//------------------------------//
// Chapter 28 
// Story: Other Duties As Required 
// by Hiver 
//------------------------------//

I swept through the night air on silent wings before landing on equally silent hooves on a tree branch as I studied my target.

She was by the edge of a stream on the soft grass, laying down on her stomach as she looked up towards the skies. Her mane was mostly visible as shimmers of light in the darkness as it flowed.

Taking to the air again, I swept down towards the ground a dozen meters away before starting to silently sneak closer, careful steps in the grass before I pu-

Luna smiled and turned her head, "Are you joining me?"

I pounced on her, pinning her to the ground as I gnawed playfully at her ear, "Got you!"

She laughed and rolled over, "Silly Page," she said with a grin, forelegs pulling me tight, "I can always feel you in the dream realm."

"I kinda hoped I fixed that in this place," I admitted and bumped my nose to hers, "Wife."

"Husband," she answered and bumped right back, "It has nothing to do with this place and all to do with you. Not noticing you in here is like not noticing my sister walking into a room."

I relaxed against her, "I guess," I admitted, "How are things in Canterlot?"

Luna smiled and shook her head slightly, "As you might expect. There are a lot of complaints about half of the appointment times being shifted to after midnight."

"I can see why," I admitted, "But they just have to bucking deal."

"As you say," Luna agreed, "And Nocturnis?"

I sighed, "Like usual. Sadly. There is just a constant of putting out fires. Most metaphorically, thankfully, but it's stressful."

Luna smiled slightly, "You should have seen how things were during the formation of Equestria. We had a lot of non-metaphorical fires."

"Sunshine has shown me some in our lessons," I agreed and then frowned at her, pushing myself up to sit, "And speaking of which, what the buck are the two of you cooking up? She keep twisting out of having to answer by distracting me-"

"Does she?" Luna asked with a small smirk, her hoof running up along my foreleg.

I blinked, suddenly losing my train of thought before I shook my head and glared at her, "Stop that!"

"Or what, My Page?" Luna asked and stretched out slightly on the grass, stars shimmering in her eyes.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before letting it back out, "You two are definitely sisters," I grumbled before I laid back down, resting my head on her chest, "Just tell me, alright. I'm a big colt, I can take it."

Luna sighed, forelegs slipping around me, "We were debating options. One of which was splitting Nocturnis and surrounding area off to a protectorate, similar to the Crystal Empire."

I frowned and glanced up at her, "...Alright, I'll bite. How exactly would that help anything?"

"Because, my silly bat," Luna explained, "Then the loans would be a stimulus to a protectorate nation and would not need to be repaid. In addition, when the taxes kick in, or if they do at all would be up to you, they would go only to Nocturnis, not a bunch to Equestria. Anything else would be up to the protectorate agreement."

I spent several long moments considering that, "Protectorates usually provide something to their superior nation."

Luna nodded, "Took a while to get it going, but the Crystal Empire pays twenty five percent of their taxes as well as several hundred tons of magic crystals a year to Equestria," she agreed.

"And Nocturnis?"

Luna smirked, "I'm sure we could come to some sort of agreement. After some though negotiations."

I studied her, "I'm sure we could," I said a bit dryly and then thought about it for several long seconds before I sighed, "While I can see it having some pros," I admitted, "It has one massive problem. It's likely to isolate my bats even further. I already have a bit of a xenophobia problem growing that I need to stomp out."

"Or perhaps give them the reassurance they need."

"Or come with an entire different can of snakes," I sighed, "What other ideas did you have?"

Luna touched her nose to mine, "Wedding."

I blinked in surprise, "Wedding? Who's wedding?"

She smiled, "Celestias and yours. You said you plan to marry her, correct?"

I nodded with a smile, "I have said that. And I will."

"Hold it in Nocturnis. Make all the visitors come to you. Show what an amazing place it is."

Marry Celestia in Nocturnis. Celestia's wedding, buck all of Equestria would want to go to it. Buuuck, forget the actually invited ponies, it would likely be an event open to everypony. Luna and I were a big deal.

But Celestia?

"It's a nice idea, and if it was literally anypony else I think it may work," I admitted, "But I'm not sure the population of Equestria fits in Nocturnis. It'd be a bit crowded."

"What of Twilight then?" Luna suggested.

"Sparks and Sunny will marry first," I said, "We have discussed it, but no date or anything planned yet. And in no way would I have them have it in Nocturnis for political gain if they wished for anything else."

Luna smiled and gave my nosetip a small kiss, "Good colt."

I flicked one ear, "Not like I could even if I wanted to. Either could break me in half if they wanted to."

Luna smirked, "You have a type it seems?" she teased.

"Yeah, apparently it's scary mares," I grumbled and cuddled closer, "Any further ideas?"

"You could just stop being dumb about it," Luna suggested, "And just stop worrying. Nocturnis isn't a drain on Equestrian finances. My Page, either Celestia or myself could pay for it all from our own accounts without suffering any hardship at all."

I pushed myself up to glare down at her, "I will no-"

Her hoof touched my lips, "I know, my silly bat."

"I am not a silly bat," I explained, my wings spreading, "It's not about me! I don't like being in debt and I don't like having to take charity, but it's not about me. If it was just me, I would smile and nod and say thank you! It's the ponies in Nocturnis. Having to take the money from Equestria as is with it being a loan is unpopular enough. Outright charity would be highly unpopular to say the least, they’d be furious!"

Luna sighed softly, "I know," she said quietly, "It's not an easy problem to solve."

"Well, I have a solution," I suggested, "I can set up elections, let them pick a leader by popular vote and then go retire in a forest cabin somewhere far away from politics. Then it wouldn't be my problem!"

Luna smiled gently up at me, "Page, you already know you would just be voted to lead them."

"Ah, but I could set up term limits! A maximum of four years!"

"And you think changing leaders and vision every four years would improve stability?" Luna asked with a small smile as she regarded me.

"...No..." I admitted with a sigh, feeling my ears droop.

"Page, ponies like us don't get to walk away or hide."

"No, but somehow Sparks and Midnight ended up without needing to rule anything."

Luna smiled, "Well, they are the smartest of us."

"Ain’t that the truth," I sighed with a small smile before getting up and stretching, "Let's stop talking about this, all it does is ruin our limited time."

"I still have a bit until I have court," Luna said and rolled onto her hooves, getting up as she nosed at my ear, "How about a bath?" she asked and led the way towards the stream.

I smiled and followed.