//------------------------------// // Chapter 64 // Story: Welcome to the jungle // by Hiver //------------------------------// Lighting my horn, I pulled the blanket tighter around me and held my heating element against me as the cold seeped in through the walls of the airship. Sunset squirmed in my grasp, “Page…” she protested with a small tired whine, “I was asleep…” “Is cold,” I mumbled against her mane. Sunset groaned and rolled over before she started to stir again, blinking, “...Why is it cold, it shouldn’t be cold. The airship is heated.” “...Couldn’t find the heating controls…” I admitted, “Somepony reset them after we left for the griffons. And looking for them would mean getting out into the cold.” Sunset sighed against my neck, “And Twi didn’t notice the cold, did she?” “Don’t know, she was already away somewhere when I woke up.” Sunset sighed again and then groaned as she struggled out from beneath the blankets, “I swear, the two of you wouldn’t make it a week without me.” “Noooo…” “I can’t change the heater without seeing it!” Sunset protested and rolled her eyes, “Seriously, how did you defeat me or anypony else!?” “With sharp pointy objects?” Sunset shook her head and trotted over to pull a small hatch on the wall open before turning some small valves, “There,” she said and returned to jump onto the bed, scooting back beneath the blanket, “Should be good in a bit.” “Thanks,” I said and cuddled her close again. “Silly colt,” Sunset chuckled and lit her horn, pulling the blanket tighter around us. “Canterlot tomorrow,” I said quietly after a moment, crossing my horn with hers, slipping a wing around her. “Mmm,” Sunset agreed, looking into my eyes, “We have a week over to spend there. We should do something fun with Luna.” “I have some ideas.” Sunset rolled her eyes, “I was more thinking a date or something, the four of us. Disguised of course.” I nodded, “That sounds nice if we get the time,” I agreed with a smile. “Of course, Twi is planning to spend at least a couple of days in Ponyville,” Sunset continued, “Which is hardly surprising.” “Would be more surprising if she didn’t,” I agreed, “She misses them badly.” Sunset nodded, “She does,” and frowned slightly sadly, “I hate that she had to leave them behind to come with us.” “I talked to her about that, you know,” I told her, “After they finished with the decursing, if she wanted to head back to Ponyville. She said that Nocturnis was her home now.” “It is for me too, Page,” Sunset pointed out, “It’s just… she misses them.” I nodded, “I wonder if…” I started to say before I frowned as I got an idea, “You know… do they know we will be coming to Canterlot?” “I don’t know.” “Because that might be a nice surprise for Sparks,” I said and smiled, “If they were waiting at the airship landing when we arrived. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack and… uhm… what’s her name? Speedy blue pegasus, talks a lot?” Sunset grinned, “Rainbow Dash.” “Her.” “I think that’s a nice idea,” Sunset agreed, “Going to ask them in dreams?” I frowned, “We arrive tomorrow, so that would be a bit too late really. When will we arrive tomorrow, noon?” “Around noon at least,” Sunset said, “You’re right, that’s too late,” and glanced towards the sunshine through the window, “And Celestia is up by now. Do you think you could ask Luna to send a message?” “Maybe, but she went to bed only a couple of hours ago.” “So go ask her before it gets even later!” Sunset said and smiled, giving my nose a small kiss, “It’s a good idea, Page.” I nodded and cuddled her close before I closed my eyes and cast my sleeping spell, sending me into the dream realm. Stretching my wings, I looked around. Doing a scan for Luna, it didn’t take long to find her. She had formed a dream for herself. Touching my horn to the silvery portal, stepping out next to a waterfall into a pool. The moon glowed above, casting the place into silvery light as the stars twinkled, everything reflecting from the water. Luna was bathing in the pool and she was beautiful. I lost the ability to breathe for several moments as the water shimmered like mercury around her in the bright moonlight. A moment later she turned around to look up towards me, smiling briefly before she frowned, “Page, is something wrong?” “Wrong?” I asked when I managed to get my ability to speak back before I shook my head and spread my wings, taking to the air before gliding down to land in the water next to her, “Not at all. I was going to ask you something, but I lost my ability to think for a moment there.” Luna blushed and then slipped her wing around me as she leaned in to kiss me softly, “Thank you”, she said softly before she smiled, “So what was it you were going to ask?” “Well…”