//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: A Very Batty Hearth's Warming // by Hiver //------------------------------// I floated down on silent wings, pulling up as I swept across above an earth pony guard. He didn’t even twitch as my hooves passed by less than a heads height above his helmeted head. Of course, the invisibility spell I kept wrapped around myself likely helped. It was a difficult spell to keep going while flying, but it was going alright. Landing in the rafters, I folded my wings and looked around before silently jumping to the next crossguard with the skill of somepony that spent the last three years living in trees. Slower, but with less chance of discovery. Carefully, I ghosted towards the other end of the corridor, keeping close to the ceiling until I reached the tall doors at the other side, flanked by a pair of guards. Then I settled down to wait among the rafters. I didn’t need to wait for long, I had timed things well and I glanced back and down as I heard soft voices and the sound of hooves against marble. Grey Velvet and Celestia were walking towards the large doors, Velvet carrying a large stack of papers in her magic. “I agree,” Celestia said and nodded, “We’ll continue there tomorrow.” Grey Velvet smiled at her, giving her a small bow, “Of course, Princess. Good Night.” “Good night, Velvet.” With that, Celestia continued on and the guards opened the doors wide for her. I made my move, throwing myself down from the rafters, spreading my wings to sweep inside on silent wings, banking to the right once inside to pull up and land on top of a large bookshelf. Celestia let the doors close behind her and she took a deep breath, her wings rising wide as she stretched, flaring her pure white feathers and I took a second to admire the sight. I always loved Celestia's wings. They were… divine. Like the rest of her. She crossed over to the desk and shifted some things around with her magic, looking at a couple of papers before nodding to herself and heading towards the balcony, the doors opening by a touch of her magic to reveal the clear late afternoon night and whirls of cold air flowed into the room, fighting the warmth of the burning fireplace. The cold didn’t bother her, nor did the hoof deep snow on the balcony as she looked up at the sun, facing it head on as her horn ignited and she raised her massive wings high once more. Now. I quietly jumped off the tall bookshelf, my wings spread as I silently glided through the air, aiming at a thick rug. It muffled the sound of my hooves, marble was harder to land on quietly than wood. Being discovered at this stage would be bad. This last bit would be the most dangerous of all and I stealthily started to sneak closer and closer, moving slowly, keeping my head down. Okay, so I may have done something like this before and it may not have ended in an ideal way, but I had a good feeling about this time! Hoofstep after hoofstep, quietly along the floor and then onto the soft powder snow, I let my illusion drop, keeping low and back out of the princesses line of sight as I moved up next to her. Then I struck quickly, pressing my nose into the soft down beneath her left wing and blowing hard! Princess Celestia of Equestria, Alicorn of the Sun squeaked and jerked to the side, the sun jerked back up above the horizon in an S curve, moving almost to the zenith where it did a little circle dance before she got it back under control again. Celestia tore her horn away from the control of the sun and whipped her head around to look at me with eyes wide in surprise, “Page?!” I grinned at her, “Hi Sunshine, Happy Hearth’s Warming! I’m going to go say hi to my wife now, see you later!” and then I made my escape, jumping off the balcony, freefalling for a dozen meters to gain speed before diving away as fast as my wings would take me, banking hard around the curve of the tower before she could get a hold of me. “Get back here you infernal bat!” Still cackling to myself, I swooped around, heading for Luna's tower and the sun started to lower again. Pulling up, I beat my wings hard as I circled up to land on the balcony. By the time I did, the sun was almost to the horizon again and Luna was standing there, focusing on her moon. The mixed lights were playing through her mane and she was… so beautiful. I slowly moved up next to her and she glanced at me, smiling as she kept raising her moon as her warm wing settled softly across my back against the cold, “I suspect that the… astronomical anomaly just now was you and my sister?” she asked with a small smile. “How did you know?” Luna smirked, “I saw it… and I may have done the same to her in the past,” she said and let go of her moon as she turned her head to press her nose against mine, “Did you not learn your lesson on sneaking up on my sister?” “To do it better? Besides, if she’s busy handling something hot, she can’t fry me” I said and gave her a small soft kiss, “Thanks for keeping us coming a secret.” Luna smiled and held me closer to her side, giving me a kiss back, “I’m just glad to have you all here for Hearths Warming.” “...Me too,” I admitted and leaned against her, looking into her eyes, “We won’t be able to stay for more than a week, but we missed it for two years. We all wanted to spend this one in Canterlot with you.” Luna nodded, “So where did you leave Sunset and Twilight?” I smiled, “They as well as Midnight and Tempest are stopping by Twilight's parents on the way. They’ll be here soon… but it gave me a bit of time to slip ahead.” Smiling, Luna bumped her nose against mine softly, her warm wing stroking along my back, “Missed you My Page.” “Missed you as well, My Sky.” The doors to Lunas quarters banged open inside, “Page! Get your tail out here!” “Oops, time to run!” I said and ducked out from beneath Lunas wing to jump off the balcony, “See you when Sunse-oph!” A golden glow surrounded me and turned me around, pulling me away from the edge to face a slightly annoyed looking alicorn of the Sun. I looked up at the miffed goddess. She looked down at me. I raised my hoof and tapped her nose, “Boop.” Celestias eyes narrowed for a moment before I squeaked in a very manly way as her magic started to tickle. “Luna, help!” I gasped, struggling. “Oh no, you got yourself into it, you get yourself out of it,” Luna said with a grin and moved up next to Celestia, “Do leave him in condition to attend dinner tomorrow?” she asked with a smirk before she walked past, moving inside. “No promises,” Celestia said and smiled at me, “Do you have any idea how many letters I’m going to get about that sun jitter?” “N-no?” I gasped as she stopped tickling. “Well, you will. Because you will help me answer each and every one of them… and help me write the announcement about the official reason for it,” she said and then turned to walk back into the warmth, floating me along behind her. Worth it!