//------------------------------// // Chapter 72 // Story: Welcome to the jungle // by Hiver //------------------------------// “Relax,” I told Twilight as we headed along the street, “Just remember, they are more afraid of you than you are of them.” For some reason Twilight had been acting nervous since I told her we were invited for dinner. Luna couldn’t come because it was too early for her and while she had put most things aside for our visit, there were some duties she couldn’t dump so she had condensed them all to one night. She had wanted to, but couldn’t. But both Sunny and Sparks wanted to come. But Twilight seemed strangely nervous. “It’s nothing like that,” Sunset pointed out from Twilight's other side, “She used to be friends with Minuette before she moved to Ponyville.” “Ahhh,” I said and nodded, “I get it. Didn’t know that.” Twilight sighed, “Not quite… we weren’t really friends as such, I was always so busy with my studies. But… we knew each other and studied together sometimes. But we could easily have been,” she said, smiling sadly, “I suppose I feel bad for not making the effort. And not reaching out to her since.” “It’ll be fine,” Sunset told her with a smile. “Does she know I’m coming?” Sparks asked and looked at me. I shrugged my wings beneath my cloak, “Mentioned it in my RSVP.” Seemed only considerate to send one and say how many of us were coming. I guess some of my lessons with Sunshine have stuck. I quickly regretted the shrug and pulled my cloak tighter around myself again as the shrug made my cloak let icy wind inside. Uhhhuuuu. It felt like it went right through me. There were some things to be said about the monster infested jungles of Nocturnis, at least they weren’t cold! Twilight flicked one ear nervously. “Relax, Sparks,” I told her softly as we approached the door, “It’ll be fine, I promise. She knew she was inviting you, it’s not exactly a state secret that I’m together with you, Luna and Sunny. Besides, she’s with Swift, he would have told her.” She paused and took a slow deep breath before she nodded and we continued up to the door before she reached out and tapped her hoof against it. It took only moments before it opened to reveal a grey coated unicorn wearing a nice white dress. She smiled and then bowed, “Your highnesses,” Rising High said, “Welcome!” “Thank you,” I said with a smile, “But there really is no need for that.” Rising High stood back up and nodded a bit nervously, “R-right, you said that before. Uhm… oh! Yes, come in, sorry.” I smiled at her and we walked inside. I lit my horn and slipped my cloak off, hanging it at a hook by the wall. “I told you we should have dressed up,” Twilight whispered quietly to Sunset. “Relax, it’s fine,” Sunset whispered back. Bat pony ears are great sometimes. I smiled at Rising, “I hope we’re not too late.” “Not at all, Pri-,” she started to answer before she cut herself off, “...Page.” I suppressed a sigh as I headed towards the small dining room. That’s just going to get worse with time, isn’t it? “Page!” “Hey Swift,” I said and walked up to him, tapping hooves with him with a smile, “So where is Cloud?” “Eh, not here yet,” He said with a shrug. He was wearing his dress uniform. “So… Minuette forced you to dress up?” Swift smirked, “Something about ‘royalty coming for dinner’, no idea what she’s on about.” “What we do to keep our mares happy,” I agreed. Quietly. So nopony else heard. Seemed safer like that. I glanced around a bit, I had not seen this room last time I was here, it was pretty nice, last time we just ate in the kitchen. Not very large, but more than enough for our little group and nicely decorated with a couple of paintings to go with the windows out across the snow covered back yard. “So, want a drink?” “Yes please,” I agreed, “But better not be anything too strong.” “You’re an alicorn, you’ll live,” He said with a smile and walked over to pour us a horns width of amber liquid before he returned with a pair of crystal glasses in his magic. “The drink yes, my marefirends, no,” I said and sipped the drink, “Speaking of which,” I then said and looked around, “I seemed to have lost them on the way.” Swift looked past me, “Likely intercepted by Minuette. I think she wanted to talk with Princess Twilight.” “Ah,” I said and nodded, “Makes sense, they knew each other once.” There was a knock on the door. “That’s likely Cloud and Ocean Dream,” Swift said and put his glass down, “I’ll go invite them in.” I nodded and he quickly trotted out towards the door. I sipped my drink and moved to look out the window. It was a nice little garden with a small greenhouse and several sets of outside planters for vegetables. Currently all covered with snow. Too bad that sort of thing wouldn’t really work on a wide scale or we might start farming in Nocturnis now rather than wait for securing the ground. Maybe hydroponics? Ah yes, what better way to make farming easier but then pump hundreds of tons of water into the trees. Brilliant idea like always, Page. I sipped my drink again and then turned towards the door as I heard hoofsteps, “Cloud! You look like you got in a fight with a tree and lost.” That got a grin from the pegasus as he walked inside. His wings were bandaged against his side, another bandage went across the front of his barrel were poking up from his shirt by his neck and he had some scrapes on one cheek. He wasn’t wearing a dress uniform, but he did have a shirt and tie on. Maybe Sparks had been right, maybe we should have dressed up a little. “Not far from,” he said and held his hoof out, “But I swear, not my fault. The lightpost snuck up on me in a sneak attack.” I grinned and tapped my hoof against his, “I bet it did,” I said before I frowned, “But seriously, how are you doing? You look like you took quite an impact.” He grimaged slightly, “Looks worse than it is, really, Worst is my wing, snapped one of the bones, I’m going to be grounded for a month.” “Well, that sucks.” He nodded, “No kidding,” he agreed before he smiled, “At least I did get the nice pain potions.” “Which means no drinks for you,” I said and sipped mine. “Yes. That,” he agreed with a small sigh before he smiled, “But I have somepony I want to introduce to you.” I grinned, “So I heard,” and checked that we were alone before holding my hoof out, “Good job.” He grinned and hit my hoof with his again.