Taking a long pull from the bottle, I then lit my horn up with magic, forming a spell before I sent it flying towards the target.
The swinging metal plate on a rope let out a loud Clang as I just about managed to snag it on the edge, sending it spinning as well as swinging.
“Hey, good shot. You're getting the hang of that.” Thunder Cloud said with a grin as he fitted his crossbow with an arrow.
“Well... better than when he started, at least.” Swift Spear interjected, taking a swing from his own strong drink. “Remember when he almost managed to hit himself?”
“...Screw you too.” I grumbled to their laughter before moving to the side to give the pegasus room to aim.
Settling down next to Swift Spear, I took another pull from the bottle before I yawned.
It was rather nice to just hang out again, all three of us.
“So... graduation soon.” I commented as Cloud sent his arrow flying and it just barely missed the metal plate and bounced off the wall behind it, ending up on the ground.
He nodded. “Yeah. Next month.”
“Nervous?” Swift asked with raised eyebrows.
The pegasus frowned and stepped back, letting Swift take his place for a shot. “...A bit. Mostly about where I might be posted. I know I'll pass. I'm at the top ten percent of the class.”
“Shouldn't that make you a easy shoe-in for Canterlot?” I asked with a frown.
He shrugged. “Not certain. Make it more likely, yeah, but it depends on where I would be needed. If they need more pegasi couriers or if some border garrison needs more air scouts, I could very easily end up there. So what's up with you? Writing anything?”
I couldn't help but grimace at that. “Less than I would like.” I said and gave a pebble a small kick as I got up as it was my turn with the target. “Right now I'm just too involved with the changeling negotiations to get much time for it.”
Swift nodded. “They are causing the guard schedules to go to Tartarus too.” he noted as I passed him. “Every time a new meeting is scheduled, it moves every shift around.”
I snorted and fired off my spell, just barely missing the spinning metal plate. “Blame the Princesses.”
Cloud was watching with interest. “How is that going? Anything exciting?”
I shook my head and moved to let him take his shot. “Nope. Not sure I'm really allowed to discuss it, but it mostly involves Queen Chrysalis and Princess Cadance glaring at each other.”
“Well, what did Chrysalis expect?” Swift asked, taking a swig from his bottle. “Bugs impersonated Princess Cadance and used her wedding to invade Canterlot. They can't just come and make demands after that like this.”
“It's not about what's right in this case. It's about what needs to happen.” I commented and fired off another magic blast, this time making the metal plate go spinning on its rope. “Sometimes, politics is not about doing what is right, but what is the least wrong.”
As much as it sucked, that was the truth and the rest of the changelings shouldn't suffer because their queen was unpleasant. And a megalomaniac. And somehow for somepony that fed on emotions, she still managed to be unemphatic.
...Even worse, I was on HER side in this. She was right.
The Crystal Heart was the best chance for this to work. The alternative was to change ponies' perceptions of changelings enough to make up the emotion harvest shortfall in less than a year.
Settling down in the grass, I downed the last of my bottle before I spun it in my magic.
“Now that's just a sad thought.” Cloud sighed and stretched his wings. “There should always be a right thing to do.”
“Should be, yes.” Swift agreed. “Always is... no. But I trust the Princesses to find one.”
The least bad one would be to move the hive, just as Chrysalis wished. But...
“Eh, fuck it.” I grumbled as I pulled a new bottle of hard cider from the case. “I'm trying to avoid thinking of that clusterfuck right now. That's a problem for future Page.”
“Future Page should likely stop at two bottles.” Swift remarked as he uncorked his own fourth bottle with a grin. “Or future Page might regret it.”
“Bite me.”
There was a buzzing of wings and Skitter descended from the skies above, landing before us. “Lord Page.” she said with a slight bow. “Princess Cadance has called an emergency meeting to continue the talks.”
Son of a...
“Did she give a reason?” I asked and gave the bottle a sorrowful look. Politics.
Fuck politics. Here I was looking forward to my first day away from that shit for over a week.
Then I gave the bottle a thoughtful look. Maybe if I got drunk enough they would bar me from the meeting?
...No, that wouldn't work. It wasn't strong enough for that. Besides, and much more importantly, it would embarrass Luna. I would never do that.
Taking a swing of it anyway, I then offered it to the changeling. “Want some?”
“...No, sir.”
“Suit yourself.” I sighed and took another swig before tossing it over to Cloud and cracking my neck. “Very well, let's get going.”
Let's see if things are actually going to move on or if we are on for another rousing round of Pink Princess and Black Queen glaring at each other.
...Maybe I should bring the cider. If I could get them drunk enough they were bound to either kill each other or end up in bed together. Either way, the problem would be solved.
But that was likely just the cider talking.