//------------------------------// // Chapter 18 // Story: Eclipse // by Hiver //------------------------------// I focused, feeling the magic flow around and through me, focusing through my horn as I poured power into it. I trembled from the effort, planting my hooves wide against the stone beneath them, wings half spread as I gritted my teeth. I had a split seconds warning as I felt the spell starting to unravel and the next I knew, a force threw me backwards and upwards and the wall came in and smacked me hard enough to make my ears ring before I collapsed down onto the floor in a heap. “Page!” “Ow,” I groaned and started to push myself onto my hooves. “Stay down!” Celestia's voice snapped in a tone I never heard from her, one made of pure command and from somepony completely certain it would be obeyed. I sank back down onto the stone floor. “Guard! Bring the doctor!” “Not so loud,” I whined, folding my ears against my head. “Stay down,” Celestia ordered again firmly, her voice worried, “You may have hit your head.” “I’m fine,” I grumbled, “I know how that feels. This isn’t it.” The door opened and Steady Beat entered, the unicorn catching sight of me before he sighed and shook his head, “Again, your majesty?” he asked as he trotted over, opening his satchel. “I’m fine, there was just a sudden wall,” I sighed but stayed put as he started to check me over, his magic working along my head and neck before continuing to check every bone in order of importance. “Does anywhere hurt?” Steady asked as he carefully extended my left wing. “Everywhere. But considering I hit a wall, that makes sense.” “A spell malfunctioned and he was thrown across the room,” Celestia said with a frown, “Is he injured?” Steady shook his head, “Prince Page will be fine, Princess,” he said as he checked my other wing before guiding me up to sit so he could check my ribs, “He has some heavy bruising and he will definitely feel it tomorrow, but he didn't take any serious damage. Just bruised.” I nodded and smiled, “Thanks Doc.” “Just be more careful, your majesty,” he said and started to put his gear back into his bag, “I heard walls are in a hunting mood this time of the year.” “I’ll remember,” I said and folded my wings again and he gave me a nod before he left before I turned to Celestia, “Give me a minute, I’ll go borrow a set of armor and then we’ll try again.” “No, we’re done for today,” she said and stepped up to me, “We can try it again tomorrow.” Shaking my head, I pushed myself up to stand, “I can keep going.” “I know,” she said to my surprise before she smiled, “But you don’t need to. We have only been here for four days. We have plenty of time.” “...I guess you’re right,” I admitted with a small sigh, rubbing the side of my head. Steady was right, this would hurt tomorrow, my entire body ached. “So, theory time?” I then asked, looking up at her. To my surprise, Celestia shook her head, “Not today. Like the rest of you, your mind needs time to rest and recover. So no more studying today.” I hesitated, “...Sunshine, it’s only been four days and we only have so much time.” “Yes, and you want to actually retain what I teach you, do you not?” she asked with a small smile. “...Yes…” Celestia smiled and poked my chest with her hoof, “So listen to me, I know what I’m doing. I have done this a couple of times before.” “So,” I said with a smile, looking up at her, “Spend a lot of time working with stallions, have you?” “Mmm,” Celestia agreed and moved up closer and I pressed my side against hers to help ward the creeping chill off in turn, “Many times. Would you like to hear about them?” she teased back. I smirked, “I think experiencing it is better. Don’t need to hear about it to make use of all that experience.” “So listen to me.” Nodding, I then looked up at her, “...Okay, fine, we take a break for the rest of the day,” I agreed, “”So what will you be doing?” Celestia looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled, “I think I will read a book.” “...That sounds kinda nice actually,” I admitted and shifted my wings, “Or maybe do some writing,” and then smiled, “And before you ask, it helps me clear my head, it’s not work.” “I wasn’t going to, I have known more than a few authors in my time,” Celestia said as we exited the spell chamber and started down the stairs. I nodded, “What are you going to read?” Celestia looked thoughtful before she smiled, “I have a book of poetry I have not looked at for a long time. I brought it along with some others. I think I’m in the mood for it today.” “I never got into poetry,” I admitted and shifted my wings in thought, “I have read some, but they all felt…” “Felt?” Celestia asked as we stopped outside her door. “...I don’t know,” I admitted before I shook my head, “The poetry I have read has always felt forced. Like trying to distill emotions onto a page, but in such short format that it can never do it justice,” I said before I looked up at her with a small smile, “Words can contain emotions, but short formats are a lackluster way of doing it. I’m not saying it can’t do it, just that it never really clicked for me.” Celestia smiled, “You are so wrong.” “Oh really?” She nodded, “Let me read some for you. I’ll prove it to you.” “Okay,” I agreed with a smile, “You’re on. You read, I’ll write.”