//------------------------------//
// Chapter 24 
// Story: Other Duties As Required 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

As I entered Sanctuary, I instantly threw a shield above myself.

Sadly, instantly was nowhere fast enough apparently because before the shield had even formed, I was soaked. It was so dark it was almost like a night and it was raining hard.

Well, that's what I get for insisting on realistic weather systems I guess. I shook my head to get the worst  of the rain out of my mane before starting towards the flickering light I could see over by the edge of the clearing where the shelter had been put up. Just against days or nights like this.

My ears flicked as I picked up familiar voices and I smiled before starting to step on twigs and kick small rocks as not to startle anypony. I moved quietly naturally, but with the rain going, no way they would hear me.

"Hey you two," I said with a smile as I reached the leaning wooden shelter and its flickering fire, "How's Manehattan?"

"Page!" Sunset said with a grin and scooted a bit closer to Twilight to give me room, "Get in here!"

I slipped in only for Twilight's magic to run all over me, gathering the water into a ball and throwing it back outside.

"You know, you have to teach me how to do that," I told her with a smile as I sank down next to Sunny, "That's so practical in Nocturnis."

Sparks smiled and leaned in across Sunset to kiss my cheek, "You already know how."

I raised an eyebrow at her, "Do I now, Miss Sparks?"

"Yes, and I'm not telling you."

I looked to Sunset.

She grinned, "If Twi isn't, neither am I."

I glowered at them both before I shook my head with a sigh, "I'll give it some thought," I said and slipped my wing across Sunsets back, "How's Manehattan? You should have arrived a day or so ago?"

"Last night," Sunset said and shifted position slightly to lean against my side, her head against the side of my neck, "It's so great. You should see our room. Or maybe I should call it a suite. It has two floors!"

Sparks nodded, "It's pretty extravagant," she admitted with a small smile, "But it's nice in a way. I lived at the Canterlot castle before, but this is different."

"Well, you both deserve it a thousand times over," I said and nosed at Sunny's closest ear, "Do anything fun yet?"

"We went to the theater!" Sparks said happily and scooted close to Sunset, trapping the unicorn between us so she could kiss my cheek.

We were both a head taller than Sunset now and Sparks had caught up with me last we checked and was on the verge to overtake me. My own growth had slowed down lately, so I kinda doubted I would even reach Cadanced size at the moment. Then again, alicorn growth seemed to be more or less random so who knows.

I kinda wished I would stop growing actually, the closer to the size of a regular pony I was, the less of the next possible eternity I would spend banging my horn against things.

That bucking hurt. Being the smallest alicorn was well worth not doing that.

"Anything good?" I asked as Sparks wing settled across mine on Sunny's back.

"Was alright," Sunset answered, "A story about a pegasus that wanted to fly to the sun."

I nodded and pulled her a bit tighter, "That sounds interesting."

"It was a bit more complicated than that," Sparks interjected, "It's a metaphor for being unable to reach the pony she loved."

"Which I assume was Celestia?" I suggested with a smile.

"That was pretty much left up to the viewer, it was never clear," Sparks admitted, "But... considering the symbolism..."

I smirked, "Well, can't blame them. She is worth it."

Sunset rolled her eyes before looking up at me, "After all the time you two specifically didn't get together and you make comments like that?"

"Hush kitten," Sparks said and gave her a small kiss just above the horn, "It's not their fault they're more stubborn than smart."

"Hey," I protested and tickled her side with my wing, "We had perfectly logical and reasonable reasons for it."

"More stubborn than smart is right," Sunset agreed, ignoring my comment, "We just wanted you two to be happy, wing boy," she said and nuzzled beneath my chin.

"And we are," I sighed, "But enough of that, now is about you two."

Sparks eyed me for a second before she nodded, "It was a pretty long trip," she admitted, "but comfortable. We visited my parents on the way, it was nice seeing them again."

"Oh, I just remembered," Sunset said, "Could you pass a message from them to Midnight? They would like her to visit as well."

I shrugged a bit, "You can tell her yourself next time she visits Sanctuary. She's not in Nocturnis at the moment."

"What, she's not?" Twilight asked in surprise, "Where is she?"

"No clue," I said with another shrug, "She got a track on where there is a possibility to find some Kirin and she took Tempest along. They left a couple of days ago."

Sparks shifted a bit uncertainty, "We really should keep one of us at Nocturnis just in ca-"

"Hey," Sunset told her, "Stop that. Vacation. Plenty of guards in Nocturnis and that's part of why we got that shield, remember?"

Twilight hesitated before she sighed and nodded, "You're right," she said before looking at me, "How is Nocturnis?"

I smiled at her, "Pretty much same old," I said, "Nothing particularly special going on. Most exciting thing the last couple of days was Starlight delivering some stuff for Flower and discovering my sorting system."

Sparks eyed me, "A pile on your desk with the oldest at the bottom is not a sorting system."

"Starlight also had strong opinions about it," I admitted, "I suspect she's going to do random inspections from now on to make sure I follow the system she implemented."

Sunny giggled, "You are her prince, you could just tell her to buck off."

I shifted a bit uncomfortably, "...But it was so important to her."

Besides, not like she was wrong exactly. I just hated dealing with paperwork.

"Good colt," Sunset said and raised her head to kiss my cheek.

We fell silent after that, just looking out over the grass as the rain fell and the small warming fire crackled.