Nope! Time for round number thirty nine~!
Neighsay:
11366571
Perfection~♤
I foresee her reading the letter and it basically telling her
MAKE A MOVE YOU DAMN FOOL MARE
11366540
JUST KISS ALREADY, THEN FUCK!
Fixed it for you
11366516
Especially on any structure of cultural and/or historical significance!
11366516
It being on the face of cultural hub of nation, image of capital, budget would be approved in less than five minutes (after calculated of course).
Hope Daybreaker didn't slither somewhere in...
11366511
thank you for making my day. '*Bursts into Daybreaker on afterburner*🔥🌋
11366663
You are welcome
...Page this is what happens when you and Sunshine play your little games and don't commit to things. When things go pear shaped and you had disappeared, she literally blew her stack!
Not gonna lie, was expecting her to be all fangs and fire ;p
11366694
And to catch and never let go off her Bean.
Wait, wrong story. And to catch and never let go of her Bat-Pone.
11366516
she needs to stop by ponyville mayor mare has a good general contractor
11366694
"uh luna shouldn't you be with your sister right now?"
"Well lets just say its been difficult to be around my sister right nowdon'tworryshellgobacktonormalsoon I'll be back in a few weeks!"
The ending of this chapter was wonderful.
Well, this marks the second time Celestia's melted her regalia by accident in this series. Albeit this time rather more impressively than the first.
11366610
Goodness gracious, yes. The whole palace is probably listed!
One grammar jackboot today, minus localisation issues:
There is presumably only one Grey Velvet, and so it should be 'where Grey Velvet was waiting for us.'
She was probably the one that caused it
No, no we do not
Hah
Ahhh these two... it's east to see how they keep driving Cadance nuts
11367064
Huh. Dats interesting, and pretty rare, actually . Out of interest, what do you do for living and what your approximate attention span length?
Would also like EEG, and functional MRI but you probably don't have those
11367078
I've done a variety: electrical engineering, programming, sysadmin, UI design, logistics, technical writing.
Attention span: not sure about formal measures, but for reading or technical/design tasks, multiple hours (of the "oh right, I need to eat/hydrate/sleep" variety).
Other language-related things that (on reflection and based on other people's reactions) may be unusual: I can run at least two language-based tasks in parallel as long as I keep them separated (one conscious, one subconscious)
11366571
Discord: "And would you believe that baldheaded fool captain of the Ship Of Fools still complains about on of the timeloops they went through--and theirs were just 17! At least their deaths were always very quick and painless."
Cadance: "Who are you talking about, again? And 'Ship Of Fools'? I don't remember shipping any fools."
Discord: "Oh, that's Jean Luc Picard, and his human-built vessel, Enterprise. Quite frankly, I'm surprised it doesn't blow up like that everyday, even without my intervention--it IS human-made, after all. But--now that you mention it, most of his issues do seem to be the result of him simply not having a love life."
Cadance: "Oh, yeah. I think you did mention them once or twice. They don't seem all that interesting, from what you've told me."
Discord: "Indeed, not. Although, I do seem to recall he had momentary fling with the mother of one of his crew, and she did seemed somewhat interested in him--not that I would ever think a higher life form, like a Betazed, would ever consider a human worthy of themselves."
Cadance: "Well, I guess I could look into it when I get some time to do so. But right now, we're still working to get Page properly shipped."
Discord: "No rush. Indeed, this is far more important."
Cadance: "Speaking of which, can you please go out and pick up some postage stamps for me? Amazon has upped their shipping prices lately, so I'm going to have to use the Post Office."
11366394
True
11367535
Amazon? I thought Cady used FedEx.
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