The sound of my hooves sounded a bit hollow against the half finished walls as I looked around. Things were proceeding nicely.
“And here are your private baths going to be,” Solid Slab said as he guided me through a missing side door into a half finished chamber.
The floor was mostly made of wood, but the bath, or maybe I should call it a pool itself, was in a half finished state and seemed made from polished dark stone. Local stone.
We’re not about to import stone. Even if some ponies, like the one giving me the tour, had wanted to import Canterlotian marble for my pool.
I nixed that so hard.
We don’t need to go get stone, we have stone at home.
In fact, I didn’t see a need for private baths either in what’s meant to be a public bathhouse, but they put it into the plans anyway, without request. Or asking about it.
They were so happy when showing us the plans.
…And Celestia had taught me one of the more difficult lessons for me. Let ponies do things for you, even if it makes you uncomfortable. It makes them happy.
So I let them build the sodding bath.
“It looks very nice,” I said, shifting my wings, running my hoof on the polished wood. No windows in here, as a rule anything we built on the ground had very thick walls and no windows.
The extra big bitey things may be held back by the shield and the walls held back the smaller bitey things. But nopony wanted to take the chance in case one of them figured out how to climb the walls while dodging the guards.
“We should be finished with construction in three to four months,” Solid said, brushing his brown mane back with a hoof almost twice the size of mine.
Solid Slab was huge. Seriously, the only other pony I’ve seen larger than him was Sunshine, he was as tall as Luna and likely outmassed her by three times and every bit of it seemed to be muscle.
“You and your crew do very good work,” I said as I walked to the edge of the pool, feeling the polished gray stone before I stood up and turned to smile at him, “What’s more, I understand that you’re within budget, which is impressive.”
He shrugged and grinned, “We’re doing our best, your highness,” before he shrugged, “And I believe we will be able to meet the finish time, assuming we can keep sourcing materials.”
I nodded.
We had stone. We had wood. Basically everything else had to be imported. Everything from fittings to nails. Technically nails could be manufactured locally, but we still needed to import the metal. Which means via train.
“If you’d follow me, sir?” Slab said and motioned towards the door.
I followed towards the main bath area with Shade Leaf and Leaf Shade silently following along behind me, their hoof steps barely audible against the wooden floor.
Slab pushed a door open and stepped to the side, allowing me past and out into an area open to the sky. There was a large pool surrounded by smaller separate pools, the smaller ones covered by canopies.
While the area was open to the skies, it was surrounded by thick and heavy walls, the entire area lit by torches and sconces of burning wood.
Slowly approaching the main pool, I looked around before stopping at the edge before I turned back to Slab, “Main pool heated?”
He shook his head, “No. Just clean moving water. Magic filtering down below. The smaller ones are heated.”
I nodded and glanced up towards the cloudy and pitch black skies above.
Rain soon. We were in one of those rare breaks in the rainstorm. Any moment now it could start up again.
They lit the fires just for the inspection.
“This will be very nice,” I said with a small smile as I looked around, flicking one ear, “Very very nice.”
Now if we could just avoid following the Romans with their wall decorations. No need to copy things quite that far.
The bath was also pretty big. Made scaled for a population three times that of Nocturnis. If we were building it in the first place, might as well futureproof it a bit.
Even if it highly strained the budget.
Turning back, I gave him a nod, “Thank you for the tour, Solid. But you and your crew has better things to do than to foalsit me so I’ll get out of your way.”
“It’s no trouble, your highness,” he said with a smile, giving a small bow, “In fact, I had thought to invite you to tour the facilities and see if you had any thoughts of changes to the decorations. This would be the time to start implementing them.”
I shook my head, “No, I have seen the plans. Everything is looking good. Keep up the good work.”
He nodded, ears happily raised, “We’ll do our best, your highness.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I said and glanced at my shadows, “Let’s go.”’
With that, we took to the dark skies, the twins following me on silent wings. Which was one of the reasons Moon Glow has assigned them to be my personal guards/shadows whenever away from the palace.
They were among the best fliers in the guard. At least among the thestrals which were generally slower than pegasi.
Shade and Leaf were almost as fast as a pegasus while also having no problems following me through the tree trunks and branches in the middle of the pitch dark night.
In fact, they were both faster fliers than I was which left very little chance to slip away.
Actually, it was completely pitch black with the clouds this thick in a night with a new moon. There were some lights from the village below, but not enough for even us to see by.
So we flew by sonar. Chirps and echos, the world was pitch black and returns. It actually took quite a bit of practice to do and I had to slow down a lot more than usual. Sonar needed to be practiced to be used, at least at flight speed.
Something both Shade and Leaf had more than me as well, letting them easily keep pace.
I closed my eyes.
They had more practice than me. Let’s see how much more.
Chirping away, I changed course, banking in among the trees as I sped up, followed by chirps and my two guards.
Lmao
I’m confused. I thought the whole reason why they needed to have a village in the trees was because the ground flooded during the rainy season. Why are they building on the ground when it’ll be underwater 1/3 of the year?
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I thought the whole reason they had to build a village in the trees was because of the giant (and non-giant) predators.
I never heard flooding being a thing until you mentioned it just now. (Though it has been a while...)
To see without eyes is a great skill to have in many situations. Especially if they are hard to hear. In combat especially if someone was blinded or has like now a low light environment.
Thestral Sonar will most like not be effected by misty fogs on the ground. Something that is a major advantage if the environment is as deadly than for example a JUNGLE full of Predators.
I wonder if Thestral foals might be able to teach Page a lesson about using Thestral-Sonar. Him taking a page from their book might be quite enlightening since the young minds can come up with interesting and out the box ideas.
A private bath pool might be overkill when they are still in their beginning, but hygienic population needs less medication and is in generally happy-go-lucky do to lack of being sick.
Sonar can be as precise as making a well made charcoal picture of something... The mares or some stallion probably enjoy the view of their charges when the time and situation allows it
Are Changelings faster or slower than Thestral?
Both show more agility in the air than feathered speed based opposition.
Without someone like Derpy around to get the messages delivered for private and commercial sectors I think Spike is a very valuable asset, him and Talon his canon timeline counterpart.
Or am I mixing stories up?
The trouble with reading thousands of stories
Spike: "The newest jungle collection of Rarity just come out, apperently did some tourist finaly wanted a practical and environmentally fitting fashion as a option to their name."
Talon: "Especially since they never had something like this before, Rarity sure hit a unchallenged market that way!
I get Page and our Twins a copy as soon my shift ends.
Spike: "Ha, you read my mind. Just thought the same. So... Our filly friend wants to show us a new game we can play later together.
Apperently she made a list of things and positions to try out together."
Talon: "Positions? What could she plan we play in her bedroom at night together?
It will be a tight fit no matter what we try to fitting the room...
Spike: "Beats me, it is supposed to be a surprise and she just said that it would be a night to remember.
Talon:
"Stargazing with snuggeling?"
Spike: "Probably some hoove holding and earscriches as well. We are pretty good at full body massages by now.
How you are slightly better at it is beyond me..."
Talon: "Practice my brother from another dimension mother, practice.
I love the little squeaky noises she makes sometimes."
Spike: "Thestral are so cute when chittering in enjoyment."
Both drakes swooning for the memory ~♡
Cadance: "Hey Discord, shipping friend of mine...
What is the status if the drake and Thestral ship?"
Discord: "It's underway and they are about to get docked for expansion, are the Dragon and Thestral couples are not the origin of the Kirin race?"
Cadance: Indeed ~♡👍
Discord: "Niiice~♡👍
Cadance: "Don't forget my care package when you go for your tea date with Fluttershy!"
Discord: "Double layer two packages for the drakes?
You know that 40 eatch will only last them 20 rounds?"
Cadance: "Your right... Better take 80 of them for 40 rounds, teens are rather insatiable...
don't look like that, I am only realistic."
Discord: "True, true... mortals and their drive to repopulate...
That Bunny of Fluttershy started to date a Dwarf Raptor, the offspring will be delightful chaotic..."
Cadance: "... Poor jungle predator population.
Bunny Raptors..."
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Talon, actually
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Thanks I go fix it.
-
Edit:
Fixed.
I think it was first Blade and than he changed it to Talon?
Nice
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Twilight and Sparks had thanks to Cadance Crystal obelisk managed to build a repellent shield for bigger threats.
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Incorrect, that mutch flooding would result in a swamp. Rain Jungles have a surprisingly effective way to distribute water into the ground and it's surroundings.
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To be fair... Stone comes in many qualities and quantities, Marble and Marmor as well as Jade stone is hard to come by in a jungle and they have impressive smooth and easy to clean surfaces.
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The Thestral Sonar, the Bathhouse or the fact that Luna sized stallions are around?
Now I imagen Luna wrestling him for boredom and Page eating popcorn alongside Discord...
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He switched between a bunch of names before finding one he liked
...THE TRIO ARRIVED BACK AT THE OFFICE...
Shade Leaf: Your Majesty. WHAT was THAT?
Page: ...umm you saw that??
Leaf Shade: The night is dark but not THAT dark with echo location. You were basically vertical with your forelegs outstretched behind you with locked joints!
Shade Leaf: Not to mention flailing around your back legs in a circular motion. No pony flies like that in the history of EVER!
Page: HEY LISTEN! I'll have you know Naruto running is an infamous technique in my homeland. It makes you super cool...believe it!
Leaf Shade: Well this Nar-o-to failed you miserably. Never do it again!
Page:
Veering off course, eh? Sounds like he's got his mind set on visiting something, but what could it be? The Thestral Alicorn statue, perhaps?
It should be "the bath itself, or maybe I should call it a pool"
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I love that random humor thing in this comment section
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More like his Herd mates, but the secret of the Alicorn statue is indeed yet to be discovered!
Thanks for the chapter!
Have a great day!
for anyone who has a problem with a rainforest flooding take a look at this. Amazon floodplain,
try this one https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-flooded-rainforest-in-the-ecuadorian-amazon-49019427.html?imageid=E458841C-D8B1-4549-85BA-59035CFD8210&p=54509&pn=1&searchId=90326e90a75911e0353034af092a14b5&searchtype=0
Yay glad to see the continuation of the Page chronicles! Can’t wait to see how this sequel develops.
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i love that last part
great chapter
Page: *Suddenly turns left*
Guards: *Alarmed chirping*
So that's why they were given the job
Nice to see more infrastructural development! No major grammar jackboots today either, but I do have a historical quibble:
Torches do not make for good long-term lighting, they're the equivalent of, well, an electric torch, hence the name. Or a flashlight, if you're living in the 1920s and don't have good batteries yet, hence the 'flash' part. Before electric lighting, either candles or oil lamps were far more common. Gas lamps would also be possible at the tech level Equestria possesses, though might be unsuitable to Nocturnis due to logistical needs.
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Hmmm.... I think you just hit on the reason the shield isn't stopping any of the small predators in Nocturnis.
They're all being born INSIDE the dome!!